01-20-2016, 05:14 PM
(01-20-2016, 10:39 AM)macysmom Wrote: First, thank you to Louie's Mom for setting up this forum and the info-packed website that's become a daily check-in for me.
Macy is my 9y.o. 60+ lb Pyrenees/Border Collie mix that I've had since she was rescued at 3 months. She's my heart, my best friend, and my only family while I'm in graduate school 1500 miles away from my family and friends. I first posted to the blog on Christmas Eve, when I sat in despair watching her take every labored breath. Thanks to the folks who responded to me that night. <3
Macy has the non-biopsy diagnoses of CIL and (they suspect) IBS. I'm grateful that her vet picked up on my ignorant aside that she had been drinking 4-5x as much water as normal back on Dec. 18th when I took Macy in to get checked for what turned out to be simple reverse sneezing. My overreaction to that (I didn't know dogs her size and nasal structure could reverse sneeze) probably saved her life, since I was booked on a flight to leave on Dec. 22nd for 2 weeks, leaving Macy with a friend.
But the day I was supposed to leave I got the call from my vet that her bloodwork had come back with alarming numbers -- things that didn't make sense to me at the time, but made my vet suggest I get her in for an ultrasound ASAP the next day. So I cancelled my flight when she explained that Macy's albumin level (1.1!) meant she was very sick indeed, even if Macy was presenting as healthy. Mostly. (I took her in for the recommended bloodwork on the 21st when Macy started having "accidents" in the house on the 19th and 20th.) The ultrasound on Dec. 23rd showed no tumors but a thickening of the intestinal wall that supported the CIL diganosis. We started her on RC GI Low Fat dry food, weekly B12 shots, and 40mg of Prednisone. I spent the holidays here alone with Macy.
A week later, I took her back for follow up bloodwork. Her albumin had only increased to 1.5, and she was basically incontinent (urinary only, thank goodness). But urinalysis and kidney & liver values were in the normal range, so we dropped her dose to 30mg. A week later decreased to 20mg. She continued to gobble up her food, and only had one episode of diarrhea. I consider myself lucky that she's not vomiting or having constant diarrhea, the horrible symptoms that so many of you and your poor pups have to contend with. Nonetheless she's lost so much weight (almost 10lbs since December) and is super lethargic and confined to diapers at bedtime or when I have to be on campus for more than a couple of hours. Yet I hoped to get good news yesterday for her 1-month bloodwork....
And yesterday her albumin was only 1.6. My vet wants to put her on Atopica or the cheaper version (student budget, amen for student loan money right now) and maybe something for the incontinence. But thanks to THIS WEBSITE and all the wonderful pet parents here, I knew that I wanted to try to see if a dietary change would help first -- wanting to avoid even more side effects from medications. So yesterday she started the RC GI LowFat CANNED food, to see if a non-chicken protein would be more absorbable for her system. I'm thinking I'll take her back in next week for bloodwork to see if there's any improvement, and then maybe try another RC food that my vet and I selected (one of the hypoallergenic lowfat versions). If diet seems to be working, then I'll devise a longterm more affordable diet plan. But today I'm just keeping a close eye on my puppy and hoping she gets better.
Sorry for the long post!! Y'all are the only people who understand what this is like and the only ones who might "listen" to me just express my concerns -- since my mom seems to be the only person who gets just how scary this is. Not just an "upset tummy" that gets fixed with medicine, but a fatal disease that's difficult to explain to anyone else.
Anyway, thanks all. Even if no one responds to this it helped to share it! <3
(01-20-2016, 05:14 PM)jill Wrote:(01-20-2016, 10:39 AM)macysmom Wrote: First, thank you to Louie's Mom for setting up this forum and the info-packed website that's become a daily check-in for me.
Macy is my 9y.o. 60+ lb Pyrenees/Border Collie mix that I've had since she was rescued at 3 months. She's my heart, my best friend, and my only family while I'm in graduate school 1500 miles away from my family and friends. I first posted to the blog on Christmas Eve, when I sat in despair watching her take every labored breath. Thanks to the folks who responded to me that night. <3
Macy has the non-biopsy diagnoses of CIL and (they suspect) IBS. I'm grateful that her vet picked up on my ignorant aside that she had been drinking 4-5x as much water as normal back on Dec. 18th when I took Macy in to get checked for what turned out to be simple reverse sneezing. My overreaction to that (I didn't know dogs her size and nasal structure could reverse sneeze) probably saved her life, since I was booked on a flight to leave on Dec. 22nd for 2 weeks, leaving Macy with a friend.
But the day I was supposed to leave I got the call from my vet that her bloodwork had come back with alarming numbers -- things that didn't make sense to me at the time, but made my vet suggest I get her in for an ultrasound ASAP the next day. So I cancelled my flight when she explained that Macy's albumin level (1.1!) meant she was very sick indeed, even if Macy was presenting as healthy. Mostly. (I took her in for the recommended bloodwork on the 21st when Macy started having "accidents" in the house on the 19th and 20th.) The ultrasound on Dec. 23rd showed no tumors but a thickening of the intestinal wall that supported the CIL diganosis. We started her on RC GI Low Fat dry food, weekly B12 shots, and 40mg of Prednisone. I spent the holidays here alone with Macy.
A week later, I took her back for follow up bloodwork. Her albumin had only increased to 1.5, and she was basically incontinent (urinary only, thank goodness). But urinalysis and kidney & liver values were in the normal range, so we dropped her dose to 30mg. A week later decreased to 20mg. She continued to gobble up her food, and only had one episode of diarrhea. I consider myself lucky that she's not vomiting or having constant diarrhea, the horrible symptoms that so many of you and your poor pups have to contend with. Nonetheless she's lost so much weight (almost 10lbs since December) and is super lethargic and confined to diapers at bedtime or when I have to be on campus for more than a couple of hours. Yet I hoped to get good news yesterday for her 1-month bloodwork....
And yesterday her albumin was only 1.6. My vet wants to put her on Atopica or the cheaper version (student budget, amen for student loan money right now) and maybe something for the incontinence. But thanks to THIS WEBSITE and all the wonderful pet parents here, I knew that I wanted to try to see if a dietary change would help first -- wanting to avoid even more side effects from medications. So yesterday she started the RC GI LowFat CANNED food, to see if a non-chicken protein would be more absorbable for her system. I'm thinking I'll take her back in next week for bloodwork to see if there's any improvement, and then maybe try another RC food that my vet and I selected (one of the hypoallergenic lowfat versions). If diet seems to be working, then I'll devise a longterm more affordable diet plan. But today I'm just keeping a close eye on my puppy and hoping she gets better.
Sorry for the long post!! Y'all are the only people who understand what this is like and the only ones who might "listen" to me just express my concerns -- since my mom seems to be the only person who gets just how scary this is. Not just an "upset tummy" that gets fixed with medicine, but a fatal disease that's difficult to explain to anyone else.
Anyway, thanks all. Even if no one responds to this it helped to share it! <3
Hi Macysmom ....not sure if I'm typing in the right spot. My last attempt was blank. I just want to encourage you - I'm so impressed that you are caring for your pup while a student.
The protein levels can be very slow to improve so don't loose heart. Our English Springer Spaniel Bodi is doing well - it's been almost 2 years ago that he was diagnosed with CIL. He was on prednisone initially, but atopica was added after a couple of months and I think in the end, that is the medication that really made a difference. We found the prednisone side effects brutal. Bodi's protein levels were initially 9 (Canadian) so guess in the States that would be .9 and though there were several times when his protein levels dipped slightly, it was mostly a slow climb to 30 (3 in the States) which he has maintained for almost a year now. Bodi initially was on the tinned low fat RCI food too and gradually we were able to switch him to the kibble with the tinned only used now for treats. Every dog is different it seems and it takes a while to get the right combo of food and medication. All the best to you and Macy as you deal with this nasty disease.