Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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That is a good idea and worked for a while. 🙂 Unfortunately Mosby figured it out. I think he's just too darn smart.
We do have some cream cheese, might try that.
Here is my two cents:
1) Make certain he is hydrated with electrolytes/pedialyte. This may require an IV or sub-q fluids.
2) Withhold ALL food and treats for 24-36 hours. (Dogs do not have to eat for days according to the brilliant minds...)
3) Pull all meds except where absolutely necessary (pain, staph, diarrhea sound necessary).
4) May he have developed Multi-Drug Syndrome/Sensitivity? Heffalump did unbeknownst to us at the beginning of treatment (of course, he had never needed to be treated for anything much before so...)
5) And I am sorry to say this BUT if meds are super important and he is not eating and getting that vacant stare (which many dogs do when they are being polite in telling you you are just waaaaay off base in trying to feed them), you will need to open his big Mosby mug, and place the pills as far back in his throat as possible, and then close his handsome mug, and rub under his chin until he swallows. Coating the meds with fish oil helps them to be slightly more palatable and a lot more slippery. It is a necessary evil and if done quickly and calmly, it allows him to go back to the thank god you are now going to leave me alone for a bit!
6) I know this is extremely difficult to go through and to try to resolve but you and Mosby WILL make it through this!!! He just needs a bit more time and you guys need a break.
Best wishes, hugs, and PyrPaws all around!!!
We did sub-cu fluids yesterday, and he actually has been drinking water really well (knock on wood ... every time I say something positive it goes negative). He will turn up his nose at pedialytes.
I have considered withholding food. I will ask the vets.
I agree pulling all non-necessary meds is a good plan. I would back him to pain + immodium if it were me.
That is the way we've been putting the pills down. We had a lot of "high maintenance" dogs growing up, and my mom taught me how to give pills a long time ago. And I never used to have to use treats, Mosby used to take them like a champ. So for now it's open the mouth, jam the pill in as far as I can, then hold his snout closed and massage his throat. However he has developed a habit where his gag reflex starts before I even put the pill down, so it's like he's got an escalator working the pill back up as soon as I put it in. So I do it as quickly as possible, hold his snout shut, massage his throat and pray. Sometimes I can wave a nice piece of meat in front of his nose to induce him to swallow so he can take the meat, but sometimes he just still refuses. It's an awful experience. And it never used to be like that with him. It's the whole reason we started using PB, cheese, etc. We have tried coating them with something tasty (even bacon fat), but it doesn't help. And I can't even reward him with treats now, because he won't take the treats. So it's just an awful battle with no reward for him, and every time he sees me coming he tries to get away. 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 I try to be so sweet and sweet talk him, and praise him so much for being good.
Honestly if this passes (and I really, really hope it does), then Mosby is definitely due for a break. Several breaks. He doesn't deserve any of this. He is such a good dog.
Vets are conferring. I think the ultimate plan will be to back him off a bunch of meds, then just let him eat on his own time. We'll see.
I have to think that might be ideal! Poor guy just has too much going on.
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
Official plan is, for 24 hours, pull him off of everything but the immodium. No forcing him to eat - if he is hungry, he'll eat. With respect to the immodium, my family vet said only give it if he takes it easily (i.e. in some peanut butter) and not to fight with him. Then we will let him be (other than love and massages). Hopefully this is what he needs. If there's no change or it's worse in 24 hours, we'll probably take him in and reevaluate. If he's better, we'll try to resume the necessary ones, like cipro and some pain.
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Alright, it's a plan!!!
Come on Colonel Mosby! Nobody's gonna mess with you for a whole 24 hrs other than loving and spoiling!!
And poor Mom! Having Mosby walk away when he sees you coming! OWWEE! Hurts!!
As far as the Immodium, let Dad do that for now!
For Mosby to feel "normal" again and to be surrounded by his "normal" routine, whatever that used to be, will probably do everybody good!!
Keep us posted. I know it must be incredible hard to stay positive. And even with the 24 hr respite, he may take a bit longer. It may (or may not) take a bit longer to get the meds completely out of his system. And I know the no food may be needed an additional few hours too.
COLONEL MOSBY!! YOUR TROOPS ARE GATHERING ROUND AND SURROUNDING YOU WITH HEALING ENERGY!!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Detox report one. Mosby is very out of it. Nibbled on some pieces of plain chicken, but didn't really eat them, so we put them away. Still had diarrhea as of 5:30ish. Nothing since them. He has not had as much water as I'd like, but he did get fluids yesterday, so that's good. I gave him a nice back massage and he liked that. As a test for when it's time for the immodium, I let him check out some peanut butter on a spoon, and he turned his nose up in the air. If he doesn't want it, he doesn't want it. Anyway, I hope all of this works. Poor little bear.
Okay, the "detox" really hasn't had time to kick in.
But what do you mean out of it? How is he acting? Does he seem aware? If someone knocked on the door woukd he show any sign if being aalerted to that sound?
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
I agree, he won't be fully detoxed until tomorrow (or later). 7:00 is the first med dose he missed.
He's kind of out of it like he's sedated. He kind of fell half asleep with part of his face in his water bowl (we were watching ... I was hoping he was going to drink). If someone knocked on the door he'd raise an eyebrow. Doorbell, might lift his head. He can go outside and pee and come back in fine, no problems moving, no spatial awareness issues, etc. He just acts basically sedated. Of course, today is day 4 post-chemo, so I know he's very tired. Also I gave him a tiny dose of trazadone at 7:00 a.m. like I always do if he's going to be crated, so that could be it. We're just letting him sleep. Hopefully he'll nap all evening and have a good sleep all through the night. Sweet baby boy. I think he's ok, just worn out and groggy from everything. <3
Hmmm....maybe between tiredness from the chemo (and maybe the other side effects from it IF its not the meds), a bit of blahs from the diarrheaand not eating much, and maybe even the trazedone, all are in play here. Guess you're eliminating that too.
I do recall Merry Myrtle having some upset tummy, diarrhea, vomiting and not eating. If I recall, it took 48 hrs of a combo of withholding food and just trying the smallest amounts of bland food. Vet never determined cause...just some gastro upset of no k own cause. Obviously, you have a multitude of "choices of cause".
TRY....TRY...and stay positive and release yourself from worry over the next one to two days. Remember, Mosby is not anxious, he's not worried and he isn't in pain! He just feels blah. And when you feel blah you sure don't feel like eating and you do just want to nap.
We'll be waiting for updates, but not really expecting any significant cha ge yet tomorrow. Maybe a teeny weeny improvement by late tomorrow nignt and, hopefully, some more the following night. But we also want to see how YOU are doing!!! Goodness knows, this has to be sooooo stressful for you! Just remember that, thankfully, it's not stressing Mosby at all!
Oh, almost forgot! You do have lots of CHOCOLATE on hand for yourself, right??? While Mosby is fasting, devout that chocolate!!
Hugs and love
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Stop the trazidone if at all possible. Taking a zonked pill on an empty stomache will make it all the more effective. He will get better. He just needs time and very little meds. Vets should look at how many medications and of ismon and back off if necessary.
I hear what you're saying, but he hasn't had trazidone since we went off meds. That was this morning when he was still on the other meds, before I was able to get a conference with his vets. I haven't given him anything but back massages since we went off meds. He is just snoozing now.
Likely being off meds means clearing the system for 24 hours or more. No meds for 24 hours. Fantastic that Mosby is snoozing! Means he is more comfortable! Go Mosby!!!
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