On the Mend!

Mid-week, Toby had a set back. He was clearly not feeling well. I called the vet, explained his symptoms and she explained that things didn’t sound good. She asked us to bring him in the next morning (Friday) for follow-up blood work. If the results were worse than the last series of blood tests that were done, we could assume that his liver was failing. We would have to make a decision.

After having a difficult discussion with the kids about the upcoming possibilities and a long night of tears, I brought him back to the vet on Friday. She checked him over – his abdomen was soft, he wasn’t exhibiting signs of abdominal pain, his ears were clear, and he didn’t have a fever. She took blood, we discussed the possibilities, and we went home to wait.

On Saturday morning, the vet called with the results. There was a marked improvement in his blood work – proteins were up, liver function was normal – any signs of liver failure were gone. Everything was trending in the right direction! We caught everything just in time! As of today, Toby is in the clear. We will keep him on a bland diet (prescription dry and wet food) with no treats, table scraps or strenuous activity for a full month. He is currently taking pain medication (Tramadol), ulcer medication, Pepcid and an anti-diarrheal. He’ll stay on this plan for the month as well.

I firmly believe this was a reaction to the first pain meds he was on – Rimadyl by Pfizer. I’ve been researching like crazy and I’ve actually found the most information on the Pfizer website. He was showing the classic symptoms of Rimadyl toxicity. I’m glad we caught it when we did and stopped treatment right away.

Tonight, Toby is playful, energetic and his appetite is back. There’s a sparkle in his eye, a skip in his step – and my heart is full. My little guy is doing better and I couldn’t be more grateful.

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A beautiful summer night…

Toby update…

Toby in October 2009

So, yesterday morning was rough. Toby wouldn’t eat or drink. He was really uncomfortable and in pain. Finally, I was able to coax him into eating a pill pocket with his Pepcid. It helped. Two hours later, he ate his breakfast and I was able to give him his pain medicine. He instantly perked up. The rest of the day was much better.

I spoke with the vet and his blood work was normal with the exception of his protein levels which were slightly decreased. She took out all of Toby’s x-rays, including one from two years ago, and looked at his liver. It’s significantly smaller today than it was two years ago. So, we’re going to give him a week or so on his meds and if he has no vomiting or diarrhea, we’ll test his protein levels again to see what’s going on.

If we can get the stomach discomfort under control, we’ll be able to focus on his back. The vet thinks he may have a slipped disc, but because of his abdominal pain, she can’t determine it for sure.

It’s so frustrating. The poor little guy is just not himself and he’s in pain. Although, today he has energy and an appetite, which makes it even more confusing. I have to do more research on the shrinking liver and figure out what we’re going to do long-term.

I’m trying not to get ahead of myself as we don’t have a true diagnosis yet, but I believe strongly in not allowing an animal to suffer for the sake of the fear and feelings of its human counterpart. I love this little dog with all my heart. I can’t imagine my life without him, but his quality of life is more important to me than my fear of losing him. I love him too much to watch him hurt.

When we rescued Toby, I had no idea that in reality, he would rescue me.

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Update and waiting again…

Life has been tough for Toby these last few weeks. After we finished his last round of Rimadyl, he began vomiting blood and had blood in his stool. He was in so much pain, he didn’t eat for two days and when he wouldn’t even lick an ice cube in my hand, we rushed him to the vet. His entire gastrointestinal tract was inflamed and bleeding. They kept him overnight, gave him IV fluids and put him on meds. For two weeks, he was on a prescription diet, antibiotics, ulcer meds, generic Pepcid, and pain pills (Tramadol – a non-NSAID). We just finished everything, except the Pepcid.

We’re not sure what happened. He didn’t have a reaction to the Rimadyl on the first round, so we weren’t sure of if was the cause after the second round or if it’s tied to the pain he’s been experiencing in his back area. After a xray, the vet said his liver is tilted and a little small, but she couldn’t determine if it was all tied together.

He’s been on restricted activity, only walks around the yard, so as not to exacerbate the problem. However, on Thursday, he got out of the house and ran all over the neighborhood for a good 15 minutes – full speed with us trying to catch him. On Friday, he vomited and was in major pain by bedtime. He laid around yester, barely ate or drank, but woke up this morning and ate and drank.

We have an appointment with the vet tomorrow morning for follow-up blood work, etc. So hopefully, we can get some answers.

Toby seems depressed to me. I’m sure he’s missing his walks and he has very little patience for Stevie (our younger dog). He just seems sad and it’s really bothering me. He’s only two and should still have some spunkiness.

It’s been a trying month, that’s for sure. Hopefully tomorrow will bring some answers.

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