Dog help

[tlane38003]

My son called me at work said my dog was caughing and vomiting so I left work and took her to the vet they put her on antibiotics took blood and sent us home her liver enzymes count came back high so we where told we needed a ultrasound 500 and change for first visit we had to go to a different place for the ultrasound and it cost over 1100 seems like a lot and still don't have an answer of what is wrong they want to do another 2 grand worth of tests tomorrow I think I am going to get a second opinion any advice would be greatly appreciated

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[Charlie P. (NY)]

How old is your dog? How long has it been vomiting?

A second opinion is probably a good idea. Did they tell you specifically what they were checking for? You've already sunk $1,100 and got no answers. For us that would fall under "aggressive treatment" and we only went that route once (for a four-year old cat - which is twelve years old now). 37 years of marriage we've never had a cat or dog ultrasounded. I guess they were looking for a blockage? Or they got a new machine and wanted to run up some fees.

You take on the responsibility to take care of them. But it has to be weighed against what you can afford, and how much you have to gain and the quality of life they might have afterwards. It's not easy.

Good luck.

 

[against the wind]

That sucks,
That dog is a family member,
This is a very emotional time for you.
I hope they can help.

 

[tlane38003]

How old is your dog? How long has it been vomiting?

A second opinion is probably a good idea. Did they tell you specifically what they were checking for? You've already sunk $1,100 and got no answers. For us that would fall under "aggressive treatment" and we only went that route once (for a four-year old cat - which is twelve years old now). 37 years of marriage we've never had a cat or dog ultrasounded. I guess they were looking for a blockage? Or they got a new machine and wanted to run up some fees.

You take on the responsibility to take care of them. But it has to be weighed against what you can afford, and how much you have to gain and the quality of life they might have afterwards. It's not easy.

Good luck.

Thanks for you thoughts she is 2 years old 75 lbs no fever we had her tested for leptospioris but font know for 7 to 10 days the vca is not her primary vet just the place we went to for the ultrasound I felt like i was talking to a used car sales man defiantly getting a second opinion today

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[tlane38003]

That sucks,
That dog is a family member,
This is a very emotional time for you.
I hope they can help.

Thank you

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[Treasure_Hunter]

Sorry to hear, pets are like family members. This is why I tell my friends with pets to get pet insurance, usually about a $50-$60 deductible per visit then insurance pays 80/20, you pay 20% of bill after deductible. Both my parrots have pet health insurance on them.

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[tlane38003]

Sorry to hear, pets are like family members. This is why I tell my friends with pets to get pet insurance, usually about a $50-$60 deductible per visit then insurance pays 80/20, you pay 20% of bill after deductible. Both my parrots have pet health insurance on them.

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I never new it existed its not the money that concerns me it felt like this place was just trying to push me into things we didn't need yet my regular vet only sent us for a ultra sound they took x-rays and ran a bunch of other tests that I already had done last night I read a bunch of reviews on the vca and most were people that were not happy i will definaty look into insurance but I doubt it will cover anything prexisting. Thanks for the advice I am bringing her to get a second opinion today the manager where I work his daughter works for a vet and I trust him

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[RustyGold]

Best of luck to you and your dog. It sounds like a lot of overkill but then again she is part of the family. It's great you're getting a trusted second opinion.

 

[tlane38003]

Best of luck to you and your dog. It sounds like a lot of overkill but then again she is part of the family. It's great you're getting a trusted second opinion.

Thanks all I want is what is best for her she is like a child to me equal member of the family

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[bowwinkles]

Keep a check on your dogs gums to see that they are good and pink, which means good hydration. small portions of plain yogurt helps in a lot of cases to provide pro bionics and soothes the stomach. Best of luck with your best friend.

 

[tlane38003]

Keep a check on your dogs gums to see that they are good and pink, which means good hydration. small portions of plain yogurt helps in a lot of cases to provide pro bionics and soothes the stomach. Best of luck with your best friend.

Thanks I will try

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[ChampFerguson/TN]

How high and which liver enzyme(s)?
Get a copy of the lab readout.

 

[tlane38003]

How high and which liver enzyme(s)?
Get a copy of the lab readout.

OK thanks for looking my wife has her at are primary vet now he is what is on my receipt

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[ChampFerguson/TN]

OK, realize I am not a vet but have a lot of experience raising dogs that tend to have weird problems. I tend to study the problems I have thoroughly but I know I have 'blinders' when it comes to general canine health. I also have a small library of vet school texts and my current elderly dog has liver issues so fwiw,.....

My texts show the range of normal levels of blood work enzymes/antigens as follows (slight variations from these ranges can be normal, depending on the individual dog's blood chemistry):
WBC 5.5 - 16.9
Eos .1 - 1.9
ALKP 23 - 212 (I think this is your ALP)
ALT 10 - 100
AST 5 - 55
Creatine .5 - 1.8
T4 (thyroid) 1 - 4
Tbil 0 - .9
BUN 7 - 27

The ectoparasites probably have no relation to the cause of your problems. This could be anything from the mange to fleas to skin allergies.

If I am seeing the decimal places correctly on your picture, some of these values, particularly liver enzymes are way off. Definitely grounds for a recheck and/or 2nd opinion. And probably further investigation.
As I see it, the ALT and AST values are very high; I am confused by the wide range of the 2 readings of ALP. All of these are liver enzymes and are worrisome. It may just be a transient thing like your dog consuming something toxic that the liver is processing out of his system, but you do need to watch it closely and follow up to rule out an ongoing problem that is causing the liver to pump out those enzymes.

This link defines some of the enzymes pretty succinctly: AST | Canine Liver Disease Foundation

My thoughts and prayers are with you on this. The liver acting up is scary scary territory. If I can help, please don't hesitate to ask. I'm one of the Nutty Dog Lover crowd.

eta: oh, and a pricey drug called Denamarin can be a miracle worker to restore liver function. Ask about it if your problem goes that route.
Also a wildassguess here, but I bet the Sonogram is to look for tumors.

 

[tlane38003]

OK, realize I am not a vet but have a lot of experience raising dogs that tend to have weird problems. I tend to study the problems I have thoroughly but I know I have 'blinders' when it comes to general canine health. I also have a small library of vet school texts and my current elderly dog has liver issues so fwiw,.....

My texts show the range of normal levels of blood work enzymes/antigens as follows (slight variations from these ranges can be normal, depending on the individual dog's blood chemistry):
WBC 5.5 - 16.9
Eos .1 - 1.9
ALKP 23 - 212 (I think this is your ALP)
ALT 10 - 100
AST 5 - 55
Creatine .5 - 1.8
T4 (thyroid) 1 - 4
Tbil 0 - .9
BUN 7 - 27

The ectoparasites probably have no relation to the cause of your problems. This could be anything from the mange to fleas to skin allergies.

If I am seeing the decimal places correctly on your picture, some of these values, particularly liver enzymes are way off. Definitely grounds for a recheck and/or 2nd opinion. And probably further investigation.
As I see it, the ALT and AST values are very high; I am confused by the wide range of the 2 readings of ALP. All of these are liver enzymes and are worrisome. It may just be a transient thing like your dog consuming something toxic that the liver is processing out of his system, but you do need to watch it closely and follow up to rule out an ongoing problem that is causing the liver to pump out those enzymes.

This link defines some of the enzymes pretty succinctly: AST | Canine Liver Disease Foundation

My thoughts and prayers are with you on this. The liver acting up is scary scary territory. If I can help, please don't hesitate to ask. I'm one of the Nutty Dog Lover crowd.

eta: oh, and a pricey drug called Denamarin can be a miracle worker to restore liver function. Ask about it if your problem goes that route.

Thank you so much yes she is my third child I will do anything I can to get her well

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[ChampFerguson/TN]

Thank you so much yes she is my third child I will do anything I can to get her well

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I understand; I am the same way. (be sure you saw the last line I edited on the above post re sonogram)

 

[tlane38003]

I understand; I am the same way. (be sure you saw the last line I edited on the above post re sonogram)

Yep I saw it

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[16840138]

I feel your pain. You might want to ask the vet about Blastomycosis. It is a fungal infection caused by inhaling spores that are in the soil. I first read about it in the farm paper I get that says it is on the rise and miss diagnosis. Ketoconazole 2x a day is the recommended treatment. It is a lengthy and costly treatment but is usually successful. Good luck

 

[tlane38003]

I feel your pain. You might want to ask the vet about Blastomycosis. It is a fungal infection caused by inhaling spores that are in the soil. I first read about it in the farm paper I get that says it is on the rise and miss diagnosis. Ketoconazole 2x a day is the recommended treatment. It is a lengthy and costly treatment but is usually successful. Good luck

Thank you

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