Feeling More Rested
I just got off the phone with Chewy.com. About the last five months of the year they can’t seem to get Charlie’s most important (and expensive) heart medication in. It is called Vetmedin.
I have it on autoship, so they just automatically ship it to me. Now I’ll have to hope the vet can get it in. Because apparently, I was told, everyone gets it from one place. And they run out.
It is what Dr. Poteet calls a miracle medication for dogs with Charlie’s problems.
Blissful Rest:
I woke up this morning feeling blissfully rested. That is rare, because I have to get up so many times with Charlie during the night.
Last night after I turned the light off I kept feeling this intense pain on the outer part of my face surrounding my right eye. I don’t know why it always takes me so long to figure out the origin.
I got up out of bed and took a Gabapentin, which I take occasionally for trigeminal neuralgia.
It’s much better this morning. But I took another one when I woke up.
Effects Of Gabapentin:
Charlie probably tried to wake me up more than he managed to. But the Gabapentin, taken with my other meds, had me sleeping more deeply.
Normally I wake up in the mornings feeling just about the same as when I went to sleep, but more achy. This morning I had the typical arthritis pains, but at least I felt rested. And that was such a wonderful feeling.
Charlie can’t manage the big steps going up to the bed much anymore. So I have to lift him up and down all night when he wants out.
I lie down during the day sometimes to rest, but he is so restless he won’t let me rest for long. It could be a side effect of the Theophylline he takes.
Then I’m grouchy and feel bad because I can’t be as patient. My goodness he has a lot going on and I’d do absolutely anything for him. But I can’t function well when my gas tank is on empty.
Sometimes I feel worn down to a nub. I just tell myself to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving.
When I wake up during the night most nights three fingers on my right hand are frozen and won’t work. Finally I will stretch it till it hurts and I can get some motion back.
It truly is hell getting old sometimes, isn’t it? Not for the faint of heart, certainly.
But life is precious and so is every day. I look for the positive and enjoy nature and my house plants.
It gives me a lift to see a new leaf or new growth on one of my house plants. Seems like such a small thing, but the small things are to be treasured.
Brenda –
My Presley has congestive heart failure and is on Vetmedin (along with a number of other meds) which we get from Allivet mail order. I just checked, and they see, to have Vetmedin in stock.
Hope his helps –
Kerry
We have a dog who refused to be house-trained, I think due to pine needles in the yard getting stuck in her paw pads. The solution we found (may not be for everyone 🙂 was pee pads placed in a less trafficked area of the house. The pee pads they sell for pets are pretty useless so I bought the larger washable ones they make for people off amazon. Works great, she took right to it. I think they even make little faux fire hydrants for male dogs to give them a target. Maybe a set-up like that with a plush little bed for Charlie on the floor beside your bed….he might make his way to the pee pad in the middle of the night on his own and not interrupt your sleep.
Sometimes our “ailments” don’t make sense when they first show up… like with your trigeminal neuralgia. Especially if it woke you up. I’m a nurse and this is common… I have this happen here and there for a chronic painful condition I have. Gabapentin has been used for many, many years for nerve issues but more recently it’s also been used for insomnia. I take 600mg every night. So… maybe the gabapentin helped you get a better nights sleep? I hope you find Charlie’s meds… it’s heartbreaking when we can’t get what we need to help our fur babies!!!!
Just in case ya’ll haven’t found the Vetmedin……Alivet Online has the 10 mg. One of my dogs has to take it so I buy this and cut the pills up because he only needs the 1.25 twice a day. But I like buying it this way because I have a supply for months. I’ve been using this pet pharmacy for a while now and like it very much.
Is it possible to find a substitute prescription for Charlie to take care of the symptoms that the out of stock prescription addresses? Your Dr. Poteet would know. Getting old truly IS not for the weak, and the older I’ve gotten the more I appreciate that old adage! I turned 69 in August. This morning, got all ready to take my half mile hike to the supermarket, got there in strong winds and threatening rain (but no rain) pulling my “granny cart” behind me, as I only go shopping once a week now and so I stock up to make sure I don’t run out of essentials like bread, milk, cheese, thin-sliced low sodium ham and wine (LOL!) Oh, and toilet paper too, usually floating at the very top of the packed granny cart when I leave the supermarket. I’m stocking for winter so I have a goodly supply stashed in storage in the basement, just in case.
Arrived at the market, filled the cart with my list, went to the self-check out and realized I’d left my ID (for the wine), discount card, credit card and I always carry my debit card too because there is an ATM for my bank inside the supermarket in case my credit card doesn’t work for some reason. But I had totally empty pockets. I’d packed everything I needed for my trip to the supermarket except what I actually needed to buy/pay for my items. I put everything back on the shelves and took the hike back home in the threatening weather. HOW COULD I FORGET SUCH ESSENTIAL THINGS? But I did. A waste of an hour and 10 minutes and no groceries or nuts for my squirrels, who were knocking on the patio door looking for their food all day. Geez Louise. Now I’m thinking I’m getting dementia, and I’m seeing a vision of a large chalkboard in the kitchen with daily lists of things like “be sure to check the lock on your doors to make sure you didn’t leave your keys dangling there,” “be sure to check that you have your ID, credit card, debit card, discount card and slip with “notify this person in case of emergency” in your pockets,” etc. BLEAK! And it makes me angry.
Brenda,
I can so commiserate with you! I had a dreadful night with my Lucy. She has the smallest bladder ever! I don’t know why, but last night she kept crying to go out. Of course, we are having the beginnings of a series of storms called the “Pineapple Express” here in the Pacific Northwest. This means suiting up in a rain suit and milking boots! Then we walk around in a absolute deluge while she tries to find a “dry spot” on the lawn or pastures… back in the house , removal of dripping wet suit and attempting to towel dry her majesty. I have a bad premonition of our upcoming rainy season…
Sure hope your medication snafu gets resolved. I don’t think you need any more worry on your plate, regarding Charlie.
Wishing both of us a better night …
Brenda, check out the mayo clinic website on arthritic hands. Mayo Clinic is my favorite website for medical info. Let me know if you have any success with any of the remedies you try.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/arthritis/multimedia/arthritis/sls-20076952
I began getting Capo’s Vetmrdin from WalMart Pet RX a couple of years ago when his vet was experiencing problems keeping it in stock. I always ordered 2-3 month’s supply at a time and re-ordered each time I opened the last bottle, never had a problem with them being out until now. Fortunately his vet had recently received a shipment and I was able to get a couple of boxes, I would have gotten more but his bi-yearly wellness check up is scheduled for early Nov. and I wanted to be certain his prescription remains the same. Walmart Pet Rx is still showing it OUT OF STOCK and can or won’t give me any info as to when they will expect to have it available. So frustrating and possibly life threating for our fur babies if this shortages continues.
Hi Brenda,
It is hell to get old. I am only 62 and some days feel 100 in my bones and joints. You are so right getting older is not for the faint of heart! I hope your sweet vet will be able to get Charlie’s meds for him. Have you tried going through a regular pharmacy. Sometimes they can get doggie medications too. Have a great new week.
Hugs,
Kris
Your vet should have meds to bridge you to your other supplier sends it. My sister’s dog took that and the doctor was always running out of the pills for her.
Your Gabapentin may be one of those meds to be taken every day to help with the numbness. It is not one to stop taking without contacting your doctor.
Restful sleep helps lots of things.
I agree. It says not to stop it without consulting a doctor. It should be taken every day or not at.
I am older than you. Age 69. I can really feel the aging process.
Speaking of age. You are young. Compared to my cousin she is 103
She is completely alert and walks on her own.. No walker no wheelchair
She’s awesome. God Bless her.
I have felt it more in the past year. I think much of it is due to lack of sound sleep.
Yes lack of sleep. Is probably a factor. I hope you have many more restful nights.
I’m glad you got some rest last night. Our pets mean so much to us that we devote our whole life to them! When my husband was in the hospital my dog was also in very poor health. She had to go outside every two hours day and night so during the day when I was at the hospital I would put pads and a blanket in her crate and then wash it when I got home. I couldn’t stay overnight with my husband because my daughter worked and I couldn’t ask her to get up all hours of the night to let her out! It was a very hard time for me I always felt guilty for not staying at the hospital with my husband! I hope they get Charlie’s medication in soon!
The small things do make such a difference to a dull or hard day. I saw a beautiful monarch butterfly yesterday and it gave me such a pickup. It seems silly to a lot of folks, but to me it meant I had one of nature’s miracles come to visit my little garden.
Glad you feel rested.
That is a wonderful picture of Charlie in the background with the plant in front. You take some beautiful pictures.
It’s hard dealing with older pets. I’ve spent a lot of money on my Ziggy this year but we love them.