Angel Mochi December 2020

[Lchow022]

just needing a little support and positivity..

Hi there,

My dog is going in for his annual blood work done for the first time after being diagnosed with diabetes. Last year we had about 4 blood work done for him...the first one was in the beginning of February right when he was diagnosed with diabetes and it was all good and positive with no other problems...

I then decided to completely take him off his kibbles and change his diet to raw pork(which the owner of the raw food place recommended). Not even two weeks after changing his diet he developed pancreatitis..it was so bad he even threw up water..we kept him at the vet all morning til night and then would pick him up at night since the vet is not 24 hours. We kept bringing him back the next morning because he wouldn't eat again. He got a blood test done again and it was very very bad...his numbers were all super high and especially his liver enzymes. I cried and cried thinking it would be the end for my little guy..My vet told me not to give up yet since he's still looking quite alert. My vet being very good friends with my brother in law then told me that he will let my dog stay over night for a few nights because he does not want to take him off the iv. After a few nights Mochi seemed to perk up a bit more..so my vet decided to give him another blood test..I was praying and hoping all the numbers dropped back down..but nope..it was really bad still. My heart sank and I was starting to give up hope...I couldn't function all that time..a week later a miracle happened and he started becoming his normal playful self..he was playing and eating and I started seeing the light of hope again. My vet said to wait another month or so before we take another blood exam. So we took his last blood test in May of 2016 and everything came back amazing and normal again!!!

The time has come again for my Mochi to get his annual blood test tomorrow and I am super super stressed and worried that something might be wrong...I'm hoping he doesn't have any issues..but he might have hyperthyroid since his fur has not grown back properly since last year. He's been consistently the same throughout this year..hyper and playful but in the back of my mind I'm still super worried that something bad might show up in his blood work..

Do you guys take your dogs to get blood tested annually and what are the chances of having something bad on the blood test results if your dog seems ok? I need some words of encouragement

Thanks for reading!

[Toby'sDad]

Re: just needing a little support and positivity..

Well, its always better to know than to worry about what may or may not be there (at least that's my way of thinking). It sounds like your dog has a strong constitution which I believe, is a victory in itself in that he has the fortitude to rally back from anything that may be discovered from the blood test. Best of luck, think positive and never give up. And given that he appears healthy, anything that is discovered can be addressed before it becomes serious.

[Judi]

Re: just needing a little support and positivity..

Mochi is so cute! My Jenny had a ton of medical issues: diabetes, cushings, she got pancreatitis a couple of times, had a kidney stone once, had a sludgy liver, etc.

Honestly, she was 11 when diagnosed and while we treated the diabetes, cushings and pancreatitis, I went with the "if she is feeling really good don't change anything" method.

She lived to be 14 1/2.

We did have a member who posted when I first joined who's dog Mildred had really high something (cholesterol maybe)? Mildred was at a very high risk for a stroke so was on a fish, rice and veggie diet until her numbers got better.

If I were you, and the numbers were all really good last year, and Mochi is acting fine, I personally wouldn't do the blood test. We spend enough on our little sugarbabies. But that's just me. Hopefully some other people will chime in.

[Lchow022]

Re: just needing a little support and positivity..

Thank you for the supportive messages! I'm just starting to get a bit of anxiety for the poor boy but I think it's best to listen to the vet when he told me to bring him back for blood work every 6months to a year.

Do you guys normally do that as well or just not put your dog through another vet visit for no reason if your dog seems fine?

Jenny seems to be such a strong pup to push through all that at that age. Hopefully Mochi will have many more years with me..he just turned 8

[Raysaint]

Re: just needing a little support and positivity..

Here is a site I use a lot to get the values of protein, fat, carbs, and everything else in just about any food. Good place to check on your pork or any food ingredient, which may have more fat than you think, and not be good for pancreatitis. Remember to check their serving size when reading nutrition levels. You can select different serving sizes.

http://nutritiondata.self.com/

As for bloodwork, even before my dog's diagnosis, I did complete bloodwork twice a year just to check organ function, etc. And I'm glad I did because 2 or 3 times the vet found something she wasn't expecting, and so we were able to treat it. Mild kidney infection once, I forget the other. I did the same with urine; found crystals once or twice. Lots of conditions or ailments don't have real visible symptoms. Once I knew he had these ailments, I want to know if it ever comes back.

For the few minutes of stress he might endure while they draw blood or urine, well worth it in my opinion. Preventative maintenance, catching something early, and peace of mind is the way to go for me.

[Eddie]

Re: just needing a little support and positivity..

This is interesting for me in the UK.

Here (in my experience at least) we don't typically do any annual blood testing of dogs. We take them for annual booster vaccinations and the vet does a very cursory health check, listening to heart, checking weight etc, but nothing much really.

Even Eddie, the diabetic dog, doesn't have any routine blood tests. He hasn't had his blood sugar checked by the vet for over four years. The vet knows we monitor it and he just gives us a prescription for insulin as required.

He does see Eddie for occasional ear infections but that is about it.

Antonia

[MomofGus]

Re: just needing a little support and positivity..

My vet insists on every six months for blood panel workup for the diabetes, and I agree. This will check function of organs that can be affected by diabetes. It's preventive which is much better in my opinion. If something is wrong, it's better to catch at the early stage. (liver function, kidney function, etc.). As for non diabetic dog, it's once a year since they are seniors.

[Lchow022]

Re: just needing a little support and positivity..

Thank you all for the input. I took Mochi yesterday to the vet and he did a blood work and urine test. I'm super nervous for the results..keeping my fingers crossed that he's ok. . It cost me around 400$ Canadian for the two tests and allergy medication.

He also suggested to get his teeth cleaned because it can cause major problems in his organs if his teeth are not cleaned..has any of you taken your doggy to get his teeth cleaned?! I don't really want to put him under anesthetics again..he got put under twice already within the year for his cataract surgery..

I really hope he doesn't have anything serious..or even anything at all...it'll always linger on the back of my mind..

[Riliey and Mo]

Re: just needing a little support and positivity..

i hadRiles teeth cleaned twice in 17 years not enough. he had teerh removal 2 years ago because of bacteria infection and did very good for 2 more years. bad teeth did affect his breathng and eating

i.d strongly suggest getting ur dogs teeth cleaned. doesnt take long. well worth it.

checking there ears also.

i spent alot of years 5 . got Riles diabetes regulated. neglected his teeth and ears.

yes teeth cleaning is a necessity . go for it

Mo

[amydunn19]

Re: just needing a little support and positivity..

Once you get the teeth cleaned, I would get a finger tooth brush and some Zymox dental gel. I used it with Maggie twice a day. The finger brush will get out the food particles between the teeth and gums. The zymox is specially formulated for dogs who are older or have special medical conditions. It contains enzymes to help break down food - dogs like ours don't always have the enzymes anymore, kind of dry mouth, so that makes dental issues progress. The zymox brand doesn't have alcohol, as other tooth gels do and it was formulated by the people who invented Oratene to treat dry mouth in people.

[Toby'sDad]

Re: just needing a little support and positivity..

I have found a product called 'Oratene Brushless Oral Care with Zymox LP 3' toothpaste gel.....is this the correct Zymox product?

[LizE]

Re: just needing a little support and positivity..

He also suggested to get his teeth cleaned because it can cause major problems in his organs if his teeth are not cleaned..has any of you taken your doggy to get his teeth cleaned?! I don't really want to put him under anesthetics again..he got put under twice already within the year for his cataract surgery..
.

My dog has never had her teeth cleaned. When she first started getting her senior bloodwork done they detected elevated liver levels. She ended up getting an ultrasound at a specialist where they could see spots on her liver but no firm diagnosis w/o surgery which was ironic since the whole point of the ultrasound was to help determine if it was safe to put her under anesthetic.

None of the 3 vets at her practice or the specialist felt that a teeth cleaning was worth the risk so I brush her teeth instead. I use Virbac Enzymatic toothpaste and my dog who is very picky loves all the flavors.

You are lucky that you know your dog can tolerate anesthetic. I understand that you might want to give him a break from it for a while but I think he should be safe to be put under for a cleaning.

[amydunn19]

Re: just needing a little support and positivity..

Yes - Zymox rebranded their product to Oratene. It is really good stuff!

[Toby'sDad]

Re: just needing a little support and positivity..

Yes - Zymox rebranded their product to Oratene. It is really good stuff!

Thanks!.... just ordered a tube from a vet supply on ebay.

[MikeMurphy]

Re: just needing a little support and positivity..

In addition to the dental gel, I also use the Zymox Oratene Brushless Oral Care Water Additive. Two squirts daily in Lily's water bowl. It really works

https://www.chewy.com/oratene-brushl...g&gclsrc=aw.ds