Blastomycosis

[Scully'sMom]

Look how sweet Bubba is!!!! Please know that I will be keeping Bubba in my prayers and I am SO happy that he is home where I know your love will get him better even faster.

My food of choice has always been boiled rice and ground meat. Would you be able to cook something like that and then pulverize it for the syringe? It wouldn't be stringy.

[CathyAnn]

How about strained baby foods?

We had to syringe feed a cat for several weeks and found the baby foods to be the easiest.

Glad to hear he is home and on the mend. How lucky for him that he has you to care for him!

Please keep us posted.

Cathy

[Deasta]

Great Suggestions!

We actually had a GREAT breakthru today~

This was a very long day. Starting with getting him up and syringe feeding him. Flushing his central line. Pre adminsitering his Dexamethosone, then hooking him up to the Lacted ringers (after trying to painstalkingly adjust his IV drip rate to a mere 8 drops a minute!)

YIKES...I spent one hour with the LRS, then TWO hours giving him the Amprohtec (to kill the bad blasto) then another 2 hours back on the IV LRS!

In between time Im nueblizing him, taking him outside to enjoy the sun...and then feeding him with the syringe again

So...we both worked hard to say the least..BUT THEN...I took him outside again..he stayed and enjoyed the sun for close to 15 minutes! Then I called the other boys in...he walked inside with Oakie and Dingo..

Well, I asked them if they wanted "a treat.." so the boys start hooting and hollering and suddenly..BUBBA IS EATING CHICKEN!!!

He liked snapped out of it for a second and started eating good old fashion chicken!! No turning his nose..no sappy sorry look...it was like a miracle!

My husband hand feed him a whole bunch! And then...he went and laid down..pooped from eating

Wow...we were overjoyed to see him open his mouth and eat.

So, we will try this again tonight..BUT I did ask Audra the vet assistant today and she did say BABY FOOD is a great alternative!!

I also liked the idea of the food processor but unfortunatly we dont have one

BUT..if we can slip in some good regular meals..maybe he will have another great day like today..and forever say goodbye to the syringe!!

In the meantime..he is still struggling for every breath..he is still real "yucky" sounding..and he sleeps alot. Poor guy is down to 14lbs (from his hearty 20 lbs)

slowly though we are weaning him ..hour by hour..gently and slowly.

I am going to do whatever it takes to keep him alive and get him back to health

AGAIN I appreciated the ideas

Pic below is Bubba enjoying his love for the great outdoors..as you can see he is a bit tiny right now

[toomanypaws]

I don't know how I missed your post, but this is the first I've read about your dear Bubba. Just know that my thoughts and prayers are w/ you and Bubba during this stressful time.

[CathyAnn]

Give that sweet boy some extra scritchies and lovin's from me, please.

What a face !

Cathy

[Deasta]

There has a been a turn for the worse with Bubba...

We think he has a pulomanry emboli

Last night he suddenly became very short of breath and super restless

He sat up and stode most of the night...he just couldnt catch his breath

ALL night..hour by hour he sat and sat as I watched helplessly

Ohhh we are so devasted right now...hour by hour we are trying to hold it together.

The UW said the prognosis is bad...supportive therapy right now.So I rented an oxygen tank and am blowing O2 on him when he rests..and we started heperin shots (a blood thinner which also prevents furthur blood clots)

The vet does not know WHY this is happening

Please EVERYONE pray pray for Bubba to get thru this tonight....

He is fighting for his life now and we need Gods touch and everyones prayers!

Stacey

[wags]

Stacey, I am reading your posting and praying with all my might for Bubba.

We are sending lots of love and healing his way.

[Scully'sMom]

I have no words to express how sorry I am to hear this. Please know that heavy duty praying will be going on for Bubba, and for you and your family.

[CathyAnn]

Oh, Stacy!!

Your Bubba has overcome sooooo much and made it this far!! Just not fair that he must endure more!

Please know that you are both in my thoughts and prayers.

Cathy

[toomanypaws]

More prayers going up that Bubba will keep fighting. I am so upset to read this and will continue to pray for him tonight.

[toomanypaws]

I couldn't stop thinking about Bubba last night and prayed he'd make it through the night. Please update us on his condition.

[tlwtheq]

Add our prayers to everyone else's. Please keep us posted.

Tara, Olie and Teddy's Mom

[rileysmum]

I'm so sorry, I will be praying for Bubba tonight.

[Cairns2]

Adding my thoughts and prayers too. It seemed like the worst was over and now this. Keep us posted. We are all thinking of you and sending positive thoughts.

[Deasta]

Bubba thanks you all for the prayers you hava all sent..and we are feeling the ememxse love of care and compassion

We are still trying to figure out what os going on here with him Sometimes I dont enjoy being a nurse becasue I have acssess to, TOO much informstion

In any sense we spent all the day at the vet and placed him on subq heperain shots and held his next does of amphotec. It took ALL day to figure out what to do due to the LACK of knowledge at our home town vet. I spent hours on the phone and had to coordiante getting medication they didnt have, waiting for blood tests as Bubba laid in the vets office with his tongue turning blue and not one hand to offer him oxygen! It was so stressful.

I guess its the Amphotec that is worrying me now the worse....bascially it is one of the most DANGEROUs fungalcides around..if you survive the treatment you live Not a great thing to be hearing when you look at Bubbas eyes and he is struggling to breeath and you can see him askin "why why why why?"

I was relieved to heaar the UW doc HELD his dose yesterday..

And good thing... since today and last night he began to HE rebounded to bit!

THe labored breathing that was taking his away his breath was suddenly slowing down and changed BACK to h is baseline (usually60-67 breathsd per min) He started laying down (full body) and didt look as distressed. He even FOLLOWED me outside on the snowy trail as if he was attempting to become his old self... So sad to see him TRY to be that old healthy dog running around and jumping up on the snowbanks!

Well when I left for work my husband told me he ate TWICE from us hand feeding..all chicken! No syringelast night..dont you think thats gotta be woth a million dollars when he is able to eat on his own and is perky about it??

Then he goes and lays down and sleeps...

I dont know what the doctor thinks...I believe this pulonary embolism was wrong..his sympytoms jsut arent fitting right now with a P/E???

I believe that the horrific Amphotec is still wrecking his system...

He is anemic, has a low hgb, hct, and wbc..all which dropped after his last does here at home

Seems this med massivily kills the spores off but also leaves a waste of dead spores in your system to make you sicker,

When does one stop the med and weigh out the risk of the side effects..his liver is already enlarged..he's weak and anemic..and oxygen is still at his side during bad times.

I have talked to two differnt vets who were surprised 12 full doses of this IV amphotc is going to be used instead of their 3-5 doses...

Getting a second opinion sometimes doesnt help

I am still thank ful for all of your prayers..I truely believe you guys assisted in savign him last night..and helped him rebound out of the major eniment death he was facing.. IT was indeed a MIRACLE

And I can see all our your hearts are so giving and caring..that we feel it when he opens his eyes and starts to feel better!

Please dont give up on Bubba..he still needs help

If anyone has any info on any other dogs that have revieved IV amhotec B please let me know..good and bad!

Thank you all so much again!

Stacey Bubba Dingo Oakie

Bubba resting by his 02 tank and IV pole

[CathyAnn]

Stacy.....so relieved to see your post, that Bubba is still fighting. Bless his little heart. That pic of him is so very sad. Hopefully he'll be up and causing all sorts of havoc very soon!!!

Still thinking of you both,

Cathy

[wags]

Count me in as relieved too. Whew! I was thinking about Bubba day and night. And I will continue to keep him in my prayers.

[tlwtheq]

All our thoughts and prayers are going for Bubba.

Tara, Olie, and Teddy

[Scully'sMom]

That picture just brings tears to my eyes! Bubba is one tough cookie and a heck of a fighter, God bless him!

Please know that Bubba will continually be in my prayers.

[Lisad]

Stacey, Like Scully's Mom, the tears are flowing here too. What a little trooper! Wish we could take away all his sickness with a blink of an eye. Prayers are coming to you and Bubba. What a darling little guy you have!

[savannahsmom35]

Sending our prayers too. I can't imagine what it must be like to continually have ups and downs like this. He is a fighter and I just know that it is a matter of time before this will all be a memory and he will be back to his spunky self again. Eating sure sounds like a step in the right direction! Hang in there Bubba. You are lucky to have a Mommy that can give you such good care.

[Deasta]

Keeping everyone posted

We had a very traumatizing day yesterday... To say the least we are holding on by a mere thread at times.

The doctor pulled Bubba central line thinking prehaps this is what was causing some of the clots to be thrown and lodgeing in his lungs (we think..this is all spectulative)

He successfully fought thru one horrific night...but then last night..it happened again.

Another clot

At times we just dont know what to do. Bubba is beyond being a champion fighter. He never whins..he never cries..he just looks at us and keeps on going.

Last night as I held the oxygen close to his face and watched him breath..my husband and I struggled with the enivatble..is he suffering? When is enough?

But WE KNOW Bubba....he is like a miracle dog... So do we wait? More? How long?

Incredibly the dog made it thru the night...and no..he wasnt suffering...no pain..BUT just the breathing..that laboring breathing..

The doctor called us this morning and could NOT believe he was even alive..

More so I told her he got up..and he drank some water..and then I placed him in the morning sun to enjoy the cool breeze outside in his pillow box!

Then another worry..he hadnt PEED either...and all the night he hadnt taken in any liquad so he was of course now dehydtrated.

Right away the doctor said his kidneys may be failing

So she wanted me to give him bolus's of fluid under his skin...

Well...we tried..and he didnt like the poke of the needle...

BUT then..he went to his bowel and drank more water!

And then..another miracle...he PEED..

All the time we think its the end..and theres another hurdle..then he like..just some quasy swat roll and performs another miracle!

Bubba is outside right now soaking in the sun..

He is breathing a little hard..BUT this is mainly his norm for now..

He is alert and even a bit fiesty at times...

Bubba may or maynot make it..hour by hour though we see him coming thru and surprising us...

We WONT allow him to suffer...so if it would ever happen..today..tonight..next week..we know we will do whats best..despite how WE FEEL

But for now Bubba is where he belongs..in his own home..in his own snow filled yard...going forward on his rockey road...

Keep praying This guy WILL make us all proud....I know he will :!:

Again thanks for all your well wishes...we love our doggies..and we share so much of the same heartfelt feelings...

Stacey

[Scully'sMom]

I pray for strength and courage for you and your family - and I pray for your Bubba for what is best for him.

I will light a candle for him at church tomorrow. God bless.

[Anna_525]

Thanks for keeping us posted. We will definitely pray for Bubba. I will look for your future posts, and I do hope he comes through.

Anna

[CathyAnn]

How's Bubba doing today?

Cathy