greyhead

Shane's numbers are just like Frank's, have been for a long time, and he just tested positive for Lyme. He has previously been treated for Babesia. What happens, in layman's terms, is that the antibodies from the TBD impede the kidneys' filtering ability, by blocking the drains, essentially. So it's not true kidney disease as such, but the kidneys are affected. I'd highly recommend having Frank tested. It's disappointing to me that we just tolerated these numbers for years without further investigation, but our state doesn't see a lot of TBD's, so the vets aren't expecting it. But we get fosters from time to time, as we did recently, so it could have come from anywhere. We're having one more test done for Shane, the new Lyme Multiplex test from Cornell, tomorrow. Won't have results until next week because the sample has to be sent there. But that test has the ability to distinguish a new infection from an old one, and that information will help in knowing how long he'll need treatment and at how strong a dose. There's no question in my mind that having this kind of chronic difficulty in filtering waste from the blood drags the dog down, because I've watched it happen. (Shane wound up with an internist a few weeks ago, with low BP, pale gums, swollen lymph nodes and tenderness around the kidneys. But I'm the one who had to think to have more TBD testing done. Fortunately, the internist agreed that that was a good and reasonable thing to do, since an ultrasound and aspirating the nodes didn't show anything.)

Good job, Kristen! You bypassed the foot-dragging manager, the power-mad receptionist, and went right to the guy you needed to inform. So glad it is worked out!!!

What a love story, Jason. You two enriched one another's lives beyond measure. I'm so very, very sorry she had to leave now. But what a ride, huh, Emma? Godspeed, sweetie.

http://www.petmd.com.../c_dg_lungworms Here's a link to get you started. I'll post more if I find them and they look helpful. Don't know about the price of Panacur these days. [/url]ETA: http://www.capcvet.o.../lungworms.html#

I'm so very sorry, Susan. We will always treasure our SS gifts, and the lovely card which we also kept, from you and Best. He was surely lucky to have found his way to your home.

Woo-hoo!

It can also happen that urinalysis looks okay, but a culture reveals infection.

Holding you and Lazer in our thoughts and prayers today and looking forward to a perfect report!

I'm so sorry Josie couldn't stay longer with you. She was a well-loved girly.

It's easy to understand how you (and Lady) fell hard for his handsome, wonderful self. Please extend my condolences also to your dear husband.

It feels like a privilege to share your beautiful, descriptive tribute to Lily. I can imagine what a privilege it was to share her life. She definitely went to the right home, and I so wish she hadn't left so soon.

Lotsa hugs and all the best thoughts for you, Pam. Whether your turn for trouble is over or not, you're not even remotely alone!

So very sorry.

Wow. That was one touching tribute. Thank you for sharing Marissa's story and photos with us, for giving her a wonderful life suited to her nature, and for supporting her health status at every stage. I am so very sorry for your loss.

She was a beauty who lived a fine and fun life with you. I'm so sorry that she couldn't stay longer.

Oh my. It's all very nice about the stepping on toes. But the practice manager needs to stop wanting to do it and just go ahead and do it. Right now! Harumph! Does the manager understand that this is a current medical problem that needs attention, and not just a "we're transferring to your practice now" visit you're proposing? (I hope you know that my harumph-ing is directed at the practice manager, not at you!)

Morning, first pee, is best for the catch because that's when you're most likely to get the germs to show up. You shouldn't need an appointment. You should just be able, by prior arrangement, to hand the container to the front-desk person (on your way to work?) and leave. You also need to think about how long the sample will be sitting around or refrigerated before the lab comes to pick it up, so 5:00 might not be ideal. Just depends on how things are set up at that practice. My vet was happy to let me know what time the lab pick-up would be for all tests we've done, and we were able to plan accordingly. Good luck! Really hope this gets sorted soon for you and your pup!

It doesn't really *have* to be a cysto. People don't give their urine samples that way! We went through something similar with Shane. Very long story. Short version: he did develop E. coli. Vet had always considered it mere incontinence. Nonetheless, after months of antibiotics, he still leaks. The only way he doesn't leak more substantially is by eating a medium-protein kidney food (by Royal Canin). His kidneys seem to be slightly impaired, but nobody can really get a handle on it, even by ultrasound. Recently he tested positive for Lyme, which can have this effect on kidneys and incontinent leaking, as can other TBD's, I believe. So that's another angle to at least consider, as Geostar suggested.

Whew, what a ride. I am almost as giddy as Lazer to hear this good news! If there were a trophy for Greatest Greymoms Ever, I think I speak for the group here in saying that you richly deserve it!!!

I'm so glad you reached out to her former people and they reached back so fruitfully! Gorgeous pictures. Thanks so much for sharing them here!

Ruptured disks are tough on two-leggeds, but they can heal up eventually even without surgery; not sure about four-leggeds. Hope the treatment gives her relief. Best wishes to both of you.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

Holy cow, Esther, I just figured out who you are!!! You know a lot about our Shane already! (And yes, I requested the further TBD testing this time, wondering if he could have been having a recrudescence of the Babesia. Was *not* expecting to find Lyme!) For the rest of our readers, I should explain that Esther did drawings of both our greyhounds a few years back. And it was almost impossible for us to find a photograph of Shane in which he was smiling. This was before his Babesia was treated. Afterward, he turned into a happy, bounding, easy-breathing hound whose ears weren't always warm!

Thanks for asking. Shane's life was transformed with the Imizol treatment for Babesia. He became like a different dog, one who didn't easily overheat, suffer extended bouts of panting, and didn't act like he always had a headache! However, he wasn't entirely normal either. The vet, in consultation with Dr. Holland, decided to treat him further with doxycycline in case he had another TBD that hadn't been tested for -- because there are many subspecies that don't get discovered without extensive testing. After a fairly long course of doxy, we just stopped and called it as good as it was going to get. However, he recently had an episode of swollen lymph nodes and tenderness, low BP, and pale gums. Apart from other testing, like aspiration and ultrasound, which revealed nothing in particular, we ran PCR tests for TBD's and a Lyme titer, which hadn't been done in the first round of tests by Prototek. (Theoretically, he shouldn't have encountered Lyme in his geographic locales, and we know he wasn't vaccinated.) Yet he has an elevated Lyme titer, which we will explore further with the new Cornell Multiplex test. It is supposed to be the one test out there that can distinguish a new infection from an old one. Since we did have fosters in recent months, who came in on a haul where ticks were found on some of the dogs, it could be a new thing. Whether it's new or old has relevance for how aggressively it would need to be treated. Didn't mean to go on forever, but I couldn't think of a way to make that briefer and still answer your question! In short, although some considered his original Babesia titer unimpressive, treatment did make a huge difference for the better in his quality of life. And I sincerely hope that whatever your pup's problem turns out to be, appropriate treatment will make him better!