greyhead

Oral B12 is harder to absorb, especially if there has been any stomach/intestine issue, and the pill may basically pass through before much of it is metabolized. B12 by injection acts quickly and efficiently, no matter what the gastrointestinal situation is. And if you do it yourself, it's much cheaper than pills. (A bottle of cobalamin costs about $10 and lasts a really long time, like a year.) BTW, whatever condition leads to the B12-deficiency anemia in the first place, such as intestinal malabsorption of nutrients like our Spencer has, is also likely to render the dog permanently incapable of synthesizing B12 in the gut like they're supposed to. So they can't get it from their food and they can't get it out of a pill. That's the reason for the shots.

Not only the doxy is a good idea, but B12 injections won't hurt and may help the confusion and "simplicity." As I told you privately, Spencer was chewing wood, and I assumed it was behavioral. I mentioned it to the vet after reading that that can indicate underlying anemia. She tested him and, sure enough, he had malabsorption and consequent inability to process B12 in the gut. He was also acting a bit senile or confused; for instance, he'd seem to forget why he'd gotten up or what to do once he was in the yard! He was also uncharacteristically nervous and grouchy. All of that went away within hours of his first B12 shot. He now gets them weekly and perks up every time! B12 comes cheaply in a bottle, and a nice vet will sell you syringes cheaply too and show you how to simply insert the needle under the skin, with the syringe parallel to the body so ya don't stab him! (I'm speaking to you on the assumption you've never given a subcutaneous injection before. It's really easy; only the idea of it is hard.) You can have the test done if you can afford it and you and the vet feel it necessary. But as I said, B12 hurts nothing. It's water soluble so it doesn't build up in the body. The worst that could happen is that it has no effect.

Thanks for the tip? Where do you get these? Are they just locally made or maybe available nationally?

Isn't doxy used to treat TBD's? And aren't low platelets a sign of a possible TBD? So I vote with those who suggest continuing on the lowest effective dose of doxy. Sometimes you just have to do what works even if you don't know why.

Our dogs' problems always show up at the beginning of a long holiday weekend too! Hope he's not uncomfortable.

Thanks, Robin. It's downright SCARY how vets differ! When I requested the ultrasound, which the internist had previously said would show quite a bit, I thought we'd find gall stones and maybe rule out cancer. I had no idea it would show such structural changes as vastly enlarged lymph structures in the intestinal wall and, within them, dilated lacteals. I'd have been tempted to do the endoscopic biopsy to determine which type of inflammatory cells if it were able to access the small intestine, where the problem was. I guess I had my choice of whose opinion to trust, the internist or the vet. Eventually, it comes down to the dog's person to decide. Still hoping I haven't chosen wrong cuz I know we're not done yet. But I'm reasonably optimistsic. And I'm very, very happy for you and Beau!

People have been kind enough to PM to ask how Spencer's IBD is doing from time to time, and I haven't been very good about posting updates except when we're in a panic for information. So I thought I'd take a sliver of GT bandwidth to share the good news that he's doing very well! His Clostridium SIBO has cleared and his flora are back in balance. Although he lost five pounds a few weeks back, he's holding steady now at 76 lbs. His poops had stayed runny on raw venison, so we followed the suggestion to add Natural Balance venison & sweet potato kibble, and he is firming up nicely. Budesonide has reduced the tummy rumbling 90%, though it took a couple weeks to get that good. Will stay on that and Flagyl for the foreseeable future. Religious use of Zantac twice a day has helped a lot too. He's lost a lot of muscle, but he's happy, loves to walk, sometimes cuts loose for a back-yard run, plays with stuffies, and has regained his love for meeting people and other dogs. He wowed the vet's office the other day with his gentle charming of a skeptical little girl pug. Thanks so much for supporting us with your knowledge and concern, and especially in avoiding the biopsy route. The ultrasound was a noninvasive but very informative way to find out what we needed to know, and our vet stood up to the internist about it, in part because of GTers' experience. As a behaviorist recently put it: Thousands of anecdotes equal data! Now if we can just get some weight back on him!

Oh no, Michelle, not Billy. I am so very, very sorry.

I'm so sorry. You couldn't have tried harder.

Wow, this sounds a lot like Shane. He has never been TBD tested, but that's gonna change. Thanks for all this info!

Hang in there Spencer dude. The vet will help ya! Don't forget to thank your mom for takin' you there too! Your friend, The Other Spencer

I feel with you! With all you've been through with Soul, you naturally relied on Archie to be the easy one. You know what I'm going through with Spencer, and now Shane's kidney issues are resurfacing, I think. Makes me unhappy, and I'm not even sick! Hang in there with me!

As for the PTSD, this is probably not a good time to be taking long walks, with DH or anyone else. Short exposures are best, working up gradually back to normal. Perhaps having both you and DH do the walk for a while will make Ziggy feel more protected. I'd let the nightmares go a little while, so he can perhaps get them out of his system. But if they don't stop soon, I'd wake him up when he has them. Depression may respond to extra TLC at home -- extra touching, talking, a few more treats. It should also decrease along with the PTSD. If not, a vet visit is in order. And hopefully some other GTers have some good ideas. Good luck with this. I'm sure you'll get him through it.

Thanks for letting us know how it's going and for sharing that superb photo of gorgeous Alan. Glad the tree is doing well, and what a well-named boat!

No answers, just hugs and hopes that you get some answers quickly. Also hope tonight is better for all of you.

Sharon, have these tests already been run, and you're just awaiting the values to be reported? That's what I assumed, but it was an assumption.

The following quote on TSH and thyroid testing comes from the Michigan State website, and their thyroid testing is the gold standard for greyhounds. Short course: TSH is not an infallible indicator of thyroid function. http://www.animalhealth.msu.edu/Sections/E...oid_Canine.php If the fT4 comes back low along with the T4 being low, I'd say go ahead and treat him. If Jean Dodds will do a consult based on the tests you already have, and I gather she will, that's a good idea if your vet is nervous. Mary hypothyroid and mom to two hypothyroid greyhounds

She was a beautiful, happy brindle girl and she's had a long and wonderful life with you. Love the video and never tire of watching it. I hope your heart heals soon. Run painless and free, Abby.

Same here!

TBD stands for tick-borne disease. (Did I spell "borne" right? ) Good luck. I know it's scary. Just keep pressing for information until you feel you understand it. We're here to help!

I'm so sorry for your loss. Godspeed, Tansi.

This is a good question and a good time to pose it to yourself -- and myself. We've been struggling with keeping one of our dogs going. We know we'll lost him eventually...if not sooner. In reading people's Remembrance posts, I've wondered how they do it, get them written. I expect to be flattened when the time comes. So I found myself composing my dog's Remembrance post in my head. Hopefully, I'll actually get it written well ahead of time, all the wonderful things about him, while I'm not flattened. Then when he's gone, I'll be able to read it myself and take comfort it. Maybe that would be something you could do too?

Greyt job, Robin. You and Beau give us hope and much more. Rock you do!

Spencer hates metronidazole and no matter what I hid it in, he knew it was there. When I tried hiding it in food, he started mistrusting his food and stopped eating. So what worked for us is I put the pill in a gelcap (size 00) and push it way far back in his throat. He swallows, and we're done!