This is an email from Maria Jensen, TreeandSea Swissys (by permission)
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Dear Group,
I have been using Doxycycline Hyclate 100 mg tablets at the rate of two tablets twice a day for a dog weighing between 100-125 pounds. He is severely affected with LPE (lymphacytic-phagocytic-enterogastritis, a severe disease of the lymphatic system manifested in excessive bowel movements and inability to maintain a healthy weight). The dog in question gained 20 pounds after being put on this regiment. He also gets Budesonide, which is a compounded antibiotic in capsular form, every other day. Without this help, this poor dog is a basket case. Anyway, I know that doxy. is also used to treat Lyme disease, but did you know that if you have a Swissy that has a sensitive digestive system, it may work for them, too (e.g. trouble absorbing their food translated to loose stools/failure to gain weight).
I have a mother/daughter pair that have a slight intestinal bowel disease. But, they have a hard time maintaining weight and chronic loose stools. I recently stopped adding Nature's Farmacy digestive enzymes with probiotics to their diet (since I didn't see any point with no obvious signs of actually helping either one of them digest anything better).
I started using the doxycycline hyclate at a rate of two 100 mg tablets/twice a day, and the results are borderline miraculous. I hope this continues to be the story after several weeks, but so far, it's the best I've ever seen these two doing. Their stools are solid and fewer. . .
The one dog that was diagnosed and prescribed is on doxy. for life. And, just like people who deal with Crohn's disease, a low dose of antibiotics for life seems to be the norm.
Doxycycline Hyclate is the same drug used in Bird Biotic, manufactured by Thomas Labs. in Arizona. If you can't get your vet. to help you out with a prescription, this may be an option at least to try it and see if it works for your particular dog. But, you need to rule out parasites, overfeeding, coprophagia, diet, etc., before you consider this as a possibility. I buy Doxycycline Hyclate as a prescription for 500 tablets of 100 mg from www.KVsupply.com. It costs me around $35.00 a bottle. But, I believe that www.valleyvet.com may also carry it, too.
Maria
P.S. I do not have any medical training. I am just going by what has been previously prescribed by my internal specialist whom I consulted in the past for a Swissy with IBD and my current Swissy with LPE. But, Swissies tend to have sensitive stomachs IMO at least as compared to my Mastiffs who live alongside them. . .
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Monday, January 24, 2011
The Danger of Eating Raisins
This is from puppy family of mine...
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Hi Colleen,
I know you have an article on your blog about raisins/grapes--might be good to stress this relatively new pheno with your puppy families!!!
Sol captured a cannister of raisins after a guest left them on the counter. I came home from work and the two of them had devoured the entire cannister. After some quick web research, I huddled them through a near blizzard to the animal emergency (one hour away), where they were forced to throw up and poop (all raisins accounted for). However 3 days, constant IV, kidney flushing, constant monitoring, urine check, continued blood work, and poison consults (not to mention $6000--thank god for pet insurance), I am happy to report that they will be picked up this morning. It looks (fingers crossed) as though there is no residual damage. . . .we will have a checkup on urine and blood in a week.
This might have been a tragedy of major proportions! But on other fronts, they are doing really well. I went to visit and they had charmed everyone at the hospital--fights were nearly breaking out over who would walk them --with all the fluids there were alot of walks (just kidding).
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Hi Colleen,
I know you have an article on your blog about raisins/grapes--might be good to stress this relatively new pheno with your puppy families!!!
Sol captured a cannister of raisins after a guest left them on the counter. I came home from work and the two of them had devoured the entire cannister. After some quick web research, I huddled them through a near blizzard to the animal emergency (one hour away), where they were forced to throw up and poop (all raisins accounted for). However 3 days, constant IV, kidney flushing, constant monitoring, urine check, continued blood work, and poison consults (not to mention $6000--thank god for pet insurance), I am happy to report that they will be picked up this morning. It looks (fingers crossed) as though there is no residual damage. . . .we will have a checkup on urine and blood in a week.
This might have been a tragedy of major proportions! But on other fronts, they are doing really well. I went to visit and they had charmed everyone at the hospital--fights were nearly breaking out over who would walk them --with all the fluids there were alot of walks (just kidding).
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Raisin Toxicity in Dogs
Written by:
Laurinda Morris, DVM
Danville Veterinary Clinic
Danville , OH
This week I had the first case in history of raisin toxicity ever seen at MedVet.
My patient was a 56-pound, 5 yr old male neutered lab mix that ate half a canister of raisins sometime between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM on Tuesday. He started with vomiting, diarrhea and shaking about 1 AM on Wednesday but the owner didn't call my emergency service until 7 AM.. I had heard somewhere about raisins AND grapes causing acute Renal failure but hadn't seen any formal paper on the subject. We had her bring the dog in immediately. In the meantime, I called the ER service at MedVet, and the doctor there was like me - had heard something about it, but... Anyway, we contacted the ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center and they said to give IV fluids at 1 & 1/2 times maintenance and watch the kidney values for the next 48-72 hours. The dog's BUN (blood urea nitrogen level) was already at 32 (normal less than 27) and creatinine over 5 (1.9 is the high end of normal). Both are monitors of kidney function in the bloodstream. We placed an IV catheter and started the fluids. Rechecked the renal values at 5 PM and the BUN was over 40 and creatinine over 7 with no urine production after a liter of fluids. At that point I felt the dog was in acute renal failure and sent him on to MedVet for a urinary catheter to monitor urine output overnight as well as overnight care. He started vomiting again overnight at MedVet and his renal values continued to increase daily. He produced urine when given lasix as a diuretic. He was on 3 different anti-vomiting medications and they still couldn't control hisvomiting. Today his urine output decreased again, his BUN was over 120, his creatinine was at 10, his phosphorus was very elevated and his blood pressure, which had been staying around 150, skyrocketed to 220 ... He continued to vomit and the owners elected to Euthanize.
This is a very sad case - great dog, great owners who had no idea raisins could be a toxin. Please alert everyone you know who has a dog of this very serious risk. Poison control said as few as 7 raisins or grapes could be toxic. Many people I know give their dogs grapes or raisins as treats including our ex-handler's. Any exposure should give rise to immediate concern..
Onions, chocolate, cocoa, avocadoes and macadamia nuts can be fatal, too.
Even if you don't have a dog, you might have friends who do. This is worth passing on to them.
Confirmation from Snopes about the above ....
http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/raisins.asp
Laurinda Morris, DVM
Danville Veterinary Clinic
Danville , OH
This week I had the first case in history of raisin toxicity ever seen at MedVet.
My patient was a 56-pound, 5 yr old male neutered lab mix that ate half a canister of raisins sometime between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM on Tuesday. He started with vomiting, diarrhea and shaking about 1 AM on Wednesday but the owner didn't call my emergency service until 7 AM.. I had heard somewhere about raisins AND grapes causing acute Renal failure but hadn't seen any formal paper on the subject. We had her bring the dog in immediately. In the meantime, I called the ER service at MedVet, and the doctor there was like me - had heard something about it, but... Anyway, we contacted the ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center and they said to give IV fluids at 1 & 1/2 times maintenance and watch the kidney values for the next 48-72 hours. The dog's BUN (blood urea nitrogen level) was already at 32 (normal less than 27) and creatinine over 5 (1.9 is the high end of normal). Both are monitors of kidney function in the bloodstream. We placed an IV catheter and started the fluids. Rechecked the renal values at 5 PM and the BUN was over 40 and creatinine over 7 with no urine production after a liter of fluids. At that point I felt the dog was in acute renal failure and sent him on to MedVet for a urinary catheter to monitor urine output overnight as well as overnight care. He started vomiting again overnight at MedVet and his renal values continued to increase daily. He produced urine when given lasix as a diuretic. He was on 3 different anti-vomiting medications and they still couldn't control hisvomiting. Today his urine output decreased again, his BUN was over 120, his creatinine was at 10, his phosphorus was very elevated and his blood pressure, which had been staying around 150, skyrocketed to 220 ... He continued to vomit and the owners elected to Euthanize.
This is a very sad case - great dog, great owners who had no idea raisins could be a toxin. Please alert everyone you know who has a dog of this very serious risk. Poison control said as few as 7 raisins or grapes could be toxic. Many people I know give their dogs grapes or raisins as treats including our ex-handler's. Any exposure should give rise to immediate concern..
Onions, chocolate, cocoa, avocadoes and macadamia nuts can be fatal, too.
Even if you don't have a dog, you might have friends who do. This is worth passing on to them.
Confirmation from Snopes about the above ....
http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/raisins.asp
Friday, December 04, 2009
Sharyl Mayhew on Rehabilitating an Untrusting Swissy
This is an email conversation between Sharyl Mayhew and a Swissy owner caring for another family's Swissy.... There is lot of wisdom in the post.
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How old is Charlie now and is he neutered yet and when was that done if so?
Okay, first without seeing him, sounds like a normal adolescent male Swissy in a novice home. Most of the crap people try to "prevent" aggression almost always feeds it. Such as kids playing in the food bowl, etc. Also, lately we keep seeing more and more people attempting Cesar Millan type techniques on dogs when they have no business doing anything that he does with normal pet dogs. Mark my words we will see MANY more surrendered Swissies in the days to come because of these methods being "mainstreamed" right into the homes of novice owners. He has set dog training back 25 years. Try to get the idea of "dominant" humans out of your mind and vocabulary. -- We are a dominant species, we have opposable thumbs and "usually" greater intelligence, however we will never be dogs or wolves and the dogs know that and all it takes is one person to back the hell up when a growl or bite is thrown to teach a dog that "might equals right" and you can scare people off with displays of aggression. Instead of stopping aggression, we create and nurture it by trying to "dominate" dogs physically. Please see...
http://www.avsabonline.org/avsabonline/images/stories/Position_Statements/dominance%20statement.pdf
The best thing you described about Charlie is that he is still warning, i.e. has growls, bares his teeth and lunges without making contact. Usually by the time I am called they have had the warnings slapped or "whispered" out of them and are very very dangerous.
Okay, that said...Sounds like Julie has some sense, but is moving too fast. Remember, the first people had months to screw up this dog, it will likely take months to unscrew him. Before I can meet up with her, please pass on to her the importance of keeping this dog's anxiety low. He should be loved, fed, sheltered and little else. He should have NO outings or time spent with visitors whatsoever, he needs to ratchet down from what has probably been a whirlwind existence between a nervous permissive home, your transient environment with multiple employees and maybe even multiple techniques to handle him and now her home with too much stimuli too soon. He can and should be walked on leash but not at times she's likely to run into passersby with him.
He needs to focus on her and her husband and rebuild trust that THEY will take care of scary situations. He should not be put into a position to "practice" the ugly behaviors he has learned. Sometimes I have dogs here for weeks before they ever see anyone other than me or my husband and then only for food and exercise. We do not push them or try to get a reaction from them, we just care for them while they calm down and start to trust again. Since he seems good with other dogs, that is a HUGE bonus. Other trusting, calm and cooperative dogs will help him understand that he doesn't need to react to everything. Use that bonus.
Colleen may have told you about Jake and Mac that are here. Mac is a perfectly normal dog who resource guarded in his first home. To me resource guarding is the easiest problem to overcome if you can get the whole family to do it, sadly people with kids usually won't or say they can't, whatever. The trick is the dog owns nothing, so there is nothing to guard, but people with kids seem to always have food or whatever all over the freaking place, so the method to stop the problem is impossible with them.
Anyway, Mac is rock solid and wonderful with people if he has nothing to guard. So when Jake got here, he was so freakin scary Colleen and I unloaded him fully crated from the airport and placed crate, with dog in it, in a kennel at the clinic -- both of us 20plus year dog veterans were too scared to open that cage. The next morning, dog was still scary but more cooperative with an empty belly and a full bladder. Over the course of 3 or 4 days, I walked him and I fed him and THAT'S IT. He got NO response to his growls and kennel lunging, we ignored him. Once he stopped being an ass, I took him home and introduced him muzzled to his half-brother and they played like puppies. I took the muzzle off in less than 2 minutes and Mac has since taught Jake how to live again without fear and without the need for aggressive displays to get rid scary things. Fewer things scare him now because he has Mac and my other dogs to read for signals and because we don't put him in scary situations.
He had knee surgery this summer and was handled by more than 15 different people, he was occasionally in pain and/or uncomfortable, was restrained and x-rayed and bandaged and had Laser and Magnet therapy several times and he was completely trusting and normal, but it took over a year to get him to this point.
Just remind her that time is her best friend with a Swissy rehab. And I will meet with her as soon as possible to see him first hand and give her any help I can.
Sharyl
____________________
How old is Charlie now and is he neutered yet and when was that done if so?
Okay, first without seeing him, sounds like a normal adolescent male Swissy in a novice home. Most of the crap people try to "prevent" aggression almost always feeds it. Such as kids playing in the food bowl, etc. Also, lately we keep seeing more and more people attempting Cesar Millan type techniques on dogs when they have no business doing anything that he does with normal pet dogs. Mark my words we will see MANY more surrendered Swissies in the days to come because of these methods being "mainstreamed" right into the homes of novice owners. He has set dog training back 25 years. Try to get the idea of "dominant" humans out of your mind and vocabulary. -- We are a dominant species, we have opposable thumbs and "usually" greater intelligence, however we will never be dogs or wolves and the dogs know that and all it takes is one person to back the hell up when a growl or bite is thrown to teach a dog that "might equals right" and you can scare people off with displays of aggression. Instead of stopping aggression, we create and nurture it by trying to "dominate" dogs physically. Please see...
http://www.avsabonline.org/avsabonline/images/stories/Position_Statements/dominance%20statement.pdf
The best thing you described about Charlie is that he is still warning, i.e. has growls, bares his teeth and lunges without making contact. Usually by the time I am called they have had the warnings slapped or "whispered" out of them and are very very dangerous.
Okay, that said...Sounds like Julie has some sense, but is moving too fast. Remember, the first people had months to screw up this dog, it will likely take months to unscrew him. Before I can meet up with her, please pass on to her the importance of keeping this dog's anxiety low. He should be loved, fed, sheltered and little else. He should have NO outings or time spent with visitors whatsoever, he needs to ratchet down from what has probably been a whirlwind existence between a nervous permissive home, your transient environment with multiple employees and maybe even multiple techniques to handle him and now her home with too much stimuli too soon. He can and should be walked on leash but not at times she's likely to run into passersby with him.
He needs to focus on her and her husband and rebuild trust that THEY will take care of scary situations. He should not be put into a position to "practice" the ugly behaviors he has learned. Sometimes I have dogs here for weeks before they ever see anyone other than me or my husband and then only for food and exercise. We do not push them or try to get a reaction from them, we just care for them while they calm down and start to trust again. Since he seems good with other dogs, that is a HUGE bonus. Other trusting, calm and cooperative dogs will help him understand that he doesn't need to react to everything. Use that bonus.
Colleen may have told you about Jake and Mac that are here. Mac is a perfectly normal dog who resource guarded in his first home. To me resource guarding is the easiest problem to overcome if you can get the whole family to do it, sadly people with kids usually won't or say they can't, whatever. The trick is the dog owns nothing, so there is nothing to guard, but people with kids seem to always have food or whatever all over the freaking place, so the method to stop the problem is impossible with them.
Anyway, Mac is rock solid and wonderful with people if he has nothing to guard. So when Jake got here, he was so freakin scary Colleen and I unloaded him fully crated from the airport and placed crate, with dog in it, in a kennel at the clinic -- both of us 20plus year dog veterans were too scared to open that cage. The next morning, dog was still scary but more cooperative with an empty belly and a full bladder. Over the course of 3 or 4 days, I walked him and I fed him and THAT'S IT. He got NO response to his growls and kennel lunging, we ignored him. Once he stopped being an ass, I took him home and introduced him muzzled to his half-brother and they played like puppies. I took the muzzle off in less than 2 minutes and Mac has since taught Jake how to live again without fear and without the need for aggressive displays to get rid scary things. Fewer things scare him now because he has Mac and my other dogs to read for signals and because we don't put him in scary situations.
He had knee surgery this summer and was handled by more than 15 different people, he was occasionally in pain and/or uncomfortable, was restrained and x-rayed and bandaged and had Laser and Magnet therapy several times and he was completely trusting and normal, but it took over a year to get him to this point.
Just remind her that time is her best friend with a Swissy rehab. And I will meet with her as soon as possible to see him first hand and give her any help I can.
Sharyl
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Puppies on the way!
Since the last litter was so outstanding, we bred Luna (Ch. Nox's Precious Cuba Libre) to Stevie (Ch. Shadetree's Xango) AGAIN! Puppies are due around October 23rd-- in time for them to go to their forever homes near Christmas! If you are interested in obtaining a puppy from me, please fill out my puppy application.
And BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Dad Stevie for his TRIPLE BEST OF BREED TITLES at the Eastern Swissy Specialty in Millwood, VA!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Recognizing Heat Stroke in Dogs
It's HOT out there! Please make sure you're aware of the signs of heatstroke in your pet.
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Early Stages of Heat-Stroke in Animals:
Heavy panting.
Rapid breathing
Excessive drooling.
Bright red gums and tongue.
Standing 4-square, posting or spreading out in an attempt to maintain balance.
Advanced Stages:
White or blue gums.
Lethargy, unwillingness to move.
Uncontrollable urination or defecation.
Labored, noisy breathing.
Shock.
If your dog begins to exhibit signs of heatstroke, you should immediately try to cool the dog down:
Apply rubbing alcohol to the dog's paw pads.
Apply ice packs to the groin area.
Hose down with water.
Allow the dog to lick ice chips or drink a small amount of water.
Offer Pedialyte to restore electrolytes.
Check your dog's temperature regularly during this process. Once the dog's temperature has stabilized at between 100 to 102 degrees, you can stop the cool-down process.
If you cannot get the dog cooled down and you begin to see signs of advanced heatstroke, take the dog to the veterinarian immediately.
Anne Gavin – Organizer, DC Area Cavalier Spaniel Meet-Up Group
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``````````````````````````````````````
Early Stages of Heat-Stroke in Animals:
Heavy panting.
Rapid breathing
Excessive drooling.
Bright red gums and tongue.
Standing 4-square, posting or spreading out in an attempt to maintain balance.
Advanced Stages:
White or blue gums.
Lethargy, unwillingness to move.
Uncontrollable urination or defecation.
Labored, noisy breathing.
Shock.
If your dog begins to exhibit signs of heatstroke, you should immediately try to cool the dog down:
Apply rubbing alcohol to the dog's paw pads.
Apply ice packs to the groin area.
Hose down with water.
Allow the dog to lick ice chips or drink a small amount of water.
Offer Pedialyte to restore electrolytes.
Check your dog's temperature regularly during this process. Once the dog's temperature has stabilized at between 100 to 102 degrees, you can stop the cool-down process.
If you cannot get the dog cooled down and you begin to see signs of advanced heatstroke, take the dog to the veterinarian immediately.
Anne Gavin – Organizer, DC Area Cavalier Spaniel Meet-Up Group
---------------------------------------------------
Friday, June 05, 2009
Treating mast cell tumors
"The FDA said Palladia (toceranib phosphate) has been approved to treat canine cutaneous mast cell tumors, a type of cancer responsible for about 1 of 5 cases of canine skin tumors."Katie's first Basset Bleu de Gascogne died of mast cell carcinoma. Here is the link:
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2009/06/03/FDA-approves-drug-to-treat-cancer-in-dogs/UPI-60081244039573/
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2009/06/03/FDA-approves-drug-to-treat-cancer-in-dogs/UPI-60081244039573/
More on early neutering...
http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/may09/090515j.asp
And here is the portion he refers to:
"Although spay/neuter is an important part of effective population control programs, and may benefit individual dogs and cats if performed at the appropriate time, whether and when to spay/neuter specific animals requires the application of science and professional judgment to ensure the best outcome for veterinary patients and their owners. Prevention of unexpected litters; reduced incidences of some cancers and reproductive diseases; and prevention and amelioration of certain undesirable behaviors have been documented as benefits to spaying/neutering dogs and cats. However, potential health problems associated with spaying and neutering have also been identified, including an increased risk of prostatic cancer in males; increased risks of bone cancer and hip dysplasia in large-breed dogs associated with sterilization before maturity; and increased incidences of obesity, diabetes, urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence, and hypothyroidism."
And here is the portion he refers to:
"Although spay/neuter is an important part of effective population control programs, and may benefit individual dogs and cats if performed at the appropriate time, whether and when to spay/neuter specific animals requires the application of science and professional judgment to ensure the best outcome for veterinary patients and their owners. Prevention of unexpected litters; reduced incidences of some cancers and reproductive diseases; and prevention and amelioration of certain undesirable behaviors have been documented as benefits to spaying/neutering dogs and cats. However, potential health problems associated with spaying and neutering have also been identified, including an increased risk of prostatic cancer in males; increased risks of bone cancer and hip dysplasia in large-breed dogs associated with sterilization before maturity; and increased incidences of obesity, diabetes, urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence, and hypothyroidism."
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