Squirt - my Queen has crossed The Bridge

[molly muffin]

Well isn't that something to just disappear like that. That is a good thing! I'm sure it probably felt a bit weird to her.
Hoping for stable poops going forward!!
hugs
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[doxiesrock912]

Aliens took it
(I'm glad that the lump disappeared.)

[Squirt's Mom]

Aliens took it

OOOOO! I wonder if they also took my left tennis shoe?! I can't find it anywhere either!

[doxiesrock912]

Nah, I'd have to blame Squirt for the missing shoe
Maybe she traded it with the aliens to make them leave?

[spdd]

What great news to hear about the lump disappearing. Wish I knew Squirt's secret. I could certainly due with a few lumps myself disappearing, however I believe they call it exercise I'd have to do.

It's nice to come on and read good things here.

So glad to hear the pooping is much better, I feel so sorry for them when their rear ends get sore. Good luck with the food changes.

[Trish]

Excellent, vanishing lumps!! I like it Send those aliens over here, Flynn has a few that can take a hike too! xx

[goldengirl88]

Leslie:
The case of the missing lump and the left tennis shoe. Maybe there are some ghosts moving about at nite when you are all sleeping? I hope all are still doing well with the diet change and that Squirty is still ok and no more runs. Blessings
Patti

[Squirt's Mom]

Well, within a couple of days of finishing the Metronizadole, her stool were soft again. Not cow patty soft, not soft enough to require butt wiping/cleaning, but not nice and firm either. The color is all off due to the change in feed (I used to know her poop from the color and content) which makes me catch my breath for a second til I remember the feed change. I've added a couple of things to her tea day before yesterday to see if that will help or if we need to see Doc again. I added Plantain and Echinacea. The stools haven't worsened as of this morning, thankfully.

From time to time I see things that make me think her cortisol is on the rise but then I can attribute everything I am seeing to something else as well. The increase in water intake is hard to deal with mentally - I KNOW it is due to eating more dry food now but it still causes me to pause when she goes to the water bowl. She requires water several times after going to bed now but isn't peeing more or more frequently, no more accidents than usual (when Mom has her head up her own butt and forgets to let them out as often as needed! ). She is back to reminding me when it's meal time *most* days - some days I have to wake her to eat. She is very excited while I'm preparing her food and then when it's on the floor ready to eat, she looks up at me like, "Are you kidding?! Where's my GOOD food?!" The disappointment is evident in her eyes. She does not wolf her food down and has been known to leave some in the bowl. HOWEVER, she's begging for more treats, but I think this is because I started giving them to her more often when she was off her feed because she was more apt to eat a treat than anything else. So I'm thinking this is just simply being spoiled. The massive hair loss has stopped when the diarrhea stopped being so bad; Doc and I both believe that was a stress response because it was from head to toe, not symmetrical or only in certain areas. Since the Proin has left her system, her panting is much less. She is more interactive and involved in things around her, coming out to greet visitors most of the time now. She is often playful these days, too, which just thrills my Soul. So while some of these things could mean the cortisol is on the rise, they can also be explained by other factors. Meaning, I will still hold off on restarting the Lyso for now.

Because her poop has changed, I decided last nite I was going to just stand on the porch and watch her poop to see how that function was - straining, several stops to finish, etc. - but little Miss Huzzy decided to be shy about it and trotted around the end of the house where I couldn't watch without going in and putting shoes on so I could follow her. By that time, she was through and headed back to the door. But her "offering" had not changed from the morning poop so I was glad to see that.

Funny - she didn't want me to watch her but let me try to use the bathroom and the whole gang is literally under foot. My commode is in its own little closet, 4' wide, so four dogs milling around rubbing on and licking my legs makes it an interesting adventure to say the least! If I close the door for a bit of privacy, Squirt is the ring leader in scratching at the door, whining, growling and barking...but SHE is gonna have privacy.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[addy]

Hey Leslie,

I was wondering what would happen once the Metronidazole was stopped. Since Squirt is also dealing with a food change, would you consider tapering her off the metronidazole rather than just stopping it? In the early days, it was the one trick that helped Zoe. You can either go every other day for a week, then every two days, every three days then stop or just keep reducing the dose.

I know you prefer not to use it, just a thought

[Squirt's Mom]

Thanks, Addy! The Metonizadole was prescribed to use til gone so that's what we did. Her last dose wasn't a full dose tho, more like half. And you're right, this is a drug that bothers me when used for more than a short time. If her stools do get worse again and this is what Doc wants to use, I'm willing to go another short round with it. But I am really hoping this is mostly due to the diet change now, that the bacteria has been taken care of, and she will adjust with help from the herbs. For at least five years now, her little body has been flooded with chemicals of one kind or the other and giving it a break would sure be nice!