Dad's Little Girl

Your Long and Short of it All hostess 'Maggie,' photo taken a few weeks ago

Tears are streaming down our face, and it's hard to compose ourselves as we read all the beautiful comments and e-mails from all over the world for our sweet little Maggie  Thank you so much.  We printed them out and read them to her last night.  It's painful to write that she is still not eating on her own - she is actually being force-fed as of yesterday to give her some nutrients to allow her pancreas just a little more time to turn around.   We're not so sure how we feel about that, but she is keeping the food down, and her pain is being controlled on pain meds.  Dad doesn't want a tube feed for her, or any TPN's, or any sort of surgery for her, she has just too many medical complications stacked up against her due to the Cushing's.  The veterinarian agrees with this.  We discussed a PPN with the vet yesterday, which would be partial parenteral nutrition in an IV, but he decided that at least if we force feed her she is getting complete nutrition.  We are no longer giving her the trilostane to control her Cushing's in hopes that, as Cushing's dogs are ravenously hungry, it will help her to eat.  The extra steroids she would produce may also help her.  She gets visits with Dad and Joey and some of her favorite friends every 12 hours.  On Monday morning the vet was positive that Maggie may still turn around, but with each passing hour that hope diminishes. 
Dad is going to work just a half day today and then take her to a veterinary specialty center this afternoon for an ultrasound so we can see exactly what we are dealing with, and hopefully have an answer as to whether or not she will be able to turn around.   Maybe a tumor has grown since she had her last ultrasound in May, or who knows really, but hoping that the ultrasound will provide some clues as to what exactly we are dealing with - liver, adrenal, pancreas, or gallbladder issues. 
She is getting the best medical care that she can, and all the wonderful vets and technicians love her, and are making sure she is comfortable - even putting a little blanket over her when she sleeps.  Sweet little girl.