Callie was my daughters dog that she rescued from the pound at around a yr and a half old. She was with her for maybe a yr and came to live with me. That was around 2013. Callie is a very smart and wonderful dog. She sheds a lot but overall, she is a good girl. Whiney at times but she lovesss to eat, lay outside waiting to chase the squirrels and she loves thunderstorms. Crazy isn't it. She cracked a molar right down the center long ways so we had that removed. 2021 she has a limp going on on her front right leg so I was giving her a supplement that worked well but its really expensive so I just put her on Adequan injections. She's doing well. She walks on a leash really well also and will not run off if off leash. She can twirl, sit, and shake on command. I built her her own bed up higher as I had small dog that slept below..like bunk beds in my bdrm. she loves her bed and her collar and doesn't want anyone messing with either. LOL 2021 in October (her designated month since we don't know for sure) she will be 10 yrs old. she will get a big organic cake and lots of treats.
2013
2015
2015
2020
Oct 14th, 2020
Oct 14th, 2021
11-3-2021 Ms Callie got a check up this week. Got blood work back. Last yr her liver numbers were elevated and this yr is the same. We started a new more powerful supplement for liver. Vet also discovered a slight heart murmur. We did a ProBNP test which is checking for heart issues/heart failure etc and she is good on that. SO she will also be getting some heart supplements. No symptoms of any kind. Otherwise she is doing well. Also we did titers. Results back first of December.
12-3-2021 WOOHOO..Callie is immune to Distemper, Adenovirus, Parvo and Rabies. NO VACCINES NEEDED!
12-14-2021
Feb 3rd, 2022
2022
Aug 22, 2022 Found a lump on callies hip area and one under her armpit. Possibly infection. Giving her antibiotics and checking it daily. Any change, I will take her to the vet.
Aug 25th, 2022 A NEW lump popped up on the same side of her rib area. Took her to the vet. He didn't biopsy any but said most likely the new one is a lipoma..BENIGN. Armpit felt like maybe lymph node. The one on hip is probably ok too. ALL of them is a WATCH situation. If they get bigger or change in any way, take her back in for a biopsy. Her bloodwork showed again elevated liver numbers. Early stages of liver issues. I have been treating with milk thistle and now going to switch over to TUDCA. We had xrays done on her left front leg as she limps on it and hurts it on occasion. Determined it is most likely a re-occurring sprain/strain to a muscle. Also x-rayed her heart. The right ventricle seems to have an issue. No heart murmur detected today but was before. Her ProBNP test last year was in the high normal range. This is another case of watch and also treat using supplements. Callie weighed in at 42 lbs and is 10 years old. She will be 11 in October.
Oct 6th, 2022
Last night we went for a walk and today she is limping really bad. I took her off the Adequan a month or so ago and now I am putting her back on it. I gave her pain meds for 3 days and added in CanineActiv as well.
Oct 13th, 2022
Callie is doing much better now and I am continuing the CanineActiv until the Adequan kicks in in a few weeks.
Oct 14th, 2022
Callies Birthday. She loves to eat...
11-2-2022
Went to vet. Callie had one lump aspirated..under her front leg (armpit). Will get results in a week. The others are most likely fatty tumors..(benign). She has 4 in total all on one side. Also doing a deep liver check on bloodwork for her. Should have that in the next day or two. Will report back when I get results back.
11-10-2022 Callie’s aspiration returned showing it was fat/lipoma. NO CANCER! Her liver numbers are kinda high. I will start her on SAMe now along with milk thistle. It’s what they give in the form of meds called Denamarin, those 2 ingredients. ONE concern, this could be the onset of Cushing’s so I will watch closely how she acts etc. But I am also putting her on some chinese herbs specific for this. She also has a heart murmur as well but her heart test came back in normal range so she’s ok on her heart for the most part. The concern is her liver mainly.
12-30-2022
6-29-2023
7-10-2023
Callie is limping pretty bad. I think she re-injured her front paw that she has issues with. I gave her a pain pill, did ultrasound and iced it for a few minutes. This eve she is doing better.
Callie's rare moment of being on the couch. 7-22-2023
7-2023 Callie is no longer shedding. It has stopped. She use to shed pretty bad her entire life. She has shed her whole life.
Aug 6th, 2023
Well Callie now for about a month has been breathing faster. I gave her antibiotics for about 5 days or so to see if possibly it was a respiratory issue. It didn't change anything. So I have been watching her. Well tonight she had a fainting spell. I knew exactly what it was when it happened because I seen it before with Diamond. She flopped all over and I grabbed her to hold her..and she pee'd in the floor too. I started her on Diamonds leftover heart meds immediately. This is not good. She is due for a check up and I dont have the funds right now. sigh.
Aug 8th, 2023
Callie seems to be doing ok. She has slept a lot, had diarrhea etc. I am sure it is from the meds. Today she seems to be feeling somewhat better. Her tail is wagging and last night she went outside for a little while just to chill. First time since this happened. It takes about a week for meds to kick in so watching her closely to see if she has another spell.
Aug 10th Found a vet about 20 miles away that was somewhat holistic...got Callie in. Did bloodwork and xrays. Surprisingly her heart looked good on xray. Her lungs a little cloudy but says that's more common in older dogs. NO FLUID anywhere. Her liver is a little enlarged. Vet wants to do a sonogram on her to check EVERYTHING. Her shallow breathing is most likely due to her Cushings. EVERYTHING I am giving for that in supplement form is exactly what she named off to me. SO on the right track. BUT we will see what blood work shows us. Ran a ProBNP test as well..thats for the heart. Will get results back tomorrow and the new vet will call me. I NOW have a vet that will fill the Adequan needed for my two doggies. I spoke with her about Diamond and Carley too. She spent alot of time with me. As for Callies fainting spell, that's an unsure thing. Could be anemic..could have been a seizure instead. blood work will tell us a bigger story hopefully. I don't need anymore RARE or unknown diseases popping up. UGH.
Aug 11th Report on Callie from drs call today.
Callie's Heart test was normal and in fact lower in numbers. So this is NOT THE HEART! One of her liver numbers (ALP) has dropped quite a bit, so supplements are working. (Milk Thistle and SAMe). The ALT went up just a tiny bit. Kidneys are good. She is NOT anemic. She does have a mild drop in her RBC.....which may indicate internal type bleeding. It is a small leak if so. The vet wants to do a sonogram and look at her internal organs and specifically the liver and spleen. So the suspected diagnosis although not the diagnosis...is possible tumor that is bleeding out. She said if so, I may want to look into Yunnan Baiyao. (FUNNY, I have some in my cabinet). She told me to watch her very close to see if she has another fainting spell. If it is bad, to give her the little red pill in the YB. The little red pill is for life threatening bleeding out cases. For example, if you had been stabbed or gunshot and have alot of bleeding, this will help the blood clot to slow the bleeding down. I have used this with Sydney when she had ITP. It works really well. SO until we find the cause...next visit sonogram...I will start her on these. If nothing else it will help stop internal bleeding if that is going on. Mostly a slowing or stopping of another fainting spell. YB is great for dogs with internal bleeding cancers.
August 21, 2023
August 23rd, 2023
Today we went to the vets office. The vet can’t say exactly what’s going on. She did a sonogram and she saw WHITE spots on her liver (I think like swiss cheese)…..spleen had some but she was not worried about her spleen at all. If the spots were dark on her liver, she said then she would have a much bigger concern. She mentioned several things; hepatitis, liver not functioning well and not removing the toxins, which could also be cancer. She mentioned this but doesn't feel this is it. As for her breathing, it IS a shallow breathing but not bad. She said she does NOT have Cushing’s..after reviewing her records and what she is seeing. Wow…my old vet suspected Cushing’s but never really diagnosed her officially. But he did mention it several times. Anyway she said there is another test we can try. It may or may not tell her much…but it would take half a day to do it…and she can’t eat for 12-15 hours before. Forget the name of it. Bio something. But read this, first paragraph...makes more sense what vet said today. Having digestive issues and wanting to do that BIO test. She is going to email me notes and recommendations and pricing on everything tomorrow. Also even though her heart looks good on x-ray, her heart test numbers are good….there still could be a tumor on her heart she can’t see. I bring this up because…of her breathing. The YB Chinese herb has really helped Callie a lot. She feels better, acts better…but she still could have another fainting spell and she is still breathing rapid…although not deep breaths…shallow breaths. If fainting spells become more often, that means it's probably her heart with a tumor. And she may not come out of it or recover from one. SO if this happens..I will have to let her go. I cannot and will not watch her go through what Diamond went through. I can’t do it. It makes sense to me 😫 if it is her heart due to the breathing issues. There is no other reason for that. What the vet thinks is, she has a slow leaking tumor that may start and stop or is leaking really slow and the body is absorbing most of it. The YB is clotting it..but there may come a day when the YB won’t work anymore. She recommends I continue the YB, Milk Thistle and SAMe right now..and just watch her closely. Sigh! This is not looking good.
Sept 11, 2023
Went to Braums for burgers and fries
Sept 19, 2023
Sept 30, 2023
Oct 14th, 2023
Callie knew it was her day. We sang happy birthday to her and everything. She loved her homemade organic cake. We had steak later and a truck ride.
11-1-2023
We went to see a new vet today. Dr J. She was hard to understand due to a strong accent. She is from Columbia but...this is what she said. She feels it is NOT Cushings, it is NOT thyroid..BUT...there are some Cortisol/adrenal issues going on for sure. SO in 2 weeks we go back for a FULL DAY of testing....she wants to do a Dexamethasone suppression test to completely rule out Cushings. And run a thyroid test..different from normal test...to double check thyroid. Basically these are to tell 'ME'..the one that questions EVERYTHING.. that it is not either one and to rule them out completely. This is a cost of $570 for that one day. THEN she wants us to get a sonogram done by a professional to check her adrenal glands and pituitary. She said it is hard to see those on sonogram and an expert needs to look at it. That's priced at $566. UGH. Anyway, Callie is losing hair by the tons. She has always had medium length hair that's shiny, thick, and pretty. Now it is thin, short and very dull coming out by the hand fulls with dry skin flakes. The vet doesn't know if or why Callie may have had either a seizure or a fainting spell. Also Callie was said to have white spots all over her liver..like swiss cheese from last sonogram. There is a disease that's related to that called Hepatocutaneous Syndrome but that's not it because she doesn't have lesions that comes with that disease. She has none. Seems like we have two different things going on though. Liver and adrenals. The sonogram should show any lumps or tumors on the adrenals or liver. The other vet said she didn't see any tumors on her liver..only the white spots when she did sonogram. I CAN say the Yunnan Baiyao has seemed to have helped her the most. That means to me..there is a tumor like the last vet said somewhere that is leaking and the YB is taking care of the bleeding. She has not lost nor gained any weight. She is staying at her normal weight. 43 lbs. The vet wants me to count her respiration's while she is sleeping. Her breathing is much better since starting the YB though. MY thoughts, well you all know I hate drs. And here we go again with ...dont know what this is..its always a cancer kind of thing. BUT in this case..it may very well be cancer. Its pointing that way so far...The sonogram should tell us alot.....I hope. Callie hates the vets office so she was hiding under the chairs....sigh. Anyway that's where we are. The last vet wanted me to vaccinate my dog with Bordetella vaccine if she stayed for the day. This one didn't utter a word about any vaccine today...but maybe that's because I gave them a little piece of my mind yesterday over the phone about how I felt about them. MY DOGS will no longer get vaccines except for Maggie. She will get her Rabies as required every 3 yrs after next yrs booster. My old dogs wont be getting anything from now on. So this is where we are right now. SIGH. I am so tired of this.
11-4-2023
Callie has been in better sprits the last several days. She's been more engaging, less afraid of everything and acting much better. She acts like she is feeling better. Her coat is thin and dull but she is acting really good.
11-8-2023 Callie acting less fearful
Started her on a new supplement...maybe that's helping.
11-15-2023 This poor baby had a rough day yesterday as well as I. I was up 24 hours straight. Laid down once for an hour and rested some. We got to vets at 8am, I dropped her off and they did the Cushings test, bloodwork, and Sonogram yesterday. I ran errands. I picked her up at 4:30-5pm. With traffic, its a 45 minute drive one way. UGH. Callie is extremely nervous riding. She is always panting from nervousness and excitement. But this is her on our way home...she was exhausted. Very little panting. They said she wouldn't pee for them all day so when I got there we went outside and the vet tech followed her around with a cup while I walked her. She pee'd. LOL I brought treats with me cause I knew she would be hungry after no food all day. She gobbled those up...and then when we got home I fed them. Her hair is pouring off of her body. Soon she may be hairless...if thats possible. Anyway they told me I would hear back in 24-48 hours on all her tests. Hopefully we have some answers and whatever to fix this hair issue. Otherwise she is doing good. OH BTW, the vet clinic did not push any vaccine..like Bordetella to stay for the day. That's a good start. Everyone there is very nice. The vet's office said the big pharma companies always increase prices at first of year and so it was good we got this done now. Anyway, we will see. I am exhausted.
CALLIE’S TEST RESULTS ARE BACK. Vet called and OH MY, I was right. She DOES have Cushing’s with possible thyroid issue. She will be starting on medication for this. Her liver numbers are up some so I will be backing off if not stopping the Yunnan Baiyao now. It does increase liver numbers. She has Pituitary Dependent Cushings. Meaning a tumor on the pituitary gland and most of the time they are benign. No tumors on liver or spleen and adrenals look perfect. We will go back in one month to check her to see if medication needs adjusting at that time. She also mentioned another type of test that may need to be done and it is expensive. That comes in about 2 months. I can’t remember the name or what exactly it is for. Will find out from the ladies up front when they send me an estimate on price. She will need to be monitored for awhile…and then we can slowly decrease visits to every 3 months or so..I think that’s what she said. She has a strong accent so some things were hard to understand. And what I thought was a fainting spell was most likely a seizure since this is pituitary related. Makes sense. All of this makes sense to me with all the researching I have done on it. Even the thyroid here is suspected to be an issue as well. Both cushings and thyroid cause hair loss. Cushings affects the liver as well. So while we have a diagnosis now..we still have a ways to go on her treatment and tests. Ugh. This is not over but we can now move forward. Thank God!
This diagnosis is completely different from Dr Newton at other clinic we went to. Dr. Newton said most likely cancer and a bleeding tumor internally. Also mentioned her digestive tract may not be absorbing vitamins and minerals like she needed and her body is being depleted. Dr N wanted to do a liver biopsy and a digestive tract test that would take 2 hours and she would also require a Bordetella vaccine upon her 2 hour stay.. UGH! Two totally different diagnosis. Unbelievable.
I am happy with our diagnosis now and we now know what we are dealing with. SIGH!
We go back in 30 and 60 days for tests and rechecks. $250 next month and month after is $500. UGH. Meds cost is $160 monthly.
12-4-2023
12-11-2023
Callie has stopped losing her hair now. Thank God. Its shorter but it is better. She is having a lot of diarrhea from the medication though. Will discuss with vet when we go next time.
2023
A phone app - a friend made these for me.
Christmas eve
1-11-2024
1-16-2024
1-31-2024
Took Callie to vet today. She has lost 2 lbs in 2 months. I was so stressed out about going. They had me TEXT or call when we arrived. I thought it might be another bunch of covid crap..but then thought..wait..they are a fear free clinic so they are keeping all the pets separated. Anyway 5 minutes later that texted us to come in. Got into the room with vet tech and filled him in. Vet came in and sat with us for about 45 minutes or so. He said..we have alot going on don't we. I said yep. So I had to explain all the way back to about 2 yrs ago. Told him right off the bat I had a certification in nutrition and herbs and supplements and that is my preference. Then I began my story. Anyway we only got one thing done today. THAT'S because he wants to do a different test for Cushings. He said most of the time it is accurate but occasionally it isn't but it is half the price of the ACTH test that is always accurate. We talked about the chronic diarrhea and he asked if I might be interested in changing her diet. I said NOPE..not gonna happen. I told him it may be the treats but I felt the medication was also apart of it. when I told him I was concerned of the weight loss..he said that was actually a good thing. It means the medicine is working. So anyway I am going to restrict her from getting too many treats and anything else she gets. It might also be the supplements for her liver that I give.. Maybe I should alternate every other day. Today’s poop looked good. Well let me say..ALL fresh poop today looked good...and I am certain one of them was hers. Anyway back when I went to Arlington to that first vet she wanted to do a GI digestive test. That’s why she wanted Callie to stay 2 hours to do it. Soooo we are going to do a GI test on her next week..to make sure she is absorbing nutrients. He didn’t know what caused her fainting spell nor the labored breathing..so I told him the first vet said there MIGHT be a tumor on her heart...and she may have a slow bleed...and that I have had her on Yunnan Baiyao for that for 6 months and I just stopped it last week. Want to see what happens now. BUT her breathing was good and no more fainting spells. Only an ECHO can determine heart issues such as a tumor on the heart. Those are $500+visit..350. Anywayyyy to switch back..we have an appt on Tuesday for a GI test..$370 ..a Cushing’s test..the cheaper one..$217 dollars.. He only needs one hour to do all of that. So we go at 11am to do blood draw then back in an hour for second blood draw, then we are done. The THYROID we did today. Total was $313 for today’s visit. It will take 2 weeks to get those results because he sends them off to Michigan State University. So we won’t see him next week but he will call us when the tests results for everything comes in. Sigh..so I had a discussion about the Adequan and he was totally fine with what I had to say. Anyway I figured they were going to really disappointment me but he didn’t. it was a good visit. One big issue..they are HIGH AS HELL. The last vet..Dr J quoted me $283 for an ACTH test. This guy quoted me $476..so a huge difference in price. I guess he is my only option right now but damn..I can’t afford that. That’s why I went to my vet for 12+ yrs. He was much cheaper than most.
2-6-2024 We made it back from the vets. Callie weighed 42 today and last week was 40. hhmmm..water weight maybe? I stopped the YB a week or 2 ago...gonna keep a close eye on her in case she decides to have breathing issues again or a fainting spell. If she does...then it is most likely her heart with a tumor on it. That would be an ECHO and that’s almost $1000. Ugh, anyway they are sending GI tract test off to Texas A and M. You know what..her diarrhea is better. Only loose stools. I will watch that but I think I know what was causing it. Something I was giving her. Anyway won’t know anything on GI tract for a couple weeks either..so the cortisol test may be back sooner though. They charge $311 for a senior profile bloodwork. My old vet charged $240. I understand why now they don’t push vaccines. They claim to be a FEAR FREE clinic. They have lots of treats for the dogs and a bowl of fresh water for the dogs…and they even draw the blood in the room with me. We don't see any other animals when we are there. You wait in your vehicle until a room is ready for you. No waiting in a waiting room or anything. I actually like that. The lady vet tech just sat and listened to me talk for 20 minutes or so. I told her about Diamond and my former vet and what he did. I told her about Diamonds heart and I think it was the medicine. I told her I was searching for a new vet that’s on the same page as us. Told her about the idiot vet that said Diamond had heartworms.
I told her that no vet should EVER tell someone to put their pet down ever. That’s not their choice. It is up to the pet parent. If they don’t have the money..then they will make that call. She nodded her head in agreement. I told her my dogs will not be getting vaccinated after the age of 10. I told her I had a certification in nutrition and herbals. I told her I had bad feelings about drs now after what they put me through with Diamond. I told her vets shouldn't push vaccines. They should push wellness checks. Bloodwork, x-rays if needed, teeth cleanings if needed etc etc. That vets could make more money that way. She didn’t say anything against what I said. She only listened. When I told her that my former vet refused meds and a couple days later I called him to ask for meds and he didn’t return my call, She closed her eyes and she sighed. They charge $300 for titers. I said what about to do the draw and me send it off. She didn't know but would have to ask the dr on that. The drive there is very nice. Easy. Everything so far is great with exception to costs. I am testing them to see if I get any arguments about anything. Only thing the vet said last week is he suggested a nutritionist. Guess he didn’t get it that I know about nutrition too. Anyway...it will take a couple more visits to determine whether they will be my new vet but so far..it’s looking good. If this cortisol test works for Callie, we will not have to return for 6 months..unless something else happens. Most likely then will be bloodwork and cortisol check. Anyway that’s all I know.
2-14-2024 I got results back from vet on Callie. GI tract test looks normal..but low normal. But its ok. He mentioned a powder (Tylan/Tylosin) but he really didnt want to use it because its an antibiotic too. I told him I would continue to work on the semi firm stools for a few more weeks. The thyroid is normal. Hallelujah. Didnt need that problem added to this. As for her recheck on Cushings, the medication is a little bit too strong sooooo he wants me to give 10mg in the morning and 5 mg in the evening instead of 10mg twice a day. Then in 4-6 weeks, we do another recheck (cost should be around $250). UGH. This is really expensive right now. And I also have Carley (my other senior) that's got to get in to see the dr. She has a tumor around her back tooth and it will most likely need to be removed. I am sure it is releasing all kinds of bacteria in which can destroy her internal organs. We have waited long enough. So ANY donation you can make would help me tremendously. Thank you!!!! To donate for Carley, click here....
3-14-2024
Callie is feeling better. Every day she shows me she is feeling better. She has been hiding in the bdrm now since last August. Just this past week she has moved closer to me....right where she is sitting coming into the light is a change for her. She's still a little afraid but doing better. Showing progress. We go next week for a recheck on her cushings.
3-20-2024 Went to vets today. Got blood for recheck on cortisol and also a senior profile on bloodwork. Carley went too. Callie is doing great. I did start her back on her Four Marvels and Lignans and with that and the meds..she is doing marvelous. Will know B/W results in a day or so.
Easter day - March 31st. 2024 Wow how things can turn around in an instant. Five days after our checkup, Callie went straight down to death's door.
We went in for a check up on Callie last week. We did full blood workup and recheck on her cortisol.
It was borderline on the higher end but if we increased the dosage it would be too low. So we are staying at this dosage. Several days later, the weekend came.....
Last August Callie had a fainting spell. Also some breathing issues. I took her to a new vet that was all over the place..but she did a sonogram and found spots on the liver and a few on spleen. The spots were white so that didn’t alarm her to cancer. I told the vet the only thing making sense was her heart.....fainting spell and breathing issues. We did blood work and her ProBNP (heart test done through blood work). Her heart test was normal. Her heart looked normal on x-ray. BUT I said...could there be a tumor on her heart? She said possibly. Only way to know is an Echocardiogram. So she recommended Yunnan Biayao. I told her I had some in my cabinet at home. She said she didn’t have Cushing’s and wasn’t anemic. YB is for bleeding tumors...Hemangiosarcoma. Hemangiosarcoma is an internal bleeding tumor..mostly found in the spleen but any organ it fits with. So I got home and started her on YB. A week later she was breathing better and acting so much better. I kept her on that for 6 months. Then in-between this time..her hair was falling off of her by the handfuls. So we went to another new vet. She ran a test on her called the ACTH test. She didn’t think it was Cushing’s either. The entire time I DID because it had been mentioned by my former vet but that was all he said..a few years earlier and I had been giving supplements for it at home. Soooo I asked for the second vet we went to to do a sonogram again on her adrenals to see if they were normal or not....so that was also done the same day by an outside source that does this as their specialty. It was expensive but we needed to know. It was found that her liver...that is a mess due partially to a fatty liver and Cushing’s...that she also has high liver numbers. I am doing all I can at home for the liver although it has been recommended that I do a liver biopsy. I have not pursued that route at this time. It was found that she has Pituitary dependent Cushing’s. Most of those (tumors) are benign. Adrenal Cushing’s is malignant in alot of cases.
Sooo anyway there was something that her and I didn’t agree on so I moved onto the NOW vet. Well I am not happy with him either. He is VERY greedy. His prices are double/triple what they should be. Ridiculous. So now I am looking for another vet. I will probably go through 10 or 20 or more before I find one I like. You see I hate drs..and vets especially. They treat us like we don't know anything and it makes me furious. They push vaccines like the covid jab and I won’t tolerate it. Do you really think I will vaccinate an old sick dog? That goes against the oath they swore to.
Anyway, Callie finally got stable on her new Cushing’s meds, hair came back and she’s been doing very well for a couple months now. Then Monday (March 25th) she was in bed asleep. I was here on computer in the living room. I heard a whine.. I thought it was one of the dogs dreaming. Then I heard something hit my dresser. I knew it was her so I got up to go check on her and her head was swaying back and forth. I ran, grabbed her head and held her and just talked to her and told her it would be ok, I had her. She pulled out of it a few minutes later. I decided then to put a camera on her while she was in her bed. I am watching her close now. She has been ok the rest of the week (some panting) until Sunday night (Mar 31st).
Her breathing became horrible real fast. I sat with my phone recording one minute of her breathing. I then went to bed because it was late and she was laying there trying to rest/sleep. I didn’t know what I would wake up too. It hit me though..I should have given the little red pill that comes with the YB. It’s considered an emergency pill for internal bleeding. Used in cases such as blood loss from cuts, gunshots etc etc. So yesterday I gave her one. You can only give one every 24 hours. I didn't see much of a change. Then my mind was in freak mode..trying to figure out what I could do to help her. What would be causing this. Again back to the heart. Fainting and breathing issues.
I also emailed my vet and asked what they charge for ECHO. It was outrageous. They called me Monday to give me the price and never asked about how Callie was doing. They knew she was having issues too. I told them I could get it done cheaper at the specialist office because I had had one done for my other dog last yr. That’s pretty bad when the specialist is cheaper than your new vet. So I asked for a referral. Last year the ECHO cost around $750 plus $160 (non urgent) visit fee. That’s not bad really. This new vet quoted me starting price $1500+. Ggrrr.
ANYWAYYYY, I watched the video from the night before and it was HORRIBLE. 66 respirations. Normal is around 15-30/35. So she was in dire straits at this point. Was even contacting vets for in-home euthanasia. That’s when I gave her the red pill. I didn’t see any change really..then it hit me..maybe there is fluid buildup. I grabbed some Lasix I had for my other dog Diamond from last year..and gave her some of that. WITHIN 30-45 minutes..her breathing changed for the better. I was shocked. So that told me, fluid around heart, and possibly flowing into lungs as well. Today I gave her another red pill and continuing lasix from now on. And she is back on the YB. The ECHO will tell me if she has a tumor on her heart. Then they can treat her accordingly. As for the liver...I figured it would be the liver that took her out but..maybe not. If she does have a tumor on her heart then, she’s done very well and has been still alive and doing good. If there is no tumor..then I have other suspicions. Read further.
The last 2 vets I told them about the first fainting spell and breathing issues and they never asked any questions at all... They brushed it off. Do you see why WE the pet parents must learn things and know what to watch for? Even I miss things and I am pretty knowledgeable on stuff. I am hard on myself if I miss something. I will tear myself up with guilt. I should know better..is what I am always saying. Sometimes when it is your own dog, your mind can’t focus. It’s difficult. I find sitting in my tub at night or talking to a friend in depth about it..is when I realize what it is I need to do. Sadly I don’t have many friends that want to talk DOG in depth..you know?
For 2 years straight, I have been dealing with crappy vets and dying dogs. I am exhausted, mentally, physically and financially drained. I have maxed out all my credit cards just for the dogs. I have medical issues..surgeries I need for myself and have needed during this entire time and I don’t have a dime to my name for it. A nearly 30 year old vehicle that needs replacing. My dog’s lives are important. It is up to ME to save my dogs. Vets love to kill them..I fight and say no..not on my watch. Not until I feel I have done everything I possibly can and then some. I don’t quit. Dogs don’t want to die. They get tired and feel crappy just like us humans. They just want to feel better and that’s why you get that look from them. Many say..they are letting you know it is time. I don’t believe that for one bit. NO THEY DON’T. They are telling you they don’t feel good and are waiting for someone or something to make them feel better. It is their bodies that give out….not their minds and love for us. I know, because I seen Diamonds eyes before she passed away. She wanted to live. From now on, ANY VET on this Earth that tells me that I should put my dog down..will lose me as a client forever. It is NOT their decision to make that call. Not even recommending it. We aren’t stupid. We know what we can and can’t do and how far we can take it. MY CHOICE and only my words can say that. Not my friends, not anyone. ME, I am the decision maker.
Upon doing a little research, I have found...that in Cushings.. LEFT UNTREATED..can cause Pulmonary Thromboembolism, Congestive heart failure, neurological issues, and blindness to name a few. Now with that said..the high levels of cortisol can cause these. She is now under control and has been for a few months so, not sure if this is related or if she was treated too late and these are still the side effects. Also the medication isn't to be given to dogs with liver disease. WAIT...most all cushing's patients have high liver numbers, so doesn't this defeat the purpose? Trading one problem for another is what I see. But what choice do we have and that's why I say I thought her liver would be what gets her.
So after that night (31st), the next day I gave her another red pill. I seen no change again. At that point is when I decided on giving her Lasix. Within an hour, her breathing got better, sooo that means fluid. I watched her for another day or so and her breathing..although somewhat better, was still not that good. So I started her on heart medications. Diamonds meds that I kept. It's always risky to do this without vet supervision but..with no extra money and meds in hand..I felt I didn't have anything to lose. I had spent $1000 five days before this happened to Callie at the vet's office for check ups for her and Carley. I most likely need to get her into see a vet again...will be a new one if we go...to have xrays done and check her heart and lungs for any abnormalities. The reason also is, she is having some vision issues as well as very hoarse. Also I am noticing some twitching (neurological?). I have no clue what's causing that..but it didn't start until she had that spell. Thats been coming on slowly over the past 2 months or so and now its at its worse. It appears she is having chronic heart failure...either via tumor on heart or the cushings meds and/or the disease is taking her out. Not a lot makes sense to this but..she is not doing well. I was just bragging too how good she has been doing..and she really was. Overnight this hits. So each day is a watch and see now. I don't know if she has much time left now. We will find out when we have the ECHO done.
I am adding the fundraiser in case you are interested in helping her out. Thank you all for listening to my long story. It’s been a long ongoing illness that these vets have ignored. Time for answers……..
4-9-2024 I finally got a call from the specialists office. UGH!!! Under URGENT, the first available appt for Callie is May 28th. Geezz. She said they lost 2 internists first of yr and so this has them backed up. We will be seeing Dr Wilson. The same dr we seen for Diamond. I kinda requested her because I want to see if I can get her to talk to me about Diamond and what happened. SOOOO, with that said, we will HAVE to go back to the vets to get Callie some more meds. I know the heart meds I happen to have on hand saved her life. She was in bad bad shape and how she made it is beyond me. BUT she is holding her own now on the heart meds. I have been crap shooting the dosing and watching her like a hawk. So far she is doing ok. She is stable and I at this time have no concern for an emergency visit. Since I will have to take her into see vet before our specialist appt, we probably need to do a ProBNP test. That's bloodwork. I don't know what they charge for that. I will have to call. Usually I do it for an add-on but we JUST had blood work done 5 days before this all happened. So I would like to go back, do a ProBNP test, get more meds and wait for our May 28th appt. Its either wait till May and pay the $850 or see my vet and pay over $1500. That's so crazy. I am looking for a new more affordable vet but there just isn't any so far that doesn't "FORCE" vaccines. I AM NOT..I repeat..I AM NOT vaccinating my 12 yr old dog that's ill. The corruption going on in the medical world is off the charts. Someone has to say no...and that's me. MORE people need to say no. STAND UP TO THIS CORRUPTION FOLKS, PLEASE. so anyway...I am looking at $850 for ECHO in May and a revisit to my vet again...and I have no clue what he will cost. Depends on what he comes up with but I am trying to avoid him and his TESTS. Every time I go in he wants all these expensive tests and I am now telling him no..if I feel they are not needed. They called the other day wanting to do testing on Carley for the tick borne diseases that she tested positive for. She was exposed over 10 yrs ago. NO SYMPTOMS. No not gonna do it. I will treat her at home myself if I feel she needs it. I KNOW what to do for that. So I am about to call and make an appt for in a few weeks with the vet...so we can get meds and do the heart blood test (ProBNP). This is disappointing to wait till end of May but..it is what it is and we will just have to manage until then. I will see what things this vet may want to do when we go in and post what that day may cost. I will not do anything unnecessary for that day. Any help is appreciated. PLEASE dont forget Callie just because it won't happen until May. We aren't out of the woods yet until I feel she is stable and doing well.
Eclipse day
4-12-2024 We went to see the vet today. SIGH..Same clinic..different vet. I asked her to be our vet. Anyway, we had xrays and ProBNP done today. ProBNP wont be back till first of next week. Xrays showed a NORMAL heart. She asked about her spleen. She seen things on her spleen. I told her sonogram in November showed spots but not of concern. Only liver….She said her heart sounded fine also. I told her about EVERYTHING going on and she said..wow..you have a rare thing going on. I briefly spoke of Diamond and told her hers was rare too. She said what luck you have. Told her all my credit cards were maxxed out and funds were tight from these two dogs..and that I have another at home with spine issues. She said wow..that's a lot. She recommended an ECHO. I told her we had already discussed that and I can get it done cheaper at the specialist office. I think what this clinic does is the entire series of heart tests..ECHO, ECG and whatever else. I told her I felt that only an ECHO was needed. We discussed her breathing issues, eyesight compromised, twitching, etc. The Fainting spell in which she thinks it was a seizure. I think she is probably right due to some weird twitching going on. Which also points to the brain. Her cushings is pituitary which is located in the brain. SOO maybeeee the cushings is causing the seizures. She said also breathing issues go along with cushings. THAT I am aware of but not sure since she is on medication for it now. She said cushings is a difficult disease to manage but manageable. Kinda doesn’t make sense to me on cushings causing the breathing issues. I told her back when we first went to the vet in Arlington that that vet mentioned tumor on heart possibly..that maybe she had a bleeding tumor. That's when she had told me to put her on Yunnan Biayao. She was on YB for about 6 months and then 2 months ago..I took her off of it once the cushings was pretty much under control. I wanted to see what would happen. 2 months later, she has this spell again. This vet..Dr D, said that that was odd that YB would work but..with the mix of ingredients in it..who knows what all it may work on. I told her that's why I want to see if she has a tumor on her heart. EVERY SINGLE vet we have seen recommends the ECHO. Anyway, Callie is also VERY hoarse. She mentioned a couple of things. I will research that.
In this pic, Callie was relaxed as long as no one was in the room. They took her to back for x-rays and bloodwork..and vet tech brought her back saying she was pretty stressed so thought he would hurry and get her back with me. She was…and was all the way home. Once home she pooped, got a big drink and just chilled. She was done for the day. I took Carley and Maggie for a ride then. Callie will remain on the YB until I am shown it isn’t helping her. For some odd reason it helped before. If I can keep my mind about me, Vet wants me to VIDEO a seizure happening. UGH. I am usually too freaked out. Anyway, I am baffled on what's causing ALL of this. We will just have to do an elimination of what it could be..until we find what it is. I find it VERY strange that when I listen to her heart when she wasn’t breathing well…that I heard the swishing…so fluid in her heart/lungs. I started her on lasix and within an hour…she was breathing better. WHY? What caused the fluid and why did the lasix work? At this time..I will take her off the heart meds..and watch her. None of this makes a lot of sense really.
If this was CHF..then that is so more manageable..but right now..still no answers..other than it doesn’t look like its heart failure. Next is ECHO unless she has other issues come up. SO I still need to raise funds for the ECHO.
4-15-2024 WOAH....Vet said heart was normal. I am not sure. Geezz... Left side pic was from November 2023 when this all began. Right side pic is from yesterday. Pic on one side is slightly turned sooo it may be a false look. Tomorrow we get ProBNP results back. If its normal..I will be shocked...and won't know what to make of it.
Last night her respirations were at 44. I gave her a Lasix today and within an hour she was better. Tonight I gave her Pimobendan also. Her breathing is still elevated but not like it was last night. I should have never taken her off the heart meds. Sigh! I did it because vet called and said her heart looked normal on x-ray.
4-18-2024
Today and yesterday Callie is feeling better. She is on the Lasix at 20mg but only once a day instead of 25mg twice a day. She is acting much better. She was drinking a ton of water and very restless. Now she isn't doing all of that. I was giving too high of a dose. Once I am 100% happy with her breathing which it is much better...I will go to every other day. She is only on the Lasix...not the heart meds because her ProBNP came back normal. Sooo it isn't her heart it looks like. BUT no one knows what this is. I ordered an at-home test kit for cancer. Will take several weeks to know but that may help point me in a direction. I did start her on Ivermectin (6mg) because it works on cancer. Will give her that until I know for sure it isn't cancer.
4-21-2024
On the early morning of 4-19-2024, Callies breathing got much worse. It was at 56 respirations. So I gave her some more Lasix. By that afternoon she was at 16. I started her back on Enalapril but only half a tab every 24 hours and the lasix I am now giving a quarter of a pill..so 10mg at night and 20mg in the morning. So far she is breathing better. Her appetite is very good. I have been researching and I cannot figure out what's wrong with her. Possibly cancer, laryngeal edema or pulmonary thromboembolism. I dont think its the last one or I think she would be in much worse shape. That's what I have this narrowed down to. sigh...Either way not sure how long she will make it now.
4-24-2024 UPDATE ON CALLIE:
I received an email from the vet (Dr. D) yesterday. I did not reply to it. I left it as is. Today I get another email from her with a totally different attitude saying she seen NO BREATHING ISSUES in my dog with the 2 videos I sent her. Well SHE IS NUTS. My dog can’t breathe.
So TODAY, I paid to have her chest x-rays sent out to a radiologist. They confirmed that the xrays did not find any issue with her heart.
SO, two other things I had ran across last week. ONE the vet mentioned when we were there was Laryngeal Paralysis in which Callie wasn't really showing the classic signs of that. Much like a bulldog with the snorting and heavy breathing that they do with their flat faces. And coughing is usually always a classic symptom...but so is that with heart disease. CALLIE has not coughed. And the other was Pulmonary Thromboembolism. If she had the pulmonary embolism, she most likely would be dead by now. So that leaves the Laryngeal Paralysis. What I found is..they can have EDEMA with this. That's edema of the throat. LASIX is a recommended medication for that along with NSAIDS and Steroids. To fix it is a dangerous surgery. That’s not gonna happen.
SO the next thing to do is sedate the dog..yes put her under, do an endoscopy to check for paralysis to know if this is the problem. This is a very serious disease and it’s like someone strangling you..and you cant breathe. SO AGAIN, the meds I am giving her is helping her. Lasix (diuretic) to drain fluid and Enalapril (ACE inhibitor) to open up the blood vessels to allow more oxygen in. So I will not change what I am doing until we find out for sure this is what it is. Believe it or not..the symptoms are basically the same….heart and larynx. Only thing with Callie is she’s been hoarse. That didn’t make sense. With the Laryngeal Paralysis, it kinda fits.
I thought possibly she had two different issues going on. So it’s apparently not the heart according to the x-rays. I will be very curious as to what the cancer test shows when I get it. We will be able to rule out cancer and not even have to do any expensive test. I am not sure how I feel about this. To me this is more serious than heart disease. It can and will kill them…I will research more on it on lifespan etc etc but..this is what we have seemed to narrow it down to. SIGH! As for the ECHO, I will still move forward with that.Where will this lead to next.......
4-25-2024 It was Carley's birthday so we had a fun day....