snoopy

[jill]

Hi all, thankyou once again,you are right i am overwhelmed! We live in Bedfordshire, not really a long way from Oxford. I have had appt at vets today were i was asked what i wanted to do next,i asked if Snoopy could be put on cyclosporine,sucralfa (which are unavailable in this country), and the other drugs that you recommended, The vet has put Snoopy on these medications: Omeprazole 20mg once a day, prednisolone 25mg twice a day, metronidazole 200mg 1.25 twice a day zantac 150mg quarter of tablet twice daily azathioprine 50mg one tablet per day, any advice appreciated . i also asked for tick test but vet said he thought unecesary, asked for drugs in case snoopy has ulcer, vet said he has covered that in meds he prescribed,asked for blood results which gave me a sheet of which hubby will put on here tomorrow after work, he also has tried to put a picture of Snoopy on the site .what im worried about is if Snoopys levels can last till drug starts working only they cannot do anymore blood trafusions at the vets as blood needs to be crossed matched. he has been given Hills i d food for sensitive tums,which he is eating! he has gone really skinny and weak looks frail not like himself at all .Any advice appreciated pls xxx sorry if this is short but its late here and i cant keep my eyes open. xxx its great to have Snoopy home xx take care jill xx

[jill]

ps the vet said i can give Snoopy all his medication together , which sounds a lot to me?

[Vally]

Is that your Snoopy? We found him wandering around out the back. Love the photo.

Love Vally & Bingo
xxx

[Brigitte]

What a sweet face your Snoopy! I am not sure if giving all medications together is right. The Zantac, stomach protection should be given away from the others and food. Zantac is a good protection against ulcers but I would still see if you can find something better like Sucralfate. If it is not available in the UK maybe it goes by a different name, I have heard of Carafate. Since there are already issues with Snoopy’s intestines I would look into that. Prednisone should definitely be given with food, so there is already a problem with giving everything together. Has Vally made you a chart for all the drugs? She is phenomenal at doing this! I am sure she can do it for you, especially now that she has seen a picture of Snoopy!:)
Having an other blood transfusion is always a worry, but if it has to be done it is certainly possible. I am starting to wonder if your vet is knowledgeable about this disease and if you should ask to consult with a specialist (internal medicine). This disease is so complex and your average vet usually needs some guidance from a specialist of a vet school clinic. I think you should seriously look into this.

Best wishes,
Brigitte

[admin]

Good Morning Jill, and handsome Mr Snoopy.

Good to hear your vet has given some stomach protection. I’d never heard of sucralfate before this site, and am not sure if you can get it here. I would think there is something similar. I’m very surprised your vet has said cyclosporine isn’t available, but many dogs do well on azathioprine (Sheena’s Worzel is an example). Have you been able to ask about anti-clotting medication? There are a few cases where it isn’t needed, but it most cases clotting is the greatest risk with this illness. A simple test called a blood smear can show whether it’s needed.

I’m not too far from you. I’m near Cambridge, and often visit north Oxfordshire. I’m very happy to have a look and see which specialist vets are in the area if that would help.

Vally is amazing at making drug charts and helping to space everything out properly.

Please don’t worry too much about the transfusions. A specialist vet should easily be able to crossmatch blood if more is needed. There is another option called oxyglobin. It’s a synthetic blood substitute. It is not as good as real blood and has various issues (it’s pricey, for a start) but it is a possibility in an emergency.

I hope you’ve managed to get a reasonable night’s sleep. Is Snoopy home with you now?

Much love,

Mary & Mable x

[Vally]

Jill, I’m making up a chart and I’ll send it to you.

If you can get the sucralfate or carafate, that would actually be better but that should be given at least 2 hours away from all other meds and food.

The blood smear is really important to see whether anti-clotting medication (aspirin or the like) is needed. Please ask if that has been done or have it done. Clotting is one of the biggest dangers in this disease, so we’re all very conscious of it.

Vally & Bingo
xxx

[jill]

Hi all,yes thats our Snoopy, though he looks a lot smaller and thinner now.its great to have him home, no more diareh as yet fingers crossed, I think will keep him on the sensitive food for now as before he went in vets he wouldn’t eat and don’t want upset tum! Im back at the vets on Thursday for Snoopys blood level to be checked again and i will ask for blood smear , also the carafate. I would really appreciate a drug chart if Vally would be able to do this. Thanks. Our vet has asked if we would like to get in touch with a specialist, which I would love to be able to do, but he said he will want to do more tests and we are not insured with Snoopy, I hate to say it but our bill is constantly rising! As with the blood transfusions our vet says they cant do anymore as have to be crossed matched, not sure now how much we paid last time, but I am going to ask on Thursday were and how much can it be done?I think it might be at specialist he did mention one in Hitchin, Davies veterinary specialist?dont know if you have heard of it? Thankyou to all you lovely ladys, I have given snoopy Zantac, first before other drugs this morning, I am starting him on the new azathioprine?thanks for all your help , I so glad I found this site xxx

[Vally]

Jill, if you can afford it, go with the specialist. Another alternative is to use Dr Dodds. You can ask your vet to contact her or you can do it yourself. She’s an expert in this disease. I think Sheena gave you the link, but here it is again for the owner consultation

https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/hemopetresources/

The cost of that consult is a one-off $150 US. You give her all the details and you can attach a copy of all your medical records. Just a note, if you do attach items, it only allows you to attach 1 item on that form, so it’s better to scan everything into 1 document. She responds very quickly. Once she’s emailed you, you can respond to her email and keep in contact that way. If you do that, don’t be put off by her often, one word responses. She knows her stuff, but she doesn’t write paragraphs in answer. Any questions you need to ask, you just email back again and she’ll respond. Many of us have needed her help and she’s a lovely compassionate clever lady.

Talk about talking too much – I’m on your chart now.