Not a "Happy" New Year

[DENALIGIRL]

Three Cheers for Cami!!!!!

Great news about Cami...she looks so healthy, I wouldn't even know about her health if I was just looking at her in these videos. Are those snorts or is she sneezing? Zoey does that alot and I have always thought it was sneezing.

As for the staph infection on her belly...let me guess it's a little red splotch that kind of looks like ringworm?! Zoey get that all the time!!!! It comes and goes. Holistic vet said not to worry about it and to put a 1:1 solution of Hydrogen Peroxide & Water, every time I do this it tends to go away rather quickly. I also have cheated and put DH's prescription of TRIAMCINOLONE on it and it virtually disappears within hours!!! And it tends to flare up when something else inside her is going on. She's had a runny nose the last few days too. Can't seem to understand the direct coorelation but I think there's something oddly similar here that I can't put my finger on.

Gotta run but will check back in on her later!!!

Praying you are getting your rest while she's feeling a little better.

Lots of love from WI!

Tina & Zoey

 

[Gatorblu]

I'm glad Cami's test results are looking good! I'm glad to hear she got to go for a walk. I know sometimes it's those little things that bring the biggest joy.

I hope your cat gets over whatever is going on with it. Just remember to take a breath every now and again.

Continued prayers coming your and Cami's way!

BTW loved the video! Arabella had to climb in my lap and watch it too!

 

[Tessa]

Your Cami is adorable. I've been following all of your posts and am so happy she is doing well Not sure if this is helpful, but about a year and a half ago Tessa had a staph infection on her belly that wouldn't go away. She'd be on meds, it would go away, then come back a week or so later. After a TON of visits to the vet and refills on the meds, we ended up at a veterinary dermatologist who said it was actually a yeast infection that was causing the staph. Once we treated the yeast infection (with a cream), THEN the staph infection (with pills), the staph didn't come back. He said it was likely caused by moisture staying in her skin folds and recommended cornstarch on a gym sock and just batting it around the area once in a while to prevent yeast infections on her tummy folds in the future. By tummy folds, I mean the little pudgy area just below her chest where her old scar from her spay is. The dermatologist said it was very easy to treat, but likely very difficult for a non-specialized vet to catch because the yeast infection had no symptoms besides the staph infection.

Tessa and Tucker are sending Cami lots of wiggle butts to keep feeling better!!

 

[Cami]

Cami has been getting staph infections since before her thyroid diagnosis. Typically if I can catch it in its earliest stages I can bathe the area with Dial soap (antibacterial) and it is pretty much over before it starts.
Once the thyroid meds started the staph was pretty much a moot point until just a little over a month ago. It came on fast and furious and nothing I tried helped it. Started her on antibiotics and that did the trick.
When she was in the ICU and off of her thyroid meds it was pretty much inevitable that one might show up again.
I will work on getting it to clear up I was just trying to avoid her having to have a bath right now. She hates them (turns into a statue) plus it is cold. Might try the peroxide thing. That seems do-able even though she will turn her attention to the area since she has to investigate everything done to her after the fact!

My cat is well. No more vomiting. I think she had one too many dog biscuits or too many pieces of dog food. Cami gets a mouthful of food and then spits it out on the floor to share with her before she starts eating her meals.

 

[Cami]

HOLTER RESULTS

Cami's saga continues.....
The most recent holter showed that the Mexiletine is controlling her VPC's "fairly well". Singles, couplets and triplets are still present. I can only *assume* that if they are in runs they are coming with less frequency. I neglected to ask.

Her SVT's (supra ventricular tachycardia) needs better control. Testing showed that while wearing the holter she had a very fast heart rate for up to an hour at a time on multiple occasions. By comparing times of the episodes to the log book I kept it all correlates to "activity". Again, I didn't ASK what specific activity so don't know if it was perhaps while she was eating, going potty or playing.

The introduction of multiple other meds were discussed. Some we are for sure not going to visit at this time and others are up in the air.

She heads back yet again this coming week for another echo (ultrasound), a blood pressure reading and perhaps an EKG as well.

The Diltiazem (Dilacor) for the SVT is already being administered at its highest, safest dose yet appears to not be able to correct the problem ENOUGH so additional aid is needed/warranted.

Sota and Pimobendan are more than likely going to be added.

The problem lies in that Solatol (and I believe also the Pimobendan) can have an affect on the systolic function which is currently already decreased. I was told that when she first arrived in such bad shape after the collapse she was not a candidate for the Solatol. After last week and some improvement in her heart function the cardio thought if he had only seen her then he wouldn't have hesitated to use it.

Seems it is a catch-22 situation. If we DON'T curb the arrhythmia then the heart will continue to not function properly and worsen leading to congestive heart failure. If we add the two new meds the end result may be the same.

Cami's issues seem to be "complex" and "high end" per the cardiologist. While her problems are not rare alone it IS less common to have so many going on in the same patient.

There is NO specific "game plan" or info in a text book that says just WHAT to do in this situation. No guide to utilize. We only have the experience of the cardiologists on staff that are pulling collectively together to come up with something they feel is the direction we should head in.

After hearing the news this evening my head started spinning and I feel pretty low. Trying to "school" myself on the new meds and how they may interact together and with the ones she is already taking.

I honestly don't have a clue as to what to do. I am not used to being in this situation. I pride myself on being pretty good at researching things and being able to converse with the docs about treatment plans and Cami's care. It is a very scary thought to feel so isolated with my lack of knowledge in this arena and having to put all of my trust in another person to SAVE my BABY.

So I guess I will have to make myself let go of the reigns. Have an echo done and HOPE that there is even more improvement of her heart function compared to last week. Start the new meds and watch for any and all signs of problems. Return after a small amount of time and have another echo to see if the "healing" has ceased, gotten better or worsened. Revisit at that time what to do next.

Doc was impressed with Cami's barking in the background while we were on the phone. She spotted someone walking their dog in front of our house and that is her usual response. He said that she must feel good enough to "react normally" to certain things.

We have for sure seen a continued improvement in her status every day. Some days she makes a bigger leap than others but has not shown ANY decline since returning home.

In all of this I have never stopped, taken a breath and asked HER what she wanted. Tonight I did. While I didn't immediately get an answer she eventually pawed and whined at me long enough to get me off the couch and out with her taking a very short walk. 8-10 minutes at a time was OK'ed by the cardio today. She then wanted the new favorite toy that she did her best to destroy over the past few days. I ended up rushing to the store with only 8 minutes before they closed to replace it with two identical ones that for now remain intact!

She is crashed out on the couch now and the smoosh is ripe for kissing!

 

[SteveL]

I have been following this post and I don't know how you or Cami find the strength. Both of you deserve all the hugs and kisses you can stand. If it is any comfort, know that you both are in the thoughts and prayers of many.

Rocky and I both send all the healing vibes we have Cami's way.

 

[Angelika_23]

Hi Cami,

This is going to sound incredibly stupid, and maybe it is incredibly stupid, but here goes anyway.

Have the vets mentioned Dysautonomia? I ask because I do have this condition. It makes my heart rate increase (a lot) especially with activity. Plus it does a lot of other crazy weird things to my body that are seemingly unconnected. I did a web search, and dogs DO get this condition.

Dysautonomia is basically the dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system controls what we do that we don't think about. (i.e. breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, etc.) I haven't looked up the symptoms for dogs,so I'm not sure how or if their symptoms would differ from humans.

Good luck with everything. Beau, Odin and Jazzie send lots of wiggles and kisses!

Angela

 

[Gatorblu]

Would a pacemaker help?

I don't know if this will help or if it even applies to Cami's situation, but would a pacemaker help? I read an article awhile back that said they were putting pacemakers in dogs. They use ones that are either donated from a someone who has passed away, or their family. Medical protocol prevents it from being used by another person, but it can used in a dog. Or you can get one that the "shelf life" had expired. For a pacemaker to go into a person it's battery has to last something like seven years. If you can find one that still has 5 years left on the battery and has never been used, you can implant in a dog who has a shorter life expectancy than a human. I'm sure the procedure wouldn't be cheap, but you would also be saving money on the other end by not having to pay for meds. Not only that but you would be avoiding any drug side effects.

I know you have a lot to digest right now. I got a little overwhelmed just reading your last post. I just wanted you to maybe have another option. As always our prayers are with you and Cami.

 

[Cami]

My dad has a pacemaker and since I have some knowledge with them I did ask about their use in canines.
The primary purpose of a pacemaker is to maintain an adequate heart rate, either because the heart's native pacemaker is not fast enough, or there is a block in the heart's electrical conduction system.
Cami would need a defibrillator. Her heart is beating too fast and erratically.
I didn't ask about their use but I wouldn't put her through that procedure.

 

[Walkssoftly]

God Bless both yours and Cami's heart.. Literally... I have been "out of the loop" with so many things going on with my mother and Rooster too, But Just wanted you to know that I am keeping Cami in my prayers. This has to be so very exhausting for {{{You}}}
I admire you greatly, and can relate to one of the last posts you wrote, in ref. to priding yourself in being able to research and find knowledge in all things you must deal with. And even more so of allowing yourself to "Let go of the reigns".. because that is a very tough thing to do. Having a specialist in your corner though, has to make it easier by far.
Cami, Angels are watching over you..

Karen<~~~sending healing vibes from the Vortex's of Sedona
Rooster 2yr male fawn rescue
Sequoia 3 1/2 yr female white
TaTanka, Tuff E. Nuff & Sly at the bridge....