Raleigh, Archie, Gus

Aww Vicky, you have your hands full and I hope thing settle down for you and the pups soon. That is a lot to deal with.

Big hugs

omg, something going on with all three of them?!!! at the same time. what a time you seem to be having with all of this. :(

I do hope things turn out okay.

hugs
Sharlene and molly muffin

Bless all your hearts!

Addy, Sharlene, Leslie,
Thank you!

Wow Vicki! You certainly have your hands full. :o

Do you think that Gus's itching is due to allergies or something else? have the others been scratching too?

So sorry to hear about Raleigh's eye? Are the docs going to be able to do anything to help?

So glad to hear that Archie is hanging in there. Let us know how his titer tests come out and whether the state will accept Archie's rabies titer test. As far as I know, that hasn't been approved in any state as of yet. If not, will your vet give you an exemption if they are available in your state?

Please keep us posted on all the boys,

Hi Kathy,
I sent you a visitor's message but it's about these same things.
Gus' skin has cleared and his itching is a lot better. He is done with his meds. The vet tested his skin and poop and didn't come up with anything else. So probably allergies. Raleigh has been itching and I'm thinking he might have scratched his eye and might have caused the ulcer. I'm not a vet but his itching can get pretty bad. I put an old e-collar (one of those plastic cone ones) that I put on him when he starts to go after his face. Don't need any more eye problems. His eye is healing and he isn't walking into things as much so hopefully he'll get his little bit of vision back when it's fully healed. I was told if he has scar tissue from the ulcer after it's healed, they can put him on more drops to help with the scar tissue, so we'll see.
Archie was very itchy over the summer but he has gotten better for right now.
I still haven't heard about Archie's titer tests. Yesterday, Mon., it was a week.
I'm nervous about it. Do you know how those things are read for the immunity? Like must there be a certain number or what? I was told by the office manager at the vet if Archie shows immunity the vet will apply for an exemption from the state for Archie. Hopefully that will be the case.
I will let you know when I hear the results.
Please keep your fingers crossed he shows immunity for all three.
I have been reading on the website dogs4 dogs.com about all this. Unbelievable!!!! That's the site you linked me to last year the night before Archie had his rabies shot. Sure wish I would have been able to read all that before Archie got his shot.

A couple more things-

I found a small lump on the side of Archie's neck last night. Will keep a eye on that for a few days.

Has anyone ever used homeopathic remedies?

Homeopathic remedies to treat what?

Kathy, I have been reading many different books and websites from holistic vets.
They all believe vaccinations, especially the rabies, can cause many, many serious problems.
A lot of them do homeopathy and believe it is possible that a homeopathic vet could possibly use a remedy to rid the body of the bad side affects of a vaccination. The integrative vet Archie saw a couple of times over the summer does homeopathy but it is not classic homeopathy. I recently found out there is a difference. There is a Dr. Richard Pitcairn whose book I have. He actually started a school for vets to learn classic homeopathy. He has a website and I was reading a blog on there and decided to write to him. I told him some of the problems Archie has had. He wrote back to me and he believes that Archie might benefit from a homeopathic vet. Also, homeopathic vets can give a remedy right after a vaccination to help rid the body of the bad things. I am so worried I will be forced to give him a rabies booster. What if a homeopathic vet could help him with the way he is? This whole thing with these shots has me crazy. It is constantly on my mind. There is a vet about half an hour from us who took Dr. Pitcairn's course but she is not a holistic vet. Everything else she does is traditional. Just makes me wonder. Also I just can't afford it. If I knew for sure she could help I wouldn't hesitate. Dr. Pitcairn said if I can't take him to see a homeopath then he had names of doctors who consult by phone or email. He said I should consider talking to one about Archie's nutrition. He is a big believer that food is very important in healing the body. The thing is I need someone to help me get Archie to eat more variety of food. I don't know if that's possible. If you go to Dr. Pitcairn's website and go to blogs, click the one under homeopath, click to continue reading the story, at the bottom you can see where I wrote to him. The lady who has the website you linked me to last year, dogs4dogs.com, she mentions a lot about homeopathic vets and suggests to people who write in to take their dogs to see a homeopath.
That's why I was wondering if anyone has any experience with homeopathy.

Archie's titer test results are in. His Distemper/Parvo results are fine but his rabies is not. The vet said .5 is good. Archie's is less than .1
Not good at all. I am so afraid to get him a booster with the issues he has and the seizure he had following the shot last year but I am afraid of him getting bit by a rabid animal and getting rabies. I have been told about a couple incidences in our area with rabid animals. Why didn't he show immunity on his titers. It would have been a lot easier.
This is so hard.

I took Raleigh to have his eye checked today. The doctor said the ulcer is gone. He does have scar tissue. She said we will have to give it time to see if the scar tissue goes away. Keeping my fingers crossed it will.
I can't tell if he can see or not. There are times he still walks into things but not as much as before his cataract surgery.

I am so glad to hear that Raleigh's ulcer is gone. What a relief!:p I hope he is able to regain some of his sight now.

Yesterday, 11/2, was Raleigh's birthday. He turned 11.
It was also my daughter Molly's birthday.

Happy Birthday. Love you both.

Raleigh!! Happy Birthday!!

and Happy Birthday to Molly too!!! :) :)

hugs

Yay! Happy Birthday Raleigh and Molly!:p:p:)

Happy Belated Birthday Raleigh and Molly! Glad his eye is better.

Stopping by to say belated Happy Birthdays. I am so glad the eye situation has improved. Crossing fingers no surgery will be needed.

Big hugs

Thank you everyone!

I took Archie to the vet a week ago. He is having some issues on top of his other issues. He had blood work done. His ALT- 190(ref. range 18-121) and AST-66(ref. range 16-55) are high.
They weren't before. His BUN, creatine kinase and lymphocytes are high. They were before.
He has WBC and EPI cells in his urine.
The vet put him on Clavamox and 3 Standard Process products: Whole Body, Immune and Renal.
Has anyone ever used Standard Process products?

I took Gus for blood work today. If it comes back OK he will be neutered in a couple of weeks. Archie was going to be neutered
on the same day but the vet said to wait till he's on the Standard Process for 4 weeks then recheck his blood work.
Is it OK to have surgery with the ALT and AST up a slight bit like that?

Hi Vicki-
I am sorry to hear about Archie. Standard Process is made here in Wisconsin. When I was taking Zoe to a holistic vet, I used a few of their products. I always thought they were a reputable firm. Back in the far recesses of my memory, there is a lingering question about a possible bad review I read of their products. Maybe it is an incorrect memory; we can google it.

hugs

Addy,
I read about the founder who got into trouble many years ago.
I have talked to someone who used their products herself and she said it seemed to work for her and someone else who said it worked for her dog.
So I'm hoping it will help Archie. I think Archie's vet takes it himself.

Gus got neutered last Wednesday.

Has Gus healed from his neutering? Is the aggression issue any better?

I am sorry that poor Archie is still having so many issues. Poor baby.:o Hoping the new products help. xxxooo

Gus also had his nose openings done when he was neutered. That's more of a problem than the neutering. The boys haven't been together much since the surgery. We have to be careful of the stitches on the nose.
A vet told me the hormones run through them for 2 weeks after they get neutered. It will be 2 weeks this coming Wed.

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Same to you Vicki and to all our family here.:)

Same to you and all yours, Vickie! Hope everyone is well enough to have a great time and enjoy all the excitement.

Happy holidays. Vicki Raleigh Gus and Archie.

Hope you are all well

Hugs

Thanks for all the holiday wishes.
I haven't been here for a while.
As I mentioned about 5 weeks ago Archie had blood work done and his ALT is high. It was 190 (ref range:18-121). Yesterday he had blood work done to check it again. It is now up to 284 after 5 weeks!! I am so scared!! Is it going to stop?!
I looked back at his blood work from the past year. In Jan. it was-45, Feb.-82 March-89, June-97, Nov.-190, Dec.-284.
It has been going up every time he had blood work done this year. It made such a big jump in the past 5 weeks.
Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?

Hi Vicki,

Sorry, I don't know anything about the ALT. Hopefully someone will come around shortly that can help you out with it. What has the vet said about Archie's continuous rise in ALT? Has he/she given you any insight of what could be causing it? How is Archie doing otherwise now? Does he have any other symptoms? Is he still behaving aggressively?

How is Raleigh's eye and has Gus recovered from his neutering and from having his nostrils surgically opened?

Please update us on the others when you have a chance.

Happy new year to all of you!:D

You can have further liver testing done or perhaps just go straight to am ultrasound to look at the liver gall bladder. See if there is anything going on inside that will tell you why this is happening with him. That is probably what I would do

Hoping for more peaceful less stress filled year ahead

Hugs

Hi Kathy,
I just wrote you a visitor's message.
Right now Raleigh's eye seems OK. It gets checked in 3-4 weeks.
Gus seems to have recovered from his surgery. I don't think the nostril surgery made much of a difference. He must have problems inside his nose.

I took Archie to see a homeopathic vet on the 19th. She gave him a remedy to see if vaccination side effects can be cleared. I have a phone consult with her on Friday so I will be discussing his ALT with her to she what she recommends. Archie's regular vet said he would put him on Standard Process for the liver but he will let the homeopathic vet suggest something. The regular vet told me he is a believer in anything holistic.
The regular vet feels Archie's liver has some kind of inflammation caused by his poor immune system. That's what he thinks is going on. He said Archie's immune system has never matured. I think his immune system was overloaded with too many vaccinations at too young of an age and then again you have to consider where he came from. His vaccination record from the breeder makes me sick to look at. Then with the rabies vaccination it made things worse. That's my opinion. It just makes me so, so angry. It hurts.

Hi Sharlene,
What other liver tests can be done besides an ultrasound?
Archie had an ultrasound done last Feb. Do you think things could have changed since then?

Thanks for the new year wishes.

Happy new year to everyone.

Obviously I'm not Sharlene, but I can answer your question regarding and ultrasound. Yes, there can definitely be changes in 11 months. I realize that money is tight and you have medical issues going on with all three dogs, which does not help. If Archie were my dog, I would get another ultrasound done. If his liver looks okay on the ultrasound, that will help ease your mind some. If it doesn't, hopefully you'll have a new direction to go with his treatment.I am so sorry to hear that his aggression and peeing issue has not been resolved. He's very young to be having so many of these issues.:o:( Has he seen a specialist other than the homeopathic vet? Your regular vet has been treating him all of this time without any improvement. I would be looking for another vet, but then that's me. You must be worn to a frazzle. I would be! :eek::eek:

A bile acid test may be able to show how the liver is functioning.

Here's a link to an article which discusses the tests used for the liver, and a lot of other info: http://www.idexx.it/pdf/it_it/smalla...er-disease.pdf
It is a long read :eek:

Archie saw an IMS last Jan. She did the ultra sound.

Archie had a bile acid test and ammonia test in the beginning of 2014 to make sure he didn't have a liver shunt. I will check out the article. Thanks!

I have a phone consult scheduled for tomorrow with the homeopathic vet. Archie's regular vet wants her to see about a detox. After I talk to her I will let his regular vet know what she recommends. His regular vet is big on holistic treatments. When we saw the homeopathic vet she suggested a liver detox after surgery, if he would get neutered. The regular vet said after the test results came back, why not do a detox now. So I will see what she suggests to do. Then next week I'll talk to the regular vet and let him know. Then I can see what he thinks about bile acid test or ultra sound.

The homeopathic vet said she couldn't give Archie a remedy because it was too close to the first one he had. So the regular vet put Archie on a 4th Standard Process product, Hepatic Support, and a low dose of Denamarin. I talk with the homeopathic vet again this Friday. I asked the regular vet about a bile acid test and an ultrasound. He didn't think the bile acid test would be of any help. He wants to do blood work in 4-6 weeks.

Archie had a homeopathic remedy a week ago. It's one that hopefully will help his liver. Between the remedy, Standard Process and Denamarin, I hope and prayer Archie's blood work will show improvement. He will have blood work done in the next couple of weeks.

I will be hoping and praying right along with you, Vicki. Please do keep us updated.

Hugs, Lori

I hope all the best for good results for Archie. Such a time of it he has had in his young life. You're a good momma Vicki

Hugs