Border collie Jack passed away on February 28, 2022

[MaryLea]

Re: Jack the project!

Natalie,
She also gives her dog Curcumin - another great natural anti-inflammatory apparently. These recommendations came from her husband - so I would think there must be some scientific validity. ... I was thinking about starting Harry on Curcumin as well.

Yunhee

FYI: A Curcumin product is one of the natural herbals I take to "replace" prescription meds for arthritis (like Celebrex, which was doing a number on me). It seems to help. Don't know what the dosage would be for an animal. Will be interesting to see what you find out.

Mary

[k9diabetes]

Re: Jack the project!

Thanks for the suggestions. He's tolerating the Metacam well and takes it easily just drizzled over his food so I will hold other anti-inflammatories in reserve for the future if it looks like he is going to have problems with the Metacam.

Since the prednisone didn't change his situation much, it seems to me that there must be other things going on aside from inflammation. Which is why I think a disc might be putting pressure on the spinal cord. Only way to know that for sure is the MRI.

I think next week I can safely have some blood drawn to see if his thyroid still shows low and to make sure nothing else has changed since he was given the prednisone.

I think I will ask them to draw enough blood to do a full thyroid panel but ask the vet to just send in the basic panel first and see how the simple thyroid test comes out plus maybe check his baseline cortisol level (to make sure he's making his own again since he seems "off"). If the simple thyroid test is now normal after several weeks off the gabapentin, we could then skip the full thyroid series and assume it was the gabapentin that threw it out of whack.

I wish he'd perk up a little... I'm hoping that once he's been back on the Metacam for a week or so he will feel better.

Natalie

[buddingartist]

Re: Jack the project!

Reading your post, I can't help but think that Jack is one lucky boy that you found him. You have both the compassion and the knowledge to look for the cause of his problem and to find a viable solution to alleviate his pain and give him the quality of life.

It's wonderful to see another furry baby well taken care of.

Good luck Natalie.

Louise

[Patty]

Re: Jack the project!

Hoping the thyroid panel comes back normal. One less issue to add to the mix

[pgcor]

Re: Jack the project!

Hey Natalie - how's Jack doing? Better, I hope!

[k9diabetes]

Re: Jack the project!

Hi Pam,

We are pretty much in a holding pattern of daily Metacam and limited exercise tolerance - about 15 minutes before he starts showing obvious signs of pain.

I haven't redone the bloodwork yet. Partly because I've just been so busy and partly because he stresses so over having blood drawn. And partly because I don't feel really settled on a vet yet... so basically, procrastinating.

We are leaning heavily now toward going ahead with the MRI since he has not improved at all since this episode started in the fall. His exercise tolerance is so much more limited now than it was last summer. So we feel like we need to find out if there is a cure available. And now that we are getting a tax refund, the financial aspect of it is less daunting. Not ready to make the appt yet but that's the way we are leaning.

I'm also a little concerned about working with the doctor for the MRI and potential surgery who seems to be so stressed out himself. It's hard to get calls back and he seems overworked and miserable. It would be nice to think that wouldn't affect the outcome but he's human and I don't see how it can't. So we are not rushing into anything. Jack's no better but he's no worse either.

Had some trouble with Katie the other day and she's more of a priority right now to have an exam and blood panel done on. She's hyperthyroid but I think there may be something else going on with her - twice in two days she threw up all over the place and she seems like she urinates quite a bit. She proved a couple of days ago when she went on the carpet that it's plenty concentrated and she's not losing weight.... she seems better after withholding food for 24 hours. But I just have a gut feeling that something is up with her.

Trouble is I just can't keep up with my work and all these critters! I'm going to have to sacrifice one of them...

Natalie

[Patty]

Re: Jack the project!

Natalie,
I'm sorry to hear Katie's not doing well. I hope the tests shed some light on things.
Patty

[jesse girl]

Re: Jack the project!

Yes that sounds very difficult and time consuming what you have going on it almost sounds like a pre onset of pancreatitis and withholding food seemed to help and it would giving her system a break catching it early would be a plus but praying for something minor

I think most would understand that you may not have as much time for advice and things hope things improve

[Margaret Boyle]

Re: Jack the project!

Natalie,

Sorry to hear about Katie you concentrate on what you have to do.........get things sorted on the home front.

I will be thinking about you and saying wee prayers for Katie.

Hugs

Margaret

[pgcor]

Re: Jack the project!

Hey Natalie: I'm so sorry you have more issues heaped on your plate. I do know the feeling though. When it rains it pours and feels like you just can concentrate on one thing. I really am pulling for Jack and for my own two dogs as well. Behavior issues on top of health issues are a little overwheling. Is Katie any better?

Don't worry about getting back to me - I know what you've got a a lot on your plate. Just thinking about you...

Pam

[k9diabetes]

Re: Jack the project!

Hi Pam,

I'm anxious to hear how things are going with your behavioral project.

We took Jack to one of Sophia's Circus School classes on Sunday just so he could mingle with dogs and people. He was pretty distracted so it was more outing than training, which is okay. She brought over two toys for us to use in an exercise - a tennis-ball-cover little bone and a rubber squeaky mouse... he was afraid of that little mouse! Barked at it and didn't want to get close to it.

He wasn't horribly afraid as he would take treats over it and under it and on it. After a few handfuls, he was tolerant if not entirely trusting of it and would mouth it. Didn't want to pick it up though.

Tuesday we took Jack for a drive to Coloma - maybe an hour away. It's the site of the gold discovery at Sutter's Mill and it has a beautiful oak forest park along the river. On a Tuesday afternoon in February, we had the place nearly to ourselves. We pushed Jack a bit with the length of the car ride and his actvity at the park. He did well - a bit more sore than usual the next day but not too bad. Better than I thought I would do. He was SO happy to be there, loping along exploring and a few very quick dips in the very very very cold river. You could see that the water temperature was painful!

We are definitely going to do the MRI. I want to update his bloodwork first - maybe next week - and get more information from the neurologist about the process. But I expect that it will happen in the next month or so.

Natalie

[Patty]

Re: Jack the project!

Awe, what a great trip!

[CarolW]

Re: Jack the project!

Rooting for you, Jack and Katie, Natalie. Hope you can manage the MRI okay for Jack - and that the Metacam continues going well.

Love and hugs,
Thu, 3 Mar 2011 10:39:38 (PST)

[pgcor]

Re: Jack the project!

Hi Natalie - that trip sounds like it was heaven for little Jackie boy. It's so heartwarming to see them happy, isn't it? I really hope the MRI yields some actionable information or you and Jack.

I'm curious does Jack get anxious on trips or is it a combination of pain/anxiousness?

We're doing okay - Carol has been a truly wonderful guide through this. I'm learning daily and some calming techniques have actually worked. I wasn't prepared for that! LOL.

We've talked privately so you know my house isn't exactly quiet! But, now I see how that could have created an environment that was anxiety producing for both the dogs.

I feel bad about this, but am determined to try and rectify this ASAP. My husband is actually on board with reading and learning as well. He's reading a book on Calming Signals by Turid Rugaas. Never thought I'd see the day!

But he loves the dogs too and the possibility of having to give one of them away was too painful for either one of us.

We took Pip with us on a trip to the Upper Penninsula in Michigan one year. He's good in the car (that was 5 or 6 hours), but does not tolerate being away from us. When we went up to the main cabin for dinner, he ripped all the curtains off the windows in the cabin we were staying in...good times!

[k9diabetes]

Re: Jack the project!

Jack LOVES car rides. No anxiety at all - in fact, it's one of the least anxious places in the world for him. He feels completely safe in "his" car (does have some fear of the other Jeep, which has a lift gate that pushes his fear of overhangs).

Thanks to trips to the "Magic Window" for a hamburger, he is a huge fan of people sticking their hands out toward the driver's side window!

The problem with car rides is that he stands up the whole time and wanders around the back, yanking on his tether as he does. Even if you drive for 6 hours... He absolutely will not lay down. He wants to be looking out the window and can't stand not to see what's going on. Once in a while on a boring stretch of the freeway, he will lay down for maybe a minute.

If he was a farm dog, he'd be the one you see in the back of the truck running back and forth, back and forth the whole time.

So it's hard on his back.

His first acute episode occurred after we got back from a three-day trip where we drove for 5-6 hours a day plus had him out walking quite a bit.

Natalie