meningoencephalomyelitis

Adverse Rabies Vaccine Reaction

Juggling a Cascade of Canine Side-Effects

Lilly’s case is getting increasingly complicated. Every decision we make in consultation with our growing team of veterinary specialists has consequences. Each time we prioritize medical concerns, each time we add / increase / remove a medication, each time we choose to take action (or not), things — foreseen and unforeseen — result. It’s a true feat to pay attention to the small details and the big picture at the same time. It’s an even greater feat not to awake each day in a state of utter dread (assuming anyone here slept at all).

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Adverse Rabies Vaccine Reaction | Dog Life | Dog Rant

5 Days of Lethargy, 5 Hours in the Veterinary ER

Thanks to some medicine heroics in response to Lilly’s neurological setback Saturday, October 12, 2013, Lilly did seem to stabilize and improve slightly. Starting Thursday, October 17, however, she seemed exhausted and as if she felt like crud — often hunkering down on her bed, not moving, even if cajoled. Tom decided that she looked like a barnacle on the hull of a ship.

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Adverse Rabies Vaccine Reaction

Dog With Brain Inflammation – What I Won’t Miss

You knew it was coming. As much as I try really hard not to be a purveyor of gloom, there are some really awful parts to taking care of a very sick dog for so very long. Here’s what I won’t miss … at all!

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Adverse Rabies Vaccine Reaction

Muzzle Me This

In a last-ditch effort to prevent Lilly from eating her diaper pads — and risking an intestinal blockage — we resorted to a muzzle. Tom calls this Lilly’s “Silence of the Lambs” look.

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Adverse Rabies Vaccine Reaction

Dog With Brain Inflammation – What I’ll Miss Most

It’s an odd thing to be both hopeful and practical. We will lose this battle eventually. We will, and I accept that. It could be next week. It could be next year. We simply don’t know. Yesterday marked 600 days since the ill-fated rabies vaccine. In February, I would have said getting this far was impossible.

Here is a list of things I’ll miss most when Lilly is gone.

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Adverse Rabies Vaccine Reaction

Dog With Brain Inflammation – 7 Things I Already Miss

Living with a brilliant, edgy, athletic dog who suffers from long-term, life-threatening brain inflammation means saying goodbye to what once was.

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Adverse Rabies Vaccine Reaction

Ch-ch-changes in Lilly Town

Oh, boy. We have news to share — some good, some (potentially) not so good. DIY chemo, 3 weeks off the immune mediator, this week’s blood and urine tests, and more!

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Adverse Rabies Vaccine Reaction | Dog Gripe | Dog Life | Hot News | Newsworthy

Explaining Our Blogging Absence

On June 23, 2013, after a 6-day, whirlwind hospice vigil (ending to a long, long illness), my mom died from PSP, a rare, fatal brain disease. That’s why the blog sits silent. After a total of 3 weeks off for hospice / bereavement leave, I’m in triage mode in every area of my life. It’s hard to resume the day-to-day demands, while under the crushing weight of grief. Below you’ll find my tributes to my mommio and a few brief health updates about our intrepid canine heroine.

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Adverse Rabies Vaccine Reaction | Dog Gripe | Dog Rant | Hot News | Newsworthy

Another (Unwelcome) First – Accidental Chemo Overdose

Honestly. Every time I think Lilly’s medical saga cannot get any worse, something else that’s unexpected / unwelcome happens. On top of the not-good kidney news from earlier this week, on top of figuring out Lilly still has high blood pressure (even though she has been on BP meds since February 2012) … Lilly received an accidental “overdose” of cytarabine (a chemo drug) Wednesday night.

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Adverse Rabies Vaccine Reaction

Canine Kidney Trouble – Not Good, Not Dire

Now that it seems Lilly has been free from bladder bacteria for a few weeks, after nearly 6 straight months of back-to-back bladder infections, we turned our attention to the levels of protein in her urine. Infections can produce high urine protein levels, so we checked again, 2 weeks after Lilly’s last clear urine culture — where her protein level as a 2 (zero is normal). And … it wasn’t good news.

Read More Canine Kidney Trouble – Not Good, Not Dire

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