Erny Posted March 26, 2009 Author Share Posted March 26, 2009 Hi Bernadette - the info you recite is interesting. Would the lady's name be Carol? If it is, I haven't seen her yet but a visit to her was on the cards, all the more so if you too recommend it. And yes - I know you well enough to know you don't muck around with your dogs. If you wouldn't mind posting details (or PM me) I will be interested. My boy's eating habits are really quite erratic and I am struggling to get a full quota of meals into him. And I'm unhappy with some of the body postural signs that I occasionally see while he is eating. When he is eating, that is. Partial blockage is not something I've ruled out. In fact, when the troubles all began, he was initially constipated and I had wondered then, for a while, whether blockage was an issue. I've delivered another faecal sample to the Vets' (this morning) and they'll run it again to check for the presence of blood. Not sure what I or they will make of it if there is no blood in that lot as I'm not sure it would prove anything conclusively anyway. There are other 'things' too .... which also compel me to run the blood work for auto-immune disease. I'd rather rule it out and be done with it anyway. I have an appointment with the Vet to draw the bloods on Monday. Will be sending them OS for testing and analysis. There seem to be all these little 'signs' all over the place - I feel they are like tiny pieces of a thousand piece jigsaw puzzle and it sometimes does my head in trying to fit them together in a way that makes sense. That's if any or all of them are connected at all. If this lady that you're referring to can help me correct what is wrong, I'd be so much more the happier. Thanks for your post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bisart Dobes Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Hi Erny, Yes it is Carol Freeman, K9 Kinesiology & Natural Therapies (03 9796 8330). I have had turn around within 3 days with her therapies but it may take a bit longer for your boys system to right itself with support. Don't delay going it won't interfere with the vet treatment if you wish to continue it - I wouldn't though, I would give his system a chance to recover naturally. One thing I learnt from years of vet nursing is that most vets rely on blood tests for diagnosis and 80 % of the time they are not conclusive - so they are still guessing. Don't get me wrong we have a great vet who is one of the old timers and 'knows' animals - there aren't many of them around anymore. I have had numerous experiences with our dogs over the years where we have used veterinary meds to help a dog recover and they have lapsed but as soon as we have woken up and moved onto supporting their systems to recover - fully recover - then we get the results we really want - a happy healthy dog. Good luck with him. Bernadette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted March 27, 2009 Author Share Posted March 27, 2009 (edited) Vet rang today - 2nd faecal test results reveal (still) the presence of blood. So something is definitely amiss. Thanks Bernadette, for Carol's contact info. Must say that another DOLer also recommended Carol to me (thanks Andisa ), but I've been so busy with getting blood and faecal test results I hadn't contacted her. My bad, I think. But I have spoken to Carol this evening and having been very patient with listening to me recounting ALL the things that are physically wrong with my boy (including of course, things that I have felt are symptomatic), seems to have an idea of what it is that is wrong. I have an appointment for 3.30pm tomorrow to see her. My conversation with Carol has given me much hope that I may be able to resolve the issue/s that have been ever present ever since I brought my 'little man' home with me when he was 8 wo, without the necessity for invasive exploratory procedures. I have an appointment with the Melbourne Vet Centre for Monday morning (Vet referral) but with any luck I will be confident enough to cancel it after I have met with Carol and she's had the chance to check my boy out to confirm her thoughts. Fingers crossed. ETA: You know - having spoken with Carol, I feel more sane than I have felt over the past couple of days. There have been so many things that I have 'felt' were symptomatic but couldn't work out whether they were all of one thing or whether they were pointing to numerous things that could be wrong. I've mentioned them to the Vets that I have seen but they didn't seem to me to have taken every one of those things as pointing to anything in particular, or having any meaning at all. That led me to wondering if it is just me conjuring these things in my mind, and all of this guess work and doubting myself has been driving me to distraction over the past couple of days. Carol, however, took heed of each detail I gave and what she has suggested as what might be the problem, makes sense of ALL of the symptoms I have been seeing (even those things that I saw in my boy at 8wo). I think my sanity might have just been saved. Edited March 27, 2009 by Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bisart Dobes Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 "I think my sanity might have just been saved." WOW, I have called her a miracle worker before but now she's proved it - just joking - Seriously, very glad to hear you have rung her and are looking at this option. She is very good and will do everything she can to help. Let me know how you go my dear - catch up at Rotty Training ??? B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted March 27, 2009 Author Share Posted March 27, 2009 "I think my sanity might have just been saved."WOW, I have called her a miracle worker before but now she's proved it - just joking - Smart . Seriously, very glad to hear you have rung her and are looking at this option. She is very good and will do everything she can to help. Let me know how you go my dear - catch up at Rotty Training ??? I will certainly update. Once I can get my boy's health issues sorted and back on track, I will be able to concentrate on training. Unfortunately, although it does occur, training has been almost as erratic as my boy's eating habits of late. We DEFINITELY need to do some catch-up in that department. Look forward to seeing you down there . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andisa Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 (edited) Erny - sounds great, glad you called Carol. I am sure she will be able to shine a light on what is going on with your boy. I will be contacting her soon about my girl, since she has been injured I am hoping that she will be able to mix a little something up to help with her healing. Keeping a 5 1/2 mo Rottie pup calm and resting is not as easy as I hoped it would be. At least I know what happened to Pink, just hope that she can help. Please keep us updated. Lisa. Edited March 27, 2009 by Andisa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bokezu Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Just read through this thread, good luck with your appointment tommorrow, I so hope she has the answer to your boys problems. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andisa Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Erny - how did you go with Carol? I am off to Carol's now with Pink. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted March 28, 2009 Author Share Posted March 28, 2009 (edited) Hi Andisa. My appointment is after yours. So I'll be posting in a couple of hours. I need another bottle of goat's milk, I think. At the moment, the goat's milk, yogurt, cottage cheese and egg yolks are sustaining my boy. I think he finds these things gentle and soothing to his stomach. I give the occasional sardines as well. Once I see Carol, I'm hoping that whatever she recommends for him soon sees him eating anything and everything with vigour, as he used to. It will be good to see some weight coming back on him too. Hope it goes well with Pink . Bokezu - thank you for your good wishes. I am very hopeful. Edited March 28, 2009 by Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Wishes for some good things after the kinesiology.. I am a firm believer in applied kinesiology!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anniek Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 I keep checking in Erny - waiting for good news Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andisa Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 I keep checking in Erny - waiting for good news me too - hope all went well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bisart Dobes Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Yup, me too . . . How did you go ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted March 28, 2009 Author Share Posted March 28, 2009 Sorry for the delay everyone (and thanks for thinking of us). Well! Carol spent a whole THREE hours (just shy of) with Mandela and I. Asking lots of questions. Spending lots of time 'checking' him out. What Carol said makes plenty of sense, although with 3 hours worth, I'm not so sure I can relate it all in a fashion that could be well understood. Upshot is that Mandela probably has ulcers which are suspected to have come about as a result of malabsorption and dietary imbalances from his baby baby days. No - that's not quite right. The imbalances/malabsorption has upset his system and the product of that has been the onslaught of anxiety which has also added to the probable cause for the suspected ulcers. Hhhhmmm ... I think I have that right. Or close enough. She also picked up that he was 'out' in his neck and withers and manipulated them whilst we were there (I guess it would be hard to do when we weren't ). I must admit that once she'd done that he did appear to be a bit less uptight around those areas. He is on 4 different types of tablets (for malabsorption and for his stomach); 3 different types of drops (for same); Bi-carb (until tablets come in - they were out of stock) to settle stomach acidity. I've also got some Colloidal Silver. The reason? Because Carol suggests Mandela may be, ummmmm .... 'getting off' by licking his personal bits and that this has caused some irritation. So I get to clean him once a day with the Colloidal Silver. Yay. Not. Not funny. Bl#@dy boys . If he gets sexy with me cleaning him, I'm out'a here .... fast!!!!! Although of course no-one can guarantee, but Carol was fairly confident that I should see good improvement in about 10 days. Once his appetite picks up I should be able to extend his diet to a return to bones etc. and hopefully that is when things will balance to some normality and he'll begin to show more weight than he is carrying at the moment. Mandela was such a good lad while we were there. Three hours is a long time for a young dog and when Carol was busy writing up notes and fixing medications, I kept him busy with some obedience skills, which he was very good at. So - in a nut shell, I think that is it. Carol has given me much hope that many of the symptoms I have seen (both physical and behavioural) may all be connected. The treatment at the moment is for his stomach and digestive issue. That is the priority at this stage. Once that appears to be well on the road to recovery, we'll address the other things that seem to be going on. I go back to see Carol when all the meds are finished, which will be in 2 weeks' time. Or sooner, of course, should Mandela's appetite not have improved before then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted March 28, 2009 Author Share Posted March 28, 2009 (edited) Andisa - what about you? How did Pink go? And BD - I was still there when you rang Carol. You just ring for a chat, or you got current probs too? Edited March 28, 2009 by Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huski Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 I have been following this thread, so glad you might have some light at the end of the tunnel Erny - fingers crossed it is all uphill from here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted March 28, 2009 Author Share Posted March 28, 2009 Thanks Huski. I hope so too. I am really uncomfortable with the idea of GA and invasive exploration - I feel that has the very real potention to start a snow ball rolling in the wrong direction. If things can be righted without that, then all the better for Mandela in the long term. I will be very glad when this bout of trouble is behind us. Having said that, I am lucky. I have something that to the best of our knowledge at least, can be treated and in all likelihood, overcome. I remember wishing that circumstance for Kal (bless her cotton socks), rather than the opposite, so I am very conscious that other people have it much more difficult with their dogs, with little to no hope. So, as I said, I'm quite fortunate, really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 That sounds promising Looking forward to updates! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andisa Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Andisa - what about you? How did Pink go?And BD - I was still there when you rang Carol. You just ring for a chat, or you got current probs too? Wow Erny, that was a lot to take in. Hopefully you will see some changes real soon. I forgot about the bi carb soda, we used that with a pup last yr, *note to self - make notes for future reference* . I took Maddy ( she is the one you helped me with last yr) to Carols and she did her thing with her, amazing what she told me, she mixed up a concoction for Maddy - I called it "Maddy's happy drops". What ever was in it did help her. She also helped us with our elderly Maltese a while back - what she said about him was really amazing. Fingers crossed for my little girl Erny, the fall she had at the dog pool may be worse than I first thought, she is booked in to see Ray Ferguson on Monday for a 2nd vet opinion. Carol did some manipulation on her and she is moving a bit better for now, she showed me how / where to massage her as well. I will be taking her back for regular adjustments. Goes to show no matter how careful you are accidents can happen so easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted March 28, 2009 Author Share Posted March 28, 2009 Fingers crossed for my little girl Erny, the fall she had at the dog pool may be worse than I first thought, she is booked in to see Ray Ferguson on Monday for a 2nd vet opinion. Oh darn. You're right though - accidents can always be just around the corner, no matter how much care is taken. Perhaps she has torn a muscle or ligament and just needs more time to mend? Whatever the case, I hope it is a simple matter of some rest and easy exercise (dang hard to manage when they are young and silly). Let us know how you go on Monday. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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