Very bad URI - Update 0125

[Unepuce]

Wow! Dr Beaulieu will find me VERY prepared - she'll think about it twice before leaving on vacation next time! :giggle:

Adding the Pred to the list to balance with the Dex.

I'm gonna have to bring a notebook with me or else I will definitely forget something!

 

[Unepuce]

Tonight's update: Biscotte's attitude is looker better tonight. She actually came out of the cozygloo on her own when I called her for the meds, and again to be fed. In 2 "servings", she ate almost double what she ate all day yesterday. I don't hear as much congestion in her breathing, but I do hear cracking noises, which I forgot to mention in the list of symptoms. Her attitude is much better, she seems more alert and interested in me. I am not putting my guards down, but I sure do enjoy the break and can't help but hope this is the beginning of recovery.

I got home to a message from the clinic: they can see a little bit of scarring on her lungs on the x-ray, but not enough to state that this is the reason she has all this trouble.

I'll try a 3rd and maybe a 4th serving for tonight before going to bed - I keep my fingers crossed that her appetite is truly coming back!

 

[Dazzle87]

I'm glad she's at least doing a bit better!

 

[mamarat]

Sending healing vibes to your sweetie.

 

[SQ]

The combos Lilspaz68 listed work well.
When using baytril + zithro, we have found that 10 mg/Ib for the zithro works well

Not all heart problems can be seen on an xray.
You need test dose with enalapril (0.25 mg/454.4g twice a day).
If it helps, then atenolol (1 mg/454.4 g twice a day) is added.

 

[Unepuce]

Sadly, I will not get any heart drug unless she's terminal and it's last resort, I'm afraid. But she's still doing good this morning. She actually came up to the door to greet me - I'm convinced she was asking to be fed as she ate very well this morning! :joy: She was actually grabbing my finger strongly and would only let it go when she had licked everything off it.

Still relieved, still hopeful, and grateful that I might be able to save at least one of the two (re: Lili with her gum tumour - which ulcerated yesterday :sad3: )

 

[mamarat]

I'm so sorry for Lili but glad Biscotte is doing a bit better. Huge hugs and gentle kisses to your girls.

 

[Unepuce]

Thank you mamarat. I just made an appointment for Lili to be PTS tomorrow at 2:10... :cry4:

Of course, I'll ask Dr Hébert to confirm the tumour - if against all odds it turned out to be an abcess, I'd be more than willing to fight Lili every day to rinse it!

 

[Unepuce]

Here's an update on Biscotte.

I took my Lili to be PTS on Saturday, and since Biscotte has huge teeth issues + had broken her two front teeth, I took her along to ask the vet to do just a quick trim as I have an appointment for the whole teeth issue today. In order to give us more time with Lili, she took Biscotte in the back first and trimmed her teeth. I knew they had to put her in the oxygen tank as it was taking so long... then the vet brought her and we proceeded with Lili's PTS

Once the vet told us Lili was gone, BF, who was staring at the travel cage, looked at me and said: Biscotte is not well. She was having a hard time breathing again, so I asked the vet if they could put her in the oxygen tank once more. She was supposed to stay in for 10 minutes, but I only got her back after I requested her about 30 minutes later, in a much better shape, still panting, but breathing. I also got her prescription changed from Zithro + Doxy to Zithro + Baytril, as I wanted. But the nightmare was not over yet. Between 4:00 and 8:00 pm on Saturday, I had to steam her 3 times. The last time, she would sneeze but wouldn't disloged anything, and her breathing was very... caverny (don't know how to describe it). She just kept getting worst, so I panicked and decided to go straight to last resort and use Ventolin. I used Hopefloats' TP trick and pumped her. After about 2 minutes and a lot of sneezing, she started to breathe normally (abdominally) again.

On Sunday, she was a bit noisy, but I decided to let her be and see what would happen. She was "fine" until about 6:00 pm, when it all started again, all of a sudden. I rushed her in the bathroom for steam, which of course didn't help, screamed at the boyfriend for coffee, but as it wasn't coming fast enough I rushed her into the office for more Ventolin - which did the trick again. I begged her to keep fighting until the new combo could kick in and maybe give her another chance... but honestly, at this point, I was a wreck and hated myself for not letting her go with Lili the day before.

Yesterday, I came home to a silent cage. Biscotte was resting in a hammock with her sister, no sound. No crisis at all the whole evening. She was active, she was hungry, she was alert... she was back! Against all odds, I believe the combo kicked in and is helping her. I do not scream victory yet - to be honest, I do not think I will up until she passes, this was too horrible an experience - but I have a fair amount of hope that she'll pull through. I hear some kind of a liquid sound when she breathes, but it doesn't sound like it's coming from her lungs... of course, I will have the vet confirm tonight.

Thank you all for your help and support, she wouldn't be where she is today if it were not for your advices, support and ideas :hugs:

 

[Joanne]

Well that sounded stressful! I'm glad she has bounced back and is breathing easier. Thank goodness for the Ventolin!

 

[jorats]

Oh my, what an ordeal. Getting that combo to kick in is key... I sure do hope she continues to do better.

 

[mamarat]

That is so scary. Hope your girl keeps getting better.

 

[hopefloats]

I am glad she is doing better!

 

[*Rebel_Angel*]

So sorry for Lily!
Glad Biscotte is doing better on the new meds tho!!

 

[lilspaz68]

I have found some "miraculous" responses to baytril/zithro, and even in a day or so (long before you would expect) which is one of the reasons I love it...you find out quickly if its going to work for your very sick baby or not.

How is she doing today?

 

[Unepuce]

I have found some "miraculous" responses to baytril/zithro, and even in a day or so (long before you would expect) which is one of the reasons I love it...you find out quickly if its going to work for your very sick baby or not.

How is she doing today?

It took about 2 doses (2 days) for me to decide the new combo was helping. I'm just hoping it will make her better, not just prevent her from getting worst.

Yesterday, we went to the vet and she got checked up. To my surprise, she has gained 10 g since 2 weeks ago, but - as expected with the weekend she had - her lungs have gotten worst. I confessed the use of Ventolin to my vet, and to my surprise this is what we'll keep doing in case of emergencies. No changes to her medications and the recent emergency procedures, so thanks to you guys, I seem to be doing somethings right! :hugs:

Biscotte was ok until we almost reached home. She started breathing heavily in the car and she was gasping when we got home, so I did shoot her with Ventolin (too many times, I confess), then took her up for a steam, but nothing helped very much. I kept her with me for a while, reassuring her, petting her and when her breathing got a tiny bit better, I put her back in the cage and kept reassuring and petting her. Then Hunter ran up to her to play (he's a in and out) and it's like she then realized she was home and safe and her environment was back to normal - I could litterally see her relax. I let her be for awhile and checked on her a couple of times - by 9:00 pm, she was calm, still breathing a bit more heavily than she was in the morning, but no panic. She ate 2 servings before bedtime and this morning, she was back to where she was yesterday morning. Relief!

I have pretty much decided that if in two weeks her lungs have not improved, I will put her to sleep. She needs to get her teeth trimmed, but not only the length of them, but also the depth... this is very stressful to her, and since even a light anesthesia is out of the question in her condition, this would be too much stress and I'm pretty sure she would not get through it this time. But of course, if her lungs improve I will rethink the decision - I don't want to loose my quiet, adorable little girl... :sad3:

 

[Unepuce]

That's it.

I just made an appointment for my sweet Biscotte to be put to sleep. :cry4:

The zithro and baytril combo has helped her with her breathing, but she now has those nightly "crisis" where she's gasping, and suffocating, and coughing, and sneezing - they seem to last longer every night, and yesterday's was much worst - she even gave me "the look". I have done all I could possibly think of, the only option I haven't tried is nebulizing her, but from what the vet mentionned to me on Tuesday, there is a risk given her condition and the meds she would be prescribed. I wish I could figure out what triggered those crisis: at first, they were occuring around dinner time, now they take place late in the evening. Stress is definitely a trigger, and since I need to take her to vet every 2 weeks for horrible teeth issues, trying to help her further would only push her another week or so, and I do not feel it is fair.

Damn, if only I had a oxygen chamber for her...

I am devastated. I bursted out bawling before I even put the phone down. Plus my vet probably won't be the one putting her to sleep as she is overbooked today, and I have never dealt with the new vet there. I really, really hope Dr Beaulieu will be able to free herself for the procedure - I really want her to be the one that helps Cocotte cross the Bridge. I just hope Cookie will not be too lost without her sister... she's got bad genetics too.

Right now, I feel like hiding in a hole and crying myself to sleep. She should be the last for a little while, but I'm sure my heart will need a lot of time to heal from those past few months...

 

[mamarat]

:hugs: I'm so sorry, it's always such a hard decision.

 

[SQ]

:hugs:

 

[Joanne]

I'm sorry, that is the hardest phone call to make. You are doing the best thing for her; try and draw some comfort from that. Give her lots of snuggles from us. :hugs: