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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