It has been nearly eleven months since we discovered the lipoma on Nuki's neck; ten since the epistaxis was first noted. Today, overall, Pinuki is doing great. Externally, she is healing beautifully. Here you can see a slide show of how she has progressed https://picasaweb.google.com/102756076755266210672/PinukiAfterRhinotomy?authkey=Gv1sRgCJe0ns2xuNbisAE The last picture in the series was taken over a week ago. She looks even better now. One cannot even tell she had surgery.
There are signs Pinuki is healing "internally" as well. Her appetite is excellent. She is eating and drinking as she should. Her energy level is also good. Her stools are formed, less soft and lighter in color. I wanted to see if one of the iron supplements was causing the dark colored stools so I reduced it from 60mg a day to 12mg. It appears the supplement was causing the darker stools and other gastric issues. Pinuki's gums are significantly pinker. So, it appears Pinuki is not bleeding internally (or if so, not significantly)!
There is bright red blood in Pinuki's left nostril, primarily in the morning. That is when she also sounds congested. She has not had a nosebleed per se, but I have wiped wet and dried blood from in and around her left nostril. She has also sneezed blood colored mucous. Of course, my hope was the rhinotomy would have resolved the epistaxis completely, but I am incredibly grateful for the last couple of "healthy" weeks. I also remain cautiously optimistic about Pinuki's future. She clearly is not done living and, as crazy as it may sound, she expresses her gratitude daily for the chance to continue on (maybe not such a crazy notion to those of you with dog friends). Pinuki truly is a precious soul.
Right now, I am trying to address what I hope is dry skin and not fleas. The dogs have been scratching and chewing themselves like crazy. I have not seen any fleas. I am using a humidifier in hopes that will bring some relief, but all of us continue to itch. I am not giving Pinuki fish oil because it is a blood thinner. I am also not bathing her because I do not want to risk a nosebleed. I am giving her coconut oil. I have not been able to afford to replace my heatpump (thank God for the "warm" weather). For some reason, I thought the lack of heat would mean better air quality. But truthfully, I am too stressed and don't know what to think anymore...about anything.
Currently, Pinuki is getting the following foods and supplements:
- Blood and Energy Support http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Genesis-Resources-Blood-Energy-Support/152001.aspx I chose this as recommended here: http://viim.org/anemia.php
- Iron Supplement: Proferrin ES http://www.proferrin.com/proferrin-es.php
- For immune support (also related to allergies): ModucareVET http://www.thorne.com/Products/VeterinaryProducts/prd~VSP633.jsp I chose this as recommended here: http://viim.org/rhinitis-sinusitis.php
- For recovery from surgery, gastric upset: L-Glutamine http://www.wellvet.com/glutamine.html [until the bottle is finished]
- To support adrenal function (effects of steriod): Drenamin http://www.standardprocess.com/display/StandardProcessCatalog.spi?ID=62 [until the bottle is finished]
- Allergy relief: raw honey http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/10_9/features/Bee-Honey-Products-Help-Canines_15967-1.html
- Coconut oil
- ProBi http://www.kvsupply.com/KVVet/productr.asp?pf_id=40221&0=dept.asp%2Cdept_id%3D9000%26Tree%3D%2CCompleteCatalog&1=dept.asp%2Cdept_id%3D40000%26Tree%3D%2CEquine&2=dept.asp%2Cdept_id%3D41800%26Tree%3D%2CMedications+%26+Remedies&3=dept.asp%2Cdept_id%3D41802%26Tree%3D%2CAntibiotics+%2f+Anti-Microbial&refcode=PRCGRAB&URLCheck=1
- Cold and blood tonic raw foods http://www.acreaturecomfort.com/yinyanbalance.htm
Oh, and Happy New Year to all!
