7/21
Monday, July 28, 2025
This was just today, with him wanting to get up to his bed. Feeling better enough to stand on his back legs, after eating heartily, alert to be super anxious at the vet this morning.
My dad LOVES him, and is so sweet with him. He found a sweet spot behind his ears that Dachuny likes massaged.
Some noticeable things while being here - Dachuny's cough has been pretty non-existent, except for one car ride before he had his crisis. I think the humidity helps his cough - note to buy a humidifier at home.
7/28
The last two days saw steady improvement still. Today he got 70ml of fluids, and I took home supplies to give him every other day starting Wednesday. His appetite was the best today, he ate hungrily and pooped a lot in the morning (yesterday was a good eating day - best at dinner)
He also has to be on a kidney support diet now, with low phosphorus and controlled protein. Thank God I brought some of his Darwin's kidney support.
Here is the beautiful pep in his step I had been missing
7/24 -7/25 - 7/26 (Thursday - Saturday)
The next couple of days saw steady improvement, in his appetite, alertness, energy. He wasn't running around or anything, but on one occasion coming back from a bathroom break outside, I definitely noticed a pep in his step I was really missing. He was giving licks again, and digging in his bed, and licking his paws. His poops were normal (though very little in volume due to not eating much). But these next couple of days, he started eating more. And his pink tongue and gums came back, along with warm paws. (38.1 as of 7/25).
I didn't give him another subq fluid but did get repeat blood tests done. His Urea/BUN improved but was still high, and the other two kidney values crept up a bit (still high) but his ALT was back to normal! So the vet said he has kidney issues (and further research confirms he is stage 2 kidney failure) and recommended subq fluids at home, to be given every other day. I'd pick up the supplies on Monday.
Belly bruise slowly healing
licking off his plate of Japanese sweet potatoes - his absolute favourite (thanks to a dear friend for bringing them over when I couldn't find them at a local market!)
7/22-7/23
His 8 month birthday was today, and he was feeling better than the day before. I took him into the local vet again in the morning for more suqb fluids and also got antibiotics (metronadizole and Advanced GI paste) for his diarrhea, along with anti-nausea medication (cerenia).
After starting the meds, his diarrhea stopped and he seemed to be feeling better. His tongue was really dark pink, almost red in the morning though, and I was worried he had a fever. (his temp was higher though, but just barely normal) But he really didn't want to eat anything that I was making him, and hated his own food even more. We couldn't confirm a diagnosis, but acute pancreatitis was suspected, along with kidney issues flaring up. His labs from the previous day showed all 3 kidney values elevated, as well as ALP and ALT elevated, and xrays showed a bit of fluid in his abdomen. But this morning's vet visit, the vet said his stomach wasn't as stiff and he didn't seem to be in as much pain.
The biggest problem was it was really challenging to get him to eat anything.
The next morning's visit had more subq fluids given, and I asked for an appetite stimulant, which worked amazingly. He gobbled up his own food that he hadn't wanted to touch before our trip (Viva Raw's rabbit). His newly hated food was the turkey.
This was a friend he met at the vet's - 16 year old yorkie with only joint issues (fed salmon and turkey kibble!)
This was a site for sore eyes - a finished plate of food after getting his appetite stim meds (mirtazepine)
After 3 days of subq fluids, I noticed this big bruise on his belly. After some online research and ChatGPT, apparently this is common for sensitive dogs that are on subq fluids. I decided to give him a break from it the next day, and bring him in on the following day for labs again that were recommended (to recheck kidney values)
these gums are pretty pale, but not as pale as they had been before.
Crisis 7/21
Dachuny had a really rough week last week. We were in Canada for a week, Ron went home, and the next day, Dachuny wasn't feeling right. I woke him up and while carrying him outside to the grass, he peed on us. Then, as if realizing it and upset at himself, he barked 3 upset barks. I put him on the grass and his back legs gave out. After a few seconds, he was able to stand and poop a couple of times. It was normal-softening poop. Then he just stood there and didn't move. I carried him back into the house and again, he just stood there. I immediately knew something was wrong. After about 30 seconds, he walked slowly to his water bowl and drank, then walked back out and just stood there staring.
After calling around local vets for appointments, I was able to bring him in and they did labs and xrays on his abdomen, and said he was likely in pain bc his stomach was stiff and clenched. He also didn't make any sound or complaint at the vet (which is really unlike him). They gave him subq fluids and a pain med injection, and sent me home to monitor with instructions that if he didn't get better by the afternoon, that he needed to go to the ER.
I noticed his gums and tongue were really pale, and his paws were cool, which never happened. His temp was low, confirmed at the vet - 37.4C. I decided to give him some oxygen that I had preordered and after 15 min on it, his tongue and gums pinked up again. 
Looking back, it was likely the pain meds that made him so lethargic after the visit, but I took him into the ER later bc he was so limp and just lying there, but the U/S wouldn't be available until the next day, and they recommended hospitalizing him with an IV, sedating him so he could get a food tube down his throat, all while waiting for the ultrasound the next day and over $9k estimate for the 2-4 night ordeal.
After talking it through with Ron, I decided I just wanted to take him home, and give him meds to keep him comfortable, with the likely possibility of having to say goodbye to him the next day.
When they released him from the hospital, I think the pain meds wore off, and he bounded out of there like his life depended on it, pulling on his harness so hard, I had to pick him up. He was walking around ok the rest of the day, but it consisted mostly of worsening diarrhea and napping, and he didn't want to eat much at all.
I had my nephews and niece say goodbye 😞
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