Glad this week is over! The last 4 days were spent taking both dogs to various appointments – I’m not a soccer mom, I’m a vet mom!
On Wednesday, Nitro saw Dr. Patty for his chiro adjustment and acupuncture. She added 2 new supplements for kidney support – Arginex and Renatrophin PMG, both by Standard Process. And she tweaked the acupuncture for more emphasis on the kidneys.
Then he spent all day Thursday and Friday getting IV fluids to flush out the kidneys, hopefully lowering his BUN and CREAT levels. I’d recently found a t-shirt that says “LET YOUR FAITH BE GREATER THAN YOUR FEAR”; that became my mantra on Friday, repeating the phrase over and over in my head, hundreds of times. The levels remained pretty much the same, but by the end of my conversation with my vet, oddly enough, I was totally calm. Earlier in the week I was a basket case – just ask Michelle, who’d had several conversations with me. She even pulled out the big guns in chat one night and had Sally pop in for a pep talk. And Sally hardly EVER comes in to chat. So for me to be totally calm after the trying week is nothing short of miraculous.
In summary: 1. Nitro’s kidney levels are not what we’d like to see, but his ISN’T ACTING SICK! In fact, if we weren’t monitoring them because of his NSAID’s, we probably wouldn’t even suspect they were high. 2. He has been off the Carprofen (NSAID) a week tomorrow, and his mobility is good; the Adequan injections appear to be working. 3. He is on 3 holistic kidney supplements that I’m hopeful will help. 4. The last several days his appetite has been very decreased, but last night when I got home from work, he ate! And if needed, my vet will give him an appetite stimulant.
So that is his story so far. Kodi also has a story, but I will save that for next week’s post when I have more information. Thank you Tripawd family, for your guidance and love. For now, there is peace at the Ehlers’ ranch.
January 22nd, 2017 at 1:11 pm
Good news Paula! Here’s to hoping his numbers improve with being off the NSAID. Maybe that is a culprit?
Tracy
January 22nd, 2017 at 4:15 am
Bahahaha @ Wanda!! You called Paula Donna!!!
Paula – you know that we are all here with you. What choice do you have but to keep on travelling this path? You can’t give up on Nitro now!! You both have come way too far for that. Nitro feels great! So that’s awesome. The fluids should help. His mobility is good. The supplements should help. Maybe don’t check the levels for awhile. (although, what was his potassium level?) If he’s off the NSAIDs now, the numbers shouldn’t get worse, right?
We can talk this out anytime you need to!!!
Hugs to you!
Donna
January 21st, 2017 at 11:00 pm
❤️
January 21st, 2017 at 9:23 pm
That the Adequan helps him with no Carprofen seems HUGE to me, Donna. Really, there is so much positive here! I feel very, very positive for you and for Nitro. You are doing all the right things!
January 21st, 2017 at 6:46 pm
Gosh, I meant to add that the fact Nitro is showing no symptoms is huge! Like you said, if you weren’t testing him because of the NSAID, you wouldn’t even k ow he had potential kidney issues.
Yeah, like Micheq said, you and Nitro will be on this journey for a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time!!! 🙂
January 21st, 2017 at 5:30 pm
Yay Paula. I said you have a plan a major plus. I know that you & Nitro will continue this journey for a long time. 🙂 Way to go and way to eat Nitro.
Love you both and any time I mean that call 🙂
xxoxoxo
Michelle & Angel Sassy
January 21st, 2017 at 5:25 pm
PAULA! My goodness you have had an “interesting” week! And you are still standing strong kiddo!!! GOOD JOB!! You have an incredible amount of strength courage…more than you give yourself credit for. You are really starting to step into your strength!
I LOOOOOVE your new mantra!!! Such an empowering one. It nas really tapped into your inner strength.
Paula, the journey of life lessons and Soul’s growth thst Nirto is taking you on is truly beautiful. It may not feel like it sometimes, but every lesson he is teaching you is truly a jlurney of enlightenment. And you and Nitro will continue to touch lives on so many different kevels as a result of your “teamwork”.
The “leaps of faith” you are making is not a result of any “guidance” from any of us, it’s YOU jave the courage to become more aware of your inner strength, your own personal connection ro your own “higher power”. To learn to go with the “flow of life”, to recognize lessons out of each wave that hits us, to return to calm waters after riding the wave….that’s a very special place you are Paula!
Does kt mean we can stay in that flow of grace every seco d? Heck no! But it does mean we’ve experienced it and we can get back to that calm. You have just shown us the perfect example of how to do that.
With love and light and admiration
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!