White light to Bumbles!
We love you Bumbie, you are in our thoughts an prayers  From 6girls "My buddy was admitted to MSU late last night and was diagnosed with Chylothorax. Maybe it explains some of his other symptoms that have also waxed and waned. It's going to be a really long week. Let's stick with the allergy topic but maybe say a little prayer for my precious boy if you would..." |
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| Prayers coming Bumbles way & to his family too |
Best wishes to Bumbles!  Jaci - do they have any idea how this developed? It seems pretty obscure, with some really specific causes. |
| Sending lot of healing thoughts to Bumbles. Cindy |
Good lord. Had never even heard of this before tonight.  Hang in there, dude.  Hope they can come up with some underlying treatable cause.  Kristine |
| Saying extra prayers for Bumbles tonight. Get well soon sweetie!!!!! |
| Lots of love to Bumbles and family! We'll be sending you healing thoughts!!! |
| Sending lots of healing and positive thoughts to our precious Bumble Boy. |
| Sending positive thoughts for Bumbles and big hugs for you,Jaci. Robin |
| My very best thoughts are with you, Bumbles and family. |
Prayers for Bumbles and hugs for Jaci and Jim  . Glad you could get him to MSU, they have the best vets in the country. |
| Special positive thoughts for Bumble and family. |
| Hoping for good news for Bumbles! |
| Sending lots of healing thoughts to Bumbles. |
| Sending positive thoughts from the UK |
| oh no hugs to you and jaci |
| We are praying for you Bumble! |
| Special healing thoughts for Bumble and family |
| I've never heard of that one before either,... I hope Bumbleboy has a quick recovery. |
Thank you so much for your kind words and support. Ya'll made me cry again though and I don't cry pretty. Swat me and tell me to stop this crying nonsense! This news has just been so surreal. I've tried so hard to help him get well with his skin problems and he'd been doing SO much better... now this.  I love this dog so much. The MSU doctor said I could go back and say good night to him early Saturday morning but I later told her I wasn't going to. I would just be doing it for me... he'd want to leave with me and he needed to stay calm. That just about killed me because I never got to say goodbye to Nikki before her surgery. It was so hard to leave him there but he needs to be there and I'm told by others too that he's in the best of hands. It's possible that his chest cavity will refill so he needs to stay where they monitor patients 24 hours. Dawn, it's often idiopathic but sometimes there's definite causes. http://www.acvs.org/AnimalOwners/Health ... ylothorax/ Not that I have any say in what will be found but it might be more treatable if it's idiopathic. And depending on what they find with the CT scan, this may be one of those times when just a few years time may have provided a better chance of survival. The Morris Animal Foundation funded a study on this specific condition... Quote: Comparative Clinical Trial for Surgical Treatment of Chylothorax in the Dog Better Surgery for Chylothorax Disease: Dogs with chylothorax have better chances of survival because of this research. Researchers tested two new surgical procedures for the treatment of chylothorax, a life-threatening disease that was previously treated successfully only 50 percent of the time. Because of the low success rate, many veterinarians viewed this disease as untreatable. Using MAF funding, the research team was able to achieve success rates of up to 80 percent using these new procedures. In addition, dogs that didn't respond to one of the procedures often had good success with the other. These new approaches hold promise for owners of dogs with this deadly disease. The study also provided new information that can be used to further develop and refine these procedures and increase their success rates. After nearly dying of the disease, one of the dogs in the study, named Moosie, continues to thrive and is able to run and play without breathing problems. Back in February, his "discomfort" breathing and his recurring pyoderma were what sent us quickly down to MSU to see the dermatologist. Nothing has ever been picked up with a stethoscope until Nov. 4th. The odd breathing wasn't constant and his energy level increased. He has always had healthy looking pink gums. I could post a video of Halloween where the dude was chasing his purple pumpkin all over the living room. But there were times when he was exercise intolerant. But NOT in the past several months. He's been so happy and playful. The local vet was shocked to see the x-rays on Friday. Bumble's scheduled for a CT scan on Monday and surgery Monday or Tuesday IF they don't find a cause. They need to rule out causes like heart problems or a tumor... tumor was said to be less likely due to his age but it's still a possibility. I haven't talked with the surgeon because it's the weekend. The only hope to fix this is surgery... it can be managed by repeated chest taps to remove fluid but over time there's scaring which makes it more difficult. The lymph fluid damages the lungs too... if this has been a chronic condition, the damage may already be done. And there's important components to the fluid like protein, vitamins, electrolytes, etc. that would also cause him problems if they were repeatedly drawn and just dumped. I'd been monitoring his weight... 88 pounds was a good weight for him. He was 87 on Friday at the vet... he was 88.8 here in late October. So I would just boost his food a little. But they drew 2 liters of fluid from his chest cavity... so he's lost weight and is down to 83.3. They call every morning so I asked them to boost his food. Makes me sick... Thanks again to each of you for your kindness and compassion. This dog means the world to me... tomorrow should provide some answers on where we stand. |
| I just read this and understand how worried you are. Fingers crossed for all of you. |
| Bumbles is such a special boy and is so lucky to have you for his mom. All positive thoughts and prayers to Bumble along with huge hugs to you. |
| Jaci, Jim and Bumble, We're all pulling for you from Indiana. Wishing Bumble a speedy and full recovery and that he'll soon be back with the pack. |
| :') We have to cook for Bumble every 3-4 days. Darn potatoes won't freeze... they come out like sponge cubes. There was 1 1/2 days of food cooked in the fridge so before we left I grabbed it, Bumble, his x-rays and doctor's notes along with 8 pounds of frozen ostrich and a 10 pound bag of potatoes. I also grabbed his wok, a potato peeler and a knife. Who the heck travels like this?  We were getting ready to leave MSU several hours after he was admitted and head back north. My son Chris said, "What about his food?" Oh lordy. I explained his diet to the doctor again... she asked if it was Royal Canin.   Uh, no... it's 2am and I have to cook it. Do you know of somewhere I can go that has a stove? The receptionist did! So we drove a short distance and rented a room... turned out to be a nice suite... so we could cook dog food. Check in at 2am... back on the road heading north by 4am... took longer because the now cooked food had to cool before I could bag it!! Of course we all forgot to grab the plastic food tubs I had left back at home on the kitchen table. And the bad mom that I am, I couldn't help but laugh at Chris because the potatoes he was peeling kept getting away from him.  He wasn't pleased with me. I'm now committed to many weekends of granddog babysitting.  Gotta embrace those moments of humor during a medical crisis...  |
| Oh no....I'm sorry Bumble is in the hospital. But like you said, he's receiving the best of care possible and I believe he will come through~ Hugs to everyone. Get better soon Bumble. |
| Thinking of you and sending loads of positive thoughts your and Bumble's way Love from the House of Cloud |
Get better soon Bumbles and hugs for you and the family.  |
| God that hit fast. Hopefully it hasn't been chronic. I'm sure they'll also rule out fungal and bacterial infections. Thanks for the update. Hang in there. Kristine |
| Thank you for the play by play events,so Bumbles could have his bestest, Mommy, home cooked meals. Happy,positive thoughts for Bumbles. Robin |
| I know this is serious but really enjoyed the pictures and your explanation of cooking. Not every dog has his own wok, what a good mama you are. |
| For some reason I find that humorous too... he also has a frying pan. The T-Fal ones that were on some Food Network show... you can fry like 100+ eggs without ever using any oil or butter in the pan. Hey, there are enough tears being shed... gotta take a few minutes to laugh when you can. I tried to find out this morning if they knew how much damage had been done to his lungs. I have to wait until they do the CT scan and talk with someone tomorrow to see if they can tell whether fibrosing pleuritis is going to now be a problem. He's not on oxygen or anything and removing the fluid made his breathing more normal. If there are any positives to this situation, at least he didn't end up with lung torsion. I wrote to Dr. Linder today... she's the board certified veterinary nutritionist at Tufts that calculated a balanced home cooked diet for Bumble. I asked her to contact the doctors at MSU to help plan a new diet for him. Fat levels may need to be controlled from what I read. I just want him to have the best chance at surviving this. I'm so bad at waiting for answers... Anyone have any suggestions for a good quality stethoscope? I think I need to order one so I can closely monitor him when he comes home. |
| Thanks for the great detailed update on Bumbles. While scary, it has to be somewhat reassuring to be somewhere that knows whats going on and options to fix it! I can help on the stethoscope question. Mine is a Littmann - it's a very good brand. The one I have is a Littmann Classic II - and sells for about $70. They have lesser and more expensive options. I looked online and found many sources. I got mine through central supply at the hospital I worked at - they ordered a whole bunch and we got a good price...mine's been seeing action for about 15-20 years and still going strong. Here's one site - http://www.allheart.com/2200-16.html?green=25910949752 I'm sure they would carry it at medical supply places too- it's a very common and good brand. Good luck |
| Thanks for the update on Bumbie, I have been checking in watching...don't want to call so you can get your rest when you can I figured you would answer that one Dawn  That is the style I always preferred too! |
| Thanks for the updates. Have been thinking about you guys all day. Take care of yourself, so you can be strong for your baby. Hugs Hugs Hugs Lisa Frankie and Mattie |
| Oh, Jaci. These damn dogs!!! Sending positive vibes your way....... I wish you lived close enough to give an actual hug, but this will have to do. Both of my vets graduated from MSU, and if they are any indication, Bumbles is in good hands. Thank you for keeping us posted. Laurie and Oscar |
6Girls wrote: Anyone have any suggestions for a good quality stethoscope? I think I need to order one so I can closely monitor him when he comes home. Jaci, We have everything crossed over here. Hope that Bumbles come thru this unscathed. As for a steth, let me check with my company. I work for Welch Allyn. I can get a discount on a good steth for you. |
| Jaci Sending positive thoughts and virtual hugs to you , Jim and Bumble I know how hard this is for you. Thanks for the updates. I had never heard of this before either!cindy |
| Oh poor Bumbles and poor you. I hope everything turns out ok. I can't imagine what you are going thru |
| Sweetest Bumbles! I hope for the best for him, whatever that is. What a strange and scary ordeal. I hope he gets well soon! |
Donner's Mom wrote: I figured you would answer that one Dawn That is the style I always preferred too! I was hoping she would too. Thanks Dawn. And thank you for the kind offer, Mark. I've never used professional quality stethoscope and don't know the first thing about them so hopefully you both can guide me. I spoke with one of the doctors a this morning and they will likely surgically implant a port so his chest cavity can be drained as needed rather than having to do repeated chest taps over the next 4 weeks or so even if the surgery has been successful. And rest? Silly you.  Dad's "prepare for anything" mode is kicking in. Not sure what to expect when Bumble comes home so I'm shaving the OESs down short so no one's coat will be neglected. Switching the boys nighttime rooms so Bumble will be in the one that has direct access outdoors. Putting down waterproof flooring today too... something I had planned to do a month ago when Kubby got a patio door. I'll put a queen mattress on the floor so he can just walk up on it. A cooler of food is shipping out late today... hopefully the next one can be delivered in person. Let me know if I'm missing something!Lisa, thank you so much for your offer to stay with you. I hope this is the right decision but after talking with Dr. Hadley this morning, I'm not going down until after the surgery and a couple of days in the CCU. She said I know him best so know how he's going to react to our presence. He needs to be kept calm and I know he would get so excited and turn circles when he sees me and then want to leave with me each time I visited. This boy has lived up to his name... "Bumbles Bounce But Can They Fly". He's also the boy that still tries to climb in every car we walk past so we can go home. She said it's in his best interest to remain as calm as possible... that dogs usually settle in after a while... so we'll stay away. It's just killing me though...Tiffany has been the student monitoring him up until this morning when he was transferred to the soft tissue section. She said he'd been panting, felt that it may be from stress. She's observed him in the early morning while he's sleeping and she said his breathing pattern is that of a normal dog. The doctor this morning mentioned his panting also. This is the boy who's eyes turn red when out in public and still tries to go to every car we pass. He's always been a dog that is happiest at home. They want to do both the CT scan and surgery with one sedation so that will be tomorrow. The patient lineup depends on the severity of the cases that have come in over the weekend. Dr. Creighton said last night the success rate is up to 75%... one thing in Bumble's favor is that they haven't had to tap his chest again. There's still fluid in there but they didn't believe it's enough to cause discomfort. The surgical procedure is explained on the University of Wisconsin's website- http://www.vetmed.wisc.edu/dss/ChyloTho ... /page3.php They will not be cracking his chest but will go through the side... so it should allow for a less painful recovery. It's the CCA-TDL and possible pericardiectomy. If the fluid continues to leak into the chest cavity after a number of weeks, they go in on the other side of the chest and do the same procedure. They've had to do that with one dog. So... the plan today is more x-rays, another ultrasound and he'll be spending time with cardio for a work up there to see if there are any heart problems. Laurie, you and I have had a rough road with our big boys. I appreciate the hug  Forgive me for not thanking everyone individually from the start... I was in a haze with this diagnosis. Know that everyone's thoughts and prayers for Bumble mean so much. OESs are not "just dogs"... this is one of the breeds where there's a deeper human/dog bond. This has been especially hard on Jim. Bumbie's his big boy. Kobuck is more subdued (and well behaved ) without his big brother here too... he loves to get him going by grabbing a back leg or barking at him to get him playing. Bumbie usually paws him in the face when he does that and the game begins. Hoping at some point they'll be back to their shenanigans... |
| Thank you for the detailed update.Know I am thinking of you and Bumbles.Prayers said along with a ton of hugs. Robin |
| jaci, the betting man's wager is on bumbie and kobie's resumed shennanigans. |
guest56 wrote: jaci, the betting man's wager is on bumbie and kobie's resumed shennanigans. ^^Love that^^! I am amazed at the way you are able to rally to provide all that he needs with everything you have going on. It is phenomenal.  I think you are doing the right thing by staying away so he can rest. Crossing my fingers that the CT scan brings good news and the surgery some relief/healing for your dear Bumbles. |
| Hugs for you and Bumbles!!! |
| :*) Love that too... thank you dear guest. Thanks for caring about my buddy, Melissa, Robin and Val. Val, more meltdowns may follow but I'm a fixer by nature. Got a couple more calls... No cardio problems were found. The doctor said this is good news. She asked if he had been hw tested because heartworms can also cause this condition. He had been tested on March 3rd, just before we started Revolution and has been in it monthly since (had to be topical hw preventative due to the food allergy trial). She mentioned it might be a good idea to retest to rule out any zebras. I said, "Yes, please do. I tend to attract zebras." Someone pass me the zebra repellant? But he has diarrhea... seldom does he ever get that. Likely due to stress so it makes me ache for him. They're putting him on an antibiotic just in case and will add fluids if needed. It doesn't change anything... surgery is scheduled for 9am. |
I just read this post. I am soooooooo sorry to hear about Bumble. Prayers, white light, positive thoughts, hugs , kisses and everything crossed for you and Bumble. WHAT A GREAT MOM BUMBLE HAS!!!!!   |
| You are quite welcome.... Yes some good news thus far,his looks good!Please let us know what the heart worm test reveals. Sending a BIG dose of prayers for Bumbles. Robin |
| You know who is always up late if you need to talk |
| We are saying our prayers for Bumble. I know you'd like nothing more than to be there with him. Oscar is the same way. I know that if he had to spend any time at a vet clinic, I would have to move in, 24/7, or not be there at all. My coming and going would cause Oscar way too much anxiety, even more than just having to be there in the first place. Sounds like Bumble will have quite the set-up when he gets home! And who will be sleeping on the queen size mattress with him???? Laurie and Oscar, the other zebra magnet |
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| I know it is hard for you to leave him but I do believe they rest better When my savannah was in the icu at teh U of PA she would not eat so I drove 2 hrs with boiled chicken and did not stay I knew she would try and get up and interact with me and I wanted her to rest. It was so hard!!! I will keep you and sweet bumble in my thoughts. |
| White Light and prayers to Bumbles...I know how hard it is to have your baby in ICU...My dog was there for ten days...Don't feel bad about leaving him...He will rest and get the sleep he needs...Its harder for you then him.... Paws crossed he gets better soon |
| Just catching up to this post. I'm so sorry for you and Bumbles to be going through all this. Big hugs and fingers crossed for some good news |
| What a terrible ordeal for poor Bumbles and you! I am sending positive energy for his speedy recovery. Stay strong! |
| I'm watching but remaining quiet, just pulling for Bumbles and you................. |
| I would love to come back as your Sheepie. Bumble has the best mom. All good thoughts and prayers continue his way |
| We're pulling for you Bumbles and family! So sweet a dog that has his own frying pan. So much love for him which I'm sure he knows even when you can't be there with him. |
dogmom wrote: WHAT A GREAT MOM BUMBLE HAS!!!!! Nancy, thanks so much for everything you're sending Bumble's way! Not so good a mama though... I forgot to pack his veggies in the food shipment last night. Thanks for Bumble prayers, Robin. Thanks for talking late last night Guest-Kathy. I can talk and for a few minutes forget that all is not right with my little world. Thank you for the diversion. Laurie, what you explained about Oscar is exactly as it is with Bumble. He still has a little diarrhea and he had vomited last night. They do have his kennel posted big that he has a food allergy... the doctor said the people there know not to give anything but there is a slim chance someone could have but it's probably been due to anxiety level. If they would have let me move in, that's where I'd be! I'd probably be kicked out for snoring though. Thanks for the call yesterday, Nita. It meant a lot to me. And Nancy, thank you for your note. I've been a bad friend lately with all that's been going on the past several weeks. I'll explain it when we touch base again soon. Sweet Savannah... Cindy, you've been through some tough things too and understand just how it is. Thanks for keeping my buddy in your thoughts. Diane, it just kills me to be away from him. You too know the feeling. You're right... he needs his rest. They will be keeping him on IV pain medication after the surgery and will then wean him down to pills. He won't know if I'm there now anyway. Brenda, Janet, Cindy, Susan, Vegas... thanks for keeping Bumble in your thoughts. He's needing positive energy and attitudes to get through this. Everyone... thank you. The surgery should be staring now. There is not enough known about this condition to give a prognosis at this point. MSU has had a success rate of 75-80% in eventually getting the lymph fluid to stop entering the chest cavity. Bumble's has likely been a chronic problem though that has also waxed/waned like his skin problems. They have to find the little ducts in order to seal them off and that can be difficult. Expected to be a 2 hour surgery and it will include the three steps (removal of part of the pericardium). I'll post again when I know more which will probably be in the early afternoon... |
| Jaci: Positve thoughts and prayers going out to Bumbles . Crossing fingers to hear good news in a few hours. Thinking about all of you. |
| It's me coming out from under my bushel basket... These sheepies & their people feel so deeply about one another. I send you, Jim & Bumble my positive thoughts & prayers. Our sheepie connection is like blood family We have been thru many ups/downs together Waiting is the worst>>>take a deep breath Bumble is in the best of hands @ MSU BIG HUGS >>> heal BillyBumble Diane & 3shaggies...Lucy, Beebles, Brody |
| Best wishes for Bumbles with his surgery today I'm sending good wishes to the vet surgeons too - let their eyes be sharp and their hands be steady!  Hugs to you Jaci and Jim, as you have the hard job of waiting |
| Just checking in here! Hope to hear some news soon! Love you Bumbie Jaci and Jim!! |
| Checking in for some news. Hugs to everyone. Lisa |
| Kahlua and me checking in for update as well. Sending lots of positive and healing thoughts to Bumble boy. |
| I just spoke with Stephany at MSU... they got started a little later than expected and I had gotten a call from a doctor just to let me know. The surgery has been completed and Bumble's in the critical care unit so he can be closely monitored. He's receiving good pain medication and will likely sleep the rest of the day. I was told he tolerated the anesthetic pretty well. They did not do the CT scan after all... it was decided that it wasn't as effective in locating the leakage. They'll drain his chest cavity every 4 hours through the port they put in. The drainage will continue for a few weeks. The hope is that all the leaks have been sealed up. We now have to wait and see how he does. Dr. Nelson or Dr. Hadley will call again this evening.My thanks again everyone. |
| I know you are crying(I am) so I won't say anything except We are one step closer to a brand new Bumbie! |
| Thank you Jaci for the update on Bumbles....as Kathy said, a brand new Bumbles More prayers being said. Robin |
| I having been checking this post since hearing about your sweet Bumbles. Please know that I have been that he has a successful recovery. I am sending your way. Heres hoping, as others have said, that you have a brand new Bumbles when this is over. |
| Thank you so much for the update! Sunny skies now as Bumbles gets better. Hugs to you and Jim as you go through this stressful time. |
 So happy to hear that Bumbles came through the surgery Now just to get him home so you can give him all the hugs that everyone is sending him |
| So glad he made it thru surgery...prayers for speedy recovery...I am so grateful for Univ of TN vet school as I know Rosie is doing well despite her Cushings disease...great you have talented caring doctors! They are so special and we know this is difficult for you...hopefully you will be hugging him soon. |
| I an so happy and relieved that the surgery went well! I just know Bumbles will be home with you soon! Sending healing thoughts and white light to Bumbles in recovery and hugs to you. |
| So happy he made it through surgery!!! Hugs to you guys during the few weeks |
...and on to the RECOVERY stage!!!  Very good news |
| Hope everything keeps going well. So glad to hear the surgery was successful. |
| Glad the surgery is over! get well kisses for Bumble--continuing to send special and positive thoughts! |
| You guys are the BEST. I'm not kidding... I don't know what I would have done without you. This just knocked the wind out of me. I got a call a little bit ago from Dr. Hadley. She told me the surgery went well and there were no complications. Bumble's where they would expect him to be. They've drawn fluid through the port and it's working properly... there wasn't a lot and it looked normal... nothing unexpected. The way we'll come to know whether this surgery was successful is if the drainage gradually begins to taper off and eventually stop over the next few weeks. That will indicate that the leaks have been closed. That's what we'll be hoping for! He wasn't eating well yesterday... they did get him to eat a little. But he's a boy that when we take him out in public or to the vet, he refuses all treats. When we're in the car heading home, he'll often eat again. Dr. Hadley said if he doesn't begin eating in the next day or so that they'll have to weigh the benefits/problems of having us come down to see if we can get him eating. He needs to stay calm. So... I'll ask whether they would allow raw ostrich. Back in August he had lost interest in his food and his regular level of energy dropped. I feel it was because the balanced version of the allergy diet was too low in protein (reason for contacting Tufts nutritionists). Raw ostrich for a few meals got him eating again. Not sure if it's a good idea after a major surgery though... maybe lightly cooked would be a little better? I asked the doctor whether she could tell if there had been any lung damage. She said that subjectively his lungs looked to be in good shape. I also asked whether lymph fluid in the chest cavity could in any way be related to the 2+ years of itching, physically hot areas on his skin and pyoderma. (Two intradermal allergy tests and three RAST tests over this period of time had been negative for every single thing.) She said it seems unlikely but it's something she'll discuss with Dr. Rosser, Bumble's dermatologist. She said there just isn't enough known about Chylothorax so it's something to look into a little further. I'm so relieved he came through the surgery. Every time that phone rings though it scares me. I feel like saying, "When I say hello, please immediately start the conversation with, "He's fine."" The doctors and students have been just amazing. I never expected to be kept up to date like this... it's made a very difficult time a little easier. He needs to get through the next few days. He's resting comfortably for now and they have him on good drugs to control the pain. Thanks again to each and every one of you. |
| Get some rest! He is going to be fine!!!! |
| Oh my gosh, I need to check the forum more often. I am so sorry to hear about Bumbles. I've never heard of this before; how scary! Poor, poor boy. Sending lots of white light his way. Give him a gentle hug and kiss from our household. I'll be thinking about him. |
| Glad he made it through the surgery. Hugs and hoping for a speedy recovery!! |
| So glad to hear the surgery went well. He's in great hands and will be just fine. Take care of yourselves. to you and Jim. Lisa Frankie and Mattie |
| Sending more healing energy to Bumbles, and just have to say you are and always have been the best wheelie mommy I've ever known. You (and Jim's) dedication to your crew is beautiful. |
| Jaci, You and jim are the best doggie parents I know!!!You go above and beyond to care for them. Bumbles is a lucky fella. (well not so lucky in the medical dept. but you know what I mean) I am so happy he did well with the surgery!! I know how hard this is on you. Having a much loved pet away from you and sick is very stressful. You are doing what is best for him and he probably has lots of meds on board and at the universities the staff just sticks with the dog. I know savannah had a nurse and a resident taking care of her and then there was the surgeon. Bumbles get stonger every day and all of us at OES.org are thinking of you and your wonderful family Cindy |
| Thank you. I'm doing the same things many of you have done before me when there's a serious condition. Some of your very special babies come to mind. He's been sitting up in his kennel this morning. Gone out to potty... Stephanie noticed he doesn't like the wet grass. No diarrhea but he's not eating yet. Sending out cooked zucchini and green beans to see if it will help get him start eating. They aren't too concerned at this point saying the pain meds can cause this. They drew 500cc of fluid at 8 hours... it had been around 400cc at 4 hour intervals after surgery so the volume has decreased a bit. They may now be able to space out the times they remove fluid. The incision on his side/chest is the most painful. They'll try to drop his pain medication and transfer him over to oral pain meds possibly by tonight. Stephanie said she'll talk with Drs. Nelson and Hadley to see if a visit would be beneficial to him. So for now, he's about where they would expect him to be.Anyone have any ideas of what to expect with post-surgery care? Not sure how big the incisions are but the thoracic incision site is said to be very painful. Will he be able to do a couple of steps, will I be able to pick him up without causing a lot of pain? I have a ramp but he's never needed to use it.  I picked up one of these on sale thinking Panda may need it some time... http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... catid=8082 Maybe put that on him to help guide him up the ramp? Wondering too about his scratching... oooooh. (Still wonder if there's any chance it's related to the condition.) I don't even want to think of the damage he could do to his side chest incision with his big feet. Maybe another denim jacket that covers more of the underneath part of the chest is covered. http://oesusa.com/skinpr16.jpg I've just about finished the flooring... my fingertips hurt but at least I haven't cut off anything important with my scoring knife! |
| What outstanding furparents you are. Now, don't forget to take care of yourselves. Bumbles is going to need you strong. |
Just catching up... So relieved it went well. Thanks so much for keeping us all updated. I can't imagine your stress levels. You'll feel so much better once he's HOME. Kristine |
| Thinking about Bumble and hoping he is doing better as the day progresses. Pain meds can definitely affect the appetite, so it's possible that his hunger will return as he is weaned off the really strong drugs. Wishing for a speedy recovery. Laurie and Oscar |
| And antibiotics are a sure appetite killer for many (humans too), especially as they can cause nausea and also leave a metallic or bad taste in one's mouth...hopefully something especially yummy on his allowed list will tempt him. |
| a visit will be allowed. Happy to hear a positive report  Robin |
| Thank you for the update, Jaci. I do not have any contributions on how to better prepared for Bumble's post surgery care. Normally, you are the one I sought out for advices  But I think it might be beneficial for Bumble if you can bring him yours and Jim's clothing from the unwashed laundry basket. So he can feel safe surrounded by the familiar and comforting scents, if you can't visit him now. I have really good feelings about this, Jaci. It is going to be just fine. He is going to be ok |
| Glad to hear things seem to be going well. |
| About the activity question earlier... I'm thinking about humans with chest tubes in. They are pretty uncomfortable, and hurt like heck if they get bumped, also the rib/chest/intercostal movement of breathing never lets them sit still. And bending, stretching of the area hurts. Where is his drain located anatomically? So, my 1st thought is that carrying is not going to be good. Walking slowly would be better. Not having to breathe hard would be better. A ramp sounds good if you have stairs - I seem to remember the group picture with a deck and steps? I'm guessing though that he's never walked on one? It made me think that agility class may come in handy for stuff like this down the road - Chewie will unquestionably walk up, down and across anything. |
| Maybe have Jim build a wide ramp We took plywood (I think 1/2 in?) and used 2 by 4's to make a ramp the width of the stairs. Then bob put a rubber mat (rubber on bottom indoor/outdoor carpet type stuff on top) That way no one slipped This helped me help bruiser out the front door.Guinness would use a ramp but I had to carry bruiser and my knees are bad so we both used it. If you need to contain bumble (and he is not trying to fly!) you can encircle his bed with a puppy pen. When guinness had his neumerous hip procedures I did this He needed to stretch out his legs to sleep and a crate was too cramped. I elevated their dog bowls(I don't usually) so they did not have to bend to eat. With bruiser my house looked like a nursing home for dogs I have all kind of things to help lift a dog I can mail them to you , you are welcome to them I also bought large human type pads that could be washed in the washing machine and put on the beds for drainage or accidents Jaci I can mail you them also. Bumbles will be fine with you and Jim to take care of him He is indeed a lucky boy. |
I must have been under a rock the past few days because I'm just seeing this now.  I'm so happy to hear that Bumbles pulled thru the surgery and is on his way to recovery. I can only imagine how stressful this is for you and Jim, as I know I'd want to be there 24/7. Have the other dogs picked up on it?You are just truly amazing the levels to which you go for your dogs. Bumbles is so very fortunate to be a part of your family. |
| prayers and healthy thoughts to bubbles!!!!! |
| Nancy, thanks again. Thinking I may just get to bed a little earlier tonight. Mad Dog wrote: I can't imagine your stress levels. You'll feel so much better once he's HOME. You bet... Jim and I will feel much better when he's doing well and home again with us. Laurie and Dawn, thanks for reminding me about the side effects of the pain meds and antibiotics. You get in the middle of this experience sometimes and knowledge you've had goes, "poof!". Jim was kidding me that I spelled "vegetables" wrong and I believed him so I scribbled out the "e" I had written on the cooler we shipped today. So it says "vegXtables". Ouch... thanks for explaining things that will cause him pain, Dawn. We'll go for slow and easy. It's been a number of years since I've cared for someone who's undergone chest surgery. I'll try really, really, really hard not to cause him pain. got sheep wrote: So, my 1st thought is that carrying is not going to be good. Walking slowly would be better. Not having to breathe hard would be better. A ramp sounds good if you have stairs - I seem to remember the group picture with a deck and steps? I'm guessing though that he's never walked on one? It made me think that agility class may come in handy for stuff like this down the road - Chewie will unquestionably walk up, down and across anything.I think I can get him to use the ramp if we guide him... he'll probably be really motivated to get in the car to go home when he sees it. He's usually a boy that likes the #3... do it three times and he's often got it (except in public situations). Wishing I had done it before though (guys, take a lesson from my shortcomings ). Stephanie thought we might be able to just lift him but I just think it will be too painful. And Cindy, thanks so much. I did ask tonight if we should build him a ramp to navigate the three steps down. Stephanie said he's currently doing a couple of steps and a step up into his kennel... but he's also on the big pain meds yet. They hope to drop to a shorter acting IV pain med tonight with the hopes of transferring him to an oral pain med tomorrow. If steps are too painful, we'll stay in the backroom where there are no steps until we get a ramp built. She said just no jumping up on the couch, running around the yard or rolling around on the ground. I just don't see that happening but would be nice if he was doing that well. I'm sure I'll get more detailed info when we bring him home. The play pen idea might be a good one too! Maybe the doors to his room can be open after he's recovered more so that he's more part of the pack again. Emma and Darby will probably sleep by him because they're calm with him. I can see Kubby sleeping next to it.There are two 10cm incisions on his right side. If the fluid continues to decrease over the next couple of days and if the pain is managed with oral meds, AND all continues to go well, he may be able to come home as soon as Friday. :') They're moving toward drawing fluid every 12 hours now. I'll need to monitor respiration and also observe his breathing pattern for any signs that he needs to have fluid removed and any signs of infection. They'll be sending him home with supplies to drain the port but it will be done at Dr. J's office... hopefully just once week for 3 weeks and then the draining will stop. I asked about the port location but we got talking about other things and I'm not sure exactly where it is... I think it's near the lower incision. Hopefully in about 3 weeks all drainage will stop and it can be removed down at MSU. Gosh, I hope this has been a successful surgery.Thanks so much Kahlua's mama. I remember when Emma and Darby arrived... the breeder had included toys that had their mom's and littermates scent on them to help comfort them during the transition. A dish towel was included with the veggies I sent out... wonder if that's close enough? Stephanie said he's brighter tonight. He has not started eating and I was told he may not until he gets home if it's due to stress. The diarrhea did stop but it may be because he's got no food going through. Keep your fingers crossed that he can come home by Friday and that we can get food going through him at a normal rate. Drezzie's Mom wrote: Have the other dogs picked up on it? They're all more subdued but likely picking up on us too... and it's been raining so they haven't had a good outdoor romp. But Kobuck is the one that just adores his big brother.  Emma and Darby enjoy playing with Kobuck too and dogs do adapt so he should be fine. Hopefully once Bumble's recovered for some weeks, Bumble and Kobuck can again be allowed some quite play. Kubby's kind of an instigator when it comes to wild man play and will need to be closely supervised but it's within his ability to play very nicely.  Thanks for your well wishes and support Robin, Ilene and rlobraico. It's been very much appreciated. All 75 intradermal allergens and the RAST panel again came back negative on October 5th. As a last ditch effort on the allergy front, I sent saliva in for the Nutriscan food allergy testing back on October 24th and the results came back today. It's been almost impossible to tell what he might be allergic too (the reason I wonder if this condition has anything to do with the itching). I thought that if the Nutriscan didn't identify a food allergy, it might tell us what foods he could eat. If anyone wants to see what they send, it looks like this- http://oesusa.com/Bumble-Nutriscan102411.pdf He has medium IgA reaction to beef but maybe eggs will be okay? Might be a little something we can start with to entice him to eat. Night everyone... |
| jaci all i can say is thank god bumbles have you and jim |
| I can't imagine how hard it is to stay away while Bumble is recovering from surgery! Had to leave Nelson at the local vet this morning for 3 hrs. and it was so hard to do. Hoping you get your big guy back tomorrow and his recovery goes well. Nobody could give him the care that you and Jim can and he's very lucky to have ended up in your pack. We'll continue to think positive thoughts, send prayers and good wishes to your entire family. Hang in there, if you need to talk you know who to call. |
| Love all the pictures of such loved pups. Crossing everything so Bumbles comes home tomorrow. Prayers said, that the next call is,come and get your guy, so that he can get on the fast track to recovery, he will surely be a ,back in his Mom and Dad's arms. Hang in there, Robin |
| Thanks Suzi, Nita and Robin. They postponed the decision until tomorrow morning. Dr. Hadley had a late surgery and they want to see how much fluid they draw off in the morning. They don't want to send him home too soon... I told her that *I* don't want him to come home too soon. I need to call to see who's handling the weekend emergencies. Unfortunately my vet was on call last weekend so won't be on call this one. There is at least one vet I will not use... when Panda's bladder sutures failed and she was in so much pain, that particular vet said OESs just don't tolerate pain well and did not take us seriously. Never again. If there is any question about him being ready to come home, I'd rather he stay an extra day or two. Some of the vets here are excellent... a few, not so much. And professionals have warned me away from a new practice. He did eat some green beans tonight. He's on oral pain meds only and it's controlling the pain. So... if he's released tomorrow, one option might be for us to rent a room and stay down there until Saturday night or Sunday morning and have fluid drawn off before before we leave just to be sure he'd be good until Monday morning. I need to talk this over with my vet and the vets there to see what's best. There are some pictures and a video that I took to help convey to the doctors that this precious dog was sick. I can't even bear to look at them... it breaks my heart. I adore all of my dogs. This boy has required more care and handling so the bond is extra strong. He's doing as expected and is stable so I thought you might get a chuckle out of this. It was never intended for public viewing... count yourself forewarned that I have a wretched voice (Bumble doesn't think so ) and unfortunately I think the video is REALLY LOUD so turn it down right away. He may not know how to do ramps but he does know part of the hokey pokey. This is from October 16th... http://oesusa.com/HokeyPokey101611.html |
| Good boy, is definitely what Bumbles is Love his version of the Hokey Pokey Woohooo for eating green beans Will say more prayers for Bumbles. He is such a handsome boy Robin |
| Oh boy. I am glad Bumbles is on the mend. What an ordeal! I do think staying close to the hospital over the weekend is a good idea. It is always so scary when they are sick over the weekend. I wish you continued strength and energy in caring for Bumbles, yourselves, and everyone else. I'm thinking of all of you and hoping for continued improvement. |
| Oh love Bumble's Hockey Pockey ...so cute. Get better soon sweety. |
| Wishing Bumbles another great day of recovery. Yay....a little green beans is better than nothing. Sometimes they just need a little taste to get things started. I think I would stay close to MSU also. YOu guys take care. Hugs to everyone and Sheepie Kisses from Mattie and Frankie Lisa Frankie and Mattie |
| Loved the hokey pokey, Bumbles does a great job and my voice is much worse than yours. Keeping my fingers crossed that things keep progressing well. I am sure you're really missing him and want to do the right thing for both Bumbles and you. |
6Girls wrote: All 75 intradermal allergens and the RAST panel again came back negative on October 5th. As a last ditch effort on the allergy front, I sent saliva in for the Nutriscan food allergy testing back on October 24th and the results came back today. It's been almost impossible to tell what he might be allergic too (the reason I wonder if this condition has anything to do with the itching). I thought that if the Nutriscan didn't identify a food allergy, it might tell us what foods he could eat. If anyone wants to see what they send, it looks like this- http://oesusa.com/Bumble-Nutriscan102411.pdf He has medium IgA reaction to beef but maybe eggs will be okay? Might be a little something we can start with to entice him to eat. Night everyone... That is really interesting! I hope eliminating beef helps stop the itchies! |
| I haven't seen Jaci on anywhere this afternoon so,hopefully that means she is on her way to get the B Boy!!!! |
| I haven't seen Jaci on anywhere this afternoon so,hopefully that means she is on her way to get the B Boy!!!! |
| My thanks to everyone for thinking of my buddy. Sorry, we are still at home. As things stand right now, we plan to pick him up on Sunday. Drawing the fluid from the port is not something I can do here at home. We called at 8am to see who's handling calls in the GT area this weekend. My vet is out of town until Sunday... and the vet on call is the one we had a problem with. In all fairness, that vet may have just been having a bad day but she later admitted that Panda would not have had emergency surgery until the following day anyway. In other words, that vet was unable to provide the emergency care needed. That just isn't acceptable so hopefully we can avoid a situation like that again. Stephanie said at 10am this morning that the last two times they drained him the level of fluid drawn had dropped dramatically. I can't remember the numbers but maybe 100ccs and then maybe 10ccs. They were getting 700cc. But... they're suspicious that the port might be plugged because it's uncommon for the fluid level to taper off that fast. They'll try to flush the line with saline to see if more can be drawn and if not, take another radiograph to see how much fluid in the chest cavity. He's now eating about 1 cup of ostrich and potatoes every 6 hours so that's encouraging news. Along with his beloved veggies too. I'll update again when I know more. |
| I know it must be so hard not to have Bumble home with you, but it's probably for the best, especially heading into the weekend. It will give them adequate time to sort out the fluid issue. So great to hear that Bumble is eating something. Sounds like progress is being made. Have you met Dr. Matthew Beal, Director of Emergency and Critical Care? Turns out he was classmate of my vets, Dr. Sara Mey, and Dr. Bryan Haag. They said that Bumble is in excellent hands. Hopefully, he will be home with you soon. Laurie and Oscar |
| He also tried to pull Stephanie down the hall Oscar's Mom wrote: Have you met Dr. Matthew Beal, Director of Emergency and Critical Care? Turns out he was classmate of my vets, Dr. Sara Mey, and Dr. Bryan Haag. They said that Bumble is in excellent hands. We got there around 9:30-10pm on Friday night... there weren't many people passing through the waiting area so I didn't see him. Ya know how some people just look like they've gotta be nice though? Thinking that of Dr. Beal. Unfortunately, they were only able to draw off 25cc of fluid and there's some mild to moderate pleural effusion. The port could be kinked or out of position. Yeah, I'm disappointed it's not working properly but things don't always go quiet as planned. I'm glad we didn't bring him home today. They'll monitor him tonight to see if his breathing rate increases or becomes heavy and tap him again if necessary. They'll try the port again tomorrow morning to see if it might shift and allow for drainage again. Even with this "bump in the road" they'll always first try the port before doing a tap just in case it opens up again.So that's where were at...   |
6Girls wrote: So that's where were at... I wish it was better news but it is still good. I love that picture! All those sheepie butts on the bed -- so cute! What good doggies.I am crossing my fingers that the weekend goes smoothly and Bumbles continues to improve. |
| Darn But I also love that picture! |
| Those pictures are absolutely priceless!!! I'm sorry that the port seems to be malfunctioning. As crappy as it is, it worked out for the best that Bumble stayed put. Now they will have time to get everything sorted out, and monitor him while doing it. And he will have quite a posse waiting for him when he gets home. Hang in there, Jaci. Laurie and Oscar |
| Jaci That picture is priceless What a crew you have!! Hopefully the kink or clog will resolve itsself this kind of thing happens in humans too. Your mind and heart must be exhausted... Its so hard with our beloved pets because they cannot tell us if it hurts or if they are short of breath or anything except they love us and that is always evident in their eyes. I am glad he is eating and dragging techs down tha hall That has to be a good sign. Still sending warm and wonderful thoughts your way. cindy |
| I hope for good news in the morning! I can really see that Buckie misses his buddy! He doesn't look as spirited as usual All will be better soon! |
| White light, right coloured Auras, just catching up on this post, jaci and family and fur babies we are keeping you all in our hearts and minds. Never heard of what bumbles has and even though a recent set back reading all that is going on sounds positive and hoping your bubba boy is reunited with his whole family soon. So glad to hear he has started to eat a little. Thinking of you all Our love and prayers. xxLisa and family |
| Really love that picture...Get better Bumbles!!! |
| Everything happens for a reason. On the bright side he is dragging women down the hall and has them eating out of his paw....what a smooth operator Praying all goes uphill from here on out How adorable can these pics be of his welcome commitee It's hard but please hang in there, Robin |
| God what can you say . Just read the whole post & hope he pulls through . . And I was worried about kennal cough. Hope he will be at home soon & running around |
| I'm sorry your sweetie couldn't come home for the weekend. His eating sounds good. Get better soon sweet Bumbles, you pack is waiting patiently for you. |
| Just catching up on this now. I don't think that I breathed at all through nine pages of posts. I am sending positive thoughts your way and am looking forward to Bumbles speedy recovery. Make sure to get some sleep and some love and care yourselves too! |
| Sorry to hear about the set back. Things happen for a reason, so it's a good thing he's there. Hoping for a good update this morning. Just love the picture. It brought tears to my eyes. I'm a mush. Fingers crossed. Thinking of you all today. Lisa Frankie and Mattie |
| There are always little bumps in the road in a healing process. It's a good thing Bumbles stayed there. He's in the best place for the little bump. Glad to hear he is eating. I LOVE the pictures!!! Bumbles is going to have soooooo many nurses taking care of him when he comes home. I amazes me how animals sense health situations and respond accordingly. Gentle and loving. Once he comes home, I bet heals faster because of all the TLC and being with his family. You are truley AWESOME!!!!! |
| He is in the best possible place...so sad...we are sending sheepie white light and prayers your way. Stay strong sweet Bumbles!!! |
| They used a longer needle to get the port working and were able to draw off 1200cc of fluid. (Just over 1/2 of a 2 liter bottle of soda/pop.) I worried about how much was in there and whether he was having any problems breathing through the night. It's a lot of fluid but Dr. Hadley said this was 2 days worth so he's doing ok for this stage of recovery. The fluid is blood tinged but there's no chyle so far. Hopefully the new pathways are beginning to form so the lymph stuff can go where it should. Yeah, too much info but some day someone else may be going through this and want all the details when searching for chylothorax. She said they'd like to keep him until Monday and I'm SO totally on board with that. Repeatedly tapping his chest could mean additional scaring so I really hope this port will continue to work. They expect to take him off IV fluids today. He's eating most of his daily quota of food. She had wondered how we fed him... one meal, two, etc. because he's leaving some. They said he's a sweet boy and he's been a trooper and tolerating procedures real well :') That's my buddy. Of course they may tell everyone that. Back to bathing/retrimming poochies to prepare for his homecoming... |
| Glad they were able to draw off more fluid and that he's eating and responding well to everyone. Loved the picture of all the kids sitting on the bed, you have a wonderful family. |
| Sounds like a good update What a good boy |
| Really seems like everything is moving along quite well. Awesome news that he is eating,always a good sign! Continuing prayers for Bumbles Hugs to all, Robin |
| What a good patient Bumble is being! Two more sleeps and he'll be home! |
| Glad to hear that they sorted out the issue with the port, and that the fluid amount is decreasing. Hopefully, he will be home on Monday. The posse is waiting! Thank you for continually updating us on Bumble's procedures and progress. For those of us whose dogs seem to run into every "zebra" out there, this info is extremely helpful, in case, God forbid, any of us have to deal with Chylothorax in the future. Jaci, your boy will be home soon. Laurie and Oscar |
| Glad to hear that Bumble is doing better. Sounds like he is in really good hands. |
| Just to say I really hope Bumbles progress continues. Does sound encouraging (love the picture). Sending love and best wishes from the House of Cloud on the Isle of Man xxx |
| YIPEE some good news!! We are all thinking of you and your Bumbles here in Maryland!! |
| I love you guys. Hopefully tomorrow I can post some pictures of Bumble back here at home. 400cc drawn this morning. The fluid's cloudy so they're going to run a test tomorrow to determine whether there's chyle present. When Dr. Hadley looked at his lungs, she did NOT note the fibrous scaring that can happen due to the irritating nature of the chyle. She said things could definitely be worse at this stage and to stay positive... it can take weeks or even months for him to "dry up". So cautious optimism. He's starting to rub up against them and trying to kiss their faces... my lover boy. They're seeing the real Bumble when he feels well. Plan's still on for tomorrow. I may ask them whether it's advisable to lightly sedate him when we're reunited... I don't want any exuberance to dislodge that port. |
| Keeping my fingers crossed that you get him home tomorrow. |
| 700cc draw this morning so the volume is up. We needed to wait for the rounds this morning so the doctors including Dr. Stanley could assess him. We'll need to wait a month to see how things go... draw fluid every 2-3 days depending on how he's doing. We'll also need to wait and see whether another surgery will be needed or if this will resolve. It's not discouraging news because it's too soon yet to tell so I have to be optimistic and take it a day at a time. Leaving pretty soon to bring him home... Tested the ramp with the 7 kids here... no one balked, they went right up, even Kaytee. Woohoo! Maggie slid backwards some because of less muscle mass due to age/Cushings. Taking anti-slip rug backing and a case of paper (Chris' idea ) to improve traction and reduce the angle. Thanks again everyone. |
| Yay he's coming home Give him hugs from us here in Michigan Lisa Frankie and Mattie |
The welcome committee will be waiting for their best friend....  Bumbles is going to be so happy to see his family.... Safe travels along with a warm hug to all, especially Bumbles Robin |
| I am tearing up here thinking of you all and poor Bumbles. Glad he is coming home and praying this can be managed. HUGS!!! |
| Hope Bumble gets to come home today! Safe travels Jaci |
We're home. He's happy to be home too. Little pictures of the port (it's kept circled because it can be hard to find) and the big incisions. He's on Tramadol for pain. Ate dinner and is now resting. He's skinny and needs to put on 4-5 pounds again. He would have loved to run about the backyard but that's not happening. Not a bit of a problem with the ramp... it worked perfectly and he walked right up it with no hesitation.  Fluid draws every 2-3 days or sooner if respiration is over 40 per minute at rest. He'll be reevaluated after 3-4 weeks down at MSU. If there's still leakage, they'll do the other side. It's not as invasive a surgery because it won't involve the heart this time. Gotta get back to him... just wanted to share a quick note and pictures. Now we wait and see... Thank you everyone for your thoughts, prayers and kindness. You were there for me and you've been great!! And also to the Michigan State University surgeons, students and staff who have attempted to cure my boy and who offered him comfort when I couldn't. |
| He looks so happy I can see the love and trust in his eyes Bumbles is going to bounce back and fly all over his back yard before you know it Sending a BIG and a warm to Bumbles & CompanyRobin |
| Yay!! Bumbles is home! He looks really good for the ordeal he's been through. Mama will fatten him up in no time! Best wishes for a speedy recovery! |
| Oooh tears of happiness welling up in my eyes, those piccys of bumbles are priceless, you can see the joy in his expression "WOO HOO" home with mom and dad and the fur brother and sisters, he is definately smiling in those pics. Now home hopefully things only keep on improving and moving forward, I am always amazed at even though the hospitals take extroidinary care and attention there is still "No Place Like Home" to converless. I am sure bumbles is in bliss and on his way to a full on recovery under moms and dads TLC and the comforts of home. xxLisa |
| Yay! Your Bumbles looks so happy!!! Those pics and your update make me incredibly happy. He clearly loves his upgraded digs and is so happy to be home with his loving family. I know he is not yet out of the woods but he is surely on the path to recovery with everything he needs to get better. Hooray too for the amazing care he got at MSU. I hope Bumbles continues to improve and kicks this crazy thing! |
| This is super news Jaci! Love those pictures, he looks wonderful. |
| For goodness sake give that boy the remote and a tramadol! He looks great and very happy I know you are thrilled he is HOME! Get some rest! |
| YAH!!! so glad Bumbles is home and from the look of it so is the pup. How are the other dogs taking it? |
| Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Bumbles is home. I'm so glad he's back with his family. He looks very happy. NOW that he's home maybe mom and dad can get a little rest. Hugs and Sheepie kisses from Lisa Frankie and Mattie |
| Great news!!! |
| WHOOPIE!!! BUMBLES!!! I have tears running down my face. I am still keeping good thoughts and saying prayers. Jaci, you are AWESOME!!!Bubmle can only thrive now that he is home. He has so many nurses to take care of him. Hugs and kisses are very healing |
| Great to hear!!!! |
| So happy he's home and looks good. Now, you guys get some rest too and fatten that boy up. |
| Oh, relief! Fingers crossed for continued smooth improvement. And thanks for keeping us updated. Kristine |
| Im so glad he's home! |
| Yay!! So glad he is home!! He is looking good... |
| I know how happy you are to have him home |
gumbo41 wrote: He looks so happy He's glad to be home. Thanks so much, Robin. poolmom wrote: Yay!! Bumbles is home! He looks really good for the ordeal he's been through. Mama will fatten him up in no time! Best wishes for a speedy recovery!Janet, it's hard to believe he was in the CCU such a short time ago... he seems to have come through the surgery well. I think he was dehydrated when we got home... he refused water in the car. He was drinking a lot last night but it's evened out. And he was so hungry... trying to mooch human food which he never does. Gone to 3 meals a day and a night snack to get him to a better fighting weight in case a second surgery is needed. lisaoes wrote: Now home hopefully things only keep on improving and moving forward, I am always amazed at even though the hospitals take extroidinary care and attention there is still "No Place Like Home" to converless. Thank you, Lisa. That's so true about hospitals. All the sounds, new people, dogs/cats/etc. uncomfortable or in pain at a hospital. Humans and dogs alike are just happy to be back home!Valerie wrote: I know he is not yet out of the woods but he is surely on the path to recovery with everything he needs to get better. Hooray too for the amazing care he got at MSU. A little nervous about tomorrow... we need to see if my vet can work the port. It's difficult to feel the boundaries and you need to locate it's middle. Embarrassed to say I was so focused on how the doctor was explaining the process that I forgot to video her telling it. I wrote this morning to explain it to be sure I have it right... she said it was perfect. The most important part is locating the port boundaries so you can find the center... if it's done wrong, it can cause the port to fail. But Dr. Jossens is very good so hoping it goes well so his chest won't have to be tapped the old fashioned way. Dawn, I was thinking of you as I was guiding him out of the MSU building with help in tow. I confidently walked him up to the car/ramp like we'd done it a million times and he went right up and in. Turned some circles like "Woohoo! It's my car!" I had to tell him a few times to lie down because he contemplated the front seat which he NEVER does. I had a body pillow up front and memory foam under the quilts and he laid right down. Donner's Mom wrote: For goodness sake give that boy the remote and a tramadol! Simon's Mom wrote: How are the other dogs taking it? Pam, they all want to go in and see him. Emma and Darby have been the only ones in his room so far but he gets a little frisky so they can't stay long. He got to say hello to Kobuck and Darby through a body blocked doorway and he wiggled like crazy. He's pretty content now except he wants to be with the pack and play. A few more pictures from last night and today. babysheepie wrote: NOW that he's home maybe mom and dad can get a little rest. I crashed on the bed this afternoon with him sleeping on the floor next to it. Much easier to just open my eyes, see he's breathing fine and not trying to scratch the staples or port and go back to sleep. Jim's staying in the regular bed. Smart man. germany wrote: Great news!!!^^ What germany says! Thank you!dogmom wrote: I am still keeping good thoughts and saying prayers. Jaci, you are AWESOME!!!Bubmle can only thrive now that he is home. Thank you so much, Nancy. :') Dr. Hadley was "thrilled" to hear today that he's doing so well too. We'll remain cautiously optimistic. Baba wrote: :yay: Great to hear!!!! Thanks, David. ICH wrote: So happy he's home and looks good. Now, you guys get some rest too and fatten that boy up. Thanks, Ilene. And will do! Mad Dog wrote: Fingers crossed for continued smooth improvement. Really hoping that will be the case, Kristine. He appears to be bouncing back from the surgery quite well. Thank you, Annastacia, Melissa and Cindy! It's a huge relief to see him so I now understand how he's recovering. The unknown is frightening sometimes... being unsure whether I would know if he was beginning to become distressed with his breathing. But I feel more comfortable monitoring him now after being able to observe him for a full day. We'll start to settle into a routine for the next few weeks. He's got one leg that hasn't had a big patch of hair shaved off it. And he's got that whole side shaved down, his chest and a big patch on his left side too. He kinda looks like a groomer was attempting a poodle cut while very much under the influence. I want to put him in the tub because he's icky, pooey, sticky, gunky but I can't give him a bath until a few days after the staples come out. He's not on antibiotics so it's wise to be cautious. Well of course I'm sleeping on that bed too so I can monitor him. He'll get a shave down and bath ASAP! |
| He's home! He's home! Wonderful news. The pictures are so sweet. I love that the girls want to be with him.As someone who spends ALOT of time sleeping on the floor next to a sick dog that you are trying to keep from chewing on a wound, or ripping out stitches, stock up on caffeine and sugar. It will help fuel you for the next few weeks, and keep you from falling asleep on your feet. Advil is also helpful, to soothe the arthritic joints when you find yourself laying in a contorted position, unwilling to move because you might disturb the dog.Welcome home Bumbles! Laurie and Oscar |
| It is so good to see the Bumbles home! Great pics...I'm sure he was so excited to be in "his" car and going to "his" house and seeing "his" pack. I hope today is a good day for all of you. |
| So happy that Bumbles is home and doing well! The pictures of him are adorable; I bet the pack really missed him and vice versa. Praying for his continued healing. |
| The pictures say it all Keeping a candle burning for Bumbles speedy recovery  Robin |
| I'm so happy for you that he's home! He's so cute and so are the pictures of your pack. All just gorgeous and such loved and well cared for babies. If anyone can handle caring for him it would be you. I have a really good feeling that he's going to overcome everything and be healthy and completely well soon! Don't let tiredness and worry lessen your confidence. You are one of the best dog mom's and sheepie families well equipped to handle anything weird that comes your way. And when a sheepie is so very loved like yours, they have a lot of strength to overcome adversity. |
| Yay! Bumbles is home! That's great news and he looks great and very happy to be home! Cindy |
| How is Bumbles today? Jaci, How are you doing? Hope all is progressing well. Keep us posted. I know it isn't at the top of your list at this time, how about more pics with Bumbles and his care giving staff? Nancy G |
| Thanks for everyone's continued thoughts and prayers. I've finally just about caught up on all the lost sleep. dogmom wrote: I know it isn't at the top of your list at this time, how about more pics with Bumbles and his care giving staff? No, it's not that. I was afraid I might be sharing too much info. Others have equally important/serious things going on so I'll post a little less often. The good news is that the last tap drew 560ccs compared to Wednesday's of 715ccs. That is at least encouraging and I'll surely take it! Here are some pictures from the past couple of days-  But the port is still being very difficult. We're all having problems visualizing exactly how it works since it's not allowing fluid to be drawn when following the instructions. Understanding the mechanics may help. I watch and it looks like doc is doing it just right. You prep, locate the port, determine the center and insert the needle perpendicular until you feel a click or metal/metal contact. But it's not working. He was on the table for over 1 hour and 15 minutes Friday, she made an incision at one point. I've got pictures if anyone wants to see.  WARNING: Bodily Fluids- http://oesusa.com/Bumble-Port111811.jpg This dog is so tolerant. Once on his side, he didn't struggle when being restrained or even flinch. But the process should not take this long. Bumble should not have to be tolerant for so long and I can see first hand that it's also taking away from other patients who need them. As soon as we got home on Friday, the plan was to call the needle manufacturer for longer needles and also MSU to see if we could buy a port for doc to practice with (Jim's idea). My thought is that maybe the 1" huber needles aren't long enough to seat properly... Dr. Hadley mentioned using the longer 1" needles down at MSU was what had fixed the problem they were having. So I called Norfolk Vet Products and asked if I could buy from them or if they would only sell to veterinarians. I was put in touch with really kind lady that is sending six 1 1/4" 22 gauge straight huber needles, a couple of 1" larger gauge huber needles too. I didn't mention anything about my next planned call to MSU but she offered to send a port too so my vet could practice with it. :') (Bumble's bill from MSU has the just the port cost at $250.) It likely won't be the same one but it's hopefully similar enough that it will help her to get a feel for the process. And she offered to get these things to my vet by 10:30am Monday... his appointment is at 11am. More kindness for the benefit of a dog. I tried to give my credit card information or pay the bill sent to my vet but she refused. She asked me to just follow up because it may help someone else later on. And if the longer needles work, she'll make them for Bumble. I was so touched. The longer needles may just do the trick... Dr. Hadley said if there's any swelling, the needle length could be the problem. He's still panting but it's a gentler pant now and breathing like a normal dog when he's been resting. I shaved his body down with a 6 blade today just to get that coat off him... will do his legs later. This is the longest he's gone without a bath in probably 1 3/4 years and it's again put off due to the new incision. His last bath was on October 31st. He was sent home without antibiotics. I'm sure he had them at least part of the time while there since surgery dealt with the heart and abdomen. We'll see what the next month or two brings. Not a single sore on him... just the way he was when admitted on November 4th. We're still not eating chicken just in case.  I did find a wound, sore or something on his back... accidentally took off a small part of the scab scratching his back for him. Not sure what it is but I'll watch it. Shaved real short around it, cleaned it well and dried it. No meds... will see if it heals on it's own. Oh, yeah... there's a picture of that too along with two small spots that are bald. I spare you all and not post them. Will ask if the hair loss is due to stress or whether we should recheck thyroid. He's eating big time now... hoping it fills in his boney butt a little. He's been getting some new foods... a little sweet potato and some beloved yogurt.   "...Of the 8 dogs previously performed at MSU, with this single paracostal approach, only 1 dog required additional surgery to achieve resolution of effusion... I didn't know the small numbers going in but it's his best chance at correcting his problem and obtaining a normal life. The reason I need information directly from MSU and other teaching schools who have done these procedures. So we do it all again on Monday. We hope the port can easily be taped with the new tools that will arrive and hope even more that the fluid level continues to drop. If not, we'll head down to MSU again... |
| jaci and jim, you're awesome parents and your kids know it. way to think and act outside the box, my wager is on the needles and of course renewed shenanigans sooner than later. |
| Oh the pictures are amazing! For a sick puppy, he is the cutest, happiest, most beautiful sheepie I could imagine! You are taking such great care of him! What a good boy. I hope the longer needles help. Please keep sharing! There is no such thing as too much when it comes to a sheepdog, especially a sick one. |
| Goooood boy bumbles! He's carrying on like a champ. Such Preciousness. Nice to hear that you got some sleep.... |
| Good boy Bumbles! I hope the longer needles work! Keep the info and updates coming! Never too much! I do have a question about how you are adding the pictures to the updates. Are they added by a faster way then adding them to "my photos"? Cindy |
| I hadn't read much lately and just came across this. I cried through 12 pages. I am so glad he is doing better. You are such a good Sheepie Mom. He looks good for what he has gone through. I hope you are taking care of yourself. Bumbles we are sending good healing thoughts and prayers to you and your family. I hope the longer needles work. I can see his family loves him. The other dogs are just adorable with him. The pictures are great. Good luck and takes care. Carleys mom. |
| Wow. That's all I can say - wow. Bumbles is SO patient and understanding. I bet he realizes that he feels better, and that you and Jim are to thank!! I am in awe of all you do for your fur babies! Here's to continued improvement for that sweet, sweet Bumbles boy! |
| Thank you so much for the update on Bumbles. What a sweetie he is. Love the pics. I'm happy to hear he is eating...love his new shirts. Prayers and positive thoughts for a good dr appointment tomorrow. |
| He certainly looks happy. Maybe even happier than a pup who DIDN'T have to go thru his ordeal. |
| Jaci, Bumble looks great. Hopefully the longer needle will do the trick, and Bumble won't need to repay a visit to MSU. If you're interested in something topical for Bumble's skin boo-boo, you might want to try Mupirocin ointment (2%). We got this from Oscar's dermatologist as a substitute for some of our other topicals that contained steroids. Sometimes it's enough to stop a cootie before it gets a foot hold. Fingers crossed for Bumble's continued improvement. He is a lucky, lucky fella. Laurie and Oscar |
| to Jaci, Jim, Bumble and the gang! |
| Thank you so much for the update...a good one at that!!! Question, so is all the liquid in the bowl what was removed from him? As always, I do love your pictures (I'm a visual learner). |
jcc9797 wrote: Question, so is all the liquid in the bowl what was removed from him? Yeah... that's the watery fluid pulled from his chest cavity. Being cloudy, it likely contains chyle. It's why I think he'll likely require surgery on the other side too. But that's just a non-medical opinion. I pray I'm wrong. Oscar's Mom wrote: If you're interested in something topical for Bumble's skin boo-boo, you might want to try Mupirocin ointment (2%). We got this from Oscar's dermatologist as a substitute for some of our other topicals that contained steroids. Sometimes it's enough to stop a cootie before it gets a foot hold. I'll keep the info on file should we need it. Thank you, Laurie. Thanks again to everyone for being so supportive. :') I think this is going to be a roller coaster ride. The port is giving Dr. J and all of us watching an absolute fit. It's thought to be similar to the one below. You just insert the needle through the plastic front and draw out the fluid... in theory. I mentioned to Dr. H tonight that if we try it one more time before doing an old fashioned chest tap that I think he should be in an upright position, on his chest, in order to give his skin in the other area a break... a different area of tissue shifts over the port area if he's positioned that way. So no fluid removed since Friday because they couldn't get the blasted thing working. But the practice port and needles did arrive from Norfolk Vet Products. Exactly as promised. I need to follow up with them.  So... we were heading home to pack in order to head down to MSU again. I called to let them know we'd be there in about 4 hours. Dr. Hadley called back, spoke with Bumble's doc here. There was a plan "B"... to take x-rays and see how much fluid was present. I figured digital x-rays would be the best because they could be emailed and viewed quickly at MSU and by my vet here. We took him to a vet we had seen 8 years ago... the first question out of his mouth was, "How'd you end up with a dog with chylothorax?". In his 22 years as a vet, he's never seen a case... a previous elder partner had only seen one. You could see the fluid and port/tubing in his chest x-rays... the fluid level isn't thought to be enough to cause any discomfort at this point. Then the xxxx x-rays didn't email right down to MSU so I've got to call again tomorrow morning to have it resent. It's just been one frustration after another. I want to sit in the corner and cry. I'll put on my big girl pants tomorrow and we'll get 'er done... whatever that might be.It's impossible to completely drain the chest cavity no matter what method you use. There's always going to be fluid left inside. But the idea is to remove as much as possible to allow for easier breathing. I worry most about lung torsion. But this condition itself can also lead to metabolic and immune problems... what I was worried about with the bald spots. But they likely wouldn't be clustered in one area. The mysterious wound and 3 bald areas were also checked today by the second vet we saw. The good news is that they did not find a bacterial infection or demodex... they did scrapings and cytology there. Hey, so the news isn't all disheartening! No clue as to what had caused it but it's limited to one side and clustered in one area so it's most likely the side he had been lying on during recovery. When I found it on Saturday after shaving him I didn't want to wash or clean it for fear I'd mess up the testing. But I'm washing it now with Douxo Chlorhexidine shampoo 1x daily. Yeah, you can see pictures if you want. He's wet in the one pic. Warning: Naked skin and scabless wound? - http://oesusa.com/BaldAreasWound.jpg Looser poo tonight maybe due to stress and he's very tired. It's proving to be difficult on him... and that's what makes me very sad. I'm leaving him in his room by himself tonight so he'll hopefully get a good night's sleep without me checking to be sure he's breathing and monitoring respiration. Tomorrow's another day... |
| Stay positive and we are all keeping fingys, paws and everything else crossed the light at the end of the tunnel is shining bright. I will do Jaci your amazing and so clever too, know this is irrelevant at the moment but those special coat covers you made for Bumbles are amazing. Even though you are going through a lot, he looks so patient, strong and with mum and dad love I cant see him not going from strength to strength. As they say a learning experience and sometimes one step back and two or more steps forward. A learning journey and so glad he is eating now he is at home, are you allowed to give him "Goats Milk with maybe a raw egg yolk and yoghurt in that as well to help fill him out again" Just a thought there Love to you all |
| Stay strong Jaci.. I know it's easier said than done. Hoping things get easier today. Bumble looks very happy in your earlier posts. Our vet said the same thing concerning Frankies tests. I said how can I have 2 dogs with DI(if thats what Frankie has) He said Lisa if anyone can it would be you Hugs to all of you.. Lisa Frankie and Mattie |
I honestly don't know how you have managed so far  I would be a complete mess...sitting in a corner banging my head against the wall or passed out  Big hugs to Bumble he is so strong and good mannered even in these trying circumstances Hopefully this will be the last hurdle on his road to recovery All fingers, toes, arms, legs and paws crossed at the P household for Bumble |
| Jaci, Bumbles and you are so inspirational. I know it has been very rough on both of you. But what you've done, Jaci is incredible. The love and commitment you have shown for Bumbles is awe inspiring! Big (but gentle) hugs, and a little extra veggie for Bumbles please. Now I'll go off and wipe my eyes and say another prayer for you guys. |
| |
| Jaci, I am so thankful that you post your experiences here. I have learned so much from you; not only about medical issues, but you are such a strong, courageous, and dedicated person. Sometimes the journeys you take us on are sad, but I am honored to go with you. I hope the bald areas are nothing more than "bed sores". I was shocked at the amount of fluid drained from his chest cavity. I'm praying for you all. to Bumbles from my clan. |
| I'm so sad what all Bumbles has had to endure. But what a precious amazing boy, grabbing every moment of joy. It's OK to go in the corner and cry, it's a good release and helps renew you so you can step up and continue. His sores look like diabetic pressure sores. If that's the case we successfully healed those type of sores with honey. You just cut the hair around the wound and squeeze regular honey no special kind. We used honey from the grocery in a squeeze bottle. Squeeze directly on. I think I put some fresh on a couple times each day and used my finger to gently coat. This healed the pressures sores that were actually on the hip on the hip bone area but she had no padding. This was a miraculous solution for us. Before that we had tried traditional creams and a steroid cream and it was no use at all. Using the honey we saw very speedy healing occur. I loved seeing bumbles plate of yogurt fruit and vegetables, I was thinking he eats better than me. We sure are pulling for you guys. Thank you for doing everything possible to help your sheepie, I'm so grateful that he is with you and not in a different situation where he wouldn't have been given a shot. You can tell how much he loves his life in spite of everything. to Bumbles and to Mom and family. |
| :') Sorry for the public breakdown. Thanks again for going through this with us. It's been one frustration after another but we're into a new day. Wish us luck... we have a 9:40 appointment to see if doc can get any fluid by having him positioned different and accessing the port through a new area of skin. I spoke with Dr. H last night and she said the amount of fluid isn't as much as they had when the port stopped working at MSU so that's encouraging. I'll write more tonight if we don't have to head down to MSU. I got to see the x-rays and the drain is at the bottom of the chest cavity so lying upright or standing may give the best results. Doc had been able to draw like 2" of fluid into the line before it stopped. Dr. H said that it's possible that's all she had access to at that point. Pictures- http://oesusa.com/bumble-xray1-112111.jpg and http://oesusa.com/bumble-xray2-112111.jpg Dr. Rosser, Bumble's MSU dermatologist, called yesterday and he was able to give me a advice with just the pictures. The bald spots are a low grade staph infection. He said the reason the cytology was negative is because the bacteria is in the the hair shaft. You'd have to do a biopsy in order to find it. So we're using Douxo 3% Chlorhexidine wipes 2x per day to treat it. He also had a glorious bath last night with the same Douxo shampoo he's been using since February. Dr. H said it was ok, just to avoid that small incision area. He's CLEAN!! But itchy... Dr. Rosser said not to change his diet until he has no holes, ports, etc. I had given him yogurt a couple of days and he said it's best to avoid the dairy. Bumble doesn't need chylothorax and a raging skin infection together. I'm so glad he called. Bumble's eating 6 cups of ostrich and 6 cups of potato along with supplements. We'll see if he can start to put on a little weight. |
| you are a hero to all of us |
| She drew fluid on the first try!!! Jim almost cried and I hugged doc when she was done... had to pick up a couple of last minute Thanksgiving things at the grocery store and was smiling like a fool as I shopped. We had Bumble stand this time. I positioned his head under my arm and Jim had his rear to prevent him from sitting. Dr. Jossens pressed the needle in. He did flinch despite the numbing but she drew back on the syringe and she hit fluid the first time! Things went exactly as they were supposed to. We then had him sit to try to get more, then lie down in a "sternal" position upright on his chest, then we had him roll to his side. Nothing else could be evacuated. The total draw from Friday to Wednesday was 410cc. Still cloudy-pink so there's chyle... but it was SO MUCH EASIER on Bumble. She was able to go through a different area of skin because the skin shifted so it's giving the other area a chance to heal. And the needle didn't even seat up to the plastic disc this time... there was a gap between the clear plastic and the skin surface. Before, possibly due to swelling or just the thickness of the tissue, the needle had to be pressed deeper.  I'm thankful for many things... that the pleura port worked exactly as it should, for all the doctors that are attempting to make Bumble whole and for everyone here for your thoughts, prayers and encouragement. It would have been harder to do this alone... |
| That is great news for Bumble and both of you! Keep getting better Bumble! Many healing hugs to all of you and have a very happy Thanksgiving! Cindy & Teddy |
| Thank God Thank you for the update....looking forward to the next. Crossing fingers. |
| Yeah Bumble!!! HAPPY THANKSGIVING JACI & GANG!! |
| I'm so happy she was able to draw the fluid, I hope for all of your sakes he gets better soon. So hard on all of you and I think you are amazing in the way you're handling all of this and how far you are willing to go to make Bumble's better. He's a lucky boy to have you and a very brave one with all he's been thru. |
| Aw And THANK GOD. Kristine |
| Very good news! hugs to all of you! Bumbles you are so brave! Have a blessed Thanksgiving! |
| What good news for you all. Bumbles, we're all so proud of you for being so brave Big Jaci |
| Hooray! So happy to see some good news for Bumbles! |
| Fabulous news, Jaci I'm glad things went well at this appt., and you guys all have a great Thanksgiving together! |
| i am soooooooo happy for good news on bumbles recovery still saying prayers for you and bumbles, since i do not have a computer of my own, i was concerned about bumbles when ther were no new updates when i left work on monday and left for md early tuesday am. this my first opportunity with my sisters computer. we all hav many things to be grateful for also today i am thrilled bumbles is better AND he has such a great mom who has such love and devotion to her furkid (s). Again jaci, you are AWESOMe!!!!!!!!! nancy g |
| Thanks so much for caring about my buddy and allowing me to purge my thoughts and emotions as we go through this. Nancy, you're so kind. My sincere thanks to you. Another easy day for removing fluid. We had him standing again and she withdrew fluid the first try. I think it's all about how the dog is positioned... a need for him to be standing. The total draw today was 7cc... yes, 7cc. The only way to see if there are pockets of fluid away from the drain would be to do another x-ray. Doc and I both listen to his heart... heart sounds were muffled before when there was a lot of fluid... it now sounds the same on both sides. We'll repeat the port evacuation again on Monday and if the volume is still down, maybe time for an x-ray. We may be able to start spreading out the intervals between visits. Wondering if there's something we can do to redistribute the fluid in the chest cavity or if it's sectioned off some how??Oh, my... I forgot to follow up. Dr. J recommended the stethoscope she uses... the LITTMANN CLASSIC II. (Though there are others the hospital would love to have!) It's come in handy and has offered a little peace of mind in monitoring him.He's doing real well however I think he needs an antibiotic for the staph infection... I may not be giving it enough time to resolve but it's spread to other areas and is very itchy. Wrote to both doctors tonight and will ask Dr. J tomorrow. I have cephalexin on hand but won't use it without their direction. Maybe it should be cultured/biopsied first. Still attempting to just treat it topically with Douxo 3% wipes, going to 2 baths weekly again too. I started the previously prescribe TrizChlor4 4% chlorhexidine wipes this afternoon. Laurie, I don't know if you use the Douxo wipes on Oscar but California Veterinary Supply currently has them for $8.99 per jar ($8.39 per jar if you join their club) compared to Entirely Pets $12.99 per jar. Just sayin'... But they don't carry the shampoo... something we need to talk with them about. Douxo http://www.calvetsupply.com/product/DOU ... Wound_Care TrizChlor4 (Currently OOS) http://www.calvetsupply.com/product/Tri ... Wound_Care Bumble's still restricted to leash walks but he's spending more time with the pack again... currently sleeping at my feet. Did I mention he's happy? He got part of a broiled ostrich steak for Thanksgiving yesterday... the others got to share it too. Oh my goodness... did they enjoy that. I finally found something Bumble LOVES so I'll be able to use it for training. It's really lean. http://oesusa.com/Bumble138.jpgHave a great weekend everyone. |
| Yay Bumbles!! |
| Jaci, so happy that your Bumble is bouncing again. As you probably know, all staph is not created equal. Oscar has had three different types of staph, all requiring different antibiotics. A culture is always the safest way to play it, unless it's really out of control and you need to try something immediately while waiting for culture results. Whenever Oscar had a staph infection, it shows up in the preliminary results, so we usually hear before the full seven days is up. Thanks for the tip on the wipes. I just stocked up on the Douxo shampoo, bought four bottles at once. We go through it like water. Hugs to you and the crew. Laurie and Oscar |
| Yeah Bumble!!!!! We needed some good news today! |
| Such good news on Bumbles. Thank you for the update. Get better sweet boy. |
Oscar's Mom wrote: As you probably know, all staph is not created equal. Oscar has had three different types of staph, all requiring different antibiotics. A culture is always the safest way to play it, unless it's really out of control and you need to try something immediately while waiting for culture results. Whenever Oscar had a staph infection, it shows up in the preliminary results, so we usually hear before the full seven days is up. You've taught me pretty well, Laurie! The culture would have been done if it hadn't been the weekend. Waiting to hear back from Dr. R to see if we can still do it Monday. I spoke to Dr. J this morning and she gave the ok for Cephalexin. He's had the first dose. I wrote to his dermatologist last night with what was going one and again this morning. I also asked if he should be biopsied (probably cultured though now that it's not just bald patches) to be sure we're still dealing with the same kind as always. Biopsies to date always came back as staphylococcus intermedius but he could have picked up something different. I think the TrizCHLOR 4 wipes may be helping a bit but he needs an antibiotic. His skin hasn't been this bad in a long time. I need to wait and see what Dr. R advises. Dr. H wrote this morning and recommends waiting longer between port evacuations... that he's ready to be pushed a bit if he's doing well clinically. So he'll have the port tapped on Wednesday instead. I'm so relieved the port is working. It's a totally amazing invention... when it works! |
| At least he's happy and enjoying his food. Hope the other gets resolved soon. |
| Jaci, you have always been such a great resource for me and all of us here on the forum. I'm glad to be of any help. With Bumble's recent visit to MSU, and the fact that he was so compromised and stressed out at the time, he could have picked up a different cootie than usual. Unfortunately, the vet's office is one of the worst places for our pups to be when they are sick, in terms of exposure to bacteria and viruses. (That's where my vets think Oscar keeps getting MRSA.) Oscar had MRSI as well, but he had a sub-species that was resistant to Cephalexin. Hopefully, the Cephalexin will do the trick and get Bumble's current cootie under control. Other than the skin issue, it seems like Bumble is healing nicely. The fluid amounts are getting tinier and tinier. Are they still seeing chyles in the fluid?Looks like things are on the upswing...... Laurie and Oscar |
Guest wrote: Unfortunately, the vet's office is one of the worst places for our pups to be when they are sick, in terms of exposure to bacteria and viruses. (That's where my vets think Oscar keeps getting MRSA.) And that's exactly what I was worried about. Do you think it'll be too late to do a culture on Monday if we've started the antibiotic? Just a swab, scrapping or a biopsy in your experiences with Oscar? Of course I have pictures- http://oesusa.com/Bumble119.jpg and http://oesusa.com/Bumble117.jpg . His skin had been so darn wonderful before this wretched chylothorax diagnosis. http://oesusa.com/Bumble78.jpg His skin had been 100% clear for a while... his dermatologist had been in to see him during his stay and was pleased too. Doesn't it just make you sick when they backslide? I don't want to take any chances with bacterial infections. Both of Jim's brothers had been admitted to hospitals for different conditions and both contracted bacterial infections during their stays. One almost died from a flesh eating type 2 years ago... the other died earlier this year due to a bacteria they couldn't control. It's nothing to mess around with... especially in the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. |
| From my experience, it's never too late to culture, especially if they've only been on the antibiotic for a short period of time. Our vet uses a swab, rubbing it pretty aggressively on the lesion. She will do a scraping for a slide, but only if she's looking for yeast in addition to a bacterial component, as she can see that under her microscope. She will do a biopsy only when looking for a fungal infection, which we've been fortunate to avoid thus far. When Oscar has skin lesions, we culture weekly, watching the bacterial load drop from "abundant growth" to "light growth" until we get "no growth". It's how we monitor his skin in case we kill one cootie and another pathogen tries to take its place. (That has happened a couple of times, necessitating the addition of another antibiotic.) If you culture Bumble on Monday, there's no down side, other than the cost. It will either confirm that his bacterial infection is susceptible to Cephalexin, or it will show a resistance to Cephalexin. Either way, you will know what you are dealing with. The down side of not doing the culture now is that it will take a few days to see if the antibiotic is having a positive effect. If it's not, then you will do a culture anyway, but now you are days behind with the skin situation getting worse. This happened twice with Oscar when he was a pup, and we now culture every time. With Oscar, I am ALWAYS waiting for the other shoe to drop....... If it's not the skin, it's the tummy. If it's not the tummy, it's the ears. If it's not the ears, it's some crazy lump..... One of these days I am going to take up hard liquor!!!Laurie and Oscar, the Medically Challenged |
| Thanks again for explaining how you do it, Laurie. We have not done a culture... the TrizCHLOR4 and Douxo wipes, being able to bathe him 2x per week again with Douxo Chlorhexidine shampoo and the Cephalexin look like they're working. He's going to be checked again tomorrow. Quote: One of these days I am going to take up hard liquor!!! I seldom drink... just have never found anything I particularly like... but I tried beer again and Mike's Hard Lemonade for the first time and found I don't have a taste for either. Probably a good thing! Bumble's had skin problems since he was just over a year old. Hoping we can again get to the point where his skin is staph infection free with bathing and diet alone. That was so amazing to have finally found balance... this is the first time he's been back on antibiotics for his skin since June 24th. Someone trim that boy's head!  He had a bedside haircut while he was recovering and needs to be evened up. I think if he can stand on the couch like that and boof at something outside, he can stand long enough for me to even him up and reduce the size of his head. Other recovery pictures are just in case someone stumbles upon this thread in their search for Chylothorax info. A better picture of port location and outline. |
| Look at those Tweetie Pies!!!! I would never get anything done at your house. Too many noses to smooch! Looking at Bumble's skin improvement, I wouldn't bother with a culture either. The wipes and antibiotic are doing the trick, so it's probably your old friend, staph. Glad to see that Bumble is doing so much better! Laurie and Oscar |
| Just an update after a visit down at MSU today... The fluid volume has decreased. 9 days ago all that could be removed through the port was 1cc of fluid... the same today. The drainage tube doesn't allow access to all the fluid though. These were today's findings... Quote: The cardiovascular structures and pulmonary parenchyma are within normal limits. The lungs are mildly retracted from the ventral body wall by a soft tissue opacity and soft tissue is present separating the lung lobes of VD projection. Gas opacities are present within the ventral soft tissue opacity as well as the cranial lung lobes on left lateral projection. Interpretation: Pleural effusion consistent with known chylothroax Mild pneumothorax likely secondary to thoracocentesis "...Bumble's thoracic radiographs reveal that he still has a mild amount of pleural effusion consistent with his known chylothorax..." It's likely chyle... it's no longer pink but an off-white cloudy fluid. So we'll continue to monitor him over the next month. We won't evacuate his chest unless there are signs of respiratory distress or increased respiratory effort... more than 40 breaths per minute at rest. If that should happen, we take him in for an x-ray and/or port evacuation. In one month, we'll repeat the thoracic radiographs locally and send them down to MSU for Dr. Nelson to assess. This study gives hope that he may still dry up... http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19103616 Quote: Treatment of idiopathic chylothorax in 14 dogs by ligation of the thoracic duct and partial pericardiectomy. The outcome and complications associated with thoracic duct ligation combined with partial pericardiectomy in 14 dogs with idiopathic chylothorax were investigated retrospectively. Nine of the dogs were treated in the uk and five in Italy. All of them were reassessed clinically four weeks after surgery and the respiratory function and any pleural fluid accumulation were evaluated; they were followed up by telephone contact for at least six months. Eleven of the dogs were clinically normal and had no radiographic signs of pleural effusion when reassessed after four weeks. Two showed radiographic signs of a minor accumulation of pleural fluid but were clinically normal; when reassessed after three months they showed similar radiographic signs and clinical findings; but after four months there was no evidence of pleural effusion. One dog had a major complication that required a second surgical intervention. But really, all Bumble cares about is this... Quote: We are please to inform you that you may slowly, over the next 2 weeks, increase Bumble's activity level back to normal. If at any time he begins to show exercise intolerance of respiratory distress... (take him in for evaluation and possible chest evacuation). Bumbie says,  Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays.  |
| ha, shenanigans for christmas.   |
| Ohmygod he is ridiculously cute!! Hooray for the good news! |
| Yay for Bumbles!!!! Paws crossed for his continued improvement! |
| Lots of love to you, Bumbles, and the rest of your shaggy crew!!! |
Yay for Bumbles! He is way to cute!  Merry Christmas to all of you from Cindy & Teddy! |
| Yay!! Good news! Bumbles is a cutie! |
| Merry Christmas to you, Bumble!!! And if course it will be a VERY Merry Christmas to your mom and dad, upright brother and the entire Pack. And all your vets & their staff that got you through this rough patch! May your health continue to improve so you are always able to run with the big dogs!! |
| This just wonderful news Yeah sweet bumbles Hopefully this is the end of the ups and downs and he will stey on a stright road to recovery. I bet everyone at your house is doing a happy dance!! I think his head is lovely |
| Look at that beautiful boy who has gone through so much. I wish for you great health sweet Bumbles for the New Year and Santa treats you extra special this Christmas. |
| WHOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO BUMBLES!! I am so happy you are getting better!!! I just want to kiss that beautiful nose You are so lucky to have such an awesome family. Love and kisses to you all and still keeping good thoughts! Nancy G |
| Thank you for the update Jaci. This is good news!! Laurie and Oscar |
| Yay!!! Merry Christmas to Bumble!!! and to his fur-family and uprights!! |
| Yeah Bumble Merry Christmas Jaci, Jim and the whole gang! |
| What a sweet sweet face! Hurray for Bumbles! |
| so happy you are feeling better your brothers and sis are waiting to play |
| He sure looks wonderful for all he's been thru. How are you doing? |
| Go Bumble!! |
| What a great early Christmas present |
| Bumble said to tell you all thanks!! This is the way the were supposed to be playing...  But this was the way they started out...  The nice thing is that after playing, his breathing was normal dog breathing. I'm not sure how long it's been since we've seen that! ICH wrote: How are you doing? That's so nice of you to ask, Ilene. Honestly, we're doing ok. My Border Collie mix had a large mass removed last week and it came back stage II soft tissue sarcoma. It's a type that is less likely to metastasize but may recur. For now, she's happy, healing and already rolling in stuff again... that's what matters most. We likely won't be pursuing any other treatment though she has insurance too. It's just that she's 14 years old and she also has pituitary Cushings so we're going to focus on quality. Holly, if you're reading, I started her on CAS Options today... I ordered it soon after getting the diagnosis. Know that you're journey with Beau continues to help others. Maggie's homeopathic vet thought it was a good idea. This is just life with a pack... |
| Hooray for Bumbles! No one looking at those photos would imagine the medical traumas that boy has been through! Wow! Awesome awesome awesome. I am so happy to see him so happy! Absolutely incredible. Sorry to hear about your BC mix (Maggie?). That's rough. You have my sympathies for what you are going through with her. |
| It's so nice to see him run and play. I can't wait to see if his endurance improves once he's back in condition. Yeah, Maggie's my BC-mix. She's always been a very lumpy girl with fatty tumors... we've had some removed in the past and others aspirated. She's ruled with a soft mouth, gets the point across without ever drawing blood... she's set a great example. We'll try to learn more from her too... live more in the moment because the moment is good. |
| That is a great update and progress for Bumbles So wonderful to know he passed his wild exercise trial with success as well!Hugs to your Maggie too! |
| So great to see the big fella enjoying & seeing him in a huge romp & actually flying through the air with his best mate and no breathing problems after . Wishing you all a very special christmas and at the same time with Maggie, at 14 and been a lumpy bumpy girl for a few years, even though the latest lump is not a great one but still on that less probability is may not Mastitsize, suggests not fast or aggressive at that age still good news in a way. Love to you all jaci and all the family, maggie and bumbles have a very special christmas happening with "Santa Paws" and them along with the rest of the pack and mommie and daddy too, you all deserve something special this time of year which I am sure with bumbles advancement and maggie still going strong is a very special present indeed! . xxLisa and family |
| Those pictures are the best sheepie christmas card I have seen. They just make me smile and smile I hope the rough road is finally a little smoother for you!! I hope you have time to catch your breath and relax for a bit. Just beautiful I hope you are doing well along with your sweet bumbles. I know how hard all this was on you and Jim. My lab had bumpies on her too Hugs to your BC . Ahhh I am just smiling Such great news |
| Thank you SO much Dawn, Lisa and Cindy. Merry Christmas to you! |
| What a joy it is to see Bumble flying through the air!! Give Maggie a hug for me. Laurie and Oscar |
| Will do... thanks Laurie. And thanks to everyone for sharing our living in the moment happiness. |
| Bumbles--SO GLAD to see that you are doing so much better! |
| I'm so happy that your sweet Bumbles is on the mend! Boy is he adorable along with all of your doggies, those pictures are great. Love the action shots. Must do your heart good to come out the other end of such a difficult experience! Sorry to hear of your B/C mix, Maggie's issues, but sounds like she's leading a great life in spite of her predicament. Yes, we should all be fortunate to remember to live in the moment. And appreciate, what's going well. Hope things continue to improve at your homefront! |
| Its great that Bumbles is getting better. Wonderful pictures. They are having so much fun. Sorry to hear about your B/C mix Maggie. Try to enjoy the good moments through the Holidays. May the New Year bring only the best for your family and the pack. |
| So glad Bumbles is doing so well! He is so cute! |
| Just a quick update... We repeated x-rays on Friday... we were to wait a month but did them about 5 days early. He breaths heavy/deep at times but not rapid... and he laid down a couple of times outdoors at play last week so we just wanted to be sure it wasn't related to the chylothorax. Dr. Nelson wrote over the weekend and again this morning about the x-rays... Quote: I just looked at the films vs. the images we acquired in December with Dr. Hadley--doesn't look like any increase in fluid at all. As such, I would say let's see him back next month, re-radiograph, and pull the thoracic drainage port... Overall, we're really pleased with the apparent resolution of his chylothorax. Things are looking good! We'll see how he does over the next month.We boosted his protein a bit (it was already at 33%) over the past few days and his energy level picked up. Shot his back leg through the bottom of his shirt taking off so fast so he could play with Emma, Darby... Kobuck was out too but he's not in the pictures. I took his shirt off and he was pleased as punch... ran all over and never laid down once. I stopped play before he did.  |
| great news |
| Wonderful updates! Love the photos of them playing And I acutally looked at the pictures before I read your post and I thought to myself..."What a wonderful invention, Jaci! Now that shirt won't roll up but it still allows enough air in between. Perfect for protecting the sores on the belly LOL" And then I read that it was just Bumble being too excited and put his back foot through his shirt by accident. |
| I admit my stomach lurches each time I see the White Light heading, but always zip to the end. Glad the boy is doing well, if not modifying his attire. He will always be a bit weak but the fact he's playing with the gang is wonderful news! |
| Such great news, let's hope it continues and you get another great report next month. |
| What a trooper! Yay, Bumbles!! |
| Very great news!! Love the pictures, he is so happy back racing around with the gang! |
| Hooray! Fantastic update! LOVE the pictures. |
| WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Still keeping good thoughts and everything crossed for Bumbles!!!!!! |
| YAY for Bumbles! So great to see him jumping and playing! Cindy |
| I'm going to lock this only because it's HUGEEEEEE now so let's start a new thread for more updates! Epilogue: Quote: Sadly, Bumble was put to rest on August 27, 2012 after a chylothorax recurrence. He had a second surgery at Michigan State University... there was a very brief remission but in the end they were unable to stop the leak of chyle. Bumble's Chylothorax Journal It begins at the bottom of each page- 10/15/11 to 11/21/11 http://oesusa.com/Bumbles-Chylothorax-Page1.htm 11/22/11 to 02/07/12 http://oesusa.com/Bumbles-Chylothorax.htm 02/10/12 to 06/23/12 http://oesusa.com/Bumble-StartFeb102012.htm 06/30/12 to 08/27/12 http://oesusa.com/Bumble-StartJune302012.htm Bumble will forever be greatly missed... he was our once in a lifetime boy. |
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