Pirate's latest issue... Update #18

[Glacier]

Getting old ain't for sissies!

Pirate is blowing her coat, which seems like a perfectly normal husky thing to do in the spring. Unfortunately, Pirate isn't just blowing her undercoat, she's loosing almost all her fur. Especially on her back legs and left side, the pink of her skin is visible and the fur that is there is very coarse. She has a weird growth on her left side. Not huge, not like a fatty lump, doesn't seem to hurt although she automatically scratches when it's touched.

So off to the vet yesterday. She did much better than on previous appointments, a bit stressed, but no major freak-out. I think she has figured out that I will bring her home again so getting in the truck isn't so scary anymore. Her usual vet had to do an emergency surgery so she saw my friend, Candace, instead.

There are a host of possible diagnosis. We don't think it's an allergy since she's not itchy where she's lost the fur. It might be a melatonin responsive dermatitis, which I'd never heard of before. Apparently, it affects some double coated dogs, especially in the far north, and is a reaction to the extreme amount of sunlight we get this time of year. We are still a month away from the longest day, but it hasn't been truly dark in at least two weeks. That really can't be treated and would likely resolve on it's own when the days get shorter again. It could be Alopecia X, which is vet-speak for "don't have a clue why your dog has no fur".

We did a blood draw to run some tests. First we are ruling out hypothyroidism. I'm actually hoping that's what it is. It's easy to diagnos, manage and treat. Many of hypothyroid symptoms mimic normal old dog stuff--lazy, weight gain, intolerance to cold...Pirate hasn't gained any weight, but I'm obsessive about her diet. Things get messy when Pirate gets to eat whatever she wants!

If her thyroid is normal, we'll test for Cushings, which is harder to treat and will shorten her life. Thyroid problems won't affect her lifespan. She may even get more time with the right treatment if it is a thyroid problem.

A skin biopsy was suggested, but I'm not going there at this point. She does have a lump under her tail too which may explain her occasional loss of bowel control. That's not a major problem and it's not causing her pain right now. If it grows, causes bigger problems or she has to be knocked out for something else, I'll get it removed. I'm hesitant to put her under for anything that's not immediately life-threatening.

The blood test has to be done in Vancouver. It could be up to a week to get the results.

[Moesha]

Good thoughts headed Pirate's way. She's so fortunate to have been taken in and taken care of by you. She was one of the first pets that I remember reading about when I joined. So I have a special interest in how she's doing. Please keep us posted. :)

[critter crazy]

I sure hope that it is nothing serious! Pirate is such a sweety! Good vibes headed your way!:love:

[cassiesmom]

prayers from Chicago too

[cyber-sibes]

Paws crossed it's something treated fairly easily. The first time we met Sherman, one of the older dogs at his kennel, Thor, (he was close to 17), had practically no fur left at all. They said it was some kind of skin condition. But he still had that big husky grin on his face! At least Pirate doesn't seem to be in discomfort. You're such a good doggie-mom. :)

[Grace]

Oh, I do hope it is nothing serious. I love Pirate.

Will keep you all in our thoughts and prayers.

[Cinder & Smoke]

Hi God ~

Do You need a sweater?
Jest *ask* - we can get'Cha one wiffout havin to swipe ALLUA poor Pirate's Coat!

Tehya kan do the kollektin atta Husky Ranch; Miz Star an Jack-a-Rooo prolly have
BAGfulls of extra Fluff; an Dad sez we otta be able to fill the extra bunkroom inna week!

We kan fiz Ya up wiff enuff Fluff to knit a Three-Piece Suit wiff a Blankie fur da BigBed, too!

So, kan You paLeeze help Pirate grow her pretty Fluff back?
We'll be *Purrayin* the blood tests all say gud things an she'll be jest *phine* real shortly.

Give Glacier Mom a {{{God'sHug}}} an let her know You're onna Pirate Case!

THANKS, God!
/s/ the Prayer Pups

[pitc9]

Thinking of Pirate!

[Catty1]

PT Prayers for Pirate, and looking forward to her growing her new pretty fur very soon! :D

[MoonandBean]

Hi God ~

Do You need a sweater?
Jest *ask* - we can get'Cha one wiffout havin to swipe ALLUA poor Pirate's Coat!

Tehya kan do the kollektin atta Husky Ranch; Miz Star an Jack-a-Rooo prolly have
BAGfulls of extra Fluff; an Dad sez we otta be able to fill the extra bunkroom inna week!

We kan fiz Ya up wiff enuff Fluff to knit a Three-Piece Suit wiff a Blankie fur da BigBed, too!

So, kan You paLeeze help Pirate grow her pretty Fluff back?
We'll be *Purrayin* the blood tests all say gud things an she'll be jest *phine* real shortly.

Give Glacier Mom a {{{God'sHug}}} an let her know You're onna Pirate Case!

THANKS, God!
/s/ the Prayer Pups

Awww...Cinder and Smoke, I couldn't have said a better prayer myself so I read this one outloud and think it will count for me too :)

[Freedom]

Sweet Pirate, what are we gonna do with you? It's something every minute when you get older, isn't it? I am praying for you that this is just something easy to manage and that lovely coat of yours all comes back in full and fluffy!

[chocolatepuppy]

Pawsitive thoughts and prayers for Pirate.

[Catty1]

Glacier...I hope it is easily treatable. Maybe it's 'just old age'?

HUGS!

[Pawsitive Thinking]

At least with you darling Pirate will get the attention she needs :love:

[cyber-sibes]

Hi God ~

Do You need a sweater?
Jest *ask* - we can get'Cha one wiffout havin to swipe ALLUA poor Pirate's Coat!

Tehya kan do the kollektin atta Husky Ranch; Miz Star an Jack-a-Rooo prolly have
BAGfulls of extra Fluff; an Dad sez we otta be able to fill the extra bunkroom inna week!

We kan fiz Ya up wiff enuff Fluff to knit a Three-Piece Suit wiff a Blankie fur da BigBed, too!

So, kan You paLeeze help Pirate grow her pretty Fluff back?
We'll be *Purrayin* the blood tests all say gud things an she'll be jest *phine* real shortly.

Give Glacier Mom a {{{God'sHug}}} an let her know You're onna Pirate Case!

THANKS, God!
/s/ the Prayer Pups Wooos & a-rooos Mr. Phred & Ms. Tamara,
We do have lots of fluff to spare & would be glad to donate it to Ms. Pirate! (Hope she's feeling better)
~ Star & Jack A-rooo

[cassiesmom]

Dear Pirate, how are you? A few more days till your test results come back. Fingers and paws crossed. HUGHUGHUGHUG

[ramanth]

Woooo's and Hugs for Pirate from MI. :love:

[Glacier]

I finally talked to Pirate's vet this afternoon. Her thryoid result is normal, which is good, except that it doesn't explain why she's loosing her fur!


Candace doesn't think it's Cushings as she doesn't show any other typical signs. She thinks it's either an allergy or melatonin responsive. We discussed at length the pros and cons of going any further with allergy testing. I might get a bag of the hypo-allergenic food to try, but Pirate already eats a food that is free from the big allergens--no grain, no corn, ect. She does not respond well to changes in her diet. She's not itchy or scratching herself raw. If she gets worse or does get itchy, I'll get a skin biopsy done. Candace thinks she could do it with a local since we'd both rather not put Pirate under a general.


I'm thinking it's the melatonin. Candace said it's not terribly common, but does occur up here, especially in the huskies. They loose most of their coats in the summer, when there is way too much light and it comes back with the darkness in the fall. Pirate's coat was great all winter--thick, soft, shiny. It's only since it got sunny that she's been shedding excessively. Basically, it can't be treated. She might need some sunscreen on her skin if her fur gets very thin and she might need to stay indoors on extra warm days. The husky double coat insulates from heat as well as cold. We don't get many of hot days anyway and Pirate would have no objection to staying on her bed all day!


We are changing her meds a bit. I've noticed in the last couple weeks that she seems to be having some neurological symptoms. She's not always aware of where her back end is anymore; she trips over small rocks, tree roots ect in the yard and her balance sucks. Candace said normally she's recommend Prednisone, but Pirate is already on Metacam. The two can't be mixed and I don't want to mess with her pain control if I don't have to. So we are going to do a trial of gabapentin instead. It's a seizure med at higher doses, but also helps with chronic pain and nerve degeneration issues. Stuart's actually been prescribed it before for his chronic back pain! If it doesn't help, she'll go on the prednisone.

[cyber-sibes]

Getting old stinks, whether you're a human or a canine. At least you've ruled out some really nasty possibilities. Hugs to Pirate!

[cassiesmom]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v38/Glacier1998/Scenery08/medogs.jpg
Pirate girl, you look good and fluffy to me in this picture! Could you tell your mum I think her hair is a gorgeous color.

Hugs to you from me,
elyse

[Louie and me]

Loved your posts in Dog General about Pirates exploits with Sleet. I'm wondering how she is getting on with gabapentin. The mobility symptoms are very similar to Louie's and so far we have ruled out all the usual old age ailments including hypothyroidism. The vet thinks it is neurological and could be degenerative lumbosacral stenosis or a tumor of the spine. Cortisone is the recommended treatment but Louie too is on meloxicam. Acupuncture was also not recommended since this is neurological, so I am looking for alternatives.

[Glacier]

I'm wondering how she is getting on with gabapentin.

She's doing quite well. She takes 100mg once a day. I just toss it in with her kibble and she wolfs it down. Her bowl looks like a pharmacy!

It took a week to see any change. It hasn't been a miracle cure, but there has definately been improvement. She is steadier on her feet and seems more aware of where her back paws are most of the time. She still stumbles occasionally and sometimes drags one of her back legs, but she hasn't fallen right over in at least a week. I haven't seen any negative side effects--no GI upset, ect.

Pirate will never fool anyone into thinking she's a youngster again, but the meds do seem to be keeping her from getting any worse. I hope you find something that will help Louie too.

[Louie and me]

Thanks for the quick reply Glacier - I'm glad it is helping Pirate. I'll see if I can get my vet to prescribe some for Louie. It's certainly worth a try.

[Pawsitive Thinking]

Give her a hug from me :love:

[Glacier]

Give her a hug from me :love:

Will do.

I'm waiting for her vet to call today. Pirate has three days worth of gabapentin left. I'd like to keep her on it.

She had a rough day yesterday. I had to help her get up twice. She just couldn't get her back legs under her and didn't have the strength to push herself up. She just looked tired. She seems better again today. She got up this morning with no problems and she seems perkier again.