greyhndz
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Posts posted by greyhndz
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I think xanax or any benzo is a wonderful drug and certainly has its place in treating various anxiety disorders (in humans and in dogs). But I'd suspect that dogs, as is true for humans, develop tolerance over time, meaning that they need a higher dose of medication to obtain the same result. This is not addiction (dogs can't develop addiction - this is a disorder limited to humans) but they can become *dependant*, meaning that they will experience withdrawal symptoms if the drug is withheld. All this means is that whenever you or your vet decides to stop xanax, it should be done as a gradual taper.
I think behavioral techniques, homeopathy, environmental changes are all good options, but for symptoms as severe and ongoing as as Cash's have been, medications may make the difference between debilitating anxiety and quality-of-life. Disclaimer: I practice allopathic medicine so my training points me toward logical, scientific solutions, but I am very eager to incorporate alternative and integrative treatments as well. But severe symptoms that haven't responded to the extensive efforts that Chris has made, need a different approach. Chris, you have worked so long and so hard, and I can't think of anything that you haven't tried. And I think you're right on target about making a change in her meds. I also think your research has pointed you in the right direction -- in all likelihood, either an SSRI such as fluoxetine or sertraline; a tricyclic such as clomipramine or imipramine, or a different type of drug such as BuSpar, might be a better way to go.
That said, I believe that most primary care vets don't have much experience in managing these medications for dogs whose problems are complex. If you can find one in your area, a veterinary behaviorist would be the best person to consult. They are most familiar with each of the meds, can determine which would be appropriate, can discuss with you the benefits/risks/side effects of each med, and know how to make changes if needed.
Here are two links which should help you locate a board-certified vet behaviorist. I truly hope this will bring you the answers you seek to make Cash a happier, more secure little girl.
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You will never be without Peanut's spirit. Her beautiful presence will surround both of you every day, as does Smiley's. The only difference will be that their physical being that has limited them will be set free in a place we can't yet see.
I hope today and tomorrow bring lots of warmth, sunshine, snoozes on the deck, ice cream, and unending love.
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My heart breaks for you and Pete. It's not fair, Beth. It's just. not. fair. Hold Peanut tight, and try to fit a lifetime of love into your time together. You both have so much love to give, and you know that you'll always get lots of love in return from Peanut... and lots of love and compassion from us.
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Thank you for your responses so far. It said Azotemia on the vet insurance form, written by the vet. She mentioned nothing else, except the comment on his SG. I will speak to her about it, ask why she put that on the form.
And please do post again if the vet tells you things that you don't quite understand. Hopefully everything will be OK!
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Yup, Batmom is correct. Elevated urine specific gravity isn't necessarily indicative of renal disease, and certainly can't be used to diagnose azotemia without concurrent changes in renal function (assessed through check of renal function tests, acidity of the blood and urine, and at the least a microscopic exam of the urine to see if there are any abnormalities consistent with renal disease). Azotemia can be caused by many things, and involves either decreased blood flow to the kidneys, or some type of obstruction in the urine flow. Again, a microscopic urine exam and additional tests to measure "glomerular filtration rate, or GFR") will help in this diagnosis, as will a renal ultrasound.
Do you know on what basis the dx of "azotemia" was made?
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Is it happening when she sleeps? Of course the pred increased her urinary output, but that combined with a little spay incontinence could cause involuntary urination. The other possibility that's always on the list is a UTI. If there's any question, I'd bring a urine sample in to the vet to be tested.
If there's no infection, and this occurs only when she's sleeping,
- discuss with the vet possibly putting her onto DES or another med used for spay incontinence (I don't like PPA), or
- since she won't be on this dose of prednisone for long, her urinary output will decrease in the next week or two. I'd probably opt to cover the bed with incontinence pads temporarily until she's voiding more normally.
If the urination persists even after her pred has been tapered down, then you can discuss with your vet what your options are.
How is Aleeya's eye doing?
ETA: I'm not a fan of restricting water - it's a quick way for a dog to become dehydrated since she'll keep producing urine anyway.
For washing: I usually use bleach, but either an enzymatic cleaner or vinegar should work well. For wiping down, I usually use an enzymatic cleaner, and I keep the cushions covered with some type of waterproof lining so the filling stays clean. The incontinence pads really help, too.
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That beautiful, gentle face.... I'm so sorry. I know that face is etched deeply in your heart.
:gh_run 
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I feel your loss, your Jarad was very special. I lost my Ali yesterday as well.
And I'm so sorry to hear about Ali
... Thank you to everyone for your kindness. Here's one more photo of the "family".
L to R is mum Penny, Jared, and Lexi in the back. All are Angels now.
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OMG, I just saw this thread. You are living my worst nightmare, and my worst nightmare was a reality when my Kody was alive. Exact same scenario: always had thunderphobia but it escalated without warning, and he had broken through the fence TWICE - once when I was at work, the second time when I was home in bed. Thank doG for wonderful neighbors who called to tell me, and who caught him.
After researching this quite a bit, and taking Kody to see Dr. Nicolas Dodman at Tufts, I wrote an article for CG detailing what I tried, what worked, and what didn't work. Marcia has it up on her website now: Pass the Prozac
In short, what worked best for Kody (but was not a solution - Kody could never be left alone when storms were predicted) was Inderal (propranolol) 40mg given an hour before a storm was due. Melatonin also helped in combination with the Inderal.
It is true that thunderphobia and the escape response are likely going to escalate, and even if you do find a combination of meds that suppress the escape response somewhat, you may want to look into options for having her in someone's care if a storm is predicted when you're not home. I developed my own phobia of Kody's thunderphobia after a while
... my fear of Kody not being in a safe, supervised place if an unannounced storm popped up was pervasive, and to this day, a rumble of thunder brings back my own anxiety over where Kody is. Please feel free to PM if you want to talk more. I know how overwhelming this can be.
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Did Aleeya already start on the pred? (Just trying to figure out the timing, because you mentioned she'd finish off the Deramaxx, and 48 hrs later start on pred.)
It's very unlikely the weight loss is due to steroids, especially if she's only been on them a day or two. However the doxycycline and pred can certainly cause GI unhappiness (how's that for a medical description?
) - specifically, gastritis, and that could make a big difference in her appetite. Are you giving her the pepcid regularly? Check with your vet, but I'd give it twice daily while she's on steroids. It can't be given at the same time as the doxy, though, because it interferes with absorption. Dogs on long-term steroids can lose weight because they lose muscle mass, but this isn't something that would occur at this point. I've never heard of pred or any steroid directly causing a problem with teeth or gums, however - any immunosuppressant can open the door to various oral infections, so perhaps that's what was meant.
If she's started the pred, she's now on a relatively high dose, and this can really do a job on her tummy, so between the pred, the Deramaxx (even if she's stopped it) and the doxy, that would almost certainly account for her inappetance today. Pepcid and possibly sucralfate might make a big difference.
If the vet mentioned an "A" drug, that's probably azathioprine (Imuran), an immunomodulator commonly used for various autoimmune diseases. Usually, the vet will start the azathioprine while a dog is still on prednisone, because it can take a couple of weeks for it to become effective. The vet will also carefully monitor her CBC and liver function tests while on it, as it can be toxic to the liver. (Lexi, my Angel iggy, had polyarthritis, was put onto azathioprine, and developed severe drug-induced hepatitis. However, Jared, her brother, was on azathioprine for most of his life for another autoimmune disorder, and never had a problem.) If Aleeya goes onto azathioprine, she'll probably be on it for quite a while.
What a beautiful face, with those huge, shiny eyes! I so hope she's feeling better. I know you just want to know why this happened, and I really hope the answer is found quickly. If it turns out to be "ideopathic", as long as she gets better and doesn't have to go through this again, we'll all do the happy dance for her.
Update-- I'm a bit of a mess today
got her to eat her dinner last night by adding beef broth. That was a relief. She started the Prednisone yesterday, so we're changing the walk schedule, I took them out at 4pm, 9pm, and then a quick walk just for her around 12am (i'm still up anyway).
Today she was walked at 6:30am, then I gave her another break at 9am, and I'll do 11:30am, then maybe around 2, then both of them at 4pm, etc.
She didn't eat breakfast today though-- usually she gobbles her OMH giant cookie. Today, nothing
DH had to put her pepcid in her mouth, she didn't want the pill pocket in any way at all.I got up and she did take some soft treats, like her lamb jerky treat and some wellness soft treats.
I ran to the store and got some of her kibble's brand in wet food-- she does Eagle pack holistic, so I got some fish blend, duck, and some chicken/chicken liver. I also picked up some fresh food-- never tried it, but I know it's soft, and less likely to make me gag than the canned.
That was a hit at least
-- I put about 1/4c in a bowl, and she took out a big chunk and ate it on her treat mat... Haka stuck his nose in and tried to eat some too, so I hand fed him a nugget at a time so that she could get more without big brother hogging all the food 
I guess if found something she likes I shouldn't be so stressed, but I am... She's down a good 5lbs from her normal 67, and is looking skinny. She came to us from the farm at 59, and was quite bony. So we don't have much play here.
I was hoping the Pred would up her appetite, but I've read (maybe) that it could be making her gums or teeth sore? Is that true?
I am giving pepcid 2x a day now, so hopefully her tummy isn't what's bothering her. Poops so far are ok.
sigh...
S.
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Iggy Jared, who was my heart-iggy Lexi's litterbrother, went to the Bridge today. I know he was welcomed by his deeply adored mum, Penny. (Lexi wasn't crazy about Jared, so I wouldn't count on her being part of the welcoming committee.
)Jared came into this world with a lot of strikes against him, and a very difficult puppyhood. He and Penny were spoiled rotten at their home of 8 years in Kentucky. Sadly, illness forced his family to give up Jared and Penny, and they wound their way back to me. Penny died about 4 years ago, and Lexi died after a long illness 8/15/09. Jared was a tough little guy who was reknowned for his Donald Trump ear comb-over. He never met a morsel of food he didn't love -- and steal. He survived two critical illnesses when he was young: immune mediated thrombocytopaenia, and having been struck by a car after being missing for a week. Jared was definitely a survivor, but sadly was so fearful of people and of being touched, and that never really changed from age 1 to age 13.
And Jared being Jared, after his spirit was set free, his earthly bladder let loose and I had urine dribbling down my leg. He always had to have the last word.
Godspeed, little guy. You'll be missed.
ETA Lexi
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KV Vet. Great prices. I order prescriptions from them as well. Shipping is free.
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CT does have the 3 year vacc. But IIRC you have to show the one year vacc and then the next one would be for 3 years.
Which totally drives me crazy because the one year vacc and the 3 year vacc is the exact same thing.(per my vet)
Isn't that ridiculous? Do they issue waivers in CT for dogs who should not be vaccinated for medical reasons?
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Oh, goodness... well, if it's of any comfort, I was diagnosed with posterior uveitis in 2005 due to an underlying autoimmune disorder. The reason your ophthalmologist is using prednisone is that the prednisolone drops work well for anterior uveitis (iritis) but not for inflammation in the intermediate or posterior portions of the eye.
The prednisone taper is pretty standard for autoimmune/inflammatory diseases, and the ophthalmologist really sounds like a very savvy vet. Aleeya will probably drink more, pee more, be more hungry, pant, and even be a little wired! But the side effects improve as the dose decreases.
If uveitis persists or recurs as she comes off steroids, he might recommend putting Aleeya onto a long-term immunomodulating drug, such as azathioprine, methotrexate or cyclosporin. I'm not sure if this is also true for dogs, but in human medicine, the thought is that after 2 years on an immunomodulator, the immune system is "reset", and often the drug can be tapered down and stopped.
I did not go onto oral steroids - I went directly onto methotrexate and within 6 months was in remission. The methotrexate was finally tapered after 2 years in remission, and I've been off MTX for 2.5 years - still in remission.
Uveitis can be controlled, and it sounds as if your ophthalmologist is doing everything right to make that happen!
Hugs to my uveitis-sister!
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Lindsay, if you have documentation of those vaccinations, she doesn't need anything for a minimum of 2 years. Do you have 3-year rabies? If so, she doesn't need that either. I remember that you've had trouble keeping her seizures under control - if a vaccination isn't essential, I'd avoid them, especially any containing modified live virus.
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Godspeed, sweet boy. How lucky you were to have found each other.
If you'd like to e-mail me photos of Luiggi, I'm happy to post them for you. greyhndz @ comcast . net
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Roast beef slices usually work here.
But how about having her meds compounded? A good compounding pharmacy can take virtually any med and put it into a form that she'll probably love. They can also compound meds into transdermal formulas (like gels, which can be rubbed into the ear).
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I'm sorry your much-anticipated vacation had to be cut short, Sarah. But I'm very relieved to hear (as were YOU) that Tuna perked up once mommy was home and figured out what the problem was. It sounds as if you and your vet are communicating very closely and being honest with each other about each development, which is very comforting. And now that you're home, Tuna is much more relaxed and snorkeling down her food. (Snorkeling is good!
) Sometimes it seems as if these oldsters are walking a very fine line, and almost anything can tip them one way or another. But I think there are times when a girl just needs her mommy, no matter how old she is.
It may be a bit disappointing now, but you will never regret coming home to be with your baby girl. Jordan
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What about Babesia? Isin't that a test all on its own?
No, b. canis is part of the routine tick panel. Req Form
The thing is, different strains of each organism are prevalent in different parts of the country, and there are different panels available depending on what testing should be done. Here's where Cindy is a huge help: she can make specific recommendations on testing for organisms that are prevalent in your area. Sometimes she will recommend adding on additional strains to test for. She'll also recommend if and when the dog should be re-tested to determine if titres are increasing, decreasing or remaining the same, which reflects the stage of disease.
If she suggests testing for one strain vs a strain on the generic tick panel, she'll often just substitute without any addl. charge.
I've found that it's usually far cheaper to have the vet or tech draw the blood, then package it yourself on ice and send it overnight. Cindy can tell you what to put on the requisition form, and you can either send a check or have them bill you.
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We just picked Olive up from the vets. I was going over the medications and noticed that one of them was Azathioprine. I read that it can suppress the bone marrow production. Is that correct? Her blood work said that there was no activity in her bone marrow. What could be the reason for using this drug?
Azathioprine suppresses the immune system. The vet obviously suspects that this is an autoimmune disease, such as Immune-mediate hemolytic anemia, etc. This drug is generally taken long-term. Is Olive also on steroids? Most of the time, steroids are needed for a period of time as their onset is rapid, as opposed to azathioprine or other immunomodulators, which can take weeks to months to take effect.
ETA: If the vet is stating that her bone marrow is not producing cells, I would hope that was proven by bone marrow biopsy, which is the only definitive way of determining that, as well as of determining the cause.
If it's possible for you to do so, try to get Olive seen by an oncologist or internal medicine specialist ASAP, as the diagnosis is needed to determine what type of treatment is indicated.
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I agree with Dee's recommendation. Cindy Holland at Protatek is very, very well-versed on TBD. She's also very accessible, and if you call to talk with her, she can discuss the case with you, and dependent upon your location and the dog's symptoms, she will recommend the appropriate tests. Cindy is a fantastic resource.
Protatek Reference Laboratory
574 East Alamo Drive, Suite 90
Chandler, AZ 85225
Telephone: (480) 545-8499
Fax: (480) 545-8409
Dr. Cynthia Holland: The laboratory is operated by Dr. Cynthia Holland, Ph.D., an authority on tick borne infectious diseases. Dr. Holland has authored and co-authored over 75 papers in peer reviewed journals and scientific presentations. Dr. Holland was responsible for the original isolation and identification of Ehrlichia (Neorickettsii) risticii, the causative agent of Potomac Horse Fever.
For technical questions and consultation: Dr. Cyndi Holland - cholland@protatek.com
For general questions: Jennifer Podulka - jpodulka@protatek.com
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It sounds as if it might possible be immune-mediated hemolytic anemia. There are certainly other diseases than can cause RBCs to either not be produced by bone marrow, or be destroyed by antibodies which see the RBCs as foreign substances. The vet should be able to make the diagnosis; time is of the essence in either case.
Leukemia or other cancer of blood cells can cause anemia, as could some type of unidentified blood loss. Transfusions may temporize the problem, but finding the cause and treating aggressively is crucial right now.
I hope Olive's problem is identified quickly, so she can be treated and feel better very soon.
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I'm so sorry, Jen. You gave everything to Whitey, a lifetime of love in a few short months. You were so lucky to have each other.
Godspeed sweet boy.
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The greatest gift we can receive is a dog who is our heart-and-soul. Misty was your heart girl on so many levels, Claudia. And while your greatest memories of her were from CA, she'll be in your heart and soul no matter where you live.
You and Misty were each other's soulmate, and I just know that even in RI, she's right there with you, letting you know that the depth of love you had for each other transcends death. Misty will always be alive in your heart.
Enormous hugs, my friend.
:gh_run 
... 
... my fear of Kody not being in a safe, supervised place if an unannounced storm popped up was pervasive, and to this day, a rumble of thunder brings back my own anxiety over where Kody is. 
) - specifically, gastritis, and that could make a big difference in her appetite. Are you giving her the pepcid regularly? Check with your vet, but I'd give it twice daily while she's on steroids. It can't be given at the same time as the doxy, though, because it interferes with absorption. Dogs on long-term steroids can lose weight because they lose muscle mass, but this isn't something that would occur at this point. 
)
Godspeed, little guy. You'll be missed.
Good Thoughts For Larry Please
in Health and Medical discussion
Posted
Larry is too gorgeous to have anything wrong with him.
But you definitely have lots of healing and loving thoughts coming your way!