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Jul. 13th, 2008 06:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ksmithThe day didn't begin well, but it got better.
Mickey was OK this morning. He ate, took his meds, went outside, then slept. Drank a lot of water, which set me to worrying because it's a sign of liver issues. Which I know he still had, but still, this was more water than he had been drinking lately, so. Observation the First. I took King for a nice long walk because the poor guy needed it, but I sniffled a bit for Mickey along the way. Along with the pancreas-liver issues, he seemed to have torqued his shoulder, which is a weak spot for him, so he was favoring his right leg a little and couldn't shake his head. He didn't seem perky, and I was more than a little concerned that he was backsliding.
Then came lunchtime, and he only ate a portion of his 1.5 cups of rice with broth/1/4 cup dry food. This was the first time he had refused food since last Saturday. Vet told me to watch out for this, so I called her, and we talked. If Mickey refused dinner, odds were good that I would be spending Sunday evening in the emergency vet clinic, checking him in to the hospital.
Dinnertime came, and I made Mickey a smaller version of a full-bore hospital food type dinner: one half-cup white rice with a little chicken liver broth. I also made up King's dinner, which consisted of his usual Eagle Pack with some chopped chicken livers. Carrying both bowls, I summoned Mickey. I was guardedly optimistic since he had come into the kitchen while I was prepping dinner and seemed very interested in what was going on. I set down his rice--he sniffed it, then stepped back. I felt a little ohshit until I realized that he was nosing King's food bowl and looking at me expectantly. He didn't want the hospital food. He wanted DOG food.
Unfortunately, a good helping of DOG food would send him to the ER so fast that time would run backwards, so I poured a little more broth on his rice, which was enough to get him to eat. He's sleeping now, after playing with his fave Kong and walking about outside looking for neighbor dogs to harass. One thing we had tried to do was cut back on the sucralfate, but we may not be able to do that for a while. Liver/pancreas issues can apparently also torque the stomach, so it will be a week or so before we try to wean him off that particular med again.
Liver/pancreas issues are a stone bitch squared. Just saying.
I feel better now than I did this morning. Got no writing done, and my head hurts, but I'll take what I can get.
Still light out. I mowed the front yard this morning. Think I'll work on the back...
Mickey was OK this morning. He ate, took his meds, went outside, then slept. Drank a lot of water, which set me to worrying because it's a sign of liver issues. Which I know he still had, but still, this was more water than he had been drinking lately, so. Observation the First. I took King for a nice long walk because the poor guy needed it, but I sniffled a bit for Mickey along the way. Along with the pancreas-liver issues, he seemed to have torqued his shoulder, which is a weak spot for him, so he was favoring his right leg a little and couldn't shake his head. He didn't seem perky, and I was more than a little concerned that he was backsliding.
Then came lunchtime, and he only ate a portion of his 1.5 cups of rice with broth/1/4 cup dry food. This was the first time he had refused food since last Saturday. Vet told me to watch out for this, so I called her, and we talked. If Mickey refused dinner, odds were good that I would be spending Sunday evening in the emergency vet clinic, checking him in to the hospital.
Dinnertime came, and I made Mickey a smaller version of a full-bore hospital food type dinner: one half-cup white rice with a little chicken liver broth. I also made up King's dinner, which consisted of his usual Eagle Pack with some chopped chicken livers. Carrying both bowls, I summoned Mickey. I was guardedly optimistic since he had come into the kitchen while I was prepping dinner and seemed very interested in what was going on. I set down his rice--he sniffed it, then stepped back. I felt a little ohshit until I realized that he was nosing King's food bowl and looking at me expectantly. He didn't want the hospital food. He wanted DOG food.
Unfortunately, a good helping of DOG food would send him to the ER so fast that time would run backwards, so I poured a little more broth on his rice, which was enough to get him to eat. He's sleeping now, after playing with his fave Kong and walking about outside looking for neighbor dogs to harass. One thing we had tried to do was cut back on the sucralfate, but we may not be able to do that for a while. Liver/pancreas issues can apparently also torque the stomach, so it will be a week or so before we try to wean him off that particular med again.
Liver/pancreas issues are a stone bitch squared. Just saying.
I feel better now than I did this morning. Got no writing done, and my head hurts, but I'll take what I can get.
Still light out. I mowed the front yard this morning. Think I'll work on the back...
no subject
Date: 2008-07-14 12:26 am (UTC)My 15lb yorkie had the lens in his left eye slip. Needless to say, surgery will happen tomorrow. I'm still coming down off my adreniline-fuled freak out. Not to mention the sticker shock. He may or may not have sight in that eye afterward.
Jody in PA
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Date: 2008-07-14 01:22 am (UTC)I talked with the vet about Mickey's cataracts. She said that they're still immature, and he can still see well enough. If surgery proves an option for him, it will likely be sometime next year. At least at this point.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-16 11:09 pm (UTC)He also developed corneal ulcers on both eyes, which doubled the medications he's on. 7 eyedrops, 2 pills, 1 by-mouth goop squirty thing. It takes 20 minutes to do the drops, you have to wait a few minutes between them or else he'll just blink them back out.
I'm operating on very little sleep. I stayed home with him today, I am NOT a good caregiver and just can't deal very well. I hardly ate anything today due to stress, despite the fact he slept almost the whole time. My husband, on the other hand, is like the pied piper with Max. It's like night & day.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-17 01:54 am (UTC)I talk about it in a later post, but I'll be taking Mickey to the hospital tomorrow. After a couple days of doing OK, he refused dinner, and is pretty low energy. Even on the good days, he wasn't eating enough to keep up his strength. He's losing too much weight, but if I try to feed him more, either his liver or his pancreas kicks up and he backslides. He likely needs IV meds and nourishment.
I am not a good caregiver when I feel like I'm floundering, like I do now. Stomach's in a knot. I'm tired. I just want Mickey to have the right care, and while I've had guidance, I don't have training. Not a vet. Don't play one on TV.