Split: Split: For Hope and Steve – Page 12

Keymaster

Hope,

Chance used to pant quite a bit, even when lying down, because his liver was very enlarged from the prednisone exposure and it was uncomfortable for him to lay on his side pressing against it. He had stopped getting on the bed or couch he was so uncomfortable.

You can check the breathing rate. 10-34 breaths per minute, unless panting.

Another side effect of high dose prednisone is a reduced ability to moderate body temperature. Try putting some fans around on the floor. Lay a folded blanket down for him to lie on next to the fan. Chance’s elbows got raw during this time as the prednisone made his skin very delicate, so just my own warning, Steve’s elbows may be fine.

Try to think of every mechanism in the body that controls things like respiration, heart rate, digestion, blood sugar, muscle contractions, nerve impulses etc as being hampered by the excess cortisol. It’s like being on alert all day all night long. Imagine that feeling you get when you almost have a car accident and how you would feel if that was all day long. Ugh.

That is a good sized reduction, but if it is necessary then so be it. If he was able to recover nicely from the mailman incident then that is a positive.

I wouldn’t necessarily worry about the gums being colored differently but do mention it to your vet. Many dogs have colorations of their gums that makes them variegated.

Here’s a test for everyone reading this. Check your pet’s gums. Does anyone see black gums? Ha. I panicked the first time I saw that in Chance. But after a quick survey of all the other Giant Schnauzer owners on my GIANT list, I found this seems to be a breed characteristic. Nothing wrong there, but can be hard to tell if the gums are ok!

Willie also has a number of black spots on his tongue call Donnerthal spots. This is just a collection of melanin in the skin, inherited. Many dogs have these and so do cats. Search google images for either Donnerthal spots or dog black spots on tongue.

I got really good at evaluating Chance’s color by just looking at his ears. When he was at his worst, those ears were gray. Also you can pull down the lower lid of the eye and check color there.

To check for appropriate capillary refill, press your thumb on the gums and hold. Then release. The gums should fill up pretty quickly. The normal response is one second or less. More than two seconds may mean poor circulation. When the thumb print stays pale for three seconds or longer, the dog is in shock. Try that on both sides and see if Steve’s gums are responding the same on each side. Make it fun for him by putting something good tasting on your thumb ;-}

To check blood flow in the body, test the temperature of each paw. All the same or is one really cool to the touch?

To check heart rate, have your dog lay on the right side. Bend the left elbow up onto the chest. The elbow marks the location of the heart. A dog’s heart DOES NOT beat at the same pace as a human’s, don’t get upset if you feel it pausing! This is due to an inspiratory pause (during breathing).

To count, try to do it for at least 30 sec to account for this pausing (and then double the number). When you count upwards of 200 beats per minute your dog is having trouble. I would say around 60 to 160 beats per minute is considered normal, slower in large dogs, faster in small dogs.

my best, patrice

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