Dear Friends, Luna is back in the hospital undergoing repeated enemas and forceps removal of packed fecal matter. It's been only 6 weeks six her last stay (she was impacted) and now is again. For every bit of stool I saw her passing, she's obviously now retaining the bulk of it. She's on Lactulose (as much as 9ml per day), sub-q fluids, and I've been giving her metamucil. I've looked through the archives and been doing other research on mega-colon and it seems that when all medical treatments fail (I haven't yet tried slippery elm and cisapride has been ruled out for her) there is a surgery called a sub-total colectomy. Anyone ever had any experience with this?
When we found her (in the road, hit by a car) the ER vet who initially saw her was pretty grim about her prognosis because her pelvis was literally shattered. The orthopedist was ultimatley able to rebuild it; it took several operations. She had so much nerve damage that she could not urinate on her own for quite some time; her bladder had to be manually expressed. So, she has the physical limitation of her very narrow pelvic region plus likely reduced nerve function. I'm to start giving twice weekly enemas at home once this impaction is resolved to see if this addition will give her any relief; she cannot keep on at this rate. Some of what I've read indicates that in severe cases, all medical treatment will ultimately become ineffective and surgery the only option. She's only 4.5 years and otherwise healthy (well, she's deaf, but that's congenital, not result of illness or injury) and if it's going to be the only answer I'd rather she undergo surgery sooner than later. Thanks for any input. Julie
