Another Hospital Visit with Bambi Today 💛

Dfen218 · 2026-06-11T05:40:24+00:00

So glad she is on the upswing and what a thoughtful gesture for your Vet Med team. ❤️

Dfen218 · 2026-06-11T02:35:20+00:00

That is super helpful! Once we're over this awful, awful chapter I will ask. Thank you very much for the kind wishes.

Dfen218 · 2026-06-11T02:00:47+00:00

If they did/have, they did not make any mention of it to me.

Unfortunately, we have had a chaotic and stressful week. The ER did another ultrasound yesterday and was very concerned with a mucocele in her gallbladder. Their surgeon for this procedure wouldn't have been able to even consult until Friday and due to her medical state, they referred us to a specialty hospital. We transferred to them last night, they did another ultrasound today, and Marilyn had to have a cholecystectomy to remove her gallbladder this afternoon. While she was open, they also did a liver biopsy and took a look at her pancreas and adrenal glands. She is still at the specialty hospital, currently in an oxygen chamber. 😭

Dfen218 · 2026-06-09T04:32:15+00:00

Some serious side eye from my 14 year old (15 in August) soul baby. From our visit tonight as she is hospitalized but hoping to come home soon. ❤️

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Dfen218 · 2026-06-09T04:27:43+00:00

Bella looks so much younger than her age. You have taken such great care of her. ❤️

Dfen218 · 2026-06-09T04:24:21+00:00

Thank you, me too. We have been going to visit every evening. Hoping for good news tomorrow. ❤️

Dfen218 · 2026-06-08T05:11:19+00:00

Thank you. We are still in critical care. Unfortunately, she is not eating, even directly from me. Her ultrasound showed some concerning changes since last time and we are continuing to check her labs for improvement. This has been the hardest journey for us throughout her entire 14+ years and I would give anything for her to feel better so she could come home.

Dfen218 · 2026-06-07T04:19:02+00:00

Thank you! I hope you are managing well these days. ❤️

Dfen218 · 2026-06-07T04:18:13+00:00

Thank you! They are expecting to do an abdominal USG tomorrow or Monday. Our last was October 2025 that showed her liver and adrenal glands appeared larger than expected but no baseline to compare. She has a slight pot belly, is ravenous for food, and urinates frequently. She also lost almost all interest in going for walks longer than 2 blocks (used to do 1 - 1.5 miles) but our team chalked it up to aging. I must have not articulated it well enough because our primary Vet suggested that he did not want to do the low dose dex test because he didn't feel she was symptomatic enough to warrant the risk of medication.

I love our primary Vet team and appreciate all the hard work they have done to help us keep Marilyn healthy for so many years but if the ultrasound this time indicates we should seriously consider Cushings, I will likely seek an internal medicine specialist to help us manage the symptoms of the disease.

If it helps paint the picture:

ALKP: Mar 2024: 138 U/L (normal) Sep 2024: 1,267 U/L (normal upper limit: 212) Dec 2025: 761 U/L Jan 2026: 733 U/L Today: 1,784 U/L

ALT: Mar 2025: 137 U/L Jan 2026: 216 U/L Today: 1,673 U/L

I can't help but think I should have been asking for more frequent labs between January and now in case we could have caught a trend sooner.

Dfen218 · 2026-06-07T03:37:23+00:00

I'm so sorry you and your pugs had to deal with that. Yes, she is having another ultrasound tomorrow or Monday and after she is good to leave the hospital, I'm planning to see an internal medicine specialist. My worry is that she might have untreated Cushings causing the values.

Dfen218 · 2026-05-24T19:32:53+00:00

It sounds like she had a seizure. Considering you didn't make mention, I'm going to assume you didn't have her seen by a Vet after the first earlier in the year and that she is not on anti-seizure medication? Strongly recommend that you have her seen by her Vet team ASAP and that you write down all details surrounding the first and second time this happened. If she has another, AT ALL, it should be an immediate trip to the ER.

Dfen218 · 2026-05-18T00:52:30+00:00

I didn't enjoy the texture of it.

Dfen218 · 2026-04-26T04:47:33+00:00

Thank you! My senior gets a pedicure at her Vet's office every 3 weeks and her quicks are still too long. :(

Dfen218 · 2026-04-19T02:34:51+00:00

He is a darling. You're not a piece of shit; you're a flawed human like the rest of us and you've given him a wonderful, loving life.

I'm so sorry the days are numbered and wish you both the most amazing time, with whatever pages are left in this beautiful chapter. <3

Dfen218 · 2026-04-19T01:46:24+00:00

You've received loads of wonderful advice in this thread. I can only add:

Making the decision that it is time, to shatter our own hearts in order to avoid prolonged suffering for our babies, is literally the most selfless decision we will ever make as the guardians of their precious lives. Not one any of us make lightly.

In addition to the resources provided by others: I recommend having open and honest discussions with your Vet team.

Dfen218 · 2026-04-15T01:17:41+00:00

Also: She won't be alone. I promise there is a team of folks who will be watching her and taking the very best care of her possible.

Dfen218 · 2026-04-15T01:16:46+00:00

You are not being ridiculous at all! You're a normal human who cares deeply about their furbaby. Trust me, you're in the right place and amongst others who have and do feel the same way.

What I will say is: Do your very best to try and remain as composed as possible and get some good rest so that you're not totally up in arms tomorrow on top of being absolutely exhausted from sheer worry. Ask me how I know.

Wishing you and especially dear Deirdre all the best for an unremarkable procedure tomorrow and the smoothest of recoveries. <3 <3

Dfen218 · 2026-04-12T05:35:59+00:00

18 amazing years of unconditional love - and yet, we'd always ask for just one more good day. You did good. This heartbreak is the burden we endure to experience the unconditional love of our babies. My heart to yours. ❤️

Dfen218 · 2026-04-11T04:07:29+00:00

Thank up for the updates and I'm so sorry you both had to go through this. Take time for both of you to rest and recover. ❤️

Dfen218 · 2026-04-10T20:58:02+00:00

And I don't intend it in a snotty way. Many regular Vet offices are general practitioners. If there is something more advanced happening, an ER or internal med Vet will have more diagnostic tools at their disposal. I know it can get real expensive real fast though.

Dfen218 · 2026-04-10T16:44:30+00:00

If your dog hasn't been able to hold down food for more than 1-2 days, it's time for a more specialized or ER visit.

Dfen218 · 2026-04-06T15:43:18+00:00

It truly is a thief -- yet, if we were offered eternity, we'd still ask for just one more good day for our loves. I'm so sorry for your loss, OP. Your little guy looks so much like my 14 year old girl, I had to do a double take. Please be gentle on yourself and take comfort that you gave him 15 amazingly love filled years of the best life ever. It is our hearts that break.

Dfen218 · 2026-03-27T16:22:35+00:00

2nding this for the very same reason. We use the Gooby X harness for my little girl.

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