Pirate, my medical mystery

I am thinking about taking a voice recorder up to the Chi Institute -- Dr. Xie (pronounced 'Shay' -- who knew?!) is apparently very hard to understand. I am going to try really hard to take it all in!

JoAnnDe

Pirate is one of my all time fav iDogs

Aw, thanks! There really is something special about him. I don't think any dog I have, ever, will be as great.

Meg, I missed this thread previously.  I hope things are looking up for you and Pirate.

I don't know how, but I've missed this tread up until today. I'm sorry that Pirate has been having problems and I know how frustrating it can be when the tests and all give confusing information. I hope your trip to the Chi Institute gives you some answers to all the questions.

LAST night/this morning he threw up 2x and his gums were pale. Those of you who have auto-immune dogs KNOW that pale gums = vet asap. His bloodwork looked fine (SHEESH! Scare me half TO DEATH!!) but his fecal had some extra bacteria, so he's on a short course of flagyl.

I am hoping tonight is not 3 for 3. I just would like one healthy evening, please!!

Pirate, please have a nice, peacful evening so your Mom can breathe easy.  Good, good luck and I hope no more setbacks for him.  He's one of my special favorites on here too. :) 

sl2crmeg

Weeell, we had a little setback - Wed night he started clustering so we got to have our first Valium experience...it wasn't was bad at I thought :) but I will spare you all the details.

I think I'd be needing the valium for myself if I had a dog with seizures. I'm truly don't do well with urgent kinds of medical stuff, so my hats off to you and I know Pirate is in the very best hands. I hope that you catch a break tonight too. You're both probably beyond tired and could use the rest.

Yeah -- when I go back to Wally to get my hair colored this month he's gonna say "what HAPPENED" and I'll say ... Pirate and TINK!!!

 LOL

How have I missed this thread, too?!  I feel terrible!

Pirate, you awesome boy, you are in our thoughts and prayers.  Harry sends some nice slobbery get-well kisses, too.

cakana

I think I'd be needing the valium for myself if I had a dog with seizures.

I honestly don't THINK though - I just act and do the best I know how and by the time it's over I look back and can't believe it. But thank you :)

I was googling late one night and I found a blog written by a woman in the UK who's dog had grand mal seizures --- one of the things she wrote (and forgive me, I'm paraphrasing, I cannot for the life of me find the blog again!) is that when you have a dog with epilepsy your bond is much, much different than a normal dog. You need to be around *them* for your own sanity and they need *you* to bring them through a seizure.

Thanks to everyone for letting me know just how special he is to them - he really is a WONDERFUL dog and I'm glad he brings happiness to people all over!

You know ... Megan, I should tell this *now* -- but the night David and I took Pirate to the e-vet ... know what I sang to him all the way there and all the way back??

 "Yo ho, yo ho a Pirate's life for me ... " (over and over and ooooo-ver ... LOL)

Pirate seemed to enjoy it!! (especially the part about "we pillage, we plunder, we rifle, we loot, drink UP me hearties' Yo Ho!";)

LOL

sl2crmeg

LAST night/this morning he threw up 2x and his gums were pale.

OMG!  I give you credit, I probably would of fallen apart seeing the gums.  I hold my breath every time I check Willow's. 

I'm hoping everything is going OK for him tonight.  We are thinking of you both.

Lori and Willow

We just got back and Megan & Pirate are on their way 'home' from where i live (I had a flat tire this morning and the husband went and got me a new tire while Megan drove HERE rather than me going to pick her up so we weren't late.)

It's VERY interesting -- I'll let Megan tell it all, but the "pale gums" were quite a good clue to Dr. Xie!!!  b/c his tongue isn't pale -- just the gums!!

And hey Joann De -- I saw Dr. Rimar and she told me *with a huge smile* that she still sees Prancer and how much fun Prancer is!!  *waving*

I'm a charter member of the PiRate fan club & I'm waiting impatiently for the report on today's visit.

I am still trying to get all of it 'straight' in my head, so feel free to add Callie!

Mostly Dr. Xie thinks Pirate's liver is 'hot', so it throws off the balance and triggers seizures. Also, 'spring' starts here in Florida in January/Feb and that kind of change is PROCESSED by the liver, so that could be why we've seen an increase in seizures too. The gums are pale because secondary to Pirate's 'hot' liver, his blood is sluggish and that's what makes them paler than normal.

I'm going to work on switching him to ALL homecooked and focus on adding 'cooling' foods, like fish and turkey, to his meals, instead of 'hot' foods like chicken and I think beef? Dr. Xie gave him another herb to work on moving his blood and recommended that we hold his potassium bromide level steady until he has 6 clean months. Dr. Clemmons seconded holding his KBr steady (while I went to the potty! I was gone for two seconds, sheesh!!) so I'll discuss it with my regular vet on Monday.

It was awesome to see Dr. Xie "diagnose" and lead all these vets to the conclusions he was seeing -- in other words -- the seizures are the manifestation of the problem -- but it's the liver - and somewhat the gall bladder -- that is under stress (he pretty clearly was sure it was the bordatella shot + the stress of Megan switching jobs which involved Pirate changing where he goes) -- that those things contributed to the seizures worsening.

 But part of it also is that "Spring" in Chinese medicine sees it as a time where seizures increase (where a dog is seizure prone) and that it's important to get Pi balanced now so the seizures don't worsen.  To the rest of the country this isn't "spring" yet, but it pretty well IS here in Florida.  And it was this time of the year when Pirate's seizures initially got 'bad' and then other stuff began to happen last year about this time and "built" to Megan trying the TCVM in the summer. 

I'm glad you got to talk to Dr. Clemmons -- I talked to him for just a few minutes and it was SO nice to see him.  I reminded him that it was 'all his fault' because HE is the one who got me started on all the acupuncture stuff years ago when I was up at UF at a Dog Owners and Breeders Symposium. 

But yeah -- both Megan's and my heads are bursting with stuff.  I'm fortunate cos David wanted to know all about it so I got to straighten MY head out somewhat in talking to Davey!!!