Loraine

Thanks Puggy Puugy and WEIA

Can anyone recomend an online place to get advocate from please. TIA

That lamb flap may have been too fatty for him and upset his liver/pancreas. Give him bland, low fat food, make sure he has water - no milk or cheese. If his temp does not rise too much he should hopefully be OK in 24 hours.

Poor baby Beau, those stiches look good so I am hoping he heals and his coat manages to cover that nasty area. (((HUGS)))

Tilly prayers are being said for your lad, I do hope that the growth is benign :D

I can't remember what number Zedley's T4 was but the path lab asked the vet to check his heart rate and that was a dead give away. It was 30 beats too low. His skin also turned dark in areas, and my vet said that is because he is itchy. I had done the holistic route, elimination diets, drugs etc. Right now he is great, no smelly skin, better fur cover, no greasy fur and very happy. I have read a lot about Jean Dodds, and she is a specialist in dog hypothyroidism.. I think you need to go with your gut. As Rappie said, you can have many of the test that Jean does done here more cheaply (I would think). It is the interpretation of the numbers that is important. Zedley's blood tests a year ago showed low thyroid, BUT the vet on duty at that time mentioned the low thyroid, but did not feel it was pertinent. Second vet, looking at the same tests a year later decided to call the path lab and th rest is history I have had another set of bloods done a couple of weeks ago and the Thyroxine has made a great difference to the test results :rolleyes:

Great to hear that Gracie is on the mend. What a relief for you.

So glad that Detroit is on the mend. RIP Rambo, so sorry you lost him.

Gracie will be in my prayers (as will you). Hoping for a swift recovery.

That has just remineded me that we found coritisone and the antib's had no real effect on Zedley skins probs. I have learned, during the food elimination thing, that he is in fact allergic to oats, so I make sure he gets none

Hi Susan. Benson sounds just like Zedley. At one time his vet suggested seborrheaic (SP) greasy skin and Zedders was on Antib's and pred and would dig bloody holes in himself. I have had him tested for mites etc., and nothing worked. We have gone the food elimination route, various shampoos and I have torn my hair out The blood test (taken a year ago) apparently showed a low thyroid but another number (which I am not sure what it is called, but think was the TSH) was normal. Now with tyroid probs this other number is expected to be higher as it is trying to push the thyroid to produce enough hormone. Hence the first vet ignored this test. Second vet (same surgery) had another look at the result, called the path lab and was asked to check to see if Zedley's heart rate was low - it was 90 something and should have been around 125 for a dog his size. Due to him being weaned off the pred we did not do another blood test at that time, but put him straight onto Thyroxine. Within two weeks his coat has thickened up (thinned due to the pred) his skin is pink and not red and HE IS NOT ITCHING. The latest blood test proved thyroid probs and he will now be on Thyroxine for life, what a great life with no bloody holes If I were you I would request a blood test before shelling good money out for the intradermal route (I was advised here that it would cost me around $2K to go that way). Having advised a BT, as you can see my first vet missed the thyroid problem that the second vet picked up. Maybe ask if Benson can try out Thyroxine (if there is any weirdness in his BT numbers) and see what happens. Apparently it cannot harm the dogs. Good luck! Loraine

Fifi the silly thing is Zedley had a blood test a year ago that showed low thyroid, but another number was normal (think that was TSH) so the vet at that time ignored it. This vet found those results and questioned them, then took his heart rate and realised that thyroid was more than likely the problem. Whatever, it is now sorted that goodness.

Once discovered it is great, isn't it??? Zedley has about 2 kilos to dump, and we have already got 600grams off. My vet said it will take a couple or months for all things to become normal and she wants to see him after Christmas.

Zedley had bloods done yesterday and the results are in. He is definiately hypothyroid. His heart rate has improved from 90 something to 126 His hair is thickening up (thanks to coming off the cortisone), he is slimming down AND his skin is only slightly pink and no itchy bits. He is great in himself, does not smell of yeast and has no greasy fur. This has been one long road to find his problem but now we seem to have got it right. His vet is chuffed and so am I

What a brave boy Beau is. Sending hugs from me and Zedley and will be thinking of Beau next week

I use the Show Pro clippers on Zedley and for the money they are not bad. However, somewhere hidden in this house are my super Oster's.

June I add kelp and crushed linseeds to Zedley's dinner, plus he gets a fish oil capsule each day.

I just hate vets pushing what they stock to us folks. I feed raw (BARF). Over 40 years ago Mum and I used to breed Wire Haired Fos Terriers - they lived on table scraps and meaty bones. They were shown at Crufts and none of them had any serious health problems and they lived to a ripe old age!

My 12 yr old mini poodle was diagnosed with Cushing's disease. He was managed with Lysodren (a chemo drug) for 3 years. This stopped the indoor peeing, and lessened his thirst and hunger. I joined a US group, where there are pups who have lived long lives. If the dog is teated and treated correctly there is absolutely no reason why they cannot live out their normal lifespan. My Coco went to the Bridge at 15.5 due tp kidney failure, nto connected with his Cushing's. If you would like any further info on Lysodren or Trilostane (the latest drug) please email me at [email protected].

Hesa - Zedley comes out in a worse rash when I have used Malaseb Totally a pest of a dog ;)

That's great news Loraine - nice to be able to get to the bottom of something often so hard to diagnose (itching I mean). Hope things continue to improve. I can but hope that this is the end of the otchy problems, but I will not count my chickens just yet Once Zedley has his next bloods done then we can look at making sure he is on the correct amount of Tyroxine for him.

We were back at the vet today for Zedley's check up. His heart rate has increased which is a good sign (gone from 90 to 108), and he is a tad less red-skinned. He took himself off the elimination diet just refused to eat it (once the cortisone stopped his appetite dropped off, and he tunred his nose up at the camel). We go back in another two weeks when he will have bloods done. It is looking as if all his itching may be been thyroid related.

I do remember your orignal post, as I was absolutely horrified at what happened to Beau. Glad to hear that the vet practice have accepted responsiblity and are helping Beau to recover. Looks like that scar is taking some time to heal properly.

How terrible for you and Ruby. I found this on the internet, might help you. Canine Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis (HGE) What is canine hemorrhagic gastroenteritis? Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (HGE) is a disorder of dogs which is usually fairly abrupt in onset. The significant signs of HGE are vomiting and/or diarrhea containing variable amounts of blood. The blood may be bright red (fresh blood) or dark (digested blood). How is HGE diagnosed? The diagnosis of HGE is one of exclusion, meaning other possible causes of bloody vomiting and/or bloody diarrhea must first be considered. Some of these possible causes include ulcers, trauma, gastrointestinal tumors or obstruction, foreign bodies, infectious diseases, and coagulation disorders. Evaluation of these other causes might require such tests as a complete blood count, biochemical analysis of the blood, urinalysis, x-rays, coagulation tests, fecal evaluation ultrasound or endoscopic (fiberoptic) evaluation of the gastrointestinal tract. Because the costs of all these tests could be significant, it is sometimes prudent to treat the dog for a few days with supportive care to see if the signs resolve. More details on this are given below. HGE is most common in small breeds of dogs. The blood count of affected dogs is frequently characterized by an elevated hematocrit (red blood cell count). Most normal dogs have hematocrits of 37-55%, while dogs with HGE may have hematocrits well above 60%. The elevated hematocrit provides the veterinarian with an important clue that the dog may have HGE. What causes it? The exact cause of HGE remains unknown. How is it treated? Dogs with HGE will appear profoundly ill and, if left untreated, may die. In most cases, the disorder appears to run its course in a few days if the animal is given appropriate supportive care. Intravenous fluid therapy provides the cornerstone of therapy for HGE. Fluids given under the skin are not considered adequate to meet the significant fluid requirements of most dogs with HGE. If intravenous fluid therapy is not given, the dog's red blood count will continue to elevate due to dehydration. Eventually, the blood may become so thick that it flows very slowly through the blood vessels. In this situation, the dog is a prime candidate for a potentially fatal clotting disorder called disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Once DIC has begun, it is often irreversible and may result in death. Additional therapy may include antibiotics and anti-ulcer medication. Page URL: http://www.sniksnak.com/doghealth/hge.html

Prior to the elimination diet Zedley is currently on I had those Frosty Paws for him and he loved them. I seems a number of companies are getting the message that many us like the BARF diet. I noticed in Better Pets and Gardens, CanningVale, that they had three different brands. I can remember that one was the Billingshurst, another is being made in Mount Hawthorn and I can't remeber the last one.