Bingo’s agility – Page 3 – Second Chance AIHA Dogs

Keymaster

An update on Bingo.

Today we went to visit Uncle Phil, that’s his specialist. Went through what’s been happening with the new vet, being a 6-course of vitamin B, a cartrophen booster injection 3 weeks ago and as of 2 weeks ago, looking heaps better than he has in ages. The side effects of the cartrophen (“what side effects?” they all say) worn off, and the effects of the cartrophen on his joints having kicked in. Knee currently staying in place and we’re doing more exercises to tone up those masculine back thighs.

Now 2 weeks ago at the vets, we were discussing his very loose teeth. Plan was to leave his teeth alone unless they became a problem. If they became a problem, we had a problem on our hands because it would most likely mean he’d have to have them out, anaesthetic, antibiotics etc – all a risk because of his senior years. Well I noticed Bingo was getting more and more fussy with his food. He’s now saying he prefers cooked chicken instead of raw all the time, so we’ve compromised and we do a mixture of both with chicken broth to help flavour the obviously very boring raw taste. He’s pretty happy with this. Then I noticed he was fighting me more when giving him his tablets, now he’s always been such a good tablet taker, so I suspect it’s those loose teeth – the gums around his loose teeth looked redder to me too. He doesn’t seem to have any trouble eating his favourite treat, which is a dried chicken neck, or eating a chicken wing tip, or any treats for that matter, but I’ve seen him knock his face (most of the time this happens in the doorway of the laundry where his treats are because he’s always in a hurry) and he totally freezes for an instant, so I suspect he “sees stars”. He never yelps though.

New vet wasn’t keen to use an antibiotic until okayed by the specialist (I appreciate this) and suggested perhaps the teeth should come out – she could do it but suggested I check this too and perhaps it would better done at the specialist hospital. In the meantime, she put him on a gel (MaxiGuard Oral Gel), which seemed to help in that the redness in his gums seemed to lessen in about a week.

Okay, back to Uncle Phil. Bingo is there for his 2 month check up. Went through the teeth drama and I asked what he thought about having them out or using an antibiotic to be sure there’s no infection. He fiddled with them and said “Why don’t I just pull them out now. I’ll use a local anaesthetic spray and get them out”. “Um, sure, okay if you think they’ll come out without too much of a problem”. Out the back they went. He came back about 5 minutes later said his PCV was good (don’t know what the result actually was cause I was mega stressed), then went back out the back and came out with Bingo about 2 minutes later with a little container and 2 little teeth in it. He said he’d done this with other dogs and he knew it must have hurt, but Bingo didn’t so much as flinch. He pulled one tooth out, Bingo looked around at him, then the other came out, Bingo turned the other way, and it’s all over. A course of antibiotics for 5 days to play it safe and to expect the tooth fairy tonight.

Well, what a relief.

Love Vally & toothless.

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Vally

Keymaster

Oh Sheena, I think that’s euros well spent – and if all the news is good, ever better well spent for your peace of mind. Your Phil is an angel.

Bingo’s “episodes” seem to be starting up in frequency again. The common factors are, dinner time, just before or immediately after and, whilst he was having his weekly B vitamin injections, I didn’t see more than perhaps 1 slight stagger in a week. Now that it’s almost 3 weeks since the injections finished, they seem to be coming back. Still only slight, but starting to happen every couple of days or daily.

I mentioned this to his specialist but he feels there’s no connection – grrrrr he always says this when I come up with a new theory !!! I’m not convinced. He said the only time the vitamin B would be involved in stopping this would be if his diet was lacking thiamin. Not to be deterred and because I’m NOT convinced, I’ve done more research and he’s getting peas added to all his meals now to see if that helps at all. No harm in peas – he just had some and didn’t seem to mind.

Spoke to the regular vet’s office and they say earliest vitamin b booster is 4 weeks after the last, so I’ve made an appointment for Tuesday week for another shot. I may actually ring on Monday to see if he can go in this Tuesday (being 3 weeks). The vet always answers the phone when I ring early. Come on Bingo, it can’t hurt more than having 2 teeth pulled out!!!.

That’s that. NOW, last night, he was really restless again. Seems hungrier than usual (the antibiotic maybe? I know most dogs feel sick when on antibiotics, but the’s not your average dog). 1am, he wants to go out. He goes out, looks around, has a sip of water and goes back in again. 2am, same thing, wants to go out again but wants to go out the front this time – not on Bingo, back or nothing (oh window is open as it was so incredibly hot yesterday – and they say there’s no such thing as global warming Mr Prime Minister – it’s spring and we’ve got mid summer heatwave temperatures!!!) – probably cat poo out there somewhere. Inside again. 3AM – yes he wants out the front again. I let him go out the front – Bingo it’s 3AM. Alright, sometimes he prefers to do a wee on the council strip outside. I let him out and he starts to wander down the street. I’m in my PJs Bingo!!! AND THEN!!! there are 2 men coming out of one of the houses down the road. I grab Bingo and quickly but calmly walk back home, shut the door and hide behind the curtains and watch them. Now I was undoubtedly a sight to scare many, but I was scared too. They didn’t react to me other than stopping for a second, before crossing the road and getting into a car and driving off. It was probably one of the boys that lives there but being 3am I was spooked. I haven’t heard of any robberies during the night.

Well that was my yesterday – I’m buggared today!!! Bingo can we have a good sleep tonight please?????

Love to all
Sleepless and sleeping.

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