[Dailydrool] Struggles with Buford--a bit long, sorry

[Heidi I Sarver]

It has been an exhausting 11 days...Buford started exhibiting all his  
old gas/reflux/bloat symptoms on Nov 22.  First time since the stomach  
tacking in May and diagnosis of IBD, etc.  He has only had 2 rough  
days since that time, and now...ugh.

He was out of control with the hypersalivating, gaging, blowing up  
like a balloon with gas that I brought him to the ER vet, dropped $500  
and am not sure we're getting anywhere.  His xray showed the stomach  
is still tacked down so no torsion is going on at all.  (Thank doG!)   
But regardless, he seems to have chronic gas and acid reflux.

You name it, he's on it med-wise.  It's almost like he has to burp,  
struggles and then panics and the panic sets off the episode of  
sucking in air, bloating up, etc.

I will be honest.....Thursday it was so bad I took him to his regular  
vet getting myself prepared for the final "deed."  He is still wagging  
his tail, wanting to eat, wanting to play....but it is clear that he  
is in discomfort just as much.  We're trying to see if carafate will  
quell the acid reflux burning enough to keep him going...

My dear friends of the Drool---this is killing me!  He's one month  
short of his 11th birthday, something I never thought we'd see, and I  
fear that we may not if we can't get this under control.

Has anyone dealt with anything like this??  We're running out of  
options.

--heidi, buford, della and guinness the cat.