Megans gall bladder and liver problems - any advice appreciated

[Pat]

Ok, so, not good news. I am writing this all down, and then we are heading off to the vets. We will not be making any decisions until tomorrow. The biopsy result was worrying to poor. the small sections of her liver lobes are non functional, and have probably never been functional from birth. the large lobe has severe colongitus (excuse spelling) and a lot of fybrosis which specialist vet says indicates late stage liver disease. She believes that the antibiotics that she is on are the best ones to try and help manage the situation, and the lactulose. She suggests that we see how she manages over the next 24 - 48 hours, her recommendation is to reduce the use of the comfortan, in terms of dose and frequency, but both her and her team think the mix of meds is the right one for megan as she is, but really she was just going around in circles about how she is so sorry, etc., and that she agrees with the local vets use of meds under the circumstances. She said that we should consider Megans wellbeing when making our decision, which of course we would.
I just don't know anything now really. We are going up to the vets for the last appointment at 7:15 to see the head vet there, and then to spend some time with megan. I doesnt seem that there is a way forward other than the inevitable.
Lynne.

So she likely had an undiagnosed congenital PSS - that would explain her small size (despite being overweight) and if she had "failure to thrive" and the current state of her liver. The cholangitis could be the result of the gallstones blocking the biliary tree.

What antibiotics is she on for the bacterial infection? I think they often use metronidazole for liver disease.

A vet is never going to criticize another vet's treatment to a client. It just isn't ever going to happen. I would completely stop the Comfortan, but I perfectly understand if you are not comfortable doing that.

I'm so sorry to hear your news, but it is not unexpected. You are a wonderful owner to Megan. Remember that she is not afraid and lives in the present moment. You rescued her and gave her a happy life, and she loves you very much.

Pat

[Lynne]

We are back, and it has been a very difficult couple of hours. Megan was more alert when we got there but completely weak and unable to really move by herself, she seems to have gone downhill very quickly. Her breathing is hard, and laboured, She became very aggitated and would whimper, then cry, which escalated into a small bark, and then would calm down again, start to whimper, cry and bark again. By the time we left she had gone to sleep naturally on my hand, and her breathing had calmed down.

We had a long meeting with the team of vets there. The readings of the biopsy had come through from the specialist, and they had also spoken with her. Basically megan doesn't have a functioning liver. Whatever is left, does not work, and there is not one healthy cell to try and work with. She was born with very little functioning liver, and what was there has just to the end.

They can get her through this crisis, but in a matter of days, they say (specialist included) that she will have another crisis, and that will be the pattern. There are no weeks, months or years left for my baby girl.

The are keeping her comfortable tonight and will monitor her again with one of the nurses sleeping with her overnight, and we are going back in the morning. My heart wants to keep trying, but my head and everything else spinning around in it, knows what we should do for her. For the short time she has left, there is absolutely no quality whatsoever, and we cant put her through it, because we are not ready to say goodbye yet. She has been with us for four years, and there isnt one moment of that time I would swap, nor wish away. She has changed my life, only for the good, and I love her so much, its so hard to do the right thing.

These were her last test results. They probably don't mean much without the ones before :

Alkaline Phosphatase : 5449
ALT : 231
Gamma GT 47
Bilirubin Total : 227.4
Total Protein : 47
Albumin 19
globulin 28
Urea 9.2
Creatinine 57
Total calcium 2.15
Phosphorus 1.95
CK/CPK : 324
Cholest : 3.8
glucose 6.5
Bile Acid 181.1
Sodium 144
Potassium 3.3

[Kate H]

Lynne, I'm so sorry

Kate, Oliver and Aled

[Sydneys Mom]

I'm sorry. Keeping you in my thoughts as you go through this.

[Margaret C]

I am so sorry, you have tried so hard for her.

It is the last gift of love we can give them.

[Lynne]

Thank you everyone for your kind thoughts and words - we feel every one. We are sitting hear crying our eyes out. We try to be strong but everytime someone texts us, or I read a message, the pain sears through again. I know it doesn't make sense leaving her there for one more night now our decision has been made, but we didn't want to rush making a decision and then regretting it. But I know, we will regret it the minute we say goodbye.
Thank you again.
Lynne and Richard x

[karen baker]

Dear Lynne, been following your post, keep strong we are all here for you, your love and devotion will get you through this, its heartbreaking to hear this, but we are with you every step of the way God bless you Karen, Ruby and Sadie x

[sins]

I'm so truly sorry Lynne,
In time,it will be a comfort to you to know you did everything possible for her,explored every option and had the courage to release her from her distress.
I know how important it is that you don't feel rushed into this decision without first coming to terms with everything.
Of course there will be regret at parting with her,but for us,when we looked back at the trauma and anguish of seeing our girl so hopelessly ill and beyond help,we now look back and are grateful that we didn't allow the situation to continue.She was far more ill than we had realised and we had already asked too much of her.
Thinking of you and your lovely Megan.
Sins

[Karlin]

This is beyond heartbreaking. It is so difficult to see them when they are struggling, and how devastating to have received this news from the vet team. I think you were right to take (needed) time out to make a decision that you felt was right, no matter how difficult. As hard as it is, there is great love and kindness in being able to release them when they are weary of fighting and will not need to keep struggling onwards. Peace will come in time to you and her memory will be alive for you and bring happiness. Thinking of you.

[Lynne]

Our baby has now left us. When we got there this morning she was far worse than last night, very distressed, and very vocal. Her breathing was hard and laboured, and although we know she knew we were there, and we sat and cuddled in the vet staff room for an hour or so, she seemed to get worse very quickly in front of our eyes. Eventually we knew it was time, that to put her through this was wrong, and we talked to her, and loved and cuddled her when she slipped away. We had about twenty minutes with her afterwards and it felt like she was just asleep in our arms and we told her how much we loved her, that we would never swap those four years for anything, and if we could we would live them all again, even knowing the ending.
We are home now, and its quiet and cold. We have built the fire up, and we are now going to spend the afternoon talking about her, and looking at pictures and videos, of which there are many.
Thank you everyone for being there, even though I am a newbie, and we never really had time to get involved in happier times. I am sure that the future will bring us another little soul who needs us, and when they arrive we will love them and adore them. But Megan will never be far from my thoughts. My little furry soul mate, I miss you so much and i would give the world just for one last meggie snoggings if I could.
x x x