Difficult days

[ArtVandolay]

Aaaa :hubba: Security first, of course :doh:

 

[leafminer]

Good news. Got the results from the tests, and not heartworm, but a respiratory infection.

 

[crozar]

yo leafminer focus on ur tribulations , find ur door , take it and get in the slope of graduation , u will have to sacrifice some material stuff , either its from ur soul or ur surroundings.

The shadow of the axe hangs over every joy.

 

[leafminer]

That's true.
The poor old dog had another attack. Seemed to me the vet hadn't found the right diagnosis. I entered the symptoms and found dogs on Youtube that had the exact same symptoms and it's heart failure. Fluid builds up in the lungs. So I went out this morning and bought a diuretic for him, same as they use for humans, and calculated the dose; he was much better inside an hour. I guess he won't last long though.

 

[ozzydiodude]

Sorry to hear your ol'dog is having troubles. In one hrs time how much urine did he produce? With diuretic you have to watch animals close or they will dehydrate very fast.

 

[leafminer]

Hard to say! After about one hour he went out and peed what looked like about a gallon. He's more stable now but I need to call the vet and see what else to give him. My mother died of this same thing and I recall she was taking the same diuretic, plus an ACE inhibitor (Enalapril) and a calcium channel blocker, Amlodipine. (Please forgive all the pharma detail, I have always had an interest in medicines and paramedic stuff.)
Quite an amusing concept of following him around with a bucket to measure the volume!

 

[Hick]

best of luck with the pooch leaf. I'm sorry for you both. Dogs have a special place in my heart. They are truely the best friend a man can have.
Make him comfortable, and rejoice in the fact that you did so in his last days.
I found a poem about old dogs a few years back that I really like. It really tugs at the heart strings, but I think it might relate a dogs perspective pretty well.

A poem by Dana Duke:

Just an old broken down dog
is what I've come to be.
My senses are all growing dim,
My eyes can barely see.

But master, you're still in your prime,
while I am fading fast,
Please take me with you one more time
Before I breathe mt last.

You used to take me with you
To the woods when I was young,
To do your bidding faithfully
In my youth when I was strong.

My best's no longer good enough,
I'm useless and confused:
For surely you must care for me
as much as I for you.

I'll be waiting by the back door,
Take me with you when you go.
It's all I've ever wanted
and the only thing I know.

I'll struggle up and wag my tail,
Eager your will to do;
And gladly endure a painful walk
Just to be with with you.

Take me with you when you go.
One more time I long to be
with my master and my friend.
Take me with you once again.

 

[WeedHopper]

Now ya went and made me Cry Hick,,ya bastage.:cry:

 

[leafminer]

Surely I will. I think he's well enough to go for a walk now.

 

[ozzydiodude]

Thats great news leaf.

 

[Roddy]

Glad to hear there's hope, LM, hang in there!

For me, difficult days just became worse....anyone hiring an old mower dude?

 

[leafminer]

Yes, he's doing OK now. I've got him on 60mg Lasix twice daily, and 10mg Enalapril, daily. Seem to have got rid of the fluid in his lungs. I know this will slowly get worse, of course. Still, it's nice to have him around for a bit longer! Especially since I still have to go to the other side and buy a weapon. Hopefully I will be able to do that in the next couple of months.