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05-23-2016, 05:24 AM | #1 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: May 2016 Location: Kokomo, IN, USA
Posts: 31
| 5 year old with PLE I have a newly diagnosed yorkie with Protein Losing Enteropathy due to IBD. Her name is Holly, and she is 5 years old. It has been a roller coaster ride getting here. I went to 3 different vets within a 2 week time because I knew something was wrong. The third vet did blood work, including testing for liver shunt. When that came back negative she referred us to Purdue. She spent 3 days in ICU at Purdue University small animal clinic. The did biopsies, and confirmed the PLE. Lucky for us, there is a vet there who specialises in PLE. We are home, and giving medicine, and she is on a special diet that she does not like. If I hand feed her I can get her to eat a little. Her belly is still enlarged, but we are seeing a little bit of an improvement. I will be asking about a pet nutritionists. When this started, I went to bed at night not knowing if she would be alive when I woke up. So much better than that, but her not eating is not helping her get better. Her protein level did increase last week, but at .8 we have a way to go to get in the normal range. I've read the thread about "Cookie" and feeling hopeful that we can get past this and get my baby girl on the road to recovery. |
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05-23-2016, 07:39 AM | #2 |
Furbutts = LOVE Donating Member Moderator | So sorry you and little Holly are having to go through this! It's got to be so hard watching her not feeling well, and you feeling helpless. But just know, you *will* get her through this and get her well again. You might find this helpful: http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/die...itionists.html
__________________ ~ A friend told me I was delusional. I nearly fell off my unicorn. ~ °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° Ann | Pfeiffer | Marcel Verdel Purcell | Wylie | Artie °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° |
05-25-2016, 04:22 PM | #3 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: May 2016 Location: Kokomo, IN, USA
Posts: 31
| Not really much of an update yet, but Purdue has given us a different kind of food for her, and at least for tonight she finally isn't hungry. On the menu tonight was potato and venison, and she gobbled it. She has a doctor appointment tomorrow to check her protein levels, and get her a B12 injection. |
05-25-2016, 06:46 PM | #4 |
Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: USA
Posts: 4,285
| Great! Purdue should be able to recommend a pet nutritionist. May here have used Dr Rebecca Remillard. I think I would stick close to the diet your specialist is recommending as long as things were improving. Keep us posted!
__________________ . Cali , and Cali's keeper and staff, Jay No, not a "mini" Yorkie - She loves to motor in her Mini Cooper car |
05-25-2016, 10:11 PM | #5 |
Resident Yorkie Nut Donating YT 20K Club Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas
Posts: 27,451
| Oh, I didn't see that you had started this thread. I am happy to hear that they gave a food that she likes! Looking forward to hearing how her blood work is....
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05-26-2016, 08:52 AM | #6 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: May 2016 Location: Kokomo, IN, USA
Posts: 31
| Vet visit over for this week. Protein level dropped this week. Now it is .6 - it was .8 last week so we are losing ground. She did eat a little of the new food this morning. I did find out the vet at Purdue who is consulting with my vet is a certified animal nutritionist. My vet is faxing the blood test results to her to see if something needs changed. This is week 3, and she said we should see results by week 4. Not feeling very hopeful right now. The only change we have seen is her diarrhea is gone. She still has a very fluid filled tummy. Spends most of her time just laying. So heartbreaking to be unable to help this baby. |
05-26-2016, 09:01 AM | #7 |
Resident Yorkie Nut Donating YT 20K Club Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas
Posts: 27,451
| What meds is she on? When she was hospitalized, did they give her hetastarch? They just used that on Cookie recently when she was hospitalized...she had pancreatitis and also a relapse of the PLE with fluid in her abdomen. They may just need to adjust her meds. Don't give up hope...sometimes it takes time to get them on track. If she does not eat, ask them about Mirtazapine. Keeping her and you in my thoughts and prayers....
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05-26-2016, 09:10 AM | #8 | |
Resident Yorkie Nut Donating YT 20K Club Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas
Posts: 27,451
| Quote:
Directory | ACVN
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05-26-2016, 12:05 PM | #9 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: May 2016 Location: Kokomo, IN, USA
Posts: 31
| She was not given hetastarch while hospitalized. She is currently on Prednisone 5 mg twice a day, Tylosin 1 mg twice a day, and famotidine 10 mg, 1/4 tablet twice a day. Her protein level was .4, went up to .8 last week, and down to .6 this week. It needs to be up to 2, but she is eating very little. Her belly is huge, but the rest of her is bony. Before she got sick, she was eating Fromm grain free. |
05-26-2016, 01:04 PM | #10 |
Resident Yorkie Nut Donating YT 20K Club Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas
Posts: 27,451
| I am assuming she was scoped since you did say it is due to IBD. My guess is they are hopeful if she eats this will turn around. I urge you to ask them about Mirtazapine. There is a thread here about a pup named Lola who had PLE due to a fungal infection. I told her mom about that med and the turn around was amazing. Lola would not eat and was really, really sick...once she started on Mirtazapine and started eating, she made a turn around. It isn't like that always, but when it does work, it is really wonderful. I have had great success with it with various pups who would not eat. Renal failure causes them to not eat as well.
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05-26-2016, 01:36 PM | #11 |
Resident Yorkie Nut Donating YT 20K Club Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas
Posts: 27,451
| I cannot find the post where Lola started taking Mirtazapine, but here is a post where her mom posted about it. Lola was really, really sick and not eating...her protein was very low. The Mirtazapine totally turned her around .. http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/3011854-post326.html
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05-26-2016, 04:09 PM | #12 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: May 2016 Location: Kokomo, IN, USA
Posts: 31
| Yes, she was scoped, and ultrasound, and biopsied. I was told there is no cure, but she will have to be on this restricted diet for the rest of her life. If I understand it right, her body is not able to process protein, so it backs up and that is what causes the bloat. First food was hydrolyzed protein. If she ate any, it was because I handed her bites at a time. Definitely not enough. Now it is a limited ingredient. She ate last night pretty good, but not much today. Maybe a 1/4 can in 24 hours, and a few pieces of the same kind of kibble. The Doctor we were referred to at Purdue University is supposed to specialize in PLE, meaning that is what I was told but I have no way to confirm that. |
05-26-2016, 06:28 PM | #13 | |
Resident Yorkie Nut Donating YT 20K Club Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas
Posts: 27,451
| Quote:
That's great that the specialist is an expert in PLE ... the one who cares for Cookie and also Rookie (the one mentioned above) also has a special interest in PLE. The biggest challenge is getting them to eat so that the body can get back to normal. I cannot emphasize enough calling your vet about the Mirtazapine. It is anti nausea, anti emetic and also an appetite stimulant...it is an anti depressant and has been used for some time in animals who have stopped eating. I know I probably sound like a broken record, but it is so important to get her to eat and this med may help that.
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06-01-2016, 12:57 PM | #14 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: May 2016 Location: Kokomo, IN, USA
Posts: 31
| Spent the morning at Purdue with Holly. We are waiting on results of blood tests to see if there is ANY improvement in her protein level and her white cell count that was high. There was much discussion about me not being willing to watch this dog starve herself to death, and so far she is not interested in any of the food we have been given. She still has a fluid filled belly although it is better. With the fluid we don't know what her true weight is but we can feel lots of bones so we know she is losing. We now have a supply of Mirtazapine so we will see if it makes a difference. She is working on a diet plan of what I can cook and feed just to get her to eat. 75% of dogs with PLE have shown improvement by this time but Holly is in the 25% and I am not willing to give up on her. I made it very clear that I will cook what I need to if it will help her heal. |
06-01-2016, 02:10 PM | #15 |
Resident Yorkie Nut Donating YT 20K Club Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas
Posts: 27,451
| Until they get a diet for her, you might try sweet potatoes just to see if she likes them. The trick with the IBD is finding a protein they can eat/handle. My Cookie is on Tilapia and it has been fine for her. She is not doing so well right now ... she was in ICU for a week and her protein is still low and pancreatic enzymes elevated. We see the specialist again tomorrow. I really, really hope the Mirtazapine helps Holly. Please keep us posted. I am happy you updated...I have had Holly on my mind. She and you are in my thoughts and prayers.
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