[Dailydrool] Drool for Abner

[dpmcquade at verizon.net]

Last week, northern NJ was hot and humid. Belvedere's arthritis was really kicking up, and he was having trouble moving around. So when Abner started having the same problem, I figured he probably had arthritis. I called the vet's and got the head of the practice, whom I really like--she's good at her job and generally a great diagnostician. I asked if I could use some of Bel's pred for Abner. She thought he might do better on Bel's tramadol. So through the weekend I gave Abs a few doses.

By Monday morning Abs was no better. (Happily Belvedere perked up as soon as the muggy weather passed.) So we visited the vet and got her partner. He thought the pred might be a better drug, whether the problem was arthritis; Abner's cancer, which is getting very large; or a recurrence of his back trouble. So Abs got his own pred prescription. He's been on it for a day now, and the vet increased the dose this morning. It's still a fairly low dose, according to what he told me. But of course Abs is peeing up the house like mad. At the best of times I have trouble getting him outside in time. I leave it to your imagination how much he's doing now. (If you have had a dog on pred, you know just what I mean--it's a nasty drug. If you've been on it yourself, the problem is even clearer, because you know that no dog could alert a human, get the human moving, and get to the door in time. )

Abner is still feeling very much under the weather. When we took him in on Monday, I was very concerned about him. I wondered if we'd be coming home with him. It was a great relief to hear that it might simply be arthritis. But now I'm wondering if it is indeed something more serious. The vet did tell me he may have to increase the dose yet more, but I'm afraid that Abs will get even more lethargic than he already is. I checked online and saw that ican be a side effect. It never happened when he had pred for his back surgery, but he's older now, so maybe things don't go through his system as quickly.

Can you spare some drool for my poor Abs, who has been through so many medical problems? You might also spare some for his poor mama, who is worried and can't seem to clean up one pee spot before another appears.
Pam, food slave to the Dashing Bassets