Hi – I'm extremely stressed out, crying, head spinning right now, I will try my best to explain. (Cairo is currently at the ER, I am writing this to get as many opinions as I can, research as much as I possibly can, telemedicine appointments, talking with our vet etc etc etc)
Our Aussie / Border Collie is 4 years old / about 50lbs (Cairo) – super smart, alert, routine, athletic, happy, never has had any problems – suddenly yesterday morning we noticed he didn't do his normal routine (waking us up, going downstairs, going outside, waiting for his breakfast etc etc.) Instead he stayed up stairs laying near the bed my partner didn't think too much of it until he really woke up enough sat down for coffee wondering where he was he slowly came down the stairs, let him outside all he did was just go immediately lay down. He came in noticing he was looking weird, butt tucked, head down – made him breakfast and he would not eat it. Went to lay down in living room I woke up and partner told me what was going on. Tried to get Cairo up to go get him to his food bowl, and it was so difficult for him to get the strength to get his back butt and legs up, he really struggled but did it. Took him to the food wouldn't eat – but would drink water.
We're officially freaked out I call our vet they have no openings, explain and they tell us go to the emergency vet. We get him in the car, hard time getting out the door but he does try his best and jumps up and gets in but can tell it was hard, he slips a bit. ER has him for several hours – they do blood tests, take vitals, radiograph his stomach. Can't see any blockages but feel that he is feeling tight in the abdomen & bloated a bit. They think maybe there is something else there that they can't see on x-ray. Blood work all comes back pretty normal but what is listed is (H) on the high end for these items: MCHC / WBC / NEU – which from what I understand is meaning something is possibly going on in the body that it's reacting to trying to fight off, heal etc etc (infection???). And then what is (L) on the low end for his blood panel came out to: GGT / LYM – Which they've said LYM is stress response (he absolutely hates that freaking ER hospital its the second time he's gone in two days now, I can't go in with him because of COVID and I want to scream) /// for GGT I believe that is something liver enzymes but it is on low end of 0-11, measured at 0 so still not out of range technically.
Anyway, so first ER visit, nothing really found out. Except that possibily his stomach feels tight, its hurting him maybe Gastric Ileus and IG motility is limited for what actual underlying reason they don't know – they're not even sure about that if it is emptying out from what they could see, could still be totally normal because he ate dinner that night before, we got him to nibble a bone nibble some food but wouldn't actually eat so THAT could be the food they see there in the x-ray which was like an hour before we took him so it would make sense I don't know because I also don't have the x-ray to be able to see really how much food is in there. EITHER WAY, they did not sound sure. I can't imagine if we can't see anything there is anything really there, plus he is NOT A DOG WHO EATS WEIRD THINGS, he does not destroy toys, our yard is very clean. He once in a while will chew on sticks that is about the strangest thing. He did recently eat a BULLY STICK last week which he hasn't had in about a year, because I think they are gross.
They offered to keep him over night, do fluids (even though he is not dehydrated) give him IV with drugs (Metoclopramide for GI motility + Gabapentin for pain + Cerena for nausea + whatever else they said I can't remember) then wanted to do an ultrasound in the morning to be able to really see there. It was like 3K I said well absolutely not he is so stressed out there, I can't be there let him come home so he can rest. They gave me all of those (3) pills I mentioned above and gave him a shot of the METOCLOPRAMIDE for gi motility apparently at the actual ER first.
They also say they caught very slight edge of his lungs / chest in radiograph looks maybe like could be some congestion etc. but most likely not because he has no cough, no fever. Also brought up about his enlarged prostate which they were worried about until I told them for THE FIFTH TIME THAT HE HAS NEVER BEEN NEUTERED, HE IS AN INTAC DOG.
So we pick him up he is so sad and tired, falls asleep immediately at home, they tell us to give him his pills all that and no food to see if his stomach will empty out on its own, and to try and give him a tiny amount of food in morning. He lays around the remainder of the day, still hard time getting up and walking. Has a hard time getting comfortable, WILL eat his pills in a tiny amount of peanut butter. WILL drink water, no problem with that, kind of a bit thirsty actually. Panting, uncomfortable in the night sleeping in our bed next to us, can't get comfortable, keeps waking up, licking his arms.
Wake up in the morning, he has even harder time, trying several times just to get up from the laying position. Can't even get downstairs at all this time, we have to try and sit next to him and help him down each step. We're crying. He definitely seems a bit worse. Try and give him small amount of food in morning like ER vet said – he has no interested, turns his head to side will not eat it. But drinks water in the bowl next to it. Immediately goes to lay down, very tired, looks in pain. Give him his next dose of the METOCLOPRAMIDE and the pain GABAPENTIN one.
I call my actual vet to give them update, she said she's going to send over all Cairo's paperwork to the ER vet – I specifically wanted to ask her if he was tested for LYME, any sort of tick borne illness because he had them in July, several ticks – he was tested in July, and all came back negative. I also can't imagine any sort of tick borne illness to come up 8 months later. BUT it did just flip to spring, and we did check his body to be sure, so did the ER Vet, and not to mention the DAY BEFORE all of this suddenly happened he was at the groomer and she would have also noticed something as well.
Which is also something to mention, he did go to the groomer the day before all of this happened, even though it seemed like he was slightly uncharacteristically hesitant with his food for about the week prior, like his stomach was bothering him or something was etc and we didn't know yet – him going to the Groomer could have been an extra stress response to really set something off. He's pretty anxious, very sensitive dog. I also don't know if something happened there, hurt his leg his back – but I am close with groomer and spoke with her the day we took him to the ER and she said the only odd thing she noticed was that he wouldn't eat the treats she gave him, which was quite unlike him. I'm not sure what this means, but a part of the puzzle possibly, groomer lodged something deeper that might be there – sticks? I have no idea, part of bully stick? why can't we see it in radiograph then? OR groomer set off stress response something that made whatever is happening to him go into high gear, for him to wake up the next morning and have a very difficult time moving, not wanting to eat.
SO BACK TO THE STORY, THIS IS DAY 2 MORNING – we feel like he is a bit worse, we are crying, I called our vet to give them an update – I talk to her about them wanting to do next steps they told me yesterday if I wanted to take him home or keep him there overnight and they would do an ultrasound next day, she thinks ultrasound is a good next step, glad he was with you throughout the night though – agreed. So I call ER vet again, they have one spot left for ultrasound, we rush there as fast as possible. I refill out all paperwork again over the phone all same questions very concerned scared why they don't have any of this written down from yesterday. They come out next few minutes take him, he now knows what this place is and is terrified scared will not let anyone get him out of the car we finally do and walk him to the door (not allowed in because of COVID) – they call 5 minutes later saying they can get him in for ultrasound in SEVEN HOURS. Seven hours, so here I am writing all of this still waiting. It's 2:14PM, they said they could get him in at about 5PM.
I am furious, upset, sad, everything I could possibly be – frantically researching, taking notes, writing out this story to post EVERYWHERE I POSSIBLY CAN. Calling telemedicine vets and getting their thoughts, spending THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. And this is only day two. I'm getting different diagnosis ideas, no one really has a good idea.
The ER vet called me to check up, and get more information even though its still all the same I have given them yesterday, still no vomiting, hard time moving, will not eat, very sad, tired, looking in pain. I am so insanely upset that I have to have him there sitting in a cage alone for SEVEN HOURS, she doesn't care thinks I am crazy. I had to ASK FOR THEM TO PUT A WATER BOWL IN HIS CAGE, they didn't think apparently a dog would need to drink for seven hours, I am so upset – the woman seems like she thinks there's nothing even wrong with him – she agrees ultrasound is the next step but doesn't think they will find anything – says she doesn't really think his stomach looks bloated or feels tight, and that he seems like he is getting around just fine with her. I am screaming at this point saying he will barely even move at home – he won't eat there is something severely wrong with him I am trying to get to the bottom of it BEFORE you start seeing even more horrific signs. She still suggests that he stay overnight possibly and they do the fluids etc etc which I fight with here that I can't imagine putting more stress on him with IV's and staying overnight somewhere he clearly hates would be good for him at all, plus you still have no idea what is wrong and I don't understand how just keeping him there to sleep with IV's going through him will be helpful at all plus you've said several times he's not even dehydrated – I'm sick of them wanting to just drug him up its not getting to the ROOT, WE CAN'T EVEN FIGURE OUT WHAT THE ACTUAL PROBLEM IS THAT IS HAPPENING TO BE ABLE TO EVEN WORK TO GET TO THE ROOT YET. Is the root pancreatitis, is it cancer what is it – how long until we even get there? How many more thousands of dollars until we can even get to that point. I feel like no one cares, I am going absolutely insane. I can't work, I cannot sleep or eat – I just plain can't do this. I need HELP!!!
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