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Saturday 16 June 2007

New Look and Blood Test

I was groomed by my personal untrained groomer. All smart doggies here must have guessed who she is so I shan't mention the name. I hope I have not been disfigured by her unskillful hands.





Can you guess where I was? I have posted pictures with the same background a few posts ago.


As jie jie suddenly had the impulse to torture me, she didn't have time to book for an appointment so we end up having to wait for a long time. I keep asking her to get out of the clinic but she refused.



Before I had the time to plan the route to escape, my name was called. When we were in the consultation room, evil jie jie told that vet that I am still drinking more than usual (before the steroid jab) so much so that I will leak urine at night. (Yes, I leaked urine again!!!) Jie jie is worried about my kidneys but the vet told her that diabetes will have the same symptoms.

The vet touched me all over and she even pressed my tummy as evil jie jie told her that I don't poo daily. She told us that she didn't feel anything unusual. She agreed that I should have a comprehensive blood test to find out if there is anything terribly wrong with me.

Can you believe it? The vet I was seeing might just be the the same one that Jackson had seen. She is also a vampire. She took my blood with a syringe and needle instead of using her FANG. (Luckily she didn't. If not, I might have turned into a vampire too. Pawsonally, I think that it is an excuse that she took my blood for any test. She probably said that so that no one would suspect that she had drunk them herself. Don't you think so?)

So we went to the waiting area and waited some more.... and there I saw another shih tsu. She don't seems too happy to be there too. So , I asked her if she wanted to escape from that evil place with me.



We didn't get any chance to escape as jie jie and the shih tsu's parents were watching us really closely. We waited and waited and finally, the vet called my name again. She said she had the blood test result.



The good news is that my kidneys are fine. The bad news is that my ALP reading is super high. My reading is 2400 while normal reading should range from 20 - 150 and my ALT reading is also out of range too. My reading is 162 while normal reading should range from 10 - 118.

According to the vet, my super high ALP reading could be a result of the steroid jab I have taken. That also means that the effect of the steroid had not subsided but I had the jab more than 2 weeks ago. So, she suspected that my bile dart might be blocked and thus have some effect on my liver and causes my ALT reading to rise too.

I was prescribed with Ursofalk Capsules to take once a day and I have to take liver supplements, Simepar twice a day too. On top of these, I still have my glucosamine and antioxidants... Boy... thats a lot of pill/capsules for the little me.

The vet wanted to see me again for another blood test in 1 month time. (This vampire can never have enough blood, can she?) She also told jie jie to give me less meat... Darn... but how can food be tasty without meat? Don't she knows that we doggies are canniborous animal?

It was raining heavily when we left the clinic. Evil jie jie shut me in my carrier instead of letting my head out so that I could breath better. She say she didn't want me to get into the rain but she herself was walking in the rain without an umbrella to hail a cab. Serve her right for catching a cold after that...

This was what I have been doing most of the time after my blood was taken by the vampire. At least I wasn't panting anymore and is able to sleep soundly



27 comments:

Bella said...

Hi Snowball,
I reckon you new hair do looks pretty good - we can see yur pretty eyes much better.
Hope yu are feeling well & it doesn't sounds much fun to have to go to the vet so much & take lots of pills
Wuffs
Bella

Anonymous said...

Nice new fur do...looking clean and sweet! you sure had gone though alot...I need to learn whats all this is about... Mama have no idea...

Ben & Darling said...

Aww...you are so sweet Snowball. I like your new look, neat. Well done to your "untrained" personal groomer. *wink. Do you know what mom love bout you?? Your smile, you always smile even you are at the vet. You are such a sweet babe.

Myeo said...

I like your new hairstyle. But then, you look good in anything. You are born boo-tiful.

We hope you are fine. We know news like this make our hoomans so worried. Mama is worried about Boy cos he also has alot of problem.

Love
Boy n Baby

Casper and pals said...

Hey we have an untrained personal groomer too!! You do look really cute Snowball! Feel better soon!

Snowball said...

Hi Bella,Thanks. Just like Boy n Baby have said, I was borned to be bootiful. Hee... Yes, having to take so much medication isn't nice at all.

Hi Pearly, Thanks. We only know some of those figures that was on that blood test print out. This one I had was a very detailed ones. So it looks very complicated. A pre op vet screen blood test consist of only 5 readings mainly to see the condition of the kidneys and liver.

Hi Ben, Thanks and please say thanks to your mum for me too. I have a smiley face but I will appear to be smiling too even when I am nervous. I dunno why? I guess the muscles on my face isn't that flexible so they know only how to show one expression. :p

Hi Butchy and Snockers, You mama is realllly verrry smart... She seems to know a lot of about medical stuff! Jie jie can never remember the medical terms so she uses the most lay man terms which do not sound so complicated.

I used to take Milk Thistle until jie jie's friend recommended us Simepar which contain Vit B. Even our vet are using it now and they seems to think that they work very well for liver or do you think I should switch back to Milk Thistle again?

For some reason, jie jie felt uneasy but wasn't too worried about my blood test result too as this 2 readings are always high when I had steroid jabs(I am sure she will be standing on hot plates if my next blood test came back the same!) and I will get them quite often due to my back problem. I hope that the acupuncture will reduce the frequency of such jabs.

I can't wait to see our new outfit. I hope I have not caused too much trouble for your mama with my special request. Oh... you mean Koi Snowball is trying to make little Kois and be a father? I hope he gets to celebrate Father's Day with his babies next year! Do take more pictures of him, ok?

Hi Boy n Baby, Thanks for such sweet remark. We think that the 2 of you are born to be handsome and boo-tiful too.

I hope that Boy will be ok. I am sure he will be under the wonderful care of your mama. Take care of yourself too, Boy.

Luv,
Snowball

Juno said...

Hello Snowball, sorry to hear that you had to meet the evil Vampire! I really hope your next visit will give you a much better news!! You have to have a good result!

Meantime I like new hair! This untrained groomer did an excellent job!

Have a great weekend!

Momo xoxo

ps. Snowball, my mom was going to ask you much earlier (or she did already??). She would love to link your blog to my blog so we can keep eye on your blog easily. Hope you don't mind...?? :)

Anonymous said...

Woo Snowball... Good to hear from you sweetie! Your fur looks beautiful! I hope you are back to 100% soon!
Hugs,
sitka

PreciOus said...

I've lost count of your pills! Poor Snowball. Vets are so evil!

Snuggle,
Precious

Faya said...

Grrrr....I don't like my vet...he is evil also...
Your new haircut is not so bad... I think it is fine...you are beautiful.
Mom is waiting for hollidays and then she will have time to cook the Cereal Prawn mix....2 weeks to wait....
Big big kisses, Faya

Asta said...

Hi Snowball,
That is an awful lot of pills for a tiny pwincess, but I hope they help make you all healthy again!
I think your new haircut, makes you look like a young puppy, vewy attwactive...I specially like your picture dozing in fwont of the pooter
smoochie kisses
Asta

Toby said...

Hi Snowball,

I think your new haircut looks pretty darn good for someone with no training whatsoever!~
Sorry you got bitten by the vampire. A vampire bites me every 2 months too. I try to escape that evil vet place too, but evil mom is alwasy watching me like a hawk.
I take liver supplements too!!
Did you have a bile acid blood test? That's what I have to get done all the time. It sucks. I know how u feel...

I'm keeping my paws crossed that all those meds will make you feel a whole lot better! Get well real fast, ok??

Tobes

Chilli the Dog said...

Hiya Snowball

You looked fantastic with your new haircut. I've seen it in dogson and I really like it. It makes you look fresher and friskier too.

Sorry that you have so many pills to take. How does your jie jie manage to get them into you. When I had to take pills for my fungal infection, mummy had to FORCE open my mouth, pop the humogous pill in and hold my muzzle shut and massage my neck to FORCE me to swallow!!!! GRRRR!!!! I totally hate it. I hope you'll get better soon and not have so many pills to take.


Wuff Wuff
Chilli
(mom's note:the pill she had to take is less than 2mm in diameter but she has to ability to keep it from going down her throat...so I had to use to torture method)

wally said...

I'm sorry about your health problems! That's too bad. I think your new haircut is lovely. Your fur is so white and clean!

wally.

Oscar's mummy and daddy said...

I think your hair looks very pretty.

Boy, you are going to rattle with all those pills!

Licks
Oscar x

Sunshade said...

Hi Hi Snowball ball,

Me like like your hair hair, you look pretty pretty... I'm shy shy.....

Me saw saw Jaffaman in your game game, thank you thank you... I'm shy shy.....

STINKY licks,
Jaffaman

Sunshade said...

Heya Snowball!!

You look boooootiful and so happy with your new hair cut, good for The-Woman-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!

Hmmm.... have you had blood tests prior to your steroid jabs (Cortisone??) to make sure your liver counts were normal?? Please becareful with steroid shots and Non-Steroidal-Anti-Inflammatory-Drugs (NSAIDs), they can have many scaaaawie and permanent side effects such as liver or kidney or heart failure. If you google cortisone and side effects or NSAIDS and side effects, you can read more about it.

Also I think my friend Toby who is another Maltest has a liver condition, maybe you could talk to his mom about it more just to make sure that's not what you have.

To support liver, you could ask the vet that does chinese herbs and acupuncture for you to prescribe something (ie, milk thistle, dandelion) for your liver to detoxify it. SAM-e is a really good supplement for liver repairs, I think they sell it at the vets, and the veterinary version is called Denosyl. A liver glandular right now should help too.

BTW, you are soooo good just like me when you get your acupuncture!!! And you do look sleepy, just like me too..hehe!

Love nibbles,
Miss Sunshade

Peanut said...

I think your haircut doesn't look have bad. Sorry about that vampire taking your blood. You should have tried to ge some of hers.

Joe Stains said...

that haircut does not look bad at all!! sorry you had to go to the vet and they took your blood :(

Luckie Girl said...

Hey Snowball,
Your pawsonal groomer's skills not too bad..hehe...can pass. :)
I hope you are feeling better now. Get well soon my friend!!

Girl Girl Hamster said...

Snowball, you still look cute now. Your pawsonal groomer not too bad. Oh the vampire vet sounds really scary.. I hope you feel better and get well soon so that no need to visit vampire anymore.

ps maybe you should bring some garlic on your next vet trip.. I heard vampires are scare of that


~ girl girl

Snowball said...

Hi Casper, Jie jie says to thak you for the kind words. I will work hard on gaining full recovery.

Hi Momo, Yeah, the vampire is evil keep wanting to draw my blood. I hope the next one will be the last. I have linked you to my blog.

Hi Sitka and Tia, Thanks!

Hi Precious, I think my jie jie is more evil as she is the one who force those awful stuff down my throat. Don't you agree?

Hi Faya, Vets around the world are all evil. (I think only Sunshade and a few others will disagree as they seems to love their vet.) I am glad that you like my new look. Tell mama to follow the instruction closely and the fire MUST be off when you mix in the cereal. Let me know the outcome, ok?

Hi Asta, I sure hope the pills will help me in some ways. The new pills for my bile is really bitter. there was once the capsules broke in my throat and I keep foaming from my mouth and jie jie got scared and gave me some honey syrup. Thanks I am glad you think I look good. I am so afraid you guys might not be able to recognise me anymore..hahaha.

Hi Toby, Thanks. What liver supplements are you on? I am taking Simepar. 2 capsules a day. I don't know about bile acid test cos the vet did not say that I needed it.

Hi Chilli, Being a good girl that I always am, I will go to my jie jie and sit in front of her nicely for her to force them down my throat. I don't even lock my jaw cos I know it will be only hurt me more. Although I think jie jie is evil, I still trust her more than anyone else.

Hi Wally, Being unwell isn't nice at all, isn't it? Thanks for the kind words.

Hi Oscar, Thanks. Actually, I am quite a good girl when taking the meds but sometimes I will try to spit them out too but then its pointless cos in the end, they are being force down my throat again... duh...

Hi Stink....I mean Jaffaman, I think you are very handsome. I like reading your blog.

Hi Sunshade, Do you attend Vet school? How is it that I feel as though you know everything about all the medical condition common for the canines?

The blood test was requested by my jie jie and my vet think that its not neccessary...evil jie jie...

I had medication from the chinese vet who did acupuncture for me but the capsules are too huge and I need to take 3 capsules for 2 times a day and I got choke on the capsules. Jie jie tried to syringe it into my mouth but the med got stuck and my muzzle got really messy and if she mix them in my food, I will abandon my food. Jie jie is having headache about it too but the chinese vet says there is no smaller capsules and cannot reduce on dosage...Sigh..

Do I look sleepy when tkaing the acupuncture? Maybe I was... I got really sleepy everytime after the treatment thou. I can sleep for many hours after every treatment. Do you?

Peanuts, That is a fantastic idea. I should tell the vet I am going to draw some of her blood for test too during the next visit but I can only do so if jie jie is not around...

Hi Joey, Thanks. Vets are evil vampires in disguise. I wonder why I still have to go to them...sigh...

Hi Luckie, Jie jie says she thanks you for your kind words. I hope that I do not need anymore vet visits too.

Luv,
Snowball

Simba and Jazzi said...

Great hair cut. Glad the vet went ok.

Simba xx

Hammer said...

Hi Snowball

I'm so sorry you had a needle and you have some problems with your blood test. I hope your readings go back to normal real fast. It's no fun visiting vets.

You look very cute after your clip.

Love from Hammer

Lorenza said...

Hi, Snowball.
Thanks for coming to visit my blog. I hope we can be friends.
So sorry to hear about your health problems. I hope there is nothing too serious!
Have a nice day
Lorenza

Ronin_The_Pug said...

Hi Snowball! You look fantastic! Oh yes you do!! And we hope that all the health problems will go away cutie!!! Kisses!

Casper said...

Hi Snowball. I like your hairdo. You are super cute. Sorry to hear you had to get jabbed at the vet and have to take pills. They sure are nasty stuff. Hope you feel better soon. Woof! Casper