MP_the4pack

I'm asking that everyone keep Pearl in their thoughts today. She's going for a dental. She very high risk anesthesia with her heart disease, kidney disease and hypertension. But it was her abscessed tooth that caused the hypertension and kidney disease to begin with. Her cardiologist and dentist both agree she needs a dental and that right now she's healthy enough for it. But I'm still scared to death. She's also 10 1/2 yrs old. Mary Pat

If you're unsure, contact another vet for a second opinion.

Heat should help the edema. It opens up the blood and lymph vessels to help remove the excess edema. If he can handle a wrap, I do that with Pearl (which actually I'm doing right now.) try that around the foot. I came home from a weekend away to find Pearl's whole leg edemedous. The vets think it's trauma. It's the 4th time in less than 2 yrs. She was put on aspirin and I'm wrapping the whole leg to help push the edema out. So right now, she also has a fat ugly leg and foot.

Have you thought about going to a canine dentist instead of a regular vet?

Farewell Master yet not farewell Where I go ye too shall dwell I am gone before your face, A moment's time, a little space When ye come where I stepped Ye will wonder why ye wept. God speed Logan

This is quite heartwarming. Eddie's Wheels

Mine have chiropractic adjustments, no acupuncture. So I can't help there. But I'll keep Alan in my thoughts.

the angels are envious that such a beautiful baby is joining them.

Wouldn't Adrian be keeping Flippy?

OMG Petra!!!! Both at once? Words cannot form for the sorrow I feel for you.

She's gone?!! She was just 'here' a few days ago. Talking about going back to school. Talking about a bulldog puppy.

Have you tried eggnog for Foxy? It's high caloric, high protein. My girls love it and it was the last thing my Topaz would eat before she went to the Bridge. If you can't find it in a store, it's easy to make. Google the recipe.

Pearl started seeing a cardiologist 5 years ago. No surgery. There actually isn't any surgery for a lot of heart ailments. But what they do is put them on meds that make it easier for the heart to beat. You can get most meds at Costco or Walmart for exceptional prices. Pearl's meds would be over $400/month at a regular drugstore. They are only about $40 at Costco. She's on a plethura of meds including for hypertension, which your guy may not have. She has outlived her prognosis by 2 yrs now. And she's still going strong. She's 10 1/2. So, a consult with a cardiologist shouldn't be that bad and could give him more time. Quality time.

OUCH!!

I live out in the country..........LOTS of ticks (I wish I could put Frontline on me!) I don't have a problem with fleas, just ticks, so I use Frontline regular. I don't have a problem with it.

My Onyx had the tieback surgery last year when she was 11. It started out with hoarseness in her bark. That was the first symptom. Then within 6 months I noticed a little heaving in her breathing after running. It was winter at this time. We saw the vet. He suggested LP. But the only way to really diagnose it was to put the dog under and scope the throat. Since they have a higher risk of aspirate pneumonia, they weren't going to scope unless I planned on the surgery. Of course if it wasn't LP, they weren't doing the tieback. They did tell me she was an excellent candidate. She did have LP, they tied back the left side (they perform the surgery thru the neck, not down the throat) and she's been great since. It's been a smidge over a year now, she's 12 and other than having lost her voice, I can't see any difference. But for care, there are a few minor changes. If she has any surgery, she needs to be kept intubated as long as possible before waking up. Most of the vets that I use already know about that. She also cannot have hard crunchy, crumbly foods that she could aspirate. Her kibble must be soaked. She doesn't get milkbones, but she does get people cookies that I run under the water and make soggy. What pretty much swayed me to go with the surgery is that the surgeon stated that even without the surgery she is at higher risk for aspirate pneumonia. But I think with your boy, you could probably wait until he shows a little bit of labor with breathing.

My Pearl is very high risk anesthesia, and my regular vets won't touch her. She's got heart disease, kidney disease and hypertension. The hypertension was caused by the kidney disease which was cause by...............BAD TEETH! So, I am definitely in favor of getting dentals done. But, she still did very well under anesthesia last year to remove the abscessed tooth that caused all her problems. And because of that and because she has a couple of other bad (not abscessed) teeth, she's going for a dental May 23. Since my regular vets won't touch her, she does go to a specialist. She's seeing a dentist in Brick, NJ. I'm nervous as well, but after what I went through with the abscessed tooth, I think this is the best option for her. So...........if she could survive anesthesia last year...........your baby can too.

Diamond lost 23 teeth a little over a year ago. (including most of her canines). She eats kibble just fine when I mix it with 1/4 can wet food. If the canned isn't 'gloppy' enough, I add water. But I dont' soak her kibble. I do that only for Onyx who has an laryngeal tieback. Diamond never chewed her food, she wolfed it down. But if Faye chewed her food, then just soaking it with warm water for about 15 minutes should be enough. The funny thing is that Diamond does have one front bottom tooth and one top canine tooth on the same side, so her tongue goes out on one side. She flicks her food all over the place with that tongue of hers. She usually ends up with something on top of her face or head. The first day or two, she wasn't interested in eating, her mouth was sore. Even with meds. So, I just offered, but didn't force. She at least did like liverwurst so that's how she got her meds. Nowadays she still eats milkbone biscuits. She does have a few teeth left....the little one along the side, so she can break the dog biscuit. She struggles, but she can do it. I didn't give her anything hard until at least 6 months afterwards, then I started her off with the teeny biscuits.

My Topaz has a protein-losing enteropathy. They didn't know the source. Everyday liver values were okay. The test is for liver enzymes. But when they did the liver FUNCTION tests, they went through the roof. She was gone within 4 weeks of the first symptoms, she was only 5. That's my only experience with protein losing enteropathy. I hope it's not yours!

I hope this means she AT the vets now. Waiting for an update!

That's such a young age. It seems to hurt more to lose the babies.