Back from the brink part 2, Teddy this time.

[starlingqueen]

We've had a very traumatic day today. My daughter and I planned to take the baby to see my dad in the care home. She turned up and just as we were about to leave Teddy vomited. He had had his insulin and now had an empty stomach. Phoned the vet and they said to keep an eye on his blood sugar levels and give him sugar if they dropped. They did drop and the sugar was not doing any good. He got to the point of nearly being in a coma. We rushed him to the vets. He just layed on my lap the whole way there, very unlike him in the car. As we walked into the vets he knew where we were and tried to get up and started whining. The vet took him to give him intravenous glucose. We left him there with instructions to collect him at 5.30. At 4 the phone rang, the vet told us she didn't think he would make it to 5.30 so could we come in and say goodbye. With a knot in my stomach we went with the intention of bringing him home to die here, in comfort where he feels safe and loved. When we arrived the vet said his levels were responding but he wasn't showing any sign of recovering. They brought him out and laid him on the table. He didn't move for some time. Then as we were talking he tried to get up so I helped him to his feet and he tried to jump into my arms. I held him for a while then he wanted to get down. The vet had left the room to get some medication and when she came back in Teddy was wandering around on the floor. She was stunned, a nurse came in and they were both amazed that he was actually walking about looking like nothing was wrong. We took him to the car, he had a poo and a wee on the way and howled all the way home. As soon as he got in he ate a bowl of food and settled down to sleep. I have to monitor his blood sugar every hour and give him glucose every 30 minutes to maintain his levels but he seems fine. I firmly believe if we had left him there until 5.30 he would have died, he just hates the vets so much that he just gave up. Seeing us gave him back the will to live.
We were all ready for him to go and had all accepted, with heavy hearts, it was his time but Teddy thought otherwise. There's life in the old dog yet. 

Edited to add, for those who don't know, that Teddy is my 16 year old, blind, deaf, diabetic dog.

[ffiscool]

Omg, how stressful for all of you and Teddy. But it does indeed sound like his wanting to be with you still saved him.

Do you know why he was sick or what triggered it?

[starlingqueen]

Oct 19, 2017 20:19:08 GMT ffiscool said:

Omg, how stressful for all of you and Teddy. But it does indeed sound like his wanting to be with you still saved him.

Do you know why he was sick or what triggered it?

I think it was a change of food. He got fed up with the same food all the time and wasn't eating it, so I gave him the food he used to have before he was diabetic, he was fine on it. Then I decided to try him on a different food and it must have upset his stomach. He will be sticking to the old food from now on.

[suesbird]

So glad you went early, how frightening for you both. Good old Teddy, knows home is where his heart is. Hope you manage some sleep tonight and Teddy. Xxx

[Marianne Marlow]

Oh starlingqueen that brought a tear to my eye. I hope little Teddy will recover and be with you a while longer.
I do believe that if our animals are feeling ill it's better for them to be in familiar surroundings,

When some of my budgies have been sick and I have had them in a cage on their own, they do not want to eat and seem depressed. But when I release them to be with the others they seem to want to get better.

Teddy obviously feels safe with you.

[starlingqueen]

The good news is his glucose levels have gone from unregistering to 2.2 when he got home and he is now at 10.7 after food. The ideal level is 4.4 to 6.6 but rises after a meal to 13.6-16.5. So he is still a tad low but better than unregistered.

[Marianne Marlow]

That's great, I hope he gets a lot better

Good boy Teddy x

[Hezz]

Not a good day by any stretch, but at least a happy ending; that's the main thing.

[jellybean]

What a day for you both. Glad Teddy is home and on the mend. What a fighting spirit you have little fella x

[Shirls]

A very happy ending to a very traumatic story. Glad all is well starlingqueen.

[starlingqueen]

Teddy has continued to improve. Didn't get to bed until 3.30 and up again at 7.30 to the sound of him howling which he always does now when he wakes up to no one about and needs to go out for a wee. He's had his breakfast and is settling down for a good nap.

[Marianne Marlow]

Fantastic. I'm glad he's survived the night and is improving

Enjoy your nap little Teddy.

[starlingqueen]

I have wondered about his quality of life. But if he was so down at the vets that he gave up and now he's home he's back to his normal self, he clearly wants to carry on living or he would give up. It gives me confidence to let him keep going for now.

[clt80]

Oh my goodness, I too filled up reading this. So glad teddy is ok. Do you have any pictures of him? I'd love to see him.

[starlingqueen]

Here he is a few years ago when he still had full sight.