Something is very, very, very wrong!

The third of March 2016 Manuel was not 100%. He was “off” and did not move in a normal pace and did not want to eat. Even though that could be “normal” for him as well – I just felt something was wrong but did not know what. I checked his temperature but it was normal.

Some hours before it was time for our regular evening walk Manuel signaled he wanted go out and that it was in a hurry. He asked me to run with him to the small park area a block from us….he was in such a hurry. When arriving to the first green spot of grass he had a terrible acute diarrhea and it ended with fresh blood. After that he peed huge amounts of urine.

We need a vet – now!

We immediately called the emergency department at the animal hospital here in Malmö, but as they just had got several emergency surgeries they informed us of that we would have to wait for several hours. I can kind of understand they did not think it was an emergency but I, I just knew…this was serious!!!

So we decided to drive towards Helsingborg while calling temergency department at he animal hospital there. Once there they took a lot of blood tests and put him on pain killers. Manul also threw up during that night. The staff in Helsingborg told us that he had far too high blood values  in relation to his kidneys . Therefore he would be put on drip medication for hours.

As we wanted to be close to Manuel we asked them to refer Manuel to Malmö so he could be admitted there in the morning.

The fourth of March 2016, admitted

After a night of horror we came back to the Malmö animal hospital. More tests were done. For example where they checking if he had any bacteria in his bladder/kindneys – but no. They also did an ultra-sound to even more outrule problems with the actual bladder. The ultra-sound showed calcification of the renal pelvis on both kidneys and damage on the right kidney.

They admitted Manuel and put him on drip medication. We really did not want to leave him there – he was really stressed by all these new staff (not his ordinary vets.) but we understood that we had to.

Known side effects – on humans

We went home and even if we were exhausted we started to dig into scientific studies on Atopica on dogs. When we didn’t find much there I continued to studies on side effects of Cyclosporine on humans.  There it stood very clear to me that it was a result of Cyclosporine – and that there were many other possible side effects…

The fifth of March 2016, still admitted

We called the clinic to get an update.

The kidney values where still very, very high so they wanted to keep him on drip medication. They also told me they wanted to see him eat and poop – which he had not done yet. I told them that probably that would not be the case whilst there but they still wanted to keep him. There they gave him kibbles/dry food with not taste (for kidney problems), at home he is used to home cooked food. Also, when not feeling happy – he would not eat.

The sixth of March 2016, still admitted

We called the clinic to get an update.

Values still far too high. Still no eating and no pooping. I also informed them of the research I had done on side-effects and they took it well (some vets. do not) and that I was convinced that this was due to the Atopica – and what they now told me made me even more convinced.

Tumour on spleene also found!!!

Yep, after a new ultra-sound they also found a mass in the spleen. They could not tell whether it was benign or malignant just by the look of it. This is also a known side effect on humans medicated with Cyclosporine.

Still very stressed out!

I was also told they had tried to make a cystocentesis to get a sterile urine sample. But poor Manuel was so stressed out that he peed himself so they stopped the attempt. In a cystocentesis, a thin needle is inserted through the abdominal wall and into the bladder so that a small amount of urine can be sucked out.

Manuel needs to come home!

I told them that this cannot go on. Manuel will not eat nor poop as long as he gets more and more stressed and the vet. agreed. So they let us take him home with a lot of instructions. When we finally got to pick him up we met a sad Manuel but still happy to see us. We felt we had let him down. Those of you who know Manuel knows how much he trusts us…

He jumped right into the car and was quite all way home.

Then Manuel’s frustration had to come out

Once at home, he entered the doorway…stepped into the living room and started – screaming. Yes he screamed, he screamed, he did not howl, he did not whine, he screamed. He let out his frustration and sadness of us leaving him in the hands of strangers for days and nights. I cried inside but could not let it out, I had to help Manuel. After an hour or so he finally relaxed and fell a sleep. In the evening we went for a normal evening walk, and directly he “delivered” – he pooped and then he ate after that.

This content is written post mortem but the date is set as correct in to relation when it really happened. I think it is very important to share this experience and knowledge but I have not had the energy to do so, until now (2021).