Old Dog Devon Is Very Poorly

[dragonfly]

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Hello Ali :huggles:

Phoebe sends her boyfriend gentle smooches. Poor guy he sounds very poorly :luck: .

You know I am always here for you.

love from Cathie and the bluestreak girls. xxxx

 

[julie_s]

So sorry to read poor Devon is so unwell and I wish you all the best of luck for a positive outcome.

 

[05whippet]

Really sorry to hear this Alison......thinking of all of you xx :huggles:

 

[lawleymoon]

sorry deon is poorly alison :huggles: to you all

 

[moonlake]

This isn't to do with showing, but as there is so much interest in health involving show-bred whippets, I've decided to post it on this part of the forum, as this is where the experts seem to be.
Old Dog Devon is very poorly, I've not mentioned it on the forums but this is a last-minute shout for info.

He is coming up to his 12th birthday. A few months ago he started looking a bit old and frail. Then, about 3 weeks ago, he suddenly started knuckling over on his front feet and became very wobbly on his back end. He has got progressively worse and is now quite hunched up and very tense.  He is yapping in the middle of the night and he is not a happy boy.

He saw the vet who said that he probably needed x-rays to see if he had any spine or neck problems but he needed blood tests first as he is an oldie.

The first set showed a problem with his liver. He has now has a 2nd set done - he had to be starved for 24 hours, have blood taken, fed a meal then more bloods 2 hours later.

The vet phoned earlier and spoke to Wayne, she said that the results show that his liver isn't working. The next step, should be decide to take it, is to have xrays to see if anything shows up - but she also said that such bad results in a dog his age is very bad news.

I'm going to phone her tomorrow evening to find out what our options are - my heart tells me that we might not have our lovely old boy for much longer, but my head tells me to at least find out what we are dealing with.

The thing is, I don't know anything about liver disease or function - if anyone can direct me to a good source of info, I'd be grateful.

I've tried to post this thread all evening, but I've been crying so much I couldn't see the screen. I'm off to bed soon but will look again tomorrow to see if there is anything specific anyone can suggest I ask the vet.

Thanks

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I am so sorry - I've only just seen this but as I am going through something similar with Fidget (13) maybe some of what I have learned can help.

Food - little and often. A sign of liver disease is often intense hunger as well as increased drinking which means VERY frequent pees. Fidget was off her legs at the beginning of May and I actually rang the vet to come and do the necessary but by the next morning,she looked better so I cancelled. He told me that these episodes would become more frequent and she had two weeks to two months, probably. Her medication (antibiotics and pred) ran out and I didn't ask for more since I thought she was on her way out anyway and from that moment, she started to get better. She ate the Hills l/d diet for about 10 days and then made it clear that she would rather starve to death so I started buying chicken breasts at Tesco, thinking it would only be for a week or so. Four little meals a day of baked chicken breast (or white fish) and pasta or rice with SA37 brought a HUGE improvement. She had almost wasted away but gained condition and insisted on going round the fields twice a day.

I did some internet research and tried a "liver cleansing diet" but that didn't seem to help noticeably so went back to the chicken/pasta routine and until this month, was back to how she was before dx. She was even running after rabbits. She has been having some very expensive supplement SAM-e from America for about a week but I am not sure that it is going to help.

Sadly, some of my other dogs caught kennel cough on one of their excursions and brought it back to the others and I think that Fidget is not going to recover from this. The a/bs helped but it has hit her heart hard and my vet is doubtful that she is going to be able to throw it off. However, without that, I think she would have gone on for many months enjoying two walks a day - not to mention the very expensive home cooking!

My vet advised against any drastic treatment/tests. Fidget had a scan which showed she does not have liver cancer, just a very enlarged liver which has also not done her heart any favours. We thought this a better option than x-rays which would have meant an anaesthetic and huge stress. If Devon's liver has packed up altogether, I am afraid that your options are going to be limited but if he can eat, you may be able to get the same improvement that I did with Fidget. Be warned that the prednisolone made her MUCH worse. (That may be specific to her but if your vet suggests it, ask her about contraindications).

I know how dreadful it is when they are so miserable - I have been going out of my mind with this b********* kennel cough, seeing her gasping for breath, She is a little better than she was a week ago but not better enough. She hasn't given up yet so nor have I and I think Devon will let you know when he has had enough. My advice would be not to go for veterinary heroics because in the long run, they usually only benefit the vet but of course you must be guided by her to do what is best for Devon.

Good luck -lots of crossed paws for you here.

Gay

 

[alfie]

So sorry about dear Devon- he is such a sweet and uncomplaining boy and it must be awful to see him so ill

You could try Milk Thistle, which is a natural remedy, used to improve liver function- I know when Alfie's liver was damaged following his overdose of ibuprofen :b I gave it to him and he recovered quickly. I don't think it interferes with any conventional medicines, and it may help him to feel a bit better :huggles:

I hope Gay's advice has given you a bit more hope- sorry you are going through a similar experience Gay

Thinking of you,

Liz and the Monellis

 

[doris]

Thanks everyone for really helpful pm's and posts.

I've spoken to the vet this evening, she said that although Devon's liver is damaged, it hasn't packed up altogether. It is the combination of the neck/spine problem and the liver results that make his outlook bleak - she thinks that he would be ok to have one session of sedation to get his neck xrayed, to try and find out why he is knuckling over on his front feet.

We already know that we won't ask for any drastic operations or have any harsh treatment done, so we've decided to feed him some nice chicken and rice, get some milk thistle, give him pain relief and keep nice and warm and spoilt for the next few days.

Our regular vet is back from hols next week, we'll have a chat with him and see where we go next.

Gay, I hope that poor Fidget is over the worst now :luck:

 

[fourpaws]

Hope that your TLC will work wonders on Devon.

 

[kirsty]

Thinking of poor Devon :huggles:

 

[moonlake]

Thanks everyone for really helpful pm's and posts.
I've spoken to the vet this evening, she said that although Devon's liver is damaged, it hasn't packed up altogether.  It is the combination of the neck/spine problem and the liver results that make his outlook bleak - she thinks that he would be ok to have one session of sedation to get his neck xrayed, to try and find out why he is knuckling over on his front feet. 

We already know that we won't ask for any drastic operations or have any harsh treatment done, so we've decided to feed him some nice chicken and rice, get some milk thistle, give him pain relief and keep nice and warm and spoilt for the next few days. 

Our regular vet is back from hols next week, we'll have a chat with him and see where we go next.

Gay, I hope that poor Fidget is over the worst now  :luck:

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If it really is in his neck/spine, a chiropractor could treat that without hurting him. I don't knowof any in your area but I am sure someone does - or I would whole heartedly recommend the one I have here.

However, there are diseases that should show up in his blood test that can cause impaired front movement so when you talk to your regular vet, ask him to take a look at the test, rather than just rely on a colleague's quick dx. I know it is hard to question them as they often think you shouldn't have an opinion but you want to be comfortable in your own mind that everyone has given the best advice possible.

:luck: :luck: :luck: :luck: :luck:

Gay

 

[dragonfly]

  I know it is hard to question them as they often think you shouldn't have an opinion but you want to be comfortable in your own mind that everyone has given the best advice possible.
:luck:   :luck:   :luck:   :luck:   :luck:

Gay

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[SIZE=14pt]Well said Gay....It is always right to question the vet, they do their best but they don't know everything. I have come across some rank errors from vets which have put the dog at severe risk. [/SIZE]

 

Good Luck Devon :luck: :luck:

 

[JAX]

As I have already Pm d Alison about this , Id just like to say , My old Woody was in pain with what sounds very similar , ( His was a type 2 prolapse) He was operated on and although slow to begin with, he 95% recovered to normal life , Im so glad I gave him that extra year with us, and it wasnt of his injury that he died .

I took Woody to a specialist as my own vet said he would get better treatment from a referal specialist , and luckily for Ali that Devon is insured , Woody wasnt , but it didnt stop me wanting the best treatment possible .

Not all neck/back injuries can be dealt with by a chiropractor . life would be so much easier if it could be

 

[Janimal]

Thinking of you all and Devon... :huggles: :huggles: :luck:

 

[jinnyfizz]

Good luck Devon and Alison :luck: :luck:

Enjoy your pampering for the next few days little boy :huggles: :thumbsup:

 

[dessie]

As I have already Pm d Alison about this , Id just like to say , My old Woody was in pain with what sounds very similar , ( His was a type 2 prolapse) He was operated on and although slow to begin with, he 95% recovered to normal life , Im so glad I gave him that extra year with us, and it wasnt of his injury that he died .
I took Woody to a specialist as my own vet said he would get better treatment from a referal specialist , and luckily for Ali that  Devon is insured , Woody wasnt  , but it didnt stop me wanting the best treatment possible  . 

Not all neck/back injuries can be dealt with by a chiropractor . life would be so much easier if it could be

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It is recognised even in human medicine that prolapsed discs can be very successfully treated by chiropracters. My own Vet wanted to refer TJ when he prolapsed discs in his neck for an MRI + operation. After talking to professionals here at he hospital where I work, I decided to see the chiropracter I use first ......... and am I glad I did! Within a month she had TJ back absolutely sound and painfree. In fact, because she treated him holistically I thinker he is sounder than he was prior to popping the discs!

 

[georgina]

Poor Devon, he is just the most sweetest gentleman and I know how hard it is for you to see him as he is - lets hope some of the medication and advice will help -

lots of love to him :huggles:

 

[doris]

Thanks everyone, you've given us some great advice, it is very much appreciated. Your experiences are all very different so it's giving me lots to think about :thumbsup: and plenty of questions to quiz my vet with :- " There are options out there that I wouldn't of even considered without your replies :huggles:

Devon is doing ok today. I feed my dogs a range of food so having home-cooked fish and rice was no shock to his system. Seeing a small bowl sitting on the side for him to eat later is another matter, he knows its for him and he can't wait!!

I've started him on milk thistle today too, and he has the pain killers from the vet, so at least he should be comfortable and having a bit of a detox for the next few days.

He does have a good level of insurance - thank goodness! - so the main thing is to try and make sure that we chose the appropriate treatment rather than all the treatment available (if that makes sense? :wacko: )

 

[jok]

Thanks everyone, you've given us some great advice, it is very much appreciated. Your experiences are all very different so it's giving me lots to think about  :thumbsup: and plenty of questions to quiz my vet with :- "  There are options out there that I wouldn't of even considered without your replies :huggles:
Devon is doing ok today.  I feed my dogs a range of food so having home-cooked fish and rice was no shock to his system.  Seeing a small bowl sitting on the side for him to eat later is another matter, he knows its for him and he can't wait!!

I've started him on milk thistle today too, and he has the pain killers from the vet, so at least he should be comfortable and having a bit of a detox for the next few days.

He does have a good level of insurance - thank goodness! - so the main thing is to try and make sure that we chose the appropriate treatment rather than all the treatment available (if that makes sense? :wacko: )

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That makes sense to me mate. Do what YOU feel is right for the old lad. There's been some really good advice here on this thread but you as 'mum' will just know what is right.

You know we are all thinking of you xxxx

 

[Seraphina]

Sorry to hear of Devon's problems Alison. Hope you will be able to get him better with the diet. :luck: :luck: :luck:

 

[doris]

Devon update - he is doing ok, hasn't got any worse and is getting very used to being wrapped up in cotton wool and having extra meals!

I really do think that the low fat food, several times a day, with milk thistle added, is doing him some good. I found him chewing a rawhide this weekend and he was on my bed shouting at me yesterday, which is what he does when he wants to play 'spinny dog' - I don't think he was quite up to that though :- " He is still stiff in his neck and does cry when he moves after lying down all night.

Thanks for the advice about possible treatments, diets, natural supplements, etc - all been greatly appreciated and have given me plenty to think about.

My regular vet is back and he phoned me this morning for an update - going by the results he feels that the 2 problems could be unrelated, that we discovered the liver problem because of his neck.

Devon is booked in for a liver scan tomorrow :luck: