My Boy Has Hurt His Leg

[anniek]

Haven't had an update for a while - just wondering how things are going Erny?

annieK

[Erny]

Anniek ..... thanks so much for thinking about us.

I think we're coming up to our 8th week of this current diet (8 weeks being the minimum amount of time required to see if it was showing benefits). We've been through a few cases of hives (which started before this current diet) which got worse before they got better. He still has new flushes of hives following the last, but they seem to be becoming fewer in number and are smaller in size. If I do see any that are larger I've learnt now that they are probably infecting, and so I bath them with the Calendulum (Marigold flower) tea, and that seems to help immensely and quickly. Where at one point he had more lumps than flat/clean skin, I would be able to count the number of hives now. For the most part, his skin/coat is looking good, although he has a day here and there where he becomes oily and his skin is very flaky. Both those symptoms can disappear within 24 hours though. Don't know if it is coincidental to the brush I normally give him at the time, to rid his skin of much of the very excessive scurf.

He's put on some condition, but not before I increased the amount of Allerblend. As an adult (1yo) dog the recommended feeding guide suggests 700g per day. He is receiving 2000g. Prior to me increasing it, he was getting 1600g and whilst he wasn't losing weight on it, he wasn't gaining. The extra 400g seems to have made the difference and 2 weeks after I increased the food I weighed him and he'd gained 400kg. That was I think almost 3 weeks ago and I plan to weigh him again tomorrow if I get the chance as I'm sure he's increased weight again. To describe his condition I would suggest "racey" but "fit". Perhaps "lean". But not skinny/rakey like he became at one point.

He has a wound on his ear (from way back when his ears flared red, hot and itchy) and I've been trying for all these months for it to heal. Paw Paw Ointment helped to a degree - in a way it also helped to protect the wound from his ear flap shaking (which was caused by the extra weight of the tissue swelling) as I used to glop it on quite thickly. Although this provided protection and did help in reducing the swelling and so reduced/stopped the head shaking, it still wasn't healing. So I treated it with alovera gel and that did the trick for drying it up. The wound is still there and it became so bad that you can see where it has 'eaten' at the tip of his ear flap when you view from the front of it. The wound itself began as a very tiny erupted pimple on the inside of the ear flap tip. I don't treat it anymore and it does seem to be scabbing up more healthy than previously. It's taken a great while to get to this point but I'm fingers crossed that it won't be much longer before it is no longer a 'wound' at all. Fingers crossed.

He is still eager for his meals and I am very thankful for that.

He has also toned up in muscle considerably in more recent times, something I had trouble achieving earlier. This could in part be because he has reached 1yo and I would think that his growth spurts aren't as great - that his body is putting its energy into filling out rather than shooting up. Gosh I hope so ..... I don't need him taller than he is!!

Touch wood - had no further issues with his back leg. Perhaps the cramp was associated to his system not absorbing properly. Or perhaps because I really haven't put him in a position where I require to crate him for the periods I did when we were at the seminar/workshop.

His jaw still 'cracks/pops' sometimes when he yawns, but not nearly as much. I don't think I've heard his back leg 'pop' for some time now.

Throughout all of this he has his back arched up more than not, but (again) touch wood, I'm not sure if that's not improving as well. If it is, then only marginally so. It is hard for me to tell as I am watching him every day. He is still a bit sensitive to touch around that part of the back above the abdomen. More so than what I would expect is normal. So this remains a 'trigger' area at the moment.

So, I don't think he is completely 'right' just yet, but there is a definite improvement. I used to think his head looked too big for his thin body. I don't think that now, so obviously he is appearing more solid than he was.

I still keep my fingers crossed that this isn't going to change over night, knowing by past history that it is possible. If all else continues well, then the only thing we need to get past is the flush of hives he keeps having but as I said, these aren't too bad now, so perhaps his system is working itself through them.

Dr. Bruce has been fantastic in his 'minimalist' and 'natural' approach to helping Mandela help his own body to right itself. I have avoided washing Mandela with any shampoos etc. and looking back I really do think that we tend to reach for the shampoo/treatment bottle a little bit too quickly and too regularly sometimes. Although I had them on hand in the cupboard should the hives become so bad they were needed for his comfort, I have managed to avoid administering any anti-histamines. And of course no other drugs were given. Each of the things I have used (as suggested by Dr. Bruce for different things at different times) have been natural remedies : Calendulum; Active Manuka Honey; Paw Paw Ointment; and straight Alovera Gel (the plant for which was kindly donated by my local Health Food Shop - "Healthy Life, Berwick", whom I'm certain my dog helps to keep in business :D, but their service and interest in Mandela and their advice on the products they stock has been great ).

For the most part, Mandela has been highly vibrant and energetic. There was one time that I recall in the last fortnight or 3 weeks where he was noticeably 'flat' (and I though "oh, oh") so I rested him. I fully expected him to begin going off his food, but that didn't happen and his energy reserves returned.

His stool quality is somewhat irratic - sometimes good but too often they are too soft and sometimes runny. So as I mentioned, I think we have more to travel in the health department before I would suggest all is absolutely well.

I guess that's it in not quite a nut-shell, but compared to the worried emails I have sent Dr Bruce over the past 8 weeks (more so in the beginning), this IS the short version, let me assure you .

Thanks again for asking and being interested. Even if this is not the end of our woes (as much as I hope it is), I have learnt SO much by and through it, regardless of the fact that we do not have a solid diagnosis for the cause of Mandela's health problems.

Edited July 7, 2009 by Erny

[anniek]

Mmmm Erny - I had been wondering what, if any, seasonal changes (bloody cold at the moment) might mean to his condition.

[Erny]

Mmmm Erny - I had been wondering what, if any, seasonal changes (bloody cold at the moment) might mean to his condition.

The thought has crossed my mind too - more particularly for the improvement in the hives (less heat in his body). I think only time will tell on that one. One thing I have noticed is that he doesn't seem to feel the cold anywhere near as much as my previous RR girl (bless her cotton socks). Not that he doesn't feel it at all, but not half as much.

But earlier in the piece, when it had first become quite cold, he seemed to reject any form of blanket covering. Now he seems to appreciate it a bit more. That could either be because his body heat was too high anyway (and maybe now less so) AND/OR because the blanket touching his skin irritated his hives (and not having them as bad now, it doesn't) AND/OR because the heat generated by the blanket irritated his hives. .... there remains question marks to numerous factors relating to his health and possibly will remain, given that none of the blood or other tests have revealed what the actual problem is.

ETA: Giving this further thought though - Mandela's hive break-out began in May and worsened into June .... when the weather was cooling down/cold.

Edited July 7, 2009 by Erny