Howard's Medical Bills

Update: 5/1/23

We had a rough weekend. Howard stopped eating on Friday night and was in the ER for 7 hours on Saturday because he had an upper GI bleed. His liver enzymes had improved but his liver function and coagulation were still declining. We were back to the ER on Sunday morning to try steroid treatment, because he was having bloody and watery bowel movements. I'm devastated that nothing we tried over the last week helped Howard. He passed away around midnight, a home with me. He developed a lower GI bleed a couple of hours prior to passing and was bleeding considerably. He had a sudden burst of energy and shredded a roll of paper towels - just like he used to when he was a baby Howard. He went to sleep around 9:30pm and was completely at peace. Thank you to everyone who helped with the cost of his medical bills. I truly appreciate you donating and sharing.

Update: 4/28/23

Following 3 days in the ICU, Howard was released from the hospital and he is now at home on a strict feeding schedule and taking 8 medications. Currently, his doctors are waiting to see how his liver responds to antibiotics. As of right now, we are unsure if this is a bacterial infection. His liver function has remained static, while his enzymes are increasing and his coagulation panel is abnormal, despite Vitamin K1 treatment. In the coming days, he will remain at home with me as long as he remains stable. Our next step is to get another blood panel, and if nothing changes, we will be discussing a liver biopsy. It is extremely risky to perform a liver biopsy with an abnormal coagulation panel. We cannot treat him for other liver conditions at this time due to the possibility of immunosuppression.

My name is Christina and I am raising funds to help my dog Howard. Howard, who is 15 months old, was hospitalized yesterday. Howard went to the veterinarian a month ago for routine vaccinations and blood tests. The results of his blood work showed slightly elevated liver enzymes, and his doctor recommended testing again in a month. Again, liver enzyme levels were elevated on April 19th, but this time to a greater degree. Howard tested over 1400 IU/L for alanine aminotransferase (ALT), which is usually within the normal range of 10-100 IU/L. Puppies and adult dogs should have an ALP level between 10-150 IU/L, but growing puppies can have levels up to 900 IU/L, Howard’s level is 1600 IU/L.

Access Specialty Hospital's Emergency Room in Culver City admitted Howard, who was experiencing jaundice and vomiting. The ultrasound yesterday showed he had pancreatitis, although his liver enzymes remained elevated, his liver function test was normal. A dog's liver enzyme results can be impacted by a pancreatitis diagnosis. Inflammation or damage to one of these organs can affect the function of the other, since both play an important role in digestion and metabolism. In dogs with pancreatitis, the levels of liver enzymes such as ALT, AST, and ALP may be elevated due to inflammation and damage to the liver caused by the release of pancreatic enzymes into the bloodstream. The treatment of pancreatitis in dogs typically involves supportive care and management of the associated symptoms. The goals of treatment are to reduce inflammation in the pancreas, relieve pain, control nausea and vomiting, and prevent complications such as dehydration and secondary infections. Howard was initially expected to be hospitalized for 48 hours. He has unfortunately experienced a decline in liver function based on the results of today's tests. If a dog's liver function test results are initially normal and then begin to decline, it could indicate the onset of liver disease or damage. There are many potential causes of liver disease in dogs, including infectious diseases, toxins, medications, metabolic disorders, and cancer. In some cases, liver disease may progress slowly and without obvious symptoms, so regular monitoring of liver enzyme levels is important for early detection and intervention. In other cases, clinical signs such as lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite, and jaundice may become apparent as the liver function declines. If a dog's liver function test results begin to decline, the veterinarian may recommend additional diagnostic tests to determine the underlying cause of the liver disease or damage. These tests may include imaging studies such as ultrasound or CT scan, a liver biopsy, and further blood tests to evaluate organ function and assess for infectious diseases. Howard's condition is still being tested to determine what caused the decline. In general, doctors are attempting to use medications to manage the symptoms, slow or reverse the progression of the disease, and improve liver function. Until an underlying cause can be determined it may be difficult to treat with medication alone. There are several tests that may be performed to determine the underlying causes of liver decline in dogs. Blood tests, abdominal ultrasounds, biopsies, bile acid testing, coagulation tests, and urine tests are some of the common tests that veterinarians recommend. In the past 36 hours, Howard has undergone some of these tests multiple times. Veterinary hospital bills are paid while treatment is in progress. I have already paid $7200 in bills over the last 36 hours, and I expect to make several more payments by the end of the week while we figure this out. All fundraising will be used for Howard's medical bills.