Auto immune issues - Page 3

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Mindhunt

by Mindhunt on 08 March 2020 - 14:03

Apologies in advance for the long post: My Quint was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease after his second surgery for severe bleeding coming from an inflamed and impacted anal gland (my house and vehicle looked like a bloody crime scene). He got the Perianal Fistula/Anal Furunculosis diagnosis after his second surgery in a two week period. His is the worst case the specialists have ever seen. Unfortunately, he has NOT responded to any of the medications used to treat this disease, in fact, the immune suppression made his fistulas and other symptoms worse. He was also diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis based on his limping and swollen joints (which is part of this disease along with IBS, etc.). While he was under for neuter, he was x-rayed on every joint and they were all inflamed with joint damage starting. Thank goodness, one of my holistic vets insisted on allergy testing (comprehensive fasting blood, urine, feces, and saliva). We found he was allergic to Fish (all forms and fish products), oats (all forms in all items including shampoo), millet, and lentils (all forms including peas and pea powder). Eliminating those from his food and environment as best I can and he is a different dog, no limping, his joints back to normal size, damaged joints healing, his fistulas healing slowly with holistic treatment. Now there are doubts about his original diagnosis of an autoimmune disease. I think as Centurion had posted, that maybe his disease was due in part to the vets packing his impacted/inflamed anal gland both times with ciprofloxacin to which he had a SEVERE anaphylactic reaction (as in if the ER vet had been more than 5 minutes away, I would be without Quint since his airway was closing up and his head and tongue were swollen up huge). First time I didn't ask what the antibiotic was that they used never dreaming they would use an antibiotic that almost killed him. Quint was so very miserable following surgery that I asked what antibiotic was used and informed the vet how sick and miserable he was. She told me she packed it with Cipro and I FLIPPED OUT, she got pale and grabbed his records, it was in there in the back of his record on a sticky note rather than the front listed under allergies like it should have been. I now wonder if his autoimmune disease is a direct result of this ridiculous and potentially deadly mistake.


Hundmutter

by Hundmutter on 09 March 2020 - 03:03

I would wonder about that too. I'm sure I have in the past read about cases of extreme auto-immune responses being triggered by precisely that sort of medical error. Though quite how you would prove it or get any recompense for it, should you seek to do so, is beyond me.

Really feel for Quint, and you; this has been a dreadful saga and it is good the holistic approach is showing results now.

Mindhunt

by Mindhunt on 09 March 2020 - 14:03

Thank you Hundmutter, it has been difficult to witness when Quint doesn't feel well and I can't do much about it.  To say I am beyond annoyed is an understatement.  The old saying of "if I knew then what I know now....."  I have learned much more since that time and fight to get him what he needs although I often feel like my booty is swinging in the wind all alone....He has an appointment with the specialists in a couple of weeks and then his regular vet a couple of days after that.  We will see how he is doing, if no improvement, then I will probably let him go since I can't stand to watch his painful straining despite proactive pain management and it is not fair to him.  I also find out if my girl will be following him since she is 14 and having significant problems with mobility and doesn't really want to walk much, has rock solid neck, shoulder, and abdominal muscles from using her front end and abdomen almost exclusively to get up and move around.  We can't do chiropractic since she is so painful and tried acupuncture but her muscles are so tight in some areas, we can't get the needles in where they need to be.  Not looking forward to that visit.  Hoping for a miracle, lots of holistic approaches, massage, and praying.


Hundmutter

by Hundmutter on 09 March 2020 - 15:03

If your bitch is also a GSD and has reached 14, that's a bloody good breed innings, prof, so you may need to start thinking on the lines of whether you continue to find treatments or accept the inevitable; its awful but we cannot keep them with us for ever, I'm sure you know that. There comes a point where it is maybe not kinder to keep them going.

On Quint, I know this sounds like an outdated idea, but would cryosurgery be a possibility ? I ask because when I started work @ the farm, (back in '99) we had a dog who had to be kept on soft food [and whose poo was awful small & stringy] because he'd had the freeze treatment (at the time, pre Cyclosporin, it was standard). But he ate well & got to quite old, and was not in pain, and did not need constant bathing and creaming etc. In fact he died of Bloat in the end but he was about 10 by then.

by SummertimeGSD on 09 March 2020 - 17:03

I had a GSD that had similar skin issues, she ended up being severely sensitive/allergic to fish, and of course when you have an itchy, dry dog the first thing the vet tells you to do is add fish oil. Or try a single protein exotic diet (like whitefish formula!). It's a struggle I know, I hope you find answers.

Mindhunt

by Mindhunt on 14 March 2020 - 16:03

Hundmutter, he doesn't have enough of good healthy tissue to do cryosurgery with, unfortunately, we are trying to get his fistulas smaller so they would be easier to get excised and the surgical wounds closed.  I am just annoyed that this all happened most likely from an oversight.

As for Isis, yes, I am going day by day.  She was diagnosed without a left hip socket (smooth bone) and severely dysplastic right when she failed her OFAs when she was 2 years old, had her spayed immediately.  Dr. Mostosky told me I would be lucky to get another year or two out of her because the severity of her issues and the only thing keeping her going was her superb physical fitness.  I have tried to keep that up over the years and keep her pain managed holistically and eventually with medication (all about keeping her comfortable).  Unfortunately, my own health issues had interfered with her exercise so she went downhill a bit.  Trying to keep her fit now as best we can without overdoing it.  The problem is she is VERY high drive and needs to keep her mind occupied as well as her body, her body just gives out well before her mind so she is anxious (no it is not pain) and has a fingernails on chalkboard squeak that will hurt your ears and drive you insane lol. I have a couple of games that I can play with her that require her to think things through without taxing her body too much and it helps.  I know my time is limited and my vets are great at being honest and saying it is time if I am unable to recognize it (Isis is my heart dog, my soul mate pup) so it will be one of the hardest decisions I will make, but she deserves the best even if it means letting her go.


Hundmutter

by Hundmutter on 15 March 2020 - 03:03

Mindhunt, wishing you all the best with both Isis and Quint. It sounds as though you have given them the best life, despite their problems.





 


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