Dog mom here. Anna is letting me post on her blog today, there's a lot of scientific stuff her little puppy brain doesn't quite get.
First off, THANK YOU! When I looked in on the blog this weekend and saw all the encouraging posts from people I don't know or have never met, it humbled me. Both Dog Dad and I were so touched. Pet parents (and their pets of course!) are the best--I am honored to be part of this online community.
Okay, so here's the lowdown on Simon's situation. Vet called Friday, and while his thyroid levels have improved, his liver has gone up...from 260 two weeks ago to 795 last Thursday. This is raising concern of possible liver failure. After the initial shock, I began researching and found that his thyroid drug can be causing the liver spikes.
After a phone call with the Vet Friday night, we're trying to find the correct balance. Taking him off the thyroid pills will kill him, and so could the possible side effect of these pills. So we're adding another pill to the mix, Denamarin. Vet said it can be a miracle drug--cleansing and rebuilding the liver.
The game plan is to continue the thyroid meds, add in the Denamarin, give sub-q fluids twice a week and see where we stand next week. If the liver levels are high, we'll have to look at something else, like a thyroidectimy. But we need to get him strong enough to go through surgery, meaning he'll need to be on the thyroid meds to do that.
So basically we're waiting-and-seeing. I pray the Denamarin does its job. He has been eating more, which makes me feel better...maybe being a southern girl I think anything can be cured with food! Again, thank you all so much. You have no idea what it means.
Oh, and Anna wants you all to know she's been giving more magical healing slobbers aka kisses to Simon. She has been quite attentive to him, but I mean, she is the best dog nurse ever! Much love,
~Dog Mom
I came over here this morning looking for an update. Thanks for filling us in on the latest. As a fellow Dog/Cat Mom, I so understand how it feels when something is wrong! Glad to hear Nurse Anna is paying extra good attention. When it comes right down to it, love is always the best medicine.
ReplyDeleteI will be keeping my paws crossed that the new medicine works and Simon will get better.
ReplyDeleteWhen our kitty had thyroid problems years ago, the vet suggested a small implant of some sort which could be placed in her thyroid. We opted not to do it because it was expensive and just do meds, but if the meds are affectiving Simon's liver, it might be worth looking into.
ReplyDelete-Rottie Mom
Sorry to hear you're going through this! My sis, Lexi-Lou, had liver failure before she passed away. She was on Denamarin, too, as well as several other meds. It helped her quite a bit, we think.
ReplyDeleteYou'll all be in our prayers!
Buttons & her Mom
It just doesn't seem fair that one medicine to fix one problem can cause more. We will keep our paws crossed for Simon and hope that you can find the right balance for him.
ReplyDeleteWoos ~ Phantom, Thunder, and Ciara
We are definitely thinking about Simon and sending him our best. We really hope the new medicine works. Keep us posted.
ReplyDeleteWe hope the new meds do the trick. Grrrrr to the icky side effects.
ReplyDeleteOh goodness! We missed a lot of stuff this weekend. Anna, I'm sorry!
ReplyDeleteI sure hope the new medicine does the trick for Simon. Mom says that when Treat was on phenobarbital, they worried about her liver and were told that milk thistle can help cleanse the liver. I don't know if it can work for cats, but it's natural and not harmful to the body for dogs, so it might be able to help him some, too, if the vet says it's okay. You can get it in health food stores.
Bunny
P.S. I'm sorry you missed your adventures this weekend, Anna!
Sending more purrs and tail wags for Simon!
ReplyDeleteI'll khross my paws - even if Simon is a khat ;-)
ReplyDeleteHugz&Khysses,
Khyra
What a good nurse! I really hope the Denamarin will help. Waiting and seeing is such a hard thing to have to do. (Especially for those controlling types like me that can't be helpless!) A good appetite is a good sign for a kitty. One of the 1st things a kitty feeling sick will do is go off feeding. Definitely a good sign. Many hugs to you and little Simon!
ReplyDeleteWe'll keep our fingers and paws crossed tightly for Simon and we also hope the new medicine does the tricks and Simon is okay soon.
ReplyDeleteHang in there, Simon!!!
Hope this medicine combo does the trick for Simon and he's all better soon! Anna's kisses will surely help speed the healing process for him :)
ReplyDeleteThe Road Dogs
The human says that Denamarin makes sense, as it is a formulation of the supplement SAMe and silymarin (a compound in milk thistle). She also suggests that Dog Mom ask your vet if glutathione might also be helpful for Simon. We are all continuing to send healing purrs ...
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