It was not a good start to the year for Ernie.
Last year he hadn't been well and various tests proved unconclusive. An ulta sound of
his bladder was normal and vets presumed he had seperation anxiety.
Well ...anyone knowing Ernie will know this is rubbish.I knew he wasn't well and became
increasingly worried. I swore after Kassa I would never let a vet brush me off again, but I didn't know what to do.
By November Ernie was very sick. He wouldn't eat. Being a greedy lab this is surely
a sign something is wrong. Vets assured me it must be his hips or in his mind or mine. Maybe both. He had trouble sitting
and getting up so Pentosan injections were increased.
By December he was vomitting daily and Tracey asked how long he had been doing
that.About a year as I keep saying. As a vet nurse she became concerned. He was loosing weight, vomitting daily, and
looked terrible.
It was decided he had pancreatitis and was to go on a diet of rice and chicken then prescription
diet. He was a little better but not much. I saw a new new vet at the clinic and told him there was something wrong
with my dog. I know my dog and he isn't well. it is not seperation anxiety. I was embarrased by my outburst.
An ultra sound and surgery recealed IBD.
Ernie has always had allergies and have been told me dogs with allergies
often get this .
I now have a Labrador allergic to food.
He was put on another prescription diet called Royal Canine and prednisone. He could
never again eat anything he had eaten before. As I have tried many foods to help his allergies, this was going to make it
hard if and when he came off the Prednisone. He looked healthier than I had ever seen him.
No more daily vomitting, and the whites of his eyes were white not red.
Unfortunately the Prednisone caused cushings symptoms. This can happen with Prednisone.
He head became skull like, he lost a lot of muscle and fur. He didn't look our Ernie anymore.
By June 08 he was off the Prednisone and still on the Royal Canine. He started to scratch,
and have dandruff and lost fur by the hand full. We had a choice. Put him back on Prednisone which would help his hips, allergies,
and IBD, or Pentosan injections fortnightly and medication for the allergies. He needs to stay on the food.
I could also try holistic and accunpuncture for his hips.
No one could see Ernie letting anyone put severals needle into him. I didn't know what to do. I knew Prednisone would help
him, but wondered if it would shorten his life and with the cushings symptoms I would never again have my old block head Ernie.What
would this drug do to our boy.
It is now July and Ernie has gained weight, is better.. I have to be very careful he
doesn't eat anything except the food he has. One tiny bit of chicken can upset him and take us back months.
Food and monthly injections and meds are very expensive. But our boys best interest
must come before anything else and fortunately I have a very good vet who loves our boy for what he is.
In September I tried NAET for his allergies. Sounds insane. Visions of an arm waving around
had me giggling and thinking of Stephen King.. I don't think Pred is the way to go and sure it can't hurt.
The treatment finished and seemed to have worked.(seperate page on this) How or why
I have no idea. No more itching so now it is up and on for our boy. Viv the holistic vet seems to think he has something else
going on.
It is now December and for some reason he is loosing weight again and vomitting. I really
don't want to put him on Pred again, but it seems this may be the only way to help him. I can't see him sick. The carpet can
be replaced, but our boys comfort can't. He is still drinking by the gallon.
I am really concerned about his weight loss and I am sure we are driving our vet mad..
January. I decided more protein might help and am feeding him tofu. He loves it.
The years with his IBD have been up and down
and he has lost muscle in his head due to long term Pred. Most of the time I can keep him stable.
2013. It has been decided his hips now
need concentrating on rather than the IBD so he is coming off the Pred. He is to go on Imuran for his gut, and NSAIDs for
his hips. It has taken 6 months and seems ok. He had some acupuncture which seemed to help. At the end of the course the holistic
vet told me he is in a very bad way. Oh not what I wanted to hear and asked if I should let him go.....no I can't yet. We
will make it.
2014
Ernie is now 12. I am so happy my boy is an old dog after being told it would be a miracle if he made it to 8. Wow....
If I say he is doing well it will come back
and bite me. By September 2013 he was doing well and the meds seemed to help. It has been a year later Erns had more acunpuncture.
The last one he was very anxious which had the nurse and I in tears. I felt so bad, but wanted to help him. Was i doing the
wrong thing.
I decided to do it again, but wasn't sure. The vet felt
he he has been good so gave him calming meds for 3 days before. The vet couldn't believe how good he looked and amazed he
was still here. No problems this time.
We did have a little fright when at the beginning of the year when he had a growth taken off his eye the blood tests
showed anemia which they thought to be cancer or the Imuran. To be blind sided by something other than his hips or gut frightened
me.
We took him off imuran. To date he is still up to antics, and to
have another blood test in April.
