Abby: Laryngeal Paralysis

[Tikobird]

Re: Abby: Laryngeal Paralysis

Hey Kevin - glad Abby is on the mend! What a time she had poor thing! Glad Ozzi is doing well & it's nice to see you back on the forum

[Patty]

Re: Abby: Laryngeal Paralysis

Wow Kevin. So glad you were able to solve this for her.

I can only imagine how hard it was to watch her in pain and not know what the cause was in order to help her.

Hope Zakk's eye heals quickly as well and you all catch up on some much needed sleep.

Patty

[ozzi]

Re: Abby: Laryngeal Paralysis

Thanks Patty! Abby is still on 1/4 tablet prednisone daily and after this weekend, she'll go on 1/4 tablet every other day for 5 doses...then she is done. I've been nervous about lowering the dose worried that her symptoms would come back, but so far so good! No more yelping and she's completely back to normal. The laryngeal paralysis is still being held in check with 12.5 mg benadryl twice/day. It was super hot here the last couple weeks, which always makes it hard for her to breathe, and it's amazing once I put the AC on, it only takes about 15 minutes and she's comfortable again. Starting today and for the next several days, it's going to be dry and not as hot, which is great! AND, Zakk finished his eye ointment and is all cleared up! All is good in my household!! LOL

[Patty]

Re: Abby: Laryngeal Paralysis

Hope it stays that way!!!

[ozzi]

Re: Abby: Laryngeal Paralysis

So, after a busy day with Kobi at the opthamologist, I brought Abby to the the local vet for an appointment. She has been on prednisone for over a month for a cervical disc compression, and it has seemingly worked great. She just tapered off the steroid and took her last pill 2 days ago. In the meantime, she has been having bouts of loose stools that are beige in color, and watery diarrhea off and on for the past month. Thinking it was due to prednisone, the vet suggested lomotil. This worked well at first, then it didn't, then it was increased to twice/day, and worked again, and then failed. Now she is not only having urgent watery diarrhea despite two lomotils/day, but has stopped eating her food. I have tried three different foods, and she just won't eat. Yesterday, I started feeding her chicken and rice, and she gobbles it like crazy.

My vet is on maternity leave (what a nerve! LOL), so we saw the owner of the practice, and he drew blood work tonight (CBC and Chemistry Profile), and Abby is going in tomorrow for Xrays and an abdominal ultrasound. Abby has lost 4 pounds over the past month. He said he is "very concerned" and that she is "in her eighties" and a few other catch phrases that make you go hmmmm. So of course I'm worried about her and what the results will be. During Abby's workup for her neck disc, she had the same blood tests drawn and one of her liver enzymes (alk phos) was elevated. Additionally when the vet took her neck film she got as much of the abdomen in it, and it showed that the borders of her liver were irregular. The vet said both of these findings could be related to aging and mean nothing, but suggested a liver scan after resolving the neck issue.

So here we are now, and I'm really worried about Abby. To be honest she just has not been herself since June, yet the steroids made a huge difference for her, so I thought she was improving. The vet started her on flagyl tonight, and we'll see what tomorrow brings.

Kevin

[CarolW]

Re: Abby: Laryngeal Paralysis

Kevin - best wishes to Abby and you; hope you can find something workable or fixable. I know it's not necessarily so, but we can hope.

Love and hugs,

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:45:10 (PDT)

[k9diabetes]

Re: Abby: Laryngeal Paralysis

In the Answers forum we have saved some information about what the color and consistency of the stool can tell you about what might be going on with Abby.

http://www.k9diabetes.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1831

The watery consistency can imply that there is rapid transit through the intestines. Pale color can be poor digestion or absorption of food also.

I hope the flagyl will help settle things down - it worked well for Chris when he had colitis a few times. The chicken and rice is probably a good diet to stick with too as it's bland.

Natalie

[ozzi]

Re: Abby: Laryngeal Paralysis

Thanks Natalie! I didn't realize that reference was there!

I got the results of Abby's testing today. Her alkaline phosphatase was just over 1200 in July and now is greater than 2600. The abdominal ultrasound showed sediment in the gallbladder with thickening of the walls of the gallbladder. Her liver is enlarged and "mottled." Her intestines look good and there is no blockage or tumors, and the vet couldn't locate her spleen due to the multiple layers of fat...ugh! Plain films of her chest and abdomen were fine.

Her official diagnosis is cholangiohepatitis. The vet thinks she has some type of liver disease that was made worse by the prednisone she was taking for the cervical disc compression. Additionally he suspects the rise in alk phos is also the result of prednisone. The plan is to watch her over the next few weeks, and get a bile acid test and liver biopsy if she does not improve. His philosophy is that she is 14 and it might or might not make sense to pursue this, and on the other hand he said, just because she's "old" doesn't mean she doesn't have something that we can treat. I really wish my regular vet was back from maternity leave!

I started her on flagyl last night, and honestly she was much more comfortable this morning, AND, no diarrhea! So I do believe the flagyl is helping her. I asked the vet about it since I couldn't believe one dose of anything would work that quickly, but he said that often one dose of flagyl really will make that much of a difference, so hopefully the two week course of flagyl and no more steroids will do the trick.

He made me very nervous last night with the phrases he used, and I actually think he was surprised to not have found what he was eluding to, i.e, liver cancer. Although I guess that would be the reason for the biopsy. So, I'm feeling much better about today's test results and hopefully Abby will continue to do well. She is still not interested in eating any of her food, but will eat the chicken and rice, so I'll keep her on that and try introducing her own food again soon.

I'm not sure what all of this means, but if anyone has any thoughts, please let me know.

Thanks,
Kevin

[ozzi]

Re: Abby: Laryngeal Paralysis

Today is Abby's birthday! She is 14 years old....woo hoo!!

I was thinking this morning about her life, as well as Ozzi's, and even my new puppy Kobi. All of them were rescue dogs, and I am so thankful for those who do this type of work. Without the dedication of these people who rescue dogs, Abby, Ozzi and Kobi would all have been euthanized.

Abby was found in a dumpster in Nebraska, along with her three litter mates and her mother. All of them were rescued and brought to a shelter in Salem, MA where I adopted her at 2 months old. I can't even imagine not having had her in my life, and I am so thankful for that and to all of those caring folks who rescue these dogs. Until recently, Abby has lead a very happy and healthy life, and she has always been a great companion to me and to Ozzi.

Happy birthday little girl, and thanks to all of the unknown faces who had a part in rescuing her and all other dogs every day.

Kevin

[Patty]

Re: Abby: Laryngeal Paralysis

Wow...that's quite a trek from NE to MA.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ABBY !!!
Hope you have a terrific day!

[k9diabetes]

Re: Abby: Laryngeal Paralysis

Happy Birthday Abby!!!

Natalie

[k9diabetes]

Re: Abby: Laryngeal Paralysis

In all the insanity last week, I missed your reply about Abby's test results. Will come back to that in a bit... got to go feed the critters.

[Margaret Boyle]

Re: Abby: Laryngeal Paralysis

happy birthday abby
margaret

[bgdavis]

Re: Abby: Laryngeal Paralysis

Happy Birthday, Abby girl!!

Bonnie and Angel Criss Ann

[k9diabetes]

Re: Abby: Laryngeal Paralysis

Is she already taking milk thistle? It's good for the liver.

Any improvement in her appetite since being on flagyl?

Could be she won't ever go back to the food she was eating but might eat another type of dog food. Or just keep feeding the chicken and rice and maybe find a good canine vitamin for her to take so she gets the supplemental stuff she needs.

Hope she's feeling better and is celebrating her birthday with wild abandon!

Natalie