Bella Health Update

[jesse_the_k]

Eighty days ago MyGuy carried Bella in to the vet ER. Eight days later he carried her back home with a large grocery bag of toxic drugs. She’s had three outpatient hospital visits plus two local-vet blood draws.

While the survival rate for immune mediated hemolytic anemia varies from 20% to 80%, we’re confident she’s getting excellent care and she’s showing many signs of improvement:

• She’s regained five pounds (last summer she was 56lbs; on ER admission she was 40lbs)
• Her blood counts are back to low-normal, when they were terrifyingly low
• When we brought her home, she couldn’t walk up a six-inch curb. Today she got into the back seat on her own: step from ground to van floor, then step to car seat. Previously that was a single easy leap.
• When Special Visitors arrive, she greets them with enthusiastic wagging. (All visitors are special.)
• While inside, she’s barking at random dogs passing on the street. She even put got paws up on the windowsill for her buddy Chris the mail carrier today.
• She’s regained enough muscle mass that she can lay on her back and wiggle (see icon)
• She’s demonstrating A++ pacing wisdom (unlike some dogs who had to be hidden behind blinds and walked on leash in their own backyard). She walks half as far as she’s got the energy for then deploys her "time to go home now!" stare. She’s isolating herself from risky interactions with other dogs: Where previously she would invite enthusiastic play, when dogs approach now she snarls very politely and turns away.
• Drugs! Drugs! Drugs! The hospital was giving her 40mg prednisone on discharge, and we’ve been able to cut that back to 20mg. That’s a lot for a human who weighs 150#! This drug makes her super thirsty and hungry—we’ve added chicken and many treats to her diet. We won’t know if she’ll ever be able to stop the prednisone until she’s healed some more. They were giving her 250mg daily of the immunosuppressant cyclosporine, which has now tapered back to 200mg. Just like her humans, she’s taking 40mg omeprazole to allay the stomach upset from her other drugs. Her intestinal gas is copious and horrible.
• She has to miss her annual vaccinations, because she’s immunosuppressed.
• Last night she didn’t need to wake us to pee (titrating back from peeing every hour. The meds make her thirsty).

I can’t put into words how much I appreciate your kind thoughts and well wishes.

[ETA enabled comments]

Comments

[seascribble]

She is a good sweet girl getting excellent care. *many hugs and pets*

[green_knight]

Wishing all of you all the best.

[sonia]

So glad she's doing better! (My cat is also intermittently on prednisone, and every other day on cyclosporine, for ongoing skin issues.) Wishing her continued convalescence and healing!

[boxofdelights]

I am so glad she's still with you!

[vass]

Good wishes on route. There's nothing like prednisolone when it's exactly what's needed.

[j00j]

<3 I'm so glad she's doing better.

[anatsuno]

<3

[magnetic_pole]

I'm so happy to she she's doing so well1 And as someone says above, she's lucky to have humans taking such good care of her.

The bit about pacing wisdom made me laugh. Smart Bella. :) M.

[chanter1944]

Very glad the delightful wiggleworm Bella is improving! Pets and ear snuggles to her waggy self. :)

[pauraque]

Sending positive vibes to all of you!

[bibliofile]

Yay for Bella getting better. Such a good dog.