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  #151  
Old March 12th, 2011, 07:31 AM
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He may be gaining muscle mass and if he was on kibble diet, he may have more fluid in his body now as he will be getting more water.

Glad to hear he is still doing well .
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  #152  
Old March 12th, 2011, 08:36 AM
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Good boy Ragg's
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  #153  
Old March 12th, 2011, 10:33 AM
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If he's gained some weight, he may not have as much appetite just because he's getting more than sufficient calories. I wouldn't worry too much about it unless he starts to lose weight again.

Glad to hear he's feeling feisty!
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  #154  
Old March 12th, 2011, 08:45 PM
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So far so good He's had another good day. Dare I say that we've bounced again, I'm afraid to say it because it usually comes back to bite me when I say it. At least we have another day or two together. Thanks everyone for all your thoughts and prayers, they are working
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  #155  
Old March 12th, 2011, 09:02 PM
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Best news today! Gentle hugs to that sweet, old boy.
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  #156  
Old March 13th, 2011, 12:06 PM
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dbg,I think that is all we can ask for,one day,one month at a time,GOOD BOY Raggs
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  #157  
Old March 13th, 2011, 12:46 PM
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Still and keeping my thoughts with you and Raggs.
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  #158  
Old March 13th, 2011, 01:19 PM
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Glad to hear that RAggs is still doing well.

Sending lots of for you both.
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  #159  
Old March 14th, 2011, 08:10 PM
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Thanks everyone for your good thoughts
Quote:
Originally Posted by chico2 View Post
dbg,I think that is all we can ask for,one day,one month at a time,GOOD BOY Raggs
Yes I definitely agree, one day at a time. I haven't posted because I've been keeping my fingers crossed that he is going to complete the comeback again Yesterday I noticed that he didn't want to eat until later in the day and went outside only a few times. As one of the pee pads was wet, I assumed he had used it during the day or night.

Today he has been sleeping most of the day but did come out when a friend dropped by who he likes. When I gave him his first meal he only took a few licks of the broth and then went to lie down again, but stayed with me in the computer room.

I also noticed that he only went outside once today which is quite different from previous days, so I am worried that he is going into renal failure. Only time will tell if he is. He wakes easily but is not reacting to the cats like he usually does. However, the cats are not hanging around him so maybe he is ok and I'm just panicking. When he has had previous bleeds they have all gathered around and stayed near him
so another change that may mean he is just tired today.

A friend is coming to stay for a few days tomorrow and I am really hoping I am just panicking. We have 5 more days to go before the 3 month mark, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as they have worked up to now

Thanks everyone I will keep you updated
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  #160  
Old March 14th, 2011, 08:14 PM
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As many prayers and as you need coming from this end! Hang in there, Raggs! You, too, dbg!

Have a great visit with your friend!
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  #161  
Old March 14th, 2011, 08:36 PM
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Well I hope this is "here we go again" As soon as I finished posting he proceeded to eat all the food I had put out earlier and then wanted to go outside to pee which he did. So it looks like he's stronger than I thought and he's still more than able to pee, though not as frequently as before but at least his kidneys haven't shut down the way I thought they had. Guess it was me panicking which is far better than what I was thinking. Thanks again everyone
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  #162  
Old March 14th, 2011, 08:45 PM
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Whew!
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  #163  
Old March 16th, 2011, 02:32 PM
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On Monday Raggs only ate one meal which is something totally new. Yesterday I was scared because he vomited in the morning for no apparent reason, as he hadn't eaten since the night before. He finally ate one meal late in the evening but his behaviour was good and he appeared. My friend was here and he followed her everywhere around the house He is active and friendly and seems stronger. His gums are still a little pale but they are getting better every day that he gets his liver. He only eats one meal, which I am not sure is enough food now, but at least he is getting his medication and vitamins.

Just to keep the info uptodate on what is happening with Raggs and thank everyone for their support throughout this time.
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  #164  
Old March 20th, 2011, 06:12 PM
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Thinking of you and Raggs today.
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  #165  
Old March 20th, 2011, 06:20 PM
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How is Raggs doing ....I hope everything is still okay.
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  #166  
Old March 20th, 2011, 06:42 PM
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My friend was here all week and left today. Raggs liked having her around but he still spent much of his time in bed. Even at night he only came for a short TV time and then went back to bed. He is still only eating one meal a day, if that. This week he hasn't been eating until very late in the day, and yesterday he had only eaten about 1/4 of his food before midnight. We were up playing scrabble until about 3am and he finally ate the rest of his food at 2 am. Then promptly wanted more. So I gave him a little rice with lots of liver and ground beef and he ate all of it and then disappeared to bed.

After he eats he wants to go outside over and over again. He is still strong enough to get up and down the stairs, but is definitely sleeping a lot of the time. He doesn't have diarrhea, isn't vomiting, so I'm trying to figure out what is different about his second meal from his first. None of the supplements that I add to his first meal should cause him to want to go. So I am baffled with the fact that he ate his second meal last night and went directly to bed whereas he had been out 5 times right after his first meal. What I add to the first meal of the day is flax seed, a sardine, his vitamins and minerals (2 types, one natural, the other for both cats and dogs) his Uba Vet and his metacam. I hope it is not the metacam that is causing the diarrhea, because he will have a severe problem getting to his feet at all if I have to stop it. Does anyone have any ideas what it could be?

He has appeared now and I'm going to try to feed him,will post again after he eats.
Thanks everyone for asking, I hadn't posted because nothing had really changed in the past few days.
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  #167  
Old March 20th, 2011, 08:02 PM
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Raggs again ate about 1/4 of his meal and then lay down in the hall. He didn't go back to bed, nor did he want to go out. So I have no idea what is causing him to want to go out so many times after his first meal of the day when all the supplements and meds are in his food. I forgot to add the chicken broth to the list of things that are different between his two meals, I add it to his first meal and not his second.

He still seems very tired all the time heading for his bed and not eating his treats at night. He seems to wake up very late at night just when I'm ready to go to bed. That's when he's been eating the rest of his food and then heads for bed. This week he's been sleeping most of the day then he gets up when I call him when I sit down to watch TV, He doesn't stay with me very long just until he's had a few small pieces of treats and then he goes back to bed.

I am not sure what to do at this point. His quality of life is non existent with him sleeping all day and night. His gums are a bit pale but not too bad, so I'm not sure what is going on. I am still pushing the liver as I think it is the only thing that is keeping him alive but I wonder if it's time to make the decision, though he doesn't appear to be in pain and still smiles away and looks happy when he's awake.

I keep hoping for improvement but so far I haven't seen any. This week the days are essentially the same. He is also molting really badly, almost looks like he's shedding all his hair, though it is being replaced with new hair. I have read that an animal under physical stress, be it from illness or other stress, will molt more than usual. I keep my fingers crossed

Thanks all I really appreciate your thoughts and prayers,
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  #168  
Old March 20th, 2011, 08:04 PM
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Stay strong mf. You are an exemplary mom.
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  #169  
Old March 20th, 2011, 08:27 PM
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Awwww, could the shedding just be from the time of year it is?

Maybe he is just pooped from having company around?

Lots of and coming your way!
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  #170  
Old March 21st, 2011, 08:01 AM
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dbg,you certainly are a wonderful mom for Raggs

In our family,it's always been I who have to decide when the time has come to let a much loved cat/dog go.
It's a heavy burden,but one I would not give up,it's a roller-coaster,many ups and downs....but when it's time,you know you did the right thing,out of love
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  #171  
Old March 21st, 2011, 11:49 AM
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dbg I've been following Raggs story just like I followed Pepper's, he will tell you when the time is right, try not to miss the signs

If it were me and he still has his dignity then I would hold off for now and continue taking it one day at a time.

I was reading about Metacam and it says that it can cause diarrhea. Perhaps you could check with your Vet to see if there is another pain med that would do the trick.
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  #172  
Old March 21st, 2011, 12:54 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Love4himies View Post
Awwww, could the shedding just be from the time of year it is?

Maybe he is just pooped from having company around?
I agree with that as well and also about the Metacam. Sending lots more for you and Raggs.
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  #173  
Old March 21st, 2011, 01:43 PM
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Illness can definitely cause a dog to blow its coat, dbg--combined with spring, I suspect that's all that's going on with Raggs' fur. And having company can be exhausting!! So that could explain his lethargy, too. If that's all it is, then he should be feeling a bit more energetic in a day or two.

What does Raggs do when he goes out so many times after his morning meal? Could he just be feeling a little more energetic and wanting to be outside that time of day?

Keeping you both in my thoughts and prayers, as always!
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  #174  
Old March 21st, 2011, 05:44 PM
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Well we have now arrived at March 21st - 3 months plus a day since Raggs was given his diagnosis. Happily he did perk up last night finally, and after finishing his food at midnight wanted more. So after going outside twice I gave him the liver, beef and rice, but he only ate the meat, no rice and then lay down beside me. He made no move to go outside again until it was bedtime at 2am and when he came in he went to his bed.


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Originally Posted by 14+kitties View Post
Stay strong mf. You are an exemplary mom.
Thanks 14+

Quote:
Originally Posted by Love4himies View Post
Awwww, could the shedding just be from the time of year it is?
Maybe he is just pooped from having company around?
I was wondering about that plus the fact we were occupying the space he normally lies in when watching TV while my friend was here. I thought that might have caused him to lie in his bed where he's comfortable until she left. Last spring his shedding was nothing like this years, and it may be because he's sick. He's shedding chunks of fur from everywhere and the fact he won't let me brush him properly makes me feel guilty, but he's happy LOL

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris21711 View Post
dbg I've been following Raggs story just like I followed Pepper's, he will tell you when the time is right, try not to miss the signs
If it were me and he still has his dignity then I would hold off for now and continue taking it one day at a time.
Yes I know you are right, I was just hoping he would get up like he usually does but he spent his entire days and nights in bed. He was also very shaky on the stairs going down to the door so I wondered if it was time. He was still smiling and seemed happy but was hard to wake up at times. I intend to hold off for now and take it one day at a time and I expect when he is ready he will stop eating.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris21711 View Post
I was reading about Metacam and it says that it can cause diarrhea. Perhaps you could check with your Vet to see if there is another pain med that would do the trick.
Yes I am aware that diarrhea is one of the side effects, but we tried all the others before moving to metacam and all of them caused both vomiting and diarrhea until we started the metacam. I missed today's metacam dose and will watch to see what happens.


Quote:
Originally Posted by rainbow View Post
I agree with that as well and also about the Metacam. Sending lots more for you and Raggs.
Thanks Rainbow

Quote:
Originally Posted by hazelrunpack View Post
Illness can definitely cause a dog to blow its coat, dbg--combined with spring, I suspect that's all that's going on with Raggs' fur. And having company can be exhausting!! So that could explain his lethargy, too. If that's all it is, then he should be feeling a bit more energetic in a day or two.
I suspect that his molt is because of his illness but I can imagine it is taking a lot out of him. Our previous dogs seemed to be exhausted if they had a large loss of hair, which each did when they were sick. I am just remembering this now.

Quote:
Originally Posted by hazelrunpack View Post
What does Raggs do when he goes out so many times after his morning meal? Could he just be feeling a little more energetic and wanting to be outside that time of day?
Keeping you both in my thoughts and prayers, as always!
He goes out and wants back in immediately after he pees and seems to pee a lot right after he eats. I guess it's possible that he's not emptying his bladder each time. He doesn't stay out long enough for anything else. During the winter when the snow was on the ground he'd stay out for long periods just to lie in the snow. He loved that weather.

Today was a much better day He came out to visit first thing this morning and started asking for food at his regular time. He seems much happier and active today so maybe it was having an extra person around that caused him to lie in his bed. Just the difference in his regular routine may have upset him I guess. Weird because I've always found him to love having people around. Thanks everyone, for your support and caring ways I believe it is you that have kept him alive for all this time and I hope to have a few more days/weeks/months with him
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  #175  
Old March 21st, 2011, 05:58 PM
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I'm so glad to hear that today is a better day. Sounds like Raggs still has some strength and lots more love to give. I wanted to send you good wishes yesterday because I knew the significance of the day--3 months.

I know it bothers you to not be able to brush him and keep his coat shiny and glossy, but Raggs doesn't want that stress. After Tipper got sick, I had to syringe-feed her and her little Scottie beard was so matted and tangled. Tipper hated the brush so much. I just resigned myself that I would have to cut her precious beard off. But, she took a turn for the worse.... The day I let her go, I felt so bad sending her off to the Bridge with a matted, tangled coat, shaved belly and paws due to the ultrasound and IVs she needed. But in my heart, I knew that she was restored to all her beauty. And, today it is that beauty I see when I think of her, not the broken body ravaged by her disease and treatments.

You do know that you are an angel on Earth and Raggs will always be with you. Keeping you both in my prayers.
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  #176  
Old March 21st, 2011, 08:32 PM
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Thanks for the good wishes Scottiedog I know now that last week must have thrown him off but I also think he probably had another bleed because he was so tired and lethargic.

I know what you mean when you talk about Tipper's beard, it is hard to see Raggs all scruffy, but I think that's the way he likes it. In the last couple of weeks he has had a silly grin on his face at times, and he makes me laugh all over again. He was always smiling before but at times now the smile is replaced by his silly grin. It makes me realize he's not in pain, and he's still enjoying life with the cats at times. He hasn't been as vocal with them this past week, but today he was "yelling" at Sam and Smokey. I think I will discourage my friend from staying here for awhile because I honestly think now that something we did while she was here, put him off. It likely was the fact he couldn't lie in his usual place and instead of lying somewhere else, he just went to bed. He's not that strong right now, but he's definitely better than he was yesterday.

Thanks again for being there for us
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  #177  
Old March 21st, 2011, 08:40 PM
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Yay for Raggs! for lots of more good days.
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Jasper RIP (2001-2018)
Sweet Pea RIP (2004?-2014)
Puddles RIP (1996-2014)
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  #178  
Old March 22nd, 2011, 03:51 AM
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Have you tried psyllium capsules to help with the diarrhea?
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  #179  
Old March 22nd, 2011, 12:34 PM
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Congratulations on the Three Months Plus One milestone! Just shows the exemplary care you're giving Raggs

Quote:
Originally Posted by dbg10
I think I will discourage my friend from staying here for awhile because I honestly think now that something we did while she was here, put him off.
Not necessarily, though. Just having someone new in the house can be very tiring for a dog--gives them new duties (someone new to keep track of ) and different routines. It was maybe not anything she did, just the fact that she was there at all that tuckered him out... Still might be a good idea to discourage another stay, but it might not have been anything in particular that she did.

Glad to hear the sweetheart is starting to perk up again some!!
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  #180  
Old March 22nd, 2011, 02:08 PM
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Thanks hazel, mummm and L4H last night went much better than the last week. He did only eat one meal but at least he seemed to enjoy that one meal. He doesn't empty the bowl in one sitting now but at least he finishes it all. Last night he wanted to go out after eating a few mouth fulls, then after he'd eaten about 1/2 the bowl. After going out the second time he went to bed without finishing his food. So later when I went to sit in front of the TV I took his food with me and he ate the rest of it. Then he didn't ask to go out again until it was time for bed.

I omitted the Uba Vet, and the new Holistic Blend natural vitamin & mineral liquid which has Barley Grass, Dried Seaweed (19 Different Types) Chlorophyll, Citrus Bioflavinoids, Apple Pectin, Trace Minerals, and Vitamin B Complex in it. I think it may be this supplement that is causing his digestive problems because it was after I started this that he wanted to go out so many times during a meal. I'll add the Uba Vet back in today and see what happens, it's possible that may be the problem according to what I've read.

@mummummum I haven't tried psyllium caps with him because of his reaction to the other herbs and supplements I was using when I first decided on the diet I would give him. I think it is more likely that something I'm adding to his meal, is causing the problem. Because of his weak back end, I am praying it's not the metacam or UbaVet (glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM).

This morning he was bright and smiling, behaving normally. After I looked over his belly last night I noticed a few slightly elevated blue-black spots on his skin which I think are probably hematomas, evidence of where he's had the bleeds and the lump in the middle of his abdomen has a few more small blue-black spots on it and it is slightly larger. It is no longer all pink, the way it was before he was diagnosed. But he seems to be doing ok, definitely holding his own and much better than last week.

@hazel I expect you are right, because I also found it tiring having someone around 24/7 when I'm not used to it. My friend is a cat person, but is not totally comfortable with dogs and he may have picked up on that too.

Thanks again everyone for all your thoughts and prayers, they have definitely made a difference in his life and mine.
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Willing Slave to: Sam 17 yrs; Bailey 14 yrs; and Smokey 10 yrs.
R.I.P. Raggs 1997-2012 ; Pepper 1997-2009 ; Tiger 2000 - 2014;
"Please do not breed or buy while shelter pets are left to die"
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