greyhndz

Robin, remember, too, that a lot of what you're seeing is muscle wasting from malnutrition, and, to a lesser extent, can be a side effect of prednisone over the long term. Also remember that the endoscopy was a diagnostic procedure, not a corrective one, so although you now come away with a lot more information, you wouldn't expect to see any change in his condition as a result of the scope. Good for you for seeking an IM consultation. Autoimmune inflammatory diseases such as IBD require a vet well-versed in the use of immunosuppressant/immunomodulating agents -- prednisone works well for acute flares or to initially treat severe disease, but ideally you'd like to get him off steroids ASAP (though it can take many months). Budesonide (Encort) may be a good alternative, as it's an enteric coated steroid designed to have an effect on bowel but minimal systemic side effects (panting, incr. drinking/urination, muscle wasting, etc.). And most IM specialists would be getting him started on an immunomodulator such as azathioprine or cyclosporine while slowly tapering down the steroids. This would probably be a lifetime medication for him. The inflammation in the bowel takes a long time to resolve, and until it does, Beau will not be properly absorbing nutrients, thus probably not gaining significant weight. But in the weeks and months ahead, as his immune system is suppressed and the inflammation subsides, he will improve. No quick cures for IBD, just lots of trial and error, and waiting to see if the treatment plan is working. It just seems that it's a perpetual roller coaster with the IBD pups, especially where diet is concerned. You might ask the IM vet to recommend a veterinary nutritionist who can guide you through this maze. Always wishing Beau and you the very best... Jordan

The heartworm/lyme/ehrlichiosis/anaplasma is not a vaccination, it's a test for acute infection, AKA "IDEXX snap-4). As far as vaccination guidelines, it's a long document, but if you scan through it, you'll find the current recommendations: http://www.aahanet.org/PublicDocuments/Vac...es06Revised.pdf And on the Dogaware.com website, more readable links: dogaware Basically, most dogs do NOT need annual vaccinations, unless your state requires (by law) annual rabies. Most states nowadays accept the 3-year rabies. And most vets who stay current with veterinary literature do not recommend vaccinations such as distemper more often than every 3 years, and indeed it's dubious if dogs need these vaccinations at all after finishing their primary series. But I wouldn't consider vaccinating more than *at least* every 3 years (the evidence in the Vaccine Guidelines above points toward 7-year intervals being adequate). Some of my dogs will not receive vaccinations at all due to health issues or age. I would not even consider Lyme vaccination -- many potential repercussions, including inducing clinical Lyme Disease symptoms (polyarthritis) without evidence of actual infection. It's much wiser to take a proactive approach to prevention with tick repellants, careful examination for and removal of ticks, and being aware of the signs of Lyme disease, so if your dog is infected, he can be treated quickly.

Oh, Beth!!! Merry Christmas!!! Wow, she is just stunning. I'm so happy for you, and I can't wait to see photos of Madi with her new family. Or, better yet, an original Ashley portrait. Madi is a lucky little girlie.

That's correct. Unless he were on immunosuppressants (such as prednisone) or immunomodulators (cyclosporine, leflumonide, cytoxan, etc.) or had another underlying disease compromising his immune system, having DL does not put him at any additional risk of infection. Aaron, that was actually an excellent article, and so important for people to know. The majority of folks don't realize that vaccinations can have serious repercussions, and are often unnecessary and way over-administered -- and that they have the right to decline. Amber, as far as keeping Soul protected from rabies when you live in a rural area, one option (assuming your town would issue a waiver for medical reasons) would be to titre him annually to monitor his immunity. If it's falling below the "immune" range, you could opt to vaccinate at that time. That said, were he to bite someone (fat chance, I know ) or be exposed to a rabid (or possibly rabid) animal, all bets are off. There are protocols the ACO has to follow issued by the Dept. of Public Health, and if there's no proof of vaccination, he might have to be quarantined, vaccinated, handcuffed and sent to Bridgewater state prison. (Just kidding about that last part, but wonder how he'd look in an orange jumpsuit?)

Amber, I'd only give rabies, and if there were any way of getting a waiver on that, I'd pursue it. Vaccinations (especially modified live virus) can trigger an exaggerated immune response, not only resulting in a flare of a previously diagnosed autoimmune disorder (such as DL), but also overstimulate the immune system, precipitating an autoimmune disease. And consider Soul's possible dx of IBD -- I'd be concerned about vaccines inducing a flare of that as well. Iggy Lexi has immune-mediated polyarthritis, which developed shortly after receiving both her distemper and rabies vaccinations. Besides having to be on immunosuppressants for the rest of her life, the vet has directed that she receive no vaccinations whatsoever. Luckily, in NH, the town will accept a letter from my vet stating that her medical condition prohibits her being vaccinated for rabies. Lexi's litterbrother, who has autoimmune thrombocytopenia, has the same exemption. It's worth discussing with your vet to see what her recommendation is.

Like most vets in my area (NH), none of the vets in my practice take emergency call. They are part of the cooperative that has a piece of the local E-clinic and refers their emergency calls there. They can accommodate stable patients overnight in my vet's office, but any animal needing monitoring is transferred out. I've found a happy medium, but this probably wouldn't be right for most people -- just those trained in medical/nursing fields, or vet techs/nurses: Iggy Lexi required IV hydration for the better part of a week, and because I'm comfortable managing IVs, and I knew I could provide better care for her at home, where I could watch her constantly, I was given IV solution, tubing and special IV administration kit that allowed me to set a drip rate. I was able to check the IV, ensure that it was running, and change the IV bag when it ran out. If someone weren't intimidated by doing this themselves at home, I wonder if some of your vets wouldn't be willing to have their techs instruct you in managing IVs yourself. If anyone were to run into trouble, or the IV stopping running, the E-clinic is still available to help deal with the problem.

Beautiful, beautiful girl! I, too, would have let her sleep with her head on my lap, especially since you found a Rimadyl to keep her more comfortable. And good girl Isis, for swiping mom's chicken! (well, in a manner of speaking) Will be keeping you both in my heart and my thoughts today, and hoping all is well.

Two meds are helpful with spay incontinence: Proin and DES (which has to be compounded). I prefer the DES, as Proin can have side effects - increases blood pressure and heart rate - that could potentially be harmful to an older dog. Also, the DES can be tapered from once a day to once a week (or even less often) over time.

Beat me to it, Batmom. I hope your vet isn't basing a diagnosis of renal failure or renal disease simply on a pH, which only gives you the acidity of the urine and no other information. Frankly, a pH of 9 is very high, indicating a very alkaline urine. The first thing I think of with an alkaline urine is urinary tract infection. Renal failure or disease is diagnosed based upon labwork (BUN, creatinine, albumin) and urine studies, including testing for protein in the urine. Do you have info on any other testing your vet has done?

Could you give us more details about Tally's symptoms? Does she have lameness or signs of pain in just one extremity, or does it seem to migrate? How about: fever, lethargy, weight loss, decreased appetite, vomiting/diarrhea, swelling in a joint (s). Does an xray confirm a diagnosis of arthritis? Does Tally have a known history of an injury or fracture? Everyone is right-on about a complete tick panel being up at the top of the list. Be sure it's sent to a lab familiar with running these on greyhounds, such as Protatek or NC State Univ Tickborne Disease Lab. She should have had a CBC and profile, checking her blood counts, liver function, kidney function, etc. A urinalysis would be in order as well. Valley fever and testing for any other infectious diseases to which she'd been exposed in her lifetime would also be important, as would an autoimmune panel (ESR, ANA and canine rheumatoid factor). If there is fluid in a joint, this can be aspirated and sent for analysis and culture (not every vet is comfortable doing this, so a specialist such as an orthopaedist or internal medicine vet might be consulted). I wouldn't even think about steroids until infection of any kind, and tickborne disease, had been definitively ruled out, and certainly not until a diagnosis had been established. There are far better (and safer) treatment options available. Do you live in an area within driving distance of a veterinary teaching hospital? That might be a good place to bring Tally for another opinion if your vet isn't coming up with answers.

I'm so glad to hear that Jay is more comfortable. Hopefully between Adequan, occasional steroids, and maybe some as-yet untried modalities, you'll have a solution that will keep all of you happy. Knock on wood, Lexi is doing well! She had a few setbacks in 2008, as she relapsed soon after finishing her 6-month steroid taper, developed a drug-induced hepatitis from azathioprine and became extremely ill, was back on steroids again for 3 months while she was started on leflumonide (another, non-steroid immunosuppressant), then a big setback when she developed a severe kidney infection. She did bounce back after a couple of weeks of IV and subcut. fluids, and right now is still on a small dose of steroids while we get her back on the leflumonide and back up to a therapeutic level, before once again trying to get her off steroids for good. She's back to being Lexi again - 12 going on 2, eating like a pig, jumping up and down, and being my happy little monkey again. Thanks for asking!

Have you heard about Pawz? They slip onto the pads and usually fit tightly enough to stay on. ETA: The GEM store carries them.

Hey, Jennifer! Why don't you send me a regular e-mail at greyhndz at comcast dot net, and I can give you more detail about autoimmune polyarthritis and the other treatments out there. Sounds like Jay has had a very comprehensive workup. I really hope there's a way of keeping him comfortable, but you're the one looking in his eyes everyday, and you're the best judge of what is best for him. ETA: None of the immune panels came back abnormal, and my understanding is that this isn't unusual. A positive test is helpful to confirm a diagnosis, but a negative test doesn't rule it out. Lexi's symptoms were classic for polyarthritis, though my vet and I were positive we were dealing with Lyme as her tick panel was 1:640 for Lyme, which is considered just borderline at the Protatek lab. We were still treating her with antibiotics for a full 2 months, as she'd improve, then relapse again. But it turned out that it was the steroids that would quiet down her symptoms temporarily, not the antibiotics. We thought that Lexi had GME (an inflammatory brain disease), but when I brought her down to Angell to see the neurologist, he was sure she did not have GME, but rather polyarthritis. He aspirated her carpal joint as he could see fluid, and could tell just by looking at the fluid that this was her problem. The various cultures, microscopic exams, etc. of the fluid confirmed this. Jordan

Hi, neighbor. I'm across Bear Brook state park from you, in Pembroke. A few thoughts: As several folks have said, Jay's steroid dose will be tapered, and his urine output will also decrease, so that will get better in the near future. He might just need to remain on a small dose of pred indefinitely to keep him comfortable. I have an iggy with autoimmune polyarthritis who currently is on 4mg of methylprednisolone (has been for months) and her urinary frequency has decreased as her steroid dose was tapered. (Her problem is different from Jay's, as it's immune mediated rather than post-traumatic, so she's on another med to suppress her immune system so we can get her off steroids.) You might also ask the vet about the possibility of using other treatment options, such as Adequan injections, or injections directly into the joint (hyaluronic acid, steroids with a local anesthetic, etc.) Stem cell therapy is quite expensive. Another thought would be adding on an analgesic, such as tramadol or tylenol with codeine to control pain. Wishing Jay and his family lots more quality time together!

Journey on, sweet boy. You were and always will be cherished. I'm so sorry, Barbara.

MAZEL TOV! It's been a long journey, but now it's time for Polli and Mom to move forward and live every wonderful minute of their lives.

Amber - check your PMs when you get back.

Welcome from another NH pack! Whereabouts are you? I'm in the Concord area. Jordan

My first thought as to the culprit would be the Theodur (Theophylline). Theophylline toxicity can certainly present (in humans) with vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, tremulousness, etc. A vet should be able to check a theo level (blood test), but I'd give serious thought to decreasing or stopping the theo until you can see your vet again. OTOH, this is on the Pfizer website of side effects for marbofloxacin: The following clinical signs were reported during clinical field studies in dogs receiving marbofloxacin at dosages up to 2.5 mg/lb daily: decreased or loss of appetite (5.4%), decreased activity (4.4%), and vomiting (2.9%). The following signs were reported in less than 1% of cases in dogs: increased thirst, soft stool/diarrhea, behavioral changes, shivering/shaking/tremors and ataxia. So, either could be the problem. This is one you really need to run by the vet - is anyone in the office on Saturday, just to discuss this with by phone? I'd be hesitant to recommend d/c'ing either an antibiotic or bronchodilator without knowing more about the medical history.

I have an iggy with chronic renal insufficiency, likely immune mediated as she has polyarthritis. She's had flares of her renal disease, and typically she'll refuse most foods, become depressed, and (so help me) have droopy ears. She's responded very well to IV or Sub-Q fluids under these circumstances. But she fooled us about 3 weeks ago by turning out to have pyelonephritis (kidney infection) which bumped up her BUN/creatinine to 130/4.4. She's followed by an internal medicine specialist for both her renal and autoimmune diseases. Many dogs live a quality life for a good period of time with some dietary changes and regular Sub-Q fluids. A great website is DOGAWARE, which has a lot of good information on protein and phosphorous content of many foods, and also discussed options for home cooking. Lexi wanted no part of K/D, and didn't care for my home cooked kidney diet (I didn't care for it either ). I finally made the decision, together with my vet, that quality of life for Lexi, at 12, is more important than a restricted diet. She needs to eat, and she's been on a reasonably normal diet for the past year. And until the incident of pyelonephritis, her BUN/creatinine remained stable. This was a personal choice, knowing what would make Lexi's life happy for her, and as a food-driven girl, happy = her favorite foods. She's also been on enalapril (just changed to benazepril) which has greatly decreased her proteinuria. I was told by a veterinary nutritionist that the most bioavailable and digestible protein sources are eggs and cottage cheese, and many kidney diets are based on those protein sources. There's also a veterinary out west who has written a book on home cooked diets for kidney dogs (among others): "Home-prepared Dog and Cat Diets, The Healthful Alternative", Donald R. Strombeck, DVM, Iowa State University Press, 2121 South State Ave., Ames Iowa 50014. 1-800-862-6657. www.isupress.edu (ISBN: 0813821495) Here are a couple of recipes that I've used from this book: Egg & Potato Diet (low-protein, low-phosphorous, high-potassium, normal sodium) 1 egg, large, cooked3 cups potato, boiled with skin1 tablespoon chicken fat1 1/2 calcium carbonate tablets (600 milligrams calcium)1/2 mulitple-mineral tablet Provides 600 kilocalories, 15.1 grams protein, 18.5 grams fat.Supports caloric needs of an 18-pound dogProvides phosphorus at 53 percent, potassium at 322 percent, sodium at 114 percent of dogs daily needs. To feed this diet with a normal amount of phosphorus, substitute 3 bonemeal tablets for the 1 1/2 carbonate tablets. Chicken and Potato diet (low protein low phosphorus, high potassium, low sodium) 1/4 cup cooked chicken breast3 cups potato, boiled with skin2 tablespoons chicken fat1 1/2 calcium carbonate tablets (600 milligrams calcium)1/2 multiple vitamin-mineral tablet Provides 689 kilocalories, 18.9 grams protein, 26.8 grams fat.Supports caloric needs of a 21-22 pound dogProvides phosphorus at 45 percent, potassium at 301 percent, sodium at 54 percent of a dog's daily needs. To feed this diet with a normal amount ofphosphorus, substitute 4 bonemeal tablets for the 1 1/2 calcium carbonatetablets. You obviously have to pro rate the quantities in the recipe according to Bebe's weight. Wishing you and Bebe well. Jordan

Jen, I do think that these pups often experience sciatica. My Dandi has intervertebral disc disease, and when he's circling and finally lies down, he may jump right up again. He occasionally will limp for a few steps on his right hind. I've found acupuncture has been tremendously helpful for this, together with an NSAID and chinese herbs prescribed by the veterinary acupuncturist. I hope Tanner responds well to the steroids. It may take at least several days before there's a noticeable difference. Do keep us posted.

Robbie never had any side effects from DES. Not quite sure what the vet would be looking for in terms of monitoring bloodwork when on DES, but Rob was already having annual or semi-annual "senior" labs done at the time. The DES worked quickly, and within a few weeks, I was already able to taper her down to every other day, every 3rd day, etc. This does need to be compounded, but you can use either a human or a veterinary compounding pharmacy to do this. Here are a few: vet compounding pharmacies Robyn's DES was in capsule form.

Might be discoid lupus, particularly if the nose is scaly, raw, and crusty. DL dogs may also have pad involvement, with a thickened, scaly appearance. The vet should be able to diagnose this by biopsy. This isn't the same as systemic lupus -- the only organ system it affects is skin. ETA: Ruby

I used compounded DES very successfully with my senior Robyn. What I liked about it was that she could taper down on the dosing. Initially she took it daily, but over a few months, only needed it every 1-2 weeks, and it completely eliminated her spay incontinence. It worked far better than Proin and I didn't have to worry about cardiovascular side effects.

Are you letting him out in a fenced-in yard, or walking on lead? I ask because I find that my guys are more likely to go out in the snow if I've dug out a path for them. I did a lot of digging today. About 2' worth. In pouring rain, though, all bets are off and no one will set foot outside. Flashy won't get sick if he holds it longer than usual. If he really, really has to go, he'll probably let you know; otherwise, he'll sleep through the night as usual. Susie, my broodie, often starts her siesta after supper (around 6) and wakes up at 5am. So relax, get some sleep, and hopefully there'll be nicer weather tomorrow. ETA: Regular socks aren't much help in bad weather. He might do better with a water-resistant bootie. Check out the thread in EEG about booties.