Patty's Ali - my precious, beautiful angel

[amholmesy]

Re: Patty's Ali

Ali looks so much better . She has really perked up - don't they just love going for a drive and new smells! It's the best medicine !

[PrncssJnnie]

Re: Patty's Ali

Looking good Ali

[Abby's Mom]

Re: Patty's Ali

Patti,

I was able to get Abby one of those Temperpedic samples at Sam's, BJ's or Costco. One store had two of them, and I asked if I could buy one. I covered it, and then placed another pad ontop of it. It words great for her bedding.

I can't offer any suggestion on beds, but wonder if something like that may be an option, and may be cheaper. They are firm but soft, and not too lumpy where Ali may fall too easily.

She does look so much better...

[Rubytuesday]

Re: Patty's Ali

I got lucky and found one like the tempurpedic deep dish dog bed at Home Goods for $70. Looking at tempupedic prices I think I got a heck of a deal.

Got it for my labby Maggie, as I was feeling guilty about Ruby taking all of my time.... Ruby has stolen the bed. She takes up a corner of it.

It has chopped up memory foam in it. You can take the main bed out, but not the bolster. I just throw it in the wash and it comes out great.

Bet you didn't think you would be in the market for a new dog bed a few weeks ago.

[Patty]

Re: Patty's Ali

Thanks Tara and Barb. Guess I never thought of a Sam's or Home Goods type place. Was just thinking pet places and online orders. (Can I ask why so many dog items are covered in fleece? At least on my pup it = static electricity x 10!)

You know it was funny yesterday after we got home, I lifted Ali out of the car and set her down just inside the door. I closed the door and went back out to get the things left in the car. When I came back in the house I couldn't find her?! Thinking there's no way she could've made it up the stairs. She can't even walk up more than one yet. ...Then I realized I left the dog door uncovered I forgot she can get outside on her own again, LOL.

Neurologist wrote this morning. Said videos show marked improvement, continue without bromide therapy and lightly salting food. Then asked if I'd gotten her bromide level tested as recommended yet.

He'd told me to salt her food for just a couple of days and I relayed the bromide level from 2 weeks after starting the med. So I sent back an email with a few questions, including if I'd misunderstood and he wanted another level on her.

Ali's now on 7 1/2-u (lining up just under the line) at night and 7 5/8 during the day but today that was too much for her and I intervened with a drop of honey at hour 2.5 post insulin. I'm thinking about adding her probiotic to her AM meal which may stall that drop. I think she needs it with the constant antibiotics and I hadn't found a good place to insert it back in because it does raise her bg a bit.

Today's outing was a bit later due to the drop. May get a higher reading today because of it but hated not to get her out because she was just sleeping the day away.

Making our way backwards through the war plane exhibits nearby as they are usually quiet spots with grassy places and trees.


It was hot today and she sat for a pic for me but we spent most of our time under the shade trees wandering. Had to wash some pine sap off her paws when we got back.

I also spent today talking to BD about their quality control and my continued issues with their syringes. The syringes I've sent in the last couple of months that are 1/4u or more beyond zero apparently pass their acceptable degree of error testing and the overall industry standard (the syringes I sent were pretty far off too). I wish I wasn't so heavily reliant on that vertical line for my microdosing but I've developed a system and find it hard to feel comfortable without it (=OCD ). I will continue to be a squeaky wheel about it though .

P

[jjefferjo]

Re: Patty's Ali

I have a bed that is memory foam for my other dog that is having some standing issues ( a whole nuther story) but is good once she gets going. It's thin enough that it works the other ones were not stable enough and she would trip-fall
Bought it at Bed Bath and Beyond- shaped like a bone- Mable is a 15lb dachsund
I tore the name off but it is micro dry with no Fleece- just throw in the washer, doesn't slide at all
Only paid 32.00
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/prod...27163&RN=2107&

[SandyL]

Re: Patty's Ali

I have a bed that is memory foam for my other dog that is having some standing issues ( a whole nuther story) but is good once she gets going. It's thin enough that it works the other ones were not stable enough and she would trip-fall
Bought it at Bed Bath and Beyond- shaped like a bone- Mable is a 15lb dachsund
I tore the name off but it is micro dry with no Fleece- just throw in the washer, doesn't slide at all
Only paid 32.00
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/prod...27163&RN=2107&

Ohhhhh gonna have to get me the large one tomorrow for our other baby!!! Know what I'm doing tomorrow! Thanks Jj!!!!

[Judi]

Re: Patty's Ali

wish I had one of my old air force hats to send Ali with all of her lovely air force pictures! Good for you being a squeaky wheel. She is so sensitive BD needs to send you loads of syringes if they can't control their quality any better.

[Patty]

Re: Patty's Ali

Thanks for the ideas And wouldn't that be nice Judi! Hopefully I can get the box swapped out today if Ali's bgs are ok. I'm keeping a log of the lot numbers that have been really bad for us.

Had a rough night last night. Big inital drop into hour 1 again, intervention kept her stable for a few hours then insulin ran out and huge spike requiring Humalog (of which I didn't give enough of and she was still 430 this am ). Her erratic bgs are going to kill me yet. There was no overlap, no issue with shot, her body is just throwing us curve balls.

[buddingartist]

Re: Patty's Ali

Thanks for the ideas Her erratic bgs are going to kill me yet. There was no overlap, no issue with shot, her body is just throwing us curve balls.

Boy, I remember that feeling all too well.

I haven't been on the forum for a little while and went back to your posts and videos and I am simply amazed at the progress she has made. So absolutely wonderful to watch her go in and out the doggy door with pretty solid footing. Maybe we see the significant progress because we are not with her 24-7 like you are.

Was that Natalie's Jack doing the hanky retrieving?. Too cute also. He's acting as if thinking <get your own darn hanky<.

Hopefully, Ali will continue to show some progress.

Positive thoughts going your way

Louise

[Patty]

Re: Patty's Ali

That was Jack's video I commented on Louise. He's pretty darn hilarious with it!

I do see the progress as well, even watching her 24/7 but I tell you it's a mixed feeling. I love seeing her move around easier, but I still see those concerning symptoms that make me feel we are on borrowed time. The seizures started for a reason, and there is something going on beneath the surface that's keeping my girl from allowing her to truly enjoy her days. It's written all over her face. But we are taking our blessings and progress and running as far as we can with them.

I looked up brain tumors in golden retrievers the other night. They seem to have a high incidence of menigiomas which are slow growing and compress the brain.

"The reason they are a problem is that there is a limited amount of space within the skull.
The brain and its bath of cerebrospinal fluid takes up almost all the room and when a tumor begins to grow,
the brain tissue is compressed. Inflammation can result leading to more swelling and soon nerves of the
brain are damaged."
http://www.caninecancer.com/brain.html

http://www.dog-health-guide.org/dogb...rsymptoms.html

She definitely has many of the symptoms listed in the articles but they are fairly general and can stem from so many things.

Boy, I remember that feeling all too well.

It is exhausting isn't it Louise. I just feel awful for her when she gets those sharp drops for reasons that are beyond me. It means a lot more testing too. It's hard to know how the diabetes aspect plays into it all. I've read about dogs that had beautiful bgs up until their last day and others that erratic bgs were one of the first signs something was just not right.

Give that Cleo a hug from us. You'll have to update us since her paw episode.
Take care,
Patty

[Rubytuesday]

Re: Patty's Ali

I do see the progress as well, even watching her 24/7 but I tell you it's a mixed feeling. I love seeing her move around easier, but I still see those concerning symptoms that make me feel we are on borrowed time. The seizures started for a reason, and there is something going on beneath the surface that's keeping my girl from allowing her to truly enjoy her days. It's written all over her face. But we are taking our blessings and progress and running as far as we can with them.


Still holding your breath....

When the joy settles down from the reprieve, there is still the fear. Thinking of you two often throughout the day.

[inn8]

Re: Patty's Ali

Good to see her doing better Patty! Did the neurologist say what kind of salt to give her? We use Real-Salt and Himaylain salt in our cancer diet.

For the bed, have you looked at a trampoline? That is all my rehab doc uses, just puts a thin covering on top. My dogs lay on Romans ~ we have sharing issues though

Carla

[Patty]

Re: Patty's Ali

Hey Carla,
She is moving better. Tried to see if she could walk some stairs this am with assistance but it was me moving her back legs entirely. She did walk a bit further than the cul-de-sac last night though. Love all the tips on beds from people. And I do like the trampoline beds. I've thought of getting one for her outside for a long time and never did it. Not sure a raised bed would be ideal for her right now though. Needing something on the ground and more stable than her current bed.

On the salt, he'd said just regular table salt (Morton's type) when I asked. I figured we were only adding it to a couple of meals, but his email had me confused on whether he wanted it continued. 1/8t is a lot of salt to continue. Going to call today because I still haven't heard back on my questions.

Would love to hear more about the cancer diet.

Ali had a good (a.k.a. stable) night last night and it doing well so far today. Bg currently 167.
Patty

[Patty]

Re: Patty's Ali

Heard back from the neurology tech today. Neuro doc would like us to consider Zonisaminde as anti-seizure med at 100mg twice a day. She said they really don't see side effects when I asked other than mild rear end weakness that lasts about 2 weeks. Though they told me they don't see a lot of issues with KBr either and we certainly seemed to have some in Ali.

I told her I'd like to hold off right now as Ali is just getting her strength back. Of course if we have seizure activity I'll have to reconsider.

When I asked how it was processed/excreted from the body, she said kidneys, but looking it up it seems to be processed through the liver. http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-...zonisamide.htm They prefer this drug over Phenobarb though as it is easier on the body.

Looks like doc's dosing is conservative for her based on this from the website above:
In the dog, zonisamide (Zonegran) we use 10 mg/kg every 12 hours and is metabolized by the liver, with an elimination half-life of 15 hours.
Ali is 48.2lb = 21.86kg which would be about 218mg q 12hrs.

Doc wasn't wanting us to continue salting her food and didn't need an additional bromide level, so we are good there.

No one can predict when/if her seizures may kick back up but I just hate to put her on something that will cause weakness again when she's just now recovering.

I was able to catch a urine sample to take into the vet's office this afternoon. Hoping her UTI is clearing. I still have her on the Baytril as she often needs a 3 week course to clear her UTIs and we're into the 2nd week.

Patty