2-17-2011 OUR TRIP TO CORNELL
Hi everyone. So, the doctors at Cornell say that Mia is pretty much at the end of her rope with options. He said that usually if the second repair breaks down that’s it. Not only does she have a hole where the repair was but the bone has rotted away. He said that he is pretty sure she has pneumonia (the cause of her coughing) or an infection in her trachea. I think it’s her trachea but either way the stronger antibiotics should help with either. We are going back in two weeks to see a surgeon and an oral surgeon about making a bridge for the roof of her mouth. They really don’t see how it can work with her size and the fact that the other surgeon pulled two teeth but we will go and they will sedate her and get a good look. He didn’t seem very hopeful. When we were finished I asked him to please watch a video of Mia that I took at 4:30 this morning. He watched her beating up her toys and running from blanket to blanket. He smiled and said, “wow!” I then told him that I wanted him to see that so he didn’t think I was some lunatic keeping a sick, suffering dog alive for some selfish reasons. That she is a normal, happy puppy that wants to LIVE. Hopefully this gives him more of a push to help her. That’s it for now. Little Miss Muffet had me up at 1:30 am. I was at the dentist at 7am and then at Cornell for the day. Now I am off to a funeral .. thank you all for your support.
2-21-2011 Night in the animal hospital with aspiration pneumonia
Mia was up all Sunday night with a cough. By Monday morning I noticed she couldn't catch a good breath. I headed to the animal emergency in Rochester. I didn't think that she would make it there alive. She was open mouth breathing and the tip of her tongue was white. She spent the day and night there in the oxygen chamber and received I.V. antibiotics, nebulization and coupage. Her resp. rate was at 90 when we got there. On Tuesday morning we returned home and I will continue treatment here.
3-7-2011 Rough couple of weeks with coughing, upper respiratory and pneumonia
We go back to Cornell tomorrow to see two surgeons. They will sedate Mia and get a good look in her mouth and determine if there is anything left to be done for her.
Hoping and praying for another miracle!!
3-9-2011 4th Surgery done to place a bridge over the defect.
We went in for a consultation and ended up staying. The dental department made a bridge (plug) to fit over the defect.
We are hoping that this stops fluid from entering her lungs causing the upper respiratory and pneumonia's. This is only temporary and we will discuss a final surgery 6 months to a year from now.
3-22-2011 Mia's feeding tube falls out!
At 11pm Mia's feeding tube fell out. It came completely out of her side. I called Rochester Emergency, Orchard Park (they placed this feeding tube) and Cornell. Cornell wanted me to bring her right in so I packed her up and drove the 2 and a half hours to Ithaca. We arrived at 3:30 am. Cornell had to order a special feeding tube for Mia because of her size so we waited a day for the new unit to arrive. Another surgery was performed on Thursday the 24th. to place the new feeding tube. This was Mia's 5th surgery in 3 months!! We came home on Friday the 25th and Mia is recovering.
Old feeding tube was a long tube
new feeding tube is flush with the skin
old tube >
new tube >
UPDATE 3-30-2011
Mia is feeling better than she has in 3 months. She is back to using her mouth (something she hadn't done much of since her 2nd surgery) and playing. She runs around this house and follows me everywhere!! She has figured out that hopping on three legs is easier than using her bad right back leg. She still has major boogie nose but this was expected. She weighed in this morning at 1 pound 10 ounces at 9 months old.
before >
< after
How Mia gets fed 5 times a day
UPDATE 4-7-2011
Wondering if Mia has a bigger break in the soft palate. Her nasal discharge is getting worse. It was so much better after the plug was placed but the last few days it's been pretty bad :(
UPDATE 4-22-2011
Brought Mia to the vet on the 20th. Got new antibiotics. Was up all night with her last night. I think she may have pneumonia now. She isn't playing as much and has a slight cough now. Still has major discharge from her nose.
UPDATE 4-26-2011
The new med's seem to be working. She is feeling much better and back to her old self. She still has the congestion and she always will until all of those little holes are fixed someday. Mia is 10 months old today. If I would have only known how much my life would have changed 10 months ago today :)
UPDATE 5-26-2011
Mia will be seeing a new vet next Wedns. The vet from Cornell is on leave until September. She is 11 months old today :)
Scroll down for newest updates
UPDATE 6-2-2011
We go to Syracuse this morning for Mia to be sedated for the new vet to get a good look in her mouth. He thinks the plug may be stretching the tissue and making her hole bigger. The plug was always just a temporary solution for her problem. It is now time to move forward. She had a good 3 month rest but the congestion and odor is getting worse.
UPDATE 6-3-2011
Mia had a pretty rough night! When I brought her yesterday I had no idea that she was going to actually be having surgery. I thought they were just going to sedate her and get a good look at her mouth to come up with a plan. Apparently he had thought about it the night before and decided that the best plan of action would be to pull most of her teeth in the back (he said she will never hunt for food or have to crush bone with them) and to use the tissue where her teeth were for the new flap of skin to cover the large hole in her hard palate. While she was under he also decided to repair the small hole in her soft palate. He also removed the plug because the tooth it was attached to was loose and infected. He then put the plug back (for the time being) by stitching it to the roof of her mouth. In three weeks she goes back for the BIG surgery. We ordered freeze dried bone to fill the large hole before closing it with tissue. This is the one reason her repairs never healed properly, because there was NO bone under the repairs.
I must say that this surgery took a toll on her. She is having a hard time breathing and I am hoping it’s just because of all the blood in her mouth and nose. She is still groggy this morning whereas she usually bounces back so quickly so I am a bit worried about her. So, you know what my weekend will be….got the sling out and she is wrapped tight to my chest and that is where she will stay for as long as she needs. I just gave her pain meds and she is sleeping. I keep wetting the tip of her tongue which is sticking out because it gets dry.
Thank you all once again for the good thoughts, prayers and support. She really is a special little dog
UPDATE 6-4 ---- 6-9
On Saturday morning it was apparent that Mia’s breathing was getting worse. I took her temperature and she was running a fever. I packed her up and brought her to animal emergency in Rochester. They took x-rays and then put her in the oxygen chamber. The doctor then came back to tell me that Mia may have a defect in her heart or an infection in her heart or sepsis but he didn’t think it was pneumonia. The x-rays showed the heart was enlarged on the left side. He said her only hope was Cornell. So, Sunday morning I picked her up from animal emergency in Rochester and drove her to Cornell. I was a bit disappointed in the doctor there. She pretty much told me that Mia was too critical to do anything with and I should just euthanize her. I decided to get her out of there and bring her back to Rochester. If I was going to euthanize her it would be back home with my family with me. But on my way home I decided to give her another night in Rochester animal emergency for more time for the antibiotics to kick in. She stayed there Sunday night and I picked her up on Monday morning. They still thought it was her heart so I brought her to my regular vet for a quick ultrasound. He didn’t see any defects. We saw the cardiologist on Wednesday and they too found no defect in her heart. She is SLOWLY gaining strength and although we never did get a diagnosis I am positive it was pneumonia all along!!
UPDATE 6-13
This dog is amazing!! One week after euthanasia was suggested AGAIN, Mia is back to her old self. Her breathing is back to normal, she is beating up her toys and demanding attention. Everyday with Mia is a gift. She is a miracle in action for sure!!
UPDATE 7-2
Mia is still having a difficult time breathing. I tried calling my regular vet to get a med to put in her nebulizer to help her breath better.
UPDATE 7-3
The meds seem to be working. The vet said that it is her swollen nasal passages giving her the most trouble breathing. Her lungs sound ok and her heart sounded fine. Day by day I have seen a very slight improvement.
UPDATE 7-6
I emailed a picture of Mia's mouth to the vet today to asked about the stitch that was hanging out. He said that the repair seemed to be breaking down. I am devestated by this news. I guess the odor and nasal discharge were all signs that this was happening. Here is the picture that I sent to him
Update July 12th
Although the repair broke down Mia is starting for feel much better.
7-18-2011
Wow! What a week it's been. We've gotten many suggestions since the news broadcast and will be checking into those this week. There has been so much support! Mia had a pretty good week. She is starting to feel like her old self again. She still has the rattle in her nose but not much discharge. I don't know if that's good or bad. I still haven't brought her back to get her mouth checked from her last surgery. The vet said no matter what there isn't anything that can be attempted until after all of the tissue heals anyways so i will NOT put her under again right now. It seems everytime they put her under she ends up with pneumonia so I won't do it right now. She is back to playing and making people smile.
8-2-2011
No change. Still feels pretty good. I think I saw 2 breaks in the repair when she yawned. No offers from doctors or vets to take her case. Still searching.
8-22-2011
Mia is feeling pretty good. I changed her antibiotics because of possible pneumonia and upper resp. It seemed to work.
No offers on taking her case from anyone yet.
9-1-2011
Mia is doing so well that the thought of another surgery right now just makes me sick. I can continue tube-feeding her forever but I feel bad that she just wants to be a dog and EAT!! I will continue my search for a surgeon that might be willing to take her case but as of now, no vets have offered.
9-5-2011
The odor from her mouth and rattle in her chest is back. Put her back on Clavamox. I just don't think the other two antibiotics are doing anything. She is still playing and loving life. Trying to nip this quick.
