Nula (5yr old English Cocker Spaniel)

[admin]

Hi Ruth

Sorry to hear how you are feeling. Completely understandable, although I think you are ace for remaining so positive. This illness really is full of ups and downs, more than any other I can think of. It throws you many blows, but keep hanging in there. Remember that until the drugs kick in and dampen her immune response, she is likely to continue to kill off some of the red blood cells. I know it isn’t the news you wanted to hear, but it is positive that she is clinically stable and that she has managed to keep some of her food down.

It’s also really important to look after yourself. As Linda said, you are her strength, and you need to think about you, too. I very much hope you are able to visit tomorrow, but if not, remember that Nula knows you love her and will see her soon. Nothing is surer than that. She is a lucky little lady to have such a wonderful mummy.

I hope you manage to get some sleep tonight.

Love from us both, Mary and Mable x

[Vally]

Ruth, Sheena did say it perfectly.

Remember too the transfusions don’t solve the problem. They are just buying time for the drugs to kick in. That’s why it’s not unusual for the PCV to start to drop after a transfusion.

Also, as Sheena said earlier, smaller transfusions are often better here because whenever a transfusion is given, the body thinks it has all the red blood it needs, so it turns off the mechanism needed to make more. The body is very clever in that there can’t be too many red blood cells. It only starts to make them when they drop below what they should be. The only problem here is that the disease has fooled the body into thinking that the red blood is foreign so it’s fighting them off. The drugs are being given to shut down that process and reset the body into functioning the way it should.

Love Vally & Bingo

[Vally]

Oh I just saw her picture. She’s beautiful!!!

[Samantha]

I can completely relate. I laid in bed with Indigo one Saturday night. I had already texted my vet. I was going to bring her in Sunday morning to let her go. She was skin in bones and could hardly stand. We were syringing her every meal and she looked at me with her sad tired eyes and I felt I was doing wrong by her. Sunday morning we woke up, I fixed her beef heart, chicken and steak (her last meal) figuring she wouldn’t eat any of it…because she had been turning everything down. To our surprise she ate on her own (a little bit) for the first time in days. We looked at her and each other and realized she wasn’t ready. We had good days and bad days but we finally made it over the hump. Breaks my heart to see others going through what we did. :(

[Vally]

Thanks Samantha, you know I still feel so guilty about that.

[Ruth]

Thank you, massively, to all of you! And Sheena, you were right! They are all positives, and after today’s visit I’m so much more hopeful she’ll make it! Just got back from seeing Nula and she was so much brighter!! Lots of tail wagging and taking treats from both of us (normally she’s very much a one person dog, that one person being me lol!)! Gums still pale, but not white anymore, and she kept down her chicken from this morning too. She was so much better! Saturday’s visit was horrid, all she wanted to do was lie next to me, and I really started to believe I might lose her. But today she was much more active, alert, and just looked happier. She got tired after about half an hr which is fair enough as PCV still 18ish. They think she’s coping much better and they don’t think she’ll need another transfusion soon. So hopefully this means the meds have kicked in now and she’s not killing off the donor cells as quickly now. Still critical, but I really think she can beat this now! Her vet did say not to jump the gun and she needs to get over this crisis first. But can’t help feeling hopeful after seeing how good she was today! Xxxxxxx

[admin]

Hi Ruth

Fantastic news! I am SO pleased to read your update. You’ve made my day! It’s wonderful to hear that she appeared so much better to you and that she was taking treats and continuing to keep her food down. Good girl Nula! Keep it up!

So, so pleased!

Mary and Mable x

[admin]

Hi Nula!

Oh, I’m so, so pleased to hear this. It sounds like she is starting to stabilise nicely – I bet she was over the moon when you visited! And now you have one more positive to add to the rest. Hoping she has another good night & you can see her again tomorrow. I am really happy for you Ruth – brilliant news.

Sheena & the boys