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  #301  
Old August 30th, 2011, 09:35 PM
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Thanks everyone for your good wishes again. Raggs seems to be doing well, eating normally, peeing on the peepads and outside as well. The only issue we`ve had in the last few days was a thunderstorm and he now freaks when he hears thunder and the only thing that calms him down is constant scratching and patting until the storm is over. One night I ended up falling asleep scratching him at the side of my bed. Since that night he has slept right beside my bed where I can reach him from my bed So far so good, just a short note to keep everyone uptodate.
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  #302  
Old August 31st, 2011, 09:36 AM
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Way to go, Raggs!!

Glad to hear that he's still doing well, give or take a few thunderstorms. We have a few that need constant cuddling during bad weather as well--some days it would be nice to have more than two humans on 'storm cuddle' duty.
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  #303  
Old August 31st, 2011, 10:37 AM
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I know I don't post in this thread often, but I do check it everytime it shows on the list. I'm always so afraid to look, but as usual, happily surprised! I'm so happy to see that he is still doing well, save for the t-storms. What a little fighter he is. And you're a wonderful mama to him. Big 's to you both!. I hope he continues to do well.
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  #304  
Old September 3rd, 2011, 11:22 PM
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Thanks for all your good wishes, they keep me going, let alone what they do for Raggs.

We had a little set back a few days ago but fortunately it seems to have passed and he appears to be on the mend again.


Raggs barfed 3 times 2 days ago and really didn't retain much of the food he ate. Overnight he was passing gas and did have a formed poop. So I'm really hoping he hasn't a bowel obstruction but as far as I know he has eaten nothing that would make him sick so I think the worst.

I called my vet yesterday to see if there was anything I could give him that I have here in the house but she said she was leaving in 1/2 hour for the long weekend and wouldn't bb until Tuesday but told me which vets were open around here for at least part of the weekend. The only thing she suggested was to give him chicken broth and try to give him a modified diet of ground beef and rice to see if he could retain it. I did that, he ate the beef and ignored the rice. Then I gave him chicken noodle soup, until a few minutes before I wrote this he had only drank the broth from the soup. Then he ate the rest of the soup, pasta and vegetables and what remained to the broth. I gave him some beef in broth and he didn't barf after eating the soup. So far he didn't barf yesterday or today but he also hadn't had any solids until late last other than the ground beef he ate earlier. The only new item I've been giving him in the last week was a rollover style log I bought at global pet foods that is supposed to be organic food. It is soft and smells like bologna with supposedly bits of carrots and peas in it. My son bought the 6lb size for $14.00. because it appears my Global no longer carries Rollover.

It is made by a company called "Freshpet" of Secaucus, NJ FreshPet® Deli Fresh ® and is called "Deli fresh' and says "Gently Cooked With Fresh Ingredients Chicken, Vegetable and Rice Formula ReadyTo Serve, complete and balanced for adult dogs" "Dog Food with Natural with added vitamins and minerals. High Quality protein rich chicken and eggs, wholesome vegetables & brown rice, multi source fiber system helps maintain digestive health, rich in omega 6 & 3 fatty acids.
It also says on their website that this flavour is Chicken, Vegetable and Rice Formula and the other flavour available from this company is Turkey Vegetable and Rice Formula.

"Deli Fresh® Chicken, Vegetable & Rice Formula is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.
Available in 1 LB, 2 LB, 6 LB."


Ingredients from their website include:

Ingredients:
"Fresh Chicken, Eggs, Chicken Liver, Chicken Broth,Carrots, Brown Rice, Peas, Rice Bran, Dried Kelp, Carrageenan, Natural Flavors, Salt, Inulin, Flaxseed Oil, Green Tea Extract."

On the package label of Deli-Fresh that my son purchased the ingredients are the following:

Ingredients:
Chicken, Eggs, Chicken Liver, Chicken Broth, Carrots, Brown Rice, Peas,Rice Bran, Dried Kelp, Carrageenan, Natural Flavors, Salt, Inulin, Flaxseed Oil, Green Tea Extract, Choline Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulphate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Proteinate, Copper Sulphate, Manganese Proteinate, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Riboflavin Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite.

FreshPet® Deli Fresh® Adult Chicken and Vegetable & Rice Formula is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Prophiles for maintenance. Calorie Content (calculated): 1318 kcal ME per kg, 300 kcal per 1/2 lb. Freshpet® Dedicated to helping pets live long and healthy lives.

I found when I licked my fingers after giving him pieces of it that the meat tasted spicey and one orangey-red piece that I dug out of it tasted very spicey to me and I thought it was a piece of red pepper, but nothing like that definitely is not mentioned among the ingredients on the label. I didn't give it to him last night and because of my back can't get to a store to buy some rollover for him. I had already decided I wasn't giving it to him again, though he seemed to really like it. Our Global does not accept returns, nor does it carry rollover other than this crap now. I am a bit hopeful that this is what upset his stomach and my fears of progression of the cancer are unfounded at present.

We of course in the middle of all this both yesterday and today had a couple of thunderstorms, so he came and lay beside me. He didn't leave that position until I went to bed and I'm happy about that because I have been able to give him a good scratch and pat all afternoon and evening on both days. He was fine during the storm after he lay down beside me. Fortunately I didn't have to go out either yesterday or today.

He is now begging for food and seems to be feeling better. As I've had the Deli fresh stick on my lap, he's been begging me for some but I have no intention of giving it to him again.
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Last edited by dbg10; September 3rd, 2011 at 11:31 PM. Reason: remove formatting
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  #305  
Old September 4th, 2011, 08:47 AM
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Could the spicey orange-red piece be a carrot that had picked up some of the 'natural flavors' that were added? Do you have a different source for the rollover since that seems to agree with him so much better? I hate it when stores change brands--seems like they always switch out the ones we're using and leave us hanging, too

Hope your weather improves so Raggs isn't as anxious, but I know you'll both miss the closeness.
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  #306  
Old September 5th, 2011, 04:14 PM
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could be hazel but looked redder to me than a carrot and I touched it to my tongue as I react to all types of peppers and it caused a mild reaction and tasted like red peppers. I think I should tell them but because there is nothing on the label. I hesitate to. A friend is going to pick some up tomorrow for me.
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  #307  
Old September 11th, 2011, 06:35 PM
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Originally Posted by dbg10 View Post
...I found when I licked my fingers after giving him pieces of it that the meat tasted spicey and one orangey-red piece that I dug out of it tasted very spicey to me and I thought it was a piece of red pepper, but nothing like that definitely is not mentioned among the ingredients on the label. I didn't give it to him last night and because of my back can't get to a store to buy some rollover for him. I had already decided I wasn't giving it to him again, though he seemed to really like it. Our Global does not accept returns, nor does it carry rollover other than this crap now. I am a bit hopeful that this is what upset his stomach and my fears of progression of the cancer are unfounded at present.
I too hope it was the food!

How strange on the food, NOT good! I really hate it when you have to change what is working because the stores change what they carry or they start processing it differently. I hope that you found something that is working now.
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  #308  
Old September 12th, 2011, 11:40 AM
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Ever since that episode of barfing on the 2nd Raggs has been causing me no end of problems with his food. Of course I removed that FreshPet from his treat load and bought some Rollover beef that he's always liked.

For several days he refused to eat other than pick the meat out of his bowl and eat it. I then started giving him 1 1/8" slice of rollover broken into tiny pieces and thrown into his bowl between bites. He picked out the rollover but would not eat any part of the rice or other ingredients I mix into it. He would still only eat meat. After trying different ways of giving it to him: rice on the bottom of the food pile, meat on top, rice to the side, rice only without the other ingredients, with meat on top etc etc etc. I had also added digestive enzymes to his meat, but as soon as he tasted it, he wouldn't touch the meat.

I was getting really frustrated because he definitely wasn't getting enough food because he was acting hungry after his meals. When I mixed all the different meats together he picked out each one and didn't eat a lot of it. Finally 2 days ago, I decided to eliminate the rice completely from his diet along with the digestive enzymes and separated the meat into little piles around his bowl and 1 sardine by itself. He ate absolutely everything...gobbled is more like it so I have kept this up for 5 meals now and he's eating without any problem. He is getting his liver, ground beef, ground chicken and a sardine (with his crushed vitamins, UbaVet and Metacam on top once a day) every meal and seems to like it. He is also getting a 1/8" slice of rollover as his only treat at night.

So I have no idea what is going on, he's peeing, pooping and eating now but still won't touch the rice by itself or when mixed with the usual things like ground flaxseed, vitamins and beef stock with water. He is still hungry after his meals and gives me the most unforgiving looks afterwards. I think I am giving him enough food for his weight.

I keep wondering if he is trying to tell me it's time to make 'the decision' with this forced change in his diet. Though he does seem happy with his all meat/fish diet. Has anyone run into this kind of problem with a senior before?
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  #309  
Old September 12th, 2011, 09:01 PM
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We've run into that problem with dogs on a bland diet for tummy upset. They get quickly bored with the rice and eat around it. We finally switched to elbow macaroni with the boiled beef or chicken. So it might not be that he's worse or feeling poorly--he may just be bored with the rice.
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Old September 12th, 2011, 09:53 PM
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The dogs here have never done particularly well with much rice in their diet. I like the idea of the macaroni, or maybe some whole grain pasta?
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  #311  
Old September 14th, 2011, 09:20 PM
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I'll see how he does tonight. Today I gave him a small amount of rice with beef drippings on it and I'm not sure if he's touched it or not. He seems to only want the meat and fish, I may try some pasta but I'm not holding my breath. I also noticed today that his poop is quite dark so there is a high possibility he is bleeding internally from the tumour. I talked to my vet today and she told me to just give him what he will eat, as long as he's eating, when he stops eating it will be time to make the decision as it has been with all my other pups. He's still behaving very puppy like at times with that puppy look on his face. He is also arguining with the cats on a regular basis so those two things tell me all is ok for now. So keeping my fingers crossed
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  #312  
Old September 14th, 2011, 10:52 PM
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I've had the picky eating thing with Shadow for a while. She'll eat boiled hamburger and rice and somehow manage to pick out the rice and spit it on the floor. Like you, in order to get something into her I finally ended up just giving her the meat and leaving the rice out. Some days she'd eat her kibble with meat, but mostly she'd leave the kibble. She also doesn't like pasta. Right now because of the prednisone she's eating her kibble with Pedigree on it and wolfing it down. Whatever, so long as she's eating (although she's still losing weight). I hope is not bleeding. Thinking of you and hoping that it works itself out and you have some more time.
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Old September 15th, 2011, 08:15 PM
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I've had the picky eating thing with Shadow for a while. She'll eat boiled hamburger and rice and somehow manage to pick out the rice and spit it on the floor. Like you, in order to get something into her I finally ended up just giving her the meat and leaving the rice out. Some days she'd eat her kibble with meat, but mostly she'd leave the kibble. She also doesn't like pasta. Right now because of the prednisone she's eating her kibble with Pedigree on it and wolfing it down. Whatever, so long as she's eating (although she's still losing weight). I hope is not bleeding. Thinking of you and hoping that it works itself out and you have some more time.
Thanks DD I know you are waging your own battle with Shadow and wish you all the best.

I added Pedigree beef chunks when he stopped eating the rice because I didn't think he was getting enough food with just beef, liver and a sardine. He will eat it as long as I don't try to hide something in it like his vitamins, he will eat his beef topped with UbaVet and Metacam I guess he likes the taste of them but doesn't like the ground vitamins, or the texture is making him avoid it. I tried adding digestive enzymes to his pedigree the first day which was immediately ignored. I had never given them to him before and I think he is suspicious of any additives in his food now and that's why he won't eat the rice. BTW he did eat the rice with drippings on it last night but later I tried to add the gravy from the pedigree can to it and he would have none of it. He argued with all the cats last night and again today, so he`s not oblivious to his surroundings.

I also wonder if the dark poop is due to the change in diet to meat only and I noticed last night that it was brown on the inside so doesn`t seem that it`s from internal bleeding but something else like maybe the addition of liver back into his food. Will just have to wait and see..

Thanks everyone for your good wishes and kind thoughts for Raggs and I
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  #314  
Old October 4th, 2011, 12:28 AM
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Been thinking of Raggs
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Old October 4th, 2011, 03:51 PM
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Sorry I haven't updated lately. Raggs is doing fairly well but is definitely showing his age now. He is still eating well and always wants more. He barks at the cats and sometimes lets Smokey love him up. He has done well, but our routine has changed in the last few weeks and that has affected him a lot.

I am happy that he is still painfree, loves his car rides, but is spending more and more time sleeping. He seems to be having a rough couple of days since Saturday and I am really hoping he gets through them and bounces back. He is still very interested in eating though and his treat time. He always perks up and stomps his right front foot on the floor for more treats when I run out. He is very funny at times, and has started sticking his nose in any bag that comes in the house, looking for treats I expect.
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Old October 6th, 2011, 03:16 AM
MaxaLisa MaxaLisa is offline
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Way to go Raggs, you keep your hoomans in line and make sure that they keep their priorities straight, making sure that your treats are always top on the list

I hope that you start feeling a bit better, we're thinking about you. Extra ear scritches to you
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Old October 6th, 2011, 09:27 AM
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Bags are marvelous things!! Dogs must make sure they are thoroughly checked for delectable items and cats play in them after the dogs have emptied them.

Hope Raggs has perked up a little as the week went on!
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Old October 6th, 2011, 10:08 AM
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Glad to hear Raggs is holding his own. Silly pup, stomping his foot for more treats! I love it. Sounds just like Shadow but she doesn't stomp, although she manages to convey that she wants more. Hope he continues to rally and has lots more good times in him.
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Old October 6th, 2011, 06:14 PM
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Thanks everyone for the support and good wishes. Raggs seems a bit better in the last day or so. We have had a very hectic week that has really upset our routine and he is definitely objecting to it. The foot stomping is so funny but no matter what I say to him he continues to grin and stomp that ol foot LOL.

We haven't had TV time for awhile now because of my back. He used to show his displeasure with me if I didn't do what he wanted by going to the other end of the room and turning his back on me. Now because I go to bed early to lie flat, that is when we have treat time. He now leaves the room completely and if I follow him, I find him in the living room with his back toward me. He can be hilarious at these times because I now call him and tell him how silly he is sometimes singing to him "oh where oh where has my little dog gone, oh where oh where can Raggs be...." then I change the words of the rest of the song to whatever pops in my head at that time and he usually responds by snorting and eventually moving to my doorway and finally into the room to get his treats. While this is going on the cats are usually all on the bed and Smokey usually runs back and forth between Raggs and my room. It is quite the scene LOL.

Anyway he seems to still be enjoying life and appears painfree. One of his rescuers contacted me last week and asked if she could come to visit him next weekend. I am not sure I'll be available yet but I plan to set something up as soon as I know. She is very anxious to see him.

Again thanks everyone from both Raggs and I. I have attached a recent picture of Raggs and Smokey
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Old October 29th, 2011, 05:01 PM
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Hi Raggs, hope you are hanging in there and that the coming of fall/winter isn't too rough on you!
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  #321  
Old October 31st, 2011, 07:18 PM
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Definitely holding his own and has finally finished molting which is always hard on him. He has had some low days but we seem to be through them again and it is now past the 10 month period since he was diagnosed.

He is still giving the cats the 'what to for' and especially Smokey. Smokey has a bad habit of rolling on the floor in Raggs's face and depending on Raggs's mood he either just moves his head, or barks at him and chases him away. It of course doesn't deter Smokey from doing it all again as soon as he can.

The tumour is definitely larger than it was and has rough areas on it so instead of being smooth as it was for a long time, it is bumpy and looks like a tumour. There is no discharge from it yet, but it seems to still be soft and pliable and isn't causing him any pain. I know this because he lies directly on it without any reaction. I have concluded that the tumour is benign as he is still alive, hasn't lost any weight and doesn't seem to have pain.

I haven't taken any pics of him lately, but I will in the next few days. I want to take some new pics of all of them but since they are just finishing their molt, I want to wait until they look good again.

Thanks for keeping us in mind and sending good wishes for Raggs.
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Old November 4th, 2011, 07:34 PM
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It is good to get an update on Raggs. I'm glad he is holding his own and giving the kitties the "what for". Sending all of you best wishes. Keep hanging on.
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Old November 5th, 2011, 05:04 PM
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What a great update, all things considered. Great sign he's still giving the kitties a hard time sometimes

I had a friend whose dog was definitely diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer in his mouth - he was given a few months to live. I think it was about 7 years that she managed that cancer, until he died of old age liver failure. I'm not sure what kind of assumptions you can make about whether it is benign or not.

In any event, he has an amazing spirit and caretaker
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Old November 18th, 2011, 05:38 PM
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Raggs went to the vet on Monday for his pawdicure and annual exam. His exam showed that the tumour has grown both inside and outside, but he is still hanging in there. My vet offered blood work if I really wanted to know how he was doing but she said she expected the results to be the same as they were last December with the astronomically high White Blood Cell count because she still believes he has a mass inside that will eventually kill him. She has no explanation as to why he's still doing fine, but said she believes he is living on borrowed time and will eventually succumb to the cancer. I decided there was no point in stressing him out with blood work because I doubted we would learn anything new from it, and nothing would be done if there was another abnormality.

My vet also said she believes he wouldn't live through the surgery and I agree with that. Keeping my fingers, toes and everything else crossed he hasn't had a "bleed" in several weeks. My vet agreed with me that a bleed is exactly what is happening when his gums get pale afterwards and he is totally wiped out for a week or two until I get enough fresh chicken liver into him to bring his hemoglobin back up. After several weeks his gums are always pink and in the last week or two they have been quite pink with no paleness visible at all.

Anyway other than the increase in the size of the tumour and it now visibly looks like a tumour, not just smooth skin, the way it did initially, he seemed healthier than he did at his last appt. His heart was more audible to her this time, there was no murmur as before, and his heart rate was not rapid like it was the last time. His hind end is still weak, despite the metacam and UbaVet (glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM) and she believes it is just his age and his condition causing it.

Since he saw the vet on Monday, he is slowly regaining his strength. Tuesday he was totally wiped out, slept most of the day, wasn't interested in food until I spent some time waking him up, and was breathing very rapidly all day and night. Wednesday his breathing was still rapid at times, but he spent more time awake and less wiped out. He was able to go outside to relieve himself too using the stairs without falling. Yesterday, he was almost back to normal, breathing was back to normal and so was hind end strength.

But today, I fed him and it took me ages to wake him up. He was breathing very shallowly and I was worried that he wouldn't wake up. However, eventually he did and got up and moved around. He finally ate his food about an hour later, but still seems overtired. I was concerned, that things were worse, yet his gums were a normal pink colour and that made me think that he was just very deeply asleep and I guess that was the problem because when he finally woke up, he moved around the house. So hopefully he will continue to improve and regain his strength, it looks like he is

Thanks everyone for your continued support for us, both Raggs and I appreciate it.
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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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  #325  
Old November 18th, 2011, 06:10 PM
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Dog Dancer Dog Dancer is offline
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Well it sounds about as good as you could expect, maybe a bit better I guess. Sweet Raggs . I was wondering about the chicken liver you feed him though, did the vet recommend that? The reason I ask is that when Shadow started having low iron counts and such the vet recommended iron supplements and I said I was feeding her chicken livers but he said that there wasn't that much good stuff in them because the chickens are killed so young that the livers just don't develop with all the nutrients we want them for. So I was just wondering if that was what your vet recommended (I wouldn't try to second guess your vet by any means) or if it was just what you did like me. Would there be an alternative to chicken livers for supplementing his blood levels? Hope this doesn't offend you... it's just what popped into my head. I'm so glad that Raggs is hanging in though, and I agree with your decision fully not to stress him out any further. Hugs to you both
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  #326  
Old November 18th, 2011, 11:14 PM
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dbg10 dbg10 is offline
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Thanks for your answer DD I really appreciate the information you gave me. I put together a diet based on the anti-cancer guidelines of several different online sites (I have the links for all of them but it`s too long to list here) and once I had done that I took the list to my vet and she thought it was an excellent diet to put him on. However at that time she didn`t expect him to last more than a month or two.

What she said the other day was that the chicken livers I was giving him were obviously keeping his hemoglobin up and restoring it when it was necessary after a bleed. He is also getting a vitamin-mineral compound, ground beef, sardines, flax seeds, and his UbaVet and Metacam. His diet also used to include a lot of different herbs and alternative medicine stuff like Burdock but he reacted to that and started vomiting. I also had brown rice in every meal but he now has decided he`s not going to eat it either. I had to cut out all the alternative stuff I was giving him because my vet had told me that the stress of vomiting was likely to cause a bleed so anything that caused vomiting was eliminated from his diet.

You may be right about the chicken livers but they have worked for him every time he`s had a bleed so the ones I`m getting from my butcher may not be young kills or they at least contain enough iron to bring his hemoglobin back to normal. My vet prefers the diet I have him on, to anything else I could give him, especially kibble or canned food. He does get about 1/5 of a can of chunky canned food just for the gravy he likes. I kept it in his diet after he stopped eating the rice because he liked it so much.

BTW later this afternoon he finally woke up and acted normal and each time he fell asleep he was easily roused. So I'm no longer worried about his level of consciousness, though I'll definitely keep an eye on it in the next couple of days.

I also forgot to mention that when he went to the vet his belly was very dirty, he'd obviously been lying in poop when he was outside. I was really embarrassed of course and she suggested I take him to a groomer, but after how wiped out he's been for 4 days after his trip to the vet, I think it would be way too stressful for him even if I wait until he's back to normal.

So I think I'm just going to put a towel under him and give him a good wash with doggy shampoo. I don't even think a bath in the bathtub is appropriate after his exhaustion level. I honestly think either one of those choices might finish him off and I certainly don't want to hasten his death just 9 days before his 14th birthday. I don't like leaving him dirty but better dirty than gone to the bridge. I'll just wait until he's acting normal for an entire day before giving him his sponge bath.
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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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  #327  
Old November 19th, 2011, 05:46 PM
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chico2 chico2 is offline
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Awww dbg,I am glad Raggs is still hanging in there with you,but still,it must be very difficult for you and him of course,never knowing what next day will be like.to you and Raggs
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  #328  
Old November 20th, 2011, 03:01 PM
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Glad to hear Raggs is doing good with his diet. I hope you didn't think I was criticizing you at all - certainly not. Just wanted to pass that on because I figured I was helping giving Shadow the livers but the vet said probably not so much. But if it's working for Raggs that's absolutely all that matters.

Could you just wash his tummy if that's all that's dirty? I agree giving him a full bath or sending him to the groomers would be too much for him.

Hugs to you both. Be strong Raggs, your mommy loves you!
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  #329  
Old November 20th, 2011, 08:02 PM
MaxaLisa MaxaLisa is offline
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I wonder if a "spray wash" with something ike apple cider vinegar might be okay. I certainly understand not wanting to stress him, such a fragile state.

You and Raggs have been quite the miraculous team. Such a bittersweet time, time to treasure, yet so difficult.

I think of you guys often. At this point, you've been letting Raggs call a lot of the shots, and he's been pretty good at showing you what he needs and what will work for him. However you two are communicating, it's pretty special.

Gentle hugs to Raggs, and you too!
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  #330  
Old November 22nd, 2011, 04:13 PM
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dbg10 dbg10 is offline
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Thanks DD, Chico2 and MaxaLisa! DD not at all, I like to get information from anywhere I can about anything to do with Raggs or my kitties. Your vet may be correct DD, but it's working for Raggs, so maybe the ones I'm getting are more mature than others, and at this time of year when liver pate is so popular that is definitely a concern.

I got his written report from my vet yesterday and she mentioned that his gums were a very nice pink colour, so it is working definitely. Another thing she said that upset me was that she wondered if we were doing him any favours keeping him alive even though I told her how involved he is at home with the kitties and animal family. I think that may have been based on the fact that she needed to wash his belly because of the mess he was in and she may not think I am able to look after him as well as I could in the past. (my disability is worsening). She also remarked on the fact that there was no way she could remove the tumour surgically because he would die on the table, which I agree with. I would hate to lose him after all this, just to remove something that has been obvious for months. She also now thinks that tumour is benign. He is still smiling away most of the time when he's awake and does not appear to be in pain with his Metacam and UbaVet. He is definitely weaker in the hind end, but I believe also that a lot of what she saw was stress from being at the vet.

She had him cleaned up fairly well and I've looked him over and he's not dirty now. I plan to put a towel down under him and wash him with doggy shampoo with water when he has been lying in it. If that doesn't work, then I will try the apple cider vinegar and see if that works. It certainly should be soothing.

He does use the puppy training pads a lot of the time, but I'd rather he do that than fall down the stairs. He did have a fall the other night, (the night after he saw her) sliding down the four steps with his back legs behind him and I'm sure it hurt like H*. However, he was able to get up, go outside then come back in. He needed help getting up the stairs, but that is not unusual at all. The reason he fell was my son was trying to rush him and of course, Raggs wanted to do what he's asked and ended up falling. It's these incidents that I am trying to prevent, because more of them just give him pain and make him weaker. I watch him especially with Smokey who he allows to rub his face all over Raggs's muzzle (haven't been able to get a pic yet) and hear him bark at Tiger and Bailey when they dare to take a drink from "his" water bowl and see a dog that is fully involved with the family. He's still eating well. She did mention he could lose a few pounds so I'm going to cut back on the treats I give him. (just break them into even smaller pieces) and keep doing what I'm doing but try to keep him cleaner than I've so far been able to. I'll make absolutely certain that he is clean before I take him to my vet again. That was so embarrassing, and she needs to see the happy dog he is.

Thanks for your support for both of us, I really appreciate it
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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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