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Originally Posted by ladyjane  BarbaraM all I can say is good luck with that....your thoughts concern me, but I have learned that when people think like you do, there is no one going to change that. I hope it works out well for the sake of your pup. |
When people think like I do? You know how I think? What does this even mean, anyway? My thoughts concern you? You can read my thoughts???!! Did you happen to "read" that I take my pets to a vet for annual check ups? Did you "read" they are taken care of ---medically---by an actual vet? I left the last vet for he is doing chiro
on horses only. (Yep--CHIRO) TeddE is NO horse! My first vet for TeddE is having some personal issues that I have tried to reckon with for some time. I was hoping this new one was one I could take my pets to. I was wrong. Did you catch how the ER suggested and referred me to Purdue? And that is where I drove to with Ted?? Are you suggesting something else should have been done?
I found this on a yorkie rescue site:
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Question:
Is Lomotil good for my dogs collapsing trachea?
Answer:
Lomitil is an opiate antidiarrheal drug, similar to loperamide (Immodium), which has largely replaced it because Lomotil was Rx only and Immodium is OTC. To the best of my knowledge, these drugs have motility-modifying effects only on the GI system, not on the respiratory system. Like any other opioid drug, at high enough doses, they could cause respiratory depression (which may or may not be a good thing in a dog with tracheal collapse). At any rate, since tracheal collapse is a structural problem from degenerating cartilage rings and not a "spasm" problem, I can't see how these drugs would be useful by reducing "spasms" of the trachea. One way that they might be helping (if they do indeed help), is that, being opioid agonists, they possibly have at least a little antitussive (cough inhibiting) effect, although again, the GI motility effect is the main action with these drugs. So, if the patient is coughing and these drugs are even weak cough suppressants, there might be some improvement seen.
However, since there are proven dependable cough suppressants already available to us (such as hydrocodone), I would much rather use one of them, and possibly a tranquilizer also if that was needed.
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I posted to let people know. That's all. About collapsed trachea in small pets. That
it could progress and something as close as a real diagnosis in the form of an xray or fluoroscopy might prove life saving. Not to accept "keep him calm" as a way to deal. Really. TeddE should have been given something to help him breathe in the vet's office. Or the "doggie valium" she said he needed. SOMETHING. That vet appt wasn't cheap at all.
Ted was a new patient that COULD NOT BREATH in a VET'S OFFICE, being held by an owner who had NO idea what his condition was. She did nothing. The next day I am taking him in to the ER then to a veterinary teaching hospital three hours from my home.
I will do all I can to help TeddE live as good a life as he can. (Just purchased non-allergenic organic bedding) Without too much medical intervention and I will continue to feed him food that is nutritious, as well. No corn for us! Most of the corn and soybean in this country is GENETICALLY ENGINEERED anyway!! Thank GOD my daughter is allergic to it. I hear cattle is fattened with it, could be mistaken, tho.
The theophylline (which opens his airway) is currently being given. The hydromet (I read this LAST warning: Before using Hydromet Syrup:
Some medical conditions may interact with Hydromet Syrup. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you: if you have lung disease (eg, asthma, history of severe breathing problems), a seizure disorder, serious head injury or brain disease, psychiatric problems (eg, suicidal thoughts), glaucoma, or sleep apnea...) will be used on an AS NEEDED only basis. He did not COUGH. His trachea was making noise as he tried to inhale. He has NOT been coughing at all. I also must not let him drive as the bottle claims.
I am seeing positive results from the homeopathy and he has lost two pounds since coming out of the hospital.
The sedative will be necessary in the event he needs to go somewhere or someone is coming here. He is no longer on prednisone as prescribed by the vet at Purdue. I have prescriptions for all for the future. He will get the drugs if necessary. I am continuing to work on getting him to lose weight and see if that helps with his issues. His diet is only the best in nutrition with as little as synthetic ingredients as possible. I feel nutrition is BEST in the FOOD for animals. Not synthetic hormones, anti-biotics, etc. Just pure clean food and water.
The door bell is no longer operational. Phone ringers are OFF. He is a CHANGED doggie! He acts and looks amazing.
He tends to make a honk when chasing squirrels along the fence in the back yard. (Will somehow train squirrels to stay off fence??
).
The herbs - he HATES, but the poodle LOVES. No more herbs for Ted. I mash up his homeopathy for throat (swelling), Lungs and calming in a mortar and pestle and add to organic sodium free chicken broth and filtered water. (The oral syringe given by the hospital for the cough med actually made him choke and gasp!!!!)
Thank you everyone for the kind words and healing wishes for TeddE. If you could see him now! He allowed me to give him a bath, trim wild patches of hair here and there and he is doing very well. He is whiney at meal time - but the steroids are being worked out of his system, still.
My hopes for this thread is that pet owners take notice of those odd noises and notice if they become stronger, last longer or more frequent and to get AN ACTUAL DIAGNOSIS. Collapsing trachea is manageable at this point, for my yorkie. A stent procedure? To have it possibly migrate deeper down the trachea near the lungs? No. Not in his future.
Thank you again everyone. My vet bills are over $1500. This could have been avoided with the new vet taking care of his issues right there and then. I had no idea the seriousness of this. The new vet was the THIRD vet that was familiar with his honk/cough/gasp and DID NOTHING. So the way I think is to let people know thru MY experiences what NOT to do. Hoping that their pet is spared the constant poking with needles and the desperate look he had when trying to breath to the "passing out" and his tongue hanging out after all the sedation, to the excrement all over him due to the massive amount of drugs.