Buddy, The Mighty Lizard Hunter - Suspected Pituitary Macro Tumor

Well I don't know much about Slippery Elm Bark so I vote for ginger. I read it is good for allergies as well as digestion so maybe it will help Buddy in two ways.
I'm so jealous of your hummingbird sighting! I just watched an episode of Nature on PBS which was all about them. I spent a few summers at my cousins in L.A. and we saw many at her house, she had put out a nectar feeder that they came to. They are so tiny!
Sitting poolside watching the butterflies and the birds just sounds so nice! Hope you get to spend many days doing that now that your break is just about here!
Hope Buddy is having an equally perfect day! :cool:
Barbara

Barbara,
Well that's one vote for Ginger! Thank you so much for that. My last day of work for the summer was today! :D
Kathy

I vote for the SEB. It is chock full of nutrients as well as having the action of acting like a band-aid for irritated mucosal cells, like the lining of the tummy or intestines. Ginger has a warming action that I personally don't care for but I am very hot natured and it doesn't take much to over heat my body. It does help Squirt's morning tummy upsets (she gets ginger treats when she has bile in the mornings) and I think it can be used with other meds without interfering with absorption like the SEB. SEB needs to be given 2 hours either side of other meds - 2 hours before, or 2 hours after. Ginger doesn't have the effect in the intestines like SEB but does help with nausea/vomiting...and can cause a release of excess gas which contributes to nausea at times.

Thank you so much for your vote Leslie. The polls remain open throughout the day. :D I really do want to know what you think! Well, today is my first day of summer vacation. I have been needing to install a new router for some time, and a wireless printer for my IPad. I'm tired of having to hop on the computer every time I see something on my iPad I want to print. Anyway, the reason I'm filling you in on this is that my Internet will be down for a while today. Hopefully not for too long, but tech stuff doesn't always go as planned. Sometimes there needs to be a little troubleshooting here and there. I installed the setup we have now, so I'm hoping it won't be too difficult to upgrade. I will catch up later with all of threads, once the wifi comes back up. In the meantime, please vote for SEB or ginger. Thanks angels:)

PS. The mighty lizard Hunter still thinks I need to get up at 5:30. and is very insistent that I do so! He is oh so helpful!;)
Kathy

Ginger also works great on humans. My mother used it for the nausea that she experienced from her Parkinsons meds.

I favor the SEB myself, as Leslie has mentioned it has nutritional value and is soothing to the tummy.

If the SEB seems to bother Buddy then the ginger could be tried.

I have 2 hummingbird feeders on my deck and they attract those beautiful hummingbirds, they are such wee things!!

YAY Summer!!

Okay Angels, As much fun as all of you were having, I am very sorry that I must conclude the poll:D Thank you to all of you who have participated and gave me your feedback.:) For those of you that missed out, stay tuned. My little allergy boy is sure to have a couple more things to try soon.;) SEB won by a very small margin, so I tested that today on Buddy's tummy. There was no sign of irritation. I gave him a dose this afternoon, only one tablespoon of the slippery soup. It did settle his stomach very quickly! :D I'm not going to give him anymore today and see how his stools and allergies go tonight. He didn't like the taste of it at all, so I squirted it into the back of his mouth with a syringe. I went out and bought some canned food earlier. I am going to try to mix it in with some of that and see how it goes tomorrow. There are very small windows in which I can do this, because SEB has to be given two hours before or after meals with meds. Otherwise it can interfere with the absorption of the meds. Ginger is now Plan B. ;)
Hugs,
Kathy

You might have seen my Annie trick on another thread but my vet taught me this... you put the liquid into a plastic syringe (like you use with kids) and you squirt it into the mouth/throat very quickly. This is how I had to give meds to my little angel because she wouldn't take any meds or even food on alot of days. IT works. :) KIM

Thanks Kim. I used the syringe today and did just like you said, because Buddy didn't like the taste at all. He normally isn't picky, so that must be bad tasting gruel! I'm going to mix it in to some canned food 50/50 and see if he'll take it willingly tomorrow. ;) I thought shooting it down his throat would irritate him stomach, but it didn't at all. He got over the ordeal soon enough, as I gave him some kibble cookies right after!:D However, he'll probably go running tomorrow if he sees that syringe!:eek: Hopefully there will not be any allergy problems with the SEB tonight, so we'll be able to continue it tomorrow. Just a tablespoon once or twice a day would make a huge difference!;)
Hugs,
Kathy

Wow, lots going on, hope the SEB helps over all. It's a good sign if that it settled his tummy. Of course pumpkin settled his tummy too but then the allergies :(

What a cool idea leslie has about the tummy test! Great one I'll have to remember that.

Waiting to see how he does on the SEB. Sorry I missed the poll. :(

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Sharlene, with my allergy boy, there will be many more polls!;):D
Condolences to you and your family over the loss of your aunt. I hope Molly wasn't too put out having to stay at the vets. Let's hope she didn't terrorize the poor vet techs. Was their hair standing on end when you went to pick her up? LOL
Hugs,
Kathy

I haven't been able to pick Molly up yet, we just got back from the airport. I'll be able to pick her up tomorrow morning.
I'm sure Molly managed to do some terrorizing. She usually does. :)
Thank you. It is always good to see the family, and sad to have to say good bye to any of them.

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

I'm so sorry Sharlene. You don't have your baby tonight!:o How does anyone expect you to get any sleep?;)
Big hugs,
Kathy

It's just so very quiet in the house when she isn't here. Tuesday night, hubby came home from work, walked in and said I'm home and no one except me was there to greet him and so sad, but I didn't want any treats. It wasn't the same and he said, oh I forgot she is already at the vets.
Now I just have to figure out what time I can go get her, since I am working tomorrow. Ugh
I'll probably try to go early.

hugs,

Sharlene and Molly muffin

Sharlene,

my sincere condolences on the loss of your aunt.

I'll bet that Molly is having a blast at the vets. We had a miniature poodle that spent a few days at the vets. Come to find out that she was spoiled rotten! They share their lunch meat with her and she sat on the vet's lap every night while she caught up on paperwork :)

Molly will be eager to see you both tomorrow :)

Bum, i missed the poll. I would have gone for SEB though! Fingers crossed those allergies keep away from Buddy. YAY so pleased your holidays are here, sitting by the pool watching the butterflies and birds sounds idyllic right about now as we have an antarctic polar blast ripping up the country! Is freezing out there, very quick pee stops for the boy! But it's the weekend so we can stay in by the heater all weeked if we choose! :)

Sharlene:
Hope your baby is back with you by now. I think it is more stressful on the human end when they are not home. Tipper has never been away from home and I hope she never has to be. Blessings
Patti

Kathy;
So glad to hear Buddy had no reaction to the SEB and that it helped his tummy. After all tummy noises will scare the lizards away! I always have a syringe in my purse, and many in the house. They are handy dandy little items for times like these. Blessings
Patti

Hi Kathy,

Most of mine like the taste but I still mix it in their food most of the time simply for convenience. The one who needs it most often, Trink, is the one who hates it and the one who is usually off food when she does need it. :rolleyes: So I often syringe it with her, which is always a fight. I do sometimes mix a tiny bit of dark Karo syrup in with it to help keep her sugar levels up while she's off food - itty bitty ones are prone to low blood sugar episodes when they don't eat well - and the syrup makes it a tad bit more palatable to her. Another herb works the same way and is not endangered like SEB so I use it as well. It's called Marshmallow - and MAN, it tastes really yucky! No one in the house likes that one and you can't disguise its taste very easily.

I really hope the SEB works well for Buddy with no allergic reactions. Once his stools are more normal, you can start cutting back the SEB, making it weaker and weaker, til he is off of it. It doesn't need to be weaned, you can stop and start anytime you wish - but by slowly weaning him off, you can tell by his stools if he needs more or if you can continue to decrease the SEB. I gauge Trink's status like this - if the stool has a shine to it, that typically means mucous which means inflammation so she still needs the full dose of SEB; if the stool is formed most of the way, no shine, but has tail on it that gets thinner and thinner, then she still needs the SEB, but can try a lower dose. Once the stool is formed, no shine, no tail, then I feel comfortable stopping the SEB. I keep watching for shine or tails for a while and give her a dose if I see either one. She's had her first colitis flare in over a year just recently so I think this approach works for her. And we got through this one, like several other flares, without antibiotics. ;)

Hugs and gentle belly rubs,
Leslie and the gang

Leslie,
Buddy's stools are normal, knock on wood. His meds upset his stomach which makes him uncomfortable and hard to settle to sleep. He gets the gurgles, burping, reflux thing. Just one dose of the SEB did settle Buddy's tummy very quickly yesterday. :)Since it coats the stomach, I am hoping it will help. Buddy has reactive hypoglycemia episodes. Your idea of adding Karo syrup to the SEB when Trink is unable to eat is an excellent idea. I will use that. Thanks for all your help.
Hugs,
Kathy

Oh, YAY! It seems to be helping that sweet boy! I'm so glad and hope he just gets better and better.

Yeah, SEB!!! Please, please keep working!

Enjoy those butterflies and the humming birds. I think I'll put out my nectar feeders today. It's getting dry here in northern California, so the little hummers are going to be thirsty.

I was reading that many dogs with Cushing's have runny noses and allergy like symptoms. Buddy's allergies have not improved despite maximum medication. He has had sneezing, wheezing and runny nose type symptoms for the last few weeks. More so than his usual allergies. I know that Tipper has a problem with this. How about the rest of your pups? Also, could Buddy's runny nose be caused by his macro-tumor pressing on nasal cavities or ???.

So far, so good with the SEM. His allergy symptoms are no worse because of it. No scratching or licking at his paws. I gave him his second dose about half hour ago. This time it was mixed 50/50 with some wet food. He guzzled all of it down, cleaning his bowl and looking for more! Loved it! So much better than the syringe.:D
Hugs,
Kathy

Too funny. Great news.

Boriss seems to have seasonal allergies. He was sneezing his head off in bed last night. He rarely does that. I had to get up at 2am to give him some benedryl. It did the trick. I will see how he is tonight.
He also occasionally has the runny nose as well.

Okay angels, another question.;) This question is about SEB. For those of you that have used it or use it, can I stop the Pepcid that doesn't work, and just continue with the SEB? Buddy doesn't seem to be having any allergy reactions with it. YAY!!!!!!! :D Thanks.
Kathy

Yep. Why take it if it isn't doing any good? So relieved the slippery elm bark is working for our guy..... glad you decided to go for it... was worried when you talked about the plant allergies but see... you did great. Whew huh?

Kim,
Frankly, I'm not real sure about the allergy thing with the SEB. :confused: Buddy continues to have the sneezing, gushing nose and wheezing thing. It is no better despite meds three times per day. The SEB just hasn't made it any worse. Normally, if Buddy is really allergic, he'll be itching, scratching and licking at his feet. He hasn't done any of that. His nasal discharge is clear, otherwise I would suspect an infection. The SEB has really helped his stomach settle. :D I'm still wondering if his crazy sinuses have to do with his macro-tumor and not just allergies. Does anybody know if sinus trouble is associated with a macro-tumor?
Kim - Don't you have soccer games this weekend?;) Enjoy:)
Kathy

I don't recall ever reading of anyone dealing with a macro having sinus issues but my memory isn't the best. :) glad he's no worse at least! Yes I do - I have to get up real early as the games are an hour from here and we start at 8 am. We have 6 games tomorrow back to back and it should be 95 they say. I have my sunblock out. Yikes. I need to go to bed as it was a long week. Take care and give him a hug for me. Kim

Kim,
You are doing great with this chatting thing!;):D Take snacks and a pitcher of margaritas in an icechest. That way you will have a great time, pretend to be supportive, and care less who wins.;):D
Hugs,
Kathy

Kathy:
I am wondering if Buddy could possibly take the chlorpheniramine the IMS told me to use on Tipper. She said this will stop nose running, post nasal drip etc., and is the best thing to use. I don't think you could continue with the Benadryl though. Also she told me she like this better because Benadryl lowers their blood pressure. She told me to buy the generic, I got it at Rite Aid. Poor little man, he needs to get fixed up. Blessings
Patti

Hi Kathy,
How's Buddy doing today? Hope his allergies aren't too bad today. You must feel so good knowing you don't have to get up and go to work Monday!! Have a great weekend. :p
Barbara

Hi Barbara,
It is so nice of you on check on us. Buddy is my alarm clock. He always gets me up at exactly the right time to get ready for work. Unfortunately, he doesn't vary from that at all during weekends or vacations. So I'm up at 6 o'clock every morning.:( Sometimes he will let me go back to bed for an hour or so after he has his breakfast and meds.;)

Today starts the third week of his Prednisone three-week trial. That means I reduced his dosage from one half a tablet twice a day to only once per day in the morning. We are trying to find the lowest possible dose, while still being effective. I will be relaying my notes to his doctor Monday or Tuesday, so he can relay them to the neuro-surgeon who is running, the trial. I am a little nervous, because he is going to be gone the whole month of July and he's the only one that knows anything about Cushing's at that place.:( That's why I'm anxious to get Buddy's dosages straightened out before he leaves. Buddy's allergy systems continue to run haywire. He's been having a hard time settling at night to sleep and sometimes he cries and moans on the exhale, while he's getting comfortable. I am thinking he might need some tramadol at night when he goes to bed. He doesn't seem to be in pain any other time. I'll ask the doctor about it when I talk to him in a couple of days. On the upside, his stomach is much better now that he's taking the SEB a couple times a day and he hasn't had any more head tremors sinc the last report.:DThat's it for now. Enjoy you weekend with your babies.:D
Hugs,
Kathy

6am is harsh on holidays. That little lizard hunter needs to learn 5 more minutes!

All good news on today's report bar those pesky allergies, pleased the seb you invested in seems to be helping.

Is it lizard weather?

Big hug, kisses to the little guy...

Mel
Xxxxx

Daisy does this too, but I go back to sleep anyway :)

She can come with me or not.

Today is the third day that Buddy has been taking SEB. The first day I gave him one dose. Yesterday and today he had two doses. There has been no sign of an allergic reaction and his tummy has settled nicely.:D Whew!:D Now if I could just get those nasal allergy symptoms under control.:p Baby steps.:p It sure is nice to be home to take care of this stuff, and not have to worry all day at work.:)
Hugs,
Kathy

Hi Kathy, that is wonderful and I'm so glad that you found something that will help Buddy's tummy.

Another good day and now vacation!! wooot woooot Now, about that early morning alarm clock Buddy has going. LOL Got to figure that one out. :)

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

How good that the elm bark has done the trick and without any bad reactions. Glad Buddy's tummy has calmed down.
Hope you both have a nice Sunday..maybe Buddy's alarm clock will switch to snooze now that your vacation has begun!!
haha...I know...probably not. These dogs have amazing internal body clocks don't they? :p
Barbara

Kathy,
I am SO happy to read that the SEB has helped Buddy's tummy and that he has not shown to be allergic. And no more head tremors, right? Now if his allergies would just settle down. My dogs are early morning alarm clocks also. And I am up at least once during the night to let Jasper out. On the weekend I tell them that they need a snooze button. Looks like Buddy needs one too! :D Hope you both are having a good weekend.

Hugs,
Tina and Jasper