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11-13-2019, 05:33 PM | #46 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2008 Location: san francisco, ca
Posts: 15
| you all are amazing, thank you for your well wishes. The news has been mixed and we are still working thru it all. We were able to get a substantial urine sample and the results on that were good - he still has good concentration in the urine, no sign of infection, and no proteinuria. Second blood panel confirmed that the pancreatitis was treated successfully by the antibiotics, but his BUN and SDMA actually went up slightly within two week timeframe. We were only able to get fluids into him 3x in two weeks, and vet recommends 3xweek (more on that later) His appetite has been the biggest challenge - plus he is super allergic to many foods (went thru that testing and trial/error several years ago) so we are limited in what we can give him. He is super-reactive to chicken and turkey, and unfortunately all of the "special diet" foods i have found/seen have chicken or turkey as a filler, so we have to keep experimenting with home cooked variations. The Entyce appears to be working in that he is acting hungry, asking for food, but it's not completely solved because he then sometimes still has to be coaxed a bit to actually eat. We are getting enough in him to have put back on some of the weight he has lost. Vet is still a bit puzzled about why his kidney disease seems so mild but appetite is still so affected... we think it may be that he has always had a super-sensitive stomach and any disfunction in him manifests there easily. I have also done some reading on these various tests and i have seen some things about ruling out all pre-renal causes of the abnormal BUN and SDMA, so i need to explore that more. So we are still pinning hopes on giving fluids consistently, helping him feel better overall and then getting some sustainable improvement in appetite . After first success at vet's office with husband and me doing the fluids, we tried at home during the week and it was a big fail... tried two nights in a row and then ended up taking him back into the vet. We are going to keep bringing him in 3x wk to get him used to it - one of us holding him and then the vet tech does the stick. Eventually we will try again to do it ourselves but right now we just have to get the fluids in 3x wk. Jimmy i am sorry about your charlie, and my Max also has Atypical Cushings! We had him on metronidazole for his digestion, mitotane for the atypical cushings, as well as melatonin and lignans for the atypical cushings - all of which we have stopped as the appetite reached the crisis stage - anything on the food at all and he turns away from it. If we can get his eating stabilized we will reintroduce the lignans and melatonin. I have been giving him this probiotic which he is accepting and has helped his poops be easier (no straining): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Thank you all again! |
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11-14-2019, 03:46 AM | #47 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Pooler, GA , USA
Posts: 43
| I hope you’re able to get Stratton eating soon. We had 3 consults with UTCVM for homemade diet. Originally we used chicken as base protein. Once Charlie’s desire to eat that soured we switched to 99% fat free ground turkey. Dr Rollins from UTCVM also said that pork tenderloin or tilapia would be suitable replacements as protein base. When we switched to turkey base Charlie’s kidney levels spiked. Could have been coincidence (flareup of kidneydz) or food related ? The gravy based canned foods are lower on fat concentration so less likely to flare up pancreas and Charlie likes them. Charlie has been eating Royal Canin Renal support D morsels and gravy the past 9-10 days. Her bowel movements have been solid and she’s had a resurgence in energy. The UT college of vet medicine contact number is : 865 974 8387 if you needed it. I would agree with your comments that this website has been very helpful when navigating through the life of our Yorkies. I hope Max’s appetite improves soon. |
12-01-2019, 02:38 PM | #48 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2008 Location: san francisco, ca
Posts: 15
| Hello - hope you all had a beautiful thanksgiving. Update... have been giving Max sub-q fluids consistently 3x week. Issue is there is a disconnect/inconsistency between his numbers (which would indicate extremely mild kidney disease, along with the extra drinking/urination) and the impact to appetite (which is indicative of a more advanced stage) as well as general lethargy. He does act hungry/eager for his meals but then is reluctant to eat, and rejects things that used to be favorites. We took him off Entyce (which didn't seem to help) and put him on a mild oral steroid, under the hypothesis that there might be some mild inflammation somewhere in his body that is causing the inappetence... but that didn't do anything either so we are weaning him off. We have tested for other things that could produce these symptoms (like Addisons, thyroid malfunction) and they are negative. I read in depth about other things that can elevate SDMA (besides kidney problems) but none of these apply... all normal. His most recent blood panel this weekend shows BUN, Creatinine and SDMA back in normal ranges, and urine was good also (concentrated and no protein)... but the appetite and lethargy continue (along with more drinking and peeing - although no accidents - always goes on the pad). Also had full body xray which was unremarkable. Because the blood and urine look good, and the disconnect about appetite... we are: - stopping subQ fluids - we will re-test him in a week and see if his levels go back up again without them. - vet recommended we get a second opinion from a veterinary internist - she said they see all the "odd" cases and may have more of a point of reference for what else might be causing the appetite issues, drink/pee and lethargy. We live in SF bay area and so the area is dense with these types of specialists - our vet referred us to four specifically by name - so that's our next stop. Otherwise, it's continue to monitor. Our sweet little boy is still super loving, but definitely a little lower energy than usual. |
12-26-2019, 11:10 AM | #49 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2008 Location: san francisco, ca
Posts: 15
| Mystery solved. Max has severe IBD (irritable bowel disease), however, it was presenting in an atypical fashion - no loose stool or vomiting. Specialty vet (internal medicine) said that while his kidneys are definitely not 100% normal, they were not consistent with his inappetance. The inappetence could be caused by gut or brain. Gut - IBD or intestinal lymphoma; brain - tumor. Recommended endoscope to diagnose/rule out gut issues...which are treatable. Brain tumor not treatable - provide comfort care. We agonized over general anesthesia for endoscopy at his age (13) , but went ahead with it. Endoscopy visually revealed red, roughened small intestine, friable tissue (fragile, tears easily) and pathology report from biopsy confirmed severe lymphatic IBD (there are several types of IBD) and no sign of intestinal cancer/lymphoma. Bloodwork also revealed severe cobalamine (B12) deficiency, which comes with IBD. Treatment was b12 injections (I can do them) weekly for 6 weeks then monthly afterwards, and prednisolone daily. Literally overnight after the first dose of pred, Max's appetite returned. His behavior also has changed - back to normal - more energetic, alert, engaged. Had 10 day check up at specialty vet today - he will taper down pred, and she recommended putting him on a Rx diet - hydrolyzed protein food. Check in at one month by phone, and two months in person, and then we will discuss whether he needs longer term pred or not. We are so relieved... we know that with 13 year old there will be other things down the road... but we are happy to have his spirit back... poor baby, his intestines were hurting and he couldn't tell us! Thank you all again for your help! |
12-26-2019, 12:53 PM | #50 |
Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: E.Stroudsburg, Pa.
Posts: 67,956
| Great news, thank you for the up date. So happy to hear Max is feeling much better and is pain free.
__________________ Joan, mom to Cody RIP Matese Schnae Kajon Kia forever in my A House Is Not A Home Without A Dog |
12-26-2019, 01:16 PM | #51 | |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: Suffield, CT
Posts: 137
| Quote:
I am happy you found out what's happenign and hope all is well!! | |
01-06-2020, 03:27 AM | #52 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Pooler, GA , USA
Posts: 43
| I’m glad they figured out what is going on with Max. I hope he is happy and comfortable. |
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