02/15/14 - Reo has been having some new issues lately, so wanted to share with everyone. :-/ This is the time of year when Reo always struggles with something. We are about a month away from her SARDS-versary when she was diagnosed. She has a presentation of estrogen spike in a new way each year, which is a little frustrating! (You might remember Levin's assertion that spring is a natural increase in adrenal activity in mammals - us too!, and because many of our dogs can't make cortisol, this results in an estrogen spike, which can manifest in different ways in different dogs.)
About 2 weeks ago, Reo had a seizure, followed by another one 4 days later. I wasn't home for either, but my husband was (and was terrified, poor guy!). We suspect the stress of me traveling, coupled by -20 degree temperatures was enough stress to put her over the edge (her second seizure happened when she went out to go potty, poor girl!).
This week, we went in for a check up to the vet - she is neurologically great, whew! Since her last blood chemistry done in January looked great on the liver enzyme side, but showed a little uptick in kidney values, I asked my vet to run a renal panel just to check. Sure enough, she had further increases in kidney values and was now abnormal for BUN, creatinine, sodium, and potassium all elevated (but nothing off the charts). We are not sure if this is "true" renal issues, or if it's changes from post-seizure activity.
So, we will monitor, and do another renal panel in a month. I will also make a slight change to her diet, and phase out the very high protein Stella & Chewy's patties (45% min protein), and replace with a high-quality canned food (~8% protein) as a topper for the ZiwiPeak dehydrated raw (34% min protein), to see if slightly less protein will ease the load on her kidneys. I refuse to put her on any sort of prescription diet!
We were also in the process of making some changes to her thyroid dosage (we think she is getting too much thyroid replacement, since her metabolism is super fast and I cannot keep weight on her, even with the high protein/fat food), so we'll have to see how she does with less. Reo was close to 10 lbs when she was diagnosed with SARDS, so we have been treating her at the 10 lb dose for Medrol and thyroid, since it was most convenient. But, she now weighs only 6.5 lbs, so it's possible she's getting more than she needs of both, and we need to find the best dose for her.
And, just for fun, she has also developed a heart murmur! My vet put it at grade 1-2, so not incredibly serious. When we took x-rays, we saw a slightly enlarged heart, and also a little bit of collapsing trachea. It's hard to know what caused what, or what is just a normal part of aging (she is 13, after all!). We are not doing anything for the heart at this time, and will just monitor.
I don't want to change too many things at once because we won't know what's made a difference. But, I feel fortunate that my vet loves Reo, is open to new ideas and possibilities, and is willing to do whatever is recommended by Caroline. So, I remain optimistic and grateful! :)
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.
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