Straydog UPDATE posted MONDAY 1/27/03 at ~10:47 p.m. CT

Pat Arnold's Daily Dog Log

MONDAY JANUARY 27 2003

Davey goes to see another doctor for an ultra-sound

     Davey came to us with several health problems including a terrible skin infection, and severe diarrhea. Our doctor put Davey on several medications, and the diarrhea cleared up for only one day. Then the problem came back again. The skin infection is gradually getting better.

     Because we are trying to find a therapy to get Davey better, our doctor suggested Davey have an ultra-sound test, which could be done by a doctor in another town, Dr. Deen, whom Dr. Morton had spoken with regarding Davey's health. We want to do everything we can to help Davey get better, so last week we made an appointment with Dr. Deen for Davey to be seen by the doctor this morning.

Dr. Deen is a famous vet!

     Guy and I took Davey this morning and arrived at Dr. Deen's clinic by 9:00 a.m. Little did we know when we walked into Dr. Deen's small veterinary clinic, that this doctor was famous! While we walked around the waiting room, Guy whispered to me to look at the framed magazine article on the wall. It was an article written several years ago about Dr. Deen, and all the good work he has done in his years of veterinary practice, and there was another article that was written about him too, in another magazine. Knowing that Davey would be seen by this doctor was a very good feeling.

     Soon the vet tech came to take Davey to his kennel, and we asked to go along too so we could see where Davey would be staying until we came for him, I guess in a day or so, and then we went to talk with the doctor.

     Dr. Deen said that this type of German Shepherd is prone to develop [some kind of] colitis [and he named the medical term for this type of colitis, which I have forgotten], and this is what the doctor thinks may be Davey's problem. It's very common in this breed of dog, he said, and it is very painful which is why Davey snaps at anyone who touches his rear area.

     If this turns out to be the problem, Davey will be on a special diet, which will help him, the doctor said, and Dr. Deen added that there may be the chance that Davey could have flare ups from time to time. To us, hearing that Davey's problem is treatable was good news. We knew the doctor was rushed because of a woman who had brought her sick dog in shortly after we arrived, so we didn't want to take anymore of Dr. Deen's time.

     The ultra-sound test [which turned out to be something similar to a colonoscopy] will be done tomorrow and the doctor will call us later tomorrow afternoon. We're all hoping for good news for this special fellow.