Jessie has pneumonia; final update

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    sandra_slayton
    I have not been around here for a few months--so much vision problem.s  Can't read paper, books, etc any more, had to give up driivntg as I I can't see well enough to tell if the car in front puts on brakes, can't tell if traffic lights is red or green til I am right on it.  Have to use magnifying glass to even read screen of computer, so just don't do much that involves any small print.

     

      It's great to hear from you again Sandra; I was thinking about you recently. It's terrible when you start losing your vision because it affects everything you do. My mother-in-law became legally blind when she was in her 90's and I know how hard it was on her.

      We went for a recheck yesterday and Jessie's doing well; most of the pneumonia is gone and her left lung, which was collapsed, is almost normal. She still has some healing to do but I can take her for walks. We went out for a short walk today and she did fine; no shortness of breath.  I'll slowly increase the time we walk over the next few weeks. We don't need to go back for two weeks, when they'll do a final x-ray to make sure her lungs are clear. Until then, she'll be on Baytril and Clavamox. There are still no results from the samples they collected from her lungs on the 10th; the only bacteria that may still be cultured is mycoplasma, which can take a month to grow. They found mycoplasma in the tracheal wash in mid-August, so it's possible that it is the cause of the inflammation in her bronchial passages. They do know that the inflammation found in her lower airways is the cause for the cough she's had all summer. They were unable to determine what caused the pneumonia, but I believe it was linked to the bronchial lavage they did on the 10th since she developed it the next day. When I learn what has caused the inflammation in her lungs, I'll update this thread. Your posts have really helped me get through this, especially the first few days. Many thanks to all of you for your great support.    

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     that is great news!  yea Jessie going on walkies again!!

    It is so wonderful that you were able to access such wonderful care

    belly skritches for Jessie please!

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    Janice, I'm so glad she's doing well!

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    I'm so glad that she's recovering nicely!

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    Wow Janice...I missed this thread...I'm so sorry!  But you know...its one of those threads that is good to read after the fact...... so I can get to the end right away and know that Jessie is doing better....thank God.   

    I pray for her for continued healing and  of course MORE strength for you!

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     Just a little update; Jessie went for a recheck a few days ago and still has a little pneumonia in her left lung but it's much better than two weeks ago ( I saw the x-rays). She will have to stay on Baytril for about 18 more days. Her stools were getting soft and she wasn't eating in the morning for several days, so I began adding FortiFlora to her food a few days ago and she ate this morning. Also, her stools were better when I walked her. We've been walking for about half an hour the past week and she would walk slower towards the end of the walk. Sometimes she would lay down and rest for a few minutes. Today, she was very energetic for the entire walk like she used to be, so I may start walking her a little longer.Big Smile

      The cultures from the samples they took at Purdue haven't grown any bacteria. Their plan is to treat her bronchitis with steroids after the pneumonia is completely gone. I'm so glad I started her on acupuncture for the bronchitis; I really hope it works. My regular vet said he used to be skeptical about acupuncture but he's seen a few cases when it worked when conventional treatment failed, including a Corgi who was paralyzed. If it wasn't for this forum, especially Callie, I wouldn't have thought about trying alternative treatments. This place rocks!!

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    Oh Janice...it does sound encouraging......I'm so happy!

    You and Jessie both keep the faith and strength...... our thoughts and best wishes are with you!

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    I'm glad that she's improving!  Fingers crossed that her next re-check shows no pneumonia.

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     Glad she seems to be doing better, and fingers crossed that her progress continues.

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    Aw Jessie, good news....you keep getting better sweetie!

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    What great news!  Jesse girl, you just keep on getting better and better, sweetie.

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    jessies_mom
    If it wasn't for this forum, especially Callie, I wouldn't have thought about trying alternative treatments. This place rocks!!

    It was a vet who got me to use acupuncture for MY arthritis originally.  It's one of those things that just sounds so ..... "out there" ... but it makes so much sense once you experience it.

    And honestly -- if you want to try some homeopathics for the bronchitis I can tell you it works incredibly well.  I was well on my way to COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) 4 years ago -- 3-4 breathing treatments a day and living on steroids.  There are some awesome homeopathics for asthma and bronchitis that truly rock.  I haven't had to use an inhaler in THREE AND A HALF YEARS.  I have found homeopathics to be actually faster and more responsive than the steroids with none of the nasty side effects. 

    The problem is the steroids will suppress her immune system -- which puts her more at risk again for the pneumonia to come back.  Email me if you want more information.  They won't fight with anything - and you can actually begin using them now (cos they won't suppress the immune system -- which is why they're going to have to "wait" to start the steroids -- cos they don't want to suppress the immune system).  But you might be able to simply avoid it.

     

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    Glad Jessie is doing well!! 

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      Thanks to everyone for the good vibes; I love you guys!!!

    calliecritturs
    The problem is the steroids will suppress her immune system -- which puts her more at risk again for the pneumonia to come back. 

      Yep, that's what the internist told me when she was still in the ICU. The holistic vet already prescribed a powdered mixture of herbs that I'm supposed to mix in her food but she won't touch it. I've tried mixing it in baby food, canned dog food, cream cheese, nothing works. She's super wary of anything that smells different because she's been on the antibiotics for so long. I was hiding them in pill pockets at first but she caught on to that very quickly and I've been having to pill her. Any herbs are going to have to be in a liquid or pill that I can put down her throat.Sad

      We walked just under an hour today and she was bouncy and energetic the whole time; even dug for moles, which wasn't such a great idea since we were at a park.Confused  I had to stop her and refill the hole.  She ate her breakfast again and her stools are almost normal. I should have started using the FortiFlora sooner; the antibiotics have probably destroyed her gut bacteria.

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    Sending some positive vibes to Jessie.  Glad to hear she's getting better.

    Johnny & Tessy