Bill Arnold's Daily Straydog Log

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 12 2004

The microscope arrived yesterday!

     Many thanks to Melissa for this very generous donation! Now we just have to learn how to use it. When I looked into the eye piece, I saw only the same thing I saw many years ago in a science class lab session: my eyelash.

Erin's abbreviated notes from her phone consultation with Dr. Aiken of Smith Ridge Animal Clinic in South Salem, New York

   Rudy

     In the blood work taken at Dr. Reeve's office, which I had faxed to Dr. Aiken before our phone consultation, Dr. Aiken saw the indicators that Dr. Reeves had seen about possible kidney and liver disease. Looking at the Animal Diagnostic Clinic's blood work, which I also faxed to Dr. Aiken, the kidneys seem okay now, though Dr. Aiken still sees possible liver weakness. We had put Rudy on milk thistle after Dr. Reeves had given us his liver disease diagnosis, and we put Rudy back on it because he needs the second dose of pyrantel for hookworms. I had read that the milk thistle could help Rudy process drugs (which have to go through his kidneys and liver, of course). Dr. Aiken said it was very good that Rudy was taking this herb.

     Dr. Aiken also said that the daily heartworm pills (the ones that everyone used to use before the monthly pills were invented) were less toxic than the once-a-month pills and that for all our older and sick dogs, the daily pills would be better (if we can remember to give the pill every day). I told Dr. Aiken that it would be no problem to put a daily pill in designated dogs' food dishes. Daily we give many different medicines to many different dogs, and adding a daily heartworm pill would be just another one of many. (I don't think we can get quite as good a price on the daily product as that which we've found for the monthly pills. Many vets do not even carry the daily pills anymore, but Dr. Aiken gave me a number where our vets could phone in the prescription.)

     Dr. Aiken is hoping that Rudy's problem is just the hookworms, and that we'll see more improvement soon. She also said that it could be cancer, but we won't go there unless Rudy doesn't gain weight. Even if we think it's cancer, surgery for a biopsy won't necessarily help us find it. The cancer could be in the bone marrow or deep in the intestines, the doctor said. She has seen two dogs die recently going through similar biopsy operations. It is hard to heal up the intestines, she said in her German accent.

     Until further notice we are to feed Rudy as much as he wants. So, if he wants double the amount of food at each of his four mealtimes, we will have the food ready! Dr. Aiken liked the diet we have him on--turkey, cooked dried beans and veggies--but wants us to vary the protein. Rudy is to continue with enzymes to help digestion and probiotics (acidophilus), which will also help his digestion and intestinal flora. We're adding a sea enzyme and Colostrum too.

     We weighed Rudy today, which is difficult with the bouncing scale. (We think he's the same weight as yesterday.) If he wants to go to PetsMart again, they have a wonderful digital platform scale, but several weeks ago Rudy stopped wanting to go to Adoption Days.

     Dr. Aiken told us of a hormone test (from the Pet Allergies and Pets at Risk books by Dr. Plechner, DVM). Dr. Reeves has collaborated with Dr. Plechner, we told Dr. Aiken. Dr. Reeves knows where to send the blood work for these tests. In a couple of weeks, if Rudy's not much better, Dr. Aiken suggested we do this hormone test, or we feel Rudy's not improving at all, we can do this test sooner.

     Rudy seems happy. He curls up in his hospital kennel and sometimes barks at the computer printer near him, which makes funny noises. He is just too skinny, and so we're still worried. I'm guessing that the scales were right when they indicated Rudy had gained seven pounds recently, but he still doesn't look good and doesn't appear to have gained weight.

   Happy and Sunny

     Happy is 12 years old and has arthritis very bad. Dr. Aiken said that cosemine or cosequin are trusted products. The ingredients really are what they say they are. She said that there was a show on TV (or an article, I forgot which) that mentioned that a lot of supplement products don't really have the ingredients that they advertise they have, so one has to be careful. She has some ideas of products that might work for Happy and other dogs with lameness. After we try them, we'll report on any progress. Dr. Aiken also suggested some safe injections into the muscle (for arthritis) that our vets may or may not know about. She would like to talk to our vets about these medicines if we need her to.

     Both Sunny and Happy tested positive on the Early Kidney Disease test. Dr. Bronstad doesn't use the test because of the many false positives, I told Dr. Aiken. Dr. Aiken said that maybe Sunny does have early kidney disease, and that a good diet would be very helpful. We told Dr. Aiken that Sunny has been overweight for some time and seems depressed and hasn't wanted to go to the Park for walks since Mom's passing. Happy's thyroid levels are low too. Dr. Aiken suggested that we talk to our local vet about putting Sunny on thyroid medication. In her opinion, the blood work and symptoms indicate that Sunny may need it.

   Rocky

     Rocky, age 10, is not feeling well. He has bloody stools, which we just had checked for parasites, and the test came out negative. He is eating a little and drinking chicken broth and water. Dr. Aiken said that with any dog with intestinal problems we could give Colostrum and hopefully see improvement. She also suggested some other supplements. If Rocky has to go on steroids to help his problem, there are some natural steroids available.

     We asked her more general questions too, and learned a lot, as usual!

     Thank you, Dr. Aiken!

Email from an admirer of Marian's emails in yesterday's update

Hi Erin,

Ok......Marian sounds like "our kind of dog person"!!!! What a lady and compassionate person. I'm glad she's now connected with you all and the website!! Thanks for sharing her story!

Cher

Another email in response to part of yesterday's email

Bill/Erin,

Is there a chance that you can print your email address on top of the daily update? [Yes, and as of last night our mailing address, our email address and our phone number are back at the top of the homepage. Thanks, Erda]

Also, is your website listed in your regular newsletter? [Yes, this kind of information is always on our mailers.] Even if many readers do not have a computer, their children/grandchildren have one, or they can look up your website on the computer in their neighborhood library. They just have to ask the librarian to help them pull up the website.

Erda