Coughing/gagging

[cowanbree]

I know how you feel noopy as my dog has just spent 2 weeks at the vet when all I wanted was to bring him home. Cowan didn’t eat for 12 days, had 3 surgeries and ended up with peritonitis so was a very sick dog. While he isn’t out of the woods yet (has reflux issues) he is home now

The truth is she is better off there. She will be supervised and they will pick up things that you won’t. She will also be able to rest more at the vet without constantly looking for her owner.

Good luck, I know how stressful it is

Edited March 12, 2010 by cowanbree

[Erny]

I think your Vets are doing the right thing by keeping Noopy where she is. And I mean no offence by this, but from your written words I get the impression that you are not in a good emotional state for Noopy at the moment. Noopy needs calm, 'matter of fact' (but with kindness) care. I can still hear how upset you are from all of this and that will only serve to apply pressure on Noopy, something she doesn't need at the moment. Your upset is understandable, but when Noopy comes home, you need to be strong enough to put your fears away and stand firm for Noopy. So whilst Noopy is in the hospital, spend the time shoring yourself up and being ready to give Noopy the support and assistance a convalescing dog would need.

Edited March 12, 2010 by Erny

[kemulvak]

I hope everything turns out well for Noopy. Great advice from Ernie. Stay strong, Noopy needs a calm confident aura around her when she comes home.

Sending lots of good vibes your way.

[noopy]

I am doing better tonight than last night. I am still very emotional and very concerned and fretful, but I am able o think a bit better and feel a bit more relaxed. I am hoping that the weekend is the end of it and on the Monday things get sorted. I don't have alot of trust in vets any more and even though they appear to be good I don't feel it is wise to let my guard down. I can see that so many of the forum users have been through hell and back with their pets too and must have a good understanding of how I feel. I met a lady shop keeper today that I have chatted to before who told me all about her horrific experience with one of Brisbane's emergency vet centres. Her cat just dropped down in front of her unconscious one night as it walked toward her. She ran it to this practice and $1800 dollors and three days later it is discharged sickly without them knowing what was wrong. She had to take it to somewhere else and immediately they found the problem. The cat was riddled with cancer! So many people have so many bad experiences with vets. Then again so many people have bad experiences with the medical proffession. I think many times we are under the illusion that these medical services are safe, diagnostic and helpful when so many times that is not the case. I know we have to have faith in people trained and able to do something medically if we can't, but if you have had bad experiences with medical people it can be very disheartening. I have had three bad luck vets previous to Noopy's curent vet that didn't diagnose the bone, or try to, and I feel very wary now. But then again how many of us feel confident our own doctors are going to help us every time we have a problem? I guess it depends on the doctor, much like it depends on the vet. Tonight the update from the nurse is Noopy's resting under the blankets like she loves to do and missing me. She said it, so I guess my dog is now beginning to pine or really wonder where I am. What is worse, going thee to sit with her for an hour or two where she may get upset if I leave, or staying away and she feels abandoned and depressed!

[Erny]

I have had three bad luck vets previous to Noopy's curent vet that didn't diagnose the bone, or try to, and I feel very wary now.

The difference being that the Vet Hospital where Noopy is now DID diagnose the bone and HAVE removed it, and HAVE brought her through the surgery and ARE continuing to watch over her.

What is worse, going thee to sit with her for an hour or two where she may get upset if I leave, or staying away and she feels abandoned and depressed!

"Going there to sit with her for an hour or two where she may get upset when you leave" is worse, I think.

You need to give leave of the negativity. Noopy won't need that and she certainly would feel your stress if you were to visit her. The Vet Nurse said "Noopy is missing you". The Vet nurse didn't say "Noopy is feeling abandoned and depressed", did she? I suspect the Vet Nurse told you that Noopy is missing you, in part to help you feel better, and not meaning you to embelish further on it by turning it to a negative. I expect that Noopy, who whilst I'm sure will be glad to see you when it is time for her to go home, is more busy trying to recuperate from her ordeal and heal her wounds so that she can come home to you :cool:.

ETA: And whilst yes, there are enough bad stories of rotten things that have happened with some Vets, there are also many, many more good stories where through the Vets' expertise, knowledge and caring, animals have been able to recover where without them, they would not have.

Edited March 12, 2010 by Erny

[puggy_puggy]

Vibes for your girl.

I have had a little pug girl undergo surgery to remove bones stuck at the end of her osophegus, just before the opening of her stomach.

She ate the lamb ribs on a Thursday and nearly died on the Friday morning, started frothing at the mouth and nose and passed out, but I performed mouth to snout which bought her back. She sat all day Thursday at the vets where they did a series of barium xrays, which showed the bones stuck where they were. They didn't move as hoped so by Thursday afternoon the vet had organised to go and pick up an endascope on the Friday morning, which was supposed to be his morning off. They sent her home with me on the Thursday night, at closing time, and we hoped the bones would naturally move themselves into the stomach.

Opening time Friday she was back at the vets for more barium xrays and they showed the bones had not moved so at lunchtime they put her under to use the endascope. It was hoped they would be able to push the bones down into the stomach with the scope but they would not move. The worry now was that the osophegus would puncture and start to die off which would mean that she would die as well. They ended up opening her up and cutting through her stomach and somehow being able to reach up and pull the 7 or 8 little pieces of bone, that were stuck in her osophegus, out.

After making it through the operation the worry still was that her osophegus would die off, as it may have been damaged, and the incision they had cut in her stomach not healing. I was able to convince them to let her come home very late that night. At about 1am she rose up in her crate, wagged her tail and asked what all the fuss was about.

[Erny]

How is Noopy today? Has she had the second scope done?

[noopy]

How is Noopy today? Has she had the second scope done?

You are right Erny. I should have not gone this morning like I did. I sat with noopy in my arms for an hour and a half this morning in a quiet room together. She licked my face for 10 minutes straight and I held her tight too me stroking her. When we first sat down together I burst into sobs and noopy with her tail wagging and face up to mine just licked and licked my face, nose (nostrils) and mouth endlessly. She didn't seem to know I was crying and was soooo happy to see me. The two nurses on duty came in and saw my swollen face and copious tears and offered me a cup of tea and reassurred me. After a few minutes I just held her to me and stroked her as she seemed to sigh, actually sigh with relief or contentment. After an hour and a half the nurse came in and took her and I drove away in what I would best describe as a daze mixed with emotions of relief.Relief that I had actually got to meet the nurses who were genuinely caring and professional, relief that I had actually seen the inside of the hospital and heard the nurses caring and reassurring voices as they attended to all the other animals. Relief that Noopy's coat was so shiny, she had not lost weight and looked well, not as I had imagined (thin and emaciated after no food for 7 days). Yet, yes, I was very guilty that I had gone against the agreement I had made with the vet and gone in to see her, guilty and embarrassed that I had come in and forced them with the threat I would take her home if I could not see her. The vet rang me and was very disappointed in my actions, and said they had to give noopy a sedative after I left. She said there is usually no problem as owners come in 4 times a day and it can help the animal heal, but she knew that Noopy was a dog that would pine or get upset and therefore it wasn't going to help her. I apologised and explained how I was afraid I was never going to get to see her if something did go wrong and I was actually physically unwell with worry. I reassurred her I was feeling so much calmer having met the nurses and seen the hospital (behind the doors) and seen noopy's physical condition. I was not going to come back in again and just needed to do this. The vet was very understanding, but reassurred me there is the worry of how much damage noopy's throat has and if there will be strictures or narrowing or Noopy was forever going to need a slurry for food in the future. I DO feel guilty. I am only human and at least I care enough to say I wont be repeating the mistake. The vet is going to try noopy on a liquid ID food tomorrow and see how she goes. If Noopy eats etc O.K. she will not do another scope, but if there are problems she will. By tomorrow night or the next day we will know what is happening better.

[Erny]

YOU need to get it together for Noopy's sake, if you can't do it for your own.

Glad Noopy isn't as bad as you imagined (ie wasting away) and hoping that Noopy is well enough to come home soon.

Edited March 13, 2010 by Erny

[noopy]

YOU need to get it together for Noopy's sake, if you can't do it for your own.

Glad Noopy isn't as bad as you imagined (ie wasting away) and hoping that Noopy is well enough to come home soon.

Tomorrow the vet will have a look at noopy and probably try her on some liquid food to see how she goes. The nurse feels if noop eats o.k. and all is well I could have her home tomorrow evening. If there is any problems the vet will have a quick endoscopic look to see what's happening. So, tomorrow is the day. Knowing noopy she wont eat their hills special dog food and as I told them she will be stubborn and only eat a few foods. Tomorrow will be interesting! Noopy is well and chirpy today and has apparently been out to the toilet and all's well so far. I have been cleaning and sterilising the floors in anticipation of her return. It is probably not necessary as she is on strong anti-biotics, but I have two other dogs. One of the two is another chihuahua (male) and he is 10 with diabetes and needing two needles a day. The other one is a red female 20kg cattle-dog who is 6. She damaged her ACL in the left rear leg 6 weeks ago and with VERY conservative care ie no running, no jumping, no excersize and stict confinement for these past 6 weeks she is now weight bearing nicely and walking nicely. I have to continue all that conservative management for the rest of the year and without any mistakes she should be fine. My little cream male chihuahua also has pancreitis, so I have my days full caring for the lot of them. On top of that I am helping my 19 year old daughter to go to QUT university each day as she is so sick with hashimotos and adrenal problems. She is top of her science and law classes but so so sick she is now on disability, and cannot do anything with only energy for bed and study, and of course attend some lectures, which is where I come in to try and take her etc. My hands are full doing all this, so I get very stressed. But, I manage well, and keep on going and not one of them suffer. I also work weekends as a security guard doing long hours on my feet, but I have to do only weekends as to be here to run all this and help. Thought I'd just let others know I am usually unable to cope with too many hiccups in my routines and do crack up when things go haywire.

[Erny]

Noopy - it sounds to me that you are certainly carrying a mountain of responsibilities and for that, I admire your ability and yes I acknowledge that it is easy for anyone (ie me) to say from this side of the internet screen that "you need to get it together". For my bluntness, I apologise. But you know? .... the times I fall down in a heap is usually when people are softer on me. Sure, that's needed at some stage, but if you can keep going without causing yourself an illness (heaven forbid), then you need the strength for that just now, at least until Noopy comes through this and her situation is manageable without being critical.

I don't know your personal situation (other than what you have shared already) but if you are on your own, and given that your daughter is so ill (I hope she will improve with time and I hope that is as swift as it can be), is there any assistance that you can apply for, even if it is to help you with organising transport for your daughter?

Please make sure that you eat well, even if you don't feel like it. And take each day as it comes. And seek help, if you feel you need it, if even only for talking it out with someone. That in itself can make a difference.

[persephone]

Noopy So glad the little dog is doing ok!! :D

I will also suggest you keep the emotions at bay until your dog is much stronger. She needs her strength to heal- not to be worrying why you are behaving differently

You have lots on your plate- so do need to step back a half pace, eat well,and be strong .

[noopy]

Noopy - it sounds to me that you are certainly carrying a mountain of responsibilities and for that, I admire your ability and yes I acknowledge that it is easy for anyone (ie me) to say from this side of the internet screen that "you need to get it together". For my bluntness, I apologise. But you know? .... the times I fall down in a heap is usually when people are softer on me. Sure, that's needed at some stage, but if you can keep going without causing yourself an illness (heaven forbid), then you need the strength for that just now, at least until Noopy comes through this and her situation is manageable without being critical.

I don't know your personal situation (other than what you have shared already) but if you are on your own, and given that your daughter is so ill (I hope she will improve with time and I hope that is as swift as it can be), is there any assistance that you can apply for, even if it is to help you with organising transport for your daughter?

Please make sure that you eat well, even if you don't feel like it. And take each day as it comes. And seek help, if you feel you need it, if even only for talking it out with someone. That in itself can make a difference.

Thanks Erny. I am on my own, and I have just been placed on carers pension because my daughter is so sick, and has not improved in 6 years. I am allowed to work up to 25 hours a week, and that is what I do, if only to keep my sanity, and get together with workmates. Working gives me a sense of self, and the rest of the time I do what I need to. I love my dogs, and they are, along with my 2 children, my only concern. I have bcome so engrossed in being in control of caring for them for the last 11 years, that when this sort of disaster happens I fall apart. I have appreciated your straight talk and everybodies advice, and it dosn't faze me if it appears blunt, but I don't want all the viewers thinking I am this total nut (I suppose that is disputable). I want the new friends I have met here to know, I am pritty strong, determined and capable. I dont like it when someone else takes over the controlsl and this can make me go crazy! Getting off all this for a minute, I have some inner-health-plus capsuals in the fridge, and after all these antibiotics I was going to give some to noop each day. Does anyone think that is safe, and if so how much etc. I am terrified she wont eat the hills id stuff they are going to give her tomorrow. I will ring the vet in the morning and talk to her about noopy's innate ability to starve herself for along time if she dosn't get the food she likes. The vet said when noop was admitted last tuesday she was amazed at noopy's shiny coat and good weight considering the seriousness of this whole situation. I explained to her I have spent 8 weeks nurturing her every day. It is VERY hard to let go of her to the hospital and not see her. In fact it was not possible as you well know, but anyway hopefully I can go and pick her up and spend the next 8 weeks bringing her back to as near as normal as possible. Even though I am eating today I am still not digesting my food and running to the loo, so this emotional up-heaval has done a real number on me. But, I am starting to see her return as a real possibility now and that is helping alot. I am going to get pet insurance for my 6 year old cattle-dog now so this sort of financial strain never is an issue again. Unfortunately my two little dogs are 10 and 11 years and too old. I regret not getting them it years ago and have learnt an invaluable lesson! GET PET INSURANCE.

[noopy]

This afternoon we got noopy back. She is a bit thinner, with her back bone showing, and feeling alot lighter, but she is perky and well. They started her on the hills ID food and because she was starving hungry she was eating it. They have instructed me to only give her a couple of teaspoons every hour os so for a couple of days or so. The vet brought out the flat piece of brisket bone, a thick flat 3cm by 3cm piece that was so putrid we could smell it through three plastic sandwich bags and the vet said she nearly threw up when they brought it out. Noopy is on baytril liquid once a day and a strong 1/4 tablet of a powerful antibiotic twice a day for what is so far the next two weeks. She is eating her food WITHOUT any coughing, gagging or anything and it feels soooooo weird after all the coughing and gagging etc for the previous 2 months. The vet is a very talented older lady and also finds it strange the first vet missed this on the X-Rays she took. We obviously got duped and noopy nearly died through the inactions of the previous vets. I am now adding a smudgeon of chicken gravy to this hills ID food to get noop to eat it as she actually decided the food she could smell around the house would taste better. The vet wants to see noopy for a check up in 7n days and to get some more anti-biotics and then do a quick scope in two weeks time. She said if there is a problem with her esophagus she could do a procedure with a balloon that would correct it. She is of course HOPING that wont be necessary. Noopy is not quite the same since she got home, even though she is happy and perky. We can see that the seperation and trauma has taken a toll on her personality, and it is obvious. She is not sad or depressed, just restless and off, definitely showing signs of emotional trauma. I know that in time this will get better. She is getting spoilt. I am adding a little sprinkling of inner-health plus to her food and keeping it a few hours apart from her anti-biotics. Hopefully I am doing the right thing, as I have searched the internet for info and it is very conflicting and hazy. I can't think it would hurt her. This lady vet has kept costs down for me and will only charge $120 for the next scope. I have to say she is a God-send and has done a marvellous job. This vet works in a hospital and is operating on horses and other animals every day and has been doing this for 45 years. It is great to say I feel she is competent and I am so lucky she felt for me after the other rotten vets left us in this situation and now we have a manageable bill and a vet that we can trust. I will take off the next few weekends off my work so as to use all my time to get things back to some what normal. It is such a shame there arn't many vets of this calibre around!! It was through the grace of God that out of several pages in the telephone book I picked this hospital and got this vet, or other wise noop would be on deaths door today.

[noopy]

Well it has been a month since noopy got home. She has been very well. I have been feeding her a few times a day to build up her strength and taking her out in my car for trips out, shortish ones, so as to do something she loves and to spoil her most days. I remember going into get her to take her home this time a month ago and the vet showing me the 3 by 3cm flat piece of brisket bone that she'd removed and put in 3 sandwich bags and the stench was so bad it was putrifying through all three bags! Anyway, noopy did 2 weeks of antibiotics and has no regurgitation of foods or coughing or anything that looks sinister so far. Which I believe is a miracle considering the length of time that piece of rotting bone was in there, (8 weeks). The vet has not needed to do another endoscope thank goodness and so far so good. She is lying beside me in bed very relaxed on the doona. I am 280 dollors off paying the balance of the vet care and still paying alot of attention to noopy's well-being, diet and supervision which I expect to do for at least another month. Today I took her out to some markets and she wore her new light blue hooded jacket and was the talk of the town. I am just grateful she has come through this so well and can't stop spoiling her.............now that is another matter!

Edited April 11, 2010 by noopy

[persephone]

noopy- this is such great news I hope we get a photo of a new healthy little dog :p bet you are so pleased to have her home & happy!

[noopy]

noopy- this is such great news I hope we get a photo of a new healthy little dog :p bet you are so pleased to have her home & happy!

Hi Persephone. I will get a photo of her on here very shortly. It has ben the hardest 3 months of many many years and I am still on tender hooks worrying myself everyday something will go wrong that I never expected. I worry about her so much I cannot go anywhere for more than 3-4 hours without rushing back home. I follow her out to the front balcony to see if she is O.K, I watch her every move when she is out doing her toileting, I look for her in the house if she isn't with me and wake up a few times at night to see if she is O.K. give her a kiss, put the blanket on her and check if that small snuffle is a problem. I go to work and manage to do a very full-on job requiring me to direct a few guards under me, organise 3-6 hundred patrons at a function and actually be so busy I forget about it for those hours, and am glad for that. Other than those 2-3 shifts a week, I am here taking 24 hour round the clock care of Noopy. I love her sooooo much and will never let her suffer for anything ever again.

I blame myself for not taking better care of her needs before this happened and taking for granted she was fine. I put alot of energy into my career and was very tired with all my other responsibilities in life and just plain didn't spend much time thinking of her. I have since proven to myself I can take VERY good care of her and everything else I have to do these last 12 weeks! I wont be allowing complacency to occur again.

Noop is well aware she is spoilt and has made it a daily ritual to expect at least one trip out in the car, walks in the garden morning and afternoon, and is loving all the TLC!

[Staranais]

I'm glad she's doing well!