Pleural Effusion- Any experiences?

It is hard with her being sick to keep up her appetite, a meal replacement is a good idea. I've used a a liquid meal replacement in the past too, I think it was made for pregnant and lactating bitches. Best to avoid the human shakes as they are made from whey, dogs are lactose intolerant and being lactose intolerant myself I can tell you the whey drinks can give a bit of an upset tummy. Another option is to boil up some meat and give her a broth. Or you could boil some vegetables with it and see if she'll eat a stew.
 
Cara Sandler said:
I'm not sure exactly what she would need, diet wise - but most dogs can not resist hot dogs! However, they are not the best food for dogs. I have sometimes sliced a hot dog in half lengthwise, mixed it in with food, then removed it, so that there is a hot dog flavor to the food without actually eating the hot dog itself.
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Hot dogs are good if they're the all-beef variety (such as Hebrew National) and contain no starchy or sugary fillers.
 
Bone broth is usually something that finicky dogs will eat. It is good for them and tolerated well. You can do it in a pressure cooker, simmer on the stove, crock it, or even put it in a low oven. My girls LOVE when I make broth. I hope you find answers to help Bella.
 
Good news, Bella doesn't have cancer. Pericardium and pleural both biopsy are negative. The Dr. said there were a few reactive cells, not sure what that means exactly. Fluid buildup has slowed, she's eating good and we don't need to drain her yet. Wondering if the cephalaxin is helping in some way, that maybe this is caused by a bacteria??? We meet again with the vet next week and decide on the next ourse of action.
 
That's great news. It will be interesting to see if it is an infection that's causing it, I guess you won't know until she stops the AB. You must be sick of the vet visits by now.
 
The protein shake she liked is lactose free thankfully but I ended up getting Dogsure which she likes too. I'll try the broth as well if she goes back to being finicky. Yes, I am getting tired of going to the vets especially since they are an hour and a half away and I've taken so much time off from work. But if that's what's needed, I'll keep doing it. Fortunately, my boss has been great and very understanding:). Thank you to everyone for your kind words and suggestions, it's really appreciated.
 
Just an update- Bella is still doing good and her fluid has dropped a little from 550cc to 525cc for a 7 day period. Yesterday we drew off 550cc but that was for an 8 day period. She's so good with letting us drain her, she just lays down and sleeps:). Still no reason has been found. Does anyone have any experience with reading lab results? Seems to me it's narrowed down to kidneys, liver, or a blood disorder but I'm not positive. Her ALT was 395 on April 2 then dropped to 84 the past two times but the vet never said anything. If anyone is knowledgable with lab result, I'll post if it's ok. Thanks and again if I find out the cause, I'll share in case anyone else experiences the same. Hopefully it will help:)
 
Sorry that you are still having to draw off fluids, had hoped you'd had a result by now.

I'm afraid I can't help you with dog blood tests, human ones I'm better with. If it was a human result I'd say maybe a liver infection, hepatitis, or another virus that is going into remission. But as you're probably aware raised ALT could also be caused by an infection in another area of the body. The pleural effusion could also cause high ALT levels, but then if they dropped and the effusion hasn't resolved yet, maybe not. Levels can also become elevated on some drugs. ALT isn't a very specific test and needs to be read in conjunction with other test results.
 
We are facing the exact issue right now. What has happened in Bella's care and treatment plan? It is such an expensive endeavor and as of yet, have had no answers. Normal on every test. We are just stumped as to how to help our Mandi.
 
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