Side effects of Rimadyl

So my dog ripped the crap out of her paw this year. Didn't witness it, no idea how she did it. I just came back from the grocery store, and she refused to put any weight on it. Then it swelled up, so I took her in to the Vet. They X-rayed the foot and determined she hadn't broken it. Prescribed Rimadyl. You know that ad where elderly yellow labs are playing? Not exactly! After two pills Bailey was pooping straight blood. I took her back in because I knew what was going on. Her liver panels were off as well. I will never give a dog Rimadyl again! It was intended for human arthritis and denied by the FDA. So they marketed it as dog drugs for arthritis and Dysplasia. Luckily Bailey is fine, but use caution when using this drug, and report it to the FDA.

Make a plan for your pet with liver disease

No one really wants to face this fact. God knows I didn't! But a dog with liver disease will eventually die. All the tips I have given you are tried and true. But you are only buying time at best. I got cocky when Macy recovered. I thought I had the whole world in the palm of my hand. Well guess what...I didn't. When Macy blood tests started showing Kidney problems, I thought it was a temporary glitch. Truth be known, once the liver fails the other organs aren't far behind and it is just a matter of time. I am telling you this because I don't want you to go through the scenario I did. Watching your dog gasp it's last breath on your lap. Have a plan in place. How much is enough and when it is time to pull the plug. Maintain a regular schedule of blood tests to keep track of the situation. But prepare yourself because it will happen. Macy was eight so it happened after two years of battle. A younger dog might get 5 or 6 good years. But have a plan in place for when enough is enough. My vet told me that three days before she died. I know this may come as a shock to many of you, but I promise you it is much more comforting to watch a dog be put to sleep than to die because their organs fail. I am haunted by that vision and will never get over it.

Macy Gray

Well Macy is back in the hospital and I don't know if she is going to make it. I am beyond broken hearted. They told me she managed some food and drink today. But I also know she is on predisone. So do I put her down or accept that she might be on prednisone for the rest of her life? With pred she will eat but her liver will continue to get worse. I don't know what to do.

Answers to some recent questions posted on google

"Do dogs like ice water?" Yes they do but steer clear. Ice water can cause severe stomach cramps, better known as bloat, which can kill a dog. "How long can a cat take denamarin?" Good question and I will research that. To the best of my knowledge, there are no significant side effects. Stay tuned though. "Long term use of cortisone?" Not just no but Hell NO! After the immediate issue is in hand try to get them on every other day treatment. If the treatment is recommended for longer than a month, you need to find an alternate solution! "How long can a dog last in ice water?" Too many parameters to make one conclusive statement. Health, size, fat ratio and coat all play a role. Let's say as a generality, they last longer than we do but are less likely to make it to safety without help. I am thinking of the ice mountains the Great Lakes make as I write this. Friend's dog slid off and it took four men and a rope to get the dog to safety. The dog would have never survived left to it's own devices. "Can you cut up denamarin." The answer is not can you, but should you. You can get a pill cutter which will slice it nicely. You should partner with your vet if you think the dosage needs to be reduced. Took Macy off denamarin in May, but it was very helpful in her early treatment. I waited till the blood tests were back to normal. "Flea medication for a dog with liver disease?" Wouldn't recommend it or for any other dogs that clean as a normal behavior. There are plenty of alternatives. Dawn is the best flea killing bath soap I know of. Soap the muzzle and anal extremities first. Reason being that the fleas will run for cover. They will run in the eye sockets, nose, mouth and anal cavity to ride out the bath. But if you have already soaped those areas, they will probably die. Use your hands and watch the eyes. Short term prevention; vinegar, oils as follows; lavender, cedar, cinnamon, clove are all good. Mix them up with water in a spray bottle and go crazy. Use it on the dog, the furniture and the carpet. Must be applied every couple of days, but it works. Heartworm prevention is not recommended either. Use a small capful of white or cider vinegar in your dogs water. If they won't drink it try a half dropper of black walnut tincture and wormwood tincture in their water, pending on the size of the dog. This is based on three dogs, one 70 and two 50. I will explain in my next post, but it works! "Early vaccinations for aggressive dogs?" Well sorry, I have no stats for that, but I think early vaccinations are important to any dog. By aggressive do you mean the dog already is or has the potential based on character or breed? Vaccines do take a dog or cat out for a few days. They don't feel 100%, They might be more reactive just after a vaccination, but that is the only reason I can think of.

Macy Gray, story of a dog with liver disease

It was less than two weeks ago that I posted that Macy was on the downturn. Prior to that I have spoken about proper dog nutrition twice. Once in february, and once in March. Took her into the vet and her blood samples and urine are stellar! She is an eight year, old large breed and I have been so obsessed with her illness, that I may have taken natural aging signs and panicked. the vet told me she had never seen a dog with liver disease improve that quickly and maintain it's health. Keep it in your heart that it can happen. Even when you get the worst diagnosis from your vet, which I did in January. Don't give up hope!

Signs of liver disease

1 Animal refuses to eat or eats sparingly and or gags while trying to eat. 2 Animal drinks more water. 3 Animal seems depressed or disparate. 4 Constipation, diarrhea or vomiting. 5 Urine is orange, red or brown in color and or frequent. (urine color can also be caused by food or medication.) 6 White of the eye turns yellow. 7 Gums turn whitish, brown in color. 8 Animal's abdomen seems bloated and or sore to the touch. 9 Animal trembles or spasms 10 Stools are white, white tinged, runny or nonexistent. These are a few and in the best order I can give you. Keep in mind any of these symptoms could signal other problems and are not exclusive to liver disease For more information see this link. One more very good link on canine liver disease and it's causes. Read on!

Tips for denosyl, denamarin and vitamin K and other vitamin approaches to dog health

Latest question on stat counter is; "Do I have to give my dog Denosyl at the same time everyday?" I really think that is the choice of the dog owner. I find with all the things I have to do, a structured time is best and easiest to remember. The key thing with Denosyl, Denamarin and vitamin K is it should be given on an empty stomach, either a few hours after the last meal or an hour before. I tried morning for a while, but found it easier to give at bedtime. Really depends on the frequency of the feedings on how you want to do it. If you feed twice a day, with the last feeding at 7, you could give them a pill at bedtime. Otherwise, I would suggest first thing in the morning, an hour before feeding. All other vitamins go in the food bowl with a dollop of fat free yogurt to cover. Macy gets the following: Milk thistle 240mg extra (dandelion, fennel and licorice) 2x a day, Super B complex with vitamin C (look for high values of B12)-morning, 200iu vitamin E-morning(you can find this in liquid form at most natural food stores or in a soft gel at any grocery or drug store). For flea and mosquito control, she also gets 1000 mg of garlic 2x a day and brewers yeast according to package directions and the dogs weight. Macy is a 70lb dog. Please note that the preceeding recommendations are based on a dog of 70lb weight. Please note that you need not spend the extra money to get these from the vet. All of these are available at a good health food store and most are available at your drug or grocery store. I spent 40 dollars for chewable vitamin K at the vet and $12 for vitamin K at the health food store. The vitamin K from the vet lasted me a month, the health food variety lasted 6 months Get yourself a pill splitter at the drug store and get creative with pill hiders. My dogs love fat free yogurt, but you can use low fat or no fat cottage cheese, cream cheese, soft fruit or nut butter. Just steer clear of excess fat, citric acid and any sugar and salt. One other note: If you are home cooking for your dog, it is a good idea to include Taurine in their diet. If you are feeding them on a kibble, prescription or other, check the ingredients. Taurine is a basic amino acid found in the muscle meat. It prevents serious heart and eye disease and has benefits for heart , vision, cell, circulatory and kidney health. However with the advent of the extruder, less and less protein can be used in kibble dog and cat food. It has long been known that cats need this supplement, but recently discovered that not all dogs can make their own Taurine as was once believed. Read the ingredients on the bag. Taurine is always called Taurine, so there is nothing to slip you up. If you do not see Taurine on the label, you can buy supplements at any health food store. I use 500mg 2x a day. For more about Taurine read here. Dick Van Patten makes a wonderful food available at all Petco locations. It is called Natural Balance and has a formula that is perfect for recovering patients of liver disease. It is the fish and sweet potato formula, but do not start it until the blood tests are completely clean. All the Natural Balance foods include Taurine. Just keep the protein as digestible as possible and the starches as low in sugar as possible for a liver disease dog. For more on starting your dog on a healing diet read here. Final note for liver disease: If you do not walk your dog on a regular basis, you must patrol the yard daily. Stools that are runny, white tinged or completely white are a warning sign. . Runny, something you are giving them may not agree. White or white tinged stools means they need a vet's attention. You need to test the blood and urine every three months if you choose to go this method. Urine should be some color of yellow. Dog's and Cat's urine color can be changed by medication, food coloring, hydration or age. If your animal's urine color is brown, orange or red in color, you are more than likely seeing evidence of blood and the animal needs to be seen as soon as possible. Pale yellow to deep yellow is OK. Once again, feel free to post or email if you need help. I hope this answers your questions, but if it doesn't email me at the address under "Upstate lost and found board." I have been given an amazing blessing in my life. It is still day by day, but anything I can do to help makes me happy!

Urine levels and Liver Disease

I love stat counter. I can see just what you are looking for when you encounter my site. One seeker asked (paraphrasing) "My dog is urinating less, does that mean he/she is getting better? Liver disease does cause a lot of water consumption and frequent urination. Unfortunately that is one of the last signs to leave the dog and is hard to measure, especially if the dog is up in years, it's hot or you have a multiple dog family. But, in general, it is a good sign! Focus on appetite first, jaundice signs second stool and urine color third and general demeanor fourth. Meaning: the dog should have an appetite for food without steroid intervention like prednisone. The appetite should be the same as it was before. Ravenous eating can signify a problem. The dog should have pink gums and clear eyes, this is the first sign the dog is recovering (dogs who are in the grips of liver disease develop yellow in the whites of their eyes and their gums turn a whitish brown color. In advanced cases they develop blue cataracts that are easily seen when the light is in their eyes.) Stools should be well formed and brown in color and urine should be some shade of yellow. If the stools are white or white tinged or the urine is brown, you need to contact your vet. This requires extra vigilance for those who keep their dogs in a yard. If you are home cooking, the stools should be easy to locate. But you need to walk the yard twice daily to see. Finally have they perked up or are they lackluster and depressed. Keep in mind that this is something you will always have to deal with. Dogs will have their good days and their bad days. These four traits will tell you more than all the blood tests in the world. Do keep watch on water consumption and urine levels though. That can be an early sign that something is amiss. That being said, resign yourself to the fact that you need to take your dog in for blood tests four times a year. I never appreciated how crucial the liver is in the entire well being of the system, until I had a dog with liver disease. A malfunctioning liver can lead to all sorts of problems including kidney failure. That is not as easy to see without regular blood tests and urinalysis. Stay strong, find a vet that will work with you on a holistic approach, ask questions and keep me posted. This is hell to go through, trust me I know. When I got Macy's prognosis I cried for three hours, debated if battling the disease was fair for her, was I being selfish, vain or irresponsible? Stayed up a fair few nights over that. But she had pluck and the will to live, so I gave her everything I had. Macy is not over the disease, she never will be, but is living well with the disease. She has clean blood tests and has the vim and vigor I always expected. She eats well and is the dog I always knew and loved, rather than some shell of a dog waiting for the end. I was told three to six months and she is close to superseding the last. She is happy, healthy and full of piss and vinegar. She went from a gaunt 54lbs to her normal 72 pounds. As long as she is up for the battle, I am determined to be by her side! Stay strong, research and talk to others that have the same issue. Think of it as group therapy for those that have dogs with critical illness. I still cry everytime I think of that phone call. But being in touch with all of you makes a difference. I hope I do the same for you!

Natural Flea and tick control

The thing I was most afraid of has happened...fleas!!! We were doing really well until I agreed to watch a friends dog for the weekend. Now all three are infested. As most of you know, who follow this blog, I have a dog with liver disease. That means any form of chemical control, either applied to the dogs, the house or the yard is not recommended. So what do you do when fleas invade your home and how do you prevent it from happening? Well, I hope I can address both! If you want to address all natural flea prevention, here are a few tips that were working quite well for us until the introduction of a dog riddled with the little pests. Fleas and mosquitoes hate a clean blood stream. Immunity support is crucial if you go with a non chemical approach. The best dog food your money can buy is crucial. Look for good protein and no grain dog foods. Never assume a dog food is good before reading the label. For more about selecting a good dog food, read here. Vitamins and herbs are necessary for this approach. See previous posts for amounts but all get a multi B/C blend, vitamin E and a garlic/ brewers yeast powder. All have tremendous effects on the heart and blood stream and allow the natural defenses against fleas, ticks and heartworm to do their best. In addition, I do the following. In their drinking water a put a capful of Black Walnut Tincture and a few drops of Wormwood Tincture (available at any health food store.) Both are essential for cleansing the blood and the dogs love it! If fleas are already an issue, bathe the dogs in Dawn. Start at the head and work your way down. Leave them soaped up for 5 to 10 minutes. I tie a leash to my soap stand so they can't evacuate. Rinse them and spray them with 2 1/2 cups of water mixed with oil of lavender and oil of cedarwood. Shake well to mix. Same spray can be used on rugs furniture and bedding. Flea combs are helpful too for day to day maintenance, but I can't even imagine using it on a thick or long coated dog. Very tight teeth and I have a hard enough time with my short coated dogs. At any rate, we have the fleas under control, but the dogs' skin are so aggravated, that we need to calm the bites. Hearing liquid aloe vera is good for this, so I will keep you posted!

Carbohydrate and fat choices in a liver disease diet

Dogs on a low protein diet need carbohydrates and fats for energy. But many grain choices can be problematic and caution is recommended. Grains, do break down into sugars and can result in yeast overgrowth. Grains are also high in glucose and bombard the liver, the very thing you want to avoid in a dog with liver disease. Grains, as well as dairy based products, are mucus forming (toxic fungal growth) and may contribute to health problems such as allergies, ear infections, skin problems, bloating, joint problems, malabsorption and digestive disorders. For this reason, grains are not recommended for regular use in your dogs diet. Then only organic, freshly cooked grains that have not been refrigerated for more than one day. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are very good for dogs, despite previous beliefs that they were toxic. They also contain healing powers. Potatoes are a cancer preventative and maintain blood pressure. Sweet potatoes prevent cancer and heart disease and assist in cleansing the blood. Wash well and cook with the peel on. I do mine in the microwave for 4 to 6 minutes. Potatoes can be stored in the refrigerator for three days in a air tight food container. Barley is one of the few grains that has nutritional benefits. It prevents cancer reduces blood clots and improves digestion. Always use organic and refrigerate left overs for no more than one day. Pasta can also be used and is a good choice in the early stages when the diet needs to be as bland as possible. Cook to direction and refrigerate no more than three days. Note: When refrigerating grains or carbs, always refrigerate them separately, never mixed with other vegetables or meats. High levels of fat are discouraged in the diet of a dog with liver disease, but some fat is essential to their health. Seeds and nuts are a good source of protein and fat and are best digested fresh, raw and unsalted.They add needed fat that is hard to get on a soy based diet. Sliced almonds, pumpkin seeds or flax seed are all good choices. Oils are another good choice for the needed fat in a diet. Extra virgin olive oil, soy oil, flax seed oil or safflower oil are all good choices. Oils must be cold pressed. Final Note: Although I have only one dog with liver disease, I avoid grain diets in all three of my dogs. Besides the reasons outlined above, most commercial dog foods use low quality grains that are often the end result of the milling process. They do this because it keeps cost down, but there is absolutely no nutritional value to the grain. It is merely a filler. The sad truth is the FDA has few regulatory standards for the quality of grains used or how the grains should be stored while awaiting shipment. Some of you may remember the Diamond Pet Food scare in 2006. Dogs were dying of liver failure at an alarming rate. The reason was the corn used in the food had gotten wet while in storage and had fermented. Customers were feeding their dog the kibble equivalent of grain alcohol. Higher end pet food companies, tend to use whole grains but always read the label!

Flea and Tick control for dogs with liver disease

Well it has been almost a year since my precious girl was diagnosed. She is doing beautifully. Switched her back to kibble. I am using Blue Buffalo or Dick Van Patton's white fish and sweet potato. She did show some kidney problems on the last blood test, but her urinalysis was clean. However, she finally got fleas. My fault! I agreed to watch a dog for the weekend and all the dog have fleas now. Here are some tricks to use. Sentry makes an organic flea spray and powder that you can use on the dog and the home. Available at Petsmart. It is called Natural Chemistry. Smells great and the active ingredients are cinnamon,clove and cedar oil. Bathe the dog on a weekly basis and keep them wet for 15 to 20 minutes...drowns the fleas. Wash all dog bedding on a weekly basis and spray all uphpolstered furniture and rugs. If you vaccuum, the bag must be pitched. Royal pain in the you know what, but if you love your dog enough to home cook it is doable. One step at a time is what I tell myself. Almost past flea season now, but some of us never get past it. Cider or white vinegar helps the skin. Brewers yeast and garlic, pill form, keeps the fleas off...mosquitos too. Oil of lavender will keep the bugs from infesting your furniture and rugs..smells nice too! Few tips to help you out. Now I must go and wash the dogs.

Diet and nutritional support for dogs with liver disease, continued.

Well it has been over a month since Macy has been on the diet described in my previous post. Her blood panels came back completely clean. The only elevated panel was the amount of bile in her blood. This panel should be between 0 and 2. At the height of Macy's illness, this panel was 18. It has dropped to 6. I have tweaked the diet a bit. Her primary carb source is now yams. Yams have tremendous effects on the blood and are high in vitamin A, vitamin C and trace minerals. I am trying to steer clear of any grains whatsoever, a reason which will be explained in my next post. I am only using organic vegetables and meats, free of pesticides, hormones and steroids. The reason for this is any chemical weakens the system and you never want to introduce chemicals into the system of a dog with liver disease. Vegetables are primarily steamed carrots, kelp, artichoke hearts, spinach or green beans, again organic. I am keeping her on tofu and white fish until her blood panels are completely clear. As for immunity support, I have taken her off Heartworm and will not put her on any flea and tick medications. These weaken the dog's immunity over time and and place tremendous strain on the heart, kidney and liver. Interestingly enough, there are no known instances of wolves or wild canids with heartworm disease. It is believed by a growing number of vets that heartworm is a man made disease caused by over vaccination, poor nutrition and ingestion of chemicals, pesticides, steroids and growth hormones. These chemicals compromise the dogs natural defense system that would kill parasites in the blood before reaching the heart. Nutritional support has been adjusted as well. She still gets the vitamins listed in the previous post...these are essential. To find a natural supplement that would assist her in cleansing her blood, boosting her immune system and killing intestinal parasites I have put her on ActiPet Wormwood Therapy. Another good formula is Parasite Doctor.. I have also purchased a black walnut tincture. It is important that there is either no alcohol in the tincture or that the alcohol is taken out. See this link. Many of the supplements, or similar ones can be found in a good health food store, such as Garners. I have also looked into natural flea and tick support and the best I have seen is Flea Free. It is extremely important in a multi dog household, that a dog with liver disease not be around dogs with commercial flea and tick applications or collars. All dogs need to be on a natural, non chemical approach. You must also be terribly careful about fertilizers, pesticides and lawn treatments in any outdoor area they inhabit. Finally vaccinations need to be addressed. A puppy or adolescent dog needs to have vaccinations, but not as frequently as most veterinarians suggest. For example, the rabies vaccine lasts two years even though most states require yearly vaccines. There is growing awareness within the veterinary community about the problem of over vaccinating. Titer tests, which determine the dog's built in immunity to disease such as rabies, distemper or parvo are available. Often once a dog matures, it has developed an immunity to many of these diseases. Ask your vet for a titer test prior to vaccinations. If he or she balks, find a vet that will work with you. More information on vaccinations. Links: http://www.preciouspets.org/articles/natural-heartworm-prevention.htm http://www.cupofdog.com/2008/03/19/heartworm-prevention-naturally/ Best of luck and as always, feel free to comment with any questions.