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ZoomDoggy

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    Tipper, Another Episode, Different This Time

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    Well, test results are in. Tipper's kidneys appear to be fine. :yay: So based on the last three years of bloodwork with fluctuating low albumin levels and other imbalances, doc suspects an intestinal mal-absorption issue. The diagnostic confirmation would be intestinal biopsies, but since Tip has no overt symptoms, doc felt that would be more aggressive than warranted. He suggested I could try a novel protein diet, and recheck Tip's albumin levels every 3-4 months. And in the meantime keep a close eye on Tip for signs of pitting edema. I will plan to schedule his dental for the next albumin recheck in August or so. I still find it odd that an intestinal mal-absorption issue would not manifest as diarrhea. Tip's stools have been normal all along. :dunno

     

    Thanks again everyone, for caring about my booboo, my nearly perfect boy. :wub:

    Tipper, Another Episode, Different This Time

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    Thanks for asking about my Tipper. :) The visit went well, better than expected. We're waiting on the Creatinine and BUN results (tomorrow), but the other blood value imbalances were less off today than last week. Still not right, but less scary. Tomorrow's results should tell us if he's having a kidney problem. Doc said we should take a "wait & watch" approach to Tip's wobbliness episode from Sunday night. Tip's ears appear normal, no visible bulging or irregularity of the drums, etc. Doc felt that if that episode had been a stroke, or even a vestibular symptom, it's very odd that it lasted under five minutes and had no noticeable lingering after-effects. He said a normal vestibular disease flare-up (my words, not his. I'm paraphrasing to the best of my memory), would have lasted hours or even days...

     

    So we don't have any answers, as usual. :( But if Tip's kidneys appear compromised, we can certainly take steps to treat him for that. Diet changes and Enalapril, for starters...

     

    Tipper still acts totally normal, and has had no signs of reoccurance of that head-tilt or wobbles. Hope it stays that way, cuz that was scary! :goodluck

    Tipper, Another Episode, Different This Time

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted · Edited by ZoomDoggy

    There has been a minor increase in drinking over the past month or so (food change was about six months ago). I decreased his glucosamine as I'd heard that too much can lead to kidney probs. That did seem to help a bit. No, haven't tried filtered water, as our city water has always been pretty palatable. I drink it myself.

     

    Edited to add-- Tipper just turned ten in April. :sad1

    Tipper, Another Episode, Different This Time

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    I'd do a TBD panel and a urine culture.

     

    What are you feeding?

     

    Filtered water, well water or city water?

     

    Did you do HW or tick/flea prevention in the last few days?

     

    Tipper eats Eukanuba Naturals Lamb & Rice, switched six months or so ago from Natural Balance. He has not had TBD test yet. He drinks city water, same as we do. No HW or flea/tick meds. I was waiting for HW test results before starting the HW meds for this season. And I don't use flea/tick preventative, as I fear the side-effects I've heard about, and we're city folk, I've never seen a flea or tick on any of my pups.

     

    Tip seems totally normal this morning. I'm still calling my vet of course, as soon as they open. I'll try to get Tip seen tomorrow as I have to have the dogs out of the house for a while anyway, unless my vet thinks he needs to be seen sooner.

    Tipper, Another Episode, Different This Time

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted · Edited by ZoomDoggy

    Latest incident, Post 44.

     

    Update again, post 37

     

    UPDATE: Post 34

     

    Of course I'll be calling my vet as soon as they open, but I wondered if any insomniacs out there have any ideas. I did a keyword search in H&M, but Stroke and Vestibular Disease are all that came up. Tip's episode didn't seem as severe as the descriptions that others gave.

     

    Tip had a blood test last week, and we were to follow up this week with another blood test and a urinalysis, due to some abnormalities found:

     

    Albumin 1.6 (2.6=normal), Calcium 8.5 (8.7=normal), AST 88. He's thinking possible kidney problems. Tipper has always been an excessive drinker in all the five years I've had him. Though in recent months he's gotten a bit worse, but not dramatically. I decreased the glucosamine I've been giving him, and that seemed to help a bit with the marathon drinkin' & peein' sessions.

     

    But last night, after a seemingly normal day (tho I was very busy with housework, so it's possible I wasn't observing him well), right before bedtime this episode happened. Tip had finished his bedtime meal as always, gone outside as always, I brushed his teeth as always. But then as I was rinsing his toothbrush, I heard him bump into a door on his way to the waterdish. No one was near him to bump into him. Then I watched him walk from his waterdish to his bed and he was wobbly on his feet. His head seemed to tilt slightly (not severely) to the right. And he was sort of wobbling to the right, gently bumping the wall as he walked. I made him walk back and forth for about three to five minutes and the episode seemed to have worn off. Tip seemed subdued after that, but hard to say how unusual that might be. He's a subdued kind of guy. :wub: I tried the inverted paw test, and his feet righted themselves immediately. His pupils seemed equal, if maybe slightly dilated (though I learned last wee that his pupils are losing reactivity to light-- they don't constrict much at all). Temp normal, no shaking.

     

    I didn't see much point in E-vet last night, but will be calling my reg vet right away this morning. Just wanted to know if anyone here has any ideas what we might be facing... ?

    My Partner My Friend My Heartdog

    in Remembrance

    Posted · Edited by ZoomDoggy

    Karen, I have no words. None that will seem helpful anyway. Thank you for sharing Arco with us. I feel privileged to have known him in a way, if only through your heartfelt stories and beautiful photos.

     

     

    Please just know you are in my thoughts.

    Another Lp Question

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted · Edited by ZoomDoggy

    The hoarse voice was Chancy's first symptom. She also couldn't roo. She would try, but only choked air would come out, and her tongue would start to go blue. Obviously I discouraged her rooing. :(

     

    Chancy wasn't a cougher, but as the LP progressed, she lost her stamina and tolerance for any temperature above 70 degrees. I did go ahead with the tieback surgery for her, and I only wish I'd done it sooner. I lost her due to other health complications about a month later. :cry1

    Urine Sample

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    I haven't had to collect a sample from my boy (knock on wood) but collecting from the girls is easy. The first time was with Sissy, and she would only pee on walks, so I had to follow her with a cup through the neighborhood and wait until she found the right spot. My neighbors are very entertained by me. :lol

     

    I imagine with the boys, there's a higher chance of that stream going rogue... It'd be a bummer to misjudge where he's aimed. :rotfl

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