Post-vacation trip to the ophthalmologist

07/03/13 - We had a glorious time in Europe for nearly 3 weeks!

Reo (and all the pups) did great under my brother's care - everyone was happy and healthy when we got back, and there was much rejoicing as we were reunited.

But, Reo has been having some issues with her right eye for a couple of months.  We've tried a few different things (drops, allergy meds, etc.) but nothing seems to be working.  Right around the time she was diagnosed with SARDS 2 years ago, she walked into a tree and scratched her cornea.  She's has the scratch since then and it never caused any issue.  But now, it seems to have a secondary whitish mark that is coming out from the scratch.  Our regular vet did a fluorescein stain and it didn't uptake anything (good), and it's not anything like a cataract (good), but we can't figure out what is going on.

I decided to make an ophtho appointment to see if there is anything that can be done.  It's clear that the eye is itching her, and the white of her eye is quite red.  It also looks like the lower eyelid is a bit swollen.  So, since our regular vet can't solve the puzzle, and Reo is not getting better on that front, we're going to go and get it checked out.

Fingers crossed we can get an appointment fairly soon and get to the bottom of it!  Stay tuned...

Headed overseas

06/12/13 - Tomorrow, Sean and I are headed to Europe for 3 weeks, sans dogs!  My brother is watching over our house and pack, which means I'll be separated from Reo for the first time in quite a while!!  We will have my brother pulse her Medrol dose for the first week we're gone, to hopefully help mitigate her stress.

She has been doing pretty well lately, but allergies are bugging her.  I have her on Claritin based on my vet's recommendation, though I don't think it's helping her.  She has an itchy/watery right eye, that has been bugging her for over a month.  The vet's looked at it, did fluorescin testing, and even gave her some NP Dex eyedrops to try for a week (which didn't help).  So, I think we'll go to the ophthalmologist when we get back, just to be on the safe side.

Anyway, fingers crossed all goes well and there are no issues with little miss high-maintenance.  :)

À bientôt, fair readers!

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.

Tooth problems

05/16/13 - Since Reo was diagnosed with SARDS, I haven't put her under anesthesia for anything.  But, she has this little lesion on her gumline along one of her back molars that continues to not heal, and I think the tooth might have to come out.  Before we got Reo, she had many of her teeth removed due to dental disease, and it has been a struggle to keep her teeth clean (missing many teeth means that she doesn't get good chewing action to keep the plaque at bay).

I use the Leba III product, and brush her teeth with water once a week, and sometimes scale them if there is a good bit of plaque, but it is not doing the job on this one particular tooth any more, it seems.  Leba III is great, but if you forget to spray it one day, it seems like it really makes a difference!

So, I'm going to take her in tomorrow for the vet to look at her gum.  I am hoping that she'll give me some antibiotics and the tooth won't have to come out...but I fear the worst.  :(  I really don't want to have to put her under anesthesia, but we might not have a choice.

Poor little thing!

Her allergies are finally getting under control.  She has had a puffy, weepy eye for about 2 months, and she was sneezing for a solid month.  Glad that she is feeling better.  I'm fortunate that I don't have allergies, but many friends have been suffering extra this spring.

March Madness

04/08/13 - It's official.  March is not Reo's best month.  It seems every year in March, we have something going on with her.  In my last post, I mentioned her allergy symptoms - sneezing, watery eye (just one eye), general mopeyness).  The allergy symptoms continue, though more mild than before.  She's also had some GI upset lately.  Overall, she's doing fine, but definitely a little outside of "normal".

So, 3 Marches of weirdness in a row can't be a coincidence.  It makes me think about Caroline Levin's assertion that spring and fall are normal periods of increased adrenal activity.  It certainly makes sense in Reo's case, though she seems to make it through fall with no problems.  I guess I'll make sure to be extra aware come spring next year, and make sure I'm ready for some bumps in the road!

2 year anniversary

03/05/13 - Today marks 2 years since Reo lost her vision (though we're a little ahead of her actual diagnosis)!  It seems like it's been far longer than that, to be honest!  We have learned so much in the past 2 years.  Every day, I am thankful that Reo is still with us, and healthy!  I'm so proud of this little dog, I tell you.

This is a busy time of year for SARDS diagnoses, and I've noticed that Reo has some allergy symptoms (itchy eye, some sneezing).  We've had an unusually mild winter in Denver, and I think that there are already some allergens in the air.  I'm pulsing her Medrol dose this week to try and help her overcome this.

New(ish) post from Dr. Plechner on SARDS

02/19/13

Hope everyone is doing well!  We are all great, here, including Ms. Reo, who is as sassy as ever!  I recently went on a vacation and left the dogs with Sean - I was nervous, as I hadn't left Reo in nearly a year!  I'm happy to report that she did GREAT, and Sean did a wonderful job keeping to her schedule and meal regimen.  :)

Dr. Plechner has re-worked his website.  Though it looks nicer, a lot of his resources are missing, which makes me sad.

He has written a few new articles on SARDS, for your consideration:

Three case studies:
http://drplechner.com/learn/specific-diseases/sards-clinical-case-studies/

Overview:
http://drplechner.com/learn/specific-diseases/sards/

As you might remember, my own personal opinion is that Caroline Levin knows so much about treating SARDS specifically, and her recommendations for retinal protection supplements can be of great help to newly-diagnosed SARDS dogs.  Her treatment is based off of Dr. Plechner's ideas.  For Reo, I felt that a combination of Levin's and Plechner's treatment suggestions were the very best choice for Reo, and helped restore her vision in 5 months.  If I had to go back, I would do the same treatment (albeit much more quickly).