Mr. G

Suomessa ollessamme saimme viestia kotoota USAsta etta meidan papparainen Herra G. ei voinut hyvin. Oli ensin alakuloinen, ja sitten rupesi kipuilemaan. Ja huusi kivusta. Ei vain pienta alahdysta vaan siis ihan huutamalla huusi. Mies oli vienyt koiruuden pariinkin otteeseen paivystavalle (toinen kerroista keskella yota). Diagnoosi oli valilevyn pullistuma niskassa. 

While we were in Finland we got a message from home in USA that our old man Mr G. was not feeling well. First he just seemed down but started to have pain. And he was screaming with pain. Not just a small yelp but proper screaming. My husband had taken him to a emergency vet twice (one during the night). The diagnosis was herniated disc in his neck.

Kipulaakitys seka tulehdyskipulaakkeet taskussa koira pidettiin taydessa levossa. Mutta kun sekaan ei tuntunut auttavan. Me siis kiiruhdimme tyttojen kanssa pikimmiten kotiin. Tallainen oli tilanne kun paasimme kotiin: koiruus makasi boksissaan yllaolevan kuvan mukaisessa asennossa. Jos han liikkui vahan tuloksena oli kipu ja hirvea huuto. Tilanne paheni pahenemistaan ja kipua useammin ja reppana huusi kivusta useamman kymmenen sekunttia kerrallaan. Sydan siina sarkyi. Isompi neiti ei voinut kuunnella toisen kipua ja itki itkemistaan. Niin paha olo oli lapsella lemmikin tilanteesta. 

With some pain medication as well as anti-inflammatory medicine Mr G. was held in  complete rest. But that didn't seem to help. We changed our flights and rushed home. The situation was following when we got home: Mr G. was lying in his box in a position as the above picture most of the time. If he moved that caused pain and terrible screaming. The situation got worse and worse with pain more often and Mr G. cried in pain for several tens of seconds at a time. It broke my heart. Big Miss couldn't handle at all seeing him in pain and listening to his crying. She was extremely upset about our pet's situation. 

Lopulta meidan piti saada kardiologin lausunto mahdollista leikkausta varten. Tata varten joudutiin viemaan koiruus Bostoniin paivystavalle isolle  elainklinikalle, Angell Animal Medical Center. Ja sinne koira sitten joutui jaamaan yon yli. Seka neurologi etta kardiologi tutkivat koiruuden. Neurologi oli sita mielta etta jos vaan sydan sallii, leikataan koska kivut oli niin kovat ja pieninkin liike aiheutti sen.  Kardiologin tutkimuksissa selvisi etta ukkelin sivuaani sydamessa (josta meilla olikin tieto) olikin aika iso homma ja leikkaus ei olisikaan ihan itsestaan selvyys. Neurologi taman kuultuaan paatti kokeilla toisenlaista lahestymistapaa. Laakkeita vahan vaihdettiin. Koiruus pistettiin suoneen suoraan tulevalle opiaattipohjaiselle kipulaakkeelle. Ja tilanne katsottaisiin maanantaina aamusta uudestaan. Oli aika hirveeta jattaa koira sinne kun se huusi kivusta kun veivat sen pois. (Toisaaltaan kun neurologi soitti meille ensimmaisen kerran han sanoi etta teilla on maailman ihanin koira etta vaikka sita sattui tosi paljon niin ei ollut yrittanyt purra hanen tutkiessa koiraa).

We needed a cardiology consultation for possible surgery. For this we had to take him to a big emergency animal clinic in Boston called Angell Animal Medical Center.  And there he had to stay over night. Both a neurologist and a cardiologist examined him.  The neurologist was in the opinion after long talks that if his heart allows surgery would be the way to go and fix this as Mr G. was in so much pain. However, the cardiologist found that the heart murmur Mr G. had (and we knew about) was much worse than we anticipated and surgery wouldn't be as straight forward as we had thought. The neurologist decided on a different kind of approach after hearing this. He changed Mr G.'s meds and put him on an opiate based pain medication through IV. We would see how the situation was on Monday morning. It was absolutely terrible to leave him there when he was screaming in pain as they took him away. (On the other hand, when the neurologist called us for the first time he told as that we had the most wonderful dog in the world that even though he was in so much pain he hadn't even tried to bite him when he examined the dog.)

© Angell Animal Medical Center

© Angell Animal Medical Center

© Angell Animal Medical Center

Saimme paivittain kuvia (1-2) herra G:sta. Aivan uskomattoman hienoa palvelua. Niin pieni mutta tarkea asia meille. Joka paiva meille soitti myos laakari ja kertoi miten menee. Sunnuntaina meille tarjottiin mahdollisuus menna katsomaan meidan pojua. Paatimme ottaa tytot myos mukaan. Siina vaiheessa ei ollut tietoa mita tulee tapahtumaan. Mahdollisuuksia oli useampia: 1) koiraa ei leikata vaan kokeilla konservatiivista hoitoa, 2) koira kuvataan ja leikataan mutta anestesia aiheuttaisi mahdollisesti komplikaatioita ja mahdollisuutena myos koiran menettaminen, 3) koiraa ei voitaisi leikata sydamen takia ja kipuja ei saada konservatiivisin keinoin kuriin ja edessa olisi sen kaikkein vaikeimaan paatoksen teko. Eli meidan mielestamme tytoilla oli oikeus nahda G. jos jotain sattuisikin. 

We got 1-2 pictures of Mr G. daily. It was unbelievably wonderful service. Such a small thing but so important to us. Every day a doctor called us to tell how Mr G. was going. On Sunday we were given a chance to go and see our boy. We decided to take the girls with us. At that point we didn't know what was going to happen. There were several possibilities: 1) they won't operate the dog but try a conservative methods first, 2) the dog will have an MRI and surgery but because of his heart there might be complications with the anesthesia and we might loose him, 3) they couldn't operate the dog because of his heart condition and the pain wouldn't go away with the conservative methods and we would have to make the most difficult decision of all. So we thought the girls had a right to see Mr G. if something did happen.

Silla aikaa kun juttelimme neurologin kanssa kaytavalla yksi hoitajista oli antanut herra G:lle lelun ja koira muuttui hetkessa aivan toisenlaiseksi.  Han oli vaan maannut kun me tulimme eika halunnut vaihtaa asentoa. Heilutti meille toki hantaansa mutta makoili vaan. Lelun kanssa kaikki toisin. Neurologi selitti meille etta vaikka sydamen tila aiheuttaisikin vahan paan vaivaa leikkaus voitaisiin edelleen tehda jos sille olisi tarvetta. Mutta kun han naki herra G:n lelun kanssa han pisti viela jarrut paalle ja sanoi etta katsotaan tiistaina tilanne uudestaan. 

While we were talking with the neurologist in the hallway one of the nurses had given Mr G. a toy and he was completely different dog after that. He had been just lying down when we came and didn't move. He did wag his tail. With the toy he was all alert and playful. The neurologist had just explained to us that even though the heart condition caused a bit more concern they would still be able to do the surgery if there was need for it. But when he saw Mr G. with the toy he decided against the surgery yet again and said let's  see the situation on Tuesday again. 

© Angell Animal Medical Center

© Angell Animal Medical Center

Maanantaina han oli ottanut tipan pois ja tiistaina oli tutkinut koiran uudelleen, kaynyt sen kanssa ulkona ja soitti meille etta han lahettaa herra G:.n kotiin. Tilanne naytti valoisemmalta. Oli ollut paljon parempi ja pirteampi eika kipuillut muuta kuin nostettaessa.  Saimme siis koiran kotiin ja tiukat ohjeet jatkohoidolle. 

On Monday the neurologist had taken the IV away and had examined the dog again, had taken him out and called us that he would be sending Mr G .home. Things looked brighter. Mr G. had been much better and alert and didn't show signs of pain except when he was picked up. We got him home and strict instructions on his care. 

Taytta lepoa ainakin 4 viikkoa. Herralla on 6 eri laaketta, joita pitaa antaa eri aikoina. Mina herailen keskella yota antamaan koiralle laaketta ja hereilla kukonlaulun aikaan taas ja sitten pitkin paivaa.  Oli pakko tehda listaa etta mita ja milloin pysyakseni perassa. 

Complete forced rest at least for 4 weeks. He has 6 different meds that have to be given to him at different times. I'm waking up in the middle of the night to give him some and wake up early again and then give more meds several times a day. I had to make a list of what and when  so that I would remember everything. 

Mutta tama toimii. :) Koiruus on ollut kohta kolme viikkoa ilman kipuja! JEEEEEE! Edelleen jatketaan laakkeilla ja levolla. Viikottain ollaa yhteydessa neurologiin antaen tilannekatsauksia. Koiruus itse on sita mielta etta han on taysin terve! HAH! Herra ei ole koskaan suostunut syomaan boxissa eli han syo omalla paikallaan. Syoksyy kuin ohjus ruokansa kimppuun. Hyppaa boksista pois ja sinne. Ihanaa on kuitenkin etta tykkaa olla boksissa ettei tarvitse kuunnella koko ajan vinkumista. Hanella onkin oikein kunnon poikamiesboksi: tanskandogikin mahtuisi sinne. :D Peukutuksia siis G:n taydelliselle toipumiselle. Menee tassa viela aikaa mutta suunta on ainakin oikea.  

But this is working. :) Our doggie has been almost three weeks without pain! YAY! We're still continuing with meds and rest. We're in touch with the neurologist every week giving updates. Mr G. himself thinks he's completely back to normal! HAH! He has always refused to eat in his box so he eats in his normal spot. He darts to the food bowl leaping from the box and leaping back in as he knows he's going to get a treat. I'm so happy that he likes his box as listening to whining all the time would be really tough. Mr G .has a proper bachelor pad that would fit a great dane (literally). :D So keep your fingers crossed that he recovers completely. It will take time but at least we are going in the right direction.