[Gingergoose]

Oh...Sandy and Deb,

Thank you so much for asking.

We found her 16 years ago, not a puppy but young. She is my little soulmate. I don't remember life without her really.

She has been slowing down, her sight and hearing are slowly failing and her little hips are obviously weak. She has been sleeping alot but loves her treats and runs two houses down to look for her boyfriend Patrick every morning.

The sitter (the best in the world) called us on Thursday concerned because she wasn't interested in eating and seemed lethargic. Drinking alot of water. She fixed her some chicken and rice, which she ate but threw it up almost 24 hours later, practically undigested.

When she called to report that, we made her a vet appt. which the sitter took her to and we started packing to come home.

She is now at the vet, we visited today and will again tomorrow, getting constant fluids. Her kidney levels (BUN, CREATININE) are elevated. When we went to see her she was perky and barking and trying to talk to us. We walked her and she made wee-wee and we got her to eat a bit. She will get the fluids until Monday and have blood work re-drawn. Then she will come home to me.

My friend kept her little dog Sadie alive for 10 months by giving her subcutaneious fluids at home so we have asked the vet if that is a possibility if she is end-stage. If we go with it, it's back to V Tech (Henry's alma mater /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif ).

I love all of my dogs but Olivia is a soulmate . It may sound ridiculous to some but it's the only way I can describe it.

Thank you for your prayers...I hope God gives me more time with her.

~Denise

 

[Gingergoose]

Julie,
Thank you for your prayers. I just came back from seeing Olivia and she still looks better but would not eat for me. She wee-wee'd too...nice and clear.

Jen,
Re: the sub-q fluids at home. I might have to bend your ear further on that if we get to that point. Olivia's BUN was high last December but her creatinine was normal. Now her BUN is high enough that the vet's machine can not read it and her creatinine is 10, which is very high. She and I sat out in the yard at the vets for about an hour. The weather was perfect and we (at least I) could hear alot of birds. I wish I knew what Olivia was thinking during that time. Thanks for your words.

~Denise

 

[Gingergoose]

Chloe's Mommy,
Just wait, it will happen. And you're right, Chloe probably does know what you are thinking sometimes. Olivia's dedication and awareness of me has always been uncanny. It's like we know what each other is thinking.

Thanks for the prayers and kind thoughts and words, everybody. Tomorrow she comes home and we will hopefully know where we stand.

Hug your babies extra tight, tonight. :heart: :heart:

~Denise

 

[Gingergoose]

Olivia is home. Her numbers are not much improved. She isn't interested in eating. Waiting to hear from VTech to see if they have anything to offer.

Even though she has been with us for 16 years, I'm not ready for this.

Thanks for letting me "vent".

~Denise

 

[Gingergoose]

Thanks everybody,

Olivia's numbers are increasing with aggresive fluid therapy (and going to another vet). But the fluid therapy is very hard on her and she is depressed. She doesn't understand why she has to spend her days at the vet (getting fluids) and nights at home in a crate (getting fluids). I know she is wondering what she did to deserve this treatment from me.

After three days of fluids we will re-evaluate. Even if her labs get better, I don't want her to die (eventually) thinking that I don't love her and am punishing her.

Sorry...I'm tired from watching her IV all night and walking her so that she can pee constantly. Thanks for the encouragement and prayers.

~Denise

 

[Gingergoose]

Thanks Jassy,

I spoke with the vet and Olivia's levels continue to decrease (I said increase by mistake before). Decrease is good.

I don't know how low they will get or how long they will stay at those levels or what we have to do to keep them there. I just want her to be happy in the time she has left and know that I love her.

Thanks again for the emotional outlet.

~Denise

 

[Gingergoose]

I'm getting ready to go get her after another day of fluids at the vet. Her levels are good but she is still depressed and not eating. The thought now is the possiblity of cancer. There are some weird cells washing into her urine. So it's possible that her kidney failure is secondary to another "illness".

I'm going to sleep in the computer room with her tonight...close to the front door so that she can go pee without my having to carry her down the stairs. I'm also going to fix her IV line so that I can disconnect the fluids from her while whe walks...that means a little more quality time outside without that IV line.

Take care...kiss your babies extra tonight.

~Denise

 

[Gingergoose]

Thanks Angela and Pat.

We are at this point pretty sure it's primary renal failure now. (long story) Now we just keep her as comfortable as possible until it's time.

Her and Henry are on their favorite sofa...every time she gets up, I take her outside to pee then to get a drink of water. We spend as much time outside as she wants to. She isn't hungry but as soon as my husband wakes up for a little while, I'm going to the pharmacy to get some prescriptions which include an appetite stimulant.

I'm still giving her IV fluids peridically through her access on her arm.

Now we just make the most of our time, I guess. Nothing is impossible but I don't see her turning this around. I would like to see her eat again.

Thanks for listening.

~Denise

 

[Gingergoose]

Here are Henry and Olivia doing their favorite thing in their favorite place...together. When I was browzing my photos, I noticed how many pictures that I have of these two together.

 

[Gingergoose]

We've had a little bit of a miracle here and I thought I would share it in hopes that when the time comes, it may help somebody else here.

Olivia isn't interested in eating because she is in renal failure and typically animals in renal failure have no appetite because of the buildup of waste in the blood.

My friend who lost her dog to renal failure earlier this year told me to ask the vet for a prescription for cyprohexadrine. It is an antihistamine and is routinely used as an appetite stimulant for cats.

I asked Olivia's vet for a RX for the cyprohexadrine and she was happy to try it. I gave it to Olivia at 3pm on the nose. At 4:05pm, she got up and walked to her treat drawer. I gave her one of her treats...the first time she's been interested in one in a week. Then she proceeded to eat a jar of chicken baby food and some Kraft Mac/Cheese which is one of her favorites that I made for her last night. (she had no interest last night). Now she is walking around and begging. I don't want to give her too much until I know she can keep it down.

Just remember...appetitie stimulant...cyprohexadrine....cats and DOGS!

~Denise

 

[Gingergoose]

So far, so good. Olivia has kept down all that she has eaten since 4pm. That would be:
-poached liver (I hide her pills in it)
-Kraft mac/cheese
-one jar of chicken baby food
-some chicken sticks (baby food, kind of like Vienna sausages)

This stuff isn't on a renal diet but I think we will have to settle for "beggars can't be choosers". You get to a time in your life where what you eat isn't as important as just EATING.

Judy,
Why isn't Maggie eating or keeping it down? Ask about this medicine. As of this week, the cost of it has changed drastically. The bottle I have would have costed over $100 last week but since the decrease in the generic, today's bottle costed $35. Amazing!

~Denise

 

[Gingergoose]

Hi Jen!

Actually, this RX was called in to a local pharmacy. My girlfriend went and picked it up for me and the pharmacist told her that the cost of the generic form came down drastically last week and lower again as of today.

~Denise