Please cross your paws for Earle.updatew/pics pg3

[Glacier]

Chum was supposed to go back to the vet today and get his bloodwork and ECG redone. It's been a month since he collapsed and was diagnosed with severe hypothyroidism. Chum is, as Stuart puts it, "as annoying as he's ever been."(said with great affection of course). The treatment is working, but Chum can't work until I know his heart is ok.

I had to switch dogs this afternoon. Last night Earle came inside at 6:30, got on the futon and didn't move again until 7:30am when I had to coax him to the door. He didn't eat, wouldn't even lift his head to sniff his food. If you'd ever seen Earle, you'd know he doesn't miss many meals. He's hypothyroid too and on a diet to get some extra pounds off him. He's a big boy to start with, well over the Siberian breed standard.

Earle is my most laid back dog. He's a pure joy to have around. I can take him anywhere; he can meet anyone; he's never met another dog he didn't like; he never fights; for a Husky his off-leash recall is nothing short of miraculous. Earle is always the first dog a newbie meets. He's been to schools and daycares as a demo dog. He was my very first dog(as an adult), one of only two in the yard that I have owned since puppyhood. (he's 7 now) He is laid back, but not lethargic.

Not eating and not moving much freaked me out a bit, but he wasn't vomitting. He didn't yelp when I moved his legs, didn't act like he had bloat. This afternoon, I came home to pick up Chum and had to search the yard to find Earle. He was tucked away in a doghouse. I decided that he needed the vet more than Chum. I called the clinic and told them that I was probably being neurotic, but they needed to get a different file ready for Dr. Candace.

Earle is well known at the clinic. He's a favorite among the techs, but even they commented that he was taking laid back a little too far today.

After some x-rays(to rule out a blockage) and bloodwork, Earle has been diagnosed with a massive case of pancreatitis. My vet said his lipase levels should have been at about 800 since he hadn't eaten. 1500 would be considered normal. Her machine measures to 6000. It couldn't measure Earle's lipase levels--he is well above 6000!

He will be spending some time at the clinic, likely a week or so. He's on IV fluids, antibiotics and a painkiller. He can't have any food or anything orally administered until his pancreas calms down. The prognosis for pancreatitis is fair most of the time. My vet made a point of warning me that "he could be in some trouble" with his enzeymes so elevated. I am choosing to believe that she's covering her own butt and preparing me for a worst case scenerio only.

I went to visit him before I came home. He looks pathetic. His eyes have lost their little sparkle. The only time he moved was to lift his head and watch me leave--took me three tries to get to the door! There is a tech who lives above the clinic and will check on Earle through the night. I have complete faith in my vet and her staff and know that Earle will get the very best care there, but I want him home. Even with 23 dogs here, it's a little empty without my special boy.

[MajesticCollies]

Our prayers for Earl here at Majestic Collies. Hope he feels better soon.

[chocolatepuppy]

Pawsitive thoughts and prayers headed Earles way.

[areias]

Aww, oh no Earl. Pancreatitis is a nasty thing, isn't it? :( Prayers from me and all my "kids" that Earl gets better, and that he's up and running soon. I have trouble sending any of mine just for the day!

You've had quite the month Glacier, what with Chum and Anvik and now Earl...hopefully everything will be ok after this!

[wolf_Q]

Oh poor Earle, I really hope he gets feeling better. I have had pancreatitis twice (caused by medication) and it was extremely painful, so I know what he's going through.

[cyber-sibes]

:( We'll be praying for Earle here, too. It's hard not to have a special spot for Earle, he's such a gentleman, and so handsome, a real credit to his breed. Come on now Earle, get better, it's been a rough month over there. ((((hugs)))

[Dorothy39]

Glacier,

You really put your whole Heart and Soul into your dogs!!!

And, you've certainly had quite a month as it is~

I'll be sure to Keep You and your Special Boy Earle in my Positive Thoughts when I go to Bed Tonight.


Prayers and High Hopes from Me in Michigan.

[K9karen]

I'm cringing with a wrinkled nose just imagining what poor Earle is going through. Poor boy. It sure doesn't matter how many pets you have, when one is ill, it may as well be all of them. I'm glad he's in excellent hands. Hope you and Stuart are hanging in there. You've been through alot recently. {HUGS}

[Corinna]

All paws in prayer for Earle people too.

[Chilli]

Positive thoughts headed your way for that handsome boy! I can't to hear when he'll be able to come home.. and it sounds like you have a wonderful vet. Earle is so lucky to have such a great doc and a great mum. =)

[cloverfdx]

Ohh Tamara i am sorry to hear about Earl's illness :(. Sending lots of good healing healthy vibes Earls way and {{Hugs}} for you. You will be in my thoughts.

[Cinder & Smoke]

HI, God!!

Prayer Pups here ... needin a lil Help up inna Yukon tanite.

It's Mr. Earl - wunna Glacier's Heart-Dawgs - feelin reel poorly.
He's gotta live inna Hoppsbittle a few daze - do You mind sittin up wiff him?
He'd sure 'preciate Your kumpanie.

An maybe You kuld stop in atta Wanderin Spirits Camp - da Head Musher kuld
sure use a Big {{{God'sHug}}}.

THANKS, God!!

/s/ the Prayer Pups

[Kfamr]

Oh no, Tamara! Not my favorite boy. :(

I will certainly be thinking of you and Earle.

{{HUGS}}

[Ginger's Mom]

Oh no, Earle always makes me smile. I sure hope he is up and smiling himself soon. Prayers and good thoughts going out for that very special boy.

[Vela]

Oh that's terrible. I'm so sorry he's sick. You know your dogs so well, you have given him the best chance by being so on top of things. Sending prayers that he will recover just fine and quickly. Get better Earle, your mom needs you to stick around!

[Daisy and Delilah]

Thoughts and prayers are going out for Earle and family :( {{{{HUGS}}}}

[IRescue452]

Here's hoping for the best. And for better luck for all of your pups. There's way too much vet time between them all.

[borzoimom]

I will also put in prayers..

[pitc9]

My prayers are with you!

[finn's mom]

Oh, Earle. Please pull through this. Even with hundreds of dogs here, Pet Talk also feels empty without you. I'll be praying hard.

[Queen of Poop]

Prayers and paws crossed for Earle's speedy recovery. I've also asked my RB Sami dog to visit Earle so that he's not feeling alone at all. Hugs for you.

[gemini9961]

Prayers for Earle and you too Tamara.

[Lobodeb]

Prayers for you Earle and Tamara and Stuart and Chum too.

Chum, thanks for laying low to let your brother get the attention he needs.

Funny thing is that you all are ALWAYS in my prayers. I prayed so hard when Delta was missing, and after he was found, I just kept you all in my prayers.

[ramanth]

Prayers for Earle.

[Jadapit]

All paws and fingers crossed here. Feel better soon Earle. You all will be in my thoughts and prayers. (((Hugs)))

[Glacier]

I just talked to my vet. She says Earle is a little brighter this morning. He was rolling over for belly rubs from his favorite tech, Sandi. Earle loves Sandi and the feeling is mutual. She'd steal him if she could. I'm glad she's working today as I know she'll spend any free time or breaks she gets with Earle!

I'm supposed to call back at 4pm. They might try to give him some water then and see if he can keep it down. I'm going to go visit him at lunch.

Thanks for all your prayers and support everyone.

[husky_lover]

That's awsome! Hope it's good news for you and Earl! Prayers from all of us here!

[K9karen]

Good news! Praying Earle gets better Quick! Quick! Quick!

[cyber-sibes]

Awww, please give Mr. Earle a belly-skritch from me, too. Hope he continues to improve quickly :)

[Ginger's Mom]

Oh yay, it sounds like our special PT dogs are getting better. Good boy, Earle, you know the magic power of belly rubs, don't you? They will definitely help to make you feel better much faster.

[lizbud]

So glad that Earle seems better today.I know that "look" in a pup's eyes
that you spoke of earlier. :( It's a very scary thing to see.I hope Earle
just keeps getting better & stronger.

[finn's mom]

Yay for Sandi. :) I'm sure Earle is being loved on tons and tons!

[Glacier]

Earle got to come home last night. The clinic is closed all weekend so he'll get more monitoring here than he would there. There's staff around and a vet on call, but my vet figured Earle might do better at home. He got very excited when I came to visit him. I'm not convinced he'll make the whole weekend at home.
He is doing better. He's brigher, not as lethargic, he wants cuddles and belly rubs and is giving kisses. He still won't eat. He's had about two mouthfuls so far. He's only allowed rice and low fat cottage cheese. I probably wouldn't eat that either! I might try adding a tiny bit of Paxil's kibble to see if he picks out the kibble. Paxil has chronic pancreatitis so she has a low fat food that might not bother Earle too much.

He is having some dry heaves and brought up some clear bile last night. He is drinking quite a bit of water that seems to be staying down. He looks very worried and bites at his belly sometimes. I think it still hurts or is uncomfortable at least. Last night he was playing with his squeaky tennis ball. Today he's moving more, but not playing. He's laying beside my chair right now.

If he can't keep the rice mixture down, he goes back to the vet immediately.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v38/Glacier1998/Dogs%202006/ff522a18.jpg
You can see how thrilled he is with the food offerings!

[finn's mom]

Aw, beautiful blue eyes. He looks terribly unhappy with what's in the bowl. ;) But, I'm glad to hear he's able to at least keep the water down! Keep up the good work, Earle!

[cyber-sibes]

Awww, Earle, that's a very effective pathetic look, but it won't convince mom! she's gonna follow the vet's orders to a T! Try to eat a few bites, handsome boy, we're crossing paws & prayin you get better soon! (hugs)) and kisses, sweetie!

[Ginger's Mom]

Aww, poor baby boy. I hope your body gets sorted out soon so you can start getting the good stuff again. ;) Hugs and continued prayers for Earle.

[4 Dog Mother]

So sorry to see that Earle is sick with pancreatitis. That is what Snoopy has too and he came home at noon today. He has a bunch of medicines and prescription dog food to eat. And we are to push the liquids. I know how pathetic Snoopy looked and although he is better he is still now his old self. Poor babies. The vet said pancreatitis can be very painful for dogs although Snoopy didn't seem to be having much problem with pain.

I will pray Earle gets through the weekend without another visit to the vets. Being at home without one of your babies is no fun!

[Glacier]

Earle is supposed to eat 4-6 small meals a day right now. I called and asked if I could add anything to the cottage cheese/rice mix as he's just not going to touch that! He did actually eat his last meal after the addition of a tablespoon of turkey baby food. Good thing Beau the cat didn't eat it all when he was sick! I made the mixture into a bit of a slurry with a bunch of water and Earle lapped it right up! He seemed to perk up a bit after that.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v38/Glacier1998/Dogs%202006/myball.jpg
"Heyoka, that is my ball. I am sick and Mom will make you give it back to me anyway!"
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v38/Glacier1998/Dogs%202006/earleplay.jpg
"told you so! My ball!!"
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v38/Glacier1998/Dogs%202006/sadface-1.jpg
After a little play session, he came back inside and crashed on the futon again.

He has no stamina, but he played for a few minutes. Earle doesn't fetch, but he likes to get a tennis ball and bounce it around. He just won't bring it back! Like any good husky he was very happy to be out in the cold and it is COLD here today!

[dukedogsmom]

So glad I came here! Earle, I'm glad to see you feeling better. There's a place in my heart for you. I hope you continue to do well and are getting lots of extra loving and attention.

[cyber-sibes]

I'm so glad I checked this thread again - it's good to see Earle up & about. I hope he's not in too much pain. Huskies can be so stoic, sometimes you can't tell if they're in pain. Do they think you will be able to control this with diet & meds?
Gosh, he's a handsome boy, he has such beautiful blue eyes. (((more hugs))) to Earle. :)

[Cinder & Smoke]

:)

THANKS, God ~ for the Quick Fix and for sending Earl home for R&R!

As for the "Woe is Me Look" ... he musta gone to school for that look!
And got all "A"'s in the class.

Take a few Bytes, Earl - us Hoomins feel a lot better when Sick Pups *EAT* sumpin! ;)

[shais_mom]

I'm sorry I came in late to this!
I am glad that big beautiful boy is feeling a bit better.
Will keep both of you in my thoughts!

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

Somehow I missed this thread up until now. I'm glad to hear that Earle is doing ok though! Pancreatitis definitely isn't a fun thing at all, for dog or human. I was so worried when my Jesse had it.

[K9karen]

I almost had LES when I saw Earle's last photo. Oh God, those eyes..the mirror to the soul. One day at a time, sweet pumpkin. Your mom and dad are taking really good care of you and we all love you very much! I can't say I blame you for turning your nose up at rice and cottage cheese but you have to eat somethin' so you can get better!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On another note, Sorry for my ignorance...what causes pancreatitis. Sorry I didn't check the internet.

[captain]

Earle,
Get better sweetheart.
Love those pics ........... you sure are a lovely boy.

(((HUGS)))
Michelle

[Vela]

Good to see him doing okay Tamara. I hope he continues to improve and is back to his bouncy self soon. I know it's so scary when they are sick like that. Thanks for sharing some pics of him.

[cloverfdx]

More good healing vibes coming your way Earl :). Glad to see your big boy at home Tamara, please give him a gentle hug from me.

[finn's mom]

Yay, those photos made me smile! Huskies in the snow, I'm excited! Keep on keepin' on, Earle!

[Glacier]

On another note, Sorry for my ignorance...what causes pancreatitis. Sorry I didn't check the internet.


The most common cause is a high fat meal. My vet says she's over-run with cases of it on the evening of a holiday meal. If you give your dogs a plate of turkey, gravy ect after Thanksgiving, they are at high risk of developing pancreatitis.

There is also a link between it and hypothryroidism, which Earle also has. Overweight dogs are more suspeptible too.

And sometimes it just happens for no apparent reason or trigger.

[ramanth]

Oh Earle, such a sad face. But I'm happy to see you playing with your buddy! And for the fact that you are home recouperating. :)

[Queen of Poop]

Earle, I am very glad to see you are up and about and getting better. Now, if you'd just eat a bit and get to feeling much better you'd stop giving me more grey hairs!!! I'm such a worrier when someone is sick.

[pitc9]

:(
Oh Earle.... you poor boy!
I'm so glad you were perky enough for a little bit of play time!
I hope you are feeling back to normal in no time!