greyhead

Sending good thoughts for you and Bug!

Junie had a wonderful life with you.

He was a truly gorgeous boy and a greyt character! I'm so sorry you didn't have longer together.

Very good news!

We're using budesonide, another immunosuppressant, on Spencer's IBD. It has fewer side effects than either pred or imuran, as I understand it -- mainly some fur loss on his feet and occasional moderate panting. Spencer also still has flares but they are not at all severe. And he isn't losing weight on budesonide the way he was on pred. So I can't tell you anything about imuran except that my vet finds it scary, and you might ask your vet about budesonide instead. But if they know what type of inflammatory cell(s) Conner has, it may be that imuran is more appropriate. Can't remember now whether Conner had a biopsy? I've resisted it with Spencer, but his new internist told me something new to me, which is that a biopsy of the intestines can be done by ultrasound-guided needle aspiration! It'll probably be $$, but at least it will be minimally invasive. Spencer sends puppy kisses to you both! Keep us posted, okay?

Prayers, hugs, and best wishes that it's all routine!

That is a beautiful tribute, Jordan. I'm so sorry it was Lexi's time to go.

You and Cosmo are very much on our minds today.

I don't know about this product, so I googled it and got this: http://www.petstruly.com/3356.html It sounds promising, but much depends on why you pup gurgles. We use simethicone for that purpose, but then we use several other things for our pup's IBD. But your pup could have hookworm and get the same noisy effect.

And Elphie has a long, elegant neck to match!

Quinn looks like a character and a beauty both. I can imagine how you miss him. Thanks for sharing about him.

Hugs and prayers for you and Cosmo, Tracey.

Thank you for sharing your Sammy with us. The prayer and pictures are very lovely, as was she. I'm so sorry she had to go now.

This is turning out great, AJ! Congratulations! (You may recall that Spencer dropped a bunch of weight fast when he was on pred; the internist took him off it for that reason.)

Definitely test for SIBO! she said from sad experience. A C&S on a poop sample will do the trick. Just trying a course of tylosin isn't a great approach, but it's the course a lot of vets take initially. Trouble is, not all bacteria are susceptible to it. Meanwhile, time is marching on, and the bacteria are multiplying. B12 injections are pretty easy, I find. Spencer gets one every two weeks. That's not the usual protocol, but it works for him. (He's been getting the B12 for several months.) Good luck with this!

Oh my, how I can sympathize! I'm guessing the fecals were done for parasites. You need to take in another sample for a culture and sensitivity, to look for bacteria. (Just giving tylosin without testing won't necessarily work or prove that a dog doesn't have SIBO. Ours did.) Testing for E. coli and salmonella is common. We also tested for Clostridium, and our dog had a serious, serious overgrowth of that. (Most vets expect it in GSD's and don't look for it in otehrs.) The C&S will figure out which antibiotics will actually kill the bugs your pup might have. Results take about a week or two because they have to grow the germs in a dish and then see what kills them. So I wouldn't delay in getting it done. X-rays won't show much of the damage that can result from from SIBO. An ultrasound can show a lot, like if there has been structural damage in the digestive system. But you should look first at the C&S and treat accordingly, then see where you are. Best of luck. It's not easy but it's doable. (Changing foods won't kill bacteria at all.)

I'm so very sorry.

Where the heck was I during all this?! Y'all seem to have managed quite well without me, though. Glad Minerva has come through it so very well!

He IS a beautiful dog! We'll be praying for you and watching for updates. Hang in there.

Thank you for sharing that wonderful tribute. I'm so sorry that Lee Lee isn't with you physically anymore, but I hope you'll continue to feel his spirit.

Thanks, Robin. I'm just seeing this -- busy day -- so I'll PM you tomorrow when I can think straight!

It's very curious that the vet missed a broken neck. Was there not an x-ray at first? I could not be sorrier, Deanna.

I'm so sorry!