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- Sep 30, 2016
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Hi everyone-
I'm new here, and desperately seeking some advice.
In June, I decided I was going to buy my beloved Meekers (12 years, 10 lbs) some healthier dry food. He had been eating an organic dry food (available to him all day), and getting wet food in the morning (he loves his Friskies). I added some Prescription Diet Joint Care into his organic dry food, but I soon noticed he refused to eat it. I now feel very guilty that I allowed this to continue, because he would only pick at his dry food, and eventually stopped eating it. I started feeding him Friskies 2-3 times per day.
I began to notice some weight loss, and eventually realized he needed to see a vet (again, I feel very guilty that I waited so long - little Meekers is my baby, and I would never intentionally do anything so careless). I brought him to the vet, where he underwent an X-ray and blood test. The X-ray showed that his liver was quite enlarged, and his enzymes elevated. I brought him home with Zentonil (liver supplements), appetite stimulant (Mirtazapine) and antibiotic (Metronidazole). He would soon vomit after administering the Zentonil, and the Mirtazapine side effects made him behave quite strangely. Within 1-week of administering all of these medications, I brought him back to the vet and hospitalized him because he seemed quite lethargic (he was likely somewhat dehydrated at this point). He was hospitalized at the vet, where they gave him Ampicillin (antibiotic), Cerenia (anti-nausea) and rehydrated him via IV.
He had been scheduled the following day for feeding tube placement and liver biopsy. However, a blood coagulation test suggested his coagulation time was slightly elevated (1.8 and then 2.0 sec, when it should have been 1.2 - his other coagulation level was normal). I decided not to go through with it, but had him hospitalized for 6 days. I then had an abdominal ultrasound taken, which displayed an enlarged liver, and 'reactive' but not necessarily enlarged lymph nodes. I hoped this suggested that his immune system was working to fight off something instead of the early stages of lymphoma.
I took him home that night, and it has been quite a rollercoaster ever since. I brought him home with Clavamox (antibiotic, for 10 days), Famotidine (antacid, for 10 days), and Cyproheptadine (appetite stimulant). The appetite stimulant made him very drowsy, so I stopped giving it to him because he can't really go feed from his bowl if he passed out asleep all of the time. I started force feeding him 30ml a/d Urgent Care 7 times/day (about every 2-hours). He vomited quite a bit, which I think was the Clavamox because I put him on Cerenia (which helped, thankfully), and then he wasn't nauseous or vomiting as soon as the Clavamox were finished. I had brought him back in, hoping to do a fine needle aspirate of the liver + feeding tube insertion, but his slightly elevated coagulation time was still 1.8-2.0 sec, and I decided it would be selfish to put him through a potentially life-threatening procedure (however minimal) in case he hemorrhaged. I wasn't sure whether it was a good sign that his coagulation level hadn't gotten worse since the first time it was measured.
He has great days, and what look like not-so-great days (or is this how he always was?). He started waking me up with head-butts and kisses in the morning to feed him again. That typically only happens in the morning because then I have to start force feeding him in order to ensure that he is maintaining/gaining and not losing weight (he is currently around 7 lbs, which has stabilized). I am extremely lucky that he is so complacent -he used to just lie there, I imagine due to lack of energy - but now he sits up, fights only a little, but otherwise takes it like a champ. He has had a lot of diarrhea since the start of the week, but as of Tuesday I purchased some FortiFlora and have been adding it to his a/d Urgent Care - his stools actually have a shape now (I didn't think I could ever get so excited about poop).
I guess my question (now that you know Meeker's long history) - has anyone gone through the liver aspiration with a slightly elevated blood coagulation time ? Is there any advice or something I can be doing better for him ? I am still utterly terrified that he has lymphoma, and that I am making his limited time here a living hell by force feeding him every 2 hours. But, if it were lymphoma, would I be seeing his behaviour improve/starting to beg me for food/eat on his own) ? His not-so-great days are basically him just sleeping on the couch, seems to have low energy, but my boyfriend says this is what he always did during the day (and I guess he is right, I'm just so worried with the very fine line between lethargy and sleepiness). Could it be that he is on the road to recovery and that his behaviour is suggestive that his liver is on its way to functioning normally ?
I am so sorry that this message is so long, I just wanted to give all of the information in order for everyone to fully understand his situation. Thank you in advance for you time, help, and any suggestions.
Lindsay
I'm new here, and desperately seeking some advice.
In June, I decided I was going to buy my beloved Meekers (12 years, 10 lbs) some healthier dry food. He had been eating an organic dry food (available to him all day), and getting wet food in the morning (he loves his Friskies). I added some Prescription Diet Joint Care into his organic dry food, but I soon noticed he refused to eat it. I now feel very guilty that I allowed this to continue, because he would only pick at his dry food, and eventually stopped eating it. I started feeding him Friskies 2-3 times per day.
I began to notice some weight loss, and eventually realized he needed to see a vet (again, I feel very guilty that I waited so long - little Meekers is my baby, and I would never intentionally do anything so careless). I brought him to the vet, where he underwent an X-ray and blood test. The X-ray showed that his liver was quite enlarged, and his enzymes elevated. I brought him home with Zentonil (liver supplements), appetite stimulant (Mirtazapine) and antibiotic (Metronidazole). He would soon vomit after administering the Zentonil, and the Mirtazapine side effects made him behave quite strangely. Within 1-week of administering all of these medications, I brought him back to the vet and hospitalized him because he seemed quite lethargic (he was likely somewhat dehydrated at this point). He was hospitalized at the vet, where they gave him Ampicillin (antibiotic), Cerenia (anti-nausea) and rehydrated him via IV.
He had been scheduled the following day for feeding tube placement and liver biopsy. However, a blood coagulation test suggested his coagulation time was slightly elevated (1.8 and then 2.0 sec, when it should have been 1.2 - his other coagulation level was normal). I decided not to go through with it, but had him hospitalized for 6 days. I then had an abdominal ultrasound taken, which displayed an enlarged liver, and 'reactive' but not necessarily enlarged lymph nodes. I hoped this suggested that his immune system was working to fight off something instead of the early stages of lymphoma.
I took him home that night, and it has been quite a rollercoaster ever since. I brought him home with Clavamox (antibiotic, for 10 days), Famotidine (antacid, for 10 days), and Cyproheptadine (appetite stimulant). The appetite stimulant made him very drowsy, so I stopped giving it to him because he can't really go feed from his bowl if he passed out asleep all of the time. I started force feeding him 30ml a/d Urgent Care 7 times/day (about every 2-hours). He vomited quite a bit, which I think was the Clavamox because I put him on Cerenia (which helped, thankfully), and then he wasn't nauseous or vomiting as soon as the Clavamox were finished. I had brought him back in, hoping to do a fine needle aspirate of the liver + feeding tube insertion, but his slightly elevated coagulation time was still 1.8-2.0 sec, and I decided it would be selfish to put him through a potentially life-threatening procedure (however minimal) in case he hemorrhaged. I wasn't sure whether it was a good sign that his coagulation level hadn't gotten worse since the first time it was measured.
He has great days, and what look like not-so-great days (or is this how he always was?). He started waking me up with head-butts and kisses in the morning to feed him again. That typically only happens in the morning because then I have to start force feeding him in order to ensure that he is maintaining/gaining and not losing weight (he is currently around 7 lbs, which has stabilized). I am extremely lucky that he is so complacent -he used to just lie there, I imagine due to lack of energy - but now he sits up, fights only a little, but otherwise takes it like a champ. He has had a lot of diarrhea since the start of the week, but as of Tuesday I purchased some FortiFlora and have been adding it to his a/d Urgent Care - his stools actually have a shape now (I didn't think I could ever get so excited about poop).
I guess my question (now that you know Meeker's long history) - has anyone gone through the liver aspiration with a slightly elevated blood coagulation time ? Is there any advice or something I can be doing better for him ? I am still utterly terrified that he has lymphoma, and that I am making his limited time here a living hell by force feeding him every 2 hours. But, if it were lymphoma, would I be seeing his behaviour improve/starting to beg me for food/eat on his own) ? His not-so-great days are basically him just sleeping on the couch, seems to have low energy, but my boyfriend says this is what he always did during the day (and I guess he is right, I'm just so worried with the very fine line between lethargy and sleepiness). Could it be that he is on the road to recovery and that his behaviour is suggestive that his liver is on its way to functioning normally ?
I am so sorry that this message is so long, I just wanted to give all of the information in order for everyone to fully understand his situation. Thank you in advance for you time, help, and any suggestions.
Lindsay