Day 2694

I talked with two vets today. One was very pessimistic about Dot's future while the other was slightly optimistic. I guess the difference of opinion comes down to how you define "quality of life." If I'm happy for an hour each day, I'm good. I probably assume that Dot thinks the same way. How can you ever know for sure? I think that Dot is still happy because she seems to enjoy her short walks and barks whenever she needs attention. Maybe she's miserable though. She certainly can't do much in her diminished capacity.

I"m feeling uncertain today because we got off to a terrible start. After spending most of the day yesterday making sure that Dot got enough food, she ended up throwing up everything she ate around two in the morning. One vet told me that the symptoms Dot was exhibiting just before she threw up indicated that she was nauseous and suggested giving her a Cerenia pill before bedtime tonight. The other vet was worried that Dot's impaired swallowing was causing food to back up in her esophagus and she was regurgitating it before it ever reached her stomach.

It's all getting very complicated. Dot is supposed to be eating bland food like chicken and rice or low fat cottage cheese. These things don't appeal to her though and it's easier to get her to eat rich, strong smelling food containing things like duck or venison. The rich food is likely to cause an upset stomach and could lead to her throwing up again. After the phone calls I made today, it became apparent that it wasn't really OK to let Dot eat anything she wanted. Nobody answered my questions about how to convince her to eat things that don't appeal to her. It's hard enough to get her to eat anything at all. If she continues to throw up, dehydration becomes a real worry. I already worry that she's not getting enough water because she takes such tiny little sips.

I went out and bought some low fat cottage cheese this evening. We'll add that to the growing array of choices that Dot already has. I'm kind of at my wit's end. Every positive thing we do for Dot seems to be accompanied by negative side effects. I guess I should expect this. All medicine is this way. Just look at the commercials on TV from the pharmaceutical companies. The disclaimers about all the horrible things that can happen if you take their pills are often longer than the commercials themselves.

Dot still doesn't have much interest in eating until later in the day. This means that she'll probably go to bed again with a full belly. I hope she doesn't get indigestion. I've been trying to keep her active for a while so that the food she eats with her final set of pain pills actually gets out of her esophagus and into her stomach. I gave her a Cerenia pill too. With any luck, we'll all sleep a little better tonight.

This morning while I was walking Dash, I saw a Great Egret catch and eat a fish. Nature is cruel and beautiful. I watched in fascination as the Egret ate the fish, thinking that I'd sure hate to hand feed one of those birds.

Chief is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day