And the Results Are...

...Inconclusive.

I just got off the phone with the vet. He’s looking at the radiologist’s notes. Kota could have a lymphoma forming in his what they are calling “agitated liver”; however, it is not full-blown yet, so that was the first thing they noted.

Also,

•  He has gallbladder debris.

•  He has a mass on his left kidney but, by the size of it, they suspect it is benign.

•  He could have Chronic Hepatitis 

•  He could have Copper Toxosis

•  He could have Leperodosis 

He has a mass on his spleen. This we already knew about and, according to the vet, it hasn’t changed in size since the last time we saw it, which was when he was about eight months old; he’s eight years old now, so it was a good thing I decided to keep his spleen intact. 

They are recommending a hepatic and a liver biopsy.

I talked at great length with my vet, and we’ve decided to put him back on the liver support medicine as well as the Cerenia. He also wants to start him on Ursodiol to help smooth out the gallbladder sludge.

Kota will stay on these medications for three months. If something drastic changes with his behavior or his health, I am to notify the vet immediately and get him in ASAP. I have all of the warning signs for all of these various diseases on my kitchen wall now.

Because of the Copper Toxicity, I am immediately taking him off of his dry kibble because it has copper sulfate and copper protonate in it. I found out that even the limited ingredient dry foods for dogs has copper in it.

I was directed to a website called BalanceIt. There I can find a supplemental powder that I can add to what I’m already feeding him, minus the kibble, that will give him all the vitamins and supplements that he’s not getting now because I’m feeding him rice and meat, and a few vegetables. Everything is boiled, and all the juices from the boiled meat are being discarded so that his liver doesn’t have to deal with any extra fat or any other type of substance that it can’t break down right now. 

So do we have a definitive answer? No. But we don’t have an indication that he has cancer, so that’s a good thing. He is showing some strange behavior. Usually, he wakes me up in the night for two or three times to go potty. Now, it’s seven or eight times, and instead of going potty, he’ll go and lie in the cool grass. My vet explained that his belly is feeling pretty inflamed right now because the liver is not doing its job. So he’s seeking a cool spot where he can lie down and not hurt.

Knowing this now, I’m going to make him a cool pad to lay on in the bedroom. Hopefully that will stop all these frequent trips and interrupted sleep for him and me. We are taking it a day, and a time that’s all we can do at this point.