Yesterday morning, Brandy attacked Georgia. Brandy was gnawing on a little tree branch and she walked away sniffing around and doing something else. Georgia went over to the tree branch and started gnawing on it. Brandy saw it and she jumped on Georgia. I got Brandy off of Georgia pretty fast without any injury to myself, but Georgia’s lone front leg was bleeding profusely. I had to separate Brandy first to do anything with Georgia, so I put her inside a crate, picked up the rolled bandage and ran back outside. I have never seen so much blood in my whole life and I seriously thought I was going to lose Georgia from losing too much blood.
I put the bandage on her and drove to the nearest emergency vet where they clipped the wound and examined it. Then the attending veterinarian thought it was best for a surgeon to open up Georgia’s leg because there were just too much blood coming out and was worried about damages to any ligaments or nerves. I called my vet Dr. L, and drove Georgia over where she opened her up and confirmed there were no permanent damage, it was just that the bite was to the largest vein in her leg. They put a drain in her leg so that the blood accumulated in her leg would drain out and I was told that she’s doing well. I either pick her up later today depending on how much the swelling goes down.
Brandy will have another thorough check up on Saturday because of her recent aggression. Besides, I’ve been worried about her general health since now she smells like a dog. For those who are going “isn’t Brandy a dog?” Yes, she is. But ever since I’ve switched all my dogs to prey model raw diet, they just stopped smelling like a dog even when they are soaking wet. But now Brandy smells like a dog and I just know something’s not right on top of her pneumonia and on top of her bacterial overgrowth (her stool is STILL loose). She’s been having accidents over night and now her eyes are so watery she has tear marks under her eyes. I’m really worried.
Life is a bitch and I’m tired of her.
Three days ago, Brandy was coughing a bit more than usual, the usual being water or yogurt not going down well owing to her megaesophagus. The next day, I noticed Brandy’s breathing was making a strange noise as if her lungs were congested. Her coughs possessed the quality of coughs of people with a flu trying to cough up phlegm. Alarmed, I dug out the nebulizer and saline solution, purchased last year when Brandy had her first bout of aspiration pneumonia, and treated her. Her temperature was 102.5F, the absolute high end of the normal for a dog.
Yesterday, I made an appointment with Dr. L for today even though Brandy’s cough and breathing sounded better in the morning. Good thing that I did because when I came home from work, I really didn’t like the sound of her breathing and the cough, not to mention that her temperature was 103.2F. Most definitely NOT normal. I could even feel something gurgling in her lungs when I put my hand on her side. I treated her with nebulizer a little longer than the day before.
When the vet was examining Brandy, her breathing wasn’t making any sound and she didn’t cough even once of course. Isn’t it strange it’s always like that? I tell you, my dogs try their best to embarrass me and make me look like a fool. Brandy even lowered her temperature down to 102.4F!!!
But Brandy’s ploy did not work this time. She does have pneumonia. But because it was caught early and she was treated with nebulizer at once, it has not advanced much. I was given Genticin, an antibiotic, and Albuterol, a bronchodilator which helps to increase air movement by relaxing the muscles in airways. Both medications are added to the saline solution in the nebulizer to be used twice a day for at least 10 minutes each.
Last year, I found oxygen masks made for dogs, through megaesophagus Yahoo group, to be used with nebulizer. But the connector of the mask is made to be inserted in a tube, not the opening of the nebulizer cup. So instead of using the mask, I used the mouthpiece that came with the nebulizer, holding it an inch or so way from Brandy’s nose, which obviously is not very effective.
Dr. L told me an easier and more effective way to use nebulizer: put Brandy in a crate, tape the nebulizer cup on the door and cover the crate with a blanket. She assured me that this is much more effective than the oxygen mask because masks usually scare the dogs since they prevent the dogs’ use of the mouth, which in turn prevents dogs from breathing in with ease (but she gave me a T-connector for the nebulizer anyway to be used with the mask).
So I would appreciate it if you can cross your fingers again for Brandy. We have to go back in 2 weeks for a recheck. I’d also appreciate it if you can cross your fingers for me as well so that I don’t forget to treat her with nebulizer in the morning. Mornings are so very tough for me…
I love love love my vet. After looking at the X-rays taken at the E-vet, Dr. L pointed out that Georgia has elbow dysplasia. Georgia was predisposed to dysplasia and hence arthritis because of her abnormal elbow angulation – whatever “elbow angulation” means. We will monitor her elbow dysplasia by taking X-rays every few months and if her elbow gets out of socket, she will need a surgery, for which case, I will have to prepare for since she won’t be able to or should not walk on that leg. Since Georgia has already been on all the joint supplements the vet recommends, the only other treatment we added is Adequan injections as needed.
The best part about the visit was that I finally had the chance to talk to Dr. L about her receptionists on how dreadfully difficult for me to talk to the vet over the phone or even leave a frigging message, the problem I had with Grizzley’s prescription renewal, the issue over dropping off Grizzley, and the issue I had when I took Foster in for his broken nail. I apologized for “complaining”, but she was all like, “No, no, no. Thank you. I want you to tell me. I have to deal with it. I’ll take care of it.” Then when I paid and came out and loaded Georgia in the car, a vet tech named Brian came out to talk to me, who informed me that Dr. L told him to talk to me and assure me that from now on if I call and have any trouble getting through, I can just ask for him, and he would relay the message!!! And if I have any other problems with receptionists, I should not hesistate. Did I mention I love my vet?
The new living arrangement is getting into some kinda routine. Not where I want to be yet. Foster, of course, being the royal pain in my big fat ass, keeps marking his territory! Not only that now he even started marking downstairs!!! Obviously I cannot be with him all the time to stop him when he does the deed, he keeps doing it. And when I find a little spot, he freezes in his tracks for a few seconds, lowers his head and tries to slink away! UGH! UGH! UGH!!!!!!!!
I haven’t posted an update on Brandy’s condition so far. I tried, but I got so frustrated all over again thinking about the two receptionists at the vet, Lorraine and Sheila, as well as Dr C, who happens to be Lorraine’s son, that I jumbled the words and stuttered badly on the keyboard, so I deleted the post. Now several days later, I’ve calmed down a bit, although still upset, I think I can get this update published.
The short version is that Brandy has vitamin B12 deficiency and bacterial overgrowth, which has been causing the diarrhea. She’s put on amoxicillin and B12 supplement. If you are bored and want to read the long version, the rest of this entry is me ranting in painstakingly minute detail about certain people, mentioned above, at the vet’s office.
Last Friday, I received a phone call from Dr. C, instead of my vet Dr. L, about the blood test results. He said Dr. L asked him to give me a call, and said Brandy’s pancreatic level was normal as with everything else except her B12 level, which was low; the course of her treatment would be to give her B12 supplement and treat her with amoxicillin twice a day for 30 days; I could pick up amoxicillin and Pet-tabs, which is a multivitamin for dogs. I asked if I couldn’t just buy B12 supplement at a drug store, and he replied that I could certainly do that. Now my mistake at that point was to assume that he would have offered to call in the prescription for me at my local pharmacy IF amoxicillin was NOT a medication only available at veterinary facilities. Because Dr. L had offered to call in prescriptions for me twice already this year, I assumed amoxicillin was something not available at pharmacies.
The next day, SATURDAY mind you, I left home around 9:45am to pick up amoxicillin at the vet, which is usually about 40-45 minute drive. But after driving for 15 minutes or so on Long Island Expressway, the traffic came to a complete halt. Fortunately, I was right next to an exit, and I took the exit along with everybody else who was lucky enough to not have passed this exit. I drove on the service road at 0.00314 mile per hour and found out LIE was closed for 3 subsequent exits because of a tractor trailer crash. I finally got back on the LIE and flew to the vet’s office.
I told Sheila that I was there to pick up amoxicillin. For whom? she asked. Brandy, I answered. Last name? she asked. Kimn, K-I-M-N, I answered. Sheila opened a cabinet and started looking for it. Then she said quite contemptuously, Did you call it in? You HAVE to call it in first. It’s not here. You can’t just walk in and… I interrupted quite irritably, No, I didn’t call it in. Dr. C called ME yesterday. Flustered, Sheila proceeded to take out a basket from the cabinet and went through it. She took another basket out and went through it. She typed in my name on the computer apparently looking to verify my story. She went through the baskets again. She got up and walked to the back room, came back out, started the search again. She went to the back room again, came back out, searched for it again. Lorraine interfered and she walked to the back room, came back out, typed my information again on the computer. Lorraine and Sheila whispered this and that to each other. And Lorraine started going through the baskets again, when she grabbed a pill bottle and handed it to Sheila. Sheila said, Oh, I was looking for an envelope, not a bottle! Lorraine answered, Clavamox is in the envelope, not amoxicillin.
Increasingly irritated and impatient, yet relieved that I was getting the thing I drove all the way there for, I proceeded to pay and asked, so amoxicillin is not something that can be called in to a pharmacy? Lorraine answered sheepishly, We can call it in. But they look different. If you get it from a pharmacy, they don’t look the same.
(WARNING! The following paragraph not appropriate for children. Parental guidance strongly advised.)
With that, I turned around very quickly and got the fuck out of that place before I start yelling obscenities and end up getting banned from there. I mean, IT LOOKS DIFFERENT? FOR REAL? BIG! FUCKING! DEAL! WHY THE FUCK WOULD I GIVE A FUCKING SHIT ABOUT WHAT THE FUCK IT FUCKING LOOKS LIKE?!?! WHY THE FUCK DID I FUCKING HAVE TO DRIVE ALL THE FUCKING WAY THERE???? I WASTED THREE FUCKING HOURS THAT FUCKING DAY BECAUSE THE FUCKING CRASH WAS STILL BEING INVESTIGATED WHICH CAUSED THE FUCKING RUBBERNECKERS SO BREAK-FUCKING-HAPPY THAT MADE THE FUCKING TRAFFIC TO SLOW THE FUCK DOWN ON MY WAY BACK HOME AS WELL. AND HAVE YOU BEEN PAYING ATTENTION TO THE FUCKING PRICE OF FUCKING GAS THESE FUCKING DAYS? IT FUCKING COST ME TWENTY FUCKING BUCKS ROUND FUCKING TRIP! AND I COULD HAVE PICKED THIS FUCKING THING UP AT MY PHARMACY HALF A FUCKING MILE AWAY FROM ME?
And I have a scratch on my right thumb around the nail bed, that looks like a razor cut, made by Grizzley’s tooth, and a scratch on my right wrist by his nails. I’ve forgotten what a pain it is to pill a cat, not to mention how to do it period. Grizzley had always been somewhat easy to pill compared to Thanta (RIP), but after getting used to the easy routines of pilling Brandy everyday (and before that pilling Georiga everyday), he presented himself to be a tough customer.
When I went to pick him up yesterday, my vet told me that prednisone is working, he ate ravenously, and even groomed himself. When he was brought out, I could see he did feel much better than the day before – he voiced his objections on having been in the hospital out loud. I should take him in 2 weeks to do a round of tests. The vet is very optimistic that it’s not cancer since Grizzley’s responding too well for it to be cancer. I’ve decided not to go for chemo on him even if it is cancer. The vet also agreed that gastrointestinal cancers are very unresponsive to chemo, which made it much easier for me to decide chemo or not. So even if his condition regresses after reducing prednisone dosage, I’d opt not to have biopsy done unless the vet gives me another compelling reason to have it done anyway.
I was kinda bummed yesterday after learning about the ultrasound result, and cried a couple of times – had to stay in the bathroom for a while because it’s not such a good thing to cry at work so much. But now, I feel better about it since Grizzley seems to be really happy about being back home and able to terrorize the dogs again.
Serious Stuff. Seriously
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