Split: Split: Nula (5yr old English Cocker Spaniel)

[admin]

Oh Ruth, wonderful news! You must be over the moon! And happy belated birthday Nula, I am sorry I missed it!

How is she going with her litter tray? Any progress with the stomach protection? It’s excellent that she’s eating well but I quite agree that a big rise in PCV is more than just food related. Clever girl, Nula!

I hope you got on well with your MRI? You are braver than me. I always think they’d have to put me to sleep to get me in one of those darn tubes.

Again, so very pleased that you got such excellent results.

Mary and Mable x

[admin]

Hiya Ruth
What WONDERFUL news – I am so happy for you & Nula. Great PCV! Please be careful about reducing the prednisolone very SLOWLY & carefully as Patrice, Vally & Linda have mentioned – it is so important. Also, she will be prone to catching things from other dogs, so keeping her away from them for now is good advice.
Well, all I can say is well done Nula & well done Mum!
Glad to hear the good news
Love Sheena, Worzel & Ollie xxxx

[Ruth]

Thank you all! And thank you Patrice!

I think I have a better understanding now. Rabies shots in the UK aren’t needed unless we were to take her abroad which I wouldn’t have risked anyway. She is spayed luckily. She was done after her first season. We share a garden with my parents 2 dogs, and one is a full male and my Dad will not get his boy done! So Nula and their girl were done. With vaccinations, the vet has said not to get her vaccinated this year. She’s actually due for them end of June. But I’m going to avoid that I think. But what do you think for future years? We have been doing Rally O and Agility at a dog school for quite a few years. Although all those dogs are vaccinated I see what you mean. I shall research SLE so I can keep an eye out for early signs.

Mable, she is doing well with the litter tray, but she still wakes me up when she wants to go lol! My MRI was ok, I didn’t have to have my whole head in thankfully! I do hate it when you’re that enclosed! I have a genetic problem called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and one of the things it does is I dislocate my joints a lot and when I last dislocated my hip, they think I tore something in it. So will find out in MRI results if it’s small enough to ignore, or big enough that they’ll have to fix it. It won’t heal on it’s own and surgery in people with EDS is more complicated and we’re slow healers. So it’s a tricky one! Although the operations on my knees helped. Nula’s brilliant with it though! She’s never known me without crutches, and she knows when I’m hurt and to be gentle. She’s so good! Love her to bits!! Xxxxxxxx

[admin]

Ruth, there is an easy way to find out if Nula is immune for Distemper and Parvo. You can titer test, it is a blood test that I do now. We get together with LOTS of other dogs (agility:)) and I just want to be sure. for rabies it is a bit more complicated and expensive but since you don’t have Rabies that is not an issue.

Here is Dr. Dodds immunization protocol that I have followed since we learned about AIHA:

http://www.weim.net/emberweims/Vaccine.html

What a sweet girl your Nula, she does not judge, the crutches are just part of you. dogs are amazing:) I hope your hip injury is minor and can be ignored.

Best wishes,

Brigitte

[admin]

Hi Ruth

You poor thing. I have heard of EDS – I don’t know much about it but I know it can be very debilitating. I’m sorry to hear that you have this to deal with as well. Nula is a little champ! Aren’t they just amazing with their ability to be so sensitive?

Keeping everything crossed you get good MRI results,

Mary & Mable x

[Ruth]

Thank you for that Brigitte! I didn’t realise they could do that titer test! Will definitely chase that up when she’s well enough that we can think about going back to the classes.

Mary, I’m amazed and so pleased you’ve heard of EDS! It’s one of those things no one has ever heard of, not even my GP lol!

Nula’s had a good day today. Apart from raiding the kitchen bin! But she’s had more energy today and even chased a tennis ball for about 12 throws and we had to end the game, she wanted more! So she’s feeling better I think! Also talked to our local vets and they will do a couple of PCV checks for me for my peace of mind with her next appt with specialist vet not being til 9th of June. So going to book her in for one next week. Feel much better! I really think she’s turned a corner :D

I hope you are all well and that your fur babies are all doing well too! Xxxxxx

[admin]

Hi Ruth

I’m feeling very proud that I had heard of EDS and your GP hadn’t! :) I’m sorry you are afflicted by it though. It must be very tough on you.

So pleased to hear that Nula has had a good day! I’m sure that now her PCV is up to a more normal level, she will be feeling much better. You are right to go slow, but it’s so encouraging to hear how bouncy she is feeling. I think you are wise to have her PCV checked locally, just so you know where you are without having a long journey.

Keep up the good work!

Mary and Mable x

[Vally]

And I’ll bet you were just over the moon that she raided the kitchen bin. We let them get away with anything now and are just left grinning at their antics.

The reduction in prednisone, my first instinct was NO, it’s too soon. Bingo was being checked with a PCV 3 times a week until stable. When stable, twice a week, then once a week. Only after, I think it was about 2 months did we start reducing. Even with that, we reduced too quickly in dosage and he relapsed. If it were paranoid me, I’d get those PCVs done at your local vet as you said and, after a couple of good results, then lower to the 10mg twice a day or maybe even 10mg at night and 15mg in the morning for a few weeks. Yes the prednisone makes them tired and has so many other effects, but unless the effects are really bad, don’t rush it.

As to the food raising the PCV – if it were only so simple. As Patrice and Brigitte said, the drugs are doing their work and the body is responding.

The titer test is a great idea. I was the first person in the area (and we’re a fairly trendy dog rich area) to ask for titer testing at the vets about 4 years ago? They kept me on the phone for half an hour to see if it could be done. The vet who took the bloods said they would have to be sent to USA for testing and the results would take a few weeks. Well surprise surprise, I get a phone call the next day saying they had sent sample to a local lab and had the results which were that he had heaps of immunity and no need for vaccinations. Bingo’s specialist has recommended not vaccinating.

Lots of love, Vally