# Navy, my sweetheart, is not thriving



## Newport (Jul 16, 2014)

I have growing worry for Navy. He had a rough go around with pancreatitis the week after Violet’s hospitalization (end of April). Navy spent the weekend at the vet hospital then. I don’t think I said much about it here because I was so overwhelmed I just couldn’t find the words. There were follow up vet appointments. We switched from famotidine to omeprazole. We added daily pain meds which gave him a bump in frisky-ness which was a delight to see.

The vet thought his beautiful eyes weren’t dilating properly and wanted me to continue to observe. I recently found him in an obscure corner behind some furniture. Was he lost in a corner? Is he going blind? Am I panicking?

About two weeks ago Navy, who is often a sleepy couch decoration, began frantically racing around/licking himself all over/circling. If his attitude had been joyous it would have looked like a weirdly zooming puppy. But it wasn’t joyful. It lasted about 30 seconds, and was a lot more energy that he usually puts out at this age (~12 yrs). I carefully checked him over- I thought he might have a constipation problem. He did not. He went back to normal behavior. I’ve been thinking about it, and alerted my husband to watch for this behavior. He saw it again this morning, and we suspect seizure activity. We will see the vet and discuss a seizure plan. Navy has had other seizures in the past (<5 in 7 years) that looked like typical lay on the ground convulsions. The last time we consulted the vet on seizures she felt it was too soon to start meds, but now may be time.

Last night Navy was up with gastric distress, some vomiting. I was up with him. He is on a prescription diet due to his long history of GI problems. Yesterday I was using low-fat hamburger bits to reward Violet for finding scent work hides. Navy wanted some too, and I gave him three. It was good going down… 🙁

I’m feeling sad for my boy today. The frequency of health problems for him is going up. I’m anxious about the future.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

Oh man, I know how much that stinks. My pets have a variety of medical issues, Walter Grey my cat has repeated bouts of pancreatitis, he absolutely cannot eat anything but his prescription diet and yet he occasionally steals a kibble or two with disastrous results. Pia will occasionally partake is foods or crap and I mean crap and have explosive results.
So hugs, hopefully you can get Navy on an even keel, I know the struggle so I am sending good thoughts your way


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## Newport (Jul 16, 2014)

Thanks, Twyla. I feel like he’s caught in a downward spiral. That may not be true, though. I’ll keep holding on to hope that there are more good days than bad days ahead for us.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Oh no. Poor boy and poor you.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

All ya can do consistently is love them, the rest you figure out as you go, I found Beatrice does so much better if I am not stressed, this last visit to the vet, has her on edge and startling easy. Yea 
So even bigger hugs for you and Navy


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## Newport (Jul 16, 2014)

My irrational self is convinced he has bowel cancer with mets to the brain. Then I look into his eyes and see peace and love. This small bit of fluff knows better than I do how to be in the moment. He still has much to teach me.


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

Poor guy and poor you, too. It’s hard when they get old. My jrt was blind at the end of her life (~2 years) and managed it well.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

He is the cutest little guy. I’m so sorry you’re both struggling.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

That is very upsetting. I gotta say when you described the zooming/circling and such I also had the word seizure pop into my brain. If that at least there are a variety of good meds to try. What ever this turns out to be I hope you and your vet can figure it out and devise a good care plan. I hope you will be able to give us good news updates. Fingers crossed here.


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

Hugs to you, Newport. He is a darling little man, and it's so hard to see them hurting and know there's nothing we can do. (I'm realizing Mia's giving more and more signs of pain and discomfort, as she rounds out her 10th year and begins her 11th). Growing old isn't for the weak.


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## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

Oh so sorry to hear this - ((HUGS))


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## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

Sending good thoughts to you all.


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## Newport (Jul 16, 2014)

Thank you all. Navy is spending his day on the couch, which is surprising because the weather is very pleasant and he loves lying outdoors in the sun. I guess a day after a hard night calls for a comfy cushion and soft blanket.

I appreciate all the kind thoughts.


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## Dogs4Life (May 27, 2018)

What a sweet boy. I am so sorry that he isn't doing the greatest right now.  Take lots of pictures and give him lots of love.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

He’s adorable, those photos of him just make me smile. (((Hugs))) it’s so hard when pets become elderly.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

I've been thru some health issues with older mpoos but what you're describing isn't territory we've covered so I don't have advice. I'm keeping you all in my thoughts and hoping for many more good days of lying in the sun for Navy.


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## Newport (Jul 16, 2014)

Thank you for the good wishes. He has declined food all day, but has had adequate water. Tomorrow I’ll see if I can tempt him to eat some more. Sometimes he’ll take a 24- hour fast after a round of vomiting, but after that he either eats or sees a vet.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Getting old is better than the alternative, but can be hard on everyone. Hoping you get some answers, and that it is something manageable.


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## Newport (Jul 16, 2014)

Navy is back in the vet hospital with uncontrolled vomiting. I had hopes yesterday that home treatment was going to work. Got up early this morning and found my husband had sat up with him all night due to vomiting. We made a 4:30 am dash to the closest emergency vet due to dehydration and no hope of getting into our regular vet today.

Since he’s in the hospital, I’m going to try to go to work.


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

I'm sorry Newport. How awful and stressful and upsetting.


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## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

So sorry things aren't going well. Please keep us in the loop.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I am truly sorry to see things are still so upside down for you all.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Keeping you all close in my thoughts.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

My prayers to you and yours .


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

So sorry, Newport. Keeping you both in my thoughts.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Oh I'm so sorry. Your husband is a good guy to try to support both you and Navy overnight.


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## Newport (Jul 16, 2014)

We had reassuring news from the vet. He is coming home with a bagful of meds so we can care for him at home. Going forward it will be treated as a chronic illness with frequent exacerbations, and enough Rx home meds that we can prevent dehydration/rehospitalization cycles (mostly).

Any thoughts on how to wrap a pill without using pill pockets? His diet needs to be limited to Rx food and boiled chicken. I’m going to try hiding them in boiled chicken. The canned low fat I/D food comes in full size cans, anyone have success with freezing partial cans? My only other thought is figuring out how to turn chicken into a paste.

Thanks for all the support and information.


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## Newport (Jul 16, 2014)

Just seeing all of your posts- thank you!! ♥


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

That does sound like reassuring news! I hope he feels much better soon.


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

When Mia was on a million antibiotics last month, I was able to hand feed her pills wrapped in scrummy chicken, à la fjm. I was also able to hide her pills in certain canned food (it seemed best to use foods with meat chunks with gravy, but we only tried a few cans so I cannot say for sure).

Glad to hear the good news, and hugs to all.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

I'm glad he's home and you have the medication to treat at home. He'll be happier and more comfortable.

I use chicken a lot for pill pockets. You can slice chicken thin and wrap it. Or you can cut a chunk of chicken, use a sharp knife to cut a pocket to sneak the pill inside.

Personally, I wouldn't use the food. You have limited options for food - you don't want him to hate his food if he associates it with a nasty tasting pills.

Some pills are mild and you don't have to be too careful covering it. But some pills smell and taste bad - some antibiotics fall in this category - those I cover well and follow with more pure chicken (no pill) to end on a high note.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Good that you have a plan to cope - it will become the new normality sooner than you now believe possible. 

I use poached chicken breast for pills - low fat, high value, and Poppy needs the extra protein. I slice up the cooked chicken and freeze it on a non stick sheet, then bag up the pieces. I freeze canned food without any problems - I pack canned and cooked chicken chunks into one day portions, and one goes in the fridge and the rest in the freezer. If he prefers a paste consistency use a food processor, blender or stick blender to puree cooked chicken with a little of the water it was cooked in, and freeze in suitable portions. 

If there are several pills to give at different times of day a pill sorter box and reminders on your computer/phone are extremely useful.


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## Newport (Jul 16, 2014)

Thank you all for the cheering up, and the med tips. It is much appreciated.

Navy is muddling along. He has eaten a small amount of his food. No more vomiting, but still having diarrhea. One day at a time, I guess.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

So glad to know he's home and in your loving care!


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

When Poppy first came home after becoming so ill and dehydrated with liver failure I counted the amount she ate in teaspoonfuls... The water from cooking chicken breasts may encourage him to drink - I freeze some in ice cube trays and drop a couple into a bowl of warm water when needed. It is hard seeing them age - it sometimes feels like a nursing home for geriatric animals here (the dogs are both 12, the cats 18, Poppy has liver failure and Pippin-cat almost certainly has lymphoma) but there are compensations in making each day count.


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## Newport (Jul 16, 2014)

@fjm thank you for all these palliative care tips. I’m sure Navy will appreciate chicken water. For a short while he is on a prescription appetite stimulant which helps him to restart his food consumption. Unfortunately my husband gave it to him in the evening (not 9 am when he got it, lol, whyyyyy?) before I returned from work, so I’ve been up feeding him. He is taking in small regular portions which is going to help a lot with getting things stabilized.

I don’t mind doing geriatric care for dogs, but I don’t like watching them suffer. It was quite frustrating to not have the medicines I need to prevent dehydration and hospitalization. Hopefully, with vet support, there will be no more avoidable hospitalizations and Navy can stay comfortable at home. He has quite the knack for getting sick on Friday nights!

I have been following Poppy’s health journey with interest for some time. She has really pulled through from those early, scary days. I’m sure it always feels like a day by day experience, but I see her as a success story: lots of bumps on the road, but she is still here loving you and being loved in return.


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## Porkchop (Sep 2, 2019)

Hugs to you, your husband, and Navy. It’s been such a tough time for you and your fur family recently with Violet getting sick, losing your pug, then taking in a very sick neglected cat in need. 

I hope the meds have had time to do their job and Navy has been more comfortable now. He’s such a cute little curly boy. More hugs.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

How is Navy doing today?


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## Newport (Jul 16, 2014)

@Porkchop and @PeggyTheParti Navy appears to be fully recovered. He has been begging for treats he can’t have and trying to steal Violet’s food when we aren’t looking. So if being a little naughty is a sure sign of doing better, I’d say he’s feeling pretty good. He also found a sunbeam to sleep in today, and that is one of his favorite things. He has a few more days of meds to get through, and another vet appointment, but I am much encouraged. He has a sparkle in his eyes again.

The kitty has moved to my daughter’s home and is doing very well. He continues to limp, and that may never change, but his hernia appears stable. I think he has some happy years ahead of him.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Hooray for sparkle! I’m so happy to read this update.


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## Newport (Jul 16, 2014)

Thank you


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## Porkchop (Sep 2, 2019)

That’s a good update all around. I love hearing happy news.
I love thinking of Navy lying a sunbeam and so content. I hope your vet appointment goes well and he continues to be his normal, slightly mischievous self.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

That's lovely news that Navy is feeling so much better. You can turn the canned food into crunchy treats if you mix in a little water and bake it. I use one of those fat saver silicon dimple sheets, but spreading a thin layer on a non stick sheet and cutting it up when cooked works just as well. Then dry the pieces out in a very low oven. I used to make them for Poppy when she was on a very restricted diet - these days I puree chicken with stock, egg and flour and bake that.


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

This is an amazing update. I'm very happy to hear that Navy is feeling better.


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## Sylvia K (Feb 4, 2021)

My 14 year old toy poodle, Teddy, had a really severe attack of pancreatitis and hepatitis just after last Christmas and was in the animal hospital for several days on various drips and medications. Investigations showed a mass in his chest that 3 different vets thought was lung cancer, but subsequent testing of fluids from the lungs didn't show any sign of cancer cells. He remains susceptible to pancreatitis and we really have to be vigilant about what he eats. Luckily he is actually very conservative and quite finicky about food and just loves the chicken that has been recommended. We never feed anything from a can or a packet and all his chicken is fresh and raw with the skin removed to minimise any fat content. It has to be a wing (his demand lol); he will eat a small amount of plain raw chicken but really, really loves the bones. We try to get a little lean beef into him. He does eat that in small amounts which I'm very happy about because his bloods showed mild anaemia and red meat is better for addressing that problem. I have just obtained some herbal and natural health supports plus a homeopathic remedy to try and give him a boost. It has taken several months of vigilance and careful support to get him to the stage he is at now and I'm keen to make sure he keeps on an upward trajectory. He has had a bit of a cough for several months and this has now become quite a lot more of a problem. The homeopathic remedy is specifically to address this cough. His vet is actually very impressed with his condition as he said so many dogs at this age and with the same problems just don't do well. I am pretty sure that he has some canine dementia. I often find him gazing at 'nothing' and he seems to sometimes forget where he is or what he was doing. Careful soft petting and quiet talking seems to be the quickest and kindest way to bring him back. He also has cataracts and a problem with the lower lids of his eyes. I can't remember the name of the condition. This condition and the cataracts can be operated on to fix them but due to his age, the risk associated with anaesthesia is pretty high. The same applies to more x-rays to see what is happening with the mass that was noted earlier. Keeping his facial hair well trimmed particularly around the eyes helps a lot with his eyes. I am really approaching this from a palliative and supportive perspective and just want to keep him as happy and comfortable as possible. So far, it seems to be working well. He has gained some weight again after losing a lot and is looking pretty good again. I know a lot of his problems are simply due to ageing, just as us humans develop odd problems as we age. This is a bit of a lengthy post, but I hoped it may help to see that there might be things we can do ourselves as well as relying on meds from the vet, although vet support is certainly very necessary. The owners are in a good position to 'know' pretty quickly if something is right or wrong with their pet. I'll try the supportive supplements I have, one at a time and see if there is any improvement with them. They have all been recommended by members of a canine lung cancer forum I belong to and by a naturopath and natural medicine person. I'm pretty sure that at least they won't do any harm. I do hope your little dog continues to improve and doesn't have any setbacks. These 'little people' take up residence in our lives and hearts and we find very quickly that when they hurt, so do we!


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## Newport (Jul 16, 2014)

Thank you @Sylvia K. It's true, when they hurt so do we. Thank you for sharing your experiences with your Teddy. It sounds like you are doing everything to keep him comfortable, healthy, and happy. He is a lucky boy.

I am doing many things to help Navy stay well, but really felt the lack of prescription medications that weekend because I knew he needed to stop vomiting and diarrhea or he would become dangerously dehydrated. My non-prescription methods were not working. I feel better having a full range of tools to help him. I guess I still don't have a _full_ range, because I don't have IV fluids or the ability to inject him with medications. The challenge with little Navy is he quickly gets to the point where he cannot accept anything by mouth.

He has two people keeping an eagle eye on him, so hopefully we won't have any repeats.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Oh my, I am catching up on posts so just started with the first one where Navy was so ill and got really worried. I am so glad to now be reading that he is doing better! Yup, trying to steal food and be impish sound like being ok again signs! Yeah!

Sylvia I was impressed with what you are doing!


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## Sylvia K (Feb 4, 2021)

Newport said:


> Thank you @Sylvia K. It's true, when they hurt so do we. Thank you for sharing your experiences with your Teddy. It sounds like you are doing everything to keep him comfortable, healthy, and happy. He is a lucky boy.
> 
> I am doing many things to help Navy stay well, but really felt the lack of prescription medications that weekend because I knew he needed to stop vomiting and diarrhea or he would become dangerously dehydrated. My non-prescription methods were not working. I feel better having a full range of tools to help him. I guess I still don't have a _full_ range, because I don't have IV fluids or the ability to inject him with medications. The challenge with little Navy is he quickly gets to the point where he cannot accept anything by mouth.
> 
> He has two people keeping an eagle eye on him, so hopefully we won't have any repeats.


I'm really happy that navy is continuing to do well. With four eagle eyes on him, he's in a good place! I hope he continues to do as well.

Teddy had a sudden setback over the past 2-3 days. His cough suddenly became worse, in that it was more prolonged with each bout although not so 'hacking'. A quick vet visit revealed what appears to be an infection in the lungs and he is now on antibiotics for a few days. Overnight, with only one dose of the antibiotics has brought a marked improvement. I'm sure this rapid response was aided by the supportive natural and homeopathic supplements he has had for the past week. I have also now found that he will happily take his meds if they are wrapped inside a small slice of cheese. Not the best due to the high fat content but I will try various cold meat slices to find what will work best for him. At least there is no drama or upset in trying to get them down his throat and I think this is very important in his treatment, particularly as we are trying to keep him as happy and relaxed as possible. Now that he is starting to feel better his appetite has picked up again after a few days of not really being interested in food. This is a big relief as I found he had lost more weight and is now what I consider to be underweight. The vet thinks he is still actually doing pretty well all things considered. Today Teddy was happy to sit on my lap cuddling for quite a while - very unusual for my super independent little boy! When he has coughed today, it has been only short spasms and he actually ran outside with his 'baby' one year old brother to play a bit. Such a treat to see.


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## Sylvia K (Feb 4, 2021)

kontiki said:


> Oh my, I am catching up on posts so just started with the first one where Navy was so ill and got really worried. I am so glad to now be reading that he is doing better! Yup, trying to steal food and be impish sound like being ok again signs! Yeah!
> 
> Sylvia I was impressed with what you are doing!


Thanks Kontiki! It's really nice to know that not everyone thinks I'm weird or something for trying to do as much naturally as possible. I know that there are times, and these times are likely to become more frequent now that Teddy is a pretty aged little boy, where conventional veterinary intervention is really necessary. I prefer natural methods as much as possible, but there is no denying that a quick intervention sometimes may mean the difference between life and death for our pets. In the long term, I believe staying as natural and as close as possible to a species appropriate diet and lifestyle is the best way to help our pets live long and healthy lives but I don't discount the value of modern medicines


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Sylvia K said:


> I know that there are times, and these times are likely to become more frequent now that Teddy is a pretty aged little boy, where conventional veterinary intervention is really necessary. I prefer natural methods as much as possible, but there is no denying that a quick intervention sometimes may mean the difference between life and death for our pets. In the long term, I believe staying as natural and as close as possible to a species appropriate diet and lifestyle is the best way to help our pets live long and healthy lives but I don't discount the value of modern medicines


How is Teddy doing by now? I hope better


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