Vally - 25. page

[Vally]

Hi Sylvia, I’m so sorry Zeus is sick right now.

50 days, wow he’s just a baby.

Do you have a copy of his blood tests? If you do, you can use the Urgent Advice and send a copy through. Patrice, the site owner is very clever with them and can help you to understand what is happening.

Zeus won’t be feeling very well right now, both because of the illness and the medication, which is very hard on them. What meds is he on? Best advice is to keep him quiet for now. I’m assuming he’s on prednisone, so it’s best to feed low fat foods for now to avoid pancreatitis which the prednisone can sometimes trigger.

Make sure prednisone is always given with food. Some drugs should be given with food, others without, that’s why I’d like to know what he’s on.

Ask anything Sylvia, we’d love to help.

My best, Vally, Angel Bingo and Saba

[Vally]

That’s good Mel, that test answers an important question.

[Vally]

Just double checking, we’re talking 37.6 to 35.

[Vally]

Mel that is such a small drop, and I know we hate any drop, but that could simply be that Kingston was slightly more hydrated this time, perhaps a little stressed. Those factors and other can cause a change. If Kingston was dehydrated you would expect an increase.

I really don’t think Kingston needs to go up in dosage. It may even be that he is now becoming over suppressed and so lowering the dosage by a small amount, not more than 25% may help. I’m on iPad, so hard to check while writing, is he on Azathioprine? Because if so, that can also suppress the marrow producing red cells.

I think if it were me, Imwould start a minimal reduction, as scary as I know that is.

[Vally]

Hi Kim, first of all, 1% drop is, I promise, absolutely nothing to worry about. Lily may have just been slightly more hydrated than her last test. It can be as simple as that. The more hydrated they are the lower the result will be, the less hydrated they are, the higher the PCV. Sometimes it’s also how difficult the blood draw is, it can stress a dog, and another reaction to the blood result. It’s sudden big drops or continuous drops that are more worrying.

So I think you’re right and Lily IS better because you can tell a lot by how they are acting. The lowering of the Azathioprine, I think, is a good idea, as yes it does suppress the marrow production, so that might just start getting the numbers better.

The blood tests have come through, but I’m not good with them. Patrice will also have received them, so I’m sure she’ll let you know what she sees in them. She’s very clever about understanding them.

Pancreatitis is dangerous, so you did the right thing in getting her to the vets quickly. Prednisone can also make them more susceptible to it, so keep Lily’s foods, low fat while she’s still on a significant dose of prednisone.

I promise, 1% is nothing to worry about and she’s stable, so you enjoy your day/night. I’m in Australia, so most likely a different time zone, so there may always be a delay before I see your posts and respond, but I’m always checking.

Vally

[Vally]

Hi Kim, and welcome.

I’m so sorry to hear what you, and Lily have been through. It leaves us paranoid forever I’m afraid, but as Patrice said, you will always notice anything amiss quickly and early, which makes things much better and easier to treat.

I would definitely use Dr. Dodds minimal vaccination schedule for both Lily and her brother. And the same with heartworm protection. Use Dr Dodd’s schedule for that, but you must be sure to keep to it. She recommends heartworm dosing every 45 days, instead of 30 days. I note it on a calendar so I don’t miss it and actually do it every 43 days, just just just in case. That’s on the Resources page for Hemopet, which is here:
https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/hemopetresources

Ask anything at all, we’d love to help.

Regards, Vally (Angel Bingo) and Saba

[Vally]

Yayyyy. Great news, Mel. Well done Kingston.

Here’s the link to the page:
https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/AIHA_Terms/prednisone-dose-reduction

Don’t rush the reductions. I went too fast with Bingo and he relapsed. Had to go all the way back to “Go” and there was no $200 prize, that’s for sure.

My very best, Vally

[Vally]

Karen, yes, Dr Dodds is an amazing woman. For the consultation fee, after she has responded, you can just keep in touch and she will continue to help and advise at no extra charge.

If you do want to do a consult with her, the best way to send stuff through is to put it into one document because the upload only takes one attachment. Somscan all you have into one document and then attach. Once she has responded, it’s actually easier because you and she can then chat by emails.

I always tell people too, don’t be put off by her often one word answers to a question. Be specific in questions. It’s just her style. I’ve seen this for years , but some people find it seems abrupt. It’s not. It’s just the way she writes in abbreviated forms. If I ever didn’t understand something, I would just ask her again.

My best.