greyhndz

George and Chris What a gift Kelsey was to you and to everyone who was ever graced with her beauty and huge heart. Run free, sweetie... you were so loved.

Ducky, I am so sorry. What a devastating loss for you. Wally, you were loved, and understood, and were embraced by your parents during your life and during your journey to the Bridge. Godspeed, sweet boy. Warmest hugs, Ducky.

So sorry I didn't notice this before, Claudia! Tell Mr. Llenny that new additions to the family are not allowed to show any signs of illness for a minimum of 3 years. He has violated this rule, and the penalty is severe. He has to face the wrath of Dandi: (Oops, I'd better wake him up first) So, you'd better be doing ballet on that footsie by the end of the weekend! Get well soon, handsome!

I've noticed something weird, below the avatar, the membership status, the # of posts, etc. There is something called "Warn Status", with a bar below it. I haven't seen this on anyone else's posts. Was it something I said?

I brought this up over the summer. This is per Guillermo Couto, in turn, quoting an authority on canine infectious disease. Check out this thread

Look at that beautiful face! Tons of healing thoughts and wishes going out to you, sweetie.

I know Shanti was on imuran for a while, but I don't think leflumonide. I'll PM you.

Hi - just bringing this post back to life briefly. If anyone is using leflumonide to control their dog's autoimmune disease, could you PM me (or e-mail using above address)? Thanx!

Love and healing thoughts going out to you and your sweet Lexi from me and my sweet Angel Lexi, who also courageously fought a battle against autoimmune disease. Your Lexi is in the best hands possible.. we're all anxiously awaiting an update that we hope will bring better news.

I tried bag balm but he slurped it off. Vitamin E oil can help. They also frequently use niacidamine, doxycycline (both taken orally), sunblock. It looks like it should be painful but Ruby never acted as if it were.

Many times, the vet can make a diagnosis based upon appearance, but to confirm the diagnosis, especially when you'll be placing him and want to let the adopters know what to expect, the vet can do a biopsy of the skin on the nose. It's a simple procedure, and this will give you a definitive answer. I found with Roo-Roo (sorry, Maria! Ruby had the nickname first! ) the scales were primarily grey in color, and when they would slough off, there'd be pink skin beneath. This was variable, and though most folks will tell you otherwise, Ruby's nose actually improved during the summer, and became more scaly and inflamed during the winter. There's no lab test that will be of benefit in diagnosing DL, as most of the labs (unless a dog has systemic lupus) will be perfectly normal. Here's another picture of the Roo nose:

Cute little nose! Hard to see, but your vet could confirm the diagnosis. Ruby had a biopsy which confirmed DL, but it really had no effect on his lifespan or his health in general. Later in life, his pads began to take on a similar appearance, but again, this caused no problems for him. ETA: there usually are no signs or symptoms beyond the skin changes. While Ruby went onto prednisone shortly after his diagnosis (his nose was pretty beaten up at the time), it was never again necessary.

Offhand, sounds like discoid lupus. Does it look like this? (My Ruby, who lived to 14.5 with DL, and was always a healthy, happy Rooer)

Oh, I LOVE her!! She is just stunning, and she's trying so hard to do everything she wants to do. You might try one simple thing: instead of putting the bowl next to her, put it on the floor. It looks like her bed is nice and lofty, and putting the bowl down below her might be more comfortable, and easier for her to manage. Whenever I've tried to feed a hound in bed, they usually sit or stand up. I think it's just more natural for them to eat with the bowl beneath them. Now, don't laugh, but have you tried putting something like a bean-bag bed/chair, or a hassock (a footrest) right behind her, so if she starts to drop in back, she's got something to sit back on? (I told you not to laugh!! ) She reminds me SO much of my Ruby. He, too, was a beautiful fawn angel who lived until he was 14.5.

Aha.. different from what I originally thought. Is Tuna's bed flat on the floor? If it is, can you make a low platform for it? If she's situated a little bit above her bowl rather than next to it, she might be more willing to eat lying down.

I don't think any of us can really explain it, but you will know. The two of you are obviously very bonded, and one day you'll look in her eyes and you'll just know. Trust in yourself, and trust in your girl. Every time I've reached the point where I think I need to make a decision, I doubt myself and my ability to "know". I've turned to animal communicators and spent hours just watching, intellectualizing, wondering... but often this is just not an intellectual decision, it's an instinctive one. I agree with the suggestion to skip the kibble or whatever it is that Tuna doesn't want to eat. Go for the yummy stuff - her favorite foods and treats. Lexi had pizza every day during her last week. Freeze dried liver is another good one, as is deli sliced roast beef. Oops, just saw your comment about her not wanting you to support her belly. Why do these old girls all insist on being so stoic and independent? Another thought: what if you left her bowl on the floor next to her bed, and walked away? Some of my pups have eaten when they thought I wasn't looking. I think they just don't want to be fussed over. Just think of this time as a gift, and until Tuna tells you she's ready, make her last weeks one big birthday party. Big hugs are going out to both of you...

The kind of reaction the vet tech spoke of was an allergic reaction, and they do usually occur within a short period of time, but I've had an iggy who didn't develop facial swelling for several hours. With many vaccinations, particularly the DHPP, it's not uncommon to develop mild "flu-like" symptoms, particularly with this vaccination as it contains live attenuated virus, as opposed to killed virus. This usually subsides in a day or two. The other problem that can develop is that this type of immunization can trigger an immune reaction which could possibly lead to an ongoing autoimmune problem (such as my Lexi's immune mediated polyarthritis, which, we believe, was triggered by the DHPP). I'm sure your vet will be able to tell you what you can expect, and what's considered normal after immunization. I hope Merlin is feeling much better this morning!

I'm so sorry... she was so lucky to have you as her mom.

OK, time to strategize. Is it possible for you to leave a message with the receptionist for your own vet to call you back? Then, you can discuss the situation one-on-one, and perhaps she can arrange for you to bring in specimens for her to personally analyze. Then if she thinks meds are in order, she can give them to you or (even better) call in a script to a pharmacy if it's a human med.

As far as the UTI goes (as well as worming), I think the decision about whether the vet wants to personally see the dog or not depends a lot on your relationship with the vet. If she/he has gotten to know you well enough to trust your judgment and know that you're savvy when it comes to your pups' care (like Heather, who's cared for more dogs than I'll see in a lifetime ), I'd bet the vet would be very willing to prescribe based upon your description of symptoms and the results of the urinalysis. I think it's also OK to come out and ask the vet if she/he would be comfortable doing this for you, or if the office has an across-the-board policy about animals needing to be seen. It may just be a matter of the vet getting to know you better.