ahicks51
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Posts posted by ahicks51
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Clavamox is amoxicillin + clavulanic acid. Both are dirt cheap. Mash them together and slap a patent on it, and charge what the market will bear. Absurd.
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We bathed him every three days for about two months with Alugan which was an organo-phosphate dip. Horrible, nasty stuff, and not recommended for greys, I know, but we did it, and he survived, and lived eleven (plus) more years. He did have mild head tremors when he was old, and I wondered if the dip was responsible, but we'll never know, and without using it, the prognosis was grim - he had it over more than 50% of his body.
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I think Alugan was withdrawn eventually, probably because of fears for public safety and the environment. I used to change all my clothes, swab down the bathroom and then shower each time I used it.
Close. Alugan is an organochlorine (with one bromine stuck in there), as well as a cyclodiene- no phosphate groups. Still toxic as all git-out to bugs, also known as bromocyclen. Seems to have a very low toxicity to mammals. Banned just about everywhere.
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How old is she? Oh that's such a relief that she's back to almost normal, especially the ornery part. Thanks so much the post and the pictures.
She'll be 7 in November; surgery was about a month or two ago. The vet (neurosurgeon in training, doing all the pre-op workup for one of the three board-certified neuro vets they have on staff) gave us a ballpark 85% chance she'd be back to normal afterwards, and later noted that was a conservative figure given her age and constitution (i.e., piss and vinegar).
I mean, wownotcheap, and although she's had a few more incidents where she yiped even weeks after the surgery, nothing in the past week or so that I can think of. Back to normal.
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Minerva experienced a ruptured disk a couple of months ago. We had it removed, and the only lasting pain is primarily financial!
The neuro vets were fantastic, the clinic handled everything- and (frankly) their professionalism and near-casual attitude towards the surgery were two things that kept the anxiety level on our part from becoming unbearable.
Miss Zipperneck herself shortly after surgery:
A couple of weeks later:
Today, you can't even see the scar. She's almost 100%- when she does a full-body shake, it's done with more restraint than she used to. But when she's released from the back door, she charges out at full speed, full gallop, loud bark, and the usual misbehavioralism we have come to know and expect from her. Only the full-body shake differs from her pre-operative status.
Plus, the vets said she had the largest windpipe of any dog they'd ever seen.
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The helminths of dogs don't enjoy humans too much; Ancylostoma caninum is of modest risk to people, as is Uncinaria stenocephala. Worst case scenario is they colonize the child's gut, but they require a phase outside of the host to reproduce. Unless replenished, many will be gone within a year.
The incidence of a number of autoimmune diseases- mainly multiple sclerosis- is lower in southern states (exposure up to the age of 12). Most are virtually unknown in tropical countries to which hookworms are endemic. It is thought that perhaps a combination of diet, vitamin D (from sunlight), and exposure to internal parasites (the so-called "hygiene hypothesis") may be responsible.
Ergo, while it is unwise to allow great risk in the form of huge numbers of parasites- as might be the case of individuals who walk barefoot in sewerage, as is done in some third world countries- there is a very good chance a small number of intestinal parasites may actually do some good, with absolutely no clinical signs whatsoever. In fact, the recommendation from the CDC is not to treat light infestations of Necator americanus- the most common human hookworm.
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Rabies, yes; the other ones depend upon several factors including the age of the animal, and to what threats they are exposed.
Check locally for vaccine clinics or "doc in a box" operations that will do it for cheap- including the county pound, humane society, etc.- anywhere that you can avoid the vet visit fee. Keep the paperwork, and have it added to your folder at the vet's.
Really, there's no reason they need a $45 vet visit fee on top of a $9 shot.
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The reason I do probiotics over yogurt is because the brand I use has about 15 different strains. It has been and Godsent...The one I use I order from www.mercola.com-
More isn't necessarily better. One of the strains commonly employed in human probiotics has never been proven to have been isolated from humans. Somewhere along the line, the records got lost.
I do agree they are very powerful, and of much greater utility than is generally appreciated. One of the most important aspects of probiotics is their ability to modulate immune response; if human immune response goes really wacko (colitis, Crohn's, cytokine storm from sepsis, etc.), the solution consist of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) inhibitors- a very powerful (and expensive) set of drugs designed to combat autoimmune disease that originally spawned from research in controlling Gram-negative sepsis (and from that, cytokine storm and- frequently- death). These injectables run about $1000 to $3000 per shot.
Interestingly, many probiotics have the same effect- they combat tumor necrosis factor alpha- and do so locally, when used to fight IBD. From this, their effect is local rather than systemic, which prevents other issues- including the development of cancer or rampant infection (caused by quenching the immune system so abruptly). Similarly, other supplements (vitamin D, selenium, and certain components found in fish oil) do the same job. When all four are used in combination- probiotics, vitamin D, selenium, and fish oil- the net result can be the strong correction of an immune response gone haywire.
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I only understood about half of what you wrote, but thank you!
I'm going to try the sulfur fungicide, I'll apply it directly to the spots where I removed mushrooms. Even if it just slows down the growth, I'll be happy. Thank you! Now I just have to find it...wonder if Home Depot sells it."Safer's" brand. Yep.
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Oh no, I am so sorry it got worse. Poor guy. It's a good thing you figured out what it was.
For those of you who mentioned probiotics, do you have any suggestions on which ones? Are there dog-specific ones? I'd rather use that than yogurt, if possible.
Why not yogurt? Concerned about the cow proteins? Just curious.
"Fortiflora" by Purina. Never tried it.
http://www.purinaveterinarydiets.com/Canin...l.aspx?prod=244
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Many years ago, when I started growing orchid seedlings, I had persistent problems with mildew growing on the surface of the medium (shredded treefern back then- now very hard to get). I also had a geology collection, including a clump of sulfur which is produced by the Frasch process which involves pumping superheated steam into the ground, which melts the sulfur and brings it to the surface where it cools into high-purity, bright yellow sulfur. I powdered a bit of that, and put it on the treefern. Around each tiny piece of sulfur was this clean aureole of treefern- it simply obliterated the mildew.
Now the stuff is available as a safe alternative to fungicides, although most fungicides are extremely safe as it is. Search for "sulfur" + "fungicide" on Google, and all sorts of products come up. Whether or not it will destroy enough of the subterranean mycelia to prevent the fruiting bodies from appearing above ground is beyond me, but it sounds like a fun experiment. The powdered sulfur itself is extremely safe, particularly in the elemental form in which it is delivered.
This wacky-ass idea brought to you by the letter "M".
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A vet that used to wander this forum now and again didn't care for the process, noting it didn't get below the gumline, which is where the bacterial inflammation causes gingivitis and eventually tooth loss.
I'm personally big on feeding raw turkey necks for cleaning, while feeding a raw diet that prevents that sort of thing from building up in the first place. Not a viable alternative for most, of course.
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If "low residue" is the goal, then quantity is the problem- and most of the bulk in feces comes from fiber. Fiber absorbs water, creating greater volume- which makes for looser stool, so there may be problems if you back off too much, too fast. Homecooked or raw food will greatly reduce the stool volume. Taper off the quantity of vegetable matter (such as rice) until a happy medium is achieved between volume and firmness so as not to unduly discomfort (or impact) the dog.
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Rare, but occasionally seen in greyhounds: Eucoleus boehmi, a nasal parasite. Should be eggs in the feces, but (as always) eggs in a stool sample aren't always present.
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I remember him telling me that tics were not a big problem here in the Pacific Northwest like there were in Florida (where we moved here from).
Racers tend to get around quite a bit; dogs that have so much as passed through the southwest run the risk of coccidiomycosis ("Valley Fever") which may require lifetime medication, and dogs from areas where ticks are common run the risk of TBDs. If your vet doesn't see many TBDs, that may not be high on his list of suspicions.
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You might also try some probiotics for Bertie. You should be able to find probiotics at your local health food store. It has helped our Dylan tremendously with his bowel problems....Good luck
Also yogurt with live cultures. I would recommend "Fage" as it does not have any bifidobacteria.
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Drop me an email; you don't have enough posts to send a PM.
Reverse it: cox.net, at ahicks51.
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Put stomach cancer down as a longshot. Much more likely to be a reaction to the meds.
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Why wouldn't/shouldn't vets charge for euthanasia? Their time has to be worth something, as well as the assistant's, if there is one. Not to mention the supplies. It's a business, whether we like it, or not. I would hope that vets get into the business of veterinary medicine because of their love of animals, though. I absolutely agree that the time of euthanasia is not the time to ask for payment.
I agree completely, but not everyone cares for animals quite so much or is anything other than flat broke. One can imagine the sorts of things that happen when people have to weigh cost versus euthanasia. For example, grandma on social security who can't afford to put down Fluffy. Or some shortsighted youth who adopts a dog when in college; cash is tight, and the dog is suffering from some incurable malady. I've never been there, but known people who were.
Locally, county animal control doesn't offer euthanasia services. I think the SPCA does, but I'm not sure. Many of the local vets charge $40 just for seeing the animal; that can be too much for some people in some circumstances. I'm not sure many of us would mind paying an extra dollar or two per visit if it assures people won't let animals suffer unduly.
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"Drinking a lot" raises one flag immediately: has she been tested for diabetes, either from a blood test or urinalysis?
Second flag: tickborne diseases (TBD). Was a full tick panel done, or just checking for babesiosis?
Autoimmune problems should not present with a cough, polydipsia, and refusing to eat- unless there's something wrong out the other side, i.e.: blowout D or blood in the stool.
Weight loss and platelets crashing sounds bad, particularly in conjunction with steroids: if it IS a tickborne disease, the steroids are contraindicated. Are you missing any antibiotics in there, or is it just needle-fed + steroids?
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Here's a stab in the dark. One of the remedies offered up for a panoply of autoimmune disorders- including IBD in humans- is naltrexone, which is an opioid antagonist. This is to say, at high doses the stuff is used to keep junkies from getting their high. But- at very low doses, when timed correctly- the stuff has startling impact on autoimmune diseases.
The downside is that first off, you'd need a vet familiar with the stuff, or willing to give it a shot. Secondly, you'd need a compounding pharmacy to make it- although the stuff has gained markedly in popularity just in recent years, so it's not hard to find.
It's off-patent, and virtually without side-effects at the doses used for this sort of thing. Interesting stuff with some curious properties.
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Take solace in the fact that if rabbits did indeed "strike back," many of the hounds here would have expired long ago.
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Before starting Proin, understand the drug is phenylpropanolamine (PPA), which was pulled from human use due to risk of hemorrhagic stroke. This is not to say it shouldn't be used, but that it is not without risk; it can be a real blessing in terms of minimizing spay incontinence, but it can also lead to some real reflection if the dog dies suddenly.
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Carprofen is the same as Rimadyl. It's an NSAID (think Aleve or ibuprofen for humans) that has the potential for side-effects, some of which are very serious.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carprofen
While many dogs do perfectly fine with it, I think a couple of folks here have had dogs that died because of it. It must be stressed that while serious, these events are rare- but not as rare as we humans are used to with drugs like the abovementioned Aleve and ibuprofen. Hence the cautions from your doc.
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I am waiting for Sizzle's vet to call me this morning. She received the report from the E-vet this morning. Sizzle seems fine. She never acted like anything was wrong except for she was a little tired from throwing up after she had the charcoal at the hospital. She's supposed to go for her dental on Thursday but I don't know now.
I am just so worried about any damage that may not appear. The e-vet said that based on his calculations and those that the ASPCA poison control center gave him, she's well under the amout for renal toxicity.
Fingers crossed. I feel so incredibly guilty still. She's my baby and I'd never do anything to harm her.
I hope all's well with your hound; you might get the pre-anesthesia bloodwork done for the dental if you're concerned there might be liver damage.
I'm going to try the sulfur fungicide, I'll apply it directly to the spots where I removed mushrooms. Even if it just slows down the growth, I'll be happy. Thank you! Now I just have to find it...wonder if Home Depot sells it.
Vaccinations ? Necessary ?
in Health and Medical discussion
Posted
Sorry. For Massachusetts, you need to multiply all my numbers by three. My apologies.
With respect to vaccinations and allergies, autoimmune disease, etc., it's probably not the vaccine itself quite so much as the adjuvants- compounds that are added to intensify the body's response to the vaccine. From this, we have the potential to sensitize the body to its own proteins, presumably from those that are present in their own flora- and humans, too. This is known as "molecular mimicry," and it causes such diseases as rheumatic fever, Reiter's disease (reactive arthritis), probably ankylosing spondylitis, maybe some times of IBD, and possibly certain forms of multiple sclerosis- among a slew of other diseases.
Some of the diseases caused by molecular mimicry seem to be closely tied to gut bacteria. From this, it is conceivable that diet is linked to autoimmunity through a rather complex series of events that keeps coming back to wheat and allied triticale species.
Fascinating tidbit: autoimmune disease was almost unknown in Africa and parts of the Middle East prior to the arrival of wheat, starch, sugar, etc. Interestingly, the physicians manning these hospitals were often British-educated, and very good at what they did. They would have recognized these diseases immediately. They went through records, looking for autoimmune disease; one set of records that stands out in my mind: 104 cases of autoimmune disease out of 98,454 patients. Moreover, the disease course of these people was much milder than it was back in the UK, or in the US.
Diet first, vaccines a distant second. The combination- I'm not sure.