Tell me this isnt...(My respect for the vet, is back)

[Jelani]

hehe I might as well call her Grandma since we are living with her XD

Thanks for all your advice and help guys! I'll try and keep you updated

[Dakonic]

Mentioned this earlier in guild chat. Forgot to give you the name.
BLUE WILDERNESS DOG FOOD
Not the cheapest but if she want one of the top 3 dog foods on the market this is it. I love it and so does my picky, special diet needs dog. (she has food allergies)

Blue Buffalo is decent dog food, but it's expensive for the quality. Taste of the Wild is a higher quality but around the same price, cheaper here.

Hands down the best dog kibble food you could get would probably be Orijen, but it costs a pretty penny.

Best of the best would be raw.


And could you tell her that cooking the meat, boiling it counts, takes out a lot of natural nutrients?

I can relate, being Diabetic myself, meats are nice and aren't as impactful on your sugar. Starches, juices, sugary stuff tends to get your blood glucose up the most. ( I don't know how it might affect dogs)

Diabetes isn't bad if you manage it, it's just a PITA as far as getting on a schedule. If you let it go haywire, that's when bad things happen.

Edit: I wasn't trying to deter from Blue Buffalo, it is much much much better food than what you find on average at the store.

[Jelani]

Well, it's been a bit.

She has been giving him his insulin everyday but of course is still attempts to feed him the same >_<

He has perked up quite a bit but is still refusing most food. She has been getting him Arby's beef and cheddar sandwiches lately which he seems to eat.

So today she comes into our room, sits down and says.."I dont know what to do about my dog. He isnt using his back legs." O_O My boyfriend immediately say "Take him to the vet!!" And she HESITATED!!. Saying the vet probably cant do anything for him. I was in shock..But we kept on her. Demanding she agree with us before she leaves the room. She seemed to think that it would just go away. After about 5 mins of us saying she HAS to take him, it was like a light bulb turned on. She just stared a moment, then looked away and I saw tears. It hit her what we were trying to say..that something could be seriously wrong.

SO. My boyfriend and I immediately follow after her to actually SEE the dog. And once again she is over reacting to things. He IS using them, But something is wrong. Apparently yesterday after getting out of the car he suddenly was unable to climb the steps without help. and today he has an odd limp in his legs. He kinda bounces like it hurts taking any steps. He cant get in or out of the car like he normally does. And even wouldnt get out of his seat once they got home. She says he isnt in pain. But when my boyfriend went to pet him on either side of his hips. he shifted away which he never does.

We got her to call the vent and after she described what was going on the tech there immediately asked if she wanted to come in that afternoon. So she already has an appointment AND this time she asked my boyfriend to go with her so she wont be doing this alone thank god.

[Silivren]

He's not using his back legs? Thats super serious. I hope hes ok. She needs to see she cant feed him like that anymore though.

[Jelani]

After looking at him, he is actually using them, but he's almost walking like his back feet are on hot coals. Like it hurts to use either leg >_<

[Silivren]

Eek thats bad too. Hope the vet can help him!

[Nachtwulf]

It could be neuropathy, a side effect of diabetes. There's not much to be done about it though if it is.

[Jelani]

So they got back from the vet. He doesnt see anything wrong with his legs but says he does have a temperature so he thinks he was weak and thats what caused it. He gave us Anit-biotics for the dog.

On the plus side, he says his blood sugar is leveling out. He is upping the insulin just a little.

I..just dont know. but he is the vet not me..

[zedxrgal]

Did you find out if the dog's current diet was mentioned while at the vet?

[Wain]

It sounds like he has a pinched nerve or arthritis in his back legs. My dog had that in her old age. She'd be ok at times, and other times walk very gingerly. There are things you can get him to ease it if it's arthritis. In Australia we have one called "Metacam". Perhaps it's called the same thing there.

Of course ensuring his weight is down will help too (though I can imagine he's not gaining much weight if he hasn't been eating). But when he's getting very old already you have to start to weigh up quality of life and find a balance... i.e. making him miserable on a diet and being healthier vs. letting him enjoy the time he has, albeit less healthy.

I hope he's on the improve for the infection, though.

It's great you guys are there for your grandmother so you can ensure the dog gets the treatment he needs

[Jelani]

I dont know if his diet was mentioned. But I am thinking it may have been a pinched nerve along with being sick. After the vet looked him over checking his legs and everything the dog is now walking almost completely normal. And he is actually losing weight and is eating atleast some things, including a little of a pedigree canned food she has started to try.

My biggest worry with the quality/quantity of life arguement, is that Grandma has a very selfish look on it. She keeps telling the dog she cant lose him yet. and she has a very "He's mine I dont want to let him go no matter what is good for him" mentality. And nothing that my boyfriend and I say would change her mind. SHe is very "I am right so screw you". We can hint and push in that direction, but in the end it has to be her choice.

As sad as it sounds. I am hoping that IF he starts to go down fast, it's the week she is out of state and we have control. I couldnt see her making the best choice for him in those final moments... That said. She did in the end take him in the same day that we asked her too. So maybe theres a chance we can steer her in the right direction..though alot slower than I want :/

[Bangeall]

I feel for you and that poor dog. You are great to be there to support your boyfriend's grandmother, as I have known people just like her who worshipped their dogs. But at the same time, because they loved them so much, they spoiled them terribly and, if somehing happened to the dog, they refused to bring them to the vet for fear of bad news. But I say that in these situations, the dog's health takes priority over the person's willingness to pretend that everything is just fine. As horrible as this may sound, it may be time for tough love. She needs to understand that right now, she is the direct cause of his suffering by not listening to you both. I've been in a similar situation with a pet, and, for the dog's sake, it had to be done to force a change in attitude. That being said, I obviously don't know her, and you do, but whatever you can use to appeal to her, try it. She could get more time with him, or lose him to what could be a slow and painful death.

As much as she loves her dog, he is the one who needs the most help now. If you are not sure, insist on getting a second opinion. It is better to know the truth, whatever that might be, then let him continue suffering. If your boyfriend's grandmother's attitude does not change, and soon, he could reach a stage where his life is constant pain.

If something is wrong, and I hope with all my heart that there isn't, she will have to live not only with the memories of his decline, which are terrible in themselves, but with the knowledge that it was her fault it went so far.

[Jelani]

The biggest problem with trying to insist anything with her. Is that we are living with her. And this is a woman who takes a grudge and runs with it.

If we piss her off too much she will kick us out. Plain and simple. And we would have nowhere to go. We are trying to pay off bills so we can afford living by ourselves which is why we are here with her. Shes always talking aboug how she hopes the dog dies before her because she knows noone would want him since he is so spoiled. EVen going so far as to demand that we put her dog down if she dies first (which I would never do.)

So at the moment all we can really do is sit back. She is taking him to the vet when the situation seems dire. I just wish she would do it faster sometimes >_<

[Jelani]

Sorry for double post, but I had to.

Looks like the vet got the right combination of issues. His appitite is back, the legs are working normally and he's SO much more alert and active!

I was watching him this morning and it felt like such a weight lifted. He has gone from barely moving around the house to always being under your feet! His tail is wagging more and theres life back in his eyes.

So we are thinking it was a mix of the diabetes and some sort of sickness, because the change didnt happen til he started taking the anit-biotics.

[Kalliope]

Thank goodness!

Now the poor little guy just needs to keep the bad stuff out of his stomach....

*crosses fingers*

[Jelani]

That seems to be kicking in..she is backing off on some of the crap she fed him. Especially because he wasnt eating as well, we will see what happens now that he is eating better XD

[Rhyela]

I'm glad to hear the little guy is doing better! I hope your boyfriend's grandma learns that people food is not for doggies.

[Jelani]

Well, I have bad yet good news..

Late last night the dog started throwing up anything he ate. SHe thought he just had eaten something that didnt agree with him.
But today it hadnt stopped, she didnt seem to get worried til she told me that his stomach seemed bloated a little. Which I knew RIGHT away was very bad. I think I shocked her with how quick and forceful I said she should take him to the vet. She gave me a shocked look then said she would see how he did in a bit. I knew there was no arguing so I just let it go at first, and went to pull up stuff online to show her what it could be. About 10 mins later she comes in in tears saying he needs to go to the vet because he was having issues standing and seemed very weak.

So my boyfriend drove them in.

They came back a little later with a diagnosis. Gastritis. He has some medicine and should be back on his feet soon. BUT this was finally the kicker for her. The vet told her that the pepperoni stick she likes to feed him so much is too much for his sick stomach but he can have it after he gets better. But with her selective hearing she only heard him say that he could never have it. So she has said she will only feed him beef and chicken now. And my boyfriend and I are not about to correct her selective hearing this time lol.

So hopefully this is the end of these issues..And also the vet said he is very pleased with how much better his diabetes is and sees no reason to change the dose anymore

[Rhyela]

Wow, poor little guy!!! I'm glad you guys got him in so quickly and that he seems to be doing better.

[Jelani]

He's staring to eat a little today. But it has definately finally sunk in with her.

He was standing in the kitchen, begging for the pepperoni stick she always gives him. But she wouldnt do it. She offered him a dog treat, he wouldnt take it, so she left it on the ground and walked away. he stared after her a moment, then huffed and ate the dog treat XD

She has even been giving my boyfriend the pepperoni sticks to eat XD She usually gets annoyed when he eats them because she bought them for the dog, now she has a drawer full to get rid of.