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not regularly update this blog any longer, much of the information is still relevant (though some of the links may be out of date).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




Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Tooth problems be gone!


05/22/13 - I went to the vet last Friday, and she said she *really* does not want to put Reo under anesthesia to clean her teeth (whew!!). But, that she has seen good success "pulsing" dogs with dental issues with clindamycin hydrochloride. She thought that with Reo's lowered immune system, her body had a hard time keeping the plaque bacteria at bay. So she has her on a low dose 2x a day until gone (I
think it will be about a 7-10 day course, given how much we've used already).

I've kept up with the Leba III spray, but haven't brushed because I wanted that little lesion to heal. Well I'll be darned...her mouth looks pretty darn awesome, to my surprise! The lesion has healed and is not painful to her anymore, and she doesn't have nearly as much plaque as she did a few days ago.

So, I'm considering doing this quarterly as "pulse" therapy like my vet suggested. Though I'm not a fan of regular antibiotic use, it might be worth it to prevent anesthesia for dental cleanings/extractions in the future.

The other interesting side effect is that she is way more perky than she has been before, which could be just because she was in pain before and isn't any more...but it's also making me wonder about dogs that are on the doxy/pred protocol and give antibiotics with cortisol replacement. I remember one of my SARDS friends saying that her dog did great on doxycycline and Medrol, but that most vets don't know why it helps SARDS dogs. Hmmm.

I also got a chemistry/CBC panel while we were there.  I decided not to do an EI-1 panel this June, and switch to yearly in December, instead of bi-annually.  I did get a T3/T4 add on, though, just to make sure thyroid was doing ok.  Everything looked good, except for elevated ALP and GGT, and elevated cholesterol.  Because she has been normal for over a year in these 3 areas, I'm not too worried (we took blood only a half hour after breakfast, and this could have an effect on her numbers).  We will repeat a more focused chemistry in July when we get back from vacation and see how she is doing.

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