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StarDeb55
01-19-2010, 08:10 PM
I had briefly mentioned Chewy's latest problem which was Mom induced on Harley's thread. I want to keep Harley's thread for Harley, so I decided to start one here for my other problem child.

For those of you who don't know, I adopted Chewy from a breed rescue about 3 1/2 years ago. He will be 10 in June. To give you a short summary of his medical issues, severe dry eye which has destroyed about 70% of his vision. The eye vet figures he was never treated for it before he went into rescue. The 1st time she saw Chewy, her comment was, "This little boy is blind due to severe corneal scarring, he may have about 10-15% of his vision. With a different round of eye meds, & a lot of work over about 4 months, we have managed to recover about 30% of his vision, but that will probably be the best it ever is. He gets around absolutely fine. In fact, when the rescue group member brought Chewy, along with a couple of other pups to my house for a "meet & greet", to help me decide who I wanted to adopt. Chewy was the only pup who went exploring all around the house, checking things out, not fearful in the least, basically acting like, "This is a pretty cool place. I might like this to be my forever home."

Chewy was diagnosed with severe allergies to a number of things through skin testing & has been on allergy shots for about 9 months. This came about because of dry, itchy skin, along with thinning hair, & hair loss along his back. I was basically overwrought that I had my 3rd Cushpup on my hands because Chew is also a chowhound, & has problems with inappropriate urination in the house. After going to my derm vet who I absolutely adore, he told me that he was convinced the problem was allergies, not Cushing's. This is what led to the skin testing & allergy shots. The derm vet did suggest that all of Chewy's basic labwork be repeated at the end of last year, paying close attention to the values that might indicate Cushing's, including the alk phos, ALT, cholesterol, etc. Most of us know what these values are. All of these results were normal, along with a normal UC:CR that I had done in the Spring of last year, so no Cushing's!:D:p I just wish I could say that Chewy has regrown some of his hair. He has lost about 40% of the hair on that beautiful Lhasa tail, & every time I look at his tail, I feel like crying.:(

The UA that was done last spring did show struvite crystals in his urine, so he was put on the Royal Canin urinary SO formula food for 3 months. A repeat UA was clean. The routine labwork at the end of the year, again, showed struvite crystals. My GP vet did not put him on a prescription diet then, but wanted a follow-up UA done in 30 days. The recheck has actually been 2 months, got the results back on Saturday. Struvite crystals are still present. Since this is now the 3rd urine in less than a year that has crystals, poor Chewy is no on the Urinary SO diet permanently. I thought the canned food just looked nasty, but I'll get over it. All I can say is the prescription food is probably much cheaper than paying for surgery to remove bladder stones on Chewy.

If I ever own a healthy dog, I wouldn't know what to do. I love them anyway, & wouldn't know what I'd do without them.

Debbie

Roxee's Dad
01-19-2010, 09:53 PM
Hi Debbie,
Nice update on Chewy, I often wonder how he is doing. I hope he continues to do well.

Our Bailee (Lhasa)had 2 bladder surgeries at 14 and 15 y.o. One for a tumor and the second for stones blocking his urinary tract. No fun, I felt really bad for him, especially at his age :(

lulusmom
01-20-2010, 12:30 PM
For those of you who don't know, I adopted Chewy from a breed rescue about 3 1/2 years ago. He will be 10 in June. When the rescue group member brought Chewy, along with a couple of other pups to my house for a "meet & greet", to help me decide who I wanted to adopt. Chewy was the only pup who went exploring all around the house, checking things out, not fearful in the least, basically acting like, "This is a pretty cool place. I might like this to be my forever home."

If I ever own a healthy dog, I wouldn't know what to do. I love them anyway, & wouldn't know what I'd do without them.

Debbie

So the question is, and I already know the answer to this, but if you had to do over again, would you still choose your little problem child?

I have two problem children and two healthy ones and thank goodness all the healthy ones require is love, yummy food, mat free coats and annual visits to the vet. The problem I have is that now that my healthy ones are getting up their in age, I tend to be borderline obsessive about any little sign of possible endocrine problems. It's funny how you go from asking "what in the heck is cushing's" to pointing out dogs on the street that have that "look". I suspect that I'm not the only one that does that but I may be the only one that has the nerve to quiz total strangers about their dog's health. :o

G.

Squirt's Mom
01-20-2010, 01:04 PM
It's funny how you go from asking "what in the heck is cushing's" to pointing out dogs on the street that have that "look". I suspect that I'm not the only one that does that but I may be the only one that has the nerve to quiz total strangers about their dog's health.

Nope....you ain't the only one who does that! :p Folks tend to think I am either a nosy old biddy, plain crazy, or they actually listen...I love the latter ones! ;)

Good to hear about Chewy and hope he stays with you for many more years!

Hugs,
Leslie

StarDeb55
01-20-2010, 05:32 PM
Glynda, yes, you do know the answer. I mean Chew is now my 3rd straight problem child, starting with Barkley, so why should he be any different than the first 2. I'm just glad he does not have Cushing's. My feeble memory has enough trouble remembering his allergy shot every 2 weeks, to the point I have reminders posted in about 3 different places, including my schedule on my computer. I tried to screw the last injection up so bad, I nearly gave him double the dose that he's supposed to get. The only thing that saved it was I guess I had actually placed the needle in the skin I had pulled up on his shoulder, & put the needle clear through the other side because the next thing I know, I feel the anti-serum running all over my hand as I'm injecting. That's the first time in 9 months that I totally botched one of his shots, & it's a good thing. I'm peeved about it though as the wasted injection was basically one month's worth of shots.

Debbie

StarDeb55
02-04-2010, 09:58 PM
We did a little trip for weight checks today on both dogs. I'm happy to report that Chewy is back up to where he should be, now that Mom is feeding him enough groceries.

Today: 20.7 lbs
3 weeks ago: 17.4 lbs

Time to stop the extra food as I do not want him gaining any more weight, 20 is just about right. I'm seriously considering a recheck with the derm vet as Chewy has now been on allergy shots for about 10 months. There is absolutely no improvement in the area of thinning hair & bald patches that led to the allergy testing almost a year ago. In fact, when he was out in the sun, going into the vet's office, that streak of thin hair down the middle of his back may be even slightly worse as I could clearly see his skin. The trip to the derm vet may have to wait until next month as his brother's stim is due at the end of this month.

Debbie

lulusmom
02-05-2010, 05:04 PM
Deb, glad to hear that Chewy is back to what you think is a good weight for him. If only I could get back to the weight that I think is right for me. :D

I had missed your prior post back in January and got a real kick out of your story about how well you gave Chewy his last allergy shot. OMG, did I laugh. I also cringed but evidently it didn't bother Chewy one bit. Any chance that your boy might have alopecia x?

StarDeb55
02-05-2010, 08:15 PM
Oh, CRAP!!!:(:eek::p I just "googled" canine alopecia x, & guess what the treatment of choice appears to be right now, trilostane.

Debbie

lulusmom
02-05-2010, 11:19 PM
That's right and if you read the two or three abstracts of studies that are published, I believe all of the dogs had elevated levels of progesterone. Oddly enough, an overwhelming majority of dogs had regrowth of coat within six months and some responded as quickly as 4 to 6 weeks. This is confusing stuff huh?

StarDeb55
02-17-2010, 07:34 PM
After taking a really close look at Chewy's tail & stripe of thinning hair down the middle of his back, I have decided that I want Dr. Lewis, my derm vet, to take another look at this situation. I made the appointment for the end of March as Harley's stim is due in another week & Mom can't afford both vet bills in the same month. By the time we go, Chew will have been on allergy injections for about 8 1/2 months, & it's my opinion that there should be some improvement by now. Chewy's beautiful Lhasa tail is now missing about 1/2 of it's hair, & is rapidly becoming an ugly, rat tail. After I saw that, I decided to make the appointment.

Debbie

BestBuddy
02-18-2010, 01:41 AM
Hi Debbie,

I agree that you should have seem some improvement after 8 1/2 months of the injections. I have never gone through this with a dog but I work with a lady who has just started allergy injections and she was told about 2-6 months for improvement.

Jenny

StarDeb55
02-18-2010, 07:19 AM
I should have added that overall Chewy is definitely better with the injections. He has had no ear infections. The pads on his paws were always just screaming red, & he was licking/chewing them constantly. His paw licking has decreased by 80%, & the pads are just barely pink, now, so I know the shots have helped.

Debbie

frijole
02-18-2010, 08:06 AM
Deb, Wow you have had your hands full. I think the "dog gods" must identify suckers and give the sick ones to those that will take good care of them. That is a compliment. :p Glad Chewie is getting some relief. K

lulusmom
02-18-2010, 11:41 AM
Lulu wants Chewy to know that being bald is not that bad but it gets cold sometimes. :D

BestBuddy
02-18-2010, 04:32 PM
Just wondering...back to the human and allergy injections sorry. This lady having the injections is only having 3 or 5 or something like that of the things that cause her problems. If she finishes this course of injections then she can have another set of things in an in injection to try to completely clear up the problem.

I think what I am trying to say is that if Chewy is doing better but not 100% then maybe there are other allergens causing problems that are not being injected against. Are you only treating for certain things?

Jenny

StarDeb55
02-18-2010, 06:08 PM
Jenny, as far as I know, Chew's anti-sera was formulated to cover everything he tested positive for on his skin testing last spring. You have raised a very good point, though, & I will do my best to remember to ask my derm vet.

Debbie

StarDeb55
03-20-2010, 12:57 AM
Since I really don't have a whole lot to report on either of my boys, I thought I would drop a quick note on Chewy. I have bitten the bullet & have an appointment to take him to see Dr. Lewis, my derm vet, on 3/26. I would like to get to the bottom of this hair loss issue, if it's even possible, so I thought I would let my favorite vet get a look at him since it's been nearly 9 months since Dr. L put him on allergy shots. If there's not a whole lot that can be done for Chewy except to maintain his allergy injections, then I need to start trying to scrape together the money for the little snot to have a dental. I do mean scrape as the GP sent me an estimate of about $700.

Debbie

I'm sitting thinking to myself, "Holy Crap, did I ever think I would see the day that I could say I knew a derm vet, much less had a long-standing relationship with one!"

Harley PoMMom
03-20-2010, 01:11 AM
Harley's bill ~ dental cleaning, 2 Oral X-Rays, meds, and with 3 extractions was $474.97. Yea, alot of money, but I really didn't think it was too bad of a price.

Best of luck to you and Chewy.

Love and hugs,
Lori

StarDeb55
03-25-2010, 02:52 PM
Chewy is back from seeing Dr. Lewis, my derm vet. Dr. Lewis still thinks that a lot of the hair loss issue is allergy related. Along those lines, we are going to try a new topical product that they have been using in their practice that has show pretty remarkable results. It is a lipid based product you "dot on" the areas of thinning hair. The lipid should help restore the lipid layer in the skin to improve the skin's natural barrier. I wasn't aware of this, but Dr. L explained that in atopic dogs the lipid layer in the skin is biochemically abnormal which makes it more prone to breakdown, & the subsequent problems that entails.

Now, to alopecia X. Dr. L will not rule it out, so we will be starting a trial run of melatonin + flaxseed oil. I was explaining about the flaxhulls, & Dr. L laughed, said "You are making this a lot more difficult then I want it to be, so just get the Barlean's." We did discuss the use of trilostane to treat alopecia X. I told him that, IMO, that was way to harsh a treatment for simple hair loss with too many risks. He was in total agreement, & said that his practice absolutely will not use trilo to treat alopecia. Several interesting things were discussed including one of his partners dabbling with using a very low dose of ketoconazole to treat alopecia & is seeing a fair amount of success. He said that it really is almost a holistic type dose with minimal risk that is usually associated with keto. During the discussion of trilostane use, in general, I mentioned that based on what we've seen in our group, I'm not totally convinced that trilo is the "magic bullet" for Cushing's. He is in agreement. In fact , he said that there are a lot of IMS vets that are coming to that conclusion, also, & are switching back to lysodren. He did mention that Dr. Feldman, et. al, at Davis appear to be backing off a whole hearted endorsement of trilo, too. I made the comment that we keep hearing that lysodren production is going to be discontinued. Dr. L said that he had heard that, too, but he heard it from the trilo rep. Geez, everyone has their own agenda.:rolleyes: I can't quote you any references to what we discussed, but I thought a number of you would find his comments very interesting.

Forgot, they also did a skin scrape to make sure that Chewy is not dealing with demodex. It was negative. Last but not least, Dr. L wanted to know if I've finally gotten over the possibility the Chew may have Cushing's. I told him that I'm totally over it as last fall's labwork looked great, no elevated liver enzymes, etc. I have moved on from having 3 dogs with Cushing's. It goes without saying that we are now looking at 3-4 month of a waiting game to see if my poor boy will start regrowing hair.

Debbie

Bonus, we got out of there for <$125. YAHOOO!!!!

lulusmom
03-25-2010, 04:00 PM
Debbie, not sure if I told you this but I listened to a lecture given by Dr. David Bruyette and he said that the best treatment for a bald Pomeranian (alopecia X) is a sweater. After everything I've been through with Lulu, I tend to agree with that statement. :D I recently ran into a woman with a little male Pom that was bald like Lulu. His only symptom was hair loss. His vet ruled out cushing' and hypothyroidism and ultimately diagnosed alopecia X. He told her that the problem was cosmetic and that dogs don't have a problem with vanity, people do. :D

Dr. Feldman and Dr. Bruyette, two very well known experts, have differing opinions as to the most effective treatments. I would be very interested to hear Dr. Feldman's current take on Trilostane. His original take was that it was very good but stressed that it does have side effects, including making a lot of dogs addisonian. He admitted to preferring Lysodren because that's what he's prescribed for over 35 years but felt it was great that vets now had two very effective treatments available to them. Dr. Bruyette is sold on Trilostane and only uses Lysodren if absolutely necessary. In the lecture I listened to he admitted to using Lysodren only four or five times in a year or longer. That's a negligible amount considering the number of dogs he sees in a year...we are talking thousands.

Dr. Feldman lectures his students that Anipryl, in capital letters, does not work for cushing's and refers students to the FDA website to read the studies for themselves to decide if they think it should have been approved by the FDA. Dr. Feldman doesn't think the FDA should have approved it. Dr. Bruyette, being the developer or Anipryl, admits it's limitations and prescribes it for dogs with mild symptoms and I believe those dogs whose owners cannot afford the testing. What are laymen like us to believe?

lulusmom
03-25-2010, 04:08 PM
I forgot to comment on vets switching back to Lysodren. I wonder if this is happening because of the high number of adverse effects when following Dechra's recommended dosing. UC Davis flushed Dechra's recommendations because of the disparity in dosing and developed their own protocol, as has Dr. Bruyette.

labblab
03-25-2010, 04:32 PM
Glynda, I know you've been listening to Dr. Bruyette's taped lectures a lot lately, and do you know what he's currently recommending as a once-daily starting dose? Per his 2009 video on our "Resources" forum, he states that it is 5 mg./kg., which is even much higher than Dechra's current range. I'm wondering whether he's revised that recommendation recently?

http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=231

(And my apologies to Debbie for hijacking Chewy's thread...)

Marianne

P.S. OOPS! Never mind -- I was thinking he said 5 mg./lb. instead of 5 mg./kg. -- so he's right in the middle of Dechra's published 1-3 mg./lb. range...

StarDeb55
03-25-2010, 04:43 PM
Dr. L also mentioned the possibility of using cyclosporin. He said that one of the side effects of cyclo is hair will regrow. I kind of frowned & said I don't think so. Again, way to harsh for simple hair loss, IMO. I, also, do not trust cyclosporin since it's a major immune system suppressant. Barkley was on it for years for his allergies, & it did him a world of good. The thing is that you will never, ever convince me that this long-term immune system suppression wasn't the cause of the lymphoma developing. I did tell him that if this is, indeed, alopecia X, & Chew continues to lose more hair, he's just going to have to wear a sweater, if he gets too cold. His hair loss doesn't bother him, just bothers Mom, & Mom will have to learn to get over it.

Debbie

lulusmom
03-25-2010, 04:55 PM
Debbie, the good news is that our babies will always have hair on their heads and feet so nobody will ever know if you keep em in sweaters.

Marianne, I could have sworn that I heard Dr. Bruyette say that everybody starts anywhere from 5mg to 10mg. I'll have to go back and see if that was the actual dose or if it was mg/kg or mg/lb. Will report back later.

Franklin'sMum
03-26-2010, 11:11 AM
Hi Debbie,
About the flax seed oil- I used that for a time with Franklin and accidently increased his triglyceride level. I realise you're well aware of oils, and effects they can have, but just thought I'd pass it along.
Jane, Franklin and Bailey xxx
________
GracefulDoll (http://www.girlcamfriend.com/cam/GracefulDoll/)

StarDeb55
03-26-2010, 03:15 PM
Thanks, Jane! Even though the derm vet wanted me to use the oil, Chewy is going on flaxhulls, right along with Harley. I am very careful with any additional oil in both pup's diets as Harley has a pre-existing gallbladder condition, & he can't handle the extra fat.

Debbie

StarDeb55
07-08-2010, 01:49 PM
I haven't updated about Chewy in a very long time. He has been on the flax hulls +melatonin now for just about 4 months, along with his twice a month allergy injections. He was groomed about a week ago, & I see absolutely no improvement in his bald spot or the areas of thinning hair. I will have to learn to live with it. The good news is the shots are working as Chewy has not had an ear infection since he started them a little over a year ago.

His biggest problem, now, is weight. He gained 5 lbs. from Feb. to May. I WAS ABSOLUTELY HORRIFIED!! No wonder he's having trouble jumping on the bed. I could tell he had gained, but had no idea it was that much. You would swear I have been stuffing that boy's face 24/7, but I really haven't. His food/treats, everything has been cut way back. I would like to go for walks, but walks this time of year in Phoenix are almost out of the question. Even if we were to get going at 7AM, it still would be 90 or higher, & I will not take a pup out in that kind of heat.

Chewy is my mellow, fellow. Always happy, glad to see you, & cooperates for his eye drops, meds, & everything else. I sort of wish the little demon dog would take lessons from him.

Debbie

Bichonluver3
07-08-2010, 08:55 PM
Went to VCA West LA but Dr Bruyette was not listed as part of the staff. Any idea where he is? BTW Chloe with Atypical Cushings has very good results in the hair department on Melatonin and SDG flax hulls (ordered online)
Carrol

frijole
07-08-2010, 10:09 PM
Heh Deb - how about we take that extra 5 lbs and give 1/2 of it to Harley and 1/2 of it to Annie? Will that work? I know how you feel about weight surprises... Annie has always been 17-18 lbs so when my vet calculated lysodren dosage based on a weight of 14.5 lbs I told him no way! (poor guy) I took her in to be weighed again with me watching. He was right! Her cush belly masked the loss.... I am sure she is under 14 now.

You think you are on top of things and they still surprise ya. Just wanted you to know you aren't alone!!!

Roxee's Dad
07-08-2010, 10:26 PM
Glad to hear Chewy is doing well. Weight gain? I guess Chewy and I are in the same boat, I've gained a few pounds since I arrived in Phoenix. :o and yes it is a bit warm outside. :)

StarDeb55
08-02-2010, 10:28 PM
I'M CRYING, SCREAMING, SWEARING, & anything else you can think of at the moment. Chewy jumped off the bed about 430 this afternoon, squealed, I jumped up as I was laying down, also. I didn't see how he landed, but he immediately came up lame in his right rear knee. We just got back from the ER clinic & the ER vet is fairly confident that Chewy has blown the cruciate ligament in that knee. I have tentative ortho consult scheduled with their surgeon Thursday morning, dependent on whether my GP vet can give this woman his seal of approval. Now, my Cushing's twitcher for this boy is starting to kick in, again, after Dr. Lewis convinced me last fall that Cushing's wasn't going to be his problem.

You talk about "BEEN THERE, DONE THAT", this will be part 3 as Barkley had to go to surgery twice for a cruciate ligament repair. The 3 of us can't catch a break!!!:eek::o:mad:

Debbie

frijole
08-02-2010, 10:34 PM
I'm crying with ya. Soooooooooooo sorry. This just isn't fair. You are such a good mom. Pls give him a big hug.

Roxee's Dad
08-02-2010, 11:08 PM
Debbie,
I am so sorry for all of you :( As you know, I've been there and done that with Roxee.

Don't let Chewy 3 leg it too much. I don't know what I was thinking when I was letting Rozee 3 leg it (I guess too much) and she ruined her other knee within a few days. At 15 and trachea complications, , I can not put her through another surgery. :( Rozee's Wheels should be here within the next day or two.

Use a towel or something to support his hind end while he is out doing his business. Save that other knee.

Hoping for the best for Chewy.

frijole
08-02-2010, 11:16 PM
oh John. :(

Aren't we quite the group? We need a forum just to help ourselves for crying out loud.

Group Hug.

Roxee's Dad
08-02-2010, 11:19 PM
Ya...a big group hug.......and a glass or two of a nice wine would help.:o

frijole
08-02-2010, 11:25 PM
Ya...a big group hug.......and a glass or two of a nice wine would help.:o

or a big jug and some straws?

Bichonluver3
08-02-2010, 11:49 PM
I'm with ya' - where's that wine??
Been through the cruciate ligament thing with Miss Chloe and it was 'cruciatin ("excruciating" - sorry, I had to do it:o) for me as well. Know what your going through and am so sorry for Chewy. But he's in the best hands with the best mom. Hang in there.
Lots of healing energy and white light from our house to yours.
Hugs & tail wags,
Carrol & Chloe

StarDeb55
08-03-2010, 12:33 AM
This is not my first time around the block with a cruciate rupture. Barkley had that one, too. He had to go to surgery twice. You can understand why I just kind of moaned/groaned when those words came out of the ER vet. I did not expect him to eat tonight, but he absolutely will not accept a drink. It's all of narcotics he's been given, I'm sure. I'm going to give him anothe tramadol in a minute as he simply lays in bed, & whines/pants, he's hurting so bad. They told me not to let him get in bed, but I put him in bed anyway, as he will be more comfortable, less stressed. I know that I will be jumping out of bed anytime he even stirs during the night, so I don't think he's going to be jumping. Frankly, he's telling me, "Mom, I hurt light CRAP, right now, I do not want to move. Please fix it!"

I'm going to go ahead & risk a whole tramadol because he's miserable right now, & if it knocks him out, so much the better.

Debbie

Bichonluver3
08-03-2010, 12:25 PM
God bless you! I know the frustration and pain that YOU must be going through as well. It's the same as with kids - one thing after another - but at least the kids can tell you what they are feeling. You are right about the waking up. Chloe is again sleeping in our bed and I wake up at the slightest movement. I hope, however, that you are getting enough sleep for yourself. Is there some way to restrain or contain him in bed as an extra safety measure? What are the plans re not eating & drinking? We are there with you. Please keep us updated on even the smallest thing.
Lots of healing love,
Carrol & Chloe

Squirt's Mom
08-03-2010, 01:17 PM
So, so sorry to hear this! We are having to watch Squirt's left leg for possible ACL injury but hopefully it has just been under too much strain with the right knee messed up. The doc is hoping as her right leg strengthens, the left will be less stressed and improve Time will tell!

I hope all goes well with Chewy. You have certainly had your hands full!

All our best,
Leslie and the girls - always

PS. Add a straw in that jug for me! :p

StarDeb55
08-03-2010, 01:37 PM
Chewy is drinking a little which is a relief. He ate a bit of breakfast, but most of it came back up. The one thing I realized this morning is that the fool ER vet did not send me home with any anti-inflammatory. I kind of thought this would be basic ER care. You have an orthopedic injury, you treat with Rimadyl & something for pain control. Anyway, the surgeon's tech called earlier & she is going to have the Rimadyl waiting for me. I'm stressed because I know the poor guy is in pain & not comfortable. He was using that leg just a little last night, but this morning, he's not using the leg at all.

Debbie

StarDeb55
08-03-2010, 06:48 PM
I finally talked to my regular vet this afternoon. He know nothing about the surgeon at the clinic Chewy was at last night, & would prefer that Chewy see Dr. Dixon at Az Vet Specialists, so we have an appointment at 9AM in the morning. I'm not sure how well he's doing as I was gone most of the afternoon to my own Dr.'s appointment. I will say he does seem less agitated as of now. The vets at the ER clinic think the agitation last night may have been a drug reaction to the tramadol, & not so much pain related. So no more tramadol, & we are switching to Rimadyl this afternoon.

Debbie

frijole
08-03-2010, 06:56 PM
Thinking of you and yours hoping things are better today. Tramadol was the scariest night of my life... Haley took it and the first time I went with the recommended dosage and it was clearly too much. We ended up with a dog that looked like she was on major drug high and topped it off with having diarrhea all over the house... she pace all night too so she tracked it all over. :eek: I think most go with 1/2 recommended dose.

Hope this other doc you are seeing is just what you are looking for and give Chewy some relief.

gpgscott
08-03-2010, 07:38 PM
Deb,

Sorry to hear about the knee issue with Chew.

Rimadyl should be a good anti inflam, but you probably still need a pain med, if tramadol is not a good one for Chew maybe acepromazine?

Hoping the knee is not blown and that a medical treatment and rest does the trick.

Scott

Bichonluver3
08-03-2010, 09:31 PM
It's always somethin' with these kids!!:rolleyes:
Just two things to share:
1. I not only believe every dog I see has Cushings but when I start to look at birds flying by, I really know I'm in trouble:D
2. In nursing school, there was 1 girl who hated giving injections. We were being tested on our clinical skills and when it was her turn, as she was going to inject the needle, she turned away and it went through her hand between the thumb and index finger.:eek: So you see you are still way ahead!!!
Laughs & hugs,
Carrol & Chloe

StarDeb55
08-03-2010, 10:12 PM
The rimadyl seems to have done the trick. Chew got it about 4 PM, & he acts like he is way more comfortable. He is not laying here whimpering, whining, panting like last night, so I do think he had a reaction to the tramadol.

I may be jumping the gun going to the surgeon tomorrow, but after going through this with Barkley, I have serious doubts about conservative management. I'm trying really hard to keep an open mind, especially since my GP vet told me on the phone that the surgery will probably run $2000-$2500.

Debbie

frijole
08-03-2010, 10:15 PM
Glad the rimadyl is working. Hang in there. They are worth it. It is the heartaches and worry that are hardest... as you well know. Give Chewy a hug. Kim

StarDeb55
08-04-2010, 01:42 PM
We just got back from the surgeon. As much as I & my pocketbook hate to admit it, I feel that a surgical repair of that knee is Chew's best bet for his long term outlook. He will be going to surgery 1 week from today.

I just wish their medical expenses were tax deductible.

Debbie

frijole
08-04-2010, 01:58 PM
We just got back from the surgeon. As much as I & my pocketbook hate to admit it, I feel that a surgical repair of that knee is Chew's best bet for his long term outlook. He will be going to surgery 1 week from today.

I just wish their medical expenses were tax deductible.

DebbieOr at least we could use the expenses from a health savings plan! I know!!! :eek::cool::confused::rolleyes:

Keep us posted

Bichonluver3
08-04-2010, 02:37 PM
Me too, after our Sparky swallowed a latex glove:eek: Yes - a whole glove!! Surgery plus ICU the next weekend foe gastritis $3000!!! I even wrote a letter to AARP telling them us older folks could use a deduction on animal care and to stop sending me invitations to join until they did.:mad:
Will be pulling for you next week. Know everything will be fine for your baby. He's a trooper for sure.
Love,
Carrol & Chloe

StarDeb55
08-04-2010, 07:52 PM
In case anyone is interested or might have use for a good dog sling, I have found these on a web search:

http://k9caddie.com/index.html

I was unsure about the proper size for Chew, so put in a call to them. They called me right back, explained what their 2 products are, & how to size Chewy properly. The rep on the phone was very helpful. I tried the towel sling on Tues. morning. It was a disaster. Chewy didn't understand, the towel really wasn't long enough to allow me to stand up straight, so I gave up.

Debbie

Roxee's Dad
08-04-2010, 08:55 PM
The towel thing didn't work too well for me either. Ended up using a reusable grocery bag as Mary Ann suggested. Cut off the ends but left the center section with the handles. Worked pretty well but I still had to stoop over because Rozee is so short.

Finally ended up using a long scarf with a small towel wrapped and taped around the center section. Scarf was much longer and I had brought it with me from TN but where are you going to find a scarf in AZ this time of year :o

BestBuddy
08-04-2010, 10:42 PM
This might not work as well for a boy dog.:eek:

I used one just like this for Phoebe and it was soft enough for her to sleep in it and I just picked up the handles to take her outside and it was so easy.

I got mine of ebay and I am sure there are sellers in all countries.

http://www.petitude.com.au/Items/hjld-aj-bk?&caSKU=hjld-aj-bk&caTitle=PORTABLE%20SLING%20CARRIER%20HARNESS%20VES T%20Pet%20Dog%20BLACK

Jenny

frijole
08-04-2010, 10:59 PM
This might not work as well for a boy dog.:eek:

I used one just like this for Phoebe and it was soft enough for her to sleep in it and I just picked up the handles to take her outside and it was so easy.

I got mine of ebay and I am sure there are sellers in all countries.

http://www.petitude.com.au/Items/hjld-aj-bk?&caSKU=hjld-aj-bk&caTitle=PORTABLE%20SLING%20CARRIER%20HARNESS%20VES T%20Pet%20Dog%20BLACK

Jenny

How cute! These contraptions are just amazing. Hope Chewy is doing OK today Deb. You too!

StarDeb55
08-04-2010, 11:47 PM
This company makes a "unisex' sling, along with a male pup sling that has a "urination station". The boy's sling is the one I purchased.

Kim, you talk about your vet bills being out of control. I'm right there with you, girlfriend. It's been about 12 years since I went through this with B, as I have already mentioned. Anyway, surgical techniques have much improved, of course, so what they did for B has really fallen out of favor. The surgeon said he will still, occasionally, do this old school repair, but not often. What they do now is shave off the top of the tibia, so they can realign that bone as close to a 90 degree angle with the femur as they can get it, usually >80 degrees, at that point, they plate/pin the 2 bones across the knee which stabilizes everything. The knee is still functional, so the pup walks fine, but the 2 bones are no longer sliding back & forth against each other which is what the damaged cartilage causes. Right now, from Mon. night's x-rays, the angle of those 2 bones on Chew is only at 61 degrees. After the surgeon explained this to me, & how much movement this is causing in his knee, I went ahead & scheduled the surgery. My GP vet told me, probably, $2000-$2500, let's up that by another $1000. He will have to stay overnight. I called work right away, we we got back, so I can have next Weds. off. My normal days off are Thurs.-Fri., so you know what I will be doing on my days off.

Debbie

StarDeb55
08-05-2010, 08:21 PM
The Chew man feels so darn good tonight that he's trying to toss around his toys even with that gimpy leg. I've been hollering at him for over an hour that he has to knock it off. I hate to pick up all of his "babies" as they are kind of his security blanket, but, dang it, I don't want him wracking that knee up any worse, nor trashing his good knee.

Debbie

StarDeb55
08-09-2010, 10:21 PM
We are at 2 days & counting until surgery on Weds. Chewy acts like he feels pretty good, even with the gimpy knee, so I guess the rimadyl is doing the trick. The really good news is that all of his pre-op blood work they did last week was absolutely normal. YEAH!!! Mom can breathe, again, as I was sweating bullets about Cushing's with this boy since Barkley's cruciate rupture is what led to his Cushing's diagnosis due to abnormal pre-op labs.

Debbie

lulusmom
08-10-2010, 02:31 AM
Yay, normal bloodwork. Some people just wouldn't understand that normal bloodwork is exciting for folks like us. :D

frijole
08-10-2010, 06:33 AM
Congrats Deb. Great news. Kim

StarDeb55
08-11-2010, 03:08 PM
Chewy went for his surgery this AM. From what the tech said, she thought that they probably wouldn't get started until late morning as Dr. Dixon had a couple of appointments & other procedures before Chew. They will call me when he's done. I will admit that I'm just a bit nervous.

Debbie

Roxee's Dad
08-11-2010, 03:28 PM
We're right there with you. Keeping him in my thoughts all day. He's a tough boy, he will be okay!

Keep us posted with updates.

Harley PoMMom
08-11-2010, 03:33 PM
Sending tons of positive energy your way for an uneventful surgery for Chewy and a speedy recovery. Will be waiting anxiously with you for Chewy's next update.

Love and hugs,
Lori

labblab
08-11-2010, 04:57 PM
Well wishes coming from me, too!

Marianne

StarDeb55
08-11-2010, 06:48 PM
Dr. Dixon called about an hour ago. Everything went according to plan, & at that point, Chew was coming around from the anesthesia. I called back & talked to the tech, he was fully awake by that time, & had been extubated, resting comfortable in his cage. They really wanted to know about pain meds since I was not on board with the tramadol. Dr. Dixon said that they had a second med which usually doesn't cause a problem. I told the tech to go ahead & use the 2nd med as I, absolutely, did not want him in pain. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name right now, but will let you know as they will be sending Chewy home with some + the rimadyl.

Hopefully, I can go get him around 9AM tomorrow. He's not going to be a happy boy as sleeping in bed is now OFF LIMITS, along with jumping on the furniture. Fortunately, I'm still off on Friday, so if I have to sleep on the floor with him tomorrow night, so be it.

Thanks everyone for the good vibes for my big boy, & keep them coming!

Debbie

frijole
08-11-2010, 06:58 PM
Just seeing this Deb - great news so far. Yep, us "cushing angels" were with you and Chewy all day so not to fear. You are obviously a great mom to sleep on the floor with Chewy Monster. :) Hope it all goes smoothly. Keep us posted and give him a big hug. Kim

acushdogsmom
08-11-2010, 07:06 PM
Hey Deb!

Glad to hear that the surgery went as planned and that hopefully he can come home with you tomorrow morning.

My non-Cush pup has had orthopedic surgery - twice! It was patellar surgery, so not the same surgical procedure, but the recovery time at home after the surgery was likely very much the same as what you'll be dealing with. And I wanted to mention that we found a way that our boy could sleep on the bed with us. We had an air mattress that we used to use in situations like that (whenever we needed to sleep on the floor with the dog) but the air mattress had a hole in it when we went to set it up after his surgery.

So what we did instead was this ... we tied a leash to the bed frame (under the mattress) and then threaded the leash up and onto the bed, then attached the leash to his harness. The way we did it, he could move around a little bit on the bed but he could not get to the edges of the mattress and could not jump off the bed, so it was safe for him to sleep with us even on the day we brought him home from the surgery. Maybe you can try something like that?

StarDeb55
08-11-2010, 10:08 PM
Just got an update from the overnight tech, Chewy is fully awake, looking around, probably thinking, "What in the devil did that old woman do to me???":(:confused: I asked the tech how many patients she had to look after tonight, my boy is the only one, & she readily admitted that there will be a little spoiling going on. I laughed, told her to go for it, she did say that he's not much interested in his kibble. I told her that whatever soft food that she could get him to eat was fine as I know with the pain meds, he needs to eat something. She will call me about 10PM, so I can rest easily. By the way, the alternate pain med is torbitrol or something like that.

Debbie

frijole
08-11-2010, 10:18 PM
Great news. You need to get some shut eye tonight since you'll be sleeping on the floor in the near future. ;) You are right - I bet he is thinking dang first I hurt my leg, she brings me here and dumps me off, they poke and prod, I take a nap and wake up and I'm still here?!!! So long as the pain meds keep him comfy. Hope the nurse spoils him rotten tonight. Kim

Roxee's Dad
08-11-2010, 10:59 PM
Glad Chewy is recovering and awake....very good sign. He's a tough little guy but I'm sure he can't wait to get back home to be spoiled by mommy.

Squirt's Mom
08-12-2010, 11:47 AM
Glad to hear Chewy is doing so well. I understand what a stress this has been for you and what a relief that phone call was.

My best wishes for a swift and uneventful recovery!
Leslie

StarDeb55
08-12-2010, 02:10 PM
The Chew man is HOME!!!! YEAH!!!! He hasn't been worrying the incision on his leg at all, so hopefully, we don't have to use that stinkin' e-collar. The tech & I tried to get the sling I ordered on him once we were outside. He stands there, looking like, "What in the crap is this???:p:rolleyes: I tried walking a couple of steps forward to get him to walk with it, & he started struggling, so off came the sling. I guess we will just stay with his leash on potty breaks, as I don't want him struggling in that sling & hurting himself. Staples will come out on 8/23/10.

Bad Mom forgot his eye drops yesterday, so the vet techs, God bless them, went next door to the eye clinic to get eye wash & drops to clean & lubricate his eyes. Right now, his eyes are probably in worse shape than rest of him, so I need to get that under control ASAP.

Debbie

Roxee's Dad
08-12-2010, 02:16 PM
The Chew man is HOME!!!!

Woo Hoo.... I'll bet he is very happy to be home and in familiar surroundings. Like I said, he's a tough little guy and doesn't think he needs no stinkin sling ;):)

Hope he has a good rest today, keep us posted.

StarDeb55
08-12-2010, 07:29 PM
CRAP!! He's slipped out the dog door on me twice. I just got Chewy up to go get supper. I didn't take him outside as he had been out an hour ago when I got home from my guitar lesson. The next thing I know, I'm in the kitchen, I thought both boys were right there. Harley's there, but I hear the flap on the dog door slap. I go tearing back to the arcadia door to get it open, so Chew is not hopping up through the dog door. I think Mr. Stubborn is bound & determined to show me that he can go pee by himself. He's been very good the two times I've taken him out. We walk out to the grass, he does his thing, & we go back in. I almost can't cut off the dog door because if Harley can't get out, Harley will pee in the house. Chew ate his dinner with gusto as he did not eat at all yesterday. I will cut him some slack for a couple of days, & give him the Merrick's canned, then he goes back on his kibble.

Debbie

StarDeb55
08-13-2010, 12:44 AM
I have my fingers crossed about the e-collar. I have caught the Chew man licking on his knee a couple of times tonight. I tell him a very firm "NO!", & push his head away. He kind of gives me a guilty look, but really does quit bothering his leg, & will leave it alone for several hours. I'm hoping it's just a case of his itchy, allergy skin, & once we get him back on his antihistamine, & supplements for his skin, this, too, shall pass. I, also, missed his allergy injection last week because of the uproar with his injury, so he will get his shot tomorrow, & I think that will help, too. I will not hesitate to use the e-collar, if I have to.

Debbie

StarDeb55
08-13-2010, 01:23 PM
Chewy is doing really good. He seems to want to try to use that leg a little today. The vet tech said to let him use it when he decides he wants to try. I took a chance as I know my big guy pretty good, & put him in bed with me last night, as he very seldom will get up in the middle of the night. Sure enough, he slept straight through until about 530 this morning. He had to have a potty break at that point. I think it's just better if he can sleep in bed as he will be happier & more comfortable, just generally less stress for him. Harley is the one who gets up in the middle of the night, sometimes more than once!:(:rolleyes::p

Thanks to everyone from both Chewy & me for the good vibes, well wishes! With surgery done, we're half way home. We've got 2 months of rest, quiet, & restrictions before we know that everything is good to go.

Debbie

frijole
08-13-2010, 02:03 PM
Deb - I am enjoying the updates! Chewy is obviously a fighter and a trooper in this. His personality is showing thru his actions and it is cute.

I gotta tell you though - based on what you have described... getting that guy to agree to 2 months of rest, quiet, & restrictions is going to be one TOUGH job. Chewy will challenge you every step of the way. :D;) I have no advice other than keep doing what you are doing! Glad he is so perky.

Roxee's Dad
08-13-2010, 02:13 PM
Hi Debbie,
Glad to hear a good report on Chewy. :D:D:D 2 months will fly by before you know it and by that time it should be cooler outside :D

StarDeb55
08-13-2010, 02:26 PM
Kim, as John will attest, Chew is demonstrating some pretty typical "Lhasatude". Lhasa's are great dogs, but they can be stubborn as you know what. Barkley was the same way.

debbie

Roxee's Dad
08-13-2010, 05:35 PM
but they can be stubborn as you know what

But that is part of their personality that makes them so special. Rozee has that stubborn streak in her. If she doesn't get what she wants she moans and groans and it just keeps getting louder. If all else fails, she stamps her front paws snorts and barks at me! :p:D


"Lhasatude"

I like that...I may have to borrow that term.;):)

Roxee's Dad
08-13-2010, 11:49 PM
How is the tough guy doing tonight?

StarDeb55
08-14-2010, 01:32 AM
John, he's really good. He seems to be doing a little more weight bearing as the day has progressed. I know I told you that I had been picking him up from his left side since he got hurt. He really lets me know, now, when I try to pick him up & get anywhere near that knee/leg. It's kind of funny, he's on the bed, I'll ask him if he needs to get down, he'll stand up, so I can reach in under him to lift him off the bed. If I reach to far or in the wrong place, he will just collapse in a heap on the bed, to let me know that I was doing it wrong. Letting him sleep on the bed may end up being a problem in the long run, as once he develops a little more confidence in the strength of that knee, I have a feeling he may try to jump down, but I will just have to play that by ear. I am back to work tomorrow, but have left him in the playpen a couple of times for about 3 hours or so since he got home, & he has been fine. He's very anxious when I get home for me to get him out. I have his leash right there, where I tell him, "No, sit", & he waits for me to reach over & get the leash on him. I have to do this as he normally will just bolt out of that playpen when he's cut loose to either go outside or look for one of his toys.

Debbie

StarDeb55
08-14-2010, 08:37 PM
I, now, am dealing with a stubborn 2 year old. This is good because it means that Chewy feels really well. This is bad:(:mad: as he can't be tearing around for 2 months. In the first 15 minutes after getting home, the Chew man gave every indication that he was going to jump up on the bed, if I hadn't been there to yell at him, he probably would have. I'm going to have to take all his stuffed toys or as we call them, his babies, away from him as he grabbed one this afternoon, started beating the tar out of it, & throwing it around. I ran over, tried to take it away from him, & now, I'm in a game of tug of war over the baby. I let go, Chewy let go in a couple of minutes, so I grabbed the toy, & put it up. I'm now going through the house trying to find all of his secret stash points for toys. I think it's going to be a long 2 months.

debbie

frijole
08-14-2010, 08:42 PM
:D oh Chewy :D

:)

AlisonandMia
08-14-2010, 09:05 PM
Maybe some melatonin may help him mellow out?

Alison

StarDeb55
08-14-2010, 09:23 PM
He was actually due for his pain pill at supper, & that along with the melatonin seems to have quieted him down. As good as he seems to feel, I'm not exactly sure he really needed that pain pill, but I figured if it zonked him out, that would would be good. He has been on melatonin for about 4 months or so to try aid the alopecia, & I can't see where it's done anything for that.

Debbie

StarDeb55
08-16-2010, 11:15 PM
This will be the big guy's last update for a few days. He is doing terrific, too darn terrific! He thinks he is good to go. I have to watch him with my best pair of eagle eyes as he is now making every effort to jump up on the bed. He is so happy when I get home that I think I'm going to have to keep him on the leash for awhile until he calms down as he just wants to sprint around the house when I first get home. I have almost given up trying to stop him from going out the dog door. He really has only a small step down, & I do keep an eye on him & so far, he goes out, does his thing, & comes straight back inside. It may be a case of it's to darn hot outside to take a tour around the yard. As I said, I think it's going to be a long 2 months.

Debbie

Roxee's Dad
08-17-2010, 12:09 AM
Glad to hear he is doing so well. :D:D:D

Roxee's Dad
08-20-2010, 12:23 AM
How is Chewy these days? I would guess he is acting like nothing is wrong and wondering why he has to be confined.

StarDeb55
08-20-2010, 03:33 PM
Thanks for asking, John! He's still doing really well. I just wish I could convince him to slow down when I get home whether I'm home from work or running errands. He gets so excited to be let out of the pen. I experimented today, & did not put him on his leash when I got home. I won't be doing that, again, as he bolted to the kitchen. He seems to be pretty much full weight bearing on the leg with maybe just a hint of a limp. Staples come out Monday afternoon.

Debbie

StarDeb55
08-23-2010, 07:54 PM
YEAAAAHHHHH!!!!!

The Chew man got the staples out of his leg this afternoon. The top of the incision was a little irritated because I'm sure he's been licking on it. I have kept an eye on that while I'm at home & have made him quit when I catch him. When I'm gone for 10 hours or so at work, who knows what he's done?? The big man is doing great. He thinks he is in absolutely perfect shape, wants to do whatever he thinks he can, including jumping on the bed or furniture. Mom has to be the killjoy & follow him around, hollering, "NO, STOP!!! If you wreck several thousand dollars worth of surgery we both have had it!":mad::rolleyes::eek:

Debbie

Dollydog
08-23-2010, 10:47 PM
Sounds like good news and bad!!!
When Lady was recovering from reconstructive knee surgery (@ 18 months old) I had to keep her very quiet while the bones knit together. She had a home-made bandage/brace/harness to keep her away from the staples. When they came out I kept the b/b/h on, hoping to fool her into thinking that nothing had changed. As the weeks passed I would reduce the size and strength of the b/b/h. During this time we spent a LOT of time sitting on the couch!
Wishing you two all the best,
Jo-Ann

Franklin'sMum
08-24-2010, 04:08 AM
Hi Debbie,
So sorry I missed this news about Chewy, but thrilled that he's doing so well after his surgery :D. Have you ever watched "It's me or the dog" with Victoria Stilwell? May not work so well after a surgery, but when she's helping someone houetrain their pup, she tells them to attach the leash to their waist or wrist, so the pup is limited in their roaming around the house. Don't know if that would help Chewy's eagerness or playing with his babies, but figured I'd mention it :)
Hugs and healing thoughts from here to there,
Jane, Franklin and Bailey xxx

StarDeb55
09-09-2010, 09:18 PM
The big boy is progressing nicely. He's never been much of a wild man, so I pretty much let him do what he wants, now, except for no jumping up on ANYTHING! He's making more frequent motions that he would like to jump, but I'm right there, yelling at him to stop. We are 1 month post-op with one month to go. He's doing so well, I'm starting to let him have some of his babies back as long as he doesn't go crazy with them. He will be going to my regular vet next week as he needs his heartworm test, along with a repeat UA to check to see if he has any crystals. I do want my GP vet to take a look at him as the surgeon picked up a mild heart murmur on his physical exam, the week before surgery. The surgeon felt it was very mild, & he didn't hesitate to take him to surgery. At that time I called the GP's office, one of the girls went back through his records for 2 years, & there is nothing documented about a heart murmur. This looks like something new, & I want to make sure the GP knows about it.

Debbie

StarDeb55
10-15-2010, 02:37 PM
Chewy is doing ok. I know he misses Harley, even though he seems to have stopped actively looking for the little demon dog. Chew is dogging my tracks all the time I'm home as I know he's thinking, "My friend disappeared, so I want to make sure you don't disappear, too." I had to push back his recheck for his knee surgery a month as that appointment would run about $250, & with all of the expenses I've had in the last 6 weeks, I just couldn't handle it at the moment. It's not only Harley's final expenses, but I have had several major expenses for house things. He seems to be doing fine with the knee or I wouldn't have pushed the appointment back.

Debbie

StarDeb55
11-19-2010, 01:25 PM
Well, I have the first piece of good news for me & Chewy since he tore up his knee in early August. We finally went for his post-op follow-up with the surgeon. His knee looks great!! Everything has healed nicely, pins & plates are stable, so the big boy has been cleared to resume his normal activities. I had kind of been letting him do what he wanted for the past couple of weeks, but it's good to get it confirmed by the vet.

Debbie

Sabre's Mum
11-19-2010, 02:07 PM
Debbie

Fantastic news ... Chewy must be happy to be zipping around again!

Angela and Flynn

labblab
11-19-2010, 04:13 PM
Dear Debbie,

Big-time congrats to both you and Chewy!! :D :D

Please give him a hug for me, and send him off for a good romp! ;)

Marianne

frijole
11-19-2010, 05:35 PM
Chewy is a stud! Good going little guy. Mom is proud no doubt. Make sure she gives you plenty of treats and spoils you. ;) Great news Deb. Thanks for the update. xoxo Kim

Roxee's Dad
11-19-2010, 08:37 PM
Good news indeed :D:D:D:D

Tough little guy !

jrepac
11-20-2010, 02:29 PM
glad to hear he is doing well
it is amazing how quickly they can bounce back from these things, particularly when they are young; my Mandy had 2 cruciate ruptures...at age 6, then the 2nd at age 7. But, she came thru both surgeries with flying colors and was "flying" around the house all too fast!...LOL!:p

Jeff & Angel Mandy

StarDeb55
12-08-2010, 07:30 PM
Neither I nor Chewy can catch a break. When I got up this morning, the first thing I notice is Chew is shaking his head about every 5 seconds. My first thought, " CRAP, he's got an ear infection!" I sat on the floor with him, & did what I call the "look-smell" test. Picked up the left ear, nothing, looks good. Lifted the right ear, I didn't even bother smelling, the underside of his ear & the outside of his ear canal were screaming red. At 4AM, I can't do much for him. I called the derm clinic first thing after they opened, luckily Dr. Lewis can see him at 930 AM in the morning. Of course, since it's been well over a year, my "doggie pharmacy" has nothing to help with an ear infection, not even ear wash. I stopped at PetsMart on my way home & got some generic ear wash. Boy, did I clean some pretty yucky looking stuff out of that right ear. I am grateful as the big boy has been on allergy shots for something like 16 months, & this is the first ear infection he's had since the shots started, so the shots have been well worth it.

Debbie

Rebelsmom
12-08-2010, 10:11 PM
Wow Debbie sorry to hear that but glad the shots seem to be helping him. Sadie had an ear infection not that long ago that I didn't even know about. At her yearly checkup the vet saw it. Caught it early I guess cause she wasn't showing any symptoms yet. Had to give her drops and let the infection work it's way out. That was some nasty stuff. Hope he gets better soon.

StarDeb55
12-09-2010, 12:57 PM
I am frankly amazed, Chewy's ear is not infected even though it looks like crap. The swabs from both ears actually showed a tiny bit of bacteria in the left ear, & nothing in the bad right ear. Dr. Lewis feels that this is just a severe allergy flare-up, & put the big boy on short term steroids for 2 weeks to get this under control. Dr. Lewis knows how sensitive I am to the use of steroids, so he asks me immediately whether I'm going to have a problem using them. I told him that it's a short term deal, & I'm good with that. We will be washing ears twice a day with Epi-Otic, then daily for the second week. I am very glad that Chewy is my mellow fellow & tolerates just about anything you need to do for him.

I did get a chuckle when I was checking out. I told the girl at the desk, "Are you going to get me out of here for <$200?" She pulls up the charges, kind of grimaces, & tells me, just barely. The trip was $194. We both laughed & she asked me how I knew what it was going to cost. I told her that Dr. Lewis has been taking care of one allergy pup or another for me for probably 10 years, & I pretty much know what these trips for ear infections are going to cost.

Debbie

mypuppy
12-09-2010, 01:36 PM
Hi Debbie,
Seems Princess has yucky ears going on right now as your Chewy. Someone told me that cleaning their ears with apple cider vinegar works wonders for our babies. I did google it as well and it seems amazing how many ailments acv can help alleviate so I am going to try it on Princess. At this point it's worth a shot since the prescription medication doesn't seem to help too much. I am also going to try it on her pyoderma skin issue which has also not cleared after 2 rounds of different antibiotics. Stinks! I've used several ears cleansers on Princess and they seem so harsh on her to the point that her skin inside her ears peels off--ouch, Im guessing it's because of the alcohol content. hope you get those ears clean soon and back to normal and I will try the same. Warm regards. tight hugs. jeanette

lulusmom
12-09-2010, 02:27 PM
Hi Deb,

I'm sorry to hear that Chewy's long run with no ear infections hit a snag. My mom's toy poodle had constant ear infections until she used a great product called Vet's Best. She used it regularly and she swore by it. Bitsy's frequent trips to the vet were no longer necessary. I can't attest myself because ear infections are one thing my dogs don't get. Everything else but no ear problems. :D I just checked to see if I could find it online and got several hits right away. Apparently my mom is not the only satisfied customer because there are lots of rave reviews on Amazon and the Petco website. They also carry it at Vitacost (cheapest) which is where I used to purchase Lulu's lignans.

http://www.petco.com/product/6581/Vet-s-Best-Ear-Relief-Wash-and-Dry-for-Dogs-and-Cats.aspx

http://reviews.entirelypets.com/0528/nevebeearrew/reviews.htm

mypuppy
12-09-2010, 05:50 PM
Glynda,
Thanks for the info for my Princess as well since she is constantly suffering from ear infections herself as Debbie's Chewy. I started using the apple cider vinegar today after I posted earlier and see how that works out for her. otherwise I will look into your product. On another note, I have a friend who swears all of Primcess's issues are due to a slow thyroid?--something that has always been in question with me. Hope you and the babes are well and getting ready for the holidays. luv ya bunches. tightest hugs. jeanette

StarDeb55
12-09-2010, 07:17 PM
Chewy's ear is not infected. It's just a major allergy flare, so 2 weeks of steroids should take care of things.

Deb

bernie47
12-10-2010, 03:57 AM
Hi all , my girl natcho has allergy on paws and ears.. every year about this time ....it is summer here and pollen count is high.. our vet gave me Epi_Otic ear and skin cleanser.
And Dermotic ear suspension ...
My vet bill was $88.00 aust/ dollars...guess i was lucky !;)

StarDeb55
03-04-2011, 03:47 PM
Poor Chew hasn't had an update in a long time, so here goes. He told me last night his ears were hurting so I had to take him way up in North Scottsdale to see Dr. Lewis late this morning. His ears are full of wax, but just a little bit of yeast in one ear. We are simply going to keep his ears flushed for the next couple of weeks.

John saw Chewy at the end of January, & was pretty shocked as to how severe his hair loss is, now. We had previously checked his thyroid which was ok. I told John that Dr. Lewis thinks it may be a case of plain alopecia, & there's nothing that can be done. Chew went to my GP yesterday for a pre-procedure exam & labs for a dental next week. I made sure that his thyroid was going to be checked, again, just as a precaution. Well, guess what, his thyroid came back at 0.5. My GP is going to get the medication together & I will pick it up tomorrow. The GP felt that with the exacerbated hair loss that we might as well get the thyroid meds started, & see what happens. He thought that a free T4 was a waste of time since Chewy is obviously so symptomatic. In a way, I'm glad we finally have an answer because at the rate it was going, I was becoming concerned that Chewy was going to end up looking like Lulu's big brother. The labs are being faxed up to Dr. Lewis & I'm sure I will be hearing from him later today.

Debbie

StarDeb55
03-04-2011, 06:41 PM
Dr. Lewis' office called this afternoon, he want a free T4 done. Great, we'll go ahead & do it, but I'm still going to start the thyroid meds tomorrow. I looked up the the symptom of hypothyroid, & Chew has a bunch of them, so I have no problem in treating him. If the free T4 happens to come back normal, well we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

Debbie

AlisonandMia
03-04-2011, 07:03 PM
Hopefully it is a thyroid issue.

But it looks like dogs do get autoimmune alopecia just like humans: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14632797

Alison

lulusmom
03-04-2011, 07:27 PM
Oh Lordy, Chewy does not want to be Lulu's big brother...it is not pretty. :D

Deb, aside from the hair loss and ear infection, does Chewy have any other symptoms you'd see with low thyroid? I was concerned when you posted earlier that you were going to start Chewy on thyroid meds without doing a free T4 so I'm glad to see your vet decided to more testing. My concern was that the low T4 is not necessarily due to primary hypothyroidism but rather sick euthyroid syndrome.

I'll be watching for your post when the results are in.

G.

StarDeb55
03-04-2011, 07:54 PM
Glynda, it's the derm vet who wants the free T4. My GP is satisfied with the symptoms, along with the severely low T4 to go ahead & start treatment. One thing I forgot to post was that in 2009, Chewy's result was 0.9, & I'm almost sure that was a free T4. So it looks to me like his T4 may be steadily dropping.

Alison, Dr. Lewis, the derm vet, has begun to suspect that this may indeed be alopecia areata which nothing can be done about, of course.

* Lethargic behavior such as a lack of interest in play, frequent napping, tiring out on long walks
* Weight gain, sometimes without an apparent gain in appetite
* Bacterial infections of the skin
* Dry skin
* Hair loss, especially on the trunk or tail (“rat’s tail”)
* Discoloration or thickening of the skin where hair loss has occurred
* Cold intolerance/seeking out warm places to lie down
* Slow heart rate
* Chronic ear infections
* Severe behavioral changes such as unprovoked aggression, head tilt, seizures, anxiety and/or compulsivity
* Depression

The above is from the following link:
http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/dog-hypo.htm

I have bolded everything that Chewy has. Even though, he does seem to be enjoying the walks with Obi, he is really tuckered out when we get home.


Debbie

labblab
03-05-2011, 10:05 AM
Dr. Lewis' office called this afternoon, he want a free T4 done. Great, we'll go ahead & do it, but I'm still going to start the thyroid meds tomorrow.
Deb, this is probably a really dumb comment, but I'm assuming that you're having Chewy's blood drawn for the free T4 prior to starting the meds today?

Marianne

StarDeb55
03-05-2011, 10:45 AM
Not dumb, Marianne. Chewy actually had labs drawn at the GPs on Thursday at which point I made darn sure a thyroid was done. The 0.5 is from those labs. When the derm vet called yesterday afternoon, I called the GP, & told them to please add the free T4 on to those labs per the derm vet.

The poor guy really does look like a poster child for hypothyroid, now. His thinning, lost hair down his back is way worse, & he has a horrible "rat tail", now. The derm vet was in complete agreement with John's assessment at the end of Jan. that the hair loss was way worse.

Debbie

StarDeb55
03-05-2011, 06:53 PM
I meant to post this earlier & forgot. I'm almost certain that I've seen that soloxine needs to be given either 1 hour before eating or 3 hours after eating as absorption is better on empty stomach. I asked the GP about this yesterday, he said he had not heard of this but checked whatever the vet "drug book" is, & they said nothing. Maybe my memory is failing, but I swear I've seen the above posted in this group, along with reading it somewhere.

Debbie

AlisonandMia
03-05-2011, 06:57 PM
I think you are correct. My mother is on soloxine and she has to take it on an empty stomach. Years ago this wasn't the case but they have found it is better and/or more consistently absorbed on an empty stomach.

I also believe Scott was giving Moria her soloxine on an empty stomach and so have several others.

Alison

frijole
03-05-2011, 07:19 PM
Deb, My vet never mentioned it either and I gave it to Haley for years.... I learned it from Nathalie who worked with that specialist... is it Dobbs? Anyway, I trust her knowledge over the vet I was using. ;):D Kim

BestBuddy
03-05-2011, 07:23 PM
Buddy was on Oroxine for quite a few months and we were told on an empty stomach and no other meds/vitamins at the same time.

http://www.thyroidfoundation.com.au/information/medication.html

It makes it really difficult when you have other meds to give.

Jenny

StarDeb55
03-05-2011, 08:58 PM
Thanks everyone! I knew I had seen this posted previously, & I was thinking the info came from Jean Dodds, via Nathalie.

Debbie

StarDeb55
03-08-2011, 07:07 PM
I'm kind of shocked. I picked up both boy's labs today. Chewy's free T4 came back toward the upper end of normal:

Chewy: 31.5 pmol/L
Normal range: 8-40 pmol/L

The GP was shocked, too, considering how low his T4 was, 0.5 (norm is 1.0-4.0). With his clinical signs. both the GP & I are in full agreement that we are going to keep him on soloxine, unless he shows obvious signs of getting too much. I mean, even the derm vet commented last Friday that the hair loss & skin condition certainly looks hormonally based. I told the derm vet if the alk phos came back elevated, I was shooting the dog, then him, then myself. When Dr. Lewis said, "hormonally based", all of you can certainly guess what I was thinking. I looked Dr. L straight in the eye, & told him, "You have told me for 18 months that he DOESN'T HAVE CUSHING'S!" He agreed that he had said that, & he also said that Chew does not look Cushingoid. Some of you may disagree with keeping him on thyroid replacement, but his hair loss has exacerbated since December, & his skin condition looks like he has a serious case of dry, flaky, itchy "winter" skin. I know that it will take 6 months or more to see any improvement, but I want to try. If this isn't the answer, then I will accept alopecia areata, & start stocking up on dog sweaters.

The good news is that Chew's liver profile is so absolutely normal, it's ridiculous.

AST 26 IU/L
Norm: 15-66

ALT: 54 IU/L
Norm: 12-118

Alk Phos: 23 IU/l
Norm: 5-131

We will need to keep an eye on his kidney function as his BUN was 47, upper limit is 31. He wasn't dehydrated as the lab tech had a brain fart, & fed them both their breakfast, nor did I pick up the water when we got up. Creatinine was good at 1.5, but the upper limit is 1.6. Because of the elevate BUN, the BUN/Creat ratio came back at 31, normal is 4-27. Right now, I think it may be what he's eating which is Orijien Senior which is pretty high protein. He has to have a thyroid done in a month, & I may ask the GP, if the kidney function tests should be repeated at that time.

Debbie

lulusmom
03-08-2011, 07:25 PM
Deb, you know Chewy best and if you think giving him Soloxine will help, despite having completely normal free t4, then who are we to say you're wrong. I'd be stumped too. Actually, I've been stumped for over six years with Lulu's lack of hair. However, if I thought keeping Chewy on soloxine would not be good for him in any way, I'd let you know. If he's getting too much, he'll let you know soon enough.

AlisonandMia
03-08-2011, 07:43 PM
Great news on the liver enzymes.:) Have they always been so incredibly normal?

If you are seeing kidney issues on blood testing (if that is what is what you are seeing) wouldn't his urine be abnormal too?

Can't see any problem with giving the soloxine a go. As Glynda said you'll know soon enough if it is problem.

FWIW, Mia's BUN used to routinely come in right on the top of the normal range. She was on a very high protein raw diet. All her other blood chemistries were smack in the middle of the normal range. Maybe the "normal" parameters for BUN in dogs is based on dogs fed diets that are actually artificially low in high-quality protein - ie cereal based?

Alison

StarDeb55
03-08-2011, 07:47 PM
Yep, his liver function panels have pretty much always looked this good, but not quite this good. Don't know about a UA yet, as we made the decision that the urine will be collected after he is "out" for his dental on Friday. That needs to be done, anyway, to make sure that he has no crystals since Mom took it upon herself to get him off the Royal Canin urinary SO formula kibble, & put him on grain free to see if that would help with the skin/coat issues.

Debbie

lulusmom
03-08-2011, 11:24 PM
I'd be hard pressed to keep my dog on that food too. It's all carbs and fat with scant protein. I just checked out the ingredients and it's horrible. The first two ingredients are rice and ground corn. The third ingredient is chicken fat, then chicken meal and back to corn gluten meal. There's also rosemary as a preservative. Yuck. I'm not sure if you remember but Buster had oxalate bladder stones, which required surgery. Lulu had two bouts and surgeries 11 months apart. Every thing I've read says that once a dog has stones, they'll be back within two to three years. I put both on Primal and so far so good.

StarDeb55
03-13-2011, 08:35 PM
I forgot to post that Mr. Chewy came through his dental with flying colors. He did have to have one tooth pulled. There is one that is kind of loose & has slightly shifted, but the vet did not want to take it out, yet. He seemed very happy to get home Friday evening. The vet tech did tell me when she took him out for a "potty break" at 2PM, that he started heading toward the parking lot as if to say, "I have had enough of this place, I'm out, & I'm going home!"

Just waiting on the UA results they collected to see if he is crystal free because I do not want to put him back on that prescription formula food. The times he has had struvite crystals in his urine previously, he never, ever had an infection. All the UA reports I have copies of have always been negative for the presence of bacteria. I know they are good samples as I always have the urines collected by cysto aspirate. The vet & I have been thinking that since he is not a big drinker, that mild dehydration may be contributing to the crystal formation. I suppose I will find out tomorrow.

Debbie

Rene
03-25-2011, 02:53 AM
Hi Debbie,
We have been following along with Obi (congratulations) and Chewy. Any ideas yet on what is going on with Chewy...Hypo vs Cush?
Rene & Snoopie

StarDeb55
04-01-2011, 10:36 PM
I had to to take Chewy in for a recheck after his dental today. His mouth looks great. My vet gave him a "once over", & actually commented that he feels that Chewy is already showing signs that his hair is starting to regrow. I was kind of surprised, told him that I didn't expect to see any change for at least 3 months, & it's not quite a month on the soloxine. I said that it's hard for me to tell about hair regrowth as I see him every day. We talked about the free T4 being normal, but the conversation concluded with sometimes you have to treat the pup, & not the numbers.

Sorry, Rene, that I didn't exactly respond to your question about whether or not Chewy might be Cushing's vs. hypothyroid. He is definitely not Cushing's, his liver function panel has remained absolutely normal for 18 months, even though Mom has periodically been sweating bullets that he is Cushing's, & that would be #3 for me. When his pre-dental labwork came back, showing liver function tests so absolutely normal, Mom was doing a big happy dance. I had, also, had a UCCR done on him at the beginning of all of this hair loss, thinning hair, allergies issues, 18 months ago, & the UCCR came back within normal range. I'm finally convinced that the Cushing's "boogie man" can be laid to rest.

Debbie

Bichonluver3
04-02-2011, 01:49 AM
HAPPY DANCE GOING ON HERE FOR YOU!!!! WAY TO GO CHEWY!!!!:D
Good news, Deb. But with such a great Mom, should we expect anything less?????????:D:D:D:D
Love, Carrol

SasAndYunah
04-02-2011, 06:15 AM
Gosh, must be sooooo nice to be satisfied and convinced Cushing's is not an option :) Chewy and yourself have your paws and hands full enough without having to worry about Cushing's...:)

Sas and Yunah :)

Rene
04-03-2011, 03:52 PM
Congratulations...what a relief!

Roxee's Dad
04-08-2011, 02:19 PM
Since Chewy's T4 was normal and seems to be doing better on soloxine, I wanted to mention that Rozee was pretty close to normal but Glynda and another friend Marianne convinced me to try Rozee on a low dose of Soloxine, with a bit of convincing of my old vet in TN, she has been on it for nearly a year and is doing great, her energy level is up and she has lost that little bit of a pot belly that she has always had.

She will be 16 soon but acts and plays like she is half her age, she seems so much happier :) I can't believe the improvement we have seen in her, so I would have to agree that in some cases we have to treat the pup and symptoms and not always the numbers.

StarDeb55
05-28-2011, 12:21 AM
I have a problem & I don't know who the guilty party is. I'm posting on Chew's thread since he is the one who has a history of urinary crystals. Tonight makes 3x in a week that someone will be laying in bed, I could be at the computer or not sure what I'm doing when this happens as I'm obviously not watching. I go to lay down & the guilty party has simply laid in bed & proceeded to pee all over the bed. The first time it happened I thought it was dog slobber as both boys like to chew on stuffed toys until the toy is literally soaked. I took a smell of the wet spot, & went, "Crap, that's not saliva, it's PEE!:mad::eek: Tonight, I had washed my sheets earlier in the day, had started making up the bed. I got the bottom sheet down, picked up the top sheet to put it down, & someone had peed all over the top sheet!:eek::confused::mad: I had dumped the pile of sheets on the bed earlier until I could get the bed made. This having to strip the bed at 8PM & go to the washing machine is getting very old as this is my bedtime on workdays. I'm thinking that I'm going to have to get one of those waterproof pads to put between my mattress pad & mattress. I have one of those "Sleep Number" mattresses, & if pee soaks clear through to that mattress, it would be a major disaster. Neither boy seems to be having accidents in the house while I'm at work. Obi is in the kitchen all day, Chew is in his pen in the living room, & both places have been absolutely dry. Someone did have an accident in the living room behind the couch about an hour after I started the washing machine, but, again, I'm not sure who is the problem. I'm thinking that someone may have the beginnings of a UTI as the odor is very nasty when the sheets are soiled, but if it's a UTI, I would think that more accidents in the house would be occurring. With Chew's past history of urinary crystals, I'm thinking that if I go to the vet with anyone to rule out a UTI, that I start with him. Anyone got any ideas? I am at a loss as to whether this is a behavioral issue or a medical issue. Chew will have a rare accident in the house, but I think it happens because being blind, he loses his place in the house, can't get himself out the dog door to pee, & finally gives up, just peeing wherever he is.:(

Debbie

addy
05-28-2011, 08:29 AM
I'm having a similar situation just not as frequent, Deb. Originally we "assumed"it was Zoe, we never can catch them in the act and when we take them out they both pee:confused::confused:

I have been watching Koko more closely, he seems to be drinking a bit more water then he was a few months ago and we are thinking the potty accidents seem to happen when he is worked up about something (seeing a dog out the door) waiting for Mom and Zoe to come back from their walk)

After Zoe goes to the vet , he is due for his annual exam. I am hoping that will shed some light on it.

Maybe we need doggies cams:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Hugs,
Addy

SasAndYunah
05-29-2011, 11:20 AM
Hi Debbie,

nice to hear from you again, even when it is about a puzzling situation :) You do have to have them checked out to rule out anything medical... That's always the first step. But, if "accidents" consistently happen on the exact same spot over and over again, and if that spot is a really "high valued" spot like the bed...ehmmmm, there's a huge possibility it's behavioral :) But the medical part has to be sort out first.

Let us know if anything shows up :)

Sas and Yunah :)

Rene
06-02-2011, 02:50 AM
Hi Debbie,

I agree with Sas. A few years ago my husband decided, because of his allergies, his cat Arnie was no longer welcome in the bed. He sort of put his foot down before that but I had been letting Arnie sneek onto my side after the lights went out. So, after he started to enforce it he would give Arnie a squirt with the squirt gun if he snuck up in the bed to keep from waking me. Then, I would wake up in the morining laying on a small wet spot on my side of the bed! I blamed my husband for using the squirt gun in the bed. Obviously, Arnie blamed me for not letting him on my side of the bed.

We did not put two and two together, until one night. I was half asleep, Arnie was froggie and jumped up in the bed. My husband gave him a squirt and Arnie responded by peeing on my HEAD! When my husband tells the story he says it was a relief because he was beginning to "think that his wife had a problem!"

This is a perfect example of the high value spot. It is possible that someone may not be adjusting as well we though and is a little jealous?

Rene & Snoopie

StarDeb55
06-09-2011, 12:46 AM
Sas & Rene, thanks about the input about the bed= high value spot, I hadn't thought about it from those terms. I really had thought this is most likely a behavioral issue, but in light of Chewy's history of urine crystals, I figured that a trip to the vet for at least him might be in order.

We still haven't gone to the vet as I have thought about possible reasons or scenarios for the accidents to be happening. I think I may be onto something, & will be paying close attention as to to whether I'm right. I think this is happening after I have been aggravated or upset with one of the boys. I still don't know who the culprit is, but am trying to be very careful not to display any degree of annoyance with either of them. My thought is that someone is upset enough with me that the peeing in the bed is payback for Mom's behavior. IMO, if either one had a UTI, I would expect there to be accidents all over the house, & there simply isn't. Someone has an occasional "oops" every few days, but it's not frequent enough to make me suspicious of a UTI. I'm going to be very careful over the next couple of weeks & see if the problem resolves on its own.

The other thing is I'm now having some degree of trouble getting Obi to go potty when I take them out when I get home from work. It's now getting pretty warm in the Phoenix area, temps approaching 100, & that is just the beginning for the next 4 months or so. We will go outside immediately when I get home. I keep them out in the backyard, walk around, throw toys for Obi to chase. This is all in an attempt to get Obi to find the "perfect spot". We can stay outside for 20 minutes or more. Obi will get fed up & go lay down on the porch in the shade, & hasn't pee'd a drop. It's like he's telling me, "Are you out of your mind!! It's like an oven out here, & you expect me to stay out here?" What am I going to do when we get temps in the 110-115 range? It's impossible to go for walks in the afternoon after work, now, as I'm not about to take a pup for a walk in this kind of heat, on hot sidewalks. This means the only time for walks are in the morning on Thurs.-Fri. which are my days off. Come July & August, mornings will probably be out, too, as the temps can still be 95 degrees at 6AM. As we all know when Obi first came home, walks only twice per week are simply not adequate for him.

Debbie

Roxee's Dad
06-09-2011, 01:17 AM
Hey Deb,
Think you might be on to something. Our pup Chainsaw had pooped on our guest bed when my son came to visit. One day Chainee got out and my son had to chase her down...he scolded her for running out and put her back in the house. When he went in the bedroom later, there was this very nice gift left for him right in the middle of the bed :D

Rene
06-09-2011, 01:18 AM
Hi Debbie,

Arnie our kitty also did that to us once when we went out of town...he left us a poop in the middle of our bed. Also, the time he pee'd on my head when my husband kept kicking him out of the bed after he had always been allowed on the bed was another case. He was angry with me. He thought I was displacing him in the bed. Once we figured that out and made adjustments it stopped. They are so sensitive.

Rene & Snoop

frijole
06-09-2011, 07:19 AM
:D Haley used to poop IN MY SHOES when I was out of town for work. :D

Rene
06-09-2011, 04:18 PM
OMG KIM...I just pee'd a little when I read that!!!! :D

StarDeb55
01-19-2012, 02:43 PM
Chewy has not had an update in a very long time. First of all, I can say that the peeing in the bed has totally stopped for the past 4 months or so. I never figured out who the culprit was.

Chewy has been way overdue for his recheck with the eye vet. I was going to take him at the beginning of next month, but ended up taking him kind of as an emergency yesterday. The emergency was not due to anything wrong with Chewy, it was Obi. Chewy has been on tacrolimus eye drops for several years for his dry eye. I usually give them to him in my bathroom. I make sure I put the dropper bottle at the very back of the vanity, so the counter surfer (Obi), can't grab it, & chew it up. I must have been distracted Sunday morning as I finished getting ready for work, & didn't put Chewy's drops up. I start out of bedroom with boys to get breakfast, notice Obi is chewing on something on the bed. I give him the "whatfor" & Obi takes off for the living room. When I catch him, grab the bottle, I'm thinking please don't let this be the eyedrops. I go back to my bathroom & sure enough. I called the eye vet on Monday & they got us in late yesterday afternoon. There was no way Chewy could go without those drops another couple of weeks.

I got really upset driving down to the office as Chewy had a major panic attack in the car, managed to get himself into the back seat & get stuck. I could hear trying desperately to get up or get out, so as soon as I could pull into a parking lot, I stopped, & got Chewy back into the front seat. He has not been for a ride in quite awhile, so I think the fact that he's now blind, the car just freaked him out. On the way home, he had very little trouble, seemed to settle down in the front seat, & I just kept talking to him.

The eye vet said that his corneas are now so heavily scarred up, it probably no longer hurts him if his eyes get icky. She said that you could probably stick a pin in his eye, & he would not feel it. She assured me that this is really a good thing, & he will be more comfortable in the long run. I was kind of horrified when she told me this. He does have a pretty bad eye infection. She stopped the antibiotic ointment he has been on as she feels that he is probably resistant to it. He is now on Ocusol C twice per day, his tacrolimus 2-3 times per day, & the infection is bad enough that he is on oral antibiotics for the next week. In between all of this, I need to use a much artificial tears as I can, too.
Chew has always been very tolerant of medicating his eyes, so that is not a problem. I feel bad though, because of my severe back problems over the past 6 months there have been days where I simply come home, take pain medication, & go to bed. I get up to get the boys their supper, go back to bed, never thinking about Chewy's eye meds. The next thing I know, I look at Chew's eyes, & they look horrible, so I make a concentrated effort to get his eyes cleaned up. We had just reached the point, now, that with the infection, I think there was nothing I was going to do that would have kept the big guy's eyes clear.

Debbie

addy
01-19-2012, 07:12 PM
Oh Deb, I can totally relate to coming home from work and going to bed. I can't tell you how many times I did the same thing these last months. I am so sorry your back is that bad.

So strange about the bed wetting, just starts and then stops. Sure glad it stopped:):):):)

Oh our long legged gazelle, Obi!!!!! You have to admit, he sure is cute and keeps you on your toes. I can just picture him gnawing on the bottle.;););););)

I was able to find some tethers at Petsmart, I think. They clip into your seat belt holder and the other end goes on your dog's harness ( if he wears one) They were fairly inexpensive and it keeps the pups pretty secure in the back seat when I am alone in the car with them.


I hope you feel better soon. The pups know how much you love them.

love,
addy

frijole
01-19-2012, 08:05 PM
Deb - I am learning what it's like to deal with those drops... it can be draining to have to remember them all.. and I am only dealing with one furry one now. I give Annie 3 different drops 5 mins apart four times a day. They eye doc said if I hadn't her eyeball would have surely ruptured. Ugh. It is hard like you said to keep motivated when you just don't see improvement. Hang in there - we all know you are a great mom. Take care of your back. That Obi is something else! :D

Roxee's Dad
01-19-2012, 08:41 PM
Oh our long legged gazelle, Obi!!!!! You have to admit, he sure is cute and keeps you on your toes. I can just picture him gnawing on the bottle

Ha ha Addy, you have no idea of how cute he is with that under bite and those long legs. The look in his eyes is like What??? it's okay... Don't worry about it..... Me bad??? no, I is just having fun. He is special and oh and yeah.. he is very intelligent :) He just makes me laugh... but then I don't have to deal with him as Debbie does ;)

StarDeb55
01-19-2012, 09:31 PM
How can I not like the little brat when he gets in bed at night, cuddles up to me, & peers at me with those big black eyes, like, "Mom, you know I don't mean to be a troublemaker, but a guy just have to have some fun sometimes!"

Debbie

addy
01-20-2012, 07:47 AM
I know John, we can sit back and say awwww when we read of his adventures while Deb pulls her hair out:D:D:D:D:D:D

Kind of like having grand kids- you can say awwww and have fun and then send them home to their parents when they are too much;)

I still am amazed he can jump up that high and counter surf:D:D:D:D

love,
addy

mypuppy
01-20-2012, 06:10 PM
Hi Debbie,

Sending some prayers your way in the hope your back problem heals soon. It really is hard for moms when we are out of commission and need to tend to our babies. I am also so sorry for Chewy's eye problems, poor little guy. :(

Hang in there and feel better soon.

Warmest regards and tight hugs.

xo Jeanette and my girl, Princess

StarDeb55
01-22-2012, 07:00 PM
Even though the eye vet said that Chew's eyes are so badly scarred, now, they probably wouldn't hurt him, even with a pretty severe infection, I'm going to have to disagree with that, & I'm glad to be able to say it. After 4 days on all the drops & oral antibiotics, his eyes look so much better, but even more important, his whole attitude has improved 100%. Chew has alway been a very quiet, subdued boy, never really high energy, but in the past day or so, he is just down right perky, & happy go-lucky. That is all the evidence I need to know that his yucky eyes were, indeed bothering him, & that Mom will be making every effort to see that they don't get icky, again.

Deb

addy
01-22-2012, 07:32 PM
Glad to hear about Chewy, Deb. Moms know best:)

I just told hubby today it is like taking care of sick two year olds while working a full time job. It can get really hard!!!!

love,
addy

Cyn719
01-24-2012, 10:59 PM
Deb

Just catching up on your thread. How is your back? Hope it's feeling better. So happy to hear Chewy is feeling better! :D:) poor guy has been through so much with his eyes. Sending love hugs and prayers that you feel better and Chewy continues to feel good!! Xoxo

StarDeb55
01-25-2012, 05:26 AM
Thanks for asking about both of us. Unfortunately, my back has been a mess for over 7 months. The only thing I can say is my pain management doc is working on a solution.

Debbie

mypuppy
01-25-2012, 06:23 AM
Debbie,

Im sorry you are dealing with so much back pain, and do not know your history, but have you had surgery or consider it. The more people I talk to seems surgery has worked for them, and they have so many new techniques these days, laser specially.

feel better and Chewy too.

xo Jeanette

Cyn719
01-25-2012, 11:31 AM
Deb

Sorry its not better - I understand about backs - my dad has awful back issues -

Prayers that the pain management works

love and hugsss xoxo

marie adams
01-25-2012, 01:08 PM
Hi Deb,

Hang in there...there has to be a solution to the back problems; like Jeannette said so many new techniques and hopefully your pain management doc will have answers soon!!!

Cyn719
01-25-2012, 01:39 PM
Deb if you have time look at my post on my thread - about blood work thanks

StarDeb55
01-25-2012, 06:33 PM
Thanks everyone! Believe me I am so at the end of my rope about this I have pushed the pain doc about going to a surgeon for a 2nd opinion. He's very adamant that we are not there, yet. He said that he's not sure exactly where the pain is coming from, & any surgeon is going to want to know what they have to fix before they open you up. He has a point. I have another appointment with him tomorrow, & will know more about a possible procedure that he is considering. Never did I dream that when my back got bad over July 4th, that I would still be in the same shape 7 months later. Previously, I would have a bad day here, a couple of bad days there, but then I could go several months without a really bad day.

Debbie

StarDeb55
03-07-2012, 08:50 PM
I have finally put Chew back on his thyroid meds. His hair is getting so thin clear across his back, it's absolutely pitiful. I had stopped them about 3 months after we started them last fall as I was seeing someone with PU/PD, & I was fighting a losing battle keeping the floors cleaned up. I figured the easiest thing was to stop the soloxine & see if Chew was the culprit. It kind of helped but not totally.

I have also bit the bullet & scheduled Chew to see Dr. Lewis, my derm vet, so he can see just how bad the hair loss has gotten. I'm beginning to think Chew may be our poster boy for Alopecia X, & I'll be stocking up on sweaters. I do know that one of Dr. L's partners has been treating alopecia X with low dose trilostane, so I'm sure there's going to be a discussion about that. I'm going to get the evil eye from Dr. L as I also stopped the allergy injections last fall. I've been trying to get them restarted for about 6 weeks, but Chew will not cooperate. He will start wiggling & fidgeting where I can't get hold of the skin on his shoulder, so I can give the injection. Previously, he has been really good, would simply stand still for me, & it was like BOOM, done. It looks like its going to take 2 people to due his shots, one to hold him, one to do the injection. I guess it will be a trip to the derm clinic twice a month for them to give shots as they will do it at no charge, my GP vet will charge $11. Chew also has to go for his routine checkup for shots next week, & I know I'm going to be told that he needs a dental as he has super bad doggy breath.

It never ends.

addy
03-08-2012, 01:32 PM
Hi Deb,

At first I thought you were talking about my Zoe;):)

I know you have spoken highly about your derm vet. I hope our new and only derm vet in town will help us like your has helped you.
I have read the articles about low doses of trilostane for Alopecia X. Make sure you tell us all the scoop.

It does never end and with two doggies, it is double trouble:D:D

Hope Chewy is okay and your "double trouble" has not chewed up anything lately. I still get the biggest kick out of Obi.

love,
addy

StarDeb55
03-15-2012, 09:36 PM
Dr. Lewis as usual was very informative. When it comes to the soloxine, he told me that if Chewy was truly hypothyroid, I should have seen noticeable hair regrowth in 2 months. He was on soloxine for about 5 months & there was really no improvement, so as of now, the soloxine has been stopped. We are going to give melatonin/lignans a try with early July being the target to see any improvement. This is a pretty simple treatment for Alopecia X, so what the heck. Dr. L did say that even though most literature say that 50% of dogs will respond, in their practice, that's a huge over estimate. For their practice, it's maybe 30% tops. After taking a look at Chew, he was, again, suspicious for demodex mange. He told me that there is another type of demodex mite that lives in the sebaceous glands that can cause demodex mange, too, but it's pretty hard to pick up. He said that he usually sees the common from of demodex in skin scrapings about 12 times a month, the other kind maybe once a month. He did scraping from about 3 different areas, plucked some hairs, & also swabbed Chewy's ears, & found nothing. I reminded him that he probably has done skin scrapings on Chewy every time I bring him because of suspicion demodex, & has never found a thing. Let me say I'm glad about that.

We re-started Chew's allergy shots today. I sat on the floor & held him, while the vet tech gave the injection. He was as good as gold. He only got 1/2 his usual dose today. I'm to bring him in next week, & he will get his full dose, then an injection every 3 weeks. Chewy's skin is definitely red, & Dr. L asked if that was about the same or worse. I told him that it probably has been getting steadily worse, so the agreement was to get his injections re-started.

Next stop for Chew is the GP for shots & a check-up in about a month. I know I'm going to be told that he is in bad need of a dental as he has super bad doggie breath.

Debbie

StarDeb55
04-26-2012, 02:12 PM
It breaks my heart to have to write this post. After talking with a friend at work who has dogs about a month ago concerning the problems Chew has been having the past few months, the light bulb went on, & I realized that Chewy very likely may be suffering from canine cognitive disorder. I attributed a lot of this to him going totally blind, then realized he was totally blind when you got him & he never, ever acted this way. When Obi was gone 3 days with his surgery, I realized that the housetraining issues that I was blaming Obi for were actually Chew. He is now peeing/pooping wherever, whenever. This occurs when the back door to the yard is even open. Chewy has gotten very flighty, agitated about being handled any more, so I have a very hard time getting his eye drops in, allergy shots are totally out. Chewy, now, spends a lot of time simply pacing clear through house, really just aimlessly wandering. I had to hold up getting to the vet to be evaluated because of Obi's crash & burn. It was a nightmare getting him to the vet this morning. He got so upset simply being handled to get out of the house, into the car, he pooped in the passenger seat. The vet & tech had a bad time with him to get blood drawn, & doing a cysto was totally out. They took him to the back to do everything, & he got so upset, he pee'd all over the exam table. That's the sample that's going for a UA, & it's the best we can do.

The vet did a senior blood panel, along with x-rays. He agreed with me that CCD was a very strong possibility, so I will start him on Anipryl today. I told his vet that you know me all too well, that I don't give up on a pup. I told him that Chewy is so not leading a "dog worthy" life right now, that if we can't help him, I'm afraid it may be time.

Please pray for my boy that the Anipryl helps him & improves his quality of life. :( I can deal with the house training issues, but I just want to be able to handle him, give him his meds without such stress/drama for both of us, & to simply love on him without him being so afraid of being touched.:(:(

Debbie

SasAndYunah
04-26-2012, 03:06 PM
Awww Debbie, I am so sorry reading this news about Chewy :( I will hope with all my heart the Anipryl will make a positive difference for him and he can be around for some more time for you to love and hold him. I'll keep you both in my heart and thoughts,

Saskia and Mhina.

Sabre's Mum
04-26-2012, 03:31 PM
Ohhh Debbie ... sorry to hear the news on Chewy. Let's hope the anipryl will deal with it.

Angela and Flynn

Jenny & Judi in MN
04-26-2012, 03:41 PM
I know some people have had some good luck with anipryl. I sure hope it works for Chewy. hugs, Judi

lulusmom
04-26-2012, 04:28 PM
Hi Deb,

I am so very sorry to hear about Chewy. Good grief, it's not like you haven't had a lot on your plate for a very long time. Argh!!!!

I have a friend whose little Maltese was displaying much the same things you mentioned. She could stroke him lovingly one day and if she did the same thing the next day, he'd turn around and bite the crap out of her. He wears a diaper whenever she isn't home, he barks at nothing, he can get into his bed but he can't get out of it. It's a little bed that he only has to step into. :( His groomer will no longer groom him without sedation. He gets 1/4 Zanax before his appointment. Jojo's groomer will no longer take him with sedation so I'm going to try the Zanax too. She started him on Anipryl and he's very much improved. He not only allows her to stroke him, she gives him a massage and he loves it. There really is hope for Chewy.

I know how much physical pain you have been in for months so I suspect that the emotional impact of your boys' health has got to be magnified tenfold. My heart is with you, girlfriend, and I know it's easier said than done but please try to keep a positive outlook. If you don't, that's okay because I'm sending enough positive thoughts your way for both of us.

((((Huge Hugs))))
Glynda

StarDeb55
04-26-2012, 08:10 PM
After what I dealt with this morning, I seriously don't know how John has been grooming him. John has mentioned that he has gotten to be somewhat on the flighty/fearful side, like he's afraid he's going to fall off the grooming table. Unfortunately, John is not available right now, so the groomer at the vets will be taking over temporarily. It was such a nightmare this morning that the grooming appointment has been postponed for 2 weeks to try to give the Anipryl time to work. If I don't see improvement in Chew's behavior toward the middle of next week, the vet will give me something in the way of sedation for him prior to the grooming appointment.

Debbie

Sage
04-26-2012, 09:18 PM
http://www.dogs4dogs.com/JR_Articles...d-behavior.htm

I found this paper interesting in that symptoms of hypothyroidism can manifest as nuerological disorders.

StarDeb55
04-26-2012, 09:39 PM
Thanks, but that link doesn't seem to be working. Chewy will be having a free T4 by ED done. He has a history of the regular screening T4 being low, the free T4 has always come back normal, which is what I suspect will happen this time.

Debbie

StarDeb55
04-26-2012, 10:15 PM
I forgot to mention that Chewy will be 12 in June.

Debbie

Sage
04-26-2012, 10:19 PM
http://www.dogs4dogs.com/JR_Articles/dog-thyroid-and-behavior.htm

This one should get you there.

Your devotion to your dogs is wonderful.

frijole
04-26-2012, 10:51 PM
Ah Deb I am sorry your Chewy has you concerned. 12 seems kind of young doesn't it? Is it because we are always dealing with older dogs or what? May seem silly but could the peeing and pooping be behavioral? As in jealousy over Obi? One of my dogs, think it was Haley used to poop in my shoes in the closet when I travelled for work! :eek: It happened more than once so I know it was intentional.

Never used anipryl so I have no advice or helpful hints. Maybe others do.

Sending hugs to you and dear Chewy. Kim

StarDeb55
04-27-2012, 12:18 AM
One last thing, I went ahead & got a one month supply of Anipryl through the vet, as I wanted to get Chew on the medication ASAP, rather than waste several days shopping around. This will be the only time I get Anipryl through the vet, $85 for a 1 month supply. I finally got in touch with Diamondback this afternoon. They can compound selegilne in the right dose for $26 for a one month supply. I know I can't afford the $85, but $26 I can handle.

Thank the Lord for Diamondback!

Deb

addy
04-27-2012, 08:19 AM
Deb- send hugs and prayers for you and Chewy. I hope and pray the Anipryl helps him.

love,
addy

StarDeb55
04-27-2012, 04:44 PM
Poor guy, he had a tough night last night. He has been sleeping through the night, so I don't know if this was due to the Anipryl or simply CCD symptoms getting worse. He woke up around 2AM, & started pacing through the house. I called him & tried to encourage him to come back to bed, no luck. He finally came in the bedroom, & I shut the door. Well, that just limited the space he had to roam around in. Finally, I let him out, got him into his playpen & shut him in there. I came back to bed, he started complaining quite vociferously, but like a crying baby, I ignored him, & all of us must have fallen back to sleep. When I got up this morning, he was sound asleep in his pen, & I had to wake him to get him outside.

Debbie

Squirt's Mom
04-27-2012, 05:01 PM
If I remember correct, Squirt was a bit restless when she first started the Anipryl. But it didn't last long enough to make a strong impression if she did. I hope it is the med and he will adjust soon.

lulusmom
04-27-2012, 05:25 PM
Deb, I suspect it's the Anipryl. I recall Dr. Feldman mentioning that because it is metabolized to amphetamine, the dog definitely becomes more active so you need to make sure you give the dose in the morning.

StarDeb55
04-27-2012, 05:39 PM
Thanks for the head's up. I'll hold up giving the dose at supper, & just move it to breakfast tomorrow. At least, I'll be at work, he'll be in his pen, & hopefully will have mellowed out by the time I get home.

Debbie

Roxee's Dad
04-30-2012, 12:36 AM
Oh Debbie,
I am so sorry to read this :( I will keep you all in my prayers and close to my heart.

Chewy is really such a good boy. he was very laid back and almost to laid back to groom, but just lately he seems to have lost his confidence. I too attributed it to his loss of sight and I do feel like he had "some" vision previously. Everything in my van was white and very well lit. So if he had any sight at all... it probably was best in there.

I starting using a special gate that I made to fit around the back of the table. Once he backed up to the gate he seemed to feel more comfortable. It was like he felt more secure with his back or hiney up against something solid.

I also used a cradle to hold him up with all the weight off his legs which I think made him more comfortable or maybe it was that he felt more confident.

Hope and pray the anipryl works for him.

frijole
04-30-2012, 07:32 AM
Hi Deb.... thinking of you and Chew and wondering how it's going with the change in dosing time. Sending best wishes - Kim

StarDeb55
05-01-2012, 08:28 PM
Here's the rundown on the labwork.
1) WBC present in the urine. I will pickup antibiotics tomorrow, & Chew will be on them for 2 weeks.

2) His BUN went down slightly from a year ago, 49->46. Creatinine went up slightly 1.6->1.9. My vet is not overly worried about either of these. I have decided to move Chew off of Orijen Senior kibble as its protein content is 38%. The high protein content could very well explain the elevated BUN. I'm going to go to Lotus Duck formula kibble which drops the protein down to 27%.

3)It was a total T4 that was done. Chewy came back at <0.5. It would be another $140 to get a free T4 by ED done which I can't afford at the moment. Since the total is so ghastly low, & hypothyroid can manifest with neurological symptoms, I am restarting his soloxine.

4) His glucose came back low at 62 which worries me as this was not a fasting blood draw. He will have to have a repeat UA a few days after the antibiotics are finished, & at that point, we will recheck his glucose in the office to see if the 62 was simply a spurious result. If Chewy is tending toward hypoglycemia, that might explain neurological symptoms, I would think.

I did manage to get his tacrolimus eye drops in tonight, but he let me know that I wasn't going to be able to get the other drops done without a fight. I'm happy that I got the one in as his eyes look absolutely horrible. I can't say that I see a huge improvement yet, but baby steps, the eye drops are a baby step.

Debbie

StarDeb55
05-02-2012, 10:07 PM
Yeah! 2 straight days getting the tacrolimus drop in Chew's eyes.

I did pick up his labs today. I feel kind of bad. He has a raging UTI. Of course, it couldn't be cultured since he peed all over the exam table, but the UA showed 21-50 WBC per high power field. When you are doing a manual UA, you spin down the urine take a drop of the sediment, put it on a microscope slide, look at it under the scope. You literally count the number of cells you see in each high power field. Reporting ranges are usually 21-50, 50-100, & >100. Just thought I would give a quick lesson in what the above meant. The urine dipstick also showed a moderate amount of blood, but there were no intact RBC in the microscopic. This simply means that the RBCs had probably lysed, leaving free hemoglobin. No bacteria was seen. He is concentrating his urine as the specific gravity was1.028. I really wish a culture could have been done, but oh well! This could easily explain why the poor little boy is peeing all over the house. He is on Simplicef for the next 2 weeks.

Debbie

addy
05-03-2012, 08:32 AM
Deb, if the antibiotics and thyroid medicine help Chewy does that mean he wont need the anipryl?

I just know Chewy will be feeling better real soon. Hugs and love for you and Chewy and Obi.

addy, zoe and koko

StarDeb55
05-03-2012, 01:42 PM
Addy, all I can say is maybe. I just wish I had the money for the free T4. Chew has had extremely low total T4s twice in the past, we have had a free T4 added on & both times the free has come back normal.

Debbie

lulusmom
05-03-2012, 05:59 PM
Deb, do you have the last free t4 results? According to Dr. Dodds, a dog with low normal t4 can still have low thyroid and need supplementation.

StarDeb55
05-03-2012, 09:22 PM
Glynda, I can get them. The last free T4 would have been about a year ago. My regular vet & I had discussed this before the results came back, decided not to spend the money on the free T4 since the hair loss was considerably worse, & just put Chew on soloxine. He had to see Dr. Lewis at about the same time. I had the regular vet send the labs to Dr. Lewis, he was the one who wanted the free T4 done, & all I can say is it came back "normal", but I don't remember specific numbers.

Debbie

StarDeb55
05-04-2012, 07:22 PM
The poor guy had another bad night. He had gone to bed while I was reading. I called it a night about 10PM. He woke up about 1130, & the pacing through the house started. I tried to get him back to the bedroom with no luck, so resorted to shutting him in his playpen in the living room. He started the most God awful crying/howling that I have never, ever heard him do. I tried to ignore it, but it was so bad I was afraid that even with the doors shut, he would wake the neighbors. After about an hour, I let him out, got him in the bedroom, & shut the door. I don't know how long he paced through the bedroom/bathroom, but I either managed to fall asleep, or he gave up & went to bed or both. Of course, he was still out cold when I finally stumbled out of bed about 730, & I had to wake him up to come get breakfast. Yes, I have changed the Anipryl to breakfast, after the first bad night last week. Could the soloxine be giving him an energy boost? I imagine it will be an early night for me tonight, after last night, & the fact that my hip/back is on fire this afternoon.

Debbie

addy
05-04-2012, 08:14 PM
What are the possible side effects of Soloxine: If any of the following serious side effects occur, stop giving Soloxine and seek emergency veterinary medical attention; an allergic reaction (swelling of the lips, face, or tongue; difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; or hives). Call your veterinarian if your pet develops any of these serious side effects; sleep problems; personality changes; fever; appetite changes, weight changes. Less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to use Soloxine if your pet experiences; cough; loss of appetite; dizziness, drowsiness; sleep problems; dry mouth; nausea, vomiting, diarrhea; itching or rash. Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your veterinarian about any side effect that seems unusual or bothersome to the animal.


Deb, 1 800 pet meds list sleep problems as a possible side effect.

love,
addy

StarDeb55
05-04-2012, 08:33 PM
Addy, thanks for looking that up. Part of the problem may have been that he didn't get the evening dose until about 7PM. Normally, he gets the evening dose about 3PM which is an hour before his dinner. He got the evening dose at the normal time this afternoon, so let's see if that helps.

Debbie

StarDeb55
06-05-2012, 09:44 PM
This is not the case of no news is good news. Chewy is about the same, kind of. I've noticed in the past 24 hours that he has this weird little "twitch" in his left rear leg, where he kind of kicks backwards with it. I, initially, noticed it when he was walking on the tile in the front of the house, & thought that he was simply having trouble keeping his footing/balance. He's doing it when he's on the carpet in my bedroom, too. I thought that it's the rear leg that had the cruciate repair 2 years ago, but no that was on the right. The other thing I've noticed is that he is definitely having a hard time keeping his footing on the tile. I will set his dish down by me to eat, & while I'm watching, his front feet will just slowly slide apart where he's close to doing the "splits", until he gathers himself up, & adjusts his legs. I'm really thinking that all of this is definitely pointing at a neurological issue way bigger than just CCD. I'm going to hang tight for awhile longer, but if he starts demonstrating any more of these odd behaviors, it may be time. He's still eating, drinking, & doing the necessaries fine, but just all over the house. As I said, I think he has no concept of where he is anymore, & goes, "Well, I have to pee or poo", & he just cuts loose. I have thought about a diaper, but I'm afraid he will have a panic attack, if I try to put one on him.

Debbie

I forgot to say earlier that Chew has also been circling periodically. So with the circling and all of the above, I think there is a bigger problem than CCD, like I said. He's 12, now, so I wouldn't even consider putting him through the stress of a CT of his head much less an MRI.

frijole
06-05-2012, 11:01 PM
Ah Deb, bless his heart. Just give him lots of love which I know you do and continue to enjoy every single minute. Give him a hug and kiss from me too. KIm

marie adams
06-06-2012, 12:34 PM
Dear Deb,

Sending ((((HUGS)))) for you and Chewy!!:)

I wish I could make everything better!!! :o

Take care....

Roxee's Dad
06-06-2012, 02:13 PM
Hi Deb,
Sorry to hear that about Chewy :( I was hoping he would adapt better. I do know he is not the same laid back pup I used to groom and something has certainly changed to the point that I have been afraid he would hurt himself. Has the Melatonin been any help?

StarDeb55
06-06-2012, 08:39 PM
John, he is getting a melatonin AM/PM. He will eventually settle down & fall asleep, either in his bed in my room or his playpen in the living room. It only seems to work for about 4 hours or so, then he's up & wandering, again.

Debbie

Altira
06-25-2012, 05:33 AM
Hugs to you and your sweethearts.... :o

Roxee's Dad
06-25-2012, 02:29 PM
Hey Deb,
Was just thinking about Chew Chew and wondering if he is adapting any better or if you are seeing any improvements?

Bailey's Mom
06-25-2012, 10:00 PM
Hi Debbie-
I don't see anything new about Obi............is he doing okay?
-Susan

StarDeb55
06-25-2012, 11:44 PM
John, Chew may be a little better. The wandering/roaming had decreased, but not totally stopped. He does circle occassionally, but that is less. When it comes to his house training, I think he has absolutely no concept of where he is, & if "Mother Nature" calls, he simply goes. This includes anywhere in the house. He, now, also will soil in his pen which he never ever used to do. I come home a couple of times a week to the piddle pads in his pen absolutely soaked with pee, & frequently with poo smeared all over them.

I'm in total agreement that he just hasn't adjusted to his loss of vision. He seems to be one of the rare exceptions. He still bumps into walls, gets caught in corners, etc. I don't change the location of anything in the house to try to make sure he remembers where everything is, & it doesn't help. This is another reason that causes me to wonder that there is something else going on neurologically. His quality of life is still not great, IMO, but I'm going to wait awhile before I make any decisions.

Debbie

StarDeb55
08-02-2012, 09:06 PM
I wasn't sure I was going to post anything until this was over with, but I decided to go ahead. Chewy will be making his last trip to the vet late tomorrow afternoon. He has been steadily deteriorating over the past month or so, & the anipryl really hasn't helped. What I saw when I got home this afternoon, convinced me that this couldn't be allowed to continue much longer.

I got home about 3 & got Chew out to the backyard while I took Obi out to the front. Obi & I came back in, but Chew was still outside. In a few minutes, he started this awful howling in the backyard. I went to the back door & watched for a couple of minutes. He was trying to circle, but his back legs kept collapsing, & he was trying to walk by scooting on his bottom. This was upsetting him, so he was howling. I grabbed a pillow, went outside & used the pillow to guide him back in the house. He was walking ok once he was in the house. I called the vet, explained everything that has been going on the past month, including what I saw this afternoon, that the anipryl really doesn't seem to have helped much. He agrees with me that it sounds like there is a serious neuro issue in play, & he feels that the last trip needs to be sooner rather than later. We will be going tomorrow afternoon at 5PM.

I probably won't be around much for the next several days.

Debbie

frijole
08-02-2012, 09:17 PM
Oh dear Deb my heart is breaking for you. When I saw your post I was afraid of the update. It is never ever ever easy but you know when the time has come and it sounds like that is the case. I'll be brief and just share that what gave me the greatest comfort with Annie was the night I got out old photos and held her in my lap and remembered out loud all of our great times. I thanked her over and over for those and recounted the stories to her. Know I'll be thinking of you and send love, strength and comfort. Wish I was closer but know if I can do anything to help - let me know. Love, Kim

Roxee's Dad
08-03-2012, 01:23 AM
Oh Debbie, I am so very, very sorry. My heart is breaking for you.

Many many (((HUGS)))

addy
08-03-2012, 06:51 AM
Dear Deb,

I have been holding my breath for the last month and was worried to read your post.

I am so very, very sorry. I cry with you. It is such a very hard time.

labblab
08-03-2012, 07:18 AM
Debbie, I too am so very sad and sorry to read your note. Please give Chewy an enormous hug for all his family here, and please know that we will be thinking of you both today with prayers for peace and comfort.

As Addy says, it is such a hard time. I hope you'll feel our presence in your heart.

Marianne

Squirt's Mom
08-03-2012, 07:22 AM
My thoughts, prayers, and tears are with you and Chewy.

Hugs,
Leslie

mytil
08-03-2012, 07:25 AM
Dearest Debbie,

My heart is with you and Chewy. I am so very very sorry.

gentle ((((hugs)))) to your sweetie pie and my thoughts and prayers to you both.
Terry

Bailey's Mom
08-03-2012, 08:07 AM
Dear Debbie,

I am so sorry to hear about Chewy. I think you have made a very loving decision, one which takes great strength and courage. If you don't mind, I'd like to quietly ride along this afternoon for moral support. You can put me in your pocket, on your shoulder, or leave me in the car. I love the idea of going through pictures and over memories together.....talking out loud. Chewy will find that comforting. Treat yourself gently. :(

-Susan

StarDeb55
08-03-2012, 05:20 PM
I have posted in the ILM forum in Chewbacca's memory. Chewy's thread is now locked.

Thank-you everyone.

Debbie