DM's progression

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mardismom
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DM's progression

Post by mardismom »

Hello everyone. Wish my first post were under different circumstances... Mardi, my 11 yr-old Siberian Husky has DM. I would say it is at stage -3. His tummy is sagging, the back legs haven't worked for over a year and his front legs have collapsed twice in the past week or so. Trouble is he has his good days -he literally pulled me around the village yesterday! He's still smiling. Now for the emergency. In the last two days he has had bad diarrhea, and has thrown up at least three times in the last 10 hours. Mind you there has not been much to throw up since he won't eat-which in NOT like him. He had a healthy appetite until last friday. What to make of this? Will taking him to the vet change anything? I am not in the position to waste money, unfortunately. Will a switch to soft food be a plausible solution for his aging teeth.
My partner is making everything MORE unbearable. Granted he had to get up at 5 am ( I did the midnight shift) to clean everything up but I don't see that being something to blow one's stack about- it just has to be dealt with calmly. Now he wants to banish the dog to the garage which I refuse :cry: to do. He made fun of my inability to haul him around- he is just over 70lbs and doubts that I can look after the dog. I need to paint him as most unsupportive. He is incredibly angry :twisted: and I don't know what to make of this response. (Grief?) Or how to respond. So far breaking down in tears has not abated his tirade. He even went as far this morning as to blame me for feeding Mardi incorrectly and thus why the dog became sick. This dog saved my life 8 years ago, so I owe him everything. Please help me decide what to do first-my emotions are overwhelming my judgement, I am afraid. :thankyou: Mardi's Mom
"Outside of a dog, books are man's best friends. Inside of a dog, well, it's just to hard to read" Groucho Marx
Christine
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Re: DM's progression

Post by Christine »

I am so sorry you are dealing with all of this. I certainly don't have all the answers, but you will be receiving some good information soon, so just hang on. My first thoughts are to give him a tablespoon of pure pumpkin (no spices or additives) in with the next few meals. That will help the loose stools. Some people just include that with every meal.

I do believe at least a call to your vet is necessary. Many of the vets are willing to give you advice over the phone and possibly a prescription to try. Your dog needs this and I think you need the support of someone who knows.

Do you have any kind of harness or walking aid for him yet. I use the Lift and Assist Harnass found on this site and it has been a godsend. Also, the Hartman Harnass (a little more expensive) and custom made might be helpful.

Does he normally have a predictable bathroom schedule? Getting him to deficate before you go to bed will help you both a lot, once you get the loose stools under control. Look under the Incontinence area for the sticky about expressing and Poop on Demand (POD is way easier than expressing !).

You might also want to consider a diaper during the night and there is a whole section on this subject on our board. I am at work right now, so am just mentioning things. We will get your more specifics if you cannot find them.

As far as help from your partner goes, we all have different situations...some do everything on their own because they live alone and their schedules are unreal trying to maintain the normal and still care for their babies. I have a wonderfully supportive husband, but there are some things I know I cannot ask him to do so I work around it. It can be quite a balancing act with us being torn many times during the day, but everyone has to create their own "new normal".

Just know that you have someplace to come for help and to vent if you need to. Your partner will come around and your dog knows how much you love him. Take care.
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Christine
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Re: DM's progression

Post by Christine »

Bumping this because it is not appearing on the new posts.
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CarolC
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Re: DM's progression

Post by CarolC »

Hi Mardi's Mom,

Oh, boy, I wish I had a good answer. I am always told by the vet to fast my dog for 24 hours if he has diarrhea, and then to start him on plain cooked rice. If you have an emergency vet open right now, you might ask them over the phone if there is something you can give your dog to settle his stomach. I would not try to give him any human meds without asking, as some are not safe for pets and you would need to know the correct dosage for the ones that are safe. There is something called Pet Pectillin, which works for diarrhea. I think you can buy it at PetsMart.

I wonder if it could be pancreatitis, which can be brought on by stress? For that I would fast him and then go with a low fat diet afterward, but I am not a vet and even a vet could not diagnose over the Internet.

I am sorry for the trouble you are having with your partner. Could you get one of his friends to take him out for a few hours and get him out of the house? Maybe he needs to go run the track or shoot baskets or something and work off some of his stress.
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Jean
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Re: DM's progression

Post by Jean »

Hi Mardi's Mom,
WOW ! You are sure being hit with everything at once. I'm sorry.
I have a really good Vet who I can call at home. I even have his cell phone number. Is it possible to call and talk to your regular vet since he is more familiar with your big "guy".
I also have an ER Vet clinic that is in another nearby town that I can call if it is to late to call my regular vet. Is this a possibility? However, I know our local ER vet will not talk to anyone over the phone due to liability. Is there a Vet technician familiar with Mardi who would talk to you on the phone or possibly come over. I have a tech friend that is so wonderful about letting me "bounce ideas" off of her or help me with med dosages.
Mardi could likely just have an upset tummy. However, in his weakened condition it might affect him differently than it would an ambulatory dog. If this is the case he might need medical treatment to help stabilize him. Just because you take him in doesn't mean that he is at deaths door. He might just need help to get over a virus, etc.
Do you have incontinent pads that you could use on Mardi to make clean up less stressful. I love the washable Pooch pads they are such a help with messes.
No matter what happens remember that you are doing the best you can do. You are not responsible for how your partner is feeling or acting. Your prime concern is Mardi. People handle stress in different ways. You can be supportive of your partner but you can't shoulder his problems as well as trying to care for Mardi.
I hope Mardi has a better evening. Take care of yourself. I'll be praying for you and Mardi./Jean
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critters
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Re: DM's progression

Post by critters »

:whale: We had a nasty belly bug a few weeks ago that made my 300 YO MamaCat do the same thing. While some OTC diarrhea stoppers are safe even for cats, I suspect he needs to be seen anyway, especially with the DM. I'm not one to talk to about "partner problems;" there are VERY good reasons why I don't have one!! :mrgreen:
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CarolC
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Re: DM's progression

Post by CarolC »

Mardi's Mom, thinking about you. I'd like to know more about the stages of DM if you have any links. Hope you are OK.
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Jean
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Re: DM's progression

Post by Jean »

Dear Mardi's mom,
How is your "big guy" doing? I have thought alot about him the last few days. I have been checking this thread for information but have seen nothing. I hope Mardi is better !!!!!!!! Please post and let us know how he is doing./Jean
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