MaryJane Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 All we know is that he had what the blood called "sludgy blood" -- her term, speaking to a layman. (IIRC, you *really* hated that term!) No explanation was offered or treatment sought. Later (two years ago) we found and treated the Babesia, and the sludgy blood stopped being a factor. Now his minor blood work can be run on in-house vet equipment since the viscosity is normal. Hmmm ... I'm wondering if what is going on here was a high "sed rate" result. I could possibly see a doctor or vet referring to a high sedimentation rate result as "sludgy" and it usually is indicative of an inflammation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greyhead Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 How is your grey now? Some tick borne diseases resurface now and then..as another friend has that problem.. =star PS Sometimes, when your grey has the vet concerned over a number of concerns' which he/she may have, one way is to try medication for one problem to see if that may be the problem. Keep in mind that tick borne diseases often 'mimic' other diseases AND vice versa. This is also true with us humans. It is one way to 'rule' out certain diseases. 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! Quote Mary with Jumper Jack (2/17/11) and angels Shane (PA's Busta Rime, 12/10/02 - 10/14/16) and Spencer (Dutch Laser, 11/25/00 - 3/29/13). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greyhead Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Of course! But, there are other clinical signs: diarrhea, vomitting, increased urination, unexplained high fever and thirst, and the list goes on depending on which tick borne disease it is..... I'm just hoping her problem is tick borne and can get over it in good time! I hope the best for any of your greys which have this problem.. 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! Quote Mary with Jumper Jack (2/17/11) and angels Shane (PA's Busta Rime, 12/10/02 - 10/14/16) and Spencer (Dutch Laser, 11/25/00 - 3/29/13). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cleptogrey Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 "I do have a great friend whose grey does have Addison's disease. The treatment is expensive and that dog has been through a lot." if it turns out to be addison's disease, PM me. my scottie had it for 10 years, passed at the ripe age of 12.5. usually addisonians don't live that long, i'll glady share my tips. he camped, hiked, led a normal life unless there was extreme changes in the weather. lots of good tips on keeping them going and SAVING $$$$!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Geostar Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Yes, it is I! Thank you, Greyhead..for your statement about my art work of your two greys. Pardon, but, I don't remember your name for sure.. It's just me as I am terrible with names as I work with some many people across the country! I'm glad Shane is well now.. Here's hoping my Maria will do well, too. Her stools are better today..and that's a good sign. Tick borne disease can really 'mess up' the dog's blood and affect other organs.. Thank you, Cleptogrey, for your kind encouragement and willingness to help if the grey has that disease. I'm sorry your Scottie had it..and thoroughly hope that our grey does not have it. She is my angel.. Have a great rest of the week.. =star Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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