hearts and roses
Mind Reader
Some of you may recall three years ago our now 10 year old Sophie was sick with an immune disorder that was basically preventing her body from making red blood cells. The vet used mega doses of immuno suppresant and liver support drugs (her liver enzymes were elevated), which helped her and eventually, after months of treatment and vet bills she began to function better, her body responded well, but it took it's toll on her. She developed livelong liver issues. The vet had at one point suggested a liver biopsy to confirm his suspicions of a certain disease/fungus on her liver. We declined as regardless of how the test came back, there was no treatment.
Sophie has done relatively well for the past couple of years but we noticed about 6 months ago she was beginning to lose weight again. She's very thin now, about 13/14 lbs (she was 20 lbs). However, she is ALWAYS ravenously hungry, even after a feeding. We give her extra food and snacks and supplements, as well as scraps from dinner prep (my dogs are on a raw food diet). Along with the weight loss, she seems lost at times, and behaviorally, she's changed as well. Last week and the week before, she would pee on the other two dogs' beds. It seemed like a jealousy or territorial thing but regardless, it was a pita. I had to strip easy child's bed and clean everything!!! I had to toss one of the dog beds and wash the other one twice to get the stink out. Also, her pee is VERY strong, dark yellow and she pees a lot. She also drinks A LOT of water, gulps it. She stopped the peeing inside, thankfully, but now she's become agressive towards the older dog, Nala. Twice in the past week they've gotten into horrible scraps and H has had to tear them apart. The first time, Sophie bit his thumb - by accident I'm sure - and the second time, the other day, she bit right through Nala's ear. I've been cleaning it and putting neosporin on it, but I think I will end up taking Nala to the vet because it is puffy, red and looking possibly infected. Grrr.
The worst part is that the evening of the last fight, I didn't know Nala had been bitten, so we all went to bed later that night and in the middle of the night, Nala came over to my bed crying. I thought she needed to go out and when I went around the bed, there was Sophie, blocking the doorway and just staring Nala down. I think Nala was scared! Which is weird because Nala has always been the alpha between the three dogs. The next morning when I was loving up Nala, I discovered her ear bite and treated it. She cried and cried every time I went near it, gently of course. Poor Nala. Meanwhile, Sophie just stares off to space. Oh another thing. Sophie seems to be exhausted all day, in particular after her walks outside. But at night she is very restless. She either sleeps at the foot of our bed or at the foot of easy child's bed. She just keeps moving and digging and staring. It's creepy, the staring thing. And lastly, I noticed last night that she's favoring her right rear leg and seems to have trouble going up stairs but not down.
I think they both need to see the vet, but I really just do not have any spare money right now. I would rather take Nala in case she has an infection. I'm thinking that there will be no help for Sophie, unless she is in pain for some reason and can take pain medications. Otherwise, I think she may need to be put down, which I know I sound horrible here, but I wouldn't be heartbroken over doing that with her at this point. difficult child, on the other hand, will throw herself on Sophie's grave, I'm sure, like an old professional Italian mourner...
Advice, prayers, good juju welcome. Thanks for listening.
Sophie has done relatively well for the past couple of years but we noticed about 6 months ago she was beginning to lose weight again. She's very thin now, about 13/14 lbs (she was 20 lbs). However, she is ALWAYS ravenously hungry, even after a feeding. We give her extra food and snacks and supplements, as well as scraps from dinner prep (my dogs are on a raw food diet). Along with the weight loss, she seems lost at times, and behaviorally, she's changed as well. Last week and the week before, she would pee on the other two dogs' beds. It seemed like a jealousy or territorial thing but regardless, it was a pita. I had to strip easy child's bed and clean everything!!! I had to toss one of the dog beds and wash the other one twice to get the stink out. Also, her pee is VERY strong, dark yellow and she pees a lot. She also drinks A LOT of water, gulps it. She stopped the peeing inside, thankfully, but now she's become agressive towards the older dog, Nala. Twice in the past week they've gotten into horrible scraps and H has had to tear them apart. The first time, Sophie bit his thumb - by accident I'm sure - and the second time, the other day, she bit right through Nala's ear. I've been cleaning it and putting neosporin on it, but I think I will end up taking Nala to the vet because it is puffy, red and looking possibly infected. Grrr.
The worst part is that the evening of the last fight, I didn't know Nala had been bitten, so we all went to bed later that night and in the middle of the night, Nala came over to my bed crying. I thought she needed to go out and when I went around the bed, there was Sophie, blocking the doorway and just staring Nala down. I think Nala was scared! Which is weird because Nala has always been the alpha between the three dogs. The next morning when I was loving up Nala, I discovered her ear bite and treated it. She cried and cried every time I went near it, gently of course. Poor Nala. Meanwhile, Sophie just stares off to space. Oh another thing. Sophie seems to be exhausted all day, in particular after her walks outside. But at night she is very restless. She either sleeps at the foot of our bed or at the foot of easy child's bed. She just keeps moving and digging and staring. It's creepy, the staring thing. And lastly, I noticed last night that she's favoring her right rear leg and seems to have trouble going up stairs but not down.
I think they both need to see the vet, but I really just do not have any spare money right now. I would rather take Nala in case she has an infection. I'm thinking that there will be no help for Sophie, unless she is in pain for some reason and can take pain medications. Otherwise, I think she may need to be put down, which I know I sound horrible here, but I wouldn't be heartbroken over doing that with her at this point. difficult child, on the other hand, will throw herself on Sophie's grave, I'm sure, like an old professional Italian mourner...
Advice, prayers, good juju welcome. Thanks for listening.