Raleigh, Archie, Gus

Vicki:
Just wanted you to know I think of you and Scoop often. Hope things are going well with the new babies. Hope Archie is eating better for you. Blessings
patti

Patti,
Thank you so much.
I think of everyone here often, too. It is still hard. I cry every day.
I think of Scoop and I cry. I cry cause I'm worried about Archie. When I do come on here, I cry.

Archie's eating is not better. It's worse. Everyone says to let him go hungry.
He has changed. He is just different. He's not his hyper, crazy self. I take him out to pee and he doesn't pull me around like he used to. He stares across the street or down the road when we're out. He's just different. He sleeps so much. I worry so much about the encephalitis thing.

I had Archie to the vet last week. His ears were a bit red. So he also had a heartworm/lyme disease test done. It was negative. He had blood work done. Wasn't too bad except his lymphocytes had been high but with each test they had been coming down. This time they went up a bit. Also his creatine kinase has been high and is still high. A few others were high but the vet didn't mention them so I guess he wasn't worried about them.
I asked him about Archie's spine. It's been hunched for a while. He did an x-ray. It's showed his spine is hunched a bit but he said he didn't see anything to be causing a problem. He did show me that Archie's intestines were full of gas.
I mentioned how I see a change in Archie. He said I'm sure you do but I think you are a worry wart.
I talked to the vet about taking Archie to a holistic vet. He thought it was a good idea. I mentioned Dr. Simpson who Scoop saw last year. He knew of her and thought she would be a good one to go to. I called her and she is starting to close up her practice. Her parents live in NC and are elderly. She travels to see them. She closed her office and is working out of another hospital for now. She said by the fall she hopes to be retired and it wouldn't be fair to start with Archie and then leave. So she wouldn't see him. I would have been perfectly fine with her seeing him initially to get her opinion but she didn't let me say that. She suggested someone for me to take him to.
Dr. Simpson is strictly a holistic vet. Dr. Gabriel is an integrative vet. She does more things than Dr. Simpson but I really wanted Dr. Simpson's opinion on Archie. I wouldn't have minded switching over when the time came or even taken him to see both but she thought it is better this way.
So Archie has an appointment tomorrow (Wed.) with Dr. Gabriel.
The regular vet said Archie needs help with his GI, immune system. I felt Dr. Simpson would have been the one to help with that so we'll see.
Dr. Simpson and Dr. Gabriel both do acupuncture at the ER hospital(Valley Central) by us. Scoop did see Dr. Gabriel one time last year when Dr. Simpson was away. Dr. Simpson did tell me she was the one who got Dr. Gabriel to come to Valley Central and she feels Dr. Gabriel has experience and is qualified. Sure hope she is right.

Vicki:
We started this forum pretty close to one another and I always feel a closeness to you and Scoop. I am so sorry you cry, I know you have had quite a lot to deal with, but I commend you for taking on the boys after all you went thru to help sweet Scoop. It is a testament to your love for animals. Please do not worry about the Creatinine Kinase being high. When they take blood from an animal if they miss the vein and puncture anything else especially muscle these numbers go sky high. Maybe offer this up to them and ask them to be careful when drawing his blood as this is why it is high. The only other thing would be a muscle disease and he is not showing any signs of that from what you have posted. I sometimes get caught up on the first page and forget the everything else page, so I have to be more aware of it. I hope you can have a good summer, and I hope Archie somehow turns the corner and gets well and eats good. I know what you are saying that something is different about him. Our intuition means a lot as we know what is going on with our babies. Blessings
Patti

Oh my, dear Vicki,

I am so sorry that you and your babies are going through so very much, sending you and your boys tons of healing and positive energy along with huge loving hugs, Lori

Patti and Lori,
Thank you so much for your kind, loving words.
They are much appreciated.
Hugs

It was not a successful visit to the integrative vet.
I am so frustrated right now.
Archie acted so strange yesterday, it scared the heck out of me.

Vicki:
So sorry to hear about Archie the integrated vet was not much help? What was Archie doing that is so worrisome? Hope this poor little guy gets break soon, he has been thru an awful lot, but landed in the best home possible as I now you will do whatever it takes to help him. I feel so bad for him. Blessings
Patti

Archie had been going to beginner's obedience classes. Today they had their graduation. There were only 5 dogs in the class. Archie was the only small dog. He was voted the most improved and received a nice, big blue ribbon. I am very proud of him. They made little hats for them, they got a certificate and they played games and won toys. It was a nice time. I can't believe how fast 8 weeks went.

Patti-I am so frustrated. The new vet put Archie on a homeopathic remedy. It had a mixture for his GI, immune system and it said neuro calm. That night I looked up the ingredients on the internet. It said the one for the GI has strychnine in it. The one for the immune system has ethanoyl. I know it must only contain a very small amount and people use it all the time but it makes me nervous. I talked to the vet and she said I have to be comfortable using it. So I asked if she could recommend something else. She said she couldn't think of anything off the top of her head. I asked her to call me if she came up with something. Haven't heard from her. She is supposed to work with western and Chinese herbs. Now wouldn't you think there would be something to give Archie like that? I explained how he is so picky and is not food motivated. I said can you recommend a good vitamin for him. She said a children's multi. That was disappointing. I was talking to someone who breeds Pugs. She mentioned a supplement called NuVet. The product looks fantastic. I called and spoke to someone at their customer service. They are super nice and helpful. The product comes in wafer or powder form. I got the wafers because he won't eat if he knows there is something in his meat. He will not take the supplement. I called and they are sending me samples of the powder to see if I can get him to take that. I know it is going to be hard.

A little over a week ago Archie was acting very strange. He was darting around from spot to spot in the house. He went into the bathroom, he would put his head down slightly and rubbed along the tub. He went into the corner between the door and the wall three times and would back out. When he went to leave the bathroom he kind of missed the door(hard to explain). In the living room he rubbed himself again. On the couch he put his head at the arm and rubbed and then stayed in a strange position for a while. He went into the kitchen and sat against a cabinet and then darted into his crate. He air licked and his head moves up and down. He then laid down and his eye brows move. It's hard to explain but it was very odd to me and he never has done that before.

Raleigh has an appointment to have his eyes rechecked today. Poor guy, I feel so bad for him. He is really having a hard time seeing. I can't really afford cataract surgery but if the doctor says she thinks she can do his left eye we are going to consider getting it done. She said she won't do his right eye. The right eye is not good at all. I didn't know his right eye had gotten so bad till he saw the specialist.
The doctor is at the same hospital where Scoop passed away at. It can be a bit tough going there.
The last few days Raleigh has had some tummy issues. Hope it's nothing serious. He still has an appetite but yesterday I was careful with what I gave him.