The
end of February found me rushing Koi to the vet when blood appeared in his
urine. Since his incontinence demands that he don a wrap while inside, I
spotted the red tinge immediately. His vet examined him, captured a clean urine
sample, ran blood tests and sent us on our way. A phone call a several days
later cheered me up as all of the tests came back with a healthy dog. The
blood, which only happened once, could’ve been either Koi passing a bladder
stone or it could have been the first sign of bladder cancer. Further tests lay
out of my financial ability. His vet sent the results home with instructions to
bring him back in if he declined or had more bleeding.
In
July, Koi flew effortlessly through his annual physical. His good health let us
know that bladder cancer wasn’t the diagnosis. His wraps, blood free since the
one time in February, reassured all of us. When the vet flipped Koi onto his
back and palpitated away in search of anything, Koi didn’t even flinch. We left
confident that he had passed a bladder stone six months before.
The
week of Thanksgiving, Koi’s behavior changed. He’d come into the room on his
way to the back door and freeze in place. He’d ignore my verbal inquiries, and physically
nudging him to continue walking to the door shifted to having to carrying him
outside. He’d stand in one place straining to urinate. Thanksgiving night, he vomit,
and his bowls changed to diarrhea. The next day, his straining continued with vomiting
and diarrhea for a second day. I pulled him off of food and encouraged him to
drink water. My resolution to get him to the vet on Monday, though, changed
when he woke up Saturday hungry and energetic. He displayed absolutely no
problem with urinating outside. He wanted to piddle around the backyard with me
and play with his toys inside.
I
suspected he’d passed a bladder stone, and fretted myself into worry that there
could be more and worse ones that could block him totally. When I called the
vet to talk to someone, the tech thought that Koi was already on prescribed
food and suggested I come in to pick up more. Upon my arrival, she realized
that he wasn’t on prescription food. A quick conference with our vet resulted in
Koi being scheduled for a check in three weeks following the diet shift instead
of me bringing him by the next day for a physical to change to the medicated
food.
Leaving
with Hill’s Prescription Diet Urinary Care C/D in cans, I resolved to help
fifteen-year-old Koi to better health. Following the online instructions, Koi
began transitioning from his beloved kibble (he only eats one favorite along with
a half can of chicken in the evenings). The first two days went well enough as
the wet food mixed into his kibble without him caring. The second pair of days,
he still tolerated the change. The more the diet food took over his portions,
the less he wanted to eat. When we reached 100%, I’d already gone through all
of the online suggestions—heating it, adding warm water to it, putting it in a
different bowl, different location, treating it like a reward treat. Koi ignored
the food and drank tons of water instead. We even left the house for four hours
with the food out, thinking that maybe hunger would drive him to eat if we
weren’t around. No luck.
Koi,
it became apparent, would fast for days before eating his special food. Logic led
me to conclude that Koi would outwait me. I called the vet on Koi’s 32nd
hour of starvation and left the message that I was returning him to his
previous kibble and evening kibble/chicken blend. I promised to take him in
immediately if he displayed the same changes I had noted for passing a bladder
stone, and we cancelled the appointment for next week since he’s off of the new
diet. I must admit, my admiration for this splendid, stubborn dog grew over the
past few weeks.
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| Stubborn Koi--December 20, 2024 |
