[doganjo]

Cuddle up and keep warm, welcome home chaps. Hope Topsy improves soon.  Seeing Liz tomorrow for ringcraft so will hear more from her no doubt.

[marigold]

Welcome home James. Things will feel better in a few days. 

[Roxy]

Sorry to hear about Topsy.  Do hope things turn out ok for her.

Oh dear, thats the problem of returning from a nice holiday to this chilly island!  My neighbours spent Christmas in the Carribean on a cruise.  They said coming from 28 degrees to -18  and all the snow here, was rather a large shock!!  Hopefully you will adjust to our climate quickly!!

[MiriMaran]

Welcome home James.  Hope the results come back from the vets soon.  At least you are at home now and can see for yourself what is going on.  Fingers crossed for you.

[jameslindsay]

Thanks MM, we are having a roller coaster with her today. We spoke with the vet yesterday and none of the results are showing anything conclusive. However, the swelling has gone down a bit and although she has stopped eating dog food she will eat fish, chicken etc. However, this morning she was quiet, calm, lifeless and just not interested and we were distraught. At one point we said it "was time to let her go" and then all of a sudden she has rallied up again and is running about with one of her toys in her mouth. So, we don't know what will happen. She has to go back to the vet on Monday for more blood tests and they will compare the latest ones with last weeks and see if that tells them anything. I had an absolutely awful morning with worry about her but won't give up on her while she's fighting. If we can get rid of all this fluid we can keep her liver going with tablets the vet says. So, we live in hope.

[ukag0972]

Aw James, I'm thinking of you.
Lets hope they find something to diagnose soon! x

[sandy]

I really feel for you, our dogs (pets) are our family and we do not want to see them suffer!! hope all is well soon,

[Jackie]

James I dont know if you have been told but with liver damage it is better to restrict the amount of protein a dog eats.
 
I know dogs eat mainly meat(they are omnivours) but try a veg diet for a while to give the liver a rest. No dried food unless its soaked in warm warter either.

Hope this helps

Jackie

[jameslindsay]

Jackie thanks I wasn't told that. I know I shouldn't build my hopes up, especially after seeing her yesterday morning, but today she seems to be so much better. For the last week she has basically went outside, done her business and straight back in but this morning we walked much, much further and she even ran up the stairs. She is not as greedy as she normally is but is still eating. Thanks for the advice.

[MiriMaran]

Good to hear there's some improvement - keep smiling and giving her lots of love.

[Jackie]

You are very welcome to any help I can give James, no problem.

Do you mind my asking what tests she has had and what the vet is looking for?
He should perhaps be looking along the lines of liver flukes  fascola hepatica (fasciolosis)as you keep sheep and goats, or have you wormed/anti-fluked them recently?

[jameslindsay]

They took blood and sent it away to be analysed. They also sent away a sample of the fluid that is making her "bloated" but nothing comes back and points the finger at any specifics. He said on Thursday that he was still not hopeful that we would have a happy ending as the symptoms now could be the end product of her having had liver problems for some time and them going unnoticed (and now it's too late).

They have x rayed/scanned her but cannot get a clear view of the liver as there is so much fluid in her and because of this her organs are pushed all over the place. They have said they could perform a biopsy but he doubts that it would shed any further light on the problem and is also a bit intrusive for an already unwell dog.

I have to say that the swelling of the abdomen has really reduced in the last 24 hours and she is looking much more like her old self. We are too scared to build up our hopes yet but we are encouraged that things may just well be improving. As I said this time yesterday we were frantic but just now she is looking and behaving a bit like her old self.

Thanks for the interest.

[Jackie]

Dont give up yet as the liver has a remarkable capacity to regenerate, even if it is scarred.

[sandy]

Hope things get better soon, I just was thinking about the dog we had to have put to sleep last year, I think he had cancer some time before he was  put sleep due to liver failure and other things but what used to make me smile he always seem to find a bottle of alcohol on our walks and actualy drank what was left so when he went to the vets for the last time, bless him, he smelt of beer!!! I even wondered about that causing him liver damage ;)You sure she's not nipping into the bar for a tipple or someone passing her a night cap!!

[marigold]

Got my fingers crossed James - don't give up.