The Official "Dogs of the DMF" Thread

[RAT900]

I want to cry.  Ok I did cry.

She is in such horrible shape and her breathing is so labored.
I seriously wonder if she's going to make it through the night.  
Her lungs were checked before she left the vet's kennel
("kennel" is too good of a word for the place) and they said they are clear.  
Something is causing her breathing to be so distressed. Heartworm negative,
I'm told. She drank and only ate a tiny bit.  I'm pissed that the clinic even
spayed her â€" she's so old....at least 10. At least she's warm and safe....

And Brian knows something is up with her as well. He sniffed her and is just
watching.  He knows.

Hang in there Stella...and hugs to you for taking this dear old lady on...

Is her actual breathing labored or could she have sinus issues?  bull dogs and short/collapsed muzzled dogs in general are prone breathing issues/sinuses etc

Sac Duc is spot-on with his advice on bringing her back on line from a dietary perspective

I hope she makes it....maybe if you can afford it take her to a different vet

and yeah elective surgery on a dog this old is ridiculous...

she might very well have residual lung issues from the anesthesia

I am wishing you the best of luck from every molecule I have

whatever the case I am sure you will make the backend of her life a sweet one

[Monsterlover]

RATs 100% right. Good for you for doing this. I know its hard.  Its the reason lesser people shy away from the task.

[Howie]

Oh man...sorry to hear.  Good on you for what you are doing. 

[Stella]

Went to bed at 12:30 (hated to leave her but figured sleep might not be a bad idea for one of us).

Peeked in on her at 3am and she wasn't breathing as extremely hard.  Wasn't sure if she was standing or sitting and didn't want to turn the lights on.

5:30 she was standing and I got about 3 wiggles out of her tiny tail stub.  Sitting next to her now and she's so weak and tired and when she begins to fall over she catches herself.

Last night I got a few turkey dog pieces in her.  This morning so far, nothing.

Her breathing doesn't sound like the bull dog, short muzzle-type of breathing but I could be wrong.  Thinking it's maybe (?) related to the anesthesia. 

Talked w/the owner of the rescue 3 times last night. She said under no circumstances do I bring her any where. The vet looked her over before she left with me and couldn't find anything. 

Timing of the, oh she just fell on her nose.  uh!   Timing, as I was trying to say, of the new job sucks.  Of course.

Will cook some egg white and see if she'll eat that.  Nothing else is working.

Thanks for the suggestions and feedback and support....   gonna cry again...

[LMT]

Hang in there P. Sounds like she was having a hard time coming around after surgery. 

[Stella]

Didn't want the egg whites, added the chev goat cheese. No go.  Turkey dog pieces:  Nada. Found a pouch of cat food and she licked the gravy so will give her more of that.  Something, anything to get in her stomach....  Why she wasn't put out of her misery, I do not know.

[Monsterlover]

Will she at least drink water?

[RAT900]

Didn't want the egg whites, added the chev goat cheese. No go.  Turkey dog pieces:  Nada. Found a pouch of cat food and she licked the gravy so will give her more of that.  Something, anything to get in her stomach....  Why she wasn't put out of her misery, I do not know.

Are you sitting with her and trying hand-feeding? <probably a dumb question>

Does your local market offer spit-roasted chickens? that has always worked for me with finicky/stubborn dogs

careful with the cat food that is pretty rich/funky and she could wind up with the shits

she has to take in water, if she isn't drinking she will need rehydration in pretty short-order

I cannot believe these hacks operated on a dog as deteriorated/neglected as she appears to be.....

they should have at least stabilized her for a few weeks  

If you have another dog in the house she might also be scared to feed near it/in front of it for fear of attack/doggy dominance stuff

[Stella]

Tried hand feeding
Brian, our other boxer, has been in another room or outside while I have tried to feed her but it still could be an issue for her just knowing there's another dog who she thinks could get her food.
I left chicken out for her over night and she didn't touch it.
She IS drinking!  But then coughs a little shortly after. Makes me think it was the anesthesia tube.
Will be careful w/the cat food and get canned dog food (recommendations?!) for her today.
Love the rotisserie chicken idea.  Will get that today too.  2 of them since I missed dinner and breakfast.  

Rescue said she may have an infection in her throat from the tube and to bring her in for a penicillin (sp?) shot.
But I don't see how a sore/infected throat would make her breathing so labored...

In defense of the rescue, the city pound, where they got her from, would not release her w/o spaying or the rescue could lose their license.  The rescue's clinic then did the spay after she came in. (Maybe if the two deciding vets talked they could WAIVE that policy in cases like this!) They also have a boarding facility so she could go from surgery to their cinderblock ice cube cells.  No other clinic has that for the large number of dogs.  The rescue boards up to 40 dogs at a time.  At $30 a day per dog, it's costing the rescue owner a significant amount...  No easy remedy....

[freeclimbmtb]

Rescue said she may have an infection in her throat from the tube and to bring her in for a penicillin (sp?) shot.
But I don't see how a sore/infected throat would make her breathing so labored...

A little unrelated but still...my brother wound up in the hospital a few years ago with a high fever and labored breathing, turns out he had strep, tonsillitis and mono all at the same time, basically his entire throat was infected, had he not been admitted to the ER when he was, he might not have made it, anyway, from that experience I would say that with dogs as well, an infection in her throat could very easily make for labored breathing, and an inability to swallow whole food.

Hoping for the best and a full recovery.

[Stella]

A little unrelated but still...my brother wound up in the hospital a few years ago with a high fever and labored breathing, turns out he had strep, tonsillitis and mono all at the same time, basically his entire throat was infected, had he not been admitted to the ER when he was, he might not have made it, anyway, from that experience I would say that with dogs as well, an infection in her throat could very easily make for labored breathing, and an inability to swallow whole food.

Hoping for the best and a full recovery.

Interesting, thank you for sharing!  Assuming your brother recovered fully.   

[Polpetta]

My thoughts are with you, I am so sorry this is so hard.
I don't have really have any suggestions but wanted to say thank you for fostering her.
I am so thankful that there where people like you to help my three boys.
My boys are so important to me!

When my boys don't feel good I boil rice and hamburger or boiled potato and chicken stock.
(they seem to like it when it is warm)

If she is drinking maybe a small bowl of chicken stock with really small veggies and pieces of chicken in it?

I hope she improves!

[Stella]

Chicken stock added to the list, thank you Polpetta!!!

[triangleforge]

Thanks, Polly & Randy, for opening your home and your hearts to Heidi. I hope she makes it, and I know that no matter how it turns out she's getting the kind of love she's had to live without for far too long.

You already know this, but they can give us back far more than they take. We said goodbye yesterday to one of the gentlest, happiest souls I've ever encountered, of any species. Ruffles, our 17-year old Shar-Pei, died yesterday, and Ann-Marie and I miss him terribly.

He had a pretty incredible story â€" the first nine years of his life, before Ann-Marie rescued him, he spent tethered to a three-foot chain. He was mostly blind, and mostly (sometimes selectively) deaf. If any creature on earth had the right to be bitter, skittish and mean, it was this dog. Instead, the guy I knew since I met him three years ago was goofy, affectionate and loving, and seemed to want to share his amazing inner joy with everyone who came in contact with him. He was a champion at peeing. I loved to take his big, wrinkly head in my hands and mold it like Play-doh, and he loved it too; I'd know I'd gotten it right when he'd start this big, jowly dog shake at the front (the loose skin on his face and jowls was always about half a rotation behind his cinderblock head) and the shake would work its way progressively back through his shoulders, back & skinny hips, all the way to the tip of his pointy tail. Since even a well-loved Shar-Pei usually only lives 8-11 years, the time I got to spend with him was a really special gift, one for which I'm incredibly thankful.

Goodbye, you stinky old man, I love you very much.

[Stella]

Oh my....the tears!  I'm a freaking faucet today!  Truly, what a blessed pup to have you and your wife....  huge hugs to you both. The way you cared for Ruffles is the way every pet should live every day of its life.