Forum Replies Created
Erica
Tilly looks so happy, confortable & cute in the car. Lots & loads of good wishes with the reduction – what a great PCV! It’s hard not to worry, but you can put the dose up again if you really have to – take it slowly, slowly – that’s always the best way. Hoping all will continue nice & smoothly for her. Thinking of you both
Sheena & Worzel (& Ollie the Chair Dog!)
Thank you Joe – I think so too! Ollie is just the sweetest boy & the whole village said he should come to us. My husband picked out Worzel at the Dogs Home because he had, in the words of the receptionist, “given up”. He wouldn’t come out of his kennel to see anyone, so we just took him home there & then. We have always adopted waifs & strays as my parents did. They ARE meant to be with us & I know how much you miss your girl – they take a piece of you heart but give back so much more. You had something very special with Dunes.
Sheena
Vally
Ollie is a lurcher, which is a loose term for a greyhound or whippet crossed with something else, usually a border collie or deerhound. I think he might be the deerhound variety, but we’ll never know! He has the sweetest nature – never naughty & content to live quietly in a house where no-one beats him. He had an awful start with the gypsies in the UK – he was close to death & we nearly lost him – & I don’t think will never completely trust anyone, ever. He doesn’t like to be examined or messed about with & can be difficult at the Vets. So sad. Worzel & he are best, best friends & they love running around together. Worzel runs like lightning now he’s better (abandoned ex-racing greyhound), but Ollie is more the cart horse variety & tends to fall over! He was really upset when Worzel was ill.
Hope Bingo is fine & still nagging for treats! Worzel continues with his annoying plaintive whining (almost like he’s in pain!) when he wants a biscuit. Spoiled rotten & why not?
Sheena
Erica
What a story – poor Tilly, poor you. Having a medical background (I was a nurse – crushingly told I couldn’t be a Vet because I have allergic asthma, but that’s another story) makes you very wary of the duff information & useless dross on the internet & rightly so. I tended to look for “scholarly articles” or university studies to be sure I was getting the correct information. I was amazed at the depth of knowledge on Meisha’s Hope & VetNet, particularly from Patrice, who was my absolute rock with Worzel’s illness. A steep learning curve indeed as I was never particularly interested in haematology, but I am now! I hope I can return the favour by helping others in this situation. I think it is very important to get across the right information to people who have recently diagnosed dogs, both in factual medical information & practical help. I am sometimes disgusted at the lack of knowledge in this field – many vets have NEVER come across this disease & probably never will, but some of those who do need to be better informed. Sadly, this applies particularly in the UK. My personal “bugbear” is the lack of aggressive & correct treatment protocol at the diagnosis/start of the disease & then incorrect weaning. I find it particularly upsetting that many dogs are solely given prednisolone & NOTHING ELSE, only to waste away from the ravages of the long-term effects of this drug. It makes me so ANGRY that they were not given a chance. We all know that most dogs do recover with the RIGHT treatment & the RIGHT weaning protocol. Anyway, sorry to rant everyone, but it is very important to me that we can get this information across to people in a way that anyone, medical background or not, can understand & will be able to stand their ground with the vet if necessary because they have the FACTS. These are our dogs, our loves, not just another number at the vets – some have been adopted from animal shelters & have had an awful start in life as it is. There are some fantastic vets out there, but there are also some who are not so good. What can we do? Educate? “How” is a difficult problem. Thank goodness you fought like crazy for Tilly – what a great Mum you are.
Sheena & Worzel
- This reply was modified 10 years, 10 months ago by Patrice.
I’m with Vally & Linda on this – slowly slowly, take NO RISKS. If they have to be on a small dose all their lives, well so be it – who cares? The dogs certainly don’t . My specialist told me to keep a close eye on the LYMPHOCYTE levels on the blood tests. T-lymphocytes are responsible for the “mistake” (auto-immune problem – destroying the body’s own cells in error) in cell destruction so you need to keep them well within normal levels. If there is any sign of them creeping up above normal, beware. Your vet should easily be able to guide you on this. Obviously, if there is a significant (not small) drop in HCT/PCV, I would go back up to the previous dose to be on the safe side. I am a great believer that we all know our dogs well enough to pick up whether they are acting like “themselves”. I always know when Worzel is not feeling quite 100% & I know when he is feeling really good. Stick by your instincts on this. I am no expert on relapsed dogs having to stay on medications, but in my opinion from reading about people’s experiences on VetNet etc over the last year, it does seem to follow a pattern that relapsed dogs have to be maintained on some kind of drug protocol forever. It really doesn’t matter, as long as they are well. The prednisolone has awful long-term side effects, so if that can be dosed as low as possible, that is the best option. Patrice will know more about this than I do from her vast experience & years of trying to help everyone.
Best wishes to you & Tempe, the little darling
Sheena & Worzel
![bingo-14-5_1200x775](https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/wp-content/gallery/aiha-dogs_2/bingo-14-5_1200x775.jpg "Vally\'s Bingo \\"Smile\\"")
![Brigitte_Cleo_Ripley_Enzo_4](https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/wp-content/gallery/aiha-dogs_2/Brigitte_Cleo_Ripley_Enzo_4.jpg "Brigitte\'s Cleo, Ripley, Enzo and Guest \\"Rockin\\"")
