Thursday, December 3, 2009

Long live the Queen!

Jane was really sick last weekend ... she was barfing, diarrhea, she began to not be able to even keep water down, we were really worried. After a clean bill of health 2 weeks ago, we didn't know what was going on.


On Monday around noon I noticed Jane was looking a little yellow and she was very lethargic. By the time I took her to the Vet at 3, she was more yellow - very jaundiced. The whites of her eyes, her ears and belly were a yellowy tinge.


The Vet noticed it right away too. She had taken 2 poops which were essentially yellow slimy bile. We did another blood panel - the liver enzymes that were 6x the normal 2 weeks ago, were ALL off the charts, they had never seen them so high. She got some fluid given under the skin as a quick bit of fluid to help get things moving until morning.


She spent the next day on IV at her vet here in town for 10 hours ... by the end of the day she was a different dog than 24 hours before, almost back to normal! The vets were perplexed, all the more reason for the ultrasound.


So off to the specialist at Western Vet we went yesterday ... Jane had an action packed day .... a 4 hour car ride, a new coat from Old navy (courtesy of her Grammy), a shaved belly and the diagnosis

... a Gall Stone :)

the Vet at Western saw the stone right away on the ultrasound, they think a piece of the stone chipped off - from the looks of it on the ultrasound, causing a blockage in the bile duct - causing her to get yellow and get really sick - just caused everything to back up. the stone could be caused by a problem with her metabolism something else I can't remember right now - a thyroid issue possibly - a cholesterol imbalance. more tests to come, but pretty good news, it is pretty rare in dogs to have a gall stone, and i am glad we got the ultrasound, because that didn't show up on the Xray, her liver looks to be just fine and her kidneys looks good for her age too!

She has to be on antibiotics for a couple weeks, a special diet and a drug called Ursodiol that will help keep the bile flowing and possibly break down the stone in the gall bladder. They are also not too worried about her heart at this time, so I am relieved all round.



Jane sporting her recently shaved belly ... while trying to reach the cookies on the vet's shelf ... her appetite is back, can you tell? She isn't 100% yet, but hopefully she will be soon :)

Long live the Queen!

14 comments:

oddman said...

Awww, poor Janie! Good thing she's a white dog, you'd see the yellow color that much quicker. So glad she's feeling better.

andi

onecollie said...

I'm so happy that the queen will live to see another day!

Loretta Mueller said...

OH thank goD :) I am so happy she is doing better!! Crackers sends hugs!!!!

Diana said...

That must have been scary. Im so glad she is getting better. Diana

Jules said...

Oh my goodness. Poor Jane. You must have been a wreck. I hope she recovers swiftly!

Visichy said...

I'm glad she's doing okay. What a scare!
Vicky (and Claire)

Papillon Penny said...

Poor Jane - I once had a gall stone blocking a duct & it's the worse pain I ever experienced.

Marcy said...

Good thoughts for Jane. Glad you got a diagnosis.

Jenilee said...

That is GREAT news! So glad she is feeling better!

Nearly Naked Neckwear said...

I hope Jane's new jacket covers that poor bare belly with all of the snow to come! So glad to hear Jane is doing better.

Taryn said...

Oooh, what a week! I am glad your vets were able to figure it out, and that she's feeling better!

Kim said...

I am glad you are feeling better Jane. You better cover up that bare belly - it's going to be cold this weekend.

Nicki said...

Interesting case-although not so much for you and Jane. Glad she's doing better. Oreo didn't care much for his shaved belly when he got an ultrasound either. Or maybe it was just me...?

Tammy Moody said...

Yikes, so scary. I am happy to hear she is improving. Keep us updated on her progress.