Bruce's Update

[Guest LovesDoggies]

I'm usually not a hugger but I think you need one. This is so sad for you & Bruce. There are never any guarantees in life but we always want to hope for the best. And that's what I'm wishing for both of you. There are some test results that need to come back & I hope that there will be something that will help. I don't think the group intentionally meant for any of this to happen & that they'll be able to & willing to assist you.

 

It's so easy for me to say, but stay strong for Bruce. He is lucky to have you to look out for him.

 

Thank you Sweetdogs, that was a very, very sweet post.

 

This sounds very simular to what our Wardy developed in 2004, when he was 8. Blindness, pain and lameness, limited motor function and general mental dullness. He had the MRI and a Spinal Tap which confirmed an inflamation simular to encephalitus, they ruled out distemper, and tick bourne diseases which I think can present very simular symptoms. In the end it was thought to be GME (Granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis) or simular. GME can only be confirmed by brain biopsy, which we declined.

 

So in August 04 he was treated with round of antibiotics (two kinds but their names escape me now) and 60mg of prednisone daily which was eventually stepped down. In October he had relapse and almost died - back on the antibiotics and pred (60mg daily) which he stayed on for about two more months and then again stepped down, very gradually. Had another replapse in Feb 05 while still on a very low dose of prednisone. This is when he started seeing the Neurologist, we went every month, sometime twice. After the last relapse it took a long time before he was feeling like himself again. He was never off the pred again and in Jan 06 we started him on the chemo. The chemo worked well (he went for almost two years).

 

In spite of his advancing age he was generally a happy guy and I always knew when he was starting to fail a bit and was able to adjust his drugs accordingly. We always thought once the drugs stopped working we'd let him go but it was a fall that took him from us in November 07, at 11.5 years of age.

 

I do hope this helps you find out what it is. I've saved all of the documantion so if you need any additional info please let me know.

 

Lynn,

Toronto, Canada

 

 

Lynn - Thank you so much. I did not discuss life expectancy with the doctor yet, because we still have blood work results that we are waiting on.

 

When you say chemo, was this in pill form only, or did you bring him to the vet to have chemo administered there?

[Guest larock]

It was administed at the vet by needle, 4 rounds, every 12 hours. This was initally done every 3 weeks and then eventually upped to every 6 weeks.

 

I'm usually not a hugger but I think you need one. This is so sad for you & Bruce. There are never any guarantees in life but we always want to hope for the best. And that's what I'm wishing for both of you. There are some test results that need to come back & I hope that there will be something that will help. I don't think the group intentionally meant for any of this to happen & that they'll be able to & willing to assist you.

 

It's so easy for me to say, but stay strong for Bruce. He is lucky to have you to look out for him.

 

Thank you Sweetdogs, that was a very, very sweet post.

 

This sounds very simular to what our Wardy developed in 2004, when he was 8. Blindness, pain and lameness, limited motor function and general mental dullness. He had the MRI and a Spinal Tap which confirmed an inflamation simular to encephalitus, they ruled out distemper, and tick bourne diseases which I think can present very simular symptoms. In the end it was thought to be GME (Granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis) or simular. GME can only be confirmed by brain biopsy, which we declined.

 

So in August 04 he was treated with round of antibiotics (two kinds but their names escape me now) and 60mg of prednisone daily which was eventually stepped down. In October he had relapse and almost died - back on the antibiotics and pred (60mg daily) which he stayed on for about two more months and then again stepped down, very gradually. Had another replapse in Feb 05 while still on a very low dose of prednisone. This is when he started seeing the Neurologist, we went every month, sometime twice. After the last relapse it took a long time before he was feeling like himself again. He was never off the pred again and in Jan 06 we started him on the chemo. The chemo worked well (he went for almost two years).

 

In spite of his advancing age he was generally a happy guy and I always knew when he was starting to fail a bit and was able to adjust his drugs accordingly. We always thought once the drugs stopped working we'd let him go but it was a fall that took him from us in November 07, at 11.5 years of age.

 

I do hope this helps you find out what it is. I've saved all of the documantion so if you need any additional info please let me know.

 

Lynn,

Toronto, Canada

 

 

Lynn - Thank you so much. I did not discuss life expectancy with the doctor yet, because we still have blood work results that we are waiting on.

 

When you say chemo, was this in pill form only, or did you bring him to the vet to have chemo administered there?

 

[Guest SusanP]

I think you've done a wonderful thing taking this dog to love and care for, for the record.

[MP_the4pack]

Well to get slightly off the topic of who pays what.................

 

If it will help to spread out the payments, Care Credit will give you a whole year without interest. I used that to pay Diamonds $3000 dental bill. It was a great help. I paid it off 2 months early. (just transfer any balance to another lower interest card at the end of the year. After that, their rates are very high.

 

Also, if you need meds.......Costco is terrific. I live 45 minutes from Costco and pay $45 a year in membership. ONE monthly visit to their pharmacy for Pearl's heartmeds have paid for itself.

Example: generic Norvasc (bloodpressure med) for 30 pills is $40 at Rite Aid and Walgreens. It is $10 for 90 pills at Costco. That 12 times the cost!!

 

If you don't have a Costco near you, when you get any prescription that you need, the vet can ask for 3 months worth when they call it in. So you only have to make one long distance drive every 3 months.

 

I hope this helps financially. You have enough to worry about with Bruce.

 

HUGS!

 

 

 

 

 

[Batmom]

Just checking to see if Bruce's bloodwork is back and if there is any new news.

[YvetteVal]

Linda...........

I'm so sorry you are going through this, Bruce is very lucky to have you.

[Guest crazy4greys]

IMO, if there was a problem with Bruce when he was still a foster, he should not have been adopted out until they figured out what was wrong with him.

 

I am sorry you are going through all this. I hope Bruce feels better.

 

 

edited cause I forgot a word!

Edited January 12, 2008 by crazy4greys

[Devotion]

prayers and lots of hugs for you and Bruce.

[Guest vahoundlover]

Checking in, how is Bruce doing?

[Guest LovesDoggies]

The results of the blood work will be in tomorrow. I will post an update. Thank you to everyone who asked about him.

 

Bruce is doing very, very well. We went to the dog park today (there is one that is always empty near my house). It was quite nice out. He had a great time. He is walking at 90-95%. He even ran for a bit. He is remarkably better than he was just a week ago. He is just such a sweet boy. I am hoping for some answers tomorrow, but also understand that we may not get them.

[Guest vahoundlover]

Sounds like a great day!! Glad he is doing better.

[Guest LovesDoggies]

I spoke with the neurologist about Bruce's blood work. He said the blood work did not indicate that the encephalitis was infectious, which leads him to believe that it is indeed an autoimmune disorder, which means that Bruce can be treated with a drug commonly used in chemotherapy. Bruce will be weaned to the lowest dosage of steroids as possible. The steroids would not treat Bruce longterm. I am so thankful that Bruce was able to get the MRI as quickly as he did. The neurologist suggested that I set up a follow-up appointment in a few weeks; however, I will set up an appointment with the only neurologist in state and hope to transition his care entirely back to Connecticut.

 

Bruce continues to do well at home. He is a happy-go-lucky soul, and I am so happy to see him getting about on his own with much better balance than a week or so ago.

[Guest vahoundlover]

I'm glad Bruce is doing much better, keeping him in my prayers he will do even better with the chemo treatment.

[galgrey]

I just saw this. I'm sorry you're going through this, but am so glad for Bruce that you're there for him. I'm pleased to see that he's doing better.

 

Sending an abundance of positive, healing thoughts to you both.

[Guest laceyj]

I'm so happy to hear that Bruce is doing much better and that you have some answers at least and a care plan. Sending good thoughts your way for continued progress.

[Guest LindsaySF]

Just found this thread, looking for an update on Bruce.

 

to you!

[Guest LovesDoggies]

Just found this thread, looking for an update on Bruce.

 

to you!

 

Hi Lindsay!

 

Bruce is doing much better. Thanks for asking. You would never know he had this condition. He is such a happy-go-lucky boy!

 

I am going to bring him to the CT neurologist to transfer his care there. It will also be interesting to see if she agrees with the other dr's treatment plan, so in a way, it's good that I had to bring him to NJ for the mri -- now, I get a second opinion. When I told my regular vet what it was, she sort of gasped and then said that it's not good because there's no one sure thing to do to treat it. Poor, poor Bruce, but like I said, you would never know he was sick, so that makes everything a little bit easier to deal with.