Health

Positive Thoughts and Vibes Needed for Tessy

Johnny&Tessy — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:20:37 GMT

I'm hoping that it's nothing serious but Tessy has to go back in to the doctors again today for her eye. It seems as if her mouth doesn't want to open as it usually does. She doesn't even seem interested in her ball.....and that's unheard of with Tessy. Perhaps the eye is in a little pain and it is affecting her jaw or mouth in some way.

I'll let you know what the outcome is in a few hrs or so.

Thanks

Johnny & Tessy

Eye Problem?

Johnny&Tessy — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:01:57 GMT

I woke up thismorning to find that Tessy's eye looked different. It seems like her mucous membrane (is that what it's called?) is up over her eye some. Is this something to be worried about? She has been battling AIHA/AMHA for the past 9 months. She had a bath yesterday afternoon and the shampoo I used was a natural organic Tea Tree Oil and Aloe Vera shampoo. I'm wondering if this might have caused it?

In any case I was just wondering is there is cause for concern here. I've tried to add pictures here several times but for some reason it will not let me....or maybe I don't know how. I'll add a couple of pics in our profile.

Thanks

Johnny & Tessy

Cushings & Addison's disease

willowchow — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:54:39 GMT

Can anyone explain the difference to me? I've been reading and I think I've got it. But, if anyone can explain in the simpliest way possible it would be awesome.

Also, if anyone has any experience with either or problem I'd love to hear your story.

Thanks.

Lori

Limp Tail? Broken or glands?!

Hunterwayit — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:35:51 GMT

I have a pit/am bull x that is about 2 yrs old neutered female and all of a sudden her tail has gone limp doesn't seem to be in major pain a little iffy with me touching or trying to look now. Have asked around a few suggestions have been anal glands but I thought that was a small dog problem and broken, yeah suggestions or ideas would be handy. Photos of before and now can be provided if helps.

Dental cleaning?

Spazzy — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:42:36 GMT

Ive heard dental cleanings mentioned in a couple posts recently, and it got me thinking... Bailey has never had one. Every time hes been at the vet for a check up, they always say his teeth look great. They are almost pure white and there isnt any yellow or tartar build up on them at all. My vet has never said anything about him needing a dental cleaning...
I brush his teeth almost every day, even though his raw diet and chewing on RMBs all the time keep them pretty clean anyways.

So are dental cleanings a must for all dogs? He has only been under anesthesia once (4 years ago when he was neutered), and id really hate for him to be under again unless its absolutely necissary.

It's a Miracle!!! (BlackLabbie)

BlackLabbie — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:01:01 GMT

So...we've been battling hotspots with Molson since August/September. We've changed foods, tried medications (prescription a topica's from the vet), and keep him buzzed down. Last night at Pet Supplies Plus a women was there with her senior Golden. What a sweet, sweet dog. Anyway, we just started talking and I mentioned how we've been at war with hotspots. Her dog has major allergies too, and she asked if I ever tried Sulfodene. Nope, never even heard of it. Well, we bought a bottle of the stuff, it was very inexpensive ($5), and it looks like a yellow oil. We put a little on Molson's hotspots last night when we got in and when we got up this morning- I swear it was like Christmas morning, lol- we checked the spots out and they weren't red at all. We put a little more on this morning and tonight his skin already looks SO MUCH BETTER and he hasn't even tried itching at all. He actually seems- *gasp*- comfortable.

Honestly, I'm completely ecstatic over this. I've never been more relieved- I've felt so bad for poor Mo for (it seems like) forever.

OH! I totally forgot to update my other anal issue thread...well, turns out poor Molson had a hotspot under his tail which we didn't see because he does have fur there (it's above his butt in that tiny area of skin) and he was itching that, not his butt, but all the itching and chewing and scooting had irritaed his butt. His glads thus far are fine (knock on wood).

Is it worth it?

Spazzy — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:19:59 GMT

Giving heartworm prevention... is it really worth it?

When i got Bailey he had heartworms, and it cost $600+ to treat it. Ever since then, he has been on interceptor every month (except in the winter). Going through the treatment for it was horrible, for him and me. Ever since then, even though i like giving as little pesticides/vaccines as possible, i figured it was better to give him pesticides every month than go through that treatment again.

Today i went to a dog halloween party at the dog daycare ive done volunteer work at for 3 years. They had lots of little games and contests, and there was a dog trainer from my area that i had heard about but never met before. We got to talking about dog stuff and i asked him what kind of training he does. He has 13 dogs, which he does french ring sport training with (and i get to go watch a training session for ring sport tomarrow, YAY) but anyways, hearing that he had 13 dogs i said "holy crap, that must be a whole lot of $$$ for flea/HWmeds each month" He said he doesnt use flea meds or ivermectin at all, and he has never had a flea infestation in his house, nor has any of his dogs ever had heartworms. He said he gets them tested twice a year. He puts Skin So soft bug spray on them when they are going outside when there are lots of bugs, but other than that he doesnt do anything to prevent them from getting HW.

Obviously you wouldnt be doing this in any of the southern states, where you have bugs year round. But up here in CT, do you think its an option? I like the idea of not having to put chemicals on/in him anymore, but im sure its worth it to risk getting HWs... Im not sure if i would ever do it, but im wondering what everyone elses opinions on this are.

Nervous

Liesje — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:33:00 GMT

In two weeks Nikon and Coke are having hip and elbow xrays done. Nikon's already pre-lim'd fine. Coke I'm just really nervous about. I don't know why. DH and I have been talking about it, what the game plan would be if they come back *really* bad. I have no reason to suspect they will, but he's a big mixed breed with a strange rear assembly. For a long time we were happier just not knowing, but now that Nikon needs his a-stamps sent to Germany we might as well have Coke checked. The radiologist is one of the best veterinary radiologists in the world. He is part of the OFA and his researched help start PennHIP.

So, nothing yet, I'm just nervous....

Josie prayers?

RidgebackGermansShep — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:02:55 GMT

A lot of you know from facebook, but i thought i should come post it here too. Josie wasn't acting right today, and i was a bit concerned. Around dinner time, she kept eating grass and was shaking pretty bad. I rushed her to the only vet that was still open (Thank God for them letting me come in 10 minutes before they closed). They got an xray and she has an obstruction. It looks like there is cotton in her stomach. Not sure about the intestines. They are loading her with fluids tonight, hoping things will pass. They are going to do another xray in the morning to see if surgery is necessary. If the intestinal junk passes, and not the stomach stuff...they can do an endoscope and go down and grab it.

I have been sobbing all night. We've only been apart for 2 days since i got her, even then she stayed at home with a close friend. I am so sad she has to stay there in a cage all night. I can call around 930 to see what they're gonna do. Any good vibes or prayers, or whatever you got would be very appreciated. I miss my girl.

Incontinance for Puppy - thoughts?

Rusty's Momma — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:48:18 GMT

First - I don't think I've ever officially introduced myself and my pup. My name is Ashley and I have an Australian Cattle Dog named Rusty. He just turned 7 months old in October.

Last night Rusty went outside to pee like he normally does when we get home. His routine is go out to pee, come in to eat dinner, go out to poop, then he's set for an hour or so before I bring him back out. Last night was normal routine. Around 9:00 PM I let him out again, he peed normally, but when we came back inside I noticed that when he layed down, he had a small amount of urine like dripping out of him. He licked at himself and then went to playing with his toys. When he got up from laying down, there was a small wet spot on the carpet where some urine had dripped out. He moved onto another spot and the same thing happened. We went to bed, and Rusty gets crated at night. This morning there was no leaking urine and he was still acting normal.

Has anyone ever experienced this? I have an appointment for him tomorrow afternoon at the vet's office but thought I would see if anyone else has experienced this with their dogs. Coudl this be a sign of a bladder infection or UTI?

Anal Problems- AGAIN (BlackLabbie)

BlackLabbie — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:14:31 GMT

OK, last night- in the middle of the night- I woke up because I could *hear* Molson licking away at something. I knew it was Molson because Patty was sleeping w/ me under the covers and Apollo was upstairs on the couch, Molson was on the dog bed in our bedroom. I just shrugged it off, he was wearing a cone (for hotspots) and sometimes he licks that. Well, I took the dogs out for a potty and walk this morning, everything was normal (normal poops, no scooting). When I got back in, about 2 mins ago, I noticed Molson's anus was dirty looking and red and puffy (again). I got baby wipes and cleaned it and, yep, he did have some traces of poop stuck on his anus. His fur is super buzzed down around that area, the poop was on his actual bum hole (sorry, I know, TMI) and it looked like sand or dirt. Well, Molson was laying down and I heard that licking again, I turn around and Molson is sure enough licking his bum, well, he was trying to like crazy because he had the cone on. I called our vet to ask what's the deal w/ the licking and what's the deal w/ the poop, the receptionist said a tech will call me back later (they were very busy). Any ideas?

I feel so bad for poor Molson. Patty & Apollo literally have no health problems or food issues (knock on wood) and it seems like Molson's getting it all.

Scratching face

dyan — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:49:13 GMT

For some time now, Gibby scratches a bit at his face....can never tell where though...sometimes thinking its his ears...sometimes he seems to be close to his eyes.... and sometimes his mouth. Never quite sure and a lot of times I clean his ears to make sure they are okay....never see anything to worry about.

Except yesterday he was laying by his favorite front door with the sun coming in the door...... I bent over and was kissing him and talking to him, and I noticed his dewlaps seemed to have little bumps on them.... and instead of bright pink skin it was a little yellowed I guess you might say. Of course.... he eats brown food so I suppose it could be not bright pink from that. But I was surprised. Ollie used to have acne that we worked hard to get rid of...dont' even remember what we did. But his was on his chin and muzzle too.... Gibby seems to be clear except for right on the edges of his dewlaps.

Guess I will have to start washing him there...but wondering if anyone else deals with this?

Anal Problem-HELP! (BlackLabbie)

BlackLabbie — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:18:33 GMT

Last night DH had Molson out for a walk. On their walk Molson pooped then scooted. This morning we had Molson (and the other 2) out and he pooped again and scooted....so, I'm thinking his anal glands need to be expressed. I get home call our groomer who does this to make an appointment. Then I noticed Molson licked his bum, so I decided to take a look and it's swollen and bright pink. Any ideas? Should I still have his anal glands expressed? Is it time for the vet (I'm thinking it is)? He's never had an anal gland problem or anal problem before, is 3 years old and is fed Orijen 6 Fish.

anm zoom 3

islandtime — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:27:16 GMT

Hey there,

Has anyone tried this? I was at the vet this morning with my cat and got chatting about my dogs and joint problems, etc. He's had great results. Feedback anyone?

Thanks!

Crystals in urine

Beejou — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 03:35:43 GMT

2 weeks ago T-Bone had a bladder infection. There was a high number of red and white blood cells in his urine. The vet called me today and said that's gone away, but now he has crystals! He says it's not partcularly alarming given the smallish amount, but to encourage him to drink more and if I notice his urination changes or he starts licking his genitals to bring him in ASAP. I'm going to put a splash of beef broth in his water to encourage him to gulp it down. What else can I be doing?

Kaiser

RidgebackGermansShep — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 06:01:58 GMT

Hey, i know i haven't been posting here lately...but thought i should update on Kaiser since so many people were pulling for him/praying. He has been getting way worse, so i took him to the vet thursday expecting the worse. Bad news: he's down to 77 lbs (95 lbs when healthy). Good news, blood work is perfect! I was for sure his kidneys were failing. We're starting a new treatment- topical tacrolimus. If this doesn't work we still have the option of imuron and prednisone.

The vet was also concerned about EPI, seeing as Kaiser has several of the symptoms. We decided not to send of the TLI test since it's $118, because pancrezyme is only $38 and can't hurt him if he doesn't have the illness. He has been on pancrezyme since thursday and i have already seen a major difference. He was going to poop about 15-20 times a day, and now he's going about 5. His anus was really bloody today, but other than that he's doing okay. He has good days and bad days, but i think he will be okay for now.

here are a few pics of him

Sooooo skinny

bladder stones?

sl2crmeg — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 01:45:30 GMT

Anybody have any info on bladder stones? As much as I've heard about crazy dog illnesses, I've not had much experience in this realm.

My mom's dog (my childhood dog) was diagnosed with bladder stones 6 weeks ago, after what their vet misdiagnosed as a UTI 8 weeks ago (sigh). He's been on a Royal Canin RX diet for the last 6 weeks, with no change in the x-rays. Their vet wants to do surgery to remove the stones, but it's a rather expensive surgery, and at Rex's age, risky.

Off to google, but any info is appreciated, and please send Rex magic 'de-stoning' vibes from iDog :)

FHO or THR for my dog's bad hip?

MMEK's Mom — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 06:22:50 GMT

I'd love to hear from anyone with experience with a dog with hip dysplasia. I've read a lot online but nothing is very recent (2008 or 2009) reflecting medical advances.

Marlin is a 7-year old, 58 lb. Border Collie mix. At 2 years old the vet thought he needed a hip replacement. The orthopedic surgeon decided his knee was the reason for his limping and he got TPLO surgery instead to prevent his ACL from tearing.

Now 5 years later he's been putting less weight on that same leg. The same orthopedic surgeon now recommends a total hip replacement (THR) over the FHO (femoral head ostectomy), but he says either would be an improvement.The THR would require 3 months of very restricted movement which is my biggest worry. Marlin is very energetic and loves to jump and I'm very worried he could jar the prosthesis out of place. It's more invasive and risk from infection is higher.With the FHO it's encouraged that he start exercising immediately. On the downside is that his leg may be a bit shorter than the other and range of motion may be a bit less than with the THR. I'm leaning towards the FHO. His other hip and knee are in good shape. He's hopefully got another 5 years plus. My goals are:He can still run and play with minimal discomfort; he doesn't need to be a pro at anything and it's not like he needs to be able to climb a ladder or ride a bike. Jumping in the car on his own is a plus.No or minimal need for pain medication for the rest of his life (Rimadyl and others are hard on the liver long term).

Any of you have a dog around 60 lbs who's had the FHO surgery?

Also, are glucosamine and chondroitin supplements really helpful? Do they improve joint health or are they for pain? Studies in humans have shown glucosamine has no benefit for treatment of osteoarthritis: http://arthritis.about.com/od/glucosamine/a/glucosamineoa.htm

Swallowing hard

dyan — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 13:52:37 GMT

When I got Gibson when he was a baby.... I don't recall now how long later I saw him sometimes after he ate...he seemed to keep swallowing....seemed to swallow harder.... almost reminded me of reflex thing.....he did it a few times that I was aware of. Of course having had a dog that had megaesophagus it scared the heck out of me,,,,, instant recall. But I tried to keep a clear head and not panic and think Gibby had ME..... and just tried to observe. He didn't do it much at all...so I became relaxed about it. Of course eventually I came to realize he has a touchy tummy..... he was getting sick quite a bit.... but it seemed mostly on an empty stomach. I went to feeding him three times a day so that his stomach didn''t empty out...he has been much better. Of course he also ate his share of things he wasn't supposed to eat....being the mischivous puppy he was and kind of still is. He could still empty out a waste basket and eat everything in it.....we just don't put things in it anymore for the most part.

Well... I wrote on another post that he got sick on Thursday.... trying to eat grass...almost vomited but actually never did. Then the next day he got diarrhea...so I put him on a bland diet and as of later Friday he had a firm stool again.. also this morning it was normal. He is also eating and looking for more as usual. But I noticed last night after eating he did his swallowing thing again...he stood in the kitchen and kept swallowing really hard....amost as though something was stuck in his throat. But he stopped after a few seconds.... over night I heard him doing it a couple of times....wondered if he would get up sick...but didn't. This morning he did it while waiting for his breakfast...which he ate all up happily. So..... I don't know what to think about this...wondered if anyone had a similar problems like this? Sometimes I think its a reflex thing, sometimes I think he is getting sick..... sometimes I think he has something stuck in his throat..... even something wondering if he has a sore throat...but of course he only does it for a short time.

I want to ask the vet when I take him in next week...but I also like to have ideas and thoughts before asking them anything. So I am coming here hoping someone here might give me an idea.

Born without knees?!?!?!

Gizmosmama — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:09:06 GMT

I recently adopted a Shih Tzu from a breeder. (She seemed very sweet and I have kept in contact so far with her and she continues to seem very nice..and it appeared to me that this is not the norm for her) According to the breeder, he was born without knees. She seems to think he (Gizmo) will lead a relatively normal life. And honestly, so far he seems mainly unaffected by the "disability". He gets around and walks and run/hops along without seeming bothered. He doesnt seem to be in any pain. The only way you can tell there is anything different about him is that when he walks he resembles a seal....his back leg (the ones without knees) kind flop out to the sides and because he is so young he has very little control of them. Now I have taken him to work with me and everyone seems to think that the joint is there that would allow him to bend his legs and walk normally. However, I have read some about similar issues and they all suggest surgery to correct the problem. Now I would not care at all if the "problem" was never fixed, as it doesnt appear to bother him. I only care that he be happy and comfortable. SO I really don't plan to make him go through surgery unless absolutely necessary. However, I do see some advantages to him learning to use his back legs a bit more effectively. I have worked with him the past few nights (as I have only had him that long) and getting him to run a bit. He is able to get up on his back legs and use them effectively for short periods of time....and then he loses it and resorts to a sort of hop/run. I was thinking.if there is some way to create like splints for his back legs to put on him for short periods of time to kind of train his back legs that might be useful. Not sure, but do any of you have any suggestions?

Wheatgrass was a hit!

doji — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:53:42 GMT

Last winter my husband planted winter rye in the yard. Because we live in Texas, Saint Augustine is the grass of choice, but in the winter he likes to fill in the gaps with winter rye. I like this because it equals less muddy paws entering the house. But I observed another reason for liking it last winter. The dogs devoured it! Whenever they got the chance, they munched. They resembled a herd of two grazing at every chance they had. Also I noticed the one cat we allow outside was joining in. She loved the grass also. I had been experiencing a problem with the cats wanting to eat the silk plants in the house, so I knew they were desiring greens also. So I researched healthy grass for pets. I learned that wheatgrass was not only delicious in the eyes of dogs and cats, but also nutritious. This is the same grass that is gaining popularity as a healthy source for juicing for humans. I ordered my kit. It was cheap and it came quickly. I was out of town and my husband and daughter decided to start the grass for me. The process was very simple: dirt is placed into plastic trays with holes in the bottom for drainage. The seeds that have been soaked overnight are sprinkled on top. A wet paper towel is placed on top and in a dark place they are then placed. They chose a closet in the garage. The paper towel is kept wet for two or three days. I came home the third day and we had already sprouted! I noticed a little mold on the seeds on day four. We have had an unusually wet summer so I attributed it to hot, wet days. So inside it went, on day four. Still dark, still covered by a wet paper towel. Day five I uncovered it and soaked the seeds and placed the tray in indirect light. What happened next really surprised me. An explosion of grass that kept growing for the next week! It was soft, long, lush and absolutely delicious. All three cats and both dogs grazed throughout the day. They loved it. At this point, maintenance was a daily watering. I also noticed that each little blade also held a drop of water on it. This was true day and night. I noticed one cat just like to lick the water off, not just eat the grass. I love providing greens for them, not only for the nutrition, but to meet the innate need to graze and munch on grass. It was a hit and we have now started our second round of grass. My goal is to start the seeds as the current grass is ending its life cycle, which seemed to be about two weeks or so. It also made a beautiful addition to the home. I exchanged the pan for a basket and it looks like we are decorating with wheat grass. I saw a plastic version of this at a local home decorating store for $99! This real version was so much more beautiful and definitely useful.

Supplement To Support Immune System

jaamez — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 06:01:48 GMT

Arabinogalactan Powder-A larch tree supplement to support immune system function and microflora balance in the GI tract. Arabinogalactans from Larch Tree Extract are water-soluble polysaccharides that promote the growth of probiotic bacteria such as Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria in the intestines, which are important for GI Tract health.

Ear problems

meyers0324 — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:42:01 GMT

We have a 8yr old Labrador Retriever. He has had ear problems since birth. He can no longer hear and our vet has recommended seeing a specialist to have his ear canals removed. Is this a common practice in dog with ear problems?

IMHA: RBC Help!

mgielczyk — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:15:40 GMT

My 4 year old dog has been dealing with IMHA for some time and today we received RBC results that are in a different form than we're used to. (different lab this time) We typically have received them as what I think is a percentage, normal range we were told is around 40-50. Today, however, we received a count of 2.6 million. Can anyone tell me what that translates to in percentage? Your help is appreciated and, yes, we know the number is low.

Boost your Dog's Health and your Eco-Cred: Ideal Bite's Guide to Pet Food

IdealBite — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:30:31 GMT

Tame your dogs' appetite with eco-options at meal time. Ideal Bite’s Guide to Feeding Furry Friends is chock-full of Biter approved foods, treats, supplements, and even better bowls for grub. Ma’ Earth will appreciate these more natural choices, and they’ll help keep your four-legged pals healthier, longer. Want more? Sign up for Ideal Bite at *removed by mod* and get free, bite-size ideas for healthy, light green living delivered to your inbox each weekday.