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not regularly update this blog any longer, much of the information is still relevant (though some of the links may be out of date).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, September 25, 2011

Hiking in Red River Gorge

Labor Day weekend, 2011 

Sean and I took the dogs on a road trip to the eastern part of KY, to Red River Gorge!  We rented a dog-friendly cabin for the weekend, and planned to do some hiking and relaxing.  When we lived in Colorado, hiking was one of Reo and Leigh's most favorite activities - they always impressed "big" dog owners when they completed hikes to 11,000 or 12,000 feet!

Unfortunately, our first day of hiking was a scorcher - about 97 degrees.  I thought a "short hike" would be feasible, so we chose a fairly secluded, very wooded trail.  Though it was cooler in the forest, we were plagued by mosquitoes, and were sweating more than I could ever remember.  I had cool collars on all the dogs, but they were still working hard.

The impressive thing was that Reo led the trail the entire way!  She was on-leash, but out in front of me, jumping over downed tree limbs, going under if necessary, scrambling up rocks, and crossing bridges.  I couldn't believe how amazing she did.  There were a few times that she needed encouragement, and she stopped a couple of times, but she was incredible!  I looked at her out in front of me and thought that my heart would explode from pride!  Sean and I were in awe of her.  She was working really hard, and was pretty tired due to the heat, but she made it the entire way - could not believe it!  So proud of you, Reo!!

Because the day was hot, we cooled off in the car and drove around to see more of the Gorge and associated Daniel Boone National Forest.  I'll admit it was only us that did any "seeing" because all the dogs were PASSED OUT once they had cooled down.  Tired dogs = happy dogs!



Unfortunately, it rained on Sunday and Monday, so our hiking aspirations were more or less ruined.  We did have a nice time hanging out in the cabin, though.  The dogs all got foot massages with Musher's Wax, so they were happy to get some pampering!

Here are Reo and Leigh after their Saturday hike, and foot massage:




Pretty relaxed, eh?

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

2 steps forward, half a step back

08/26/11 - Reo is so sassy lately!  I know she is feeling great, because she is acting better than she has in at least a couple of years!  She's prancing around, killing her toys, and being little miss personality these days.

Today, she went up the stairs into Sean's office by herself.  She hasn't done this since before losing her sight.  Typically when going upstairs to bed, I encourage her up and I'm always behind her, just in case.  This evening, we were watching TV downstairs and hadn't seen her for a bit.  "Where's Reo?"  I went looking for her, and she was perched on the couch in the office, looking innocent!  :)

It's really encouraging to see her have her confidence back like this!

I have noticed that Reo has problems seeing when the lighting is dim.  It's particularly noticeable when she comes inside from being outside in bright light.  Sometimes she'll bump into things, and it takes her several minutes to acclimate to the new lighting conditions.

09/01/11 - I got back from a work trip yesterday, and Reo seemed a little off.  She had an accident (urination) in the carseat on the way home, which is extremely unusual (as in, this has never happened before!).

This morning, she had stomach aliens and refused breakfast.  This continued throughout the morning, so I had to force her morning hormone meds (she really hates me when I do this...).  Later in the day, her temperature was quite warm, and she still wasn't herself.

She ate dinner just fine, and seemed to be back to herself afterwards.

I wish I knew what caused this occasional tummy upsets.  I can't find any rhyme or reason - is she eating something funny somehow?  It's frustrating to not be able to solve this issue.  I know dogs self-fast when they're not feeling well, but why isn't she feeling well?

Monday, September 19, 2011

Obstacle course videos

08/20/11 - Reo's been doing pretty well lately. She still has stomach aliens on occasion, but in general seems to be feeling well!

We were outside in the yard today, and I got the idea to make a little obstacle course for her.  I decided to make it alongside our house, outside of our typical yard, as this is a place she doesn't normally go.  The below two videos are her first and second time doing the course (i.e., I didn't let her "practice" this course before taking the videos.

What do you think - can Reo see??

Obstacle course #1


Obstacle course #2

I was pretty delighted with the videos - these were much better than the cotton ball videos that I previously posted (here).

Thyroid concerns

08/18/11 - Today, I emailed Dr. P concerning Reo's thyroid prescription.  Up until Reo's last blood test from NVDS, her thyroid had been low.  Now with her most recent test, her T3 and T4 were normal.

Quick note:  if you want to learn a little more about canine thyroid function, and what T3 and T4 mean, you can check out this website: Newman Veterinary Medical Services

Since Reo's dosage of L-thyroxine has stayed the same at 0.1 mg twice a day, I was suddenly concerned that Reo might become hyperthyroid.  (It is pretty common for me to over-analyze, worry, ask questions, etc. - some might call this obsessing!).  I was also slightly concerned that Reo's excessive shedding and skin issue could be due to hyperthyroid.  I should mention that hyperthyroid is actually pretty rare in dogs, and usually only a result of too much L-thyroxine (symptoms disappear when dosage is adjusted).

Dr. P said to leave her on her current dosage for the time being, but we could continue to watch her bloodwork and make adjustments as necessary.

Read between the lines:  Lynn, relax, jeez...let Reo heal already and we'll take it from there!  ;)

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Choosing a new food for Reo

08/17/11 - In a previous post (Phytoestrogens in dog food), I talked about some of the struggles I've had in trying to find a food I felt comfortable feeding Reo.  Since her liver failure, she had been eating a combination of her normal Orijen Regional Red kibble, and Merrick Grammy's Pot Pie.  Both of these formulas are very low in phytoestrogenic ingredients, but both are commercial diets.  I don't want to feed either long-term (especially canned foods with concerns about BPA leaching), so I started hunting around for what to feed.

Unfortunately, Reo doesn't like my cooking for her as much as I do!  She will accept cooked protein (any type), but she does not like the veggies that I cook for her.  As a result, I wanted to find a "complete" food that I could feed Reo (and Leigh) and feel good about it.  I have heard that immune-compromised dogs shouldn't be switched to a true raw diet, and I didn't feel ready to do "real" raw, anyway.

Tula and Leigh had been eating The Honest Kitchen raw dehydrated food.  I was rotating between Thrive, Keen, and Embark.  But, when I started looking at feeding Reo this food, I noticed that all of their formulas had phytoestrogenic ingredients.  Their grain-free foods in particular are very high in flaxseed (which seems to me to be a filler, but also very high in phytoestrogens).  I knew I didn't want to feed this to Reo.

One thing that is amazing about The Honest Kitchen is their great customer service and nutrition consultations.  I wrote to let them know about my concerns with phytoestrogens, and one of their employees responded the next day to let me know to watch out for a new food toward the end of the year.  So, I am curious!  In the meantime, my search continued.

After a lot of research, I came up with 5 different options for Reo's food.  I do like to rotate every couple of months for variety, so I'm happy to have found so many choices.  I wanted to find something that was chicken or turkey free if possible.  I am wary of fish-dominant recipes, due to concerns about toxins.  I'll probably rotate between the below every so often to mix it up a bit.  I'll also supplement with some cooked food as appropriate.

Grain-free, low phytoestrogenic, healthy foods for Reo:

1)  Addiction raw dehydrated, the following recipes:  Fig'licious Venison Feast, Outback Kangaroo Feast, Perfect Summer Brushtail
2) ZiwiPeak air-dried cuisine, Venison or Lamb recipe
3) K9 Natural freeze-dried raw, Lamb recipe - maybe beef too, if Reo will tolerate it (I think she should be fine - I have cooked ground beef/organ meat for her and she had no problems)
4) Stella & Chewy's freeze-dried patties, Duck Duck Goose, Dandy Lamb recipes, - maybe Stella's Super Beef if Reo can tolerate beef
5) Nature's Variety Instinct freeze-dried raw, Venison, Lamb, or Beef recipes

Between all of these options, I feel good that Reo will have some tasty options ahead of her (and that she will be eating very well!).  Most of these recipes are expensive - I'm glad that Reo and Leigh are under 10 lbs each.  If Tula had to be on this diet, we'd be in the poor house!  ;)  Tula will keep eating The Honest Kitchen, and Reo and Leigh will eat one of the above foods.

For treats, I stick to Natural Balance LIT Potato and Duck treats, and any freeze-dried raw or all-meat treats from hormone-free/natural sources and also made in the USA (you would be surprised at how many dog treats come from China - I am NOT a fan of this at all!), like Stella & Chewy's, K9 Natural, Only Natural Pet, etc.

Reo (and Leigh too!) is currently eating Addiction Fig'licious Venison Feast, and she is loving it!!

Friday, September 16, 2011

Scaly skin and shedding

08/13/11 - In my previous post I mentioned that Reo was shedding.  Upon further investigation, this wasn't "regular" shedding.  She had little clumps of hair and skin falling out of her - all over, but mostly along her sides!  I was horrified - nothing like this had ever happened to her.

I examined Reo by "rolling" her skin between my fingers and saw that her entire body was covered in these pale yellow scales - it was literally like she was shedding her entire skin!  Attached to the skin were little clumps of hair, really gross!

I brushed Reo vigorously with two different types of brushes:  one rubber one with "fingers", and another metal one that I use for our cats.  I got so much hair and skin out of her, I was surprised she wasn't bald!

I spoke with Dr. P and Dr. Lanz about this, and both agreed that it was just a byproduct of Reo's healing process.  Sometimes things are cleansed and detoxified through the skin, so neither were surprised that this happened in Reo's case.  Currently, at time of writing (09/16/11) Reo's coat is softer and silkier than I can ever remember it!  She has no more of the scaly skin issues, and only very mild shedding (I think just normal due to seasons)!  Maybe this is why Reo liked the cicadas so much - she could identify with their molting nature, and be transformed into a new dog!  :)  Okay, that was a little cheesy.

08/16/11 - Reo's belly has been greatly reduced in size and turgidity - perhaps the ProZyme is really helping?  I'll keep this up for sure.

Today, we started Reo on the Standard Process Adrenal Support that we got from Dr. Lanz.  I am hopeful that this will help Reo's adrenal glands and get her cortisol in the normal range.

I've noticed that she's been pretty restless lately.  She wants to be outside all of the time, and will pace around the house and wait by the door.  This could be due to cicada hunting.  The weather has been pretty nice lately, so we all want to be outside (if it weren't for those stinking mosquitoes!!).

The quest for bugs...

08/11/11 - Well, Reo's little belly is pretty large and turgid.  She has increased water consumption, and I'm convinced this is why.  I can't ever remember Reo having a turgid/distended belly prior to her SARDS diagnosis, but now it seems to occur regularly - not sure why.  Hormone supplements?  Bug consumption?

Reo has been eating random bugs outside.  She's so stealth about it, because it looks like she's sniffing around instantly, but she picks something up, chews and swallows before I can reach her.  Little sneak!  She knows she's not supposed to do this.

Reo seems to have this insatiable need to hunt cicadas lately.  Perhaps it's their siren-like song that serenades her when she's outside - not sure.  The weird part is that she has no interest in their "shells" they leave behind after molting - she wants the authentic cicada, complete with wings.  In case you live in a part of the world that doesn't have cicadas, here is a picture of a newly hatched cicada with it's "shell" it leaves behind:


Anyway, some of these cicadas seem to die for no obvious reason, and fall out of the tree, littering our lawn with carcasses.  The "best" ones from Reo's point of view, are the partially dead ones, as they still put up a fight and flutter their wings once she catches them!  Reo LOVES these things and does her best to get some for herself.

This could somehow lead to her increased thirst and turgid belly?  Over the past couple of days, I've noticed that she was all of a sudden gassy (probably from the cicadas!), which might also explain her hard belly.

I started giving Reo 1/8 tsp of ProZyme enzyme supplement with each meal (I had this on hand already for Tula so it was a no-brainer to give this a try).

08/12/11 - Reo's belly seems less turgid this morning, but she had aliens again in her belly and wouldn't eat breakfast.  Unfortunately, this means that I have to force down her Medrol and L-thyroxine.  She hates this (and me) and her mouth is so tiny, it's always such a problem!  When I have to do this to Tula, our Doberman, it's the easiest thing in the world because I can put my hand really far in her mouth!  Not so for Reo, and she fights me every second.

She ended up eating dinner just fine - Reo, queen of the self-fast when she's feeling out of sorts!

Today, I noticed that Reo seems to be shedding quite a bit. This is pretty strange for her, as she's not a big shedder.  Hmmmm.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Reconnecting with our ophthalmologist



08/10/11 - Today, I emailed Dr C., our ophtho who diagnosed Reo's SARDS.  Originally, he had asked me to keep in touch as we pursued treatment for Reo, but I hadn't heard back from him after a couple of updates, so I wasn't sure he was interested.  However, after having 3 separate vets confirm that Reo has some functional vision, I thought it would be worth reaching out again.

I sent the cotton ball videos, and said I thought if we can confirm some vision and activity on Reo's ERG, it sounds like he might have a nice publishing opportunity on his hands!  Certainly my curiosity about the ERG was piqued.

This is part of Dr. C's response to me:

In the discussions I had with a few other ophthos out there, no one had seen any measurable improvements beyond normal adaptive changes.  As a matter of fact, many ophthalmologists are not recommending the "Living with Blind Dogs" book any longer due to that controversial chapter.
That being said, I am very happy that Reo is getting back into her routine and doing well.  I am more than happy to see her again.  I think PLRs, menace response, and dazzle reflex would be good first tests as well as cotton ball tracking, etc.  I would def. like to do an ERG and I will discount that heavily since I am using it for "research".  And, you are absolutely correct, if we are able to detect a change in ERG waveform amplitude then that could be data that could be used for a research paper in the future.

I was a little disappointed to hear that some ophthos are no longer recommending Caroline's book due to "controversy", but it is so hard to know exactly what parts of the protocol people undertake before deeming it a "failure".  Was every part of the protocol implemented?  How soon after SARDS diagnosis?  There are a lot of variables.  Nonetheless, the book is a terrific resource for anyone who has a blind dog (regardless of cause) - there is so much information on training, etc. that it is sad to hear that some are no longer recommending it.  SARDS dog owners need more resources, not less!

I printed out a few things to take with me when we see Dr. C again (we have an appointment in October, at about the 7-month mark of Reo's treatment).  I would like to discuss MANY things with him during this time (I hope he is prepared!  ;) ) 

One thing I have heard from SARDS dog owners, Caroline, and my research, is that PLRs in SARDS dogs are often "normal", meaning, the pupil does respond to "normal" light.  Indeed, Reo's are excellent in natural lighting (sometimes they behave strangely in fluorescent lighting - I'm not sure why).


Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Fourth EI-1 panel

08/09/11 - We got Reo's fourth NVDS panel back today!





Reference Range
16-Mar-11
30-Apr-11
15-Jun-11
4-Aug-11
Total Estrogen
30 - 35
35.19
35.15
35.11
35.06
Cortisol
1.0 - 2.5
8.43
7.03
0.97
0.82
T3
100 - 200
62.7
72.12
87.92
156.94
T4
2.0 - 4.5
0.87
1.15
1.6
3.99
IgA
70 - 170
50
53
57
65
IgG
1,000 - 2,000
722
754
883
946
IgM
100 - 200
74
76
87
97



Thyroids are in the normal range, immunoglobulins are very close to normal, and estrogen continues to come down - great news all around!  She has made some amazing progress in 5 months!  The only thing that concerns me is that her cortisol number actually went DOWN from her last test in June.  

I've asked Dr. P how we should address this - probably bump up the Medrol a bit?  I'm a little worried that her adrenals are permanently damaged and won't recover on their own, so of course Medrol will be critical for her.  Dr. P said that we should just keep Reo at 1.0 mg Medrol and not increase her dosage.



Caroline and I emailed, and she mentioned that some dogs are never totally normal when it comes to the bloodwork, and sometimes, even with medication, dogs can only get close to the normal range.  This makes me feel a little better, and maybe a little less pressure.


I discussed Reo's results with Dr. Lanz, and we agreed to start Reo on the Standard Process Adrenal Support.  


It's worthy of note that Dr. P, Caroline, Dr. Lanz, and Dr. O have all commented on how great Reo is doing, not even taking her returning vision into account!  Reo's bloodwork is making great improvement, and she looks and feels great these days.  So encouraging!!  I feel like we've turned the corner...

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Blood draw and more vision confirmation

08/03/11 - Today marks Reo's 19th week of treatment for the Levin/Plechner protocols!  Nearly 5 months - woo hoo!

We went to see Dr. O today, to get some blood drawn for another EI-1 panel.  In light of all of the great progress Reo has made, I am very curious to see the results!

Dr. O also thought Reo could see (without any coaxing/questions from me).  Reo was walking all around the exam room, weaving in and out of the chair legs with no issues.  She also looked up at Dr. O, and tracked him as he moved his head from side to side.

I feel pretty giddy at this point, to have three separate veterinarians give me the indication that Reo has some degree of functional vision!

I emailed Caroline Levin in regards, and she encouraged me to make some videos of Reo if I could.  Previously, Dr. C suggested that I test Reo with a cotton ball (no sound, no smell).  I tried to get some good videos of her, but I only got the two feeble attempts below.

Reo cotton ball video #1

Reo cotton ball video #2

Even though these aren't the most professional videos, Reo could not do any degree of tracking like this a couple of months ago, so it is great improvement!

Confirmation of vision!

08/02/11  A momentous day!!



Dr. Lanz came today for Reo’s acupuncture treatment.  I asked her to assess Reo’s eyes and vision (without sharing any stories of what we have observed for the past few weeks).  She was impressed by Reo’s PLRs  (pupillary light reflex) and felt they were much faster than 2 months ago.  She also showed a mild dazzle reflex.  Dr. Lanz feels that Reo was definitely tracking things, though it was sometimes inconsistent.  Good news!

Today, we went to see Dr. N to get blood drawn for a CBC, as it has been 3.5 months since her last one.  I want to make sure all her organs are functioning normally.  I also asked Dr. N to assess Reo’s eyes and vision, without sharing any stories.  Reo’s PLRs didn’t respond as quickly as they did for Dr. Lanz (I’ve noticed this sometimes in fluorescent lighting), but Dr. N also felt that Reo was tracking things and showed a mild menace reflex (though I think this could have been from air pressure –not sure).

I am SO ENCOURAGED and proud of Reo, and myself, for sticking with this treatment.  It is absolutely true to say Reo couldn’t do any tracking a month ago, so this is definite progress.  Very happy!!  :D :D


Steady progress

07/29/11 - Today, I got back from a one week trip for work, and noticed that Reo lost her "waist" again.  She seemed to be really bloated.  Sean reported that Reo's thirst had really increased, and she was drinking quite a lot of water.  Hmmm.  This makes me wonder if Reo might have too much cortisol now, since she's been on the increased dosage?

I emailed with Dr. P, and he suggested that we scale back to 1.0 mg Medrol, but keep the L-thyroxine at 0.15 mg until we get the next EI-1 panel back.  I will probably accelerate the blood test - I hadn't planned on testing her again until end of August, but I think we'll do it sooner.

Today, Reo walked down our flight of stairs all by herself.  This was the first time she has done this since losing her sight, so she must feel more confident in her abilities.  In addition to the "sighted moments" that Sean witnessed when I was out of town, I saw her walk over to a piece of black fuzz on our carpet and sniff it with interest.  PROGRESS!  :)

07/30/11 - Today I reduced Reo's Medrol dosage back down to 1.0 mg.  Her stool this morning was quite soft.  It's not diarrhea, but it comes out really fast.  No blood or mucous in there, but I think it must be the supplements that cause the loose stool.  Keeping her on the pumpkin for sure.

This morning, Reo was sitting on the living room floor, and she looked at the variety of toys strewn about.  After doing this for a few seconds, she chose one and attacked!  It was really funny and made me laugh at how she did this with such purpose.

Also, we dropped Sean off at the airport this evening, and I brought all the dogs along.  When Sean got out of the car, Reo watched him walk past.  Both Sean and I noticed her following him, so he made a few passes left to right outside the car - she seemed to follow him each time.  Pretty cool!

We are getting more and more excited at her improvement.  Part of me thinks that it's too good to be true - so we're still just cautiously optimistic.

07/31/11 - This morning, Reo didn't want breakfast.  She had aliens (the loud grumbly sounds coming from her belly).  I took her for a long walk (about an hour).  I let her off the leash a bit and she did pretty well navigating around, but she's not being very responsive to "Reo, come" lately, so I put her back on leash to keep her on track.  She seems to be far more interested/distracted in smells these days, then coming when called (this is true even in the backyard!).

She still didn't want anything in terms of food when we got back - that is rather unusual, as walking typically exorcises those aliens right out.  I coaxed her to eat a small meal a couple of hours later, and this allowed me to get the Medrol and L-thyroxine in her without forcing it down her throat (which she absolutely hates!!).

I also browned up some grass-fed ground beef with organ meat that I got from our local farmer's market.  She really loved this!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

VISION? More inklings...

07/10/11 - We had two vision moments today when we were outside.
1) Reo was laying on the deck, and I was approaching the deck from the yard.  She seemed to be holding eye contact with me, and as I got closer, she progressively looked "up" at me to maintain eye contact.  When I got closer to her, she put her ears back and her tail nubbin' wagged like crazy!
2) Reo chased an adolescent Blue Jay (it wasn't an adult, and it couldn't fly as well as one, yet not a baby either) across our lawn in the back.  She caught it and was prepared to kill!  I shouted "leave it" at her, and picked her up.  I went to tell Sean what happened, and we were wondering about whether or not a dog could catch a bird if she was completely blind.  A few minutes later, I put Reo down.  Well, little miss chased and caught the bird AGAIN!  I almost let her have the bird this time around, but the bird's mommy was up in our tree screaming, so I decided not to.  But boy, Reo was so fired up!  She searched for that bird in the yard for days afterwards!

07/17/11 - Reo's mood has been so good lately!  She is always out in front on our walks, and her confidence seems to be rising.

I'm continuing to watch Reo's labial infection, and have been washing it with an antiseptic skin cleanser (clorhexadine gluconate).  I've noticed that if it's not cleaned every other day or so, the little pustules come back.

Reo's appetite is still good, but she will occasionally wander around the house, nose to the ground like she is sniffing for food.  She is still on the Orijen kibble and Merrick Grammy's Pot Pie, with pumpkin and all her supplements.  I added in some boiled chicken thigh last night in place of some of the wet food and she loved it.  I may start adding in some cooking again to see if she will tolerate it.

07/19/11 - Reo threw up 3 times this evening.  The first time looked like ground beef texture.  The second time was more liquidy and very dark brown.  The third time was mostly frothy liquid.  I didn't see any grass or anything in there, so not sure what she ate that made her throw up.  She ate all of her dinner and kept it down.

07/21/11 - Today, we had two separate incidents with sight!
1) Reo jumped off the couch and walked to her Kong that was sitting on the floor with absolute purpose, like she knew it was there.  She sniffed it, and then walked directly to one of her stuffed toys.  No sniffing around, no "looking" for it with her nose!
2) As I got into work, Reo and Leigh were in the back of the car.  I turned around and lifted my hand up to pet Leigh.  As I did so, Reo followed my hand!  Then I moved my finger left, then right, then up, and she followed it all the way!  It was crazy!  I tried to fiddle with my phone to get the video camera, but by the time I figured it out, she wasn't doing this any more.  Still, this gives me hope!

The whole way home from work last night, Reo was looking out the car window.  She has not done this since she went blind - usually she buried her head in the car seat.

07/22/11 - Today, I got to work and took Reo and Leigh out of the car.  There were some light green packing peanuts strewn around on the grass, probably got blown out of the trash.  Reo immediately bee-lined over to one and sniffed it.  Now, packing peanuts don't have a very strong smell, so I am SURE that she saw something in the grass - wow!!

I hope, because this incidents are happening more and more frequently, that we are seeing some improvement and it means that Reo might get some sight back!!

The vacation quandry; increased dosages

Sean and I decided to take a vacation, even though Reo wasn't 100%.  I had to travel to Germany for work, and so we decided that Sean would come out and we'd spend a week in Hamburg, Berlin, and Prague.  I was really concerned about not having Sean or me around for Reo, as it seemed that she was at a critical time in her treatment.

Fortunately, Sean's nephews were on break from school, and we flew them out from California to watch over our house, kitties, and three dogs.  Sean assured me that the boys could handle Reo's incredible schedule and meal concoctions.

So...off we went.  I won't lie - I was petrified, and we called every day!  Fortunately, everything seemed to be going well.  They did a great job watching to dogs, and everyone was okay when we got back.  But...Reo gained a LOT of weight.

I'm not sure if she got into the cat food, or if she just was fed too much, but she gained about 2 pounds in a week, which is about 20% of her body weight.  :(  She seemed pretty uncomfortable, as her belly was very hard and swollen.  Reo's stool was also quite liquid.  I cut back on her food right away, and upped her walking schedule!

Reo's labial infection was also back.  It was very swollen with some pustules.  I cleaned it and put more Neosporin on.  I also noticed that the skin around her anus was very swollen.  At the time, I was not sure what could possibly cause this.  However, I learned later that high estrogen levels can cause labial/vulvar swelling in females.  So...I attributed this problem to Reo's high estrogen.

07/08/11 - Today, I increased Reo's Medrol and L-thyroxine to Dr. P's recommended dosages:  Medrol to 1.5 mg once per day, and L-thyroxine 0.15 mg twice per day.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Third EI-1 panel

06/22/11 - We got Reo's bloodwork back today!  Results in the last column:




Reference Range
16-Mar-11
30-Apr-11
15-Jun-11
Total Estrogen
30 - 35
35.19
35.15
35.11
Cortisol
1.0 - 2.5
8.43
7.03
0.97
T3
100 - 200
62.7
72.12
87.92
T4
2.0 - 4.5
0.87
1.15
1.6
IgA
70 - 170
50
53
57
IgG
1,000 - 2,000
722
754
883
IgM
100 - 200
74
76
87


I am so happy with her improvement!  Her total estrogen continues to come down, while her thyroid hormones are getting closer to the normal range.  Her immunoglobulin levels are also rising, which is great news.


I was surprised to see the cortisol number to have dropped so severly, and now is slightly below normal.  In my mind, this proves that the initial two results were showing Reo was producing an isomer of cortisol (which her body couldn't use).  Now that she has been on DepoMedrol injections, and also oral Medrol, her liver has had a chance to clear out all of those isomers, and now we get a picture of Reo's true cortisol-producing capabilities:  LOW.


If Reo would have been treated for Cushing's, she would have died.  This is why I think it is so important to make sure to have the EI-1 panel to get an accurate picture of a dog's hormonal situation.  And please remember - elevated estrogen mimics the symptoms of elevated cortisol!


I spoke with Dr. P, and he suggested that we bump up the Medrol to 1.5 mg once a day, and the L-thyroxine to 0.15 mg twice a day.  After discussing with Sean, we decided not to do this until we got back from our week-long vacation, just in case there are any side effects.  Sean's nephews are going to watch the house, kitties, and pups for us while we're gone!

Another symptom

06/15/11 - I'm not sure if the Pepcid AC is having an effect on Reo, but she has been in a great little mood lately, and her tummy is definitely cooler.

She has a strange vulvar infection in the fold of skin between her leg and vulva.  I noticed she was licking a lot, and so I investigated.  I trimmed away some fur, and washed and put Neosporin on.

Today, we got some blood drawn for another EI-1 panel.  I am looking forward to seeing her results!

Dr. O said that her vulvar infection seemed pretty minor, so just to keep washing it and putting on a light layer of Neosporin.  Not sure the cause of this.

06/18/11 - Some folks on the SARDSdogs Yahoo group shared some information that Ivermectin in high doses can cause blindness.  This makes me wonder if it was another piece in Reo's SARDS puzzle?  I called Dr. N and got some Interceptor right away to take her off Heartguard Plus.  Just don't want to take any chances.

We've noticed Reo is more social lately.  She definitely didn't like spending time with us or Leigh after she lost her sight, but lately, she comes and jumps up on the couch to sleep with Leigh.  She hasn't done that in quite some time, so we were encouraged to see this!

Reo's stool has been very loose at the end of her movement lately.  Her stool starts out semi-firm, but the end is mostly liquid and smells awful!  I'm going to keep her on the Pepcid AC each morning and see how she does.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

VISION? The first inklings...

06/14/11 - The past few days have been weird.  We have noticed a few instances of Reo acting like she can see:

1)  We had a power outage recently.  I was holding Reo in one arm.  In the pitch blackness, I woke my phone from "sleep" mode (phone is always on silent, so it didn't make a noise).  When the screen lit up, Reo looked over at it.
2)  On our back deck (which Reo can navigate well now, including stairs), I washed the dog water bowl and placed it in a different location.  Reo came up the steps from the yard and was walking directly toward it at a fast pace (as if she would crash into it), and then she simply walked around it.  Sean and I were quite surprised.  I wondered if she could smell it, but I thought if she smelled it and were interested, she'd stop to take a sniff?
3)  At my desk, I took a break to stretch and had my hands up in the air, and she looked directly at my hands.
4)  Leigh was stretching on our deck and right in Reo's path as she was walking up the stairs.  Reo jumped over her without skipping a step!

In general, Reo is very confident on walks - she is fine to be out in front of me on the leash, which is a major change for her (after she lost her sight, she walked behind or very close to us).  She also has tried to go up our inside staircase herself (which is also new to her since she lost her sight - she never tried because they are quite tall).  She occasionally reacts to squirrels, but I truly can't tell if she can smell/hear them, or if she sees them or flashes of light/shadow when they dart across.  Because I'm more unsure about these, I'm sticking to the above 4 examples of potentially transient vision.  :)

Even so, I'm still extremely cautious, as it seems like this would just be too good to be true!

Struggles with food


Reo is completely over eating rice (white or brown), and she seems to have lost a little weight.

I'm considering putting her back on Orijen kibble (1/3) and wet food (2/3).   

Orijen is super high-quality when you look at the ingredients from a phytoestrogen perspective.  And, although it is a commercial pet food, I do feel good about the ingredients, and Reo loves it.  I also picked up some Merrick canned food that is low in phytoestrogen-containing ingredients.  Reo really loves the Grammy's Pot Pie, and the Venison Holiday Stew.  I still don't feel good about feeding Reo this diet, but will proceed until I can find something better.  Leigh and Tula are on The Honest Kitchen raw dehydrated, but all of their formulas have foods high in phytoestrogens in the top 5 ingredients.  I feel conflicted.  :(

06/05/11 - Reo is currently on 1/8 cup Orijen kibble plus ~1/4 cup of wet food (Natural Balance Potato and Duck or Merrick Grammy’s Pot Pie), twice per day.  She seems to really enjoy having the kibble back in her diet.  I am putting ½ capsule of Magnesium, Phosphatidyl Serine, and Cell Advance in with each meal.  She sometimes doesn’t like the Cell Advance and leaves behind some small bits of food, but for the most part, she is eating very well.

Reo is sleeping through the night just fine, but seems to wake up very early (like 5 am).  I take her outside to potty, and then she demands breakfast.  I try to make her wait until 6 or 6:30!

06/09/11 - Reo's mood has been great lately!  We just passed the 11 week mark for the treatment protocols.  Caroline and I agreed that we'd keep Reo on the supplements for 36 weeks, and if no difference was visible, we would discontinue.

06/11/11 - I learned from another SARDS dog owner that Medrol increases the production of stomach acid.  He's been giving his dog some Pepcid AC and said it greatly helped with "warm belly".  Warm belly is exactly as described, and Reo has had it for months!  I attributed it to high estrogen levels, but I'm willing to give some Pepcid AC a try and see how it works out.  I started her on 2.5 mg once per day before breakfast and Medrol dosage.