Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 7:19 pm Post subject: Neo
Honestly - these dogs will be the death of me!!!
I noticed the other day that Neo is drinking a bit more - but as Bramble isn't drinking anything I wasn't entirely sure that I wasn't being paranoid..., but it wasn't enough to make me feel that a vets trip was needed.
Saturday evening, Neo put himself in the dog bed (nothing unusual) but I noticed immediately that his breathing was very loud and harsh, but it didn't sound "wet" or as though he had a chest infection, but it worried me. Sunday morning his breathing was still bad - and I debated calling the emergency no for my vets but whilst I was debating the point Neo's breathing seemed to settle down so I decided to wait.
Sunday he also wasn't that interested in his food - now this is MOST unusual!! Usually he swallows his food in nano-seconds and hangs over Bramble's bowl suggesting that Neo can relieve Bramble of the burden of eating.... but not Sunday morning - they finished at the same time, with Neo eating very very slowly for him.
Sunday evening he was even slower and Bramble finished his tea before Neo. This morning, Neo failed to finish his breakfast and I had to hand feed Neo about a quarter of his breakfast. In a way it was funny as Bramble finished his breakfast in record time and hung HIS head over Neo's bowl suggesting that Bramble could finish the bowl off - and Bramble was MOST put out that Neo was getting hand fed and he wasn;t getting a look in....
By that time I'd phoned the vets to make an appointment (done as soon as we got back from our walk), but they have problems as Jim, our usual vet, has gone on a months paternity leave... so they are a vet down and struggling to cope.... I was offered an appointment Wednesday afternoon which I refused saying I needed one today but I was told that they would struggle to fit me in before Wednesday. I was then offered one with their junior vet but I wanted to see Matthew, Jim's partner as he knows Neo (having seen him out on walks quite regularly) and I wanted someone very experienced to look at him. I had to call back as they had a very distressed client to deal with but when I did, they had got it all sorted for me and I was offered an appointment with Matthew at 4 pm with the admonition if I was worried that it wouldn;t wait that long to bring him down before.... love my vets, they really do do their best for you!
When we saw Matthew surprisingly the breathing, although a bit harsh, wasn't that bad - but Matthew was quite bothered that it had been bad and now wasn't.
The upshot is that Neo is really quite poorly - he has a temperature of 105 (Fahrenheit - Matthew works in Fahrenheit rather than Celsius!), that is very high - Matthew would ahve expected a dog of Neos age to have a normal temperature of 101.
Neo's heartrate is fast at 150 beats a minute, this is exacerbated for me in that over the years a few vets have commented that his heart beat is very slow (in fact one wretched vet wanted to refer him to a cardiolgist at vast expense for this - despite the fact that he was fine - the cardiologist refused to take the referral without a simple test being done and Neo was fine, but I digress), so it means that things are worse than they may appear due to the fact that the starting point was slower than you would normally get...
And Matthew said that Neo looked very flat and unwell, his face was pinched and not happy - Matthew has seen Neo out and about so he has an idea of what he normally looks like.
So, Neo has got to be admitted at least over night, he is being put on fluids which causes me to worry he is de-hydrated despite drinking and despire the fact that Matthew hasn't said he is. Matthew has indicated that Neo is pretty poorly and that he thinks there is acidosis (sp?!) as Neo's kidneys struggle to cope with the infection and that with a temperature like that Neo is going to be feeling very rough indeed.
He is hoping that it is "just" a chest infection - that is what I was hoping and I was hoping against hope that either I would be told off because there was nothign wrong or that it was a minor infection - but I know Matthew isn't convinced that is what it is - he is doing blood tests to find out what is going on immediately (telling me this was just a precaution) but has also got me to sign a consent form for x-rays and other tests for the morning - just in case....
Sam died of a tumour in his chest and I am desperately worried that Neo may have the same - in fact that is why I took him in really, so that if this was a possibility action could be taken as soon as possible - by the time Sam's was discovered there was only one responsible action to take.... and I couldn't bear for that outcome...
Matthew has just phoned - Neo is a very poorly boy. His white blood cell count is way up - normal rate 5-16 - Neo's is 70, his red blood cell count is down and so a blood sample is off for a haemotologist to ahve a good look at....
They ahve got him on non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and a general spectrum AB. Matthew is going to x-ray him in the morning. He is hoping that the temperature will be down in the morning and if it is then that will change things hugely for the better.... but I don;t think he is expecting that to be honest.
I did say brightly that it looked as though it was an infection - Matthew refused to agree - he said that it was too early to call and too early to rule out anything nasty going on....
So my poor boy really really needs those vibes please. I am so worried about him - and scared I may lose him - he means everything to me.
Eve Neo and Bramble
Last edited by Eve on Wed Nov 10, 2010 11:14 am; edited 2 times in total
<<<<<Vibes for Neo>>>>>> Your two have been through the mill lately, haven't they? Hope Neo's on the way to being well again. <<<<<More vibes, and hugs for you too>>>>>>
Oh Eve what a rough time you and your poor dogs are having at the moment I really hope that whatever is causing Neo's problems is easily treated and he is feeling a little better tomorrow. Lots of ((((((get well vibes)))))) for Neo.
I'm really sorry to read about Neo sending loads and loads of {{{{{{ 'it's only an infection and temperature will be down in the morning' }}}}}}}}}vibes coming hs way
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Sending lots of healing thoughts for Neo.
