@debradownsouth hopefully it has been to the vet by now
Oakley-emergency surgery
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I am so happy for you! the only thing i can add, is to ask the vet if there is anything you need to get before you pick him up. I know when Zest! had her HGE they told me to feed her baby food. (never had a baby, so never had baby food in the house) So hubby sat in the car with her while we stopped at the grocery. If you don't have a second person, it would be easier to pick the food up without having to worry about him eating the inside of your car.
I'm sure you'll get lots more sleep tonight and happy dreams!
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Great news! So glad to hear. And excellent idea about stopping by the grocery first. Sounds like you're in 24/7 caregiver mode for a while… but it's SO much better to have them home when they're sick.
When Spencer had that touch-n-go surgery and recuperation, Hill's a/d canned food saved us. He would keep that down when everything else came back up. It's critical care food for dogs after life-threatening illness or surgery and is like canine souffle. If the vet's anticipating any issues, you might ask-- though it could be too rich for Oakley's situation.
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Thanks agile- I preboiled his hamburger and pulsed it through the food processor and picked up his Prilosec…glad I got that done. On my way to the ER to get him!!!!!
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It's nice to see an Emergency story with a happy ending….
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The bad news about insurance, Chealsie, is that nothing he has had wrong with him before will be covered (which could be anything gastro-intestinal now…) and they will also charge a fortune....
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Great news for you, make sure you rest when he rests. Hoping he has a speedy recovery and things get back to normal for you.
Jolanda and Kaiser
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I'm exhausted
Oakley needs round the clock care…his med schedule literally gives me a headache...
Metacam- at noon, with foodTramadol- 8am,4pm and midnight for three to five days then twice a day for an additional 3-5 days
Sucralfate- 6am, 2pm,10pm...dissolve 1/2 tab into a slurry and syringe feed- give 20 minutes before food or other meds * two hours away from Prilosec!!
Metoclopramide- 6am,6pm and midnight....1/2 tab every 6 hours for 24 hours then every 8 hours for 2-3 days then x2 day for 1-2 days then x1 day for another 1-2 days
Metronidazole- noon and midnight...1/2 tab every 12 hours for 2-3 days
Omeprezole- 4pm
Oof!! I'm trying to wrap my head around it all while keeping him from getting at his incision and trying to pill him without being able to wrap the pills in any food...figuring out how I'll do this when I start work onwednesday....and watching him like a hawk bc he's still licking and upset after food...which is normal to be burpy and unsettles but it makes me worry...and he hasn't pooped since Thursday...again normal but I just want conformation his GI tract is ok...
Worried non stop but happy he's home. The tech practically shoved h at me...they kept telling me they're never met a dog like him: that he's a punk....many time he escaped his crate and was found walking around the hospital, chewing his IV cords, getting out of his e collar that was already lengthened to that of a big dogs bc he'd still get at his stitches...getting into the trash when leashed to go out.. They called me in and told me he was a punk and that they felt bad for him when he was feeling lousy but since he pepped up they all wanted him to go home..they call him Houdini..
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Gosh! when I read it was Oakley, I am soooo sorry. Not one of us has NOT gone through something with our babies that grieves us and puts us to wits end! What a literal nightmare, but so glad you found the strength you needed in the forum which is therapeutic to write out your worries….. God bless the Vet, you and prayers out for your Oakley for a rapid comeback. Not even easy now, but just think, one day you may even laugh about all this!
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Know what you're going through with the meds, Chealsie! We had almost the same ones for Tex the last time he had surgery for his extracurricular dining - and the last time he passed the plastic in the office before the surgery, thank goodness. Some good news, the Tramadol is for pain, so you can ease him off on that if he doesn't seem to be in pain, especially the midnight one (although it will help him sleep) The 'pill poppers,' which you can get at Petco or PetSmart, are great for giving pills when you can't hide them in food. Keeps your fingers from getting chomped and you can get them way back in the throat. And when he's eating a little better, you can give them with a small amount of food (scrambled eggs worked well for us). If worst comes to worst, ask the vet for a prescription and go to a compounding pharmacy and see if they can make everything liquids!
Tex was also kicked out of the vet hospital for the same reasons as Oakley, except he didn't manage to get out of the crate!!
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Hope all is well with Oakley!! What king of cone does he have on? They have the inflatable ones that might be better for him and def more comfy.. I remember taking Dolce with me to my job when I was doing vet tech work and putting her in the cages she was able to escape one of the cages so I had to put her in the super duper large dog cage but she would try to climb it to the top do flips in it.. the thing is even if I was there she would go crazy
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I don't have a cone on at all..they had to keep upping the size bc no matter the length he'd find a way around it. I have an inflatable one which I bought after his neuter but the incision is long and he can still get to it. He seems to be responding to my corrections and isn't as incessant about getting it as last time. Thanks terry.. Makes me feel better someone else has had to keep this schedule- Oakley had a whole staff to monitor his meds…I'm just one person..lol. Luckily I spent the last hour writing out his med schedule for the next week...so that makes it less overwhelming. I ended up calling about the tramadol bc I didn't think he needed it and they confirmed it was as needed ( thank goodness!)
They also confirmed I can feed the pills with cheese (except of course the sucralfate)..so at noon that will come in handy...his esophagus is irritated so the pilling doesn't help!
I'm starting to get organized and less stressed. I'm going to takeoff Monday and Tuesday at work... I want him to start poopibg again before I go back..my poor punk....
His last stand at the hospital was the tech leashed him to come greet me and I heard her tell him he was naughty..apparently he jumped up on his ER vet who was on the phone and got into the trash...lol. They were all glad not o have to worry about "the runaway"...and the cats were happy too (apparently that's where he go to once e made his escapes!)
Many of the techs and even the receptionist told me they thought their dogs were inventive and naughty but that Oakley is by far te worst they've seen...it's sick that I'm proud of that! Lol -
Wow I have great admiration for you and everyone else that has gone through this sort of thing, I found it hard giving my cat 3 pills a day and I know the stress of worry must be tremendous for you. Keep up the good work and I can't wait to hear Oakley's back to eating and pooping like a Basenji.
Jolanda and Kaiser
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The pilling is hard. One of my old reliables was alfredo sauce in the jar. I would pour some into a teaspoon, dip the pill into it, make the dog sit, then dispense the pills one by one like treats. That even worked with Ava. Tramadol is the most difficult, as I'm sure you've discovered. It's very bitter and the least little whiff of it will make it a tough sell. It has a sedative effect, though, which is an added benefit at night.
I'm glad Oakley is safely home, and it sounds like he's recovering from his ordeal! It's hard to keep a "punk" down.
(I guess that's like a brat, which Ava has been called countless times.) -
And for pilling, with my elders… (might not be the same with young boys/girls... that I made a bargin that I will not hide pills in food,,, provided that they will let me "shove" down... without not totally trying to bite off my fingers. Worked 80% of the time... I have the scars to prove it....
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The pilling is a mixed bag. Other than this morning I stopped the tramadol- it was hard to pill but I also didn't feel he needed it, and he hasn't been in pain that I can tell; certainly not unmanageable. The metacam and sucralfate are easy and the metacloperamide bc it's small…the metronidazole and Prilosec are hard...just gave the first Prilosec and he picked it out of cheese everytime and shoving it down his throat proved ineffective everytime..
He rested in between meals and pilling. Our walks were good, peeing is great ( a little dark) but no pooping yet
His incision looks good, less red than this morning and his appetite is tremendous (he lost almost 4 lbs :(. )No signs of regurgitation and a lot less burpy/licky signs after eating
Starting to feel manageable but not out of the tunnel just yet! -
For pilling, i am currently using mini marshmallows. (low phos for my kidney dog) i've also had work with sweet potatos and still use cream cheese for some pills.
I do fine with the 2x/day pills. the 3x/day really mess me up. (And Digital is on a long list of pills, suppliments and subQ fluids)
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I may try cream cheese; generally Oakley would scoff food but I think he's getting used to pilling 12+ times a day and he is almost mashing food in his mouth on purpose…I have tried the one bite, bite with pill while showing him the next bite will be bigger and better trick...he's being a punkis, but I can't blame him
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cream cheese is great. you can also mix it with smellier stuff - salmon/fish, sweet potatos, etc
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The only thing I've found so far that works with Loki is peanut butter. If I smother a small piece of bread with pb, roll it around the pill, then add a small dab of pb to the outside he will swallow it whole. Everything else I've tried does not work. He even deliberately chews Pill Pockets so he can spit out the pill! We've resorted to dripping water in his mouth to make him swallow….he learned how to swallow the bit of water while holding the pill in his throat to spit out after. Creative little devils they are.
So glad that Oakley made it through and is doing better. And I can't help but chuckle at the vet's office calling him a punk
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Cream cheese is a blessing for pilling. I also use cheese slices. Make sure the whole pill is covered in a gob and hopefully he will swallow it without chewing! Glad to hear he is home and healing with you.
