Just got home from the vet, didn't hear exactly what I wanted to
. Since yesterday Tucker as been just violently chewing around his tail and his front right paw. We put his muzzle on him and medicine so he wouldn't irritate it anymore. But I guess that didn't stop him from licking it throught the night.. When I woke up this morning he had sores alllll over his back side
so I made an appointment at the vet. When we got there Tucker's usual vet, who has helped us with his liver shunt problems was swamped with emergencys, so we decided Tucker was too miserable to wait and saw another vet. It turns out he has a fever and infection in his skin
. We were given prednisone (sp?) to help his itching stop, and another antibiotic to get rid of the infection. So, now he is on 4 different medications, and I'm afraid it is going to upset his stomach. What do you guys think about prednisone? It is a steriod right? He only has to be on it for approx. 14 days, you think that will be okay? Also, the worst news was that even though he is extremely healthy considering his condition, the longer we put off the liver shunt repair surgery the more dangerous it will be. His liver could fail in a few years and there's nothing that can really help him from that point
The surgery is extremely expensive, and I know it has a high risk factor. I do NOT want to put him through that at this age when he can be maintained with medicine and diet and live comfortably. He might not make it through that surgery, but if it is successful it will greatly extend his life, and help with growing behavior issues associated with shunts. I don't know what to do, I think we will visit a liver shunt surgeon at A&M University very soon. Sorry this is so long, just wanted to see what you all think.
Thanks,