My big bellied, cuddly 13 year old boy Truman was diagnosed with mega colon about 6-7 years ago. He had been on lactulose for several years and Cisapride more recently, but still needed an occasional enema maybe once or twice a year for constipation.
I took him in for an evaluation two weeks ago because he was worried he was appearing slightly constipated. I was told he just had a couple of hard balls and they didn’t do an enema. He eventually pooped those out. His poop usually had a pudding consistency, but I was happy that it was at least coming out to be honest. The vet said she’d like to see the poop a little firmer, so suggested we cut the lactulose in half and double the Cisapride. Before I knew it, he was impacted.
It was Saturday and I needed to take him to ER. He was so impacted that he couldn’t pee. Or maybe it was a bladder stone. I knew he had peed the day before. They suggested the bladder may also have nerve damage. Two days, 6 enemas and $3600 later, they wanted to keep him another 2 days to see if he’d urinate on his own. $3,600 more that I couldn’t pay. He still wasn’t un-impacted and they weren’t certain he would pee on his own. With all of those unknowns, I set up in home euthanasia-for the next day hoping and praying he would at least urinate. I didn’t want him in pain. And he did urinate! He seemed so happy to be home and was playing and loving. He also pooped out a couple of hard balls. I happily cancelled the euthanasia thinking he just needed to be home to do it.
The next day I called my vet to get him in to then deal with any more possible constipation and they got him in a day and a half later as they were booked. I was hydrating him sub-Q and he was on increased lactulose and Cisapride. He was eating. He pooped out a couple more hard balls, but by the time the vet saw him, he was lethargic again, I knew the 3 day stay there would only be $650 and I had come this far with him. He had just been so happy and healthy seeming and it was worth getting him completely cleaned out.
Over the next 3 days, they gave him 2-3 more enemas and tried to manually remove the impaction. However, I received the call that it wouldn’t come out. They were sorry. I visited him and could see that he was uncomfortable at this point and looked depressed. I had already spent $4200. He had been through so much, and I chose not to do a colostomy because I just couldn’t afford another $4-5000. He had been through so much. I was absolutely devastated. I felt like I was hit by a truck... in shock. This was 4 days ago. How could he be so otherwise healthy except for a big ball of stuck poop?
But most of all, I feel like I let my baby down. I keep running through all of the things I would have done differently in my head. Beginning with the lactulose decrease/adjustment down to my financial inability to keep him at the critical care, and then not insisting hard enough that the vet see him the very day he came home. He didn’t deserve it. He was a good boy, and I loved him so much. I apologize for being so morose, but it all happened so fast, and I’m feeling a lot of pain at his loss.
I took him in for an evaluation two weeks ago because he was worried he was appearing slightly constipated. I was told he just had a couple of hard balls and they didn’t do an enema. He eventually pooped those out. His poop usually had a pudding consistency, but I was happy that it was at least coming out to be honest. The vet said she’d like to see the poop a little firmer, so suggested we cut the lactulose in half and double the Cisapride. Before I knew it, he was impacted.
It was Saturday and I needed to take him to ER. He was so impacted that he couldn’t pee. Or maybe it was a bladder stone. I knew he had peed the day before. They suggested the bladder may also have nerve damage. Two days, 6 enemas and $3600 later, they wanted to keep him another 2 days to see if he’d urinate on his own. $3,600 more that I couldn’t pay. He still wasn’t un-impacted and they weren’t certain he would pee on his own. With all of those unknowns, I set up in home euthanasia-for the next day hoping and praying he would at least urinate. I didn’t want him in pain. And he did urinate! He seemed so happy to be home and was playing and loving. He also pooped out a couple of hard balls. I happily cancelled the euthanasia thinking he just needed to be home to do it.
The next day I called my vet to get him in to then deal with any more possible constipation and they got him in a day and a half later as they were booked. I was hydrating him sub-Q and he was on increased lactulose and Cisapride. He was eating. He pooped out a couple more hard balls, but by the time the vet saw him, he was lethargic again, I knew the 3 day stay there would only be $650 and I had come this far with him. He had just been so happy and healthy seeming and it was worth getting him completely cleaned out.
Over the next 3 days, they gave him 2-3 more enemas and tried to manually remove the impaction. However, I received the call that it wouldn’t come out. They were sorry. I visited him and could see that he was uncomfortable at this point and looked depressed. I had already spent $4200. He had been through so much, and I chose not to do a colostomy because I just couldn’t afford another $4-5000. He had been through so much. I was absolutely devastated. I felt like I was hit by a truck... in shock. This was 4 days ago. How could he be so otherwise healthy except for a big ball of stuck poop?
But most of all, I feel like I let my baby down. I keep running through all of the things I would have done differently in my head. Beginning with the lactulose decrease/adjustment down to my financial inability to keep him at the critical care, and then not insisting hard enough that the vet see him the very day he came home. He didn’t deserve it. He was a good boy, and I loved him so much. I apologize for being so morose, but it all happened so fast, and I’m feeling a lot of pain at his loss.
