Hello all. It's been a month since my sheltie became sick and am hoping someone out there might have gone through this experience and found a solution. Here is a brief timeline.
Nov. 24 - signs of a cough
Nov. 25 - thought something stuck in throat. Seems to be more of a cough. Took to vet. Vet prescribed cough med and antibiotics. States she has bronchitis. Dog does not go to doggie daycares, PetSmarts, interacts with other outside of family dogs, etc.
Nov. 28 - last time she ate on her own. After this day she is syringe fed baby food and pedialyte (sp?)
Nov. 29 - back to vet not sure she's getting better. Vet xrays and pulls blood. States she has pneumonia. Fluid in lungs. Now prescribes a lactix(sp?) and continues antibiotics and cough med.
Dec. 3 - cough goes away around this time frame. So cough med discontinued.
Dec. 10 - completes antibiotics and layctix.
Dec. 13 - start lactix back up she sounds gurgaly.
Dec. 15 - she takes a nose dive quick to emergency vet. Diagnosis severe dehydration. Kidneys of concern. Stays at vet office - gets fluids, etc.
Dec. 18 - she comes home all blood work good and kidneys stable and back at normal levels. Only prescription is an appetite stimulant.
Dec. 19 - eats a little deli meat by hand and once by herself. Drinks a lot.
Dec. 20 - One nibble of deli meat and sporadic there after. Does drink. However drinking is a nose dive into dish and bites at the water versus lapping. Feels like she lost depth perception and forgot how to use her tongue to lap the water. When she can't take it anymore she sneezes and sneezes and repeats if desired. Syringe feeding continues has never stopped.
Dec. 23 - back to emergency vet to check her blood work. Not good news. Kidney levels have returned to a poor level. They've essentially diagnosed her with phase one kidney disease failure. Sent home with fluids, Pepcid, Tumil K, kidney diet, and Cerenia.
Dec. 27 - follow up with everyday vet. Checked blood. Kidneys are great and at a good level. Feels that she is not in a kidney failure mode at all and that there is something else that is wrong. NOTE this is not the same vet a different vet as I do not trust the original vet from Nov. Finds trend with anemic levels. Her white blood cell count is high. Looks like her immune system is fighting itself. He recommended a cortizone shot to stimulate appetite and thirst. He said to take her off of all those other kidney disease prescribed items. But that I could still continue the fluids like every other day if I want to. But doc does seem a little stumped. Prescribed a pill based cortizone.
Dec. 28 - so far no increase in appetite to eat on own and water in take doesn't seem to be there. This morning she was barking at my husband but we don't know what she wants.
This is where I'm at. I don't know how to help my dog anymore. I just want her to eat on her own and drink. It seems to be the key! She is up and about and moving around. She is weak. She does wag her tail when I feed her. She'll wag her tail when you talk to her but she's just not the same. Feeling really bad.
If any of you have experienced this please share and let me know what was done to get your dog back to a normal happy healthy life.
Thank you.
Nov. 24 - signs of a cough
Nov. 25 - thought something stuck in throat. Seems to be more of a cough. Took to vet. Vet prescribed cough med and antibiotics. States she has bronchitis. Dog does not go to doggie daycares, PetSmarts, interacts with other outside of family dogs, etc.
Nov. 28 - last time she ate on her own. After this day she is syringe fed baby food and pedialyte (sp?)
Nov. 29 - back to vet not sure she's getting better. Vet xrays and pulls blood. States she has pneumonia. Fluid in lungs. Now prescribes a lactix(sp?) and continues antibiotics and cough med.
Dec. 3 - cough goes away around this time frame. So cough med discontinued.
Dec. 10 - completes antibiotics and layctix.
Dec. 13 - start lactix back up she sounds gurgaly.
Dec. 15 - she takes a nose dive quick to emergency vet. Diagnosis severe dehydration. Kidneys of concern. Stays at vet office - gets fluids, etc.
Dec. 18 - she comes home all blood work good and kidneys stable and back at normal levels. Only prescription is an appetite stimulant.
Dec. 19 - eats a little deli meat by hand and once by herself. Drinks a lot.
Dec. 20 - One nibble of deli meat and sporadic there after. Does drink. However drinking is a nose dive into dish and bites at the water versus lapping. Feels like she lost depth perception and forgot how to use her tongue to lap the water. When she can't take it anymore she sneezes and sneezes and repeats if desired. Syringe feeding continues has never stopped.
Dec. 23 - back to emergency vet to check her blood work. Not good news. Kidney levels have returned to a poor level. They've essentially diagnosed her with phase one kidney disease failure. Sent home with fluids, Pepcid, Tumil K, kidney diet, and Cerenia.
Dec. 27 - follow up with everyday vet. Checked blood. Kidneys are great and at a good level. Feels that she is not in a kidney failure mode at all and that there is something else that is wrong. NOTE this is not the same vet a different vet as I do not trust the original vet from Nov. Finds trend with anemic levels. Her white blood cell count is high. Looks like her immune system is fighting itself. He recommended a cortizone shot to stimulate appetite and thirst. He said to take her off of all those other kidney disease prescribed items. But that I could still continue the fluids like every other day if I want to. But doc does seem a little stumped. Prescribed a pill based cortizone.
Dec. 28 - so far no increase in appetite to eat on own and water in take doesn't seem to be there. This morning she was barking at my husband but we don't know what she wants.
This is where I'm at. I don't know how to help my dog anymore. I just want her to eat on her own and drink. It seems to be the key! She is up and about and moving around. She is weak. She does wag her tail when I feed her. She'll wag her tail when you talk to her but she's just not the same. Feeling really bad.
If any of you have experienced this please share and let me know what was done to get your dog back to a normal happy healthy life.
Thank you.
