I tried to post an update a few minutes ago, but I think it logged me out and didn't post. So here we go again. If this is a duplicate, I'm sorry!
Vet did the ultrasound of Bumble's liver, kidney and gallbladder. He said her gallbladder looks better (less material in it than in early December) so he feels the ursodiol is helping her. He said her kidneys don't appear irregular and deformed as they would with chronic renal failure, so he feels this is acute renal failure. He does feel that "subjectively" her liver appears a "little more dense" and a "little more enlarged" but nothing overly concerning. No sign of masses or bleeding.
He has her on IV fluids and IV ampicillin and famotidine. He feels that we need to get her stable (read: kidney values lowered) and then probably need an ultrasound-guided needle biopsy of her liver and kidney. He said he will do that with just propofol instead of general anesthesia, to lower the risk to her, but he wants to make sure her kidneys are improving and able to rid her body of the propofol first.
I asked again about a referral to an internist. He balked at that, didn't feel that an internist could do anything he couldn't, except cost a lot more money. I told him that I wanted another set of eyes, that the two of them could confer together on her treatment. He said he's posting the information on some veterinary board, and that would be the same as getting an internist's opinion. Okay, I get that BUT it's the same as if I had cancer and wanted to go to an oncologist. I just want to give my little girl as much of a fighting chance as possible! I guess we'll see how Bumble does this afternoon and tomorrow morning (when they re-run bloodwork) and then decide whether to fight over an internist referral, or whether to wait until we get a biopsy.
I'll try to post a picture of Bumble this evening. She's such a sweet little girl, never angry, never bad tempered (but she is stubborn! lol). We've never ever heard her growl in anger, though she's threatened her toys several times while shaking the daylights out of them.
It's so tough to see her sick, and feeling awful. The vet said he was more concerned that she didn't squirm around during the ultrasound, and he realized how bad she felt.
Thank you so much for all the advice! I didn't realize Carafate was a potential problem for her kidneys. I will NOT give her any more of that! She absolutely hated the stuff, anyway.
My husband and I are heartbroken that we may be losing our little girl. She turns 13 in two weeks (she shares a birthday with my husband!). I always get a cake for both of them that says "Happy Birthday Gary and Bumble" and she gets first lickies from the edge of the cake. My husband holds her to keep her from diving into the cake, and I take a picture of her licking it. Obviously with her liver issues this year, she won't be getting buttercream frosting on her birthday, not even a little lick. We'll just have to convince her something healthy is her birthday treat.
Dana and Bumble