Billy -- we've got another challenge

We are thinking and praying for all of you!!!

If they need encouragement -- give her my email if you can.  They don't feel super sick til they go below 15.  'tired' at 19 but not yucky yet.

I'm gonna post this - but the bit of news is that I had the appt with Dr. DiNatale tonight for Billy and Kee.  Well, I barely got into the driveway tonight and Dr. Bailey (my regular vet) is ringing my cell. 

"I've been thinking about what you said and if Billy has been on this herbal Dr. Xie and Dr. DiNatale think is so good then ... maybe you SHOULD have another urine culture taken and we'll send it in.  The microbiologist at Antech is trying to grow another culture but so far no luck.

I said "well I'll try not to let him 'go' much and hopefully she can get an easy sterile draw.  Then have Dr. D call me."

Dr. B said "well why not just NOT let him go at all?"

HE'S BEEN HOME 10 HOURS!!!

Bless his heart, Billy is SUCH a trooper when he knows you're trying to help him.  I hustled his butt straight to the car (and Kee too).  I went back in and took LUna out on leash to pee and put her back in her crate (I was NOT popular!!).

Took Billy straight down to Dr. D (an hour earlier than our appt.) and then he had to WAIT cos she had to do a euthanasia.  Bless his heart -- she got the sterile urine draw with no trouble (so I went out and got goodies for everbuddy to kill time before our appt -- that vet EARNED a goodie!!)

Went back for his appt at 7 (David thankfully could meet me) --

She talked to Dr. B on the phone -- and apparently both of them think this whole test was fubar'd.  (totally um ... screwed up!!) -- so they're resubmitting it as a 're-test' (Dr. B doesn't want me charged again). 

Apparently Dr. Bailey thinks it's screwy that last week we were told it was some kind of "hemolytic strep" -- and this week it's this other stuff ... sooooooooooo I'm glad they're re-doing it!!

They also (the two vets) talked about the possibility of just doing a 'lesser' drug (like clavamox which he's had since the IMHA and which is pretty safe) *with* the Ba Zhang.  IF IF IF the culture even shows any bacteria!

So at least there's some hope here (Callie grabbing and hoping it's not 'at straws').

NOW the other thing that she told me that truly made me feel quite a bit better --

I'd queried Dr. Bailey tonight to see if he thot this could be 'contagiousl' to the other two because it seems like ALL of them are drinking more than normal.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm NOPE. 

So then when I was talking to Dr. DiNatale SHE asked me "what stayed the same, what's different" and I told her I thot all 3 were actually drinking quite a bit --and she asked me what I cooked this week.

I told her since Dr. Bailey was concerned about Kee's back I put quite a bit of yucca in their food this week.  Then SHE said "THERE is your answer I bet.  If you don't put just TONS of water in with yucca it will continue to absorb a ton of water AFTER they eat it -- so that would have made them drink ... all 3 of them!!"

WHOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Ok -- so now I have an explanation that makes sense for the extra water (and it's been all the food I've fed since that urine draw 2 weeks ago!  I cooked that day after I got home!)

So ---- hopefully folks, we're gonna get a super answer -- hopefully it won't be a 'problem' because hopefully it's gone. 

PHEW.  This isn't the answer yet -- it will take some days to 'prove' this with this new urinalysis. 

On the further good news front -- Kee was the most relaxed at Dr. D's she's ever been.  Her back is much improved, and her mind is MUCH MUCH MUCH improved!

As I know more I'll let you all go -- so now if this 'scuttlebutt' (a/k/a 'supposition') just proves to be true -- I'll be the happiest girl around!!! 

Even after having to have a cathether put in when his bladder was so full it was about to rupture -- Billy was Mr. Awesome and HAPPY at the vet. 

I feel better -- I'm not silly enough to think it's 'over' but gosh -- it is a tremendous little "lifter upper" -- particularly to know yucca can act this way.  I've used yucca in cooked food before but I've never used quite this much.  So I've learned a lot ALSO.  Thank you so much!!

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[sm=please.gif] hey billeeeeeee!  tek and rosie are prayin' for ya! 
 

What i know abnout AIHA is ANYTHING ON THE UPSWING, ON THE GOOD NEWS SIDE, NO MATTER HOW SMALL is absolutely great.  Each tiny little thing means so much with this horrible disease.    I so happy that you have a tad of good news for us.

Even the possibility that this was all a big mistake and the possibility that an alternative antibiotic might work if it wasn't a mistake, is reason enough to feel hopeful about things.  I'll keeps fingers crossed that it was a mistake though since that would be the best possible news.[]

Aww GEEZ, Callie, I am so sorry you and Billie are going through this, but I know you will both be fine. Be gentle w/ yourself, you've earned a small crumble time. So go ahead and cry, then get up and do what you do best woman, take care of the doggie. Give Billie kisses from me and you a hug. Brando and Trixie are sending butterfly kisses too. I will keep Billie and you in my prayers and thoughts.

Oh my gosh ................ Maybe he doesn' even have a UTI?  [sm=dance.gif][sm=dance.gif] 
 
I know it's not 'ofiicial' yet - but I'm gonna celebrate early believing it was a fluke.  And how could they mess a test up anyway???
 
Wow, what super news!!!!!
 

  On the further good news front -- Kee was the most relaxed at Dr. D's she's ever been.  Her back is much improved, and her mind is MUCH MUCH MUCH improved!

 
OK, back better.....mind much much better.....sounds like I need to see this Dr.D!

I never thot of doing this but this is the faculty page from the Chi Institute:
[linkhttp://www.tcvm.com/faculty.htm]http://www.tcvm.com/faculty.htm[/link]

Dr. Xie is the vet Billy sees up at University of Florida (Clemmons and Chrissman both have their pictures there too).  That's up in Gainesville. 

But Dr. DiNatale is here in Orlando -- she goes all over with Dr. Xie (say "shay" -- at first I kept crossing my eyes trying to figure out how to 'read' his name LOL) to teach.

I know they got the sample out to Antech last night but it will be probably Friday or SAturday before they 'grow' anything if anything grows.

I dunno -- I'd LOVE to think they won't find anything, but who knows.  I'll save my happy dance for later. After putting myself thru the wringer all week who knows!!  But I'm gonna be over the moon if it's turns out it's nothing.

(And the cool thing is my regular vet, once again, is gaining some serious respect for how powerful the Chinese herbs can be!)

The other thing we did find out last night is that Billy's low back is hurting him a lot (which tells me why he's been so reluctant to get up on the bed lately -- THAT also always worries me).  She adjusted him (she also does chiropractic) but Billy is tickled that he gets White Flower Oil!  HE LOVES it!!

How come he always wants to sit on the pile of laundry?? *grin*

Kee's tail has healed well (I don't think I even mentioned it but we had to shave off the tail hair because she had gotten a skin allergy reaction and the tail got sore and I think her little 'curley Q' is cute!!), and we were all delighted that she was so at ease last night -- that's a big huge positive thing! 

Billy cooperated for the picture but Kee's gone TO SLEEP!! 

Can you tell the boy has to go get groomed on Saturday? The flipped over bangs crack me up -- I couldn't get MINE to do that if I tried!

I'm not sure where I left you all off -- a week ago (last Wednesday) the holistic vet got on the phone with my regular vet (while we were AT the holistic vet) and BOTH of them thot the lab had done a pretty bad job.  SOOOOOOOO Dr. D took another sterile urine draw (thank Heavens my dog will allow them to do ANYTHING to him as long as he gets TREATS!!! phew catheters are NOT fun).
 
Anyway -- we had to do the whole "wait for it to culture AND see what kills it" test *again*.  And of course over a freakin holiday weekend (while he's on this one herbal that we know probably isn't killing it).
 
FINALLY RESULTS TODAY!!
 
Now, it's come up E-Coli!!  (which is not eitherof the things they were iffing about last week!)
 
But hey -- I'm FINE with this. E-coli is killable with Clavamox and cephalexyn and a few others.  So, we got the results, and finally I got hold of a a vet who HAD clavamox (the holistic vet doesn't stock it, and Dr. B wasn't available).  BUT the good part is I had *some* at home from previously   So I've got enough to start him on it *tonight* and go and get it without stripipng a gear!!
 
Folks I knew there was *something* still there -- he's still drinking just a bit too much  -- so honestly I'm glad to know we've got SOMETHING to attack.
 
But it's not something "unheard" of -- it's not something we have to use the worst drug on the planet for BILLY (it's like doxycycline is this little IMHA missle with Billy's name on it gol darn it!!) -- it's something serious enough that it makes sense that it was 'hanging on', it's someting I can attack diet wise (ZERO grains for him for the next two weeks -- no treats, NUFFIN with grain in it cos ecoli loves it), but it's something we can attack and probably get rid of.
 
RAH!!! 

Yeah! for Billy.  Smooth sailing from now on.  Callie rescues again!

It's been extremely frustrating for these tests to take SO long and for Billy to have to 'hold' with a minor herbal that we knew wasn't making true inroads, but thank heaven for the cranberry and d-mannose which has kept the pain pretty much non-existent.  He's drinking SOME extra, but nothing like he was, and there's no reluctance to 'go'. 

But I gotta admit it was FUN to hear the two vets talking on the phone -- 4 years ago they were in completely opposite 'camps' and now they work TOGETHER.  And then to hear them *both* unhappy with the lab and argue about which one of them was gonna take the lab on and DEMAND the test be re-done.  I love seeing people have my dog's best interest at heart. 

But given how incredibly bad my gut was wound up 2 weeks ago today ... wow ... this is *good* news just 'cos it's do-able.  (and it's NOT a nasty "I-can't-win" drug)
 
And I'm editing this to add --
 
PLEASE don't think doxycycline is a 'bad' drug.  IT IS NOT.  Not at all.  It's not even a drug that is closely tied with IMHA like some are ... it's just that this particular drug somehow intensified the body's auto-immune response against Billy's blood so FOR HIM it's a mega no-no. 
 
But that's the total conundrum of "auto-immune" -- it can happen to any part of the body, any time, any place, anywhere.  I have to watch him constantly because it could all morph into something completely different ANY time.  But I wanted to set the record straight -- for dogs with serious true tick disease (which Billy's was NOT) it's a life-saver.  It was just the path that IMHA took with Billy.  The only 'good' part of it is that it's not considered 'idiopathic' -- meaning the IMHA had 'cause' to start -- not a good reason, but at least we can point to a 'trigger' for it, which makes Billy's chances at longevity better.

I will give a big sigh of relief for you! So glad beautiful Billy will be feeling better soon!

woo hoo!  great news!  yay for everyone!

   That's wonderful news; what a relief. I'm so glad it's not what they thought it was and can be treated without doxycycline. [sm=clapping%20hands%20smiley.gif]