Spikethebunny
Young Bun
This last month has been one of the most awful months ever. I'm sure anyone who has dealt with sick buns knows the feeling. Sorry if this is long, but I want to give every bit of info I have.
So, Spike is almost ten (as of October). We've known for years he has a heart murmur, but he's always been active and happy, so the vet never saw a reason to pursue further tests.
A month ago, Spike started having soft stools. Not diarrhea. Leaving cecoropes behind. It would only happen at a certain time of day, and the rest of the time, he was normal as could be (as were his poops). He has had a runny eye since October (which we were treating with a drop), but I was pretty sure this confirmed teeth issues. The only reason the vet didn't push the teeth problem is Spike has always been a good hay eater and the vet was concerned about putting him under anesthesia with a murmur at his age.
We tried removing all but hay from Spike's diet (except the vet gave us a bit of critical care for some nutrients). The soft stools never got better. He was put on metacam because the vet noticed he had some arthritis in his back paws, and she thought of his teeth hurt that might help for now.
We brought him back a week ago, because his breathing had gotten quite harsh over the last week. He would rock violently when resting, and would sometimes sit with his paws resting on his hay basket. We honestly thought it was the meds. Cause most of this started around the same time. We thought he was just having a bad reaction.
The vet did some awake X-rays, which revealed Spike's heart is quite enlarged. It is practically touching his sides, and is pushing on his lungs. The vet spotted some fluid on his lungs, too. To make matters worse, even though he had been consuming bags and bags of hay, he had lost a scary amount of weight.
He was put on more critical care, we were told to add some alfalfa hay to his diet, he was changed from metacam to Gabapentin to see if that would stop the runny stools, and he was given a low dose of furosemide twice a day to try to clear his lungs.
I was told to bring him back in a few days to see how the meds are working. We had a different vet this time (my regular vet was on vacation), and her response was much more doom and gloom and she kept bringing up putting him down--which I thought was strange, since he has still been alert, eating with excitement, and otherwise his normal self. She increased the furosemide to .15ml twice a day, but warned me it might only dehydrate him and make things worse. She told us to add some pedialyte to water and syringe it to him a few times a day to try to keep his electrolytes up. We also switched him back to metacam since the soft stools weren't any better without it, and he was not enjoying the Gabapentin (he was terribly drowsy and dizzy and kept stumbling on himself).
Well, up until yesterday, Spike LOOOOVED the critical care. I could put it in a bowl and he'd gobble it up. In fact, he'd thump because I could never make it fast enough. Yesterday, he decided he is plain old sick of it and will just sniff at the bowl and walk away. But he will come running for pellets, is eating lots of hay, and is drinking water, so I don't think it's an appetite thing. In fact, he comes running at mealtime, then looks at me when I put down the crit care. I don't understand why he doesn't like it all of a sudden? I'm so worried he is going to lose too much weight without it.
I guess I need to know if anyone else has had experience with buns with this condition? Any tips? Am I looking at only a few more days with him? Weeks? The vet made it sound like it could be any time. I am heartbroken. He has been my buddy for almost ten years and I can't imagine him not around.
Is there anything I can do (I tried syringe feeding and suck at it. I can't get him steady by myself) to get him to eat his crit care? How do I make sure he is not dehydrated on the furosemide? Is there any other treatment I should talk to my vet about or is all hope truly lost at this stage?
I just don't want him to suffer.
So, Spike is almost ten (as of October). We've known for years he has a heart murmur, but he's always been active and happy, so the vet never saw a reason to pursue further tests.
A month ago, Spike started having soft stools. Not diarrhea. Leaving cecoropes behind. It would only happen at a certain time of day, and the rest of the time, he was normal as could be (as were his poops). He has had a runny eye since October (which we were treating with a drop), but I was pretty sure this confirmed teeth issues. The only reason the vet didn't push the teeth problem is Spike has always been a good hay eater and the vet was concerned about putting him under anesthesia with a murmur at his age.
We tried removing all but hay from Spike's diet (except the vet gave us a bit of critical care for some nutrients). The soft stools never got better. He was put on metacam because the vet noticed he had some arthritis in his back paws, and she thought of his teeth hurt that might help for now.
We brought him back a week ago, because his breathing had gotten quite harsh over the last week. He would rock violently when resting, and would sometimes sit with his paws resting on his hay basket. We honestly thought it was the meds. Cause most of this started around the same time. We thought he was just having a bad reaction.
The vet did some awake X-rays, which revealed Spike's heart is quite enlarged. It is practically touching his sides, and is pushing on his lungs. The vet spotted some fluid on his lungs, too. To make matters worse, even though he had been consuming bags and bags of hay, he had lost a scary amount of weight.
He was put on more critical care, we were told to add some alfalfa hay to his diet, he was changed from metacam to Gabapentin to see if that would stop the runny stools, and he was given a low dose of furosemide twice a day to try to clear his lungs.
I was told to bring him back in a few days to see how the meds are working. We had a different vet this time (my regular vet was on vacation), and her response was much more doom and gloom and she kept bringing up putting him down--which I thought was strange, since he has still been alert, eating with excitement, and otherwise his normal self. She increased the furosemide to .15ml twice a day, but warned me it might only dehydrate him and make things worse. She told us to add some pedialyte to water and syringe it to him a few times a day to try to keep his electrolytes up. We also switched him back to metacam since the soft stools weren't any better without it, and he was not enjoying the Gabapentin (he was terribly drowsy and dizzy and kept stumbling on himself).
Well, up until yesterday, Spike LOOOOVED the critical care. I could put it in a bowl and he'd gobble it up. In fact, he'd thump because I could never make it fast enough. Yesterday, he decided he is plain old sick of it and will just sniff at the bowl and walk away. But he will come running for pellets, is eating lots of hay, and is drinking water, so I don't think it's an appetite thing. In fact, he comes running at mealtime, then looks at me when I put down the crit care. I don't understand why he doesn't like it all of a sudden? I'm so worried he is going to lose too much weight without it.
I guess I need to know if anyone else has had experience with buns with this condition? Any tips? Am I looking at only a few more days with him? Weeks? The vet made it sound like it could be any time. I am heartbroken. He has been my buddy for almost ten years and I can't imagine him not around.
Is there anything I can do (I tried syringe feeding and suck at it. I can't get him steady by myself) to get him to eat his crit care? How do I make sure he is not dehydrated on the furosemide? Is there any other treatment I should talk to my vet about or is all hope truly lost at this stage?
I just don't want him to suffer.
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