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Damson is having a hard time

parsnipbun

Wise Old Thumper
:cry: Damson's kidney stone is playing up again. It seems to hurt him about once a week at the moment. He is on metacam every day 'just in case' and septrin to fight a small infection associated with it - but about once a week the pain seems to get bad and he just curls up and won't eat or move.

Usually we get him out of these episodes with fluids (re-inflate the kidney!), syringe feed, snuggle safe under the kidney and topping up the metacam to full dose allowable. But today its really painful and he has had to have bupronorphine which has totally knocked him out,
.

Its SO sad as otherwise he is so fit and healthy (despite being almost 9). We just had his bloods tested again and everything is absolutely fine (the other kidney must be functioning well) its just this wretched stone causing so much pain.

Its really tearing me up seeing him like this - only yesterday he was running around, leaping over things, humping his girlbun etc now he is just layng curled up looking so unhappy.

It seems like no vet will operate to take a kidney out on a bun of his age - they say the prognosis is so poor. But he can't carry on being in such pain once a week, - I am just so torn.
 
Awww I can see why that is upsetting for you, nothing constructive to add apart from healing vibes for him and strength vibes for you. I am sure you will do what is best for him. He is clearly loved a lot and he knows that x
 
its so hard to know what to do in this position, and sometimes you feel damned if you go for the op and damned if you don't.
Can't really say much of any help, other than I know how difficult it can be.
 
its so hard to know what to do in this position, and sometimes you feel damned if you go for the op and damned if you don't.
Can't really say much of any help, other than I know how difficult it can be.

TBH its not really a decision about an op. as I don't hink any vet will actually undertake it - I am just now wondering whether its a dreaded 'quality of life' issue:cry::cry::cry: as the episodes are happening more frequently.

He is SO normal when the kidney isn't hurting . . I HATE that stone.
 
TBH its not really a decision about an op. as I don't hink any vet will actually undertake it - I am just now wondering whether its a dreaded 'quality of life' issue:cry::cry::cry: as the episodes are happening more frequently.

He is SO normal when the kidney isn't hurting . . I HATE that stone.

Ok, to be honest, if you want the op done the vets can advise against it but many would do it if you wanted them too. Mine would anyway, although I am a bit of a pain, when it comes down to this sort of thin I'm a great nagger:oops:.
However at his age I guess you need to weight up recovery time from the op against the time he has left. If he is bright most of the time and you can pretty much control his pain while he is sore, his quaility of life doesn't seem so bad, only you can tell when it gets too much for you both- hope he continues to binky, eat and hump!
 
We have asked two different sets of vets (our specialist and also a referral vet at Bristol) whether they felt they could operate and both did not want to operate. We did feel we had the pain 'under control' - or at least could control it within a few hours of it starting - until today . But today we can't seem to control it without 'knocking him out ' with bup. and of course he hasn't eaten for hours now - first due to pain now due to bup. we can't even syringe feed once they are on Bup. they just dribble the feed.

I just keep asking myself 'Is 9 really THAT old'? he is a wiry and fit male agouti who still leaps around, chins things etc etc. Should we PUSH the vets against their judgement?

sorry for the long posts - feeling really stressed and worried.
 
We have asked two different sets of vets (our specialist and also a referral vet at Bristol) whether they felt they could operate and both did not want to operate. We did feel we had the pain 'under control' - or at least could control it within a few hours of it starting - until today . But today we can't seem to control it without 'knocking him out ' with bup. and of course he hasn't eaten for hours now - first due to pain now due to bup. we can't even syringe feed once they are on Bup. they just dribble the feed.

I just keep asking myself 'Is 9 really THAT old'? he is a wiry and fit male agouti who still leaps around, chins things etc etc. Should we PUSH the vets against their judgement?

sorry for the long posts - feeling really stressed and worried.

I can't really advise, but I'm in a similar situation with my 18 year old cat- she has really bad teeth and needs a dental, but she is hypertensive, hyperthyroid, in chronic renal failure and at the moment has an ear infection. Neither I or the vets want to operate and we have tried antibiotics, but if she stops eating I feel we have no choice- she may die under the aneasthetic, but she'll die if she doesn't eat. At some point, assuming she gets over the ear infection, I will have to make that choice.

Only you can tell whether you are willing to risk it and if you can deal with the concequences, as I may have to.

Not much help I know, but I do feel for you.
 
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