He probably has bleeding into the brain. He fell down this morning and started sprawling on the floor trying to get up and walk properly. He is really wobbly on his feet now. He had a VERY low platelet count on Saturday and they were testing him for tick borne diseases just in case but they thought he probably has an autoimmune disease. Well when a dogs platelet count was as low as his was on Saturday you have a big risk of internal bleeding or if he would of gotten injured over the weekend in some way he would of probably bleed out. Well I thought we were in the clear this morning but apparantly not. He probably was bleeding internally over the weekend but he just now is showing symptoms I guess. His platelet count is up some today due to the medication he's on but still not in the normal range so surgery is out of the question. He is at the vets office today and will stay over night there for observation. I hope that makes sense, I tried to give you guys the short version of what all has been going on. It has been a rollercoaster ride for me.
He really, really needs some BIG prayers.
Haven't heard anything
Haven't heard anything lately, how's Toby doing?
Jana, Addie & Argos
Well...
He's still doing the same. I don't know if it's the prednisone or if this is just how he's going to be from now on because of what he has but he just seems a little depressed. Before he got sick he was a happy go lucky guy and had happy tail from just wagging his tail constantly....he no longer has happy tail if that tells you anything. =( I never thought I would be upset over not having to take care of that!! He doesn't have as much energy as he used to. He used to roll over on his back and initiate play with me and it was SO cute but he no longer plays at all. I can't even get him excited to play with a squeaky toy that he used to like...he just stands there looking at me wagging his tail but won't play.
I do have an appointment on Monday so they can check his platelet count and if it's in the normal range we will start weaning him off or down on the prednisone hopefully. I have a ton of questions for the vet! I will let you guys know what happens on Monday though.
Thinking of you & Toby....
all the time! You are constantly in my prayers and thoughts .... wishing Toby to get well and be the happy guy you fell in love with. I know you love him with all your heart and have been the best mommy in the world! Please know that we are here for you....to celebrate any victories with and also to lean on for support whenever you need it.
Stacey
~in memory of Moose~
Good luck Monday!
We're all pulling for you and Toby! Prenisone is a very heavy drug, but useful! Hopefully you'll be able to start tapering off and Toby will be back to his old playful self! Please keep us posted.
Lots of prayers and positive energy are coming your way!
My heart is with you all
So sorry to hear about Toby! The prednisone is the key. We went through this with Carmen so I definitely know what you are going thorough. If Toby responds to the meds, he can have much more time ahead of him. My prayers are with you both and that the prednisone does it's job for Toby and he gets his blood counts back to normal soon.
Thank you all....
Thank you all for the continued thoughts and prayers. =) He seems to be responding really good to the prednisone so far! Yay!! He's almost completely back to normal on the prednisone right now but he is on a very high dose. So hopefully his platelet count will go up and we can wean him off of it and everything will be good for a long time!
So if you don't mind me asking is Carmen still around? If so how old is she and how long have you known that she had an autoimmune disease? Please tell me all about her story. I'm so curious as I just don't know what to expect as far as life expectancy and his quality of life, etc. Autoimmune diseases are just not something I have ever had to deal with in a dog so it's all new to me.
You can call me if you want...
Feel free to send me an email if you want to get my phone number, and I can talk to you about different immune mediated diseases.
my email is cassie [at] danerescue [dot] net
Thank you Cassie!
I sent you an e-mail.
Test results
Well, the test results came in for the tick borne diseases and they were all negative which means that he most likely has an autoimmune disease. =( He does seem to be doing better today though and I have been getting him to eat more now that I put in a couple tablespoons of canned food with his dry food and some extra virgin olive oil on top. He seems to eat more of his food now. I got all of the ingredients for the satin ball recipe and I will fix him some of that as well. I'm hoping he's on the road to recovery now.
my thoughts~
are with you Mary. I hope that Toby continues to improve each day! Please give him a hug for me. He sounds like such a wonderful velcro boy!
Stacey
~in memory of Moose~
SO good to hear
It is good to hear that he is doing better. What is the autoimmune disease? Can you treat it? I hope he continues to show improvement. I know you are doing everything you can to keep him healthy! You are such an angel.
Not sure yet
I'm not sure yet which autoimmune disease he has. There are several of them from what I have read online. That is my next question for the vet. All we are doing for him now is treating him with a high dose of prednisone and we will do another blood test in a couple of weeks to see if his platelet count is within normal range and if so then we will start slowly weaning him off the prednisone. He has started to get his appetite back last night and today. He has been more active today as well, so hopefully he keeps improving and we can get this thing under control. Yes, it is treatable but he will always have it as it is not cureable. =( He can always have a relapse at any time from what I understand.
Hopes and prayers!
We hope that whatever it is that Toby has it will be something manageable and he'll get better fast!
Please continue to keep us posted!
Prayers are on the way!
So sorry to hear about Toby!!!! We are praying for all of you to come through this with flying colors.
Our hearts and prayers go out to you!
P.S. If I had read further I would have learned the good news that Toby is doing better!!! Our prayers will continue for a total recovery...go Toby!
Many Hugs and Prayers
I have had you and Toby on my mind....have you heard anything? I am keeping all my fingers, toes, eyes, legs, and arms crossed that Toby recovers. Please let us know as soon as you hear anything...Judy, Scooby, and Daphne
Okay....
Thank you everyone, the prayers seem to be working....Toby was doing so good that they let him come home! I just have to watch him very closely to make sure he doesn't have any more signs of a seizure or back to the vet he goes. He is so excited to be here now. Poor guy only weighs 106 pounds right now. He is skin and bones!
WOOHOO!!!!
So glad he's home!!!! Give him lots of hugs and kisses from us. Did they figure out the problem? Will continue to send get well prayers and wishes.
Jana, Addie & Argos
woo-woo!
YAY!!! That's awesome news. I'm so glad he can be at home and relax a little....the vets do amazing things, but it's no fun to stay there.....D and L send kisses and Woo-woos!
Sandi, Dharma, and Logan
so happy
we are so very glad to hear toby is able to be at home! woo hoo.
big hugs are in order.
Yay Toby!!
sooooooo happy to hear that Mary! Give him a big hug for me too:)
Hope he's on the orad to recovery from this point forward. Poor guy...he's been through so much!
lots of prayers and love from us!!
Stacey
~in memory of Moose~
Toby
We are all thinking of Toby over here.... Please keep us posted on his progress.
Cristina
Jack & Sydney's mum
He made it through the night
Well, I do know that he made it through the night and it didn't look like he had any more seizures other then the one I witnessed yesterday so that's good. After the vet looks at him later they are supposed to call Heather or I to let us know how he is doing now.
Love and Hugs
Love, hugs, and crossed paws.....we're thinking of Toby and you - he seems like an absolute sweetheart and such a fighter.....thanks for keeping us updated.
Sandi, Dharma, and Logan
Well, that is good news
Poor guy, I just hate that he is sick and at the vets. They don't know what is going on and my heart just breaks. Glad he made it through the night and hopefully today will start to turn the corner.
Keep us updated and we will continue to keep both of you in our prayers!
Sara (Bubba Chad's and Shammy's mom)
SENDING LOTS OF LOVE AND PRAYERS!!!
I just got on the board and read about Toby. I was over in your area today and he was heavy on my mind and now I know why. Mary, I started to call you and see how he was doing. So sorry I didn't. We are sending prayers, hugs, sloppy kisses, and paw hugs and everything else I can think of your way.
Jana, Addie & Argos
OH NO!
I haven't got online today until now and I am seeing this! Toby just HAS to pull through this. I hope they can stabilize him and treat him better. NO NO NO this is not happining to Toby... YOUR TOBY! Mary you are going through soo much I hope your strength will pull him through this. Please know I am thinking about you and Toby and Katie sends kisses!
Thank you
Thank you all so much for your prayers and well wishes. I will call the vet clinic in the morning and hopefully hear that he is improving but I will update everyone as I know more. Poor Toby is so tired of being at the vets office. He has been up there so much lately that he's fine when I'm in the waiting room or the exam room with him but the minute somebody else takes his leash and wants to take him to the back without me then he puts on the brakes and does not want to leave me. I always feel so bad when he does this. I know most of you have never gotten the chance to meet Toby but he really is one of the most loving, sweet dogs ever. Everyone at the vets office loves on him when he comes in and he usually loves on them right back. He just has something really special about him. Thank you all once again and I hope to have a postitive update to give everyone soon.
thanks Mary~
Get a good nights rest yourself....you need to take care of you too.
I'll check back tomorrow and hopefully see a wonderful update on Toby.
Many prayers and well wishes~
Stacey
~in memory of Moose~
any news?
Thinking of you tonight and many prayers for Toby.
Stacey
~in memory of Moose~
poor toby
so sorry for toby and for you.
know that you both have all the support and good wishes we can muster.
some of these poor babies just seem to have such a rough go of it.
our reilly had heartworm, erlichia, and a twisted spleen before we adopted him.
the best we can do is give them good med care and all the love they didn't have before.
More Prayers
I will definitely be sending prayers for Toby and your family Mary. Keep your head up, and we hope everything will turn out OK.
Judy, Scooby, and Daphne
sending it all
more hugs, licks, prayers, healing karma and anything else I can send that will make you alll feel better! Please keep us posted and hang in there
so sorry
Thank you so much for updating...I know it must be stuff to post the update on Toby, but I am sure everyone is praying for a safe and full recovery.
Tayyaba
praying for Toby
Mary...hang in there. You are being really strong and that is what Toby needs when he comes back home with you. I'll keep Toby in our prayers and please let me know if I can do anything for you. I'm so sorry for all that you've had to go through with this sweet boy. I hope the doctors can work their magic today and get Toby home to you quickly. Big hug!!
Stacey
~in memory of Moose~
So Sorry ----
Paul and I know exactly what you are going through right now -- the rollercoster ride is really scary. The LA Herd will be sending all their doggy prayers to you and Toby. All our fingers and paws are crossed. Please keep us up-dated.
Phyllis
OMG, I'm so sorry both of
OMG, I'm so sorry both of you are going through all of this. Poor Toby sure is having a rough go of things. I will be thinking of you two and keeping my fingers crossed that everything is ok.
How is he doing???
I've been away from the board for quite a while. How is Toby??? It hurts me so to hear about a furbaby being ill. :( What's the latest on him? I'm trying to catch up on what's going on with everyone's babies. LOL...I told Ellen this new format is sooo strange to me..I'll just have to get used to it.
About the same really
Thanks for asking about him. I was going to post an update on how his vet appt. went on Monday but I forgot. They checked his platelet count on Monday and it had come up some but he is still not within the normal range so we have to wait two more weeks and check it again then. He has been eating so much food the past two weeks but I could tell from looking at him that he really didn't look any better to me but I thought surely with all the eating he has been doing he should of at least gained some weight. Um no!! I get him on the scale and he weighed the EXACT same, not a single or half pound more!! I was so frustrated! He only weighs 107 pounds right now and looks awful.
I think he is starting to lose muscle mass from the prednisone now too. =( The bones on the side of his head are sticking out way more then they used to. It is actually really freaky feeling.
What a blessing...
Well it's a blessing that he will eat. If he didn't eat, I'd really be worried. It's probably the medication affecting his metabolism. Cassie would know that for sure, I'm just guessing at it. Maybe it's just going to take a little more time for him to fill back out. I'm always so amazed at how fragile such a huge breed of dog such as ours really are. Sending prayers and good thoughts your way!!
Maria, Apache & Tyson
Saying prayers
Hang in there. Praying and thinking of you and Toby.
Sara (Bubba Chad's and Shammy's mom)