Worried Again. What's new?

[Alyssa]

The fact that they don’t stay pink is strange, I hope your vet has an answer! Since it seems to come and go I would think allergy, dry eye, or something of that nature.. I have no idea though!

What I did with sassy when I was obsessively checking her gums.. made sure to go outside, and I took a photo of them. I got one in the sun, and one in the shade. Yes, it was obsessive. But several times I was SURE her gums were paler.. and then referenced the photos and they were identical! Our eyes and minds play tricks on us too often with this illness. You might find it helpful to take a photo in consistent lighting that you can compare to when you aren’t sure you cant trust yourself!

[Alyssa]

Oh, and I wanted to say… yesterday was our 5 month “anniversary” of surviving this.. and I am still so paranoid. To watch them almost die like this really does something to us. :( It is totally normal, how you are feeling. Still after all this time, every cough, sneeze, anything – makes me want to check her gums, see if she’ll eat, whatever. But also – everytime she plays? Wants to cuddle? Wants to go walking? My heart swells – every time.
I used to say to my fiance, “you’ll miss it when she doesn’t want to play anymore” and I was referring to old age – because sometimes she’d drive us bonkers wanting to play while we were working! And then she was hit with this illness and wouldn’t look at a toy for months and oh it was so true. I am so happy every single time she wants to play, no matter what we are doing. I will never take her playfulness for granted again.

You’ll feel worry about Carsten now that you didn’t have before, but I think you will also feel overwhelming love and gratefulness that he has pulled through to give you many more years of cuddles.

[Jen]

Arianna,
I’m happy to hear Carsten is feeling a bit better. My cocker spaniel was diagnosed sept 2014 & still being treated. She has had allergies & since the diagnosis has had periods of pink/red eyes. She also had horners which is a facial paralysis which doesn’t allow her eye to blink & clean out dust etc… I use an eye ointment several times a day. Sometimes she gets gunk in her lower kids. Perhaps try a cool compress maybe there is just dust, pollen, allergens irritating them?
Does he suffer from allergies?
Jen & Maggie

[Jen]

Sorry, I meant to type Arianne!!!

[Linda]

Hi Arianne. Trying to catch up on long overdue forum posts while waiting through Sadie’s (2nd) transfusion and seeing that we did not hear back from you about Carsten. Did you take him to the vet?

I hope he’s better. Yes, we do worry about everything, and then some!!! Sadie has this every now and then. For her, it’s been allergies. Like Jen’s Maggie, Sadie also has Horner’s Syndrome and her left eye does not blink (it does, but it’s weird and not often). I use a lubricsting ointment called Puralube. Sadie’s vet recommended it and the first tube I bought from them but I now buy it on Amazon and it’s much less.

Love and hugs, Linda and Sadie

[admin]

Hi Arianne

Any news on Carsten & his eye problem? How did you get on at the vets? Just wanted you to know I’ve been thinking about you.

Love & hugs Sheena & the boys xxx

[Arianne]

Hey all,

My apologies for not updating sooner. I have a new job as an assistant principal in a new school district, and it just began. I have been very busy and overwhelmed!

Your words of encouragement are, as always, so helpful to me. Knowing that we are not alone in all of this brings me great comfort.

As you may have expected, my worry was all for naught. Carsten’s eyes were not, in fact, pink. I think it was just the dim lighting one evening. The vet reassured me it was just his sclera which, unintentionally, made me feel so silly! She’s wonderful and very intelligent and patient, but I hope she knows I do understand that the eyes have veins! Haha!

Carsten’s PCV came back better again. He is up to 46% from 39% last week. We seem to be moving in the right direction. I have even caught him running outside a few times when he goes out–despite our 110 degree heat indices! I always yell out, “Look at you! You go boy!”

Our new plan is to continue his current treatment for the next two weeks. During the next appointment, if he is stable and/or continues to improve, our vet. will begin to taper him off of his medications. I am looking forward to that. I would like to see his immune system kick-in properly again. He is in desperate need of a grooming (It looks like no one loves him!), but it’s not very safe to take him to a groomer when there are other dogs being groomed who may be carriers of illness that Carsten’s system cannot handle now. I guess I will continue to let him become scruffier and scruffier. Everyone loves a ragamuffin after all, right?

Thanks for thinking of us, everyone! Your support means the world to me (and Carsten, too!). Thank you for all of the invaluable advice as well.

Best,
Arianne and Carsten

PS: Linda, how is Sadie doing? Did the transfusion take?

[lynn]

Arianne,
That’s a new one on me… think Sheena is right I would request a SNAP 4DX test.Just to be on the safe side… even though Hayley’s test came back good at the start … and, her vet knew her IMHA was due to yearly shots… they still gave her doxcy to be on the safe side.
Great news Carstens OCV is holding@ good number… you are so right we worry at everything when we are faced with our fur baby with this disease. Wishing the very best news when you take Carsten to the vet. my very best . Lynn & Hayley