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[Jen]

   Was not home much of Sunday, but the medicine appears to be taking its toll on Dirtbike. (1yr old. coon-hound) My husband doses her and takes good care of her.  A couple of days ago she was playing and barking like she had nothing wrong, but we weren't getting our hopes up.
    She was very sick after her last dose, and hasn't been hungry for a while. She slept out on the patio all night - her choice. It's cooler out there.
   Still very alert, just tired and still running a fever. The sores are healing - got 2 different antifungal creams for them. Her nasal breathing is still very labored, but she pants well. She just wandered in and had a good drink, climbed up on her hassock.
Fingers crossed.
Jen

[Wilson3]

Hi Jen,

How is Dirtbike doing? Any better today?
She will get sicker before better. Right now the antifungal is killing of the yeast (fungus) and it is fighting back trying to keep living. This is a VERY hard time on your dog almost the hardest of the whole treatment.
Always,ALWAYS give the med. with food. (I put Wilsons pill in same can food and just hand it right our and he takes it right from my hand.) A high protein deit, blasto takes all from the dog. try to keep food in her tummy to, at all times. Snacks are good. Does she like hard boiled eggs? LOTS of WATER is very important to!!!!  Innova has lots of great high protein treats and foods that are grain free. (Less grains the sugers feed the blasto) Very Healthy foods are VERY IMPORTANT. If peopel foods you can eat with her this somtimes helps.
Are you giving her anything for the fever?
Hold her close tell her you love her and you need her and to get fighting now isn't her time yet
tell her from your heart

Wilson3

[Jen]

W3,
   You've been such a great source of information and support. Today was a trial.  When I came home, she was lying outside in the shade. My husband was convicned that she was dying and suffered a complete breakdown. (He is schizophrenic w/phsychoses, and although extremely intelligent and high-functioning, he is not always stable.) He said that her resp. rate was 5 breaths/minute and she wasn't going to make it. He convinces himself of things and there's nothing you can do to change his mind.
   
   I went outside with some sausage patties, and she came right to me, wagging her tail and panting, ate the sausages and drank water - just like she's been doing. He could see her through the windows, but by that time it didn't make a difference; he was convinced that she was dying right then and he just fell apart: incoherent, sobbing, rambling, etc.  I got him into an emergency appt. with the psych, he was sent to the ER, then admitted to the "Adult Intensive Unit".  The stress of all the illness in the family and some other things just sent him over the edge. This is perhaps a blessing; I don't have to worry about keeping him stable and content for at least another 2 days. which is when he could be allowed to go home.  I can't even visit until Wed. evening, so I can concentrate on visiting mom and dad for 2 days.

   For her pain/fever, I've been giving her 2 ibuprofen in the afternoon., along with 5 mg. prednisone if her breathing is severe. It really seems to perk her up alo, but I don't want her depending on a steroid  . It's reassuring to hear that the medication is giving her the worst time as it works on the Blasto; I try to keep remembering that. She always gets it with food, whatever we can hide it in, and plenty of water. She is drinking a lot, which is good. I've tried to cut out breads and grains, andI will try eggs tomorrow.   She may look really bad at times, but she's doing her best, as we are.

   I only hope that for better or worse, people can read these posts and maybe find some of our experiences useful/helpful and that it gives them comfort to know that they aren't alone. It has really helped me during a very difficult time. I'm very tired now.

Love to all from the pack:
 Jen

[Wilson3]

Hello Jen,

Boy you sure have been going through a lot!!! I am so sorry to hear about your husband now. It can get pretty hard to handle when all goes bad. And your fmily sure has seen better days. (and you will again soon!)

I am surpised that your vet has you giving ibeprophin. Mine always says i shouldn't give it.Can upset there stomackreally bad and other things. If at all 1 pill in a 24 time. but i do know all vets are differnt and they know what they are doing.
Dirtbikes breathing should starting getting better in about 2 or 3 weeks  just keep her quite no running or jumping sleep as much as possible. i know the rapped breathing really scared me,the most. and the heart beating really fast to trying to keep up once he statring showing some improvment everytime he got a little quite with his breathing i would jump to make sure he was still alive.the lesion eem to respone very fast to the meds and about once a week i would really notice improvement. Wilson isn't totally out of the woods yet. he sees his doctor once a month now and they do blood work and take x-rays like evry other time or so

when wilson got his pain meds it did really seem to relxe him and help with his breathing
the first 2 months we had to carry him up and down allour stairs and no running or jumping and he had an e-collar on to not lick his foot he found a way anyways to get to it he just was oked by his dr. to start small walks 5 weeks ago. he has moved up to longer walks now and is doing much better but will be on meds for some time yet
i do wonder though about these dogs that are on the meds for such a short time?

keep hanging in there things do get better the fisrt 10 days is the hardest
i hop ethe best for you and your family !!

wilson3

[Jen]

   Hopefully I get a chance to call the vet today. Yesterday was bad. You are right, the rapid breathing is freaking me out a bit. I skipped the prednisone yesterday, but went ahead and gave it to her this morning. She's just now slowing down her breathing and resting a bit.  All night she followed me around as if she wanted me to do something, but there's nothing else I can do. Breaks your heart.
   
   It was our *old* vet that told us an advil in a piece of velveeta would fix about anything. The new one didn't say anything about that - I was just giving it to her for fever and discomfort if she has any. I don't know if she's in any pain unless it would be her lungs and ribs from breathing so hard. I'll see if they advise something different.  Her lesions are mostly healed, and I've been using spectazole topically. Except for the 1/2" sore on on her back, the others are tiny and she doesn't notice them. They're just about gone anyway. The sores on her nose are also crusted and her nasal passages are not so clogged anymore.

   She's had no appetite the past couple of days, but at least drank this morning. Skipped the ice water, the frozen gatorade, and went straight for the toilet. Better than nothing. She's wise to every trick, and is afraid there's a pill in anything I give her, so I need a new strategy - or just pry her mouth open and shove it down. I'm afraid that if the fungus doesn't kill her the treatment will.

   From what you say about Wilson, she can't be as bad as I keep thinking, even though she just acts so miserable. I can't imagine how you kept him alive, with having to carry him, heal his sores, and his poor legs etc.   Her bones and lymph nodes aren't affected, but she's just walking now because the medicine has made her so ill. The last time I saw her run was yesterday morning.  It seems like it takes about 6 hrs. after the pill before she even thinks about moving.
 
   Anyway, lots to take care of today- have to meet with staff at the Center so that we can talk about husband coming home. If he doesn't play by the rules they won't let him, and our daughter graduates college this weekend.
   Jeeze. Sometimes you just have to laugh, right?
Thanks-
jen

[Jen]

Wilson3's posts have kept me hopeful over the past couple of days. Husband is now home, and we're trying to help him keep things in perspective. Everyone says the first 2 weeks of blasto TX are the worst, and it sounds as though they've been through worse than us.

   Dirtbike will only drink occassionally. She has no appetite, spits out whatever we give her. She is still alert, patrols the yard, walks and trots- did break into a lope when I pulled in from work, slept with the goat (Mr. Freckles) last night. (She loves that goat - they look alot alike.) Had a very good day Wednesday, re-discovered her nose. Snuffled everything in sight, swam, then sat under the cherry tree with her eyes closed, head swaying back and forth, sniffing the breeze like it was something she was treasuring. Her nasal passages are very swollen and she's working hard to breathe through them. Don't know why she won't just pant instead, it's easier for her.  The vet said he would recommend a broncho-dilator if she needed it, but a different vet was in the day I called. He suggested an oxygen tent for 24 hrs. at a rate of $600 to $800 rental. Pulleeze!  I bought her some Sudafed, some tussin, took her for a ride in the jeep, made her breathing a bit easier. She did, however, stay up all night barking with the neighbor dogs.

If anyone has tips on forcing food or water, please let me know. Right now she'll drink when she absolutely has to, but that's about it. I'm hoping she'll come around and start chowing down before long. Watching and waiting...
TIA-
jen

[Wilson3]

Hi Jen,

well I am sure glad to hear Dirtbike is still here!! 

it is very important to try really hard to get protein into her. the blasto is taking evrything right now and she really needs her strangth.
try boiling ground sirlion (us this less fat you do not want the fat)
you can out some chicken broth in it
while boling to add flavor eggs are good but not fried in fat hard boiling in chicken broth added to it while cooking or just sock over night us pedelite (in baby isle ) has lots of good stiff in it and they will drink VERY important to eat and drink

nothing greasy or high in fat good proteins that peopel would eat cooked chichen is good go and get her a steak try that anything to get her to eat the more the better

I am really glad to hear you husdand is home and doing better!!
Things can really get to be overwhelming i know how i felt when wilson was at his worst
i thought the world was closing in and just couldnt see how this was all fair to him he had such a hard beginning in life and then this
but he has thought me many things!!! and as he contiues to get better i know how lucky i am to have him and my other 2 aussies
the joy they bring me
the 2 weeks of treatment is the hardest then it sems to get better very slooowly
i remember thinking at day 4 all day at work i was keep wilson alive for myself because i didnt want to loose him but a miraclare happen and i saw the first signds of him geting better
at that time we went min by min then wenr hr by hr then day by day now we go month by month
he continue to shows improvments my vet doesnt want a relaps or for anything to haoppen to his other organs
i remeber all wilson did for 2 months was sleep and breath vey heavy and couldnt walk
but he did eat aussie are blessed with always wanting to eat no matter what he was very slow at it but i would lay on the floor with him and tal to himn and pretty much begg him to eat
i would just hold him all the time when i wasnt at work and cry and tell him how much i love d him and that i need him and to pleeease keep fighting  and he DID!!!  we still hve a loong way to go but feel we made it through the worst and it was all well worth it

on our walk today in th ewoods we saw danny,another dog with blasto who lost his eyes i dont really know his whole story but do know he is doing well so i do know there is always hope and dogs that do make it

just stay positive at all times

i hope your mom and dad are doing better

didnt you have a graduation to go to this weekend i hope you guys have fun you need it
take care

i am going to send u some pictures of wilsons lesion to your email
wilson3

[Jen]

Thanks again for everything.
: )
j

[Jen]

   I will never again say that I think Dirtbike is doing better until we are sure. She went downhill Sunday night and is doing very poorly right now. We have to force-feed her, although she is drinking. Doesn't want chicken, chicken broth, ground meat, nothing.
   Made her stay in last night; she wants to go out but is having trouble moving around. At least she is moving, and can still go out to pee.  I don't take any of her time for granted.
   Very sore. No more shots. Just the Itraconazole and whatever food we can get into her. Lots of weight loss. Lots of tears. I have heard that it gets worse before it gets better. She's tougher than I am.  I hope it doesn't hurt her as much as it does me. Very hard to leave her and go to work - my husband takes good care of her, but for some reason the hardest things always fall on him.
   Hoping for a better day.
Best to all -
jen

[Wilson3]

jen i am really sorry to hear about dirtbike!!!
i am surprised she has been up and running around as much as you have said
everyone i know that has blasto where told by the vet to try and keep them quit what did your vet say about it?
they really ned rest blasto takes everything from there bodies  and it sounds like she has lost waaay to much weight what has your vet saidabout allthe weight loss?
i seem to have missed what type of shots she was getting,you said very sore from shots?
dogs seem to take things as they come not like people i am sure she is very uncomfortable but but not as bad as we might think
i know someone that used a pureead very high protein foods and used a turkey baster or somthing like it to force feed
i was lucky with the feeding thing aussie sooo want to please and he ate for me cause i would cry he beg from him to eat and when he would him little tail would go cause i told him he was sooo good for eating but thats the beed to

she really needs water and high protein foods and rest and lots of it even if she seems better the meds will make her tummy very upst thats why with food it soo important  try liver worst it isnt the most healthy but put the pill in that wilson got tired of things getting pushed down his trhoat and started to fight it and then got a sore on his tip of tongue now that part is gone he lost part of his tongue no real big deal it could have been jhis life oreyes but he was only given the ok for more active in the last 6 weeks and it is controled as not to get to worked up there hearts work over time with this it beats 10x's faster the harder they breath and more they mocve around sleep is very improtant in the beginning to

bug your vet more i called mine allthe time in the beginning i think i drove the whole clinit crazy  but they all new how much i love wilson so they wheer very good about it
now they are all very happy to see him

how did your graduation go?
had really good weather ....i think  it was nice here

have you seen any improvment since she started meds?

you should have not a lot but some  it takes a very loooong time to recover from this
thats wher i get confused when people say they are done with treatment in 4 to 9 weeks  everything i have read 6 months to a yr.
dont know

but hang in there and keep try to get her to eat thr tripet might work smells really bad i mean really bad and good for sick dogs but not a lot to start can give direeraha 
have you been able to get any othe rthe supplements i suggest (with your 50 other things on your list to do)
its hard but just keep hang in in there  and pray to it does help
give dirtbike a hug from us and tell her she has to get better you need her!!!
wilson3

[Jen]

Okay...
   Once again, thanks for everything. Your experience and advice is the greatest of help. I totally freaked out over her yesterday. Since Christmas Eve it's been one crisis after another, and it's really taking it out of me.
   She was walking better today, and resting a lot.  Breathing is less labored, less distressed, and we're trying to keep her quiet. She was running and playing, but not now. I wanted her to have fun and lots of sun would be good, but maybe not. The vet never mentioned it.
   We've started her on lots of Ensure Plus/high protein, as well as lots of peanut butter - the fat is necessary to create digestive enzymes and optimize the Itraconazole, plus the calories help. Not to mention that it pisses her off and she drinks a bowl of water to wash it down, which is good. We've been using a squirt bottle to feed the Ensure, so she can't help but swallow it. I'm also going to start using liquid jello. Got to get the weight loss stopped and get her appetite back.  Milk thistle too, and I'd like to find some good vitamin drops, maybe something like we gave  horses that were hard keepers. I don't want to overwhelm her liver.
   I haven't bugged the vet enough, and our income is rather limited right now, so some of the things they suggest, like the oxygen tent, are just out bounds. He did say that it might help to give tetracycline shots to treat any secondary infections. That is a broad spectrum antibiotic, and it's hard on animals, especially those that are already fighting. So no more of that, it's hurting her. I remember when we had to treat our Lab (Obie) with it, and he did the same thing after a few days, shaking and not walking well. It stopped when we quit giving it to him. No more prednisone either. A little tussin helps with her breathing.  I'm calling them again tomorrow with some more questions. I've spent enough money there, they can take some time to talk to me.
   Her playmate (Boxer/Lab pup, 1yr. old) across the road appears to have lesions now as well. There are a million places the fungus could grow here. We hope it's not blasto, because the neighbors won't consider vet help. The other 3 dogs are fine.

   Graduation - hurray. I was totally freaked after we got to commencement and couldn't find Sylvia's name in the lists. I just thought that maybe since she changed her major in the last month that maybe she didn't meet her requirements...but it was only because it was too late to get her name in the book. She assured me all day that it was okay, but I wasn't happy until they finally called her name and gave her the diploma book. Phew. She had a second interview today as branch manager of a AAA travel agency in Chicago. Hope she gets it, this is her dream and she deserves it. (Dirtbike is actually HER dog, and she's pretty torn up.)
   Everyone else is hanging in - husband as stable as he gets, mom is itching to drive and to go home, Dad is hanging on, not in pain, but still dying. That's okay, we're all ready for it whenever he decides to go.
   The doctor put me on an antidepressant to help control chronic pain (sudden onset of severe arthritis in my knees - crap, I'm only 42!) Lortab isn't cutting it. Maybe it'll help, but I'd rather have some Percocet.  : ) 
   It really helps to be able to communicate with someone who understands Blasto. I can't save the world, but this one dog is precious to me, and I'll do everything I can for her.  And if someone else can get just one thing from this, it's worth it.
   Give Wilson a hug for me, and one for you too.
Tomorrow is another day.
jen
   
   
   

[Jen]

   Doing the best we can, which is all you can do with Blasto.  Dirtbike is walking, trotting, wagging her tail, and we've come to an agreement at best. She will take 2 cans of Ensure-Plus a day (peanutbutter with her pill), and will drink plenty of water on her own. She will eat some meat, but only REAL meat: roasted pork, beef, fat, etc. No hot dogs, sausages, eggs, cannned food, nothing that she thinks might have a pill in it.
   She agrees to lie around the yard during the day, and sleep inside for a bit, but she wants to roam after midnight. She will come home when she's ready. I won't force her to stay inside and be miserable - she should be allowed to live on her own terms. Chaining or locking her up would be traumatic.
   One of our neighbors (who has seen lots of animals in many states of health and sickness) came down and said, "By God, that dawg's comin' back. Last week I wouldn'ta give her a chance, but she looks to be doin' right good." Hope he's right, he's seen alot.
Happy Mother's Day to everyone-
jen

[Wilson3]

hi jen
love dirtbikes picture!!!
how is everything going??
better I hope

wilson3

[Jen]

Hi wilson3-

That's baby Dirtbike - her nose is a bit smaller and ears alot longer now. She grew into a huge hound.

We're doing better I think. In the past 2 days she's been breathing better, sores healing, and she's eating canned dog food. Not a lot of it, but at least eating something on her own. (And she's guarding her dish from the other dogs, who have never had canned food.) She also showed the first signs of trying to groom herself again. Very alert, but pretty weak too.

You were right - it scared me when I couldn't hear her breathing from the other end of the house. This is the beginning of her 4th week, and she's still fighting.

Thanks - and give my love to Wilson
jen

[Jen]

It's been a whole month of treatment for the big girl. Not one that I'd care to go through again. She's not so big now, but we're working to put the weight back on her.

It's amazing when you notice them doing things that you once took for granted. She cares enough to scratch now, holds her tail at half-mast again (yesterday it was all the way up), and her bark is coming back.  When lying in the yard she assumes the "Colonel" Dirtbike guard position. There is new hair growing where there were black sores. She doesn't constantly wheeze like a lung cancer patient anymore, and the drool factor is somewhat better.

I'm not saying she's normal, only that we're seeing small signs of improvement very slowly. I don't believe it would've been possible without the constant care, the sleepless nights, and without the support and knowledge of people here. She may have a long way to go, but she's made it this far and I'm encouraged. She's on compounded Itraconazole powder capsules 1x per day, from Pet Health Pharmacy in Arizona. She hates it, but it appears to be working.

Holding steady and wishing the best for all of you who are fighting-
Thanks,
jen