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  #121  
Old December 8th, 2010, 07:54 AM
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That is so great , hopefully he is on his way to be fully recovered and no more pred!
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  #122  
Old December 8th, 2010, 08:52 AM
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Robyn,right after I had said I thought you were in the States,I saw you on in the post about the dog who cannot close his mouth....

I am so happy for Nookie and youthe little guy will only continue to improve
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  #123  
Old December 8th, 2010, 11:18 AM
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Originally Posted by Love4himies View Post
That is so great , hopefully he is on his way to be fully recovered and no more pred!
We're sure hoping so L4h!!


Quote:
Originally Posted by chico2 View Post
Robyn,right after I had said I thought you were in the States,I saw you on in the post about the dog who cannot close his mouth....

I am so happy for Nookie and youthe little guy will only continue to improve
I have just been SO busy the last week. We leave for the states next weekend.

Patti and I had a Harry Potter marathon on Saturday and she brought Sasha and Buddy. Buddy is a complete doll!!
I got some great pics of Buddy, Sasha and Nookie (Thorin doesn't play well, so he had to stay upstairs). I just have to find time to post them
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  #124  
Old December 9th, 2010, 10:35 AM
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Can't wait to see the pics, Robyn!
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  #125  
Old December 9th, 2010, 02:56 PM
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Thank you so much rainbow!! Nanook sends wet kisses and thanks too!
Awwwww Nookie .....I would so love to get those in person.

Looking forward to the playdate pics with Sasha and Buddy.
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  #126  
Old December 9th, 2010, 03:12 PM
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Praying Nanook's health continues to improve . Can't wait to see pics either .
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  #127  
Old January 4th, 2011, 08:46 PM
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Robyn, do you have an update for us?

How were your holidays?

Did you take Nanook to the specialist down there? If so, did they find anything different or have the vets here diagnosed him correctly? How is Thorin doing?
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  #128  
Old January 6th, 2011, 03:18 PM
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Robyn, I hope everything is okay.
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  #129  
Old January 6th, 2011, 03:19 PM
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Robyn, do you have an update for us?

How were your holidays?

Did you take Nanook to the specialist down there? If so, did they find anything different or have the vets here diagnosed him correctly? How is Thorin doing?

No, we didn't take him to the specialist there. We can't put him under now, so we could not have the stomach stapling done. But it's ok, Nanook has not been bloated in weeks! The holistic treatment he has been on really seems to be working for him. He looks great, not like a little cow anymore
Dr. Marsden has done wonders for Nookie. He's the only vet we will be seeing now. The specialist and our regular vet kept him alive with medication, but until he was off all of it, we didn't realize what those meds were doing to him. He was a zombie compared to what he is now!!

Thorin did wonderful on the trip, but I'm afraid he may have another UTI. I will be taking him in to make sure all is well.

Hi rainbow (and everyone)! Sorry it's been so long for the update. Nanook has been doing really well. He did have a seizure (10 weeks seizure free this time) while we were on Holidays. It was an odd one. All of his seizures have occurred between 6-8 am and 6-8 pm and normally while, or just after drinking, weird huh? This one happened at 1am while he was playing with a Kong wobbler. I had just looked at him and went into the bathroom to wash up when I heard hubby calling to Nookie. There was really no usual pre-ictal phase (he normally gets a blank look, does a lot of lip smacking, foaming etc for at least 2-3 minutes). He went right in to the ictal phase of the grand mal and it was over before I even got his Valium out. He normally is very disoriented after, for at least 30 minutes. This time, hubby wiped the drool from his mouth, then he jumped up and started playing again

We're praying that it was either caused by the stress of traveling, epilepsy or a bit of brain damage (scar tissue from previous seizures) and not a relapse of the Meningoencephalitis. We are not going to our regular vet clinic anymore. We saw them again the night before we left on holidays, and as usual, had the crap scared out of us for no reason. The only vet at that clinic that knows what she's doing is our regular vet, who we rarely get to see anymore. Seems we're always stuck with some idiot that has their own ideas/opinions of what's going on with our monster and then they scare us and recommend horrible treatments (like biopsies that aren't needed and tons of meds). The vet we saw told us he had Hemolytic Anemia and caused us to leave on holidays almost a full day late. She actually made me feel horrible and said we shouldn't be going anywhere with such a sick dog, that we needed to stay here and get him help and testing. She also wanted me to raise his prednisone back up. I told her we almost lost him due to internal bleeding from the pred/azathioprine and that it had damaged his front joints so badly he could barely walk. She then told me he was on pred for Hemolytic Anemia. I told her he was not, that he was never diagnosed, but she argued with me, then got defensive and told me to do what I wanted, but if it were her dog and she lost him because she wouldn't listen and follow instructions, she wouldn't be able to live with herself... I was so mad that I got up, took Nookies leash from her and said I would call our regular vet when I could and left. He was doing great that visit. Tons of energy, happy, huge appetite etc. His blood test did show slight anemia, but you would never know by looking at him. And it took them 8 tries and over an hour to run the test. She said the machine just didn't want to cooperate.

I went home and talked with hubby. I was in tears again thinking we were going to lose him even after all the fighting. The worst part was thinking the meds we had allowed them to put him on was the most like culprit for the Hemolytic Anemia. Hubby and I decided we were not going to follow the vets instructions. I decided to email Dr. Marsden. To my surprise, he emailed me back fairly fast and asked if I had a copy of Nookies blood test from the clinic, and I did (I always get copies for his home file). Hubby scanned and emailed it to Dr. Marsden. He then called me and asked if the other vet had even bothered to take his temperature. I told him no, she hadn't really examined him at all. She had completed the blood test, consulted with the old vet (the same one who said Nookie had Myositis and wanted to put him under, which may have killed him in the condition he was in, and do muscle biopsies) and together they had decided it was Hemolytic Anemia. Dr. Marsden asked if it was a young vet, I told him middle aged but the vet she had consulted with had been around many, many years. Dr. Marsden just sighed and said it was ludicrous that they told us Nookie had Hemolytic Anemia. He said they would have had to take his temperature, that he would have a fever, be extremely lethargic and normally jaundiced, which he was none of the above and, in fact, he was extremely perky and playful. Dr. Marsden was heading to California on holidays and asked me to continue to email him with updates, to have a couple of follow up blood tests in the states, NOT to increase the pred and email him the results and for Shaun and I to go, have fun and not worry because he thought Nookie was just fine to travel. So we did just that, after wasting almost a full day stressing and thinking the worst was happening

Shaun and I have decided that we will no longer see the regular vet clinic. I don't know what's going to happen if Nookie has a relapse of the Meningo. What I do know is that all the meds to treat it almost killed him, and made him a zombie pup. Dr. Marsden, in the first visit we had with him, made me teary when he said his hope was to "introduce us" to our puppy, and he has done just what he said. Nanook slept about 80% of the time prior to Dr. Marsden. Now we wish he would get tired out and just take a nap once in awhile, lol. He has tons of energy and just wants to play all the time! I think his teeth may have also been messed up from the meds because he seems to still be teething at almost 11 months old. He acts like a young puppy. Maybe because he missed that whole phase of his life
Dr. Marsden said we will deal with whatever comes up in a natural way and he seems to think our monster will live a full and happy life. I sure hope (and ) he is right. But if we do lose him, at least we will have had some very, VERY happy days with our little boy!

I am still so impressed that Dr. Marsden took time while away on vacation to keep in contact, adjust doses of the remedies he's on, check blood test results and just make sure our boy was ok. We have now placed our complete trust and faith in Dr. Marsden (and God, of course!!) as Nookie is a completely different puppy! No more prednisone, Azathioprine etc. We will not make our baby suffer like that again.

Sorry for such a long post, but I got started ranting about the other clinic and just couldn't seem to stop lol. It just blows my mind how you can see 5 different people and get 5 different answers/egos. People have to be SO careful with their furkids. One thing we have learned through all of this is that if something doesn't seem right, it probably isn't. Get 2nd opinions, and third. Keep going until you are comfortable with what's happening. Just because someone has a degree and a piece of paper saying they have graduated does NOT make them competent.

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!
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  #130  
Old January 6th, 2011, 05:12 PM
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Roibyn,thank you very much for Nanooks update,I think many of us were kind of worried about him.
I am sooo relived to hear our Nookie-Monster is doing good.
I had a similar situation like you,with 4 different vets,different opinions, at a clinic until I got fed up and now have a wonderful vet.

Just one question,is it more serious for dogs to have seizures than people??
My middle son is epileptic and has had probably a hundred seizures,since he was about 1 yr old and in between he was doing ok.

He did have brainsurgery when in his 20's,to remove scar-tissue and a small part of his brain,is it possible to do that to dogs,if it's found Nanook is Epileptic?

I am sure if that's the case,Nanook could live a long happy life on meds,once the dosage and combination is figured out,no surgery needed.
Epilepsi is not a death-sentence.

Nice to have you back
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  #131  
Old January 6th, 2011, 05:41 PM
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Originally Posted by chico2 View Post
Roibyn,thank you very much for Nanooks update,I think many of us were kind of worried about him.
I am sooo relived to hear our Nookie-Monster is doing good.
I had a similar situation like you,with 4 different vets,different opinions, at a clinic until I got fed up and now have a wonderful vet.

Just one question,is it more serious for dogs to have seizures than people??
My middle son is epileptic and has had probably a hundred seizures,since he was about 1 yr old and in between he was doing ok.

He did have brainsurgery when in his 20's,to remove scar-tissue and a small part of his brain,is it possible to do that to dogs,if it's found Nanook is Epileptic?

I am sure if that's the case,Nanook could live a long happy life on meds,once the dosage and combination is figured out,no surgery needed.
Epilepsi is not a death-sentence.

Nice to have you back
Thank you so much Chico!!


I don't know about the surgery for dogs. I'll have to ask about it if it does turn out to be just Epilepsy this time, and not Meningo. From what we've been told, it is different for dogs. Apparently the more seizures they have, the more they will be prone to having. Each seizure makes a path, of sorts, and makes it easier for the next seizures that follow. The meds for canine Epilepsy are also a concern. From what we were told, if a dog starts on seizure meds at a young age, they ay live to about 4 or 5. The reason is that their bodies "adjust" to the medications much fast than humans. Humans have a wide range of medication, so when the body no longer responds, you can move on to the next. It is the same with dogs except there are only a small handful and once they're through them all, there isn't much else you can do. I did read a study recently that said they are starting to use more of the human meds and it does look promising. They are very hard on the liver/kidneys, but with holistic treatment (at least in Nookies case), it helps a lot. Once he is stronger, if he has another siezure, we will have another CSF tap completed to hopefully rule out Meningo.

How is your son doing now? I read earlier that he was having heart problems. That must be terrifying for you
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"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole" - Ok... whoever said this has never had a sick or special needs baby. They ARE our whole life!

R.I.P. my sweet, handsome Thorin. You are missed dearly Dec. 25, 1999 - Mar. 4, 2012
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  #132  
Old January 6th, 2011, 05:49 PM
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Oh no, I was hoping no news was good news .

Pred does have it's place in the medical world, but I think doctors are prescribing it much too often.

Sending lots of for Nanook.
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  #133  
Old January 6th, 2011, 06:00 PM
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Oh no, I was hoping no news was good news .

Pred does have it's place in the medical world, but I think doctors are prescribing it much too often.

Sending lots of for Nanook.
Ya, we can't complain too much about the pred or complain at all about our regular vet and specialist. Together, the 3 kept our baby alive long enough to get him the holistic help. I just don't think I would put him back on all of it again. It was heartbreaking to watch him a few weeks ago. His joints were so bad he could barely walk and was yelping and crying a lot. He is still on pred, but a very low dose so there are no side effects. He's on 2.5mg daily which is way down from the 60mg daily that he was on. All in all though, it's pretty good news! At least for now. He's such a happy, healthy looking boy (a little too healthy... he's up tp 95 lbs )
I'll post some pics/videos of Christmas and the last few days. He really does look great. You'd never know anything was wrong

And thank you for the !! Dr. Marsden said Nanook will be the type of dog who always has something going on, but seems to think we can manage it. It's just going to take time, patience and, of course, money lol. But it's made to be spent, it's ok!! So here's hoping (and 'ing)!!
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  #134  
Old January 6th, 2011, 06:07 PM
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Thanks for the update Robyn.....it all sounds really promising
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  #135  
Old January 6th, 2011, 06:10 PM
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I'm so happy to hear that Nookie is doing well. You guys sure have been given the runaround with the vets but glad to hear that Dr Marsden has been able to help so much and also your regular vet.

Is it not possible to just book an appt with your regular vet if you want to see her? That's what I do with my vet as I don't like the others that are there.

Glad Thorin did well on the trip but sorry to hear that he may have another UTI .....I hope it will be cleared up quickly.

Looking forward to the pics and video of your handsome boys.
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  #136  
Old January 6th, 2011, 09:33 PM
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Glad that Nanook is doing so well, Robyn! And sending a few more Thorin's way, as well! So happy that you found Dr Marsden!!
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  #137  
Old January 7th, 2011, 02:39 PM
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I've also been waiting for an update! Glad that you are all okay.

When Timber had such low red blood cells, hemolytic anemia also came up. From what I understand, you would see a very dramatic anemia, not just a slight drop. I think Dr. Lee posted something about that earlier in my thread.

It is so difficult to get so many opinions but I agree that you should go with your gut and do what you feel is best.

I will update my post as soon as I get our current blood results but we did go to the Natural Healing Vet clinic here and had some acupuncture and gentle massage/chiropractic adjustments done. Also will focus on boosting Timber's immune system. Wanted to thank you for suggesting it because I don't know if I would have gone otherwise.
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  #138  
Old January 7th, 2011, 03:11 PM
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Is it not possible to just book an appt with your regular vet if you want to see her? That's what I do with my vet as I don't like the others that are there.

We can book an appt. with her, when she's there. She only works Mon through Wed and was gone from the end of Nov. to the 18th of Dec. A lot of the times when something happens and we have to take him in, it's outside of the days she works as well. It's just too difficult to see someone with such limited availability. She always says to just have the tests done and she will review when she gets back, but we never get out of the clinic without one of the others trying to prescribe something, or order tests or procedures, freaking us out, etc. It's just frustrating. I think it will just be easier to see 1 vet. Dr. Marsden is traditional Western and holistic, so it's the best of both worlds. He's also the pioneer for holistic veterinary medicine in North America. He doesn't take new patients (human or animal), but thanks to LP speaking with Dr. Dodds, he took our boys

We will be taking Thorin to see him this month as well. Hopefully he can correct, or at least treat, the Colitis.
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"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole" - Ok... whoever said this has never had a sick or special needs baby. They ARE our whole life!

R.I.P. my sweet, handsome Thorin. You are missed dearly Dec. 25, 1999 - Mar. 4, 2012
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  #139  
Old January 7th, 2011, 03:22 PM
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I've also been waiting for an update! Glad that you are all okay.

When Timber had such low red blood cells, hemolytic anemia also came up. From what I understand, you would see a very dramatic anemia, not just a slight drop. I think Dr. Lee posted something about that earlier in my thread.

It is so difficult to get so many opinions but I agree that you should go with your gut and do what you feel is best.

I will update my post as soon as I get our current blood results but we did go to the Natural Healing Vet clinic here and had some acupuncture and gentle massage/chiropractic adjustments done. Also will focus on boosting Timber's immune system. Wanted to thank you for suggesting it because I don't know if I would have gone otherwise.
I sincerely hope that you see results like we have. I know that, like humans, not all dogs respond to holistic treatments. But fortunately, Nookie did. It was the herbs and homeopathic remedies that turned him around. He's SUCH a crazy , energetic and happy puppy these days. Gone are the days of rest while he slept the majority of the day, lol. And we couldn't be happier

How has Timber been feeling lately? Is her blood count back to normal? Have they put her on any herbs yet? Nookie has been on several and the latest was to help boost his immune system. I would have to say it worked because his warts were so large that his little lip was hanging to his chin from the weight of the 1, but they all fell off about a week ago, so no need to have them removed now

And yes, Dr. Marsden told us the same thing... if it was Hemolytic Anemia, he would be a very sick boy and the Anemia would not be slight, it would be a fast and drastic drop.
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"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole" - Ok... whoever said this has never had a sick or special needs baby. They ARE our whole life!

R.I.P. my sweet, handsome Thorin. You are missed dearly Dec. 25, 1999 - Mar. 4, 2012
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  #140  
Old January 7th, 2011, 08:11 PM
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I didn't realize that the regular vet that you like only works Mon - Wed .....that sure makes it difficult. I hope Dr Marsden will be able to help Thorin as much as he has Nookie.

And, btw .....still waiting for pics and videos.
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  #141  
Old January 8th, 2011, 08:04 PM
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I didn't realize that the regular vet that you like only works Mon - Wed .....that sure makes it difficult. I hope Dr Marsden will be able to help Thorin as much as he has Nookie.

And, btw .....still waiting for pics and videos.

So do we! I explained the situation to him and Dr. Joanna Milan (one of his colleagues) and they seem to think they can help. I know we need to get him on to a diet that won't aggravate the colitis but will help in stopping the formation of Struvite and Calcium Oxylate stones as he has both.

The one vet is still pretty hung up on prostate cancer. We will be having an ultra-sound to hopefully rule that out.
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"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole" - Ok... whoever said this has never had a sick or special needs baby. They ARE our whole life!

R.I.P. my sweet, handsome Thorin. You are missed dearly Dec. 25, 1999 - Mar. 4, 2012
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  #142  
Old January 8th, 2011, 11:55 PM
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Sending lots of for Thorin .....I hope that Dr Marsden/Dr Milan will be able to help him.

Have you read the information from the B-Naturals Newsletter? .....

Quote:
B-Naturals Newsletter - November 2009

Struvite and Calcium Oxalate Urinary Stones and Crystals

By Lew Olson, PhD Natural Health


There are a variety of stones and crystals that can affect our dogs. I often get inquiries on how to treat stones when diagnosed during a veterinarian visit. The first question I ask is, “What type of crystal or stones was found?” Each type of crystal or stone is addressed in two very different approaches.


Struvites
These are most commonly caused by urinary tract infections. Bacteria in the urine cause alkaline urine (high pH) which creates the perfect environment for struvite crystals to develop. When struvite crystals are found in a urinalysis done at your veterinarian’s office, the next step is to have your vet do a sterile urine culture and sensitivity test. This test is done in house at the vet’s office. The urine is collected in a sterile manner and sent off to a lab to grow and identify the bacteria that is present. This provides the information on which antibiotic would be the best choice. Usually the antibiotic is given for a month and then another culture is done when the dog has been off the antibiotics for ten days to make sure the infection is gone. Once the infection is gone, the urine returns to a normal pH and the problem is resolved. Keep alert to any symptoms that a UTI has returned. The symptoms could include frequent urination, blood seen in the urine or pain upon urination. Always take your dog to your veterinarian should any of these symptoms occur.

Diet changes aren’t helpful for this problem, as most often the struvites are responding to bacteria in the urinary tract.

For more information, please visit this website:

http://vettechs.blogspot.com/2005/05...struvites.html


Calcium Oxalates
These are most common in dogs over five years old and most frequently seen in males. It is common in certain breeds, such as Miniature Schnauzers, Miniature Poodles, Yorkshire Terriers, Bison Frises, Lhasa Apsos and Shih Tzus. It is thought this may be a genetic condition that causes a lack nephorcalin, which inhibits calcium oxalates from developing.

Steroids can aggravate a calcium oxalate former which can create more calcium excretion in the urine. Cushing’s disease may also lead to calcium oxalate stone formation, as the increased cortisol production causes calcium excretion. Other medications to avoid for dogs prone to calcium oxalates besides steroids include furosemid, also known as lasix.

Symptoms can include difficulty in urinating, blood in the urine, inability to urinate in a steady flow or even increased urination. With any of these symptoms, please have a complete check up on your dog by your veterinarian.

Unlike struvites, diet changes can be helpful for dogs prone to oxalates. The primary foods that contain oxalates are grains and vegetables. Since dog foods are primarily grains, the best way to achieve a good diet is to offer a homemade diet. In this way, the ingredients and quality of the foods can be monitored.

Foods to avoid would include barley, corn, brown rice, wheat, soy, most beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach and nuts.

Foods that can be fed include all meat, dairy (no flavoring or sweeteners, NOT soy based), eggs, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, white rice, canned pumpkin, and meat and fish broths. Some sources can vary on assessing the oxalate content of food, so compare several lists. Some charts of low oxalate vs. high oxalate foods are listed here:

http://www.ohf.org/docs/Oxalate2008.pdf

http://www.lowoxalate.info/food_list...food_chart.pdf



A good proportion to feed would be approximately 65% to 75% animal protein, and 25% to 35% carbohydrate (vegetables listed above or white rice). Approximate feeding amounts are 2% to 3% of the dog’s body weight daily. On average, a 100 lb. dog would get 2 to 3 lbs. of food daily (approximately 4 to 6 cups), a 50 lb. dog would get 1 to 1 to 1-1/2 lbs. daily (2 to 3 cups) and a 25 lb. dog would get 8 oz. to 12 oz. daily (1 to 1 ½ cups). You would also need to add calcium carbonate, at a rate of about 900 mg per pound of food served.

Calcium can be another issue for calcium oxalate formers. While it is uncertain whether or not calcium will create problems, it is know that calcium excretion in the urine can form crystals and stones, so it is suggested to avoid foods that are high in calcium. Additionally, the medications listed above that can cause calcium excretion in the urine should also be avoided. You may add some yogurt or cottage cheese, but only as a small part of the diet, not as main ingredient. You will need to add calcium to diet, but use a calcium carbonate supplement WITHOUT vitamin D. Vitamin D increases the intake of calcium.


A sample diet for a 25 lb. dog for one day (divided into two meals) might be:


¾ cup cooked hamburger

2 eggs

1 tablespoon yogurt

4 oz steamed and mashed cauliflower


Another sample diet might be:
¾ cup cooked chicken breast

4 oz chicken heart

1 tablespoon cottage cheese

4 oz white rice



You may use meat portions for these recipes that your dog enjoys. The same would apply for the smaller ratio of carbohydrate choices. Be sure to use variety foods and avoid getting ‘stuck in a rut’ using the same type of meat or carbohydrate over and over.

Meat suggestions include ground beef, ground chicken, ground turkey, ground pork, baked white fish, beef, chicken, pork or turkey heart and lamb.


Carbohydrates to use include white rice, Brussel Sprouts, canned pumpkin, green peas, white cabbage, zucchini, acorn squash, Bok Choy, melon and egg noodles, Do COOK (boil, not steam) all vegetables (and the rice) before serving. Cooking is thought to reduce some of the oxalate content, and raw vegetables contain a higher oxalate value on most oxalate food level charts.


Additional supplements would include EPA fish oil capsules, at one per ten lbs of body weight daily, and a B complex vitamin.

Additional Methods to Help Resolve Crystals and Stones
Both struvite and calcium oxalates prevention require having water available around the clock and a moist diet to help flush the crystals. This would include offering water around the clock, giving treats of beef or chicken broth and allowing the dog many opportunities to urinate during the day. All of this helps to flush the crystals and keep the dog hydrated. Holding urine or water can cause increases of crystal formation, leading to stone formation.

B Vitamins are thought to help fight crystal development and EPA fish oil (omega 3 fatty acids) are renal protective.

Treats can be offered in the form of baked liver, hard boiled eggs and jerky treats. Do avoid grain laden dog treats if your dog is prone to calcium oxalates.

Continuous monitoring of your dog’s health in regard to crystals and stones is needed in both conditions to insure your dog is infection free and that stones are not developing.
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  #143  
Old January 9th, 2011, 12:44 PM
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Thank you for all the info rainbow!! I do want to start making a homemade diet for both Nookie and Thorin. I have to be careful because of Thorin's Colitis and the last bout threw him into the beginning stages of Pacreatitis, so he will now be prone to that so we have to watch the fat as well. What I am hoping to do is to get both boys on the same diet, though I don't know if that will be possible. Nookie has so many allergies and sensitivities and we have to really watch Thorin's calcium and fat intake(fish, omega oils etc). I'm hoping that between Dr. Marsden and Dr. Milan, we can come up with something!
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  #144  
Old January 14th, 2011, 10:59 PM
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Hey guys
Just an update on Nookie Monster. We saw Dr. Milan today (Dr. Marsdens colleague). I had taken some videos of some "episodes" he has been having for a few weeks now. He seems to get huge energy bursts that escalate into him lunging, growling and snapping at us. It's really hard to tell with Mals if they're just trying to play, or being aggressive. I also took video of him chasing and biting his tail. She commented on something that I thought was pretty interesting and had not even noticed, when he chases his tail, he always chases it clockwise She said that fact in itself makes her think neurological and possibly focal seizures. If that's the case, he has been having a few daily. But... when he is doing this, if we talk to him or touch him he will stop and look at us like "what?" and then get up, walk away and go find something else to do. The same with the escalation to possible aggression when he's playing, if I say sit (sometimes I have to push his bum and help a little!), he will stop biting/growling, sit and just look at me like "ok... what now?"
After I told her that she said it could still be neurological/seizure activity, but more unlikely because if it were a seizure, we would most likely not get him to respond to anything, or it could be OCD behavior . She said it's really tough to tell the difference between the 2. She also thinks it may just be that he was never really a puppy because of all the illness and drugs and is now feeling good, having a lot of energy and being a "delayed" puppy... who knows! She said to try and give him things to do like puzzles to make him mentally tired, making obstacles in the house like figure 8's and making him walk them etc to see if that quells the weird episodes at all. So... I guess we have some work cut out for us trying to figure out if he is actually having seizures, suffering a bit of brain damage, being a puppy (finally!) or is just extremely bored
One thing I will say is this... I never knew having a furry companion could be this tough, both mentally and physically , but I wouldn't give him up for anything

Now for the medical issues... I kinda freaked out a bit the other night because I pulled his sweater off and it was just covered with hair, his undercoat. Shedding or blowing a coat is not normal this time of the year, but not unheard of either. What worried me is that he is only 10 months old. He shouldn't blow his coat until he is between 18-24 months and his fur is a bit frizzy and a little brittle on his rear end. He has also been acting like he is on pred again... drinking a lot of water, peeing a lot (a few times in the house even though he's now potty trained), panting a lot more and breathing more rapidly. Dr. Milan thinks he may have immune-mediated thyroidism so she took blood and has sent it to Dr. Dodds. We should know in about 10 days. She said Malamutes are pre-disposed to it, and with what he's already been through, it isn't unlikely. The good news is that would explain some things (even the possible aggression) and it's treatable

I'll update once we have the results!
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"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole" - Ok... whoever said this has never had a sick or special needs baby. They ARE our whole life!

R.I.P. my sweet, handsome Thorin. You are missed dearly Dec. 25, 1999 - Mar. 4, 2012

Last edited by Rgeurts; January 15th, 2011 at 02:02 PM. Reason: meant to say clockwise, not counter clockwise!
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  #145  
Old January 14th, 2011, 11:40 PM
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We appreciate the update, Rgeurts. I think of your guys often. You may get the results by Monday and I'll keep my that it will show something that's easily treatable. You guys deserve a break
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  #146  
Old January 15th, 2011, 10:05 AM
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Thanks for the update,Rgeurts! I was just wondering how things were going!

Setters are prone to immune-mediated hypothyroidism, too. I hope that's all it is and treating it takes care of his new symptoms. We have three currently on thyroid replacement and the treatment seems easy and effective.

Give your boys a couple of hugs from hazel, k?
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Old January 15th, 2011, 10:18 AM
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Robyn,I think Nookie came to you,because"someone"knew,you would never give up on him.
I am not religious,but sometimes,I wonder..

I justyou will get a correct diagnosis and that it can be easily treated
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Old January 15th, 2011, 01:55 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by luckypenny View Post
We appreciate the update, Rgeurts. I think of your guys often. You may get the results by Monday and I'll keep my that it will show something that's easily treatable. You guys deserve a break
Thank you LP!! We're praying that something shows on the panel so we can get him started on meds and maybe get some of the symptoms under control


Quote:
Originally Posted by hazelrunpack View Post
Thanks for the update,Rgeurts! I was just wondering how things were going!

Setters are prone to immune-mediated hypothyroidism, too. I hope that's all it is and treating it takes care of his new symptoms. We have three currently on thyroid replacement and the treatment seems easy and effective.

Give your boys a couple of hugs from hazel, k?
Thank you Hazel! We certainly hope it's something as easy to treat as that. And wow... 3? That's almost half your pack! Did you find any side effects and/or changes in mood once you started the meds? Did any of yours have hair loss due to the condition?

Hugs given, and they thank you!



Quote:
Originally Posted by chico2 View Post
Robyn,I think Nookie came to you,because"someone"knew,you would never give up on him.
I am not religious,but sometimes,I wonder..

I justyou will get a correct diagnosis and that it can be easily treated
Thank you very much, chico! I'm not "religious", per say... but I do believe in God/Jesus, I believe in the power of prayer and I know without the prayers we have said and have had sent our way, our monster would not be with us. He really is a miracle
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"Obey my dog!" - Mugatu

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"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole" - Ok... whoever said this has never had a sick or special needs baby. They ARE our whole life!

R.I.P. my sweet, handsome Thorin. You are missed dearly Dec. 25, 1999 - Mar. 4, 2012
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  #149  
Old January 15th, 2011, 03:30 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rgeurts View Post
Thank you Hazel! We certainly hope it's something as easy to treat as that. And wow... 3? That's almost half your pack! Did you find any side effects and/or changes in mood once you started the meds? Did any of yours have hair loss due to the condition?
Setters are very prone to the malady so we check if we notice any lack of energy. Basically every time we have them checked for anaplasmosis or leptospirosis, which is once or twice yearly, we also do the T3/T4 and antibody tests. We haven't had any side effects from the meds (pala-tech chewables) or mood changes, other than that the meds rectified the energy loss. We caught all cases very early, so it never progressed to hair loss or changes in coat, except in Cass. She'd had dry winter skin for some time and that's pretty much cleared up since we started her on the meds.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Rgeurts View Post
Hugs given, and they thank you!
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  #150  
Old January 15th, 2011, 04:15 PM
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Thank you Hazel!! I really do hope that's what's causing Nookie to lose his coat and that it will come back!!
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"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole" - Ok... whoever said this has never had a sick or special needs baby. They ARE our whole life!

R.I.P. my sweet, handsome Thorin. You are missed dearly Dec. 25, 1999 - Mar. 4, 2012
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