Oakley-emergency surgery

[tanza]

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....

[Chealsie508]

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!

[agilebasenji]

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)

[Chealsie508]

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

[agilebasenji]

cream cheese is great. you can also mix it with smellier stuff - salmon/fish, sweet potatos, etc

[TMartin]

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

[krunzer]

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.

[lisastewart]

The healing power of the GI tract is amazing. I had a 6 month old puppy returned to me after a vet had to remove 6 inches of intestine from an absess that formed, when he botched the neutering and nicked something. The vet told the owners the dog had less than a 50% chance of living. I refunded their money and nursed him back to health on a diet of boiled brown rice and ground chicken. It took about 3 months for him to recover, but he lived to 15 and never had another sick day in his life till his stroke.

[DebraDownSouth]

Oh gosh I am so very sorry this happened but so happy things are turning out okay. And thank goodness they were able to help without cutting the intestines!

As for pet insurances, I had someone say theirs covers preexisting but frankly I can't find one. This is a great article on the the pros and cons:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2011/august/money/pet-costs/pet-insurance-rarely-worth-the-price-in-our-analysis/index.htm

[Chealsie508]

So I took today and tomorrow off work, I still haven't figured out what I'll do when I go back in regards to his pilling schedule and me not being around to supervise him with his incision. I have a friend who runs a dog boarding and walking business down the street who loves and seems to understand Oakley…she offered to help out and come pill and walk him...and I may try to put on the inflatable collar in his crate to minimize licking...he still hasn't pooped but the dr said if he's not regurgitating or throwing up or straining to poop (he hasn't even attempted to poop)..then he's likely just using all the energy from the food as fuel...and not to be worried. Still, I don't think I'll go back to work until he starts pooping. I'm unexplainably tired....I'm not doing a lot physically, just tending to him but perhaps emotionally..I'm so tired so I sleep when he does. True to Oakley fashion, he's starting to perk up and be a funny boy....a little too much running around for my liking but nothing I can stop..hope by Wednesday I can feel more comfortable going to work...

[krunzer]

Fingers crossed he squeaks out a poop for you today, even just a minuscule one! If you are feeding him small meals it may take longer for his bowel to get full enough for a poop? I don't know if that is medicall correct or not, but it sounds feasible?

[agilebasenji]

@Chealsie508:

I'm unexplainably tired….I'm not doing a lot physically, just tending to him but perhaps emotionally..I'm so tired so I sleep when he does.

Care taking is hard work and it is exhausting. you've had a surge of adrenaline, worry, sleepless night, etc. It's not unexplainable at all. Very normal. Be sure to take care of yourself.

[Chealsie508]

I hate to count my chickens just yet but dare I say I think we are out of the woods…on our walk at about 3:30 today Oakley pooped!!! Unusually dark but a good, healthy poop..never thought of be so happy to see one! Still not going to work tomorrow because the pilling is still every two hours but he is acting more like himself, spending more time trying I get at his incision (indicative he is feeling better)..and other than yesterday morning and night he hasn't needed the tramadol. String cheese seems to be working for pilling, some of the larger pills I cover in honey mustard dressing then put in a piece of cheese to hide the smell. So happy to see him trying to get into mischief and being a punk. Finally feels like a good time to sit down and have a glass of wine!

[Chealsie508]

…or two glasses

[stash]

Three cheers for Oakley, wonderful news.

Jolanda and Kaiser

[agilebasenji]

@Chealsie508:

…or two glasses

I can help with that!

[ownedbyspencer]

Ava has tempted me to dispense with the glasses and go with the bottle. On more than one occasion. I would expect no less from Oakley.

Oh, well, they say red wine helps you live longer, so perhaps that will counteract the negative impact of the stress.

Cheers!

[CrazySenji]

Aww poor little man!
Pooping is an excellent sign. I'm a vet tech and from my experience you are considered "out of the woods" 6 days after a foreign body surgery. We did a surgery yesterday on a dog that ate a rope toy. @__@

[Chealsie508]

Thanks crazysenji- the Vet hospital told me 3-5 days after a GI or stomach surgery is the safe zone…there's such a possibility that with these surgeries the incisions on the organs can reopen themselves....surgery was Friday night...so I'm close to the end of that window...still on edge but of course him having a bowel movement really made me happy...it wasnt a normal color, it was dark but of very good size and consistency....and he seemed to have no discomfort which I was nervous about. I can't wait for life to get back to normal...he's going to have his incision checked ten days post op--> I think that'll be my moment of relief...certainly his med schedule is tiresome...but that should get a little easier starting Thursday...when two of the meds will be off the list to give...he started pulling on his leash today (very normal for him)...and I'm finding myself having to yell at him for running from window to window to watch the happenings....

Thanks everyone for the kind wishes and prayers..really helped to have the support from people who understand...times like these I remember it's hard to be single and not have someone there worrying with you!

[Chealsie508]

@ownedbyspencer:

Ava has tempted me to dispense with the glasses and go with the bottle. On more than one occasion. I would expect no less from Oakley.

Oh, well, they say red wine helps you live longer, so perhaps that will counteract the negative impact of the stress.

Cheers!

Agile and Pamela: I'm a firm believer in a chilled bottle of red wine..or perhaps a great margarita considering the weather were havin here!! Also a believer in the benefits and stress relief they provide