My girl is sick.

[aly]

Thanks... We're still hoping that things will take a turn for the better. My vet is very open to alternative treatments, so we've done some discussing. If she regains any movement over the next day or two, there will be more options. If not, things look bleak. We're somewhat limited by our pocketbook, but will do what we can. Unfortunately, just over the last two days, we've put a couple thousand dollars into tests and treatment and are reluctant to keep going indefinitely if it isn't likely to help. I think the thing that will limit us even more than money is Jane's age (she's around 8) and her other preexisiting problems. We'll know more in the morning. My Jane is a tough cookie and has already overcome some crazy odds. Maybe she'll do it again.

[aly]

Sorry Makbike, your post came up while I was typing. Her pancreatic enzymes were normal (funny how it seemed like such a bad thing at first, and now I wish she just had pancreatitis). They did extensive lab work and the only things off were her thyroid (somewhat low) and it looks like she has a bladder infection. The x-rays seemed clear except for her arthritis and dysplasia (which is pretty severe).

There are many things that we had thought were caused by her hips/ back, such as toe dragging, difficulty standing, random falling and tripping. Now it looks like they might have been due to DM. She has some movement in her back half, but it also appears that she isn't responding to most of the reflex tests. There are other tests we can do- they are super expensive- but they may not even tell us what's wrong.

What makes this so difficult are the guilt feelings. I'll feel guilty if I don't do "everything", but I'm also going to feel guilty if I make her go through more than I should when she is so compromised.

I'll keep you all posted.