greyhead

Praying here too, hon. Hang in there. A Virginian myself

I'm so very sorry, Judy. I don't think you're feeling guiltly as much as bewildered and pained that so many things were working against you, a perfect storm of ice and everything else that went sideways. I too would wish that even one, any one, of those uncontrollable variables had gone differently. As devastating as this is, you worked as hard as anyone could to save Jack. Take consolation in that and in the wonderful lives you gave to Jack and Renie and the love you shared. That's yours to keep.

I asked our vet if we could change one of our dogs to raw food last week, after 6 months of diarrhea/soft poops and blood work showing malabsorption. She not only said yes, she also recommended a local company that prepares raw food, and duck necks, and delivers them to one's home!

My vet tried to email me the link to the Vet Info Network article on cobalamin so I could post it on GT for those who've expressed an interest. But the link doesn't work unless you're subscribed. I can try scanning it and emailing it to anyone who's interested, or I can just mail you a hard copy. Below are some other links that can be accessed. http://www.cvm.tamu.edu/gilab/research/cobalamin.shtml http://www.cvm.tamu.edu/gilab/assays/b12folate.shtml http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:7x-6Id...cd=14&gl=us

Okay, update time! The bad news: Spencer lost 3 lbs. in 12 days, as measured 2/4 at the vets. Eyes looking sunken again, of course, and even bonier than before, at 78 lbs (down from 89). But he had been eating rather well since the B-12, metro and pred. So in a last-ditch attempt to avoid biopsying, I asked the vet if we could try raw. Some people spoke of that in PM's as having been THE thing that turned their dogs situations around. The vet recommended a local company that produces prepared raw food, and I picked some up that afternoon. GOOD NEWS: Had no trouble at all getting Spencer to eat it! Over the next couple of days his poops got firmer, forming piles rather than splats. And as of late Friday, we have logs more than half the time!!! (Oh, the vocabulary we're developing. DH wonders if this is like Eskimos having a bazillion words for "snow.") And the color is slowly improving, I think, but not as much as we'd like. This is not going to be a fast process, I know. The vet agreed that his pred dose was low, half the lowest recommended for his size, as some blessed GTer had suggested. So she doubled it, to 20 mg 2x/day. His side effects don't look any worse than before, although his liver values are up. By the blood work we had done on 2/4 his ALP is 149 (10-84) and ALT is 129 (5-65). Since that was on the lower pred dose, I'm a tad nervous about what they'll be now! He's still on the same dose of metro and cobalamin. His cholesterol is low -- 89 (150-275) -- which is probably due to malabsorption. Some other values are only very slightly out of range. Spencer's case file is going to an internist who specializes in GI problems. We'll get on her calendar for a consult. Maybe if this new regimen keeps producing improvement, we won't have to biopsy. I am one of those people who likes to know what she's dealing with, but not so much in this situation, not yet anyway. I mentioned raw to RobinM regarding her Beau, and she tells me that raw food would just make an IBD dog worse. So maybe in this feeding experiment we're ruling out IBD as the source of the malabsorption. Thank you, all of you, so much for your help and support. I find myself now worrying more about Beau than about Spencer! But in truth I'm still worried about Spencer. I can't imagine how he's going to put the pounds back on. As always, your thoughts and good wishes will be appreciated. FOR YOU:

Oh sorry, Robin, I didn't know that. Won't suggest any more changes but will just keep fingers and paws crossed that Beau gains weight soon.

In humans there can develop a condition called corneal erosion (aka corneal ulcers). Many times it is preceded, though not caused, by a corneal abrasion like this. (The reason I know about this is because I had it.) With corneal ulcers you get healing, but then another episode follows. In severe cases you get lots of episodes. What's happening with this condition is the "glue" that binds the cells together gives them up, so to speak. Instead of sticking to each other in a normal fashion, they stick to the inside of the eyelid. When the eyelid moves, as with blinking or REM sleep, it tears the stuck cells from the cornea. I'd second the recommendation for a veterinary opthalmologist. Hang in there, and good luck.

Robin, I haven't updated Spencer's thread yet about this. But I want to tell you right away that we switched to raw on Wednesday night and doubled the pred (to 20 mg twice a day). We're using prepared raw chicken (with ground bones and ground veggies). He's eating up a storm -- or as much as I'll let him -- and as of today we have log poops! They had been getting steadily firmer, starting Thursday. I know this isn't the path you're taking. Going raw (and upping the pred) is our last-ditch effort to avoid biopsy, since several people have had good results this way, much of which I learned through PM's. We did it with the vet's blessing, and she recommended the company, a local one. He has lost 10 pounds through all this, and we had to do something different. I offer this information to be helpful. Let me know if you want to discuss it further. Biggest of hugs. We know how exhausting this is.

Good thoughts for you and Misty from the left coast! Dentals can be nerve-wracking under the best of circumstances. All fingers and toes crossed here.

Sorry for your trauma, hon. (What about one of those depo shots, would that help at this point?) Hang in there, and don't beat yourself up!

You did all you could. I'm so very sorry.

Welcome from Washington -- the other one! Aren't greyhounds just the best?! From Virginia originally, I immediately salivate when I see or hear the word "Chesapeake." I will always ache for the bay and its blue crabs! Enjoy!

It could also be kidneys, especially at her age. Are you able to observe her most of the time? If so, you could see when/if she does it again. If not, best go to the vet for another work-up.

We very sorry. Lots of prayers from here that you have many more months together.

Sigh, I'm so sorry. Our Spencer has probably permanent hookworm, since it took 10 months to get a positive fecal. Hookworms aren't usually in our state either, so same problem with vets. If you look for my Member Topics, you'll find some on hookworm. If you look in the archives for "hookworm," you'll find much more. Standard treatment is two rounds of Panacur, three days each time. But some posters mention treating for 7 days per round, and one said her vet reported that the state vet school was recommending 7 days for greyhounds. Some also follow Panacur treatment with Drontal, I believe, to get any stragglers that have become immune to Panacur. The major problem with hooks is that they don't stay in the gut. They migrate to the lungs and other tissues. In the tissues, as well as in the yard, they encyst (enclose themselves in protective coats) and don't reemerge until they feel like it. So we also treat monthly. We've been using Advantage-Multi, but out vet is now recommending we switch to Interceptor. I'm not clear why. The main thing is this. Don't let your vet under-treat this or take it even slightly lightly. Of course, it's easier when you have a positive fecal to work with. But even when the fecals are negative, it doesn't necessarily mean that there are no more worms. It only means they're not shedding eggs, which is what fecals examine. So you might need to do fecals frequently. In any case, don't trust them entirely! Just know their limitations and keep watching your dog. (Behavioral symptoms include lack of a.m. appetite, gurgling tummy, soft poop sometimes, biting at their sides, suddenly jumping like they've been bitten -- which they have been.) Poop has to be picked up promptly, immediately when possible. Some afterward spray each spot with bleach from a spray bottle to thwart anything microscopic that might be left on the ground. Best of luck. I'm glad you caught the problem!

You and Leeanna in our thoughts and prayers.

Have you thought about Wellness? Our dogs can't handle grains, and one can't handle potatoes. So for kibble we're using Wellness Core Low-Fat, and it has no grains. There are two other Wellness Core formulas, I think, that have no grains.

I'm very sorry for your loss, Anne. But thank you for a wonderful remembrance that made me smile and his gorgeous pictures. Run free, Phantom.

Come to think of it, slippery elm has proven to be quite useful for humans. Can't speak to its utility in dogs. I can speak to its utility in cats! It has been extremely useful in cats with Chronic Renal Failure, who all sooner or later lose their appetites big time. If you want a link to the feline CRF site on the Internet, let me know and I'll provide. A search in their archives under "slippery elm" would turn up scads of material.

We're with you, Robin. I've had to reach out for different vets at different times and know how you feel as to "cheating." But you're doing the right thing! And I hope the internist will reach out to the GI lab at Texas A&M vet school, in turn, if need be. Their contact info is at the top of this link, which happens to be an article they write about cobalamin: http://www.cvm.tamu.edu/gilab/research/cobalamin.shtml Good luck, hang in there, and keep us posted.

Thanks everyone. Spencer seems okay this morning. Unfortunately, I have to run out the door to deal with someone else's emergency, as that's my job. Sure wish I could stay home and observe Spencer instead! But DH works from home, so he'll keep an eye on things until I get back. I'll call and leave the vet a message just so she knows that he's having this reaction at times. The thyroid dose may be a little too high with the weight he's lost, and maybe we need to adjust it downward a bit, in case it's contributing to Spencer's reaction to his meds.

Thanks to you too! By way of update, it's now an hour later (or so) since I first posted, and he's better. He got up and started acting better, went out, drank a bunch of water, so I gave him a dental chew to see how he responded. He enjoyed it, and nothing bad happened, so I freshened up his uneaten dinner with lots more canned food, and he ate it all up. Most importantly, he quit breathing fast and acting weird! It seems like, if this is the medicine, it mirrors the up-and-down rhythms of the GI problem itself -- fine for a while, then alarming, then fine again. So the human tries to walk the line between overreacting and underreacting! Hope we'll all sleep now! Thanks again.

Thanks, Ann, that makes me feel better!