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not regularly update this blog any longer, much of the information is still relevant (though some of the links may be out of date).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




Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Hyperestrogenism

05/29/12 - All is good on Reo's end, no major changes, except I rotated out her Addiction food and rotated in Stella and Chewy's raw freeze-dried patties (Duck Duck Goose).  She loves the change!

I wanted to share an article from Healthy Pet Network, written by Dr. P, as it might be of interest to anyone following SARDS as it relates to adrenal exhaustion/Plechner's syndrome.

Original Article Here


Hyperestrogenism by Dr. Plechner, DVM
Published May 29, 2012 | By Terry

An article from the University of Tennessee signals that my esteem fellow professionals are finally beginning to understand what this old Vet’s been saying for many years now. They are beginning to realize the dangers of excessive adrenal estrogen. They are close, but alas…no cigar.

It seems they are attempting to reduce the production of adrenal estrogen by using various chemicals to affect it’s source, the adrenal gland. This approach at least shows someone’s been listening to some of what this Animal Doctor’s been saying for quite some time.

However, They still are off track. They keep trying to affect the middle layer of the adrenal cortex but they’re barking up the wrong layer. They need to be studying the inner layer. That’s where the problem lies. Even so, when they finally get there they’re going to find that it’s not going to be affected by their chemical assault.

I can understand their dilemma. The middle layer adrenal production of cortisol hormone appears quite normal in their eyes. The problem is that they need to understand that the cortisol being produced is defective and is not being recognized by the pituitary gland which keeps churning out the ACTH hormone which can cause an increase in the production of estrogen and androgen (which can be converted into estrogen) due to an enzyme in the fatty tissue called aromatase.

Since the elevated estrogen binds (blocks) the receiver sites of thyroid. The bound thyroid reduces the activity of the liver and kidneys which further guarantees less breakdown and elimination  of the estrogen and androgen. This allows the  estrogen and androgen to remain excessive. The patient, unavoidably, is also bound to gain weight, which at the same time produces more aromatase due to the increase of fatty tissue which inadvertently increases the amount of estrogen present…and so, round we go, in a vicious cycle.

It’s just our luck! The corporate medical industry is finally realizing what I’ve been trying to tell them for years. That excess estrogen can cause real problems. Still it seems that they haven’t listened to all of what this old Vet’s been saying (they must’ve dozed off in the middle of the lecture).

The capper is that certain hormones like cortisol can be defective or bound (unable to get to the right receptors) The decreased or defective cortisol and the increased estrogen throws the immune system out of balance.  When the immune system is imbalanced it may fall victim to a number of problems including;  Aids, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, coronary occlusion, all types of auto-immunity, and even cancer.

Now, I understand that I am but a healer of ‘animals’. However, I think we can all agree that all the beings on this planet are very similar on the inside. What’s good for the Goose…well, I think you understand. I just hope that those learned professionals at the University of Tennessee can rise above the status quo and maybe listen to alternative sources in their ‘quest for the cures’. They should at least heed Shakespeare…

“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

Yours in Health,
Dr Al Plechner

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Reo and her snake

05/22/22 - Yesterday, I returned home from a long weekend away!  It was the first time I have left the dogs since we moved back home to Denver, so I was a little nervous.  Reo (and everyone) did very well, with nothing negative to report!  It was a relief for me, to be sure!

I did pulse her Medrol while I was gone, just in case.  Environmental allergens continue to be very high in our area (trees, grasses, weeds).  I hope her system will recover...

Sean reported (and sent photo documentation!) of just how much Reo still loves her silly snake toy!  Here is a picture of Reo and her snake...in an intimate moment post-kill!  ;)



I forgot to post these silly videos of Reo and her new toy.  I bought this for our Doberman, but for Reo, it was love at first squeak!!

Silly snake #1

Silly snake #2

Notice in the first video, when Reo is carrying around the snake, she doesn't bump into the grills or the chairs.  :)

She is fairly obsessed with this toy, and has usually two good killing "sessions" every day.  VERY cute!

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Making a decision

05/13/12 - Today, I ordered what could be Reo's final bottles of Magnesium Taurate and Phosphatidyl Serine.  If we don't notice improvement in her vision by the time she finishes these, I believe that it may not be worth the cost to continue giving her these supplements, since her vision is transient/minimal.  Every once in a while, she surprises me with her vision when she navigates new terrain successfully, but she struggles sometimes too.  I believe she struggles more than she has some sight these days.

I recall that it took about 5 months after her first series of injections last year, to see a good improvement in her vision.  She got her injection series in March, and we are only 2 months after those, so it's possible we have a ways to go, which is okay.  I plan to get another EI-1 Panel from NVDS, as well as a CBC in late June/early July (about 6 months since her last), to see how she is doing, but I know from her demeanor that she is healthy and happy.

I am still optimistic, but I am also trying to be realistic.  I wanted to write this on my blog to make it more "real" for me, that it is possible that Reo's vision may not recover from all of the emotional and environmental stresses from earlier this year.

I feel pretty guilty that I wasn't more pro-active, and didn't think about how all of the changes we were making could affect her.  But, ultimately, we wanted to/had to move, as it was the right decision for our family - and how could we have predicted that allergens would have been especially brutal this spring?  My regret is that I didn't give her a "booster"injection of DepoMedrol as soon as I began to notice a regression.  Of course, hindsight is always 20/20 and I can't go back now.

When I took that last obstacle course of Reo recently, I went back and watched her previous videos, and it's clear that she is not doing as well as before.  It crushes my heart, because I feel as though I've let her down in some way, or failed her by not paying closer attention, or realizing what was happening as her vision was regressing.  Yes, the most important thing is that she is healthy and happy - and we are blessed that she is both!  But, a part of me is really sad that her vision has regressed, and I am hopeful that she will get back to "normal"for her, like she was the second half of 2011.  Fingers crossed!

Monday, May 7, 2012

Vacation-refreshed!

05/07/12 - We are back and rejuvenated from our vacation to Northern California!  Sean and I left for 6 days, and brought the Min Pins with us.  Leigh and Reo are both from California, so we joked that they were returning to their roots.

Reo did excellently on the trip - we are lucky to have such great traveling dogs!  Reo did have a little trouble in her carrier in the airport.  She wanted to be held, and seemed to be a little frightened of all the noises and hubub in the airport.  She was panting quite a bit in her carrier, but settled right down as soon as we got on the plane (quiet, with hum of engines put her right to sleep).

I pulsed her Medrol dose every other day, and overall she did awesome!  I know she was seeing some things, as the house we stayed in had steps, and she navigated them well some days, while some days she had trouble.  More proof that her vision remains transient.

Here's a picture of where we stayed, and Reo exploring:


The property was dog-friendly and had two fully-fenced acres for doggie exploring.  In Leigh and Reo's cases, the tall grass was barrier enough for them, thankfully (I was worried they'd want to go in the grass and I'd never find them!).  There were lots of quail running around, and that was excited for the dogs!  It was truly paradise there, and we all dreamed that it was our property!

The rest of the trip was spent wine tasting and driving around all day.  We brought the pups with us - sometimes they came into the wineries with us if they were dog friendly, or they stayed in the car and patiently waited for us to return (best dogs ever!!).  I packed their favorite bed, so just put that on the seat, and harnessed them into the seat belt - it worked really well!

Here's a cute picture of the rehydration effort during one stop (I love the look on Leigh's face in this picture!):



And, one final picture of Reo taking a sun nap while we taste wine on a gorgeous rooftop deck.  It is the life!!


Overall, we are completely thrilled with the trip, and how Reo did traveling.  With the exception of a couple of issues being in her carrier, she was relaxed, and seemed quite happy (I'm sure she was feeling us extra happy and relaxed, too!).

This gives us some confidence for our next trip in July - we plan to go to Southern California for a week, so fingers crossed that everyone does just as well on this trip!