Odie – cocker/golden mix

Melissa posted:

Here are Odie’s meds:

-Prednisone 20mg tablets
1 1/2 tablets by mouth every 12 hours (currently getting the doses at 1:30 AM and 1:30 PM)
-Mycophenolate Oral Liquid
1.5 ml by mouth every 12 hours (currently getting at 5:30 AM and 5:30 PM)
-Doxycycline 100mg tablets
1 tablet orally every 12 hours (currently getting at 5:30 AM and 5:30 PM)
-Pepcid AC
(famotidine 10mg tablets)
2 tablets by mouth every 12 hours (currently getting at 5:30 AM and 5:30 PM)
-Aspirin 81 mg
1/4 tablet by mouth every 24 hours (currently getting at 5:30 PM)

He has his next PCV test tomorrow already. Odie weighed 47 pounds on Monday of last week (when this whole nightmare began). I don’t know what he weighs now that he hasn’t been eating.

I have tried chicken and rice-so did the pet hospital. He just won’t eat a thing. This is the most frustrating part. He had some peanut butter to get his meds down earlier this evening. But not a lot. The vet said maybe try meat-flavored baby food. I can run to the drug store and get that. Maybe feed him with a syringe??

I also ordered Pet-Tabs. It seems similar to PetTonic, which Amazon tells me it doesn’t have anymore.

I’m just scared and honestly overwhelmed. My other dog Murphy doesn’t know what to think either. It’s a lot to try to juggle alone with a career and finishing grad school.

Any advice you have–especially with how to initially get him eating again–is welcomed and appreciated.

Melissa

P.S. How long before the Prednisone kicks in? He started it on Thursday evening (3/3) after his blood transfusion.

The Pepcid tablets should actually be given away from other medications, as it can stop their absorption so move that away. Ideally 2 hours before or after. I’m sure that’s going to kill your schedule isn’t it. You could do it at 5.30am and move the meds to 7.30? And the prednisone WITH food, so what time are you trying to feed? Is that 5.30?

Make sure there’s no onion in the baby food. My boy refused to eat whilst in hospital, but slowly started eating when he got home. What about barbecue chicken.

Prednisone at high doses works faster as an immunosuppresent than other immunosuppresents, but it can take 5-7 days to have an effect, so crossing everything numbers are better tomorrow. https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/AIHA_Terms/prednisone/

Try and stay calm around him. I know that can be impossible (it was for me!!!), but he’ll read your panic as well. Maybe try feeding one bite to Murphy and one to Odie, that sort of thing. Make it a game and show Odie, you’re not panicked (MUCH !!)

Vally

Vally said:

Absolutely, whatever he wants to eat. Just avoid high fat foods as they can be susceptible to pancreatitis.

Should have asked before too. Do you have any test results? If so, send them through. Couple of the ladies here are very good with them, and they can help you understand what’s happening. Send them to me or use the Urgent Advice again – whatever is fine. If you don’t have them, ask the vet for a copy tomorrow. They are yours as you’ve paid for them. If they’re funny about it, just say you want to keep track of things, that’s what I always say.