Last Wednesday Leroy had his appointment with his veterinarian to see how he was faring with his recent flare-up and as promised, here is that update.
How about we start with the bad and leave the good for last?
The bad:
Leroy’s lab results showed that his albumin (protein) was at 1.7. Low normal for albumin is 2.6. I expected this but it was still disheartening to actually hear it. Albumin is a protein that is found in the liver and carried into the blood and it regulates blood volume. It’s important for retaining fluid in the vascular compartment. The fancy name for low albumin in dogs is hypoalbuminemia. There can be several reasons for a dog to have hypoalbuminemia but Leroy’s is related to the lymphangiectasia.
His albumin is always my main concern when he has a flare-up because it can be life-threatening if fluid begins to build up around his heart. 1.7 isn’t great but at his worst Leroy was at 0.9. That’s an emergency, red alert, death could be near type of number.
We’re not there, not even close and the vet said that he guesses Leroy’s albumin was probably around 1.3 or 1.2 when he first started having the flare-up last month. That’s the worst of it.
The good.
Everything else on Leroy checked out good. His liver and kidney values are good. He weighed in at 148 pounds which was a nice surprise to me because I thought he would be way down in weight due to his lack of eating and loose bowel movements.
He does have conjunctivitis and an ear infection but that comes with the territory of everything being out of whack with his body. We’re treating both and I’m not super concerned about it but if you notice his eyes look a little off, that’s why.
Even though Leroy’s albumin is low, the vet did not feel any edema and his heart and lungs were clear. That’s good because the edema that I was feeling in his ears last month is gone.
Where we go from here
We continue the road that we’re on and recheck later next month. Right now Leroy’s eating fine and we have him on doses of medication. Right now he’s getting 500mg of Metronidazole twice a day, 10mg of Prednisone every other day, his probiotic and daily doses of CBD/Hemp oil to help with gut inflammation. I started him on a regular dose of steroids but started weaning him down after a full week and my fingers are crossed that he’ll hold steady on the low dose. If his albumin levels don’t move as of next month we’ll have to increase it.
He did have one loose stool the other day which concerned me a bit, until I saw his last dose of Prednisone sitting on the step. I’ve been giving him his medication in a dollop of whipped cream and it’s such a small pill that I think sometimes it gets stuck in his loose jowls and falls out. I’m going to have to check his mouth from now on. Lol.
So that’s it. That’s his update. Kind of what I was expecting but still a bummer. With him turning 10 in June I worry about his body coping with such a hard condition but I have to keep reminding myself what a strong-willed dog that he is. One thing that made me smile at his vet visit was when the vet took Leroy back for his blood draw and he came back and told me that he was telling an intern about the first time he saw Leroy. “He went from 170 pounds to 117 pounds in 1 week while he was hospitalized here with us. I’ve seen dogs not as bad off as him not make it through this condition, I didn’t know if he would make it. Look at him now.” 🙂 I’ll update again later next month. Thanks again for all the good well wishes!
Alisa Charnley
Monday 19th of March 2018
So sorry to hear that Leroy is still not 100 percent, but happy he’s doing much better! You would never guess it when looking at his St Patrick day pictures though- he looks so laid back and relaxed in his green hat! Get better soon, Leroy!
Beth
Sunday 18th of March 2018
Thanks for the update! I'm glad that it is almost all good news. Hopefully, his albumin will continue to rise.
Jen
Sunday 18th of March 2018
Thanks so much Beth! Fingers, toes and paws crossed!!!
Shadow & Ducky's Mom
Sunday 18th of March 2018
Thanks for the update, Jen! I know Leroy's in great hands with you and his vet. As you noted, these things take extra time to right themselves in our senior pups. (It took over a year for Shadow's liver levels to go back to normal, so I can relate to your concern.) Give your both of your boys - I don't want Sherman to feel left out - BIG hugs and ear rubs for me!
Jen
Sunday 18th of March 2018
Thanks Sue! It does take extra time and we just keep our fingers crossed that their bodies can handle it at this age! Passing those hugs on to BOTH the boys <3
Pamela
Sunday 18th of March 2018
He's benefitting so much from your careful watching over him and a good partnership with your vet. Glad the bad news is not dire and that you have good news to enjoy as well.
Sending every healthy wish for Leroy every day.
Jen
Sunday 18th of March 2018
Thanks Pamela. It was very encouraging hearing the vet talk about Leroy's case in such a positive way. He didn't seem overly concerned about Leroy's levels and it also put my mind at ease that he said I was doing everything right and to continue as is. I'm a little concerned because his stool has slowly started to get looser over the last 2 days so we might have to increase the steroids but I'll keep my fingers crossed!
Diana Stoll
Sunday 18th of March 2018
Hugs and healing vibes for Leroy! <3
Jen
Sunday 18th of March 2018
Thank you Diana!!!! <3