Geyser Update

[leih merigian]

Well, she had her first dose of antibiotics around 11:30 AM, as well as the pain meds, and by 4PM, I had my old dog back. A very good sign, as long as it's not just the pain meds .

My vet said that if it was an infection, it'd respond very quickly to the antibiotics...so we'll see how it goes tomorrow. I'm thinking infection, that's for sure

(This dog is my shadow, and we're together 24/7. It was so strange for her to park herself yesterday and then just stay put, regardless of what I was doing around the house.)

[Dutchringgirl]

oh that is so good! I know what you mean about being your shadow. Thalie and Sadie are a part of me, where ever I go they go, Its a stripy train. You know something is wrong when they dont follow you.

[leih merigian]

The lab results that were supposed to come back in ten days came back yesterday. They must not be very busy or something . Works for me!

Their results said she has reactive lymphoid hyperplasia. Sounds big and nasty, don't it? Actually, all it means is that her lymph nodes are reacting to something in her body . Now, this could be anything up to lymphoma, but any "antigenic" thing (meaning it causes antibodies to form).

The lab recommended removing the lymph node and sending it in for inspection. Seems kind of drastic to me a this point. Fortunado, my vet agrees. We're going in for a recheck next Tuesday, and if my vet doesn't like what she sees, she'll do a biopsy.

While we're not out of the woods yet, this result is a whole lot better than it could have been. However, there are lots of problems with taking aspirates (when they remove cells from an area with a needle), in the sense that the results can be inconclusive (whatever the antigenic is may not be throughout the node, and the needle missed that area, or the cells, which are notoriously fragile, got smashed in preparing the slide, etc.).

I love learning new things, and I sure am learning a lot now, but I could do without this particular lesson, that's for damn sure . I guess Geyser didn't get that memo...

[Dutchringgirl]

Interesting. Its nice when the lab results come back sooner!!!

[felixone123]

Sending you and Geyser good thoughts!! Sounds so frustrating. You give that girl a big hug and kiss

[k9katet]

I hope it all works out ok. Sounds like you guys are on the right path.

[vneerland]

Catching up. Lots of well wishes and some more (future) questions about what the heck cooling foods are.

[Schlussdibusti]

Lots of hugs and kisses from us.

Reading all this, I am appreciating my holistic vet even more who diagoses my guys through communication, i.e. no biotopsy, lab tests and such needed. Unfortunately, in my Ben's case it was bone cancer. She just touched the area, closed her eyes, and there were the results, unfortunately, right on.

But Geyser is young and her immune system is trying to deal with whoever/whatever the "intruder" is. IMO, the nutritional support to deal with this is most important. The "cooling" foods might be very helpful.

[Christie M]

Catching up. Lots of well wishes and some more (future) questions about what the heck cooling foods are.

Hey Judith,

I honestly don't understand the ins and outs of it all. It was explained to me that one way that various aliments can be identified is through whether the body is too hot or too cool. A dog with skin conditions, or hot spots, would be too hot and therefore benefit from cooling foods and herbs.

With my Malignant Hyperthermia dog, I started to say to the vet "But I don't understand how diet is going to alter the calcium out pour from the skeletal muscles that cause....." She just cut me off and said "Hot dog, cooing foods. It doesn't matter why." So although it sounds like voodoo to me, it worked with that one issue.

Here is the chart she sent me.

[Marjolein]

How is Geyser doing now?

[Schlussdibusti]

Marco wants now some Alligator. No problem, we are in Florida, I go and get you some

Anyway, thanks for posting the chart, very interesting!

[Sugars Mom]

Seeing dolphin on the list is surprising...exspecially after seeing the eye opening movie "The Cove"

[Schlussdibusti]

Seeing dolphin on the list is surprising...exspecially after seeing the eye opening movie "The Cove"

I believe they meant the fish not the mamal, also called Mahi-Mahi.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coryphaenidae

I was also upset when I was in Florida for the fist time and saw "Dolphin" on restaurant's menue.

[Sugars Mom]

Hmmm, ya think...its listed beside shark, not cod....anyway, dolphin meat is extremely high in mercury not to mention the inhumane killing practices

Sorry to get

[Christie M]

I don't think the list was created by American's for our standards or ethics I'm pretty sure it was created in the East where Dolphin and whale are commonly eaten (not sure which kind of dolphin). Further evidence of this is that there is no Bison (which is supposed to be cooling) - a totally American resource.

[k9katet]

We fed Copper a lot of rabbit to help cool his body from the inflammation of arthritis.

[vneerland]

My question is, does it really help? I am obviously hard to convince

[Christie M]

My question is, does it really help? I am obviously hard to convince

I can only speak to my 2 cases (brother and sister). I had Brass from day one and she was about 10 months when we discovered she had an overheating disorder. It was a 60ish degree day and we were just playing fetch - which was like crack to her - and after about 10 minutes she was panting excessively and almost lateral....although she would go again if I asked her. On a whim I temped her and she maxed out my thermometer that went up to 108.

I lived at the vet clinic, so I ran across the parking lot with her to use one of their thermometers and she wouldn't register on any of them - putting her in excess of 109ish. She was hot and tired, but still responsive. One of the docs I worked for called the neurology center and asked advice. I was told not to let her waltz across the yard again, as she may drop dead. LOL. That was not possible. I spent the next 2 months on a fact finding mission about Canine Malignant Hyperthermia. We ran tests at the neurologist and I was fortunate enough to sit down with the person who isolated the gene in Labradors for Exercise Induced Collapse....which seems to be the same thing - just in different genetic places per breed.

In all of this, all I was told was try to keep her quiet (not possible) and carry Dantrolene - the only known antidote to counteract the calcium outpour. I carried a crash kit every where, including camp which is how I came to discuss it with Dr. Lisa. She never told me to stop being prepared via modern medicine. But her whole point was, I was told there is nothing but treatment when a situation occurs. Maybe try something different as a preventative and see if it works.

I have always been a skeptic, and still am in other situations. But in this one, it worked amazingly. 4 weeks on the new diet and Brass was normal for the first time in her life. After working HARD, she was only 105ish. She has been maintained as a working K9 with no issues for the last 4 years. I got her sibling back at one point to train, and he registered high after work also. Switched his diet and never a problem since.

I don't know if it is a neurological issue, a dietary intollerance or what. But I absolutely know that diet was the only thing that consistently effected the working body temperatures of these dogs, as well as the resting temp. So I don't know why it works. And I haven't jumped in for any more remedies. But on this one situation I am CONVINCED and will always default to with an over heating dog. Always. You can't go from "should be dead" to "normal" without something working correctly.

[Schlussdibusti]

If I may ask, what exactly are you feeding?

[leih merigian]

Somehow, we dodged this bullet.

Had Geyser in for her recheck this week, and her lymph node is nearly gone. I had hoped so much that we wouldn't have to go thru a biopsy, and was so relieved that she was doing so well. Now we take an additional course of antibiotics, and recheck in another two weeks.

My vet is totally flummoxed as to what got Geyser's gland infected.

For me, I'm ready for her to stop coming up with all these mysetery illnesses.

@Christie,
I find it interesting that there seem to be a fair number of DS with this sort of condition. I've heard from another forum member who thinks their DS may be exercise intolerant, too. Considering how few of them are in this country, it seems like a high percentage, yet you don't hear anything about this when you're researching the breed, especially those of us switching to DS for primarily health reasons .