Ruby

[Cebe]

Re: Ruby

I'm thinking Zoe could stand a culture, but money is still tight for me, and she's not showing any symptoms of a uti at all, and I think she would. Still, you make a good point.

Things seem better, and i hope they stay that way.

[Patty]

Re: Ruby

It can be a rough road to get there, huh Tara. Nice trend.

[Abby's Mom]

Re: Ruby

Tara,

Those are great numbers.... Remember that we can not have perfection, but overall, we need to just step back, and realize that this may be the best.... not that we are alway looking to 'tweak' something. But, after saying all that.... we always strive for it, don't we.

Lately, I have been stepping back from the Humalog... even if Abby gets a low 300 reading once in a while. I let it go, and realize that mostly she stays in the low 100s to low 200s MOST of the time, just like Ruby. Somedays are perfect.

You have done a great job, and even though the road may have be rough, when you get there, it is that much sweeter.

Nice job!!
Always lurking, some days I just try to keep up by reading, and not posting much.

Barb

[Rubytuesday]

Re: Ruby

Hi folks, We had a vestibular/nystagmus event today. When I saw it today I realized it has been happening a bit lately but I hadn't put it together because I hadn't seen the nystagmus.

In the last say 2 months, Ruby will circle in little circles prior to going BM. Sometimes there seems to be a bit of a frantic feeling about it. Once or twice when she was doing that and I tried to kind of reset her, her bottom flopped down.

Today she was outside for a bit. I have relaxed with her a fair amount and let her wander out in the back yard, never unsupervised. She always manages to find some little nugget, but what can I do? I just decided that we would keep the yard as clean as possible and what happens happens. So I covered anything that was a hazard for blind dogs and have just let her wander which I think she likes.

Well tonight I looked down and she was doing the circles so I went to get her. I also thought she might be getting cold as we are having unseasonably cold weather right now.

I put my hand in front of her path to let her know I was there and she didn't recognize it, but her back end collapsed. She got it back up and kept circling. I put my hand down again and the whole thing happened again. That was when I saw her eyes zig zagging back and forth. By the time I snatched her up and had walked up the little hill to our house the nystagmus seemed to have stopped.

I assume it is a tumor since there is hind end weakness and there isn't a sudden onset of a head tilt, falling, ect.

What a little trooper. Going to cuddle her pretty tight tonight. Hopefully, if I have guessed this right it will be a slow progression.

Other then this possible sad news we have been getting along pretty well. She still has some higher numbers at the end of the 12 hrs., but I use HUMALOG to bring those down so I don't have to change the NPH dose and it seems to be working pretty well...as close to cruise control as we will ever get. We are also still splitting her shots.

Wish us luck and prayers are welcome if you pray. She has just tolerated so much so well. The one thing I don't want for her is fear and confusion.

sorry I haven't been around as much. I did cut back at work....decided to finally base my work schedule on what I needed rather then what my employer needed. That allowed me a brief break right before my husband's cluster headaches started. We are about 2 1/2 weeks into a typically 6 week episode.
.....prayers welcome on that too.

Tara

[jesse girl]

Re: Ruby

i think jesse had the same thing a couple years ago we were chasing rabbits and she came home with the head tilt thought it was an ear problem at first jesse recovered quite quickly and then got that crooked tail thing and recovered from that is it all related to something neurological maybe and including jesses epilepsy

jesse picks up something to eat on just about every walk i have given up on that too, cant lock them up in a bubble tara your wright .

giving healing thoughts and prayers for hubby and your ruby to recover and feel better soon it appears they both have something in common being possibly neurological in nature .

[ABBIE'SMOM]

Re: Ruby

Hi Tara, Sorry to hear that Ruby& husband isn't doing well!
Quote:
Hi folks, We had a vestibular/nystagmus event today. When I saw it today I realized it has been happening a bit lately but I hadn't put it together because I hadn't seen the nystagmus.

Tara I am completely ignorant about what this is. Could you tell me? I started to go off site & look it up, but knew you could explain.

It is so hard to see new things coming up. So sorry Ruby is going through this. You,hubby & Ruby are in my thougts & prayers.
Take care
Elaine & Abbie

[Mpollww]

Re: Ruby

Tara,

Sorry to hear this. I always feel I am the least qualified person on the forum to offer any help or suggestions but praying is something I definitely can do I'll be sending good thoughts and prayers to you, Ruby and your husband....

Mary

[Patty]

Re: Ruby

Tara I am completely ignorant about what this is. Could you tell me?

Nystagmus is rapid movements of the eye. Causes can vary. http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/...s#.UZBYxr7nZdg
Ali had jerk nystagmus once with her brain tumor. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jRCF8b0VjY Video is dark but you can see the jerk/movement of the white of her eye.

Tara, I'm sorry Ruby is having these symptoms. How long ago was her last blood work. Just curious how it looked. Give her an extra hug from us.

Will add Ruby and your husband to my prayers.

Patty

[Judi]

Re: Ruby

Oh Tara. Prayers for your husband and very slow progression for Ruby. I'm sure she likes wandering outside. Hugs for you. Judi

[amholmesy]

Re: Ruby

Tara

Sorry to hear about little Ruby - and your hubby. You seem to have your hands full at the moment. Thinking of you all.

Hugs

Anne-Marie and CJ

[momofdecker]

Re: Ruby

Prayers for Ruby and your husband, Tara.

[Soaphie & Sydney's Mom]

Re: Ruby

OH my - you do have your hands full! We are here for you - sending you lots of hugs and strength!

[Eddie]

Re: Ruby

Sorry to hear about Ruby and your husband. Hope things get easier soon.
Antonia

[buddingartist]

Re: Ruby

Tara

So sorry you are going through all this with hubby and Ruby.

Sending prayers and positive thoughts

Take good care of yourself

Louise

[Rubytuesday]

Re: Ruby

Aww, thanks so much everyone. I wouldn't really try to talk to anyone other then here because as they see it she has been dying for years.

Hopefully I will be wrong, lord knows I have thought she was deathly illl before. We have been so fortunate to keep her going for so long with the help of everyone here, that sometimes I think she will live for ever. 14 yrs old, multiple significant health issues....." no problem, where is my chew toy", but of course at some point she will run up against something that will get the best of her.

Tami, it is funny to hear you say I have my hands full. I hope the girls are doing better. I think I read that they were both starting to come around and am very happy for all of you.

Patty, to be honest I don't recall if I have ever run a complete blood work up on her. It is hard for me to explain the mentality that I have had around care taking of Ruby without seeming negligent, but I will try. When I first got her, although I had been around dogs and the veterinary medicine field for a bit, it doesn't come close to the depths that you need to immerse yourself in for a dog with Ruby's issues. This, we all at some point learned. I had the added difficulty of integrating three diseases that contradicted each other. This was only after finally figuring out what the diseases were which, for whatever reason I had to discover on my onw with little to no help, sometimes even bad help from the professionals.

When all was said and done and I had the megae and epi pretty well controlled, I really only wanted to know about anything that might have been affecting the poor regulation of the diabetes. Things like cushings or thyroid she had already been tested for or didn't show the symptoms of so blood work didn't seem relevant.

Beyond that I really don't want to know about anything else that may need addressing.

Were you thinking of white cell counts that might indicate a malignancy?

I feel oddly accepting of whatever it is. Who knows, maybe like Jesse Girl suggests it is some mild form of seizure and might be epilepsy and not tumor at all. I guess there could be hind end weakness with that too. Either way it is whatever it is and I don't need to know exactly what. I will keep an eye on her particularly when she is outside and will compensate as much as needed (leash walking ect.) to keep her calm and feeling secure.

Part of it to is that I have finally come to a place of flowing with the diabetes. We don't test as much now as we have found a system that while not perfect allows us to both relax and affords her good numbers for all but 4 hrsish a day. I don't want for me or for her, to try to discover or fight another disease. Other then seeming disoriented when it happened she is doing fine, played tug last night. So I am going to take my cue from her. Everything is ok now. I will let her tell me when the bad starts to out weigh the good.

By the way Patty, the video was great. I could see it very well. Of course it brings us back to yours and Ali's sad time......Any chance you have a video of spunky healthy Ali. I would settle for a picture story though too. Probably not with the move though. I understand that it isn't the first priority right now.
I hope you are settling in and it isn't too painful being away from the last home you shared with Ali.

Thanks again all, Tara