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The Drewbinator: ‘Quality of life’ is everything
By Gina Spadafori
September 17, 2011
IV fluids are amazing. Just a few days after I started giving Drew fluids at home he started feeling much better, and his lab values improved dramatically. Eating is still a problem, and I suspect it will become THE problem as time goes on. So far, all he’ll eat is cheese, yoghurt, slices of peaches or apples, bread with butter and, occasionally, a little chicken and pasta. He’s going to the alternative med veterinarian next week to see if she can help him as well.
In the meantime, he’s truly enjoying his life. Yesterday my friend Ann and I went to the barn to give my two horses a spa treatment. Drew got to hang out, and loved it.
Image: Ann and Bentley, with Drew.
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I was just thinking today how fortunate we are to live in an age where we have choices to keep our elderly pets comfortable. My old terrier girl is 17 and on Tramadol for her arthritis pain…Rimadyl put her into renal failure, so our med choices right now are very limited, but at least we have *something*.
Being able to keep an old dog happy is both a duty and an honor.
Comment by mikken — September 17, 2011 @ 10:17 am
Quality of life is truly what it is about. All through Jasmine’s health challenges we always had only one question. Will she recover and what her quality of life will be?
I am happy to say that she did recover and her quality of life is amazing.
Comment by Jana Rade — September 17, 2011 @ 2:09 pm
Have you tried Tiki dog 3 oz cans ? They really helped for Remy at the end & Trooper’s appetite is failing now & he will always eat that. Verus fish & potato cans seem to go over well too. Of course freshly ground local raw pork & beef work too.
Comment by original Leslie K — September 17, 2011 @ 4:52 pm
Can you get medical marijuana for dogs in CA?
I’m serious about this. It might help with his appetite.
Comment by Janeen — September 17, 2011 @ 5:54 pm
Yes, we can. Yes, we did. And yes, it does. :)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — September 17, 2011 @ 6:46 pm
hahaha! Drewbie doobies.
Comment by Mary Mary — September 18, 2011 @ 8:05 am
My housemate is a journalist covering the medical marijuana industry. He suggested it for Drew, noting that human hospice patients find marijuana helpful for spurring appetite and quelling nausea. The veterinarians signed off, too. Drew gets his dose every couple of days in a little butter, if he won’t eat. Seems to help!
Comment by Gina Spadafori — September 18, 2011 @ 9:12 am
Good luck, G - let me know if I can help. Try and give him a love OD if you can. Won’t be hard.
Drewbie doobies is priceless - I think you should devote a blog to this part of the story - I have not ever considered this, and I would like to know more as a practitioner.
Comment by Dr. Tony Johnson — September 19, 2011 @ 5:12 am
I never thought of it…for the dogs. Would be a good blog. Drewbie Brownies could fetch 600. a plate at a fundraiser.
Comment by mary murray — September 19, 2011 @ 5:30 am
The two biggest problems we’ve had with the Drewbie Doobies:
1) Figuring out dosage. The docs consulted the oncologists, but it’s still a bit of a guess. (And yes, I did overdose him once, but I don’t think he minded. Here’s what it looked like. Mind you: I have NEVER seen Drew sleep like this, NEVER. He doesn’t like his belly touched, much less exposed. He was just fine after his long nap, though, and yes, he had the munchies.)
2) Figuring out how to get it dispensed legally.
There’s a whole class of medical marijuana known as “edibles” — basically, the stuff mixed into everything from candies to butter. Drew is taking his dose in butter — Canabutter. I just apply it to the roof of his mouth and he licks it in. He’s so difficult to get to eat anything at this point that he won’t even voluntarily eat butter. :(
Anyway, the jar has the THC content labeled, so it’s fairly easy to give Drew a consistent dose.
While I don’t see that the THC has improved his appetite all that much, it has DEFINITELY helped him keep his food down. He hasn’t brought a meal back up since we started dosing him.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — September 19, 2011 @ 7:02 am
Drew needs his own Medical Marijuana card. They were giving them out freely here when the government started allowing the cards. You didn’t even need to see a doctor. And, no, I am not lacing Jillcookies with it for him. LOL Can you imagine? Feel better Doobie Drewbie!!
Comment by Jill Gibbs — September 19, 2011 @ 8:52 am
I simply cannot believe you are so hard-hearted that you won’t goose the JillCookies for him! LOL!
Actually, I wouldn’t ask, since I don’t want to take a chance that he won’t eat them. JillCookies are one of the few things he currently will eat. One or two, and then he’ll walk away.
Tomorrow, I’m going to ask about tube feeding. Drew is doing so well, and feeling so good, but I know it will all unravel quickly if I can’t get some food into him.
The fluids helped him so much — his numbers dramatically improved. If I can get food in him, he may have weeks or even months of really high quality time.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — September 19, 2011 @ 9:18 am
Try tripe GIna
If you can’t get fresh or frozen try Solid Gold tripe dog food.
And, uh, those would have to be Carob brownies……
Comment by CathyA — September 19, 2011 @ 10:04 am
What about medical marijuana for cats?
It would be difficult here in PA, but I’m willing to do what needs to be done for Lindsey. He’s eating Vir’s canned kitten food fairly regularly, but he started throwing up again and if I can stop that, he might put some weight on again.
Comment by Dorene — September 19, 2011 @ 11:25 am
I sure don’t know, Dorene. For one thing, cats metabolize things differently than dogs do (which is why flea meds for dogs can and often does kill cats).
I just don’t know what to recommend. I’m not even recommending it for dogs, really. Anecdotal evidence being worth not a heckalot, as always.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — September 19, 2011 @ 1:28 pm
Have you tried adding calcium citrate to Drew’s food? With my old girl with kidney disease, adding the calcium citrate got her eating again. As I understand it, the calcium citrate will bind with phosphorus and it’s high phosphorus (rather than high protein) that is hard on the kidneys. Binding the phos makes it easier to eliminate, reducing nausea and making eating more attractive.
Comment by Judi — September 19, 2011 @ 1:51 pm
Have tried, but haven’t been terribly successful …
Comment by Gina Spadafori — September 19, 2011 @ 2:26 pm
Have you tried Fancy Feast ? When Rem wouldn’t eat anything else he would eat FF grilled or roasted beef or chicken. Yes its the yucky ones with glutens & GKW else, but better than not eating. Also home made stock helped get him to drink more.
Jill- I see laced carob brownies in your future !
Comment by original Leslie K — September 19, 2011 @ 4:51 pm
I am trying everything. :)
Tripe is good. I’m thawing more.
Today he ate 7 ounces of turkey deli meat, a breadstick, some yogurt and half a peach.
Best diet in the world? Well … no, but compared to dying it’s just fine.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — September 19, 2011 @ 5:42 pm
Gina,
I had an English Setter who had a stomach completely eroded from an antibiotic that didn’t agree with him.
He would not eat. Tried giving Vanilla Ensure - just a few oz.s then just a bite or two of food. Did this several times a day.
Worked! Soon I would pour the Ensure, show it to him then offer food first - then he could have the Ensure.
That worked too.
He was 10 yrs old at the time. Got him back to eating full meals but he always looked for that little bit of Ensure after his meals.
Comment by Jackie Z — September 19, 2011 @ 6:11 pm
I’ve had luck with meat-based baby foods, particularly ham and beef. Hey, whatever works!
Comment by Rori — September 20, 2011 @ 9:58 am
For Gina and Drewbie
(sorry, already had the photo and couldn’t resist)
Comment by Janeen — September 20, 2011 @ 6:39 pm
The quality of life is indeed more important than anything else. Most importantly they are happy and pain free, and know that they are loved and cared for by you.
Comment by Junie — September 20, 2011 @ 11:36 pm
so you just mix the bud in butter… so it’s like RAW?
My Pit Zeke died on Memorial Day from Kidney failure…He was 10 days from being 14.
I wish I had know about this earlier.
Thanks so much.
Comment by Deborah Flowers — October 21, 2011 @ 8:39 pm