Hello all.
First, allow me to apologize for this very long thread....I just need to get this all out.
It has been a while since I have been on Pet Talk. Things have been a bit hectic for the last several months. We had no home internet for almost 6 months, but now have gone with Clear and really like it - good service, cheap bill! We have had lots of sick dogs come into the rescue, but we are getting by. And we are planning our 2nd Annual BowWow BBQ for 9/11/10 - busy, busy, busy! I hope you are all well.
SO, the sad news....
Many of you know our dog Scruff. He is my third child. And he is sick. Very sick.
Scruff, is battling an unknown illness. He has been in and out of vets since June 1, 2010 for lethargy, loss of appetite, weight loss, and staggering. The vets sent him home telling me to give him Chicken and rice, Doxycyline, and Flagyl.....he lost 10lbs in 6 wks, so we took him back in on 7/16. The vets took blood - finally! They then recommended us going to The Veterinary Specialty Clinic for more in depth testing. On 7/19 Scruff had an xray and and ultrasound to reveal that Scruff has a growth on his spleen. The vets feel its benign and wants to re-ultrasound him in 8 wks to be sure its not growing. If it is he will need surgery. He is also very anemic. His red blood cell count was at 19 on Friday, when it should be between 35-50. The vets feel it is either a mediated anemia disease or a tick born illness. I use frontline plus on him monthly, but the vet said all it takes is one bite, even if the tick dies at contact, to infect a dog. More blood was taken on 7/21. On the 16th, Scruff was down from 78lbs to 66lbs, today he was at 69lbs...so that is an upside, and his blood count was up to 28.
We went to the vet on 7/29/10 and had a fecal and more blood drawn. The vet wanted to be sure there were no parasites we were missing in his stool - but it came back negative. At the last vet visit Scruff went up to 69.8 pounds from being down to 66.3. (His normal weight is a solid 75). Today he weighed in at 67.9, which means he is losing again - that in just a week's time. His RBC was also down to 18. His platelets were low as were some of his other readings....I am sorry, but I cannot remember every detail.
The vet and I talked for a bit today and discussed possibilities and options. He is concerned that the growth on his spleen may be Lymphoma. There is no way to tell until we go in for another ultrasound in 6 weeks. If the growth is decreasing then we are in good standing, but if it is growing, we have to discuss removal of the spleen. The vet discussed the possibility of it being Autoimmune Hemolytic anemia - but they are confused because in normal cases of AIHA, once the dog shows signs of illness, they do not bounce back on their own. Scruff is fine one week then down another. If it is AIHA, steroids will help fix this. If it is cancer, our options are not so good, and we will discuss them. As we do not want our boy to be in pain or suffer any more.
Scruff was put on Steroids, Prednisome twice a day. We are hoping this will increase his Red Blood Cell Count and help him feel better. I have researched the drug a lot that evening and prepared myself very well. He has been doing very well on the sterioid. Typical side effects such as vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst & hunger but not too bad - yet anyway.
Scruff went back in the vet on Monday, 8/9, for more blood tests. Test came back very good....not great, but better. His RBC is up to 27 and his platelets went up as well. But I am very concerned because he is having another bad couple of days. Appetite is low, diarrhea (which could very well be the steroids), he is staggering a bit, and now his stomach is bloated. The vet said to give it a few days and bring him back in on Monday for more tests and to check his stomach.
Scruff is a Great Dane/Pointer mix who will be 6 yrs old on August 25th. He is my oldest son, Austin's best friend....as well as our deaf dog, Piglet's. Piglet knows something is wrong as he is acting out and won't leave Scruff's side for more then a short time. Scruff is my son and I love him. I know the power of prayer can do a lot - so I am asking you all to PLEASE pray for my boy. I know I have been away for some time, and I apologize. I am not asking for much - just for you to mention him in your prayers and/or in your church. Ask our God to please spare our boy and let him stay with Austin and Piglet...we love him so much.
Our Boy Scruff....
Scruff Now....
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