Vally - 222. page

[Vally]

Ruth, Yes home is the best place for her now for lots of spoiling. Just want to check about her meds. Is she on stomach protection. You didn’t mention it in the email for the medicine chart. Bingo ended up with stomach ulcers from the prednisone. It’s very important.

With timing of doses, as Bingo never needed aspirin, I’m not sure whether aspirin can be given with other meds or food? I’ve charted it up but I’ve kept the aspirin separate. If there’s no need to keep it away from food or drugs, it makes things that much easier. What I charted was:
7am prednisolone (with food)
8am aspirin
6pm aspirin
7pm pred (with food)
9pm atopica

Can anyone spot a problem with the dosing?

By the way Atopica ideally should be given at least 1 hour before food or at least 2 hours after food. If Nula has trouble stomaching the Atopica though, I believe it can be given with a small amount of food, and I’ve also read that freezing the Atopica 1/2 hour before dosing helps if they have trouble stomaching it.

Enjoy yourselves. Nula, I think there’s another biscuit with your name on it!!!

Love Vally & Bingo

[Vally]

Lynda, I too am wondering about whether Cyclosporine has been tried. At this stage with no progress, something needs to be done differently the treatment given so far. Cyclosporine seems to be the drug of choice with this disease now.

Also wondering about an emergency vet. PCV of 10 is way too low to be looking after Honey yourself. As Patrice said, you definitely need a back-up. The vets looking after Honey, are they specialists? That much such a difference with Bingo. We went on for months at his local vet and they couldn’t work out what was wrong with him. He wasn’t critical at that point though. When they suggested an internal specialist, the specialist had the problem worked out immediately.

Regards, Vally

[Vally]

Marcella, I’ve just seen Emberlee’s picture. She really was a beautiful girl.

Vally

[Vally]

Thanks Samantha, you know I still feel so guilty about that.

[Vally]

I think these are probably what we call cane toads Linda. They originally came from South America and were imported here to control pests. Well that worked didn’t it.

[Vally]

Oh I just saw her picture. She’s beautiful!!!

[Vally]

Ruth, Sheena did say it perfectly.

Remember too the transfusions don’t solve the problem. They are just buying time for the drugs to kick in. That’s why it’s not unusual for the PCV to start to drop after a transfusion.

Also, as Sheena said earlier, smaller transfusions are often better here because whenever a transfusion is given, the body thinks it has all the red blood it needs, so it turns off the mechanism needed to make more. The body is very clever in that there can’t be too many red blood cells. It only starts to make them when they drop below what they should be. The only problem here is that the disease has fooled the body into thinking that the red blood is foreign so it’s fighting them off. The drugs are being given to shut down that process and reset the body into functioning the way it should.

Love Vally & Bingo

[Vally]

Marcella,

I’m so very sorry to hear that Emberlee has gone. I too agree that you have made the hardest and kindest decision for her.

Dogs don’t fear illness but they do fear abuse and loneliness , so Emberlee was a very lucky dog to have found you to love her.

Do visit The Bridge page, it’s so beautifully written, I hope it brings you some peace. You take very very good care of yourself now. Come and visit and chat whenever you like.

My very best.
Vally