Good Vibes For Maghee, Please **Partial Update**

    • Gold Top Dog

    Good news!  Fingers crossed that the bloods look good!

    • Gold Top Dog

    Good vibes for sweet and pretty Miss Maghee and you Annie!

    I hope the results will be great.

    • Gold Top Dog

     So happy to read the good news. Hope the bloodwork results are just as good!

    • Gold Top Dog

     Just seeing this and sending my good vibes along that the bloodwork comes back ok.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Callie, everything you said makes total sense.  I do know that all things are connected & when one if effected all are effected in some degree.  Thank you for reminding me of that.

    I DO have a holistic vet that we go to.  She's not TCVM but she's well respected in my area.  Once I get Maghee's blood results I'm going to call her & discuss what we can do to help my girl more.  I do give Maghee fish oil as well as Co-Q-10.  Milk Thistle is next to add to her cocktail.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Annie, good to hear you have a place to start.  Check your 4 Paws 5 Directions book, it talks about the heart-liver-kidney blood connection.  It recommends some supplements, which would probably make a good list to talk to your holistic vet about.  Also talks about diet with these heart problem dogs, and I have found it very useful in cooking for Agnes.  I would also suggest discussing this with the holistic vet.

    Maghee is a very lucky girl.  (((Hugs)))

    • Gold Top Dog

    Sending some very positive vibes to Maghee all the way from Nova Scotia.  Hope the blood results are good.

    Johnny & Tessy

    • Gold Top Dog

     Fingers crossed here for good blood work; give her some belly rubs for me.

    • Gold Top Dog

    gradyupmybutt
    DO have a holistic vet that we go to.  She's not TCVM but she's well respected in my area. 

    The reason I said that is because between acupuncture and the Chinese herbs they help SO much with heart stuff.

    Hawthorn is another thing you probably need to do.  Billy takes it and has now since the murmur started during IMHA treatment.

    Milk Thistle -- particularly if she has to be on any of the other classic heart meds. 

    Co-Q-10 - you can always bump that up -- Ms. Socks was on quite a lot of it particularly as she got up there in years (and this was a dog not expected to live  a month when I got her and she was here for 6 1/2 years -- til she was SEVENTEEN.  Living all of that with a heart & lungs in tatters. 

    Don't give up on this.  Truly do NOT.

     

    • Gold Top Dog

    Callie,  Dr. Simpson uses Traditional Chinese Herbs & accupuncture on Maghs.  I just started her on milk thistle & have had her on Co-Q-10, fish oil, mystery herbs ala Dr. Simpson, lasix, enalaprin & vetmedin.  What is Sam-e?

    I understand that when a heart is mal-functioning the kidneys & liver will also be affected.  I got the results from her blood draw this am.  Urea Nitrogen is 58, Creatinine is 1.7,  BUN/Creatinine is 34, Magnesium is1.3 & her platelet count is 457.  So from what Dr. S (reg vet) suggested was to make sure she's getting enough fluids & lower her protein intake.  I'm a little bummed by the food situation.  I thought I had found something good for her & that she just goes crazy for.  Maybe it's Reg vet's predijuce (SP?) against raw that he's pushing.  I just don't know.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Annie, as I understand it, you don't actually need to reduce her protien levels.  It's actually the phosphorus level that needs to be reduced. 

    There is a Yahoo group that deals with kidney disease.  I also like Mary Straus's site.  It has some awesome articles

    • Gold Top Dog

     I missed this until now, but I just wanted to send some "stay healthy" vibes to Miss Maghee!  I'm glad to hear that there's not a lot of fluid built up, and I know that you'll find the right food for her.  *Hugs* to both of you!

    • Gold Top Dog

    I know I'll never agree with most folks on here, but I tend to have dogs make it to an OLD age (17, 19 21?? and two of those ... no THREE ... with significant health issues)

    I see NO value in high protein.  It's easier on the body do to a lower protein.  I'm not gonna argue -- but I think this is over-debated, and quite flatly I have longevity on my side.  Every time I try to push an old dogs protein up I get in trouble. 

    This is from Wikepedia:

    "

    [edit] Therapeutic uses

    In the United States, SAM is sold as a nutritional supplement under the marketing name SAM-e (also spelled SAME or SAMe; pronounced "sam ee";). SAM is also marketed under the Gumbaral, Samyr, Adomet, Heptral and Admethionine brand names as a prescription drug approved in Russia, Italy, and Germany. Some research has indicated that taking SAM on a regular basis may help fight depression,[7][8][9] liver disease, and the pain of osteoarthritis.[10] Multiple clinical trials indicate benefits for depression, some liver conditions and osteoarthritis. All other indications are not yet proven.

    Therapeutic use of SAM has increased as dietary supplements have gained in popularity, especially after the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act was passed in 1994. This law allowed the distribution of SAM as dietary supplement, and therefore allowed it to bypass the regulatory requirements for drugs of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

    At first, a line of evidence suggested that abnormally low levels of endogenous SAM may play an important role in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and that SAM may therefore have therapeutic potential in the treatment of AD. However, further research has indicated this effect is likely due to vitamin B12 deficiencies, which cause neurologic defects through one carbon transfers with folate. Severely low levels of SAM have been found in the cerebrospinal fluid[11] and in all brain regions of AD patients examined.[12] Preliminary research suggests SAM may have therapeutic potential in treating AD patients [13] and a recent study using a mouse model of AD found that supplementary SAM prevented oxidative damage and cognitive impairment.[14]

    "

    Generally it detoxes the liver.  There *is* a pharmaceutical grade of it called Denosyl.  But frankly I see no merit in that over the human grade stuff. (and I have issues with the company who make Denosyl -- but that's another topic).

    However -- as far as what you're feeding -- you may be able to continue that but supplement with some cooked veggies.  Antioxidants -- good food is far far better than giving stuff as a supplement.

    Holler if I can help. 

    • Gold Top Dog

    Maghee, Talus says he's glad you don't have too much fluid on your lungs....
    He also wants you to know we're thinking about you and your family....