Rocky Mountain Great Dane Rescue, Inc.

Merlin is a very sweet boy who has basically been locked in a closet with very little socialization for the past 8 years! His owners got him as a puppy and as soon as he got big they decided that they no longer wanted him around. He was rescue by a good samaritan and then turned over to rescue so that he could get the medical care he needed and find a forever home who will love him like he deserves!

Thursday, August 23

Merlin just threw up clotted blood and his stools have turned black. He hasn't eaten the last few days either. His foster mom rushed him to Northside Animal Emergency Center.

His red blood cell count was only at 23% and his protein level was at 4. Dr. Coleman says that that he definitely has a gastric ulceration and it could be a result of basically 3 different scenarios:

1) Rimadyl reaction
2) Complication from his neuter/pexy surgery
3) Gastro-intestinal tumor

He seemed to think that it was more likely from Rimadyl, but couldn't say for certain. They did x-rays which were somewhat hard to interpret due to the fact that he recently had surgery. There was a bit of free air and fluid in the abdomen, which could be normal post-op signs. On the other hand, he is concerned about a perforated ulcer as a worst case scenario.

9:30pm

At this point, he definitely needs a blood transfusion and may possibly need multiple units. He is extremely dehydrated and on IV fluids and has already been through 3 bags since he got there. Often, with a transfusion the blood will clot and the dog will heal on their own. He may need to do an ultrasound for further testing and would have to do emergency surgery if the ulcer has perforated the stomach wall.

Midnight

The transfusion went well and seemed to help a bit. He did an ultrasound as well, but didn't discover any new insight into the cause. He does not feel that surgery is necessary at this point and wants to wait and see what happens.

Our medical bills at Northside totaled $1500.

Friday, August 24th

Merlin made it through the night and was transferred to Alameda East this morning. They have been closely monitoring his packed cell count all day and he has remained on supportive care. They were hoping that if his levels improved, he wouldn't need another transfusion. As of around 4:30pm this afternoon, his counts were actually down again, so they decided he needs more blood and will have to stay the night in ICU.

Saturday, August 25th

AM

I spoke to Dr. Messinger at Alameda this morning and Merlin still has pretty severe GI bleeding. His PVC level was at 25% after the transfusion last night and remains there this morning. He does have some enlarged lymph nodes, so she wanted to do both chest x-rays and a cytology to see if we can't find out the underlying cause of the ulcer. She is still concerned about possible cancer due to his age although she said she hopes he was just very sensitive to the Rimadyl. Northside did do a partial chemistry and his liver values were normal the other night, so it isn't liver failure.

She said he will definitely have to stay the night tonight and she will keep us posted throughout the day.

PM

Merlin's PCV is at 27% now. His Protein level is at 5.2, which seems to indicate that the bleeding is slowing down. However, he has become very weak and did sort of collapse. They did an EKG and he had significant arrhythmia which is to be expected with abdominal pain. They upped his pain meds. His glucose and electrolyte levels are both normal. The x-rays looked good and there is no sign of cancer.

Sunday, August 26

Merlin is doing OK today. His PCV dropped last night to 24 and today is at 22. He is still not clinical for anemia and ate this morning for the first time, which is a good sign! His arrhythmia resolved once they put him on the Fentanol, so it was pain related and nothing to be worried about. They are hoping they won't have to do another transfusion today and will keep a watch on his PCV and go from there. They may have to do an ultrasound or scoping procedure later if he doesn't continue to improve.

Monday, August 27

Merlin's packed cell count is currently at 23% and 5% protein. He is eating and resting comfortably. He has had some diarrhea, but no vomiting. They are going to try and wean him off the Fentanol tonight and stop the fluids tomorrow and if all goes well, he should be able to come home tomorrow night.

We are anxious to get this sweet boy home! After 8 years of being locked in a closet, he deserves to experience what love and family are all about! Your donations are greatly appreciated. Our bill with Alameda is over $2000 currently, which combined with Northside, is more than $3500 total for Merlin's medical bills thus far.

Tuesday, August 28

am

Dr. Rha says that Merlin is doing really well this morning. He is at 25% and 5.0 protein. He is eating well and much stronger compared to yesterday. He is clinically improved, so she doesn't think we have to do an ultrasound or endoscopy at this point. She would like us to bring him back on Friday for a recheck with Dr. Messinger, but he is free to be picked up after 3pm today.

pm

Merlin was happy to leave the hospital and is now resting comfortably in his foster home. His foster family was very happy to have him back! He is skinny and has lost probably around 10 lbs, but he is very alert and hanging in there. He is weak still but he has eaten 3 small meals tonight and he actually wants to eat. He is very thirsty and his stool is formed but not totally solid yet. Progress is slow, but he is moving in the right direction and we couldn't be more relieved!

August 30, 2007

Merlin is feeling so much better and has a very good appetite. We are still feeding him fairly small meals about 5 to 6 times a day, so we don't overwhelm his system, but he greeted his foster mom this morning with a wagging tail for the first time since Monday of last week! He slept through the night last night with no accidents and no need to go out so that means his body finally is using the food he is eating! It appears he is on the road to recovery. He has a follow-up appt at Alameda at 11:30 on Saturday morning.

September 1, 2007

Merlin's appointment went VERY well. His blood levels are back to normal - 67 PCV and 6.8% protein and we can start introducing Canidae dry food again (which is good because he is not a big fan of the WD). She prescribed Tramadol as a pain med and we will see if that makes a difference for him. He can go on short walks to start building up his muscle again. He has gained 7 pounds since he has been back and the doctor exclaimed with disbelief, "Is this really the same dog???". He is certainly on the road to recovery!

September 15, 2007

Merlin went to the vet today for additional x-rays of his spine because we were concerned that he still arches his back quite a bit. The films revealed severe Spondylosis and at least 7 of his vertebrae are fused together. Spondylosis is basically spinal osteoarthritis and is a degenerative disorder that causes loss of normal spinal structure and function.

Merlin has recently started showing some aggression and has little patience with the other dogs in his foster home. Dr. Landry believes this is largely due to the fact that he is in quite a bit of pain and is hopeful that a new pain management plan with help get him more comfortable. He has prescribed a 2 week dosage of Gabapentin & Amantadine, which are both neurological drugs. We are going to re-evaluate his condition in 2 weeks. Please keep this sweet old man in your thoughts and prayers!

October 1, 2007

Merlin is a whole new man! He is back to being goofy and loving and making us laugh! We have found the perfect combination of medications and are able to manage his pain and are confident that he still has a lot of life to live, despite his age and previous health struggles.

October 21, 2007

Merlin went to his forever home with Margaret & Pete in Wellington. He has a Beagle mix sister named Whitney, a Shepherd mix brother named Ben, a very large Lab named Gorilla, and 2 cats named Jimmy and George for him to play with! Margaret is a vet tech and they live on a farm with lots of room for him to run and play. He will receive only the best of care and they will make sure the rest of his days are as happy and comfortable as possible. It was love at first sight for them all and Merlin immediately fit into the pack.