Sunday, February 3, 2013

Buddy: Two steps forward...one step sideways

**sigh** Why can't things be simple?

Buddy has responded like a champ to his heart medications now that I've got them regulated and he's got a consistent schedule.

In the morning around 8:15, he gets 1 ml Robitussin DM syringed down. And a bit later, he gets a food ball with 1/2 Enalapril and 1/2 Lasix. The only drawbacks are he just absolutely hates the Robitussin (don't blame him...how many adults do you know who were traumatized as children by cherry-flavored cough syrup?), and the Lasix tablet does NOT halve...despite the little dividing line, what it does is crumble. So I split it on a small piece of wax paper and eyeball it.

Then at night about 9:15, he gets the same series of medicines.

And let me tell you, the difference in this boy today compared to how he was when he got here 11 days ago is like night and day. There is little to no coughing during the day. It's mainly when he drinks water, which is very normal for a dog with his condition. He feels like exploring the yard. He goes into the kitchen and monitors the cooking. He comes up for attention. He interacts with Randall and me and the other dogs. He is just generally feeling good. He does cough at night when he shifts position or gets up for water, and again, that's typical for a CHF dog.

I'm also pretty sure his collapsed trachea is in the early stages. I believe what the vet and Dawn were hearing was the CHF cough. I may get the deep, hacking cough once or twice a day at most and some days not at all. And when I press on his throat, there is no reaction whatsoever; his breathing is deep and rhythmic...not the labored or shallow breathing he had when he first came here. No panting and his gums are a good, healthy pink.

So with all this good news, you knew there had to be something negative going on.

Well, he's lost his appetite. The ACE inhibitors all have various side effects, and the one Enalapril has that seems to be raising its head is appetite suppression. As the medications have begun to work their magic, Buddy's appetite has gone south...each day he's been less and less interested in food.

Yesterday when he turned down chicken livers and Stumpy Snacks, I knew we'd reached the nadir (or at least I hope so because if there's worse to come, I don't know what I'll do. For awhile, I toyed with the idea of taking him off the Enalapril and just keeping him on the Lasix and cough medicine, but he has responded SO well to it, that I really wanted to try to work around it.

What has happened is that he does get hungry, but he doesn't have much appetite and, since he's not like any of my dachshunds who wouldn't stop eating until they popped, he walks away when he feels full. Yesterday he got MAYBE 1/4 can of Pro Plan down him. And that just isn't enough.

So this morning I tinkered with a menu, and so far, he's eaten most of each of the two small meals he's been given. I won't keep him strictly on canned food because I hate the stools dogs that are on straight canned food have. Clean up has got to be easy.

So what I've come up with for the daily meal is this:

1/3 can Pro Plan classic beef/rice
1/2 tsp canned pumpkin
1 Tbsp rice
1 oz Cooked chicken liver
2 Tbsp Purina BeYond Chicken and oat meal kibble

This gives me about 3/4 cup of food, and I'm splitting it into three meals a day. I'm hoping the rice, pumpkin and kibble will help firm up the stool. I'll know more tomorrow.

Anyway, other than the eating problem, this boy is just doing great. You couldn't ask for an easier going dog. Sweet. Loves attention. And now that he's not feeling crappy he's enjoying being a part of the family.


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