Update on Linus

[desoto_hia873]

I talked to the vet a little while ago. Linus is still with us and looking a little better this morning. He said that he's eaten breakfast and he's wagging his tail at the staff. His blood tests all came back normal - even the kidney-related ones, so I guess the low protein dog food is working on that front. He has, however, developed an irregular heartbeat. He may have had the doggie equivalent of a heart attack last night. They're going to do abdominal and heart ultrasounds today. The former will look for tumours (which can apparently trigger heart events) and the latter for structural problems and heart disease. Either way, his long-term prognosis isn't super - he might have another nine months to a year at best.

You don't even want to know what all this is going to cost. But the tests so far are non-invasive and he's not suffering and, well, he's my baby. If it turns out to be a tumour, I don't think I'll go the surgery route. It wouldn't buy him much time and would (obviously) cause him alot of pain. If it turns out to be heart disease, he can be medicated and might get another year. His frisbee chasing days are, however, probably over.

I'm going to go and see him this afternoon and am hoping I can bring him home tonight.

The end is likely not that far off, but it looks like it might not be today, at least.

Thank you all so much for your kind comments to my last post. ::hugs flist tight::

Comments

[sunnyd-lite.livejournal.com]

Oh honey, I'm so sorry. I missed last night's post. (((Hugs))) If there's anything I can do...I'll be yahooing tomorrow night if you'd like to chat.

[desoto-hia873.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Last night's post was pretty late - I didn't get to bed until 2 am. I think I'm going to have a nap now and then head down there to see him. I'm hoping that I'll be able to bring him home tonight - he seems to be stabilised and isn't suffering. He's probably pretty confused, though - poor little guy.

::hugs back::

[that_mireille]

It's good that you're getting a chance to spend some more time with him. That's the one thing I regretted with my Andy--that he was gone before I had a real chance to say goodbye.

[desoto-hia873.livejournal.com]

The dog I grew up with had to be put down when her kidneys suddenly failed - I was a five hour drive away at university at the time, so I didn't get to say goodbye either. (She was put to sleep on the same day that the Challenger blew up - God, was that a bad day.)

I hope Linus has a few days left - I'm quite prepared to take holidays this week and get to say goodbye this time.

[uisge-beatha.livejournal.com]

Oh, sweetie, my thoughts and prayers are with you Linus. Got a few puppers of my own and I know how terrible it is to have one of them sick. :::::major huggs::::::

[desoto-hia873.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much. Yes, it's terrible when they're sick - they hate going to the vet and you can't explain that it's to help them. He seems to be doing well so far today - hopefully, he'll be able to come home tonight

::hugs back::

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

cIt is so good to hear that you're going to get some extra time with him!

At one point, our cat Cymry had kidney failure and the prognosis we were given was pretty bleak... and then she had a massive turnaround and lived for another five years, much to the surprise of the vets (she passed away last year at the ripe old age of 16). I'm just always so grateful that we got that extra time to really appreciate her and I'm so glad it looks like you'll get some of that as well!

{{{Hugs}}}

[desoto-hia873.livejournal.com]

Wow, five years after kidney failure? That's amazing! Maybe Linus will be able to beat the odds, too.

Love the name Cymry. I used to sing with a Welsh choir. :-)

::hugs back::

[fishsanwitt]

Oh my dear, I must have missed your post. I'm so sorry.

::many hugs for you and Linus::

[bookishwench.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry things have been so rough, but glad that he's not in pain.

[styrofoam-guy.livejournal.com]

The last year when my dog started to have problems walking I knew it was only a matter of time. So I made a point of hugging my dog as often as I could.

I would be watching a show and when a commercial came on I would have the sudden urge to go hug my dog.

[romanyg.livejournal.com]

*hugs*