Vibes please!

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dressage_diva

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I'm currently away at University and have just spoken to my parents who have said my 15 year old lab isn't very well. He stopped eating over the weekend (although carried on drinking) and he seemed very down and unable to recognise them. They took him to the vets who said he had a slight heart mumur (earlier this year we were told his heart was healthy) and also a temperature. They gave him antibiotics, some liquid Rimadyl (as he's been unable to swallow his tablets which help his arthritis) and some liquid vitamins all via injection. Since then he's been eating some things (he's refusing to eat his own food, and they've resorted to strong smelling things like beef and cheese) and they say he seems a bit more alert but they're still really worried about him. He's going back to the vets this afternoon to see if his temperature has gone down and for the vets to give them their honest opinion. I'm thinking about getting the train home tomorrow morning to see him.

In the meantime, please can I have as many positive vibes as possible? He's such an amazing dog and a real fighter (has survived cancer twice and had his toe removed at the age of 11) and I don't want him to suffer. I'm hoping this is just a little infection which he's going to get over, but if he isn't improving then I will obviously end his suffering. But here's hoping it doesn't come to that....

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Vibes i have a old dog 17 years and he keeps giving me a heart attack but touch wood he keeps picking up. Let us know how he gets on xx

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Thanks I will do. We've had lots of scares in the past with tumours etc, but he's never been properly ill like this in his life - he's a lab, he loves food (although in his old age he has become selectively fussy!) and even if he's having a stiff day his eyes are always so bright and he always looks pleased to see you....the fact that he now seems a bit confused and disinterested is the most worrying part.

Am just hoping it's a minor set-back and that once he's started eating regularly for a few days he'll have more energy. It's just even harder when I'm not the one with him (and he was originally my dog).
 
<<<<<<<<<<<<<vibes for you and your dog>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.
I really hope he is OK.
If my Lab went off her food then I would worry too. Labs are here to eat!
Thinking of you.
 
Thanks for all your vibes. My parents have just rung on the way home from the vets to say that he seems better. They saw his usual vet (who's operated on him in the past) and she says his lymph nodes on one side of his neck are swollen, which obviously suggests an infection of some kind. The problem is they're not sure if he's just picked up a bug or if it could be some kind of cancer returning. He also doesn't seem to be emptying his bladder as she said this was very full. She listened to his heart but couldn't detect a murmur but said his lungs were quite noisy. His temperature has come down though and my parents said he ate some food for them this morning. Apparantely he also perked up no end when he got to the vets and was standing watching all the dogs waiting for his turn to go in (whereas at home he'd been lying down all the time and ignoring our other lab!). Hes had more injections of the same and they've been given some oral antibiotics to give to him starting tomorrow night for a week.

My parents say he looks 100% happier and more alert than he has done the last few days but is no where near right, but he seems to be improving which is a good sign. However, the vets have said that they think he is definitely deteriorating overall and we are now definitely counting down the days/weeks he has left. I'm going to get a train home first thing tomorrow to see him - maybe seeing me will cheer him up (he always becomes more bouncy when I visit!).

Thanks again for all your vibes and I'll keep you updated.
 
Right another update now. I went home to see him on Friday and almost burst into tears when I saw him. He was just lying in the lounge and refused to get up when I went in and didn't even acknowledge me
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Mum and I soon started talking about having him pts if things didn't improve over the weekend. However, he obviously heard us and that afternoon he got up, went outside and had a wander round and when he came back in he walked into the kitchen and stood (before sitting because his back legs gave in) and watched us. We managed to get him to swallow the tablets vet had given and he also had some food. However, I went home thinking that he might be pts over the weekend/Monday.

My OH hasn't seen my dog in a while and he's attached to him, so we went back home again yesterday for the day for him to say goodbye. What a difference - he got up as soon as we walked in the door and came and saw us. He finds it all very tiring and clearly has some fluid on his legs as he was coughing a bit and sounded a bit weezy. However, he's now eating a little bit more (only very small meals several times a day) and still taking his medication but he's also willing to go outside and empty out and wander around the horse. The best thing though was this: He was when he was lying down and my OH stroked his belly which he's always loved but when my OH stopped stroking him he lifted his front leg and pawed him to tell him to carry on! That's something he's always done in his old age but these last few days he hasn't had the energy!

So he is improving. His neck is incredibly swollen - vets aren't sure if its just his lymph nodes or if there is some kind of cancerous tumour there....we won't really be testing to find out, he's been through enough. He's on antibiotics til Friday and unless he suddenly deteriorates we have no plans to pts. He's seeing the vets on Friday. We all know he doesn't have long left, but today despite feeling tired/weak he seemed happy - his eyes are brighter and he was smiling and watching us all the time.

Will carry-on with the updates!
 
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