Is There Any Hope?

[ZorosMom]

Went on our honeymoon and came back to our two year old AB not eating and lethargic. He was acting strange, like not wanting to be around us and sleeping in odd spots around the house. He's used to sleeping on the bed. Then he went #2 and it was horrible and mostly black w/ blood. Spoke to the individual who watch our two dogs and she told me that he ate the back of her cell phone and chewed on a pillow. I found the pillow. Doesn't seem to be anything missing. Zipper is still intact. Found pieces of what looked like the motherboard of a cell phone on the floor and on my nightstand. She told me that he hadn't eaten breakfast since we left and didn't eat dinner the night before we got back. So at the time I called it meant he hadn't eaten for two in a half days and he is used to eating twice daily. He is very food driven. I took him to the vet on June 23 and they did x-rays. He had lost 20lbs.  Found that his intestines was kinked in one spot and that he had a lot of buildup of stool. She put him on Carafate and Flagyl and gave him fluids there. Got him home and he immediately starting using the bathroom and a huge solid and rock hard piece came out and inside was a very long piece of a blanket. He seemed ok after that, almost relieved, but still was not eating. He wouldn't walk on the grass, which is odd. So we watched him closely and gave him his meds as instructed but he wouldn't go #2 and he would only go #1 maybe once or twice a day. He was still acting lethargic and strange, still wouldn't eat. And we tried chicken, rice, etc. So we took him back to the vet on Monday, June 30. They did more xrays and found that the kink was gone but that he was full of gas and no sign of stool at all. They put him back on Carafate and sent him home. We gave him a couple Gas X pills to help relieve the gas and it did. He start letting them out, but still Tuesday same thing as before. Today same thing as before. So now he hasn't eaten since Sunday. Took him back to the vet this morning and they are doing barium testing on him. I asked them to do blood work a week ago but they said it wasn't needed.   The barium test showed no blockages but that his disgestive tract was moving extremely slow.  We took him back Friday.  Same thing, not eating, can't use the bathroom (#2), urine is orangish in color, legs were starting to show signs of yellowing, and a huge strange bruise under his arm.  They gave him fluids and sent him home with more carafate.  Took him back Saturday morning for more fluids and more carafate and baytril.  Took him back on Monday and our vet rushed him to the emergency hospital to see the IM specialist.  Our primary vet said that his liver enzymes had doubled over the weekend, causing jaundice to start.  His white blood cell count was elevated.  His red blood cell count was normal and looked as if they were regenerating themselves.  His blood platelet count was extremely low.  In the 10,000 ranges, when it should be 200,000-400,000.They now have Zoro with them.  I went to see him last night and it didn't look good.  He was excited to see us but after a while kept wanting to be away from us.  They won't get any of the test results back until this afternoon.  I called late last night to check on him and they said he was happy and wagging his tail.  I went this morning to visit and he looked the same.  Jaundice and he had more bruiseing occuring.  They said they would call or I could call back around 3pm this afternoon and hopefully they would have some answers for me.  He's still not eating.  They have him on IV fluids and two different antibiotics, docycline and penicillin.  Also have him on an antiobiotic medicine.

I am so sick to my stomach and not sure I can take any bad news.

[ZorosMom]

Saturday and Sunday Zoro got so much better.  The chemo drugs were working.  We were able to bring Zoro home on Monday but he quit eating Monday night.  We took him back to the hospital on Tuesday where he ate for them.  The did blood work and found out he had developed Diabetes and the pancreatitis test came back positive.  The devised another therapy plan and gave him fluids under his skin and sent him home.  He wouldn't eat and he quit drinking.  We had to give him water through a turkey baster.  He was breathing very funny because his nasal passages were so clogged.  Tuesday night he went down hill very fast.  It was like night and day.  We took him to the hospital Wednesday morning.  He had developed pnemonia and wasn't doing well at all.  He looked miserable and like he was suffering.  His breathing got worse.  His eyes didn't look right.  They weren't the beautiful brown anymore.  They were extremely dark.  The doctors said that we needed to think about other options.  We knew what that meant.  My husband and I talked about it with great concern and love involved.  It was the worst decision I've ever had to make.  It was over so quick.  I hated doing it because I'm selfish and I wanted him to be with me.  I love him and miss him so much.  My heart hurts so bad that it's hard to breathe.  When will this pain go away?

[KikiMay]

i am praying and sendng good thoughts for you and your baby hoping that he will recover soon...good luck!

[chihuahuagrandma]

Pray for your dog too, hope to continue to hear good and more recovery for your baby!

[lonewolf07]

It sounds like he is slowly getting better.  Whatever he ate or even his meds could be effecting his liver which is why he looks yellow.

A dog can get along without a spleen and regarding his liver - if they take some of it out, it will grow back but grow back healthy.

[ZorosMom]

Sorry it's taken me a few days to get back on here.  I wish I could report good news, but I just don't have that much.  Zoro is still in critical care.  We're still waiting on the Leptospirosis and Pancreatitis and Leukemia results.  Wednesday he started bleeding a bit from his nose.  Then yesterday half of his eye was red and the doctor said that it was a hemorrahage.  He said not to be alarmed.  I have been at the hospital every morning and every night visiting and talking to the doctors and techs.  Zoro still isn't eating, but yesterday he did manage to eat two small dog biscuits.  He did poop yesterday, but it was black and bloody.  He also played tug-o-war and fetch with my husband.  He gets more excited to see my husband.  Which is fine with me as long as he's excited.  Every time we take him outside he goes straight for my car and looks back at me like "come on mom."  It kills me that I can't take him.  I called this afternoon and the doctor told me that Zoro's Lymphocyte count had dropped from 40,000 to 5,000, which was good.  His red blood cell count is still low (borderline anemic).  His white blood cell count and his NutriCell count are normal now.  His coagulation is normal now.  His Vitamin K issue (the blood clotting peremiters) are normal now.  The only things he didn't like was Zoro's jaundice had gone up (4.2 on Mon.  6.3 on Wed. 6.6 today).  His blood platelets are still extremely low (6,000 on Mon. 9,000 today).  They are doing another ultrasound today.  They are hoping that his spleen has gone down.  They want to look at his liver to see if he does have a blockage.  The jaundice is really throwing them for a loop.  

Thank you for all the kind words.  I am still praying hard all day long and I even pray with Zoro.  I hope he knows how much we love him.

[have 2 kids]

I just read your post.  I'm very surprised by your vets approach.   Our dog had eaten part of a towel (we didn't know it at the time)  Became sick just like your dog.   We called our vet at 10:30 that night and took her in.   She needed immediate surgery.   We were told any kind of twist in the intestine requires surgery.   I agree with Jaybay - I think now you may be dealing with dead intestinal tissue.     Wishing you luck!