09/07/11 - Today is Reo's 6-month treatment anniversary! Woo hoo! We never could have imagine the results that we have achieved with Reo's treatment. Sean and I feel very lucky, and so so happy!
Lately, Reo is very much a "Min Pin". She is super spunky, and quite sassy! She's been playing a lot lately with her toys, which is really cute.
09/15/11 - We are running pretty low on the Standard Process Enteric Support. I'm considering just letting her run out and not replacing it, as eventually I'd like to actually reduce the number of supplements that she gets. Since her IgA number is fairly close to normal, and she is getting ProZyme, I think I'll try her without the Enteric Support.
09/16/11 - Some straining to poop today. There was some mucous in her stool, and it was rather light-colored.
09/21/11 - Reo is still having some stool issues. Not very much straining, but there is some mucous in there, and it's lighter colored than normal. It's not loose, and there is no blood visible, but the texture is definitely "soft serve". Not sure if I should remove the pumpkin from her diet (maybe she doesn't need it any more?).
09/22/11 - Reo's midday movement looked really good - dark and firm; normal!
It feels like I'm a parent of a human child, with all this talk about bowel movements! Too funny. I'm not exactly sure what causes the fluctuations in her stool, as her diet does not change at all (except for anything she may eat outside when I'm not looking, but I don't think this is significant!). I'm beginning to suspect that as Reo heals, and her GI tract heals, that she is "shedding" some of her intestine/bowel - this would account for the mucous that I see in her stools. This would be similar to her "shedding" out toxins through her skin and hair.
In March 2011, our Miniature Pinscher, Reo, suddenly went blind and was diagnosed with SARDS (Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome). We were given no hope for vision recovery, but through research, perseverance, love, tears, and a lot of luck, we brought our dog back from a serious illness, and restored some functional vision in about 5 months! This is our story, our journey...and we hope that by sharing our story, we can help other dogs diagnosed with SARDS!
BLOG DISCLAIMER
**DISCLAIMER** Please note: I am not a veterinarian, and the purpose of this blog is solely to educate, provide resources, and share Reo's story. In this blog, I will present research and information on the theories of SARDS to which I subscribe, along with my own narrative. If you think your dog may have SARDS, or adrenal exhaustion/Plechner Syndrome, please seek veterinary care right away!
If you are just beginning your SARDS education, I suggest you start with the blog post from August 22, 2011 entitled "SARDS Resources". If you'd like to know our trials, tribulations, and joys from the beginning, start with "But first...Reo!" and click chronologically on from there.
If you would like to read my suggestions as to how I would approach treatment for a newly-diagnosed dog, check the November 16, 2011 post "If I had another SARDS dog" (and then read my blog more fully for appropriate context).
Though we have decided to suspend Reo's retinal protection supplements in September 2012 (see September 16, 2012 post "Decision for Reo") due to the fact that she had very little remaining vision, I am still strongly supportive of our treatment approach, and know that it changed Reo's health and longevity in a positive way. Feel free to comment and ask me any questions - I am happy to help if I can!
Update: Reo became an angel on October 21, 2014. She had a profound kidney infection, causing acute kidney failure, and she was unable to recover. The contributing factors to her decline are covered in my February 16, 2015 blog post "Farewell to Reo".
Though I do not regularly update this blog any longer, much of the information is still relevant (though some of the links may be out of date). Feel free to join the conversation at "SARDS Dogs United" on Facebook.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
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