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seeh2o

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  1. From what I understand the breath from diabetes is bad, but has a weird sweet smell.
  2. Maybe this will clarify the confusion that seems to be arising from the article. I've underlined the last paragraph which explicitly defines the noted confusion. This is from my vet's website: "Homeopathy THE PRINCIPLES OF HOMEOPATHY Over 200 years ago a German physician named Samuel Hahnemann developed a system of medical treatment. He called this Homeopathy, a word that means literally, " to treat disease with a similar disease." In contrast, Allopathy is a word used to designate methods of treatment based on counteracting the symptoms. An example of this is using a drug to slow intestinal motility in a case of diarrhea. The science behind Homeopathy is founded upon Dr. Hahnemann’s discovery that substances which cause reactions in the body or the mind, can be used in a very diluted form to treat these same reactions when they occur as symptoms of a disease process. For example, Poison Ivy, which causes redness, blisters and itching when encountered in nature, is used to formulate the homeopathic remedy, Rhus Tox. It is prescribed to treat the redness and itching of many skin diseases. Hahnemann devoted his life to studying these phenomena and performing Provings — describing the symptoms related by healthy humans given small experimental doses of these substances; then using the substance to treat disease. His followers have proven many more so that several hundred substances have be studied and recorded as to their effects on the human or animal body. Some of these are common herbs, others are poison plants, minerals make up another category, and toxins and venoms a fourth. The task of the homeopathic pharmacist is to enhance the usefulness of the substance while minimizing the harmful effects. This is done in special laboratories where the raw ingredient is carefully diluted and Sucussed - mixed in a special way - to a level where its ability to stimulate is boosted while its toxic effects are eliminated. Desensitization of the body to allergens or using vaccines to prepare the body to fight disease are based upon similar principles. The homeopath relies on the pharmacist to formulate remedies of purity and the strength indicated. When treating a patient, the homeopath tends to look at disease from two points of view: * Does the disease have an immediate cause such as a bacteria, virus, toxin, or internal immunological activity? * How is the patient’s body reacting to, or defending itself from the cause? Examples of this are running a fever, developing inflammation, or performing various discharge attempts to eliminate the source of the problem – diarrhea, vomiting, running nose. The homeopathic perspective acknowledges the existence of a cause; but it focuses more attention on the symptoms - how the patient’s body is attempting to deal with the insult. Treatment involves stimulating the natural defense system of the body to fight those symptoms a little more vigorously. Dr. Hahnemann felt that if the patient’s defense against disease could be strengthened, the balance would shift in favor of recovery. According to Hahnemann, the way a Remedy — as medicines are called in homeopathy — is given is as important as choosing the correct remedy. A remedy is selected that mirrors many of the patient’s current symptoms – physical as well as emotional. The strength of the remedy — designated by a number followed by an "X", "C" or "M" – and the number of repetitions is based upon an evaluation of the patient’s life force. The idea is to gently disturb the health a little more toward the disease – not blast it there – so that the body directs its efforts to intensify the fight against that particular set of symptom. A remedy that is too strong or given too often can result in an Aggravation -a situation whereby symptoms are intensified or past symptoms are recalled. The Homeopath reviews the results of the fight frequently, sometimes waiting as the body fights; sometimes changing the strength of the remedy or selecting a new remedy. As the body fights first this set of symptoms and then that set, the patient’s condition moves away from disease and toward health. The usefulness of this method is that medicines can be used to manipulate the patient’s condition; to enhance and assist the body’s attempts to overcome the disease. This is sometimes a lengthy process. In summary, the method of homeopathic treatment is to stimulate the healing process by artificially creating an increase of the disease symptoms, using a carefully chosen medicine. The medicine, called a remedy, makes the body work harder to get well. The healing changes that occur are the result of this stimulation. A homeopathic doctor or veterinarian carefully evaluates the changes that occur after dosing. She then alters the strength and sometime the substance to act upon a new set of symptoms. In this way the patient can be guided to recovery over the period of days, weeks or months required to repel disease and regrow damaged tissue. Under the guidance of a trained homeopath, acute diseases respond very quickly while chronic conditions can be expected to respond in accordance to the period of their chronicity."
  3. One of the two vets we go to practices both western and homeopathic medicine. She also does chiropractic and acupuncture for animals. Last year she put my Shiba Inu/Chow mix on adrenal supplements after she developed SARDS (Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome). Many dogs that survive SARDS do not have a good outcome a year later as they often suffer from adrenal collapse. I truly believe her alternative treatment has kept Sheila healthy and happy. Sheila recently had her blood work done and the vet said she was very impressed at how good, and how different, the results were from where they had been a year ago. I am a firm believer in alternative medicine. I still believe western medicine can do good, too, but it's not the only treatment in town.
  4. Since I can't edit this (though it said I could edit the post) here is the post above with additional information and editing: Ironically, that's what I did as soon as I got to him, I immediately rubbed his neck and chest. I did not see him making the honking sound, I only heard it. Because I thought it was a small dog making the noise I was looking around to see which small dog was in distress, it never occurred to me that the sound was coming from Carl. Also, as I was looking for the small dog I thought was making the sound I glanced at Carl, he was standing with other dogs who were all in motion. I couldn't see all of him, I also didn't think it was him making the sound, so I didn't focus on him. Now that I think about it, when I got to him he was in the posture of reverse sneezing. All my other dogs have done it, and all have assumed a similar position, legs in a braced position and head down. He was not drooling or frothing at the mouth. I have never seen or heard Carl have a reverse sneeze, maybe now I have (sort of). After reading the article I'm wondering even more if it was a reverse sneeze. He had been doing two of the things listed as triggers, he had been drinking water and was running/sprinting full-throttle. He had stopped running, but was playing (jumping around) with other dogs just before the sound started. He was fine last night, and is fine today. I will continue to keep a close eye on him. Thanks for the link and the article. I will keep posting how he is doing over the next few days.
  5. Ironically, that's what I did as soon as I got to him, I immediately rubbed his neck and chest. I did not see him doing this, I only heard it because I thought it was a small dog making the noise and was looking to see which small dog was in distress. Also, when I glanced at Carl, he was standing with other dogs, but I couldn't see all of him, I also didn't think it was him. Now that I think about it, he did have the posture of reverse sneezing. All my other dogs have done it, and all have assumed a similar position, legs in a braced position and head down. He was not drooling or frothing at the mouth. I have never seen or heard Carl have a reverse sneeze, maybe now I have. He was fine last night, and is fine today. I will continue to keep a close eye on him. Thanks for the link and the article. I will keep posting how he is doing over the next few days.
  6. I took Carl to the dog park today. Because of all the rain we've had this week creating a cabin-fever factor, it was packed. Carl was having a great time, playing with all the dogs and running and sprinting like a mad man. He even found another grey and they spent some time sniffing each other, but he was mostly interested in a lively female Great Dane and some really fast Huskies. Then I heard what I thought was a small dog making sounds like it was distraught. The sound seemed to be coming from some small dogs that were around where Carl was. The smallest dogs in the park were around him, but they looked just fine. I noticed that the people standing around Carl looked alarmed and were looking around as if they were looking for an owner, one guy was petting Carl (which is not unusual). Then I noticed that Carl was just standing there with his head down looking - not right. I ran over to where Carl was and asked what happened and it turned out that it was CARL making the really lound high pitched sound that I thought was coming from one of the small dogs. They told me that it seemed like he was choking. I was petting him and he was shaking ever so slightly and seemed a little wigged out, but knew who I was and let me comfort him. I decided we needed to leave then and there, put his leash on him and we walked him slowly to the gate. It's a big park and we were at the far end, so we had to walk quite a distance. He started to perk up when he saw other dogs running and wanted to play again, but I was having nothing to do with it. The rest of the day he seemed fine, worn out (maybe from all the running he did at the park), but sort of pooped. Tonight when I was making dinner he had something caught in his throat again, but it cleared and he's fine now. He's been to the dog park a lot, but this has never happened before, ever. It seemed too alarmist to take him to the vet over it, though I am keeping a very close eye on him the rest of the weekend. He is sleeping next to me on the couch, his breathing is normal, not faster than usual or labored. He has his normal great appetite and ate dinner. I have to take CPR classes regularly because of my job and know that when a human is choking they tend to make high-pitched squeaking sounds, which reminds me of what he was doing. Weird, weird, weird. Any thoughts? Has anyone had this happen before?
  7. I have to agree, 5 months seems too soon. All my vets have said exactly at 6 months. One vet said told me that if you don't know their birth date you go by when they start losing their baby teeth. He said they start losing their teeth at 6 months.
  8. Wow, I'm sorry to hear that. How disgusting. That's why I went with PetCare, no questions asked about my claims.
  9. I had VPI, on one of my two dogs, found it much less than impressive. My other dog, and now Carl, are with PetCare Insurance. I have NO complaints about them at all. Last year when Sheila was sick, she was misdiagnosed 3 times by 3 different vets, they paid each and every claim I sent them with no questions asked. They did call once to apologize when there was a delay in sending a check because it was over the Christmas holiday! When she finally was diagnosed correctly with SARDS (sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome) they paid for her special tests and for a very very pricey visit to the doggy ophthalmologist, again with no questions asked. Sheila was 11. Because I enrolled her before she turned 10 they will continue to insure her. Her bills last year totaled well over $3000 (maybe $4000) and I got the 70% back just like they said. I also did not have to pay the $100 deductible for every claim as they understood that each visit to the vet(s) was for the same thing, trying to determine what was wrong with her. FYI, they did not drop her from their coverage when it was time to renew. When I got Carl I enrolled him in PetCare's ShelterCare program. This spring I plan to bump up his coverage to their QuickCare Gold 70% program. After the $100 deductible they will pay up to 70% of the claim. This is the program I have with Sheila. Because there are so many low cost vaccination clinics around town I only pay about $19.00 per dog for their vaccinations, so there was no reason to tack on a preventative care (i.e. vaccination) fee to their existing coverage.
  10. Whew! I'm so glad to hear it. A long time ago, before we knew about grapes and raisins being toxic, we used to give our dogs a grape or two, it was so cute to watch them roll it around with their noses. No more of that.
  11. Raisins can be incredibly toxic to dogs, please keep a close eye on him (which I'm sure you are). Here is an article about raisins from The Dog Breed Info Center: Raisin and Grape Toxicity in Dogs By Lauren Shifflett LShifflett70@yahoo.com Hyattsville, MD Although many dog owners and dog trainers have traditionally used raisins and grapes as treats, RAISINS AND GRAPES IN LARGE QUANTITIES CAN BE LETHAL TO DOGS. As few as a handful of raisins or grapes can make a dog ill; however, of the 10 cases reported to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC), each dog ingested between 9 ounces and 2 pounds of grapes or raisins. If your dog has ingested large quantities of raisins or grapes, (s)he will immediately begin to vomit repeatedly, and will become extremely hyperactive and jittery. After about 24 hours, the dog will become lethargic and depressed. (S)he may experience abdominal pain and may stop urinating, drinking, and/or eating. (S)he will also become dehydrated. Both his/her vomit and feces will contain partially digested raisins or grapes. His/her breathing may become irregular, and (s)he will also become hypercalcemic (high calcium concentrations) and hyperphosphosphatemic Ultimately, without treatment, the dog will go into renal (kidney) failure, and may die a horrible very painful death. Of the 10 reported cases, only 5 dogs survived, & these only with early, aggressive, & long-term treatment The best cure for an overdose, of course, is prevention. Because dogs can get hold of raisins or grapes from a variety of sources—the kitchen counter, the coffee table, vines in a private vineyard, a child’s lunch box—DOG PROOF YOUR VINEYARDS & REMOVE RAISINS AND GRAPES FROM CANINE REACH. Do not feed your dog raisins/grapes as treats so that you can avoid him/her “getting a taste for themâ€. Remember that raisins are even more concentrated (and hence more toxic) than grapes—approximately 4 pounds of grapes equal 1 pound of raisins. The APCC also warns that any substance in large doses can be toxic. However, if you suspect your dog has eaten a large amount of raisins or grapes, take your dog to a veterinarian immediately, and have them contact the Animal Poison Control Center for assistance. Have your veterinarian initiate decontamination measures, and administer fluids and/or dialysis to assist/restart the dog’s kidneys. Be aware that initially your veterinarian may suspect rat poison as the above symptoms are very similar to the symptoms of rat poison. The APCC is still unable to determine the cause of renal (kidney) failure. Possibilities include 1) an agent in grapes and raisins themselves; 2) fungicides, herbicides, or pesticides contamination; 3) heavy metals; 4) high amounts of Vitamin D; or 5) fungus or mold contamination. Information on raisin and grape toxicity is still very new; therefore, your veterinarian and fellow dog owners may not yet be aware of the danger. Please pass on this information to every dog owner, veterinarian, rescue group, breeder, newsletter, listserve, and pet food store you can. For more information about grapes and raisin toxicity and/or all substances toxic to dogs and other animals, please see the ASCPA Animal Poison Control Center If you suspect your dog has ingested any poisonous substance, please CALL the APCC at 888-4ANI-HELP (888-426-4435) immediately. Also please read “Renal failure associated with ingestion of grapes or raisins in dogs.†The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA). May 15, 2001. Volume 218. Number 10. Pages 1555-1556. (edited after I reread your post, you already spoke with the vet, I missed that when I first read the post. WHEW!)
  12. Carl has been to the dog park 3 time since I got him. First time he trotted around, smelling, peeing, pooping, greeting other dogs. The second time he trotted over to a blood hound who started to run and for the first time Carl cut loose and went into a full on sprint. It was beautiful! The blood hound's owner, looked at his dog and said, "this is a race you will never win!". Later, he ran over to a woman who was walking a mixed group of about 5 dogs, he wanted to be part of their pack, so he trotted around with them for about 5 - 10 minutes. Fortunately, she was cool with it.
  13. Weird, huh? Carl is my second male dog and he has a little, um, empty coin purse hanging between his legs. I'm guessing it because he was neutered as an adult (3 years old) and not a puppy. Carl was already "filled out", as it were. It doesn't seem to bother him at all, but I agree, it looks kind of weird. My other male was neutered at 6 months, so he had nothing between his legs.
  14. Carl started the head bobbing about a month after I got him and it freaked me out big time. After a good ear cleaning it stopped immediately, meaning for months. He did it this past Friday, so I know it's time to clean his ears. You might try a good ear cleaning. When I cleaned his ears I could feel the cotton hit the nerve/trigger for the head bobbing (holding his head in my hand it felt more like a shiver). I pulled out a bunch of gunk...I don't know how he picks it up...and he was good to go!
  15. I use peanut butter, yogurt or pumpkin, dip the pill in and Carl eats it up. Just as in humans, the capsule will melt inside hour pooch and release the medication.
  16. Are you sure they aren't scars? Carl is covered in scars from head to toe and the scared skin tends to be very dry.
  17. Clomipramine Hydrochloride is an "old" human anti depressant, it comes caps or tabs and is VERY cheap Clomicalm is the same medication renamed and "reformulated" for veterinary medicine, made in tabs which vary in mg from the human version by about 5mg. 30 days of Clomicalm 80mg tabs are $35.00 at my vet's office. 100 days of Clomipramine Hydrochloride at 75mg was $7.50 through the human pharmacy. YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  18. Neeps Lawn & Garden $9.69 for small tube. Lightening fast shipping.
  19. I have insurance on all my dogs. My older dog, Sheila - 13 years ol, went blind last year and I racked up over $3,000 in bills, my pet insurance (after the $100 deductible) paid me back 70%, which is the plan I signed up for. They paid promptly, never questioned any of the claims or requested any records beyond the claim form. She is insured through Pet Care. Carl is also insured through Pet Care, but through their introductory program called Shelter Care for rescue dogs. It sure paid off for me, I got more out of it than what I've paid into it over the last few years.
  20. I have no idea what the symptoms are, but my 65lbs lab Chaka ate a 2lbs chunk of Ghiradelli chocolate one time. I called my vet, he said that she should be fine because of her size. She had the big D, but she was fine.
  21. All of my dogs have had the occasional almond, no long term problems here either.
  22. Thanks for the update, I'm so glad Leia is doing well. That was a great idea to put her in the car and walk her elsewhere. It makes me sick that animal control failed you like that. All your time and energy was placed in helping Leia get well and heal, they should have been there for you. Best to you, yours and Leia!
  23. I'm so sorry about what happened with you Leia. How is she doing a year later? What ended up happening with Animal Control? One of my dogs was attacked by a pit bull a couple of years ago, Los Angeles Animal Services gave the owner a slap on the wrist. She has a history of being a bad owner. There were four witnesses, two testifying to what happened to my dog, Sheila, and two others testifying to the dog being aggressive. One woman watched it kill a neighbor's cat. They did virtually NOTHING to her. That's why I'm terrified to walk my dogs. I live by Elysian Park, which has no off-leash areas, and 97% of the dogs on the trails are off-leash.
  24. I use two vets right now, one is Western medicine and holistic, she refers out for most things as it is a small operation. The other vet has a hospital on premises. Both have had to refer us out to specialists in the past.
  25. My vet always says cooked white rice only, no broth. The broth is too rich for them at that point and can make the big D continue.
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