What a Day
Wednesday, August 29, 2018 at 7:32PM 
Short Blog.... Teddy and Frannie arrived! Trigger and Levon departed - much missed!
Inula went in for a spay and is rather out of it. Kat went in for his teeth cleaning - first one in his whole life. Bloodwork was excellent. But he seemed to have an issue with the anesthesia and his heart almost stopped twice. When asked why she said most likely his age and the way he metabolized the anesthesia. She said I will not put him under again. He's too old. She was visibly upset. We were as well but he seems to have worked through the anesthesia completely. Spirit had baby teeth removed that was being stubborn. Both Inula and Spirit are out of it and sleeping with Nathan. Kat is with me. My focus needs to be with them so - yep short blog.
Dennis said everyone had fun. I am glad as we have been gone all day. We did get to see our friend's new house while we waited for the dogs.
Glad Kat made it through. Even very healthy I will not put a dog under at his age again. sigh
Reader Comments (31)
How frightening that must have been! Glad he is ok now.
Scary. Glad he’s okay. How old is Kat?
Yes, very frightening I'm sure. As Shannon asked, how old is Kat, as I too have lost track. Time goes by all too swiftly. :-(
I know what you mean about choosing not to do optional surgery. We did that w/ Tia. Sometimes it's just best to let them age as they are as intervention can hurry things along even though we do it w/ the best intentions.
I believe that for all beings at a certain age. Just let it be . . .
Glad all's well though. Hope you have a nice weekend.
Glad Kat is okay now but scary. I also wonder how old he is?
Thinking of al of you and hope Kat okay.
It is always a sorry and if he hasn’t been under before that is a worry,
We have been getting Breeze and Chinooks teeth cleaned every two years because of the plaque build up and they won’t chew on anything that is healthy to help keep them clean. We have read and been told if plaque builds up can be bad for their health, so have spent the money to make sure they are healthy and so far so good, no adverse affects. I am always a wreck though the day of hoping they get through the anesthesia okay and glad when get the call that it went well and to come and get them. Always a worry and have all the blood tests etc pre surgery to make sure nothing shows up negative.
Love to Their Dad Kat 😍🐶
Yikes on the Kat front, for a lot of reasons. He is Ripley’s sire and to hear he is getting older breaks my heart. I cannot get my head around Ripley aging. On another front, Ripley has the worst teeth no matter what I do. I have had them cleaned twice in 18 months and we are still struggling with them. The vet suggested this time that it might be the last time that would be safe for him due to age, but we will see. I can’t see letting him be in pain with dental issues but it is scary to hear a healthy Kat had issues. And yikes just because Kat is a special one. Love his pool diving spirit!
Just turned 14. He is in excellent health. All his tests came back exceptional especially for his age. So this was a surprise. I was talking to someone else. It may have been his reaction to propofol. It can be a side effect. All havanese you have to watch 12 plus years in regards to anesthesia but interesting enough he has also recovered from the anesthesia the quickest. Poor Inula and Spirit are tails down not having fun but Spirit has eaten rice and chicken. The other 2 not. Have a feeling it is going to be a long night and Nathan will be going to class himself tomorrow.
Seeing he has made it all these years before needing his teeth cleaned, I imagine we can keep them in decent shape for another few years.
I am glad it's done... Inula, Spirit and Kat. My pocketbook is not.
Sue: How old is Ripley now?
He is 9.5 now so the next cleaning might be at 11? Though at the rate he is losing teeth, there may not be any to clean! Ripley has gum issues that expose the roots of his teeth...and well, I know what you are saying about the pocketbook, Darlah. But I can’t see not doing what it takes to keep him healthy and comfortable. He doesn’t seem to mind that he is my toothless wonder boy!
Oh so scary! Glad he is doing good now. Poor Innula. Miko was sad for 2 weeks with the cone after his neutering. Take care!
Big hugs tp Daddy Kat, you Darlah and Nathan.. such a shock and worry. Kona is scheduled for a teeth cleaning @ age 7 1/2 this fall. We do what is best for our canine companions. We do it with the information and guidance of our Vet specialists. Happy to hear that Inula is coming around. Certain anesthesia products can have different effects on dogs. Did your Vet say what formulation was used for Kat. ? It would be helpful to know when Kona has his teeth cleaned this fall.
Saw the picture of Spicy on the Havanese Fanciers web site today. She is such a beauty.
What a dreadful fright you must have had with Kat. He is Rusty's dad. Love that Kat. We are supposed to get Rusty's teeth cleaned now as well he is turning 4 I worry about the anesthetic as we had a terrible experience with a puppy we had years ago. Lost her on the operating table. Took us a long time to recover. So glad Kat is fine. I am sure the ladies will be better tomorrow. Don't forget about the onesie if Inula will wear it. I found it better than the cone.
Sue:
They can do fine without teeth - amazingly so. I would not do dental at 11 but gum issues that expose the roots - ouch.With teeth you can spray plaque remover, brush, remove plaque with your fingernail - yeah gross but doable. There are also gels that you can put in their mouth nightly that effectively does the same as tartar removing mouthwash that we can use. I would opt to use a spray or a gel in his mouth. Have they suggested anything for you?
Kathy: Yes, I gave them some of my photos. :-) Thank you!
My bill says: 1 general anesthesia propofol Induc, 4 propofol 10mg iv. Each dog is different and Kona thankfully is not old. He did have other meds that in combination may have caused an issue, such as Midazolam, Hydromorphone, Excenel injectable (antibiotic) and Metacam. They did not use propofol on Spirit - which is interesting as Spirit was done after Kat.
Darlah maybe we should try the gel first before we go for a cleaning. Thanks
scary day! thinking of you all and thankful Kat is doing ok! wishing inula and spirit a speedy recovery.
What a scary event for Kat! When my Pooch went for spaying, I was so worried of her reaction to anesthesia. The worst part is that I work in the intensive care unit, so I really see the worst case scenario. I was chatting with my vet pre-op about what kind of anesthesia she uses because I thought the usual stuff for human might apply to dogs (like propofol, midazolam, narcotic based meds). But she actually uses gas isoflurane as anesthesia.
My Pooch does have tartar and all, we are not doing a very good job at brushing her teeth every day. That’s all my fault. I use the tartar eliminator in the water, still not working. I tried to dig my fingernail to get the stuff out, but still not working. We try the greenness I think I might have to bring her for some dental cleaning...sigh.
I’m just so glad that Kat bounced back ok. Wishing for speedy recovery for Inuktitut!
I just looked at Cooper's records and he had his teeth cleaned 4 years ago, same type of products used. Following his recent Wellness exam, his teeth are still nice and clean so probably won't need another cleaning for another two years. Spicy had hers cleaned when she was spayed so she's good for a while although we find it harder to clean her teeth since her mouth is smaller and narrower than Cooper, harder to reach the back teeth.
As info to all, we use the C.E.T. Enzymatic Oral Hygiene Chews daily and they truly make a difference. Both Spicy and Cooper LOVE those chews. The good part is that they actually don't eat much of them but rather chew them. We have them scattered all over the house.
Spicy wishes her dad speedy recovery. Hugs to all!
We have been fortunate w/ Laci. She'll be 7 this Feb and she's never had her teeth cleaned and Vet always says they're in great condition. Her breath is good too. I have often wondered if the probiotics I put in her daily food helps.
I recently heard it's recommended to give children probiotics, but put it in water and have them swish it around their mouth before swallowing - aids in good oral hygiene. Laci and my last dog, Tia have always had it mixed in w/ their breakfast and dinner which always contains water.
Will be interesting to see what Vet has to say next month when Laci has her wellness check.
Glad to hear that Kat is doing well. I am a wreck when Pippin isn't well. Hoping Inula & Spirit recover quickly.
😬 So glad to hear that Kat is ok!!! I can just imagine how scary that would have been!
Was just reading about Kat's age, wow, didn't realize he was 14, I thought he was 11 or 12. Time flies way too quickly.
When I had Risa I used to stop at 12 and forget about her age. It's a silly game I play with myself. The age only came up due to his records at the vets. Shoshi is a serious senior too. Hate when they get older.
Inula and Spirit are acting like nothing happened.
If you are using oral probiotocs it does help.
I was buying Dr. Mercola's @ a Pet Store in Ajax @ a cost of over $50. It was worth it as lasts months & months. They she stopped carrying it and tried to get me to change products and I didn't want to since this worked. I couldn't find it elsewhere here so ordered direct from Dr. Mercola in States (FL based I think.) I got 3 for a few dollars more (Cdn$) than it cost me for 1 here.
I just became a believe b/c Tia required them for her IBD. Specialist highly recommended. She was a pure white dog and had rust staining around her eyes and muzzle. After probiotics I got my pure white dog back - - that was just the bonus from using them for her gastro issues. Her system must have been very acidic, which is not good for anyone.
Anyway, that made me a believer! :-)
Glad all's well! Enjoy your long weekend!
OMG, Darlah. I just got to reading this blog. Poor, poor Kat and poor you and Nathan. What a stressful day for you and the dawgs. I am so sorry. 🤗 Big hugs.
Yeah - was scary to think about. Wasn't ready for no Kat though as grouchy as he has been (must be in pain - poor guy) - yes even with a grouch around he was worth the $$ we spent. When Nathan is grouchy I think that way too. LOL
You make me laugh, Darlah! 😃
Hi everyone, I now use C.E.T. Enzymatic Oral Hygiene Chews as well with Radar and Patches, plus I brush daily. But, I am not too good at the actual brushing. Their mouths are just so small I end up brushing their gums half the time I think. So, I use the C.E.T. Chews as well, all vegetable. Mine eat them though as opposed to Coop and Spice who chew them and leave them around. Patches is 4 now and she has not required dental work, her teeth are pretty clean. But, Patches had a very slow heartbeat from the anaesthetic as well when she was spayed and our Vet had to use a stimulant injection to speed it up again. She is also allergic to Metacam, we found out and any strong flea, tick control like Advantage. So, now we use Simparica and she is fine. Radar had none of these issues but has had a couple of dietary indiscretions. Maybe probiotics is the key.
Angela, we also use Simparica for tick/fleas. For the odd dietary indiscretion, ProGut Plus has been a god send to us, thanks Angela for recommending. Natural probiotics, it's a good product to use.