I love buying toys that entertain both the shelties and my son. This can vary from soccer balls to sandboxes. My son recently got a tent for Christmas and all three of them love it! Here is a video of Ellie play with Will on his outdoor playset. Shelties are so funny!
Friday, January 7, 2011
My Personal View on Vaccines
Vaccines have become a huge controversy in both people and animals. Does it really help our immune system by injecting our body with a live virus? One theory believes that just because you are building an immunity to one thing, you are taking immunity away from another part.
With dogs, all are given the same vaccine in the same dose. So a one pound puppy is getting the same vaccine as a 40lb puppy. This just doesn't seem fair to the tiny puppy. Also, there is a lot of controversy as to the actual need of the vaccine. How many reported cases are there of parvo or distemper? There are also reports of particular vaccines giving the animal the virus it was injected with.
Ellie cannot have vaccines. At this point in her disease and treatment, vaccines will kill her. I started researching vaccinations in dogs and learned more to turn me against vaccinations than anything else. Holistic vets tend to avoid the use of vaccines while the majority of conventional vets turn their nose up to the idea. Is it because it means less money during the annual visit? Or do they truly believe that a 15 year old dog with only two months left to live really need to be up to date of their vaccines. If you are questioning vaccines, I highly recommend you investigate your options.
Katie (our oldest sheltie) is going in for her annual visit on the 19th. I told my conventional vet that I only wanted Katie to have the Rabies shot (required by law). She was very supportive of my decision. I also knew that a titer test (through my research) would be able to review the antibodies in Katie's system to determine if she really needed it or not. A titer test is a great way to know exactly what shots the dog needs (or doesn't need).
In my personal situation, I do not see a need in vaccinating either of my dogs. Since Ellie cannot be socialize with other dogs (due to her compromised immune system), obviously Katie won't be either. The risks of my dogs catching something from another dog will be slim.
With dogs, all are given the same vaccine in the same dose. So a one pound puppy is getting the same vaccine as a 40lb puppy. This just doesn't seem fair to the tiny puppy. Also, there is a lot of controversy as to the actual need of the vaccine. How many reported cases are there of parvo or distemper? There are also reports of particular vaccines giving the animal the virus it was injected with.
Ellie cannot have vaccines. At this point in her disease and treatment, vaccines will kill her. I started researching vaccinations in dogs and learned more to turn me against vaccinations than anything else. Holistic vets tend to avoid the use of vaccines while the majority of conventional vets turn their nose up to the idea. Is it because it means less money during the annual visit? Or do they truly believe that a 15 year old dog with only two months left to live really need to be up to date of their vaccines. If you are questioning vaccines, I highly recommend you investigate your options.
Katie (our oldest sheltie) is going in for her annual visit on the 19th. I told my conventional vet that I only wanted Katie to have the Rabies shot (required by law). She was very supportive of my decision. I also knew that a titer test (through my research) would be able to review the antibodies in Katie's system to determine if she really needed it or not. A titer test is a great way to know exactly what shots the dog needs (or doesn't need).
In my personal situation, I do not see a need in vaccinating either of my dogs. Since Ellie cannot be socialize with other dogs (due to her compromised immune system), obviously Katie won't be either. The risks of my dogs catching something from another dog will be slim.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Recheck for Ellie
Ellie had a checkup at the vet this morning. Once again, our vet was amazing. We arrived early and Dr Burris saw us at the counter checking in. She immediately came around to see Ellie. Her ears looked so much better. Her nose is getting better, although not fully healed. The current treatment of steroids are obviously working.
Since we have an appointment set up with the holistic vet on the 15th, I went ahead and got the copies of her records to fax to the clinic in Raleigh. It is very interesting to look at all of her blood panels and see the notes the vet put in her file. I am confident that we will find options with the holistic vet to treat this disease without my one year old sheltie being on steroids her entire life.
Ellie has another recheck on the 19th. I am also taking Katie (our five year old sheltie) in for her annual visit. I expressed my desire to only allow Katie to get the rabies vaccine (since it is required by law obviously). Dr. Burris was very receptive and will honor my wishes without question. I really appreciate this from a conventional vet.
Only ten days until we see the holistic vet. Wish us luck!
Since we have an appointment set up with the holistic vet on the 15th, I went ahead and got the copies of her records to fax to the clinic in Raleigh. It is very interesting to look at all of her blood panels and see the notes the vet put in her file. I am confident that we will find options with the holistic vet to treat this disease without my one year old sheltie being on steroids her entire life.
Ellie has another recheck on the 19th. I am also taking Katie (our five year old sheltie) in for her annual visit. I expressed my desire to only allow Katie to get the rabies vaccine (since it is required by law obviously). Dr. Burris was very receptive and will honor my wishes without question. I really appreciate this from a conventional vet.
Only ten days until we see the holistic vet. Wish us luck!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
What are you feeding your dog?
I'm not going to preach about what you should or shouldn't feed your dog.
At one point, I was feeding my dogs commercial dog food, rotating between Science Diet and Eukanuba. While living at Fort Benning, I came across this wonderful boutique, for dogs! Dramatic Paws was a dealer for Natura dogs foods. Natura makes brands like Innova, Evo, and California Naturals. I learned that these foods are grain free and truly a premium dog food compared to what I was feeding our dogs currently. Check out your local pet store, they usually give free samples. We chose Evo to feed our pups. While it is a little more expensive, it was worth it. We fed Evo for a year before switching again.
Currently, we are feeding our dogs home cooked meals. Basically, I take human-grade meats, cook it, and chop it into ultra fine pieces. I also add Sojos to replace some of the minerals lost during the cooking process. Along with it, I will give the girls a boiled egg, some cottage cheese, or plain yogurt (it helps with Ellie being on antibiotics for so long). I don't give them all of those additions at the same time, I mix it up a little, who doesn't love variety. I also add some bone meal once a day. This helps replace the calcium lost through the cooking process and the absence of bones.
Some people feed raw, which is a fabulous way to feed if it fits your lifestyle. Raw bones are not harmful to dogs as raw bones do not splinter like cooked bones do.
Commercial dog food has become my most recent soap box. Brands like Eukanuba and Science Diet feed dogs a lot of corn and corn syrup. Dogs don't need this, but that is not the worst part. The quality of meat used in commercial dog food is not meant for human consumption. This basically means parts of animals that we would never consider eating. Commercial dog foods also use rendered animals. The rendering plants take any animal they can to sell as "meat" for dog food. So, think about cows that died from diseases, roadkill, and even euthanized pets. In the book, The Nature of Animal Healing, Dr. Goldstein talks about a circus elephant that died from tuberculous and cancer that was rendered, for dog food. There is another book, Food Pets Die For, also refers to vets in California unknowingly sending euthanized pets to rendering plants. All of them changed their service to a reputable company that cremated the pets instead of rendering them. This is absolutely terrible! Another thing I learned, the process of heating commercial dog food ends up burning any vitamins and minerals that were present in the food. So, the added vitamins are lost in the high heating process. That goes for multivitamins as well, unless the vitamin specifically states heated at low temperatures.
Take time to look at your dog food and consider the products used as the ingredients. Home cooked is best for Ellie and I have the time to fit the requirements into my lifestyle.
At one point, I was feeding my dogs commercial dog food, rotating between Science Diet and Eukanuba. While living at Fort Benning, I came across this wonderful boutique, for dogs! Dramatic Paws was a dealer for Natura dogs foods. Natura makes brands like Innova, Evo, and California Naturals. I learned that these foods are grain free and truly a premium dog food compared to what I was feeding our dogs currently. Check out your local pet store, they usually give free samples. We chose Evo to feed our pups. While it is a little more expensive, it was worth it. We fed Evo for a year before switching again.
Currently, we are feeding our dogs home cooked meals. Basically, I take human-grade meats, cook it, and chop it into ultra fine pieces. I also add Sojos to replace some of the minerals lost during the cooking process. Along with it, I will give the girls a boiled egg, some cottage cheese, or plain yogurt (it helps with Ellie being on antibiotics for so long). I don't give them all of those additions at the same time, I mix it up a little, who doesn't love variety. I also add some bone meal once a day. This helps replace the calcium lost through the cooking process and the absence of bones.
Some people feed raw, which is a fabulous way to feed if it fits your lifestyle. Raw bones are not harmful to dogs as raw bones do not splinter like cooked bones do.
Commercial dog food has become my most recent soap box. Brands like Eukanuba and Science Diet feed dogs a lot of corn and corn syrup. Dogs don't need this, but that is not the worst part. The quality of meat used in commercial dog food is not meant for human consumption. This basically means parts of animals that we would never consider eating. Commercial dog foods also use rendered animals. The rendering plants take any animal they can to sell as "meat" for dog food. So, think about cows that died from diseases, roadkill, and even euthanized pets. In the book, The Nature of Animal Healing, Dr. Goldstein talks about a circus elephant that died from tuberculous and cancer that was rendered, for dog food. There is another book, Food Pets Die For, also refers to vets in California unknowingly sending euthanized pets to rendering plants. All of them changed their service to a reputable company that cremated the pets instead of rendering them. This is absolutely terrible! Another thing I learned, the process of heating commercial dog food ends up burning any vitamins and minerals that were present in the food. So, the added vitamins are lost in the high heating process. That goes for multivitamins as well, unless the vitamin specifically states heated at low temperatures.
Take time to look at your dog food and consider the products used as the ingredients. Home cooked is best for Ellie and I have the time to fit the requirements into my lifestyle.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Progression of Ellie's Disease
Ellie at 8 weeks old. She was a Christmas present from my husband. We had to put our blue merle Sheltie, Daisy, to sleep a year prior. Plus, we always believed that you can't have just one dog, Katie needed a friend.
Ellie, 6 months old. She got into a little bit of blue paint while I was painting my son's playroom.
Ellie, 8 months old, sleeping with my son.
Now, the pictures we have been taking daily since her diagnosis:
December 24: The day after the diagnoses, 5 days since the skin biopsy, and one day into the steroids.
December 27: Four days into the medication
December 28: Five days into the medications, no change
December 30: Eight days on medicine
December 31: Nine days on the medicine
This post will be updated as pictures are loaded onto my computer.
Pemphigus Foliaceus
On December 16, 2009, we took Ellie into our local vet. Well, local would not be a good work to describe it. I knew the vets in the area due to have a horse here four years ago (military moves a lot, this is our second round at Fort Bragg). I knew which vets to avoid, so we decided to drive 45 minutes south to see a new vet. The clinic, Cypress Lakes Animal Hospital is proud to have Dr. Marie Burris. I called that day to see when Ellie could be seen. She was lethargic and had these sores on her face and ears. They got me in the same day!
During our visit, Dr. Burris determined that there was some sort of autoimmune skin disease affecting our pup. Her urinalysis showed some sort of infection, so we knew we had to treat that as well. We had Ellie fitted in for surgery the next day. The skin biopsy would determine exactly what was wrong. On Friday I dropped her off for surgery. My two year old son was with me and I did not think much about the effect it would have on him. I was wrong! He cried for twenty minutes after we dropped her off. He didn't understand why we had left his puppy! Surgery was uneventful and we picked her up that afternoon. She had six stitches located on her nose, lip, and left ear. Now for the waiting game.
On December 23, Dr. Burris called with the results. She was diagnosed with Pemphigus Foliaceus. Dr. Burris wanted to start treatment immediately. We were due to leave town for the holiday so we decided to stop by on our way out of town. She was given five different meds.
For those unaware of the disease, pemphigus is an autoimmune disorder affecting the skin. An excerpt taken from VeterinaryPartner.com; " Pemphigus Foliaceus is when the attachment of the granular cells to one another is attached. Pemphigus foliaceus is the most common immune-mediated skin disease of dogs and cats. The separation of granular cells creates crusts and ulcers generally around the eyes, ears, footpads, groin, and bridge of the nose"
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2202
Now, the treatment. Ellie is on five different meds. Fatty Acids, Prednisone, Carafate, Clavamox (antibiotic), and Famotidine. Typically dogs are treated with high doses of steroids. The side effects of all of these medicines is heartbreaking, which brings me to my next topic.
We have an appointment with a holistic vet in Raleigh on January 15th. Dr. Bowman with the Bowman Animal Hospital and Cat Clinic is a holistic vet with experience in acupuncture, dietary needs, etc. I wanted to take the approach initially and my conventional vet (Dr. Burris) was very supportive. However, during a consult with the veterinary dermatologist at Un-named University, he insisted there was no holistic approach to treating this disease. While researching dietary needs, I had a friend suggest a book, "The Nature of Animal Healing" by Dr. Martin Goldstein. In his book, he states that in his clinic, 95% of the cases can be treated in a holistic manner, including cancer. This gave me hope. Maybe I don't have to keep my one year old sheltie on steroids for the rest of her life, resulting in secondary conditions and early death.
This is my journey: healing my dog, maintaining health in my other pets, and who knows, maybe improving health in my family along the way. I know it's not going to be easy. It will be a long process requiring patience and lots of love. But I am determined to save my dog. The dog is not just any dog, she has chosen my son as her person. They have a bond that I cannot properly put into words. I love this dog because she unconditionally loves my son.
Here is a picture of her after surgery. We have been taking pictures of her daily to note her progress and I will be posting those gradually as well.
During our visit, Dr. Burris determined that there was some sort of autoimmune skin disease affecting our pup. Her urinalysis showed some sort of infection, so we knew we had to treat that as well. We had Ellie fitted in for surgery the next day. The skin biopsy would determine exactly what was wrong. On Friday I dropped her off for surgery. My two year old son was with me and I did not think much about the effect it would have on him. I was wrong! He cried for twenty minutes after we dropped her off. He didn't understand why we had left his puppy! Surgery was uneventful and we picked her up that afternoon. She had six stitches located on her nose, lip, and left ear. Now for the waiting game.
On December 23, Dr. Burris called with the results. She was diagnosed with Pemphigus Foliaceus. Dr. Burris wanted to start treatment immediately. We were due to leave town for the holiday so we decided to stop by on our way out of town. She was given five different meds.
For those unaware of the disease, pemphigus is an autoimmune disorder affecting the skin. An excerpt taken from VeterinaryPartner.com; " Pemphigus Foliaceus is when the attachment of the granular cells to one another is attached. Pemphigus foliaceus is the most common immune-mediated skin disease of dogs and cats. The separation of granular cells creates crusts and ulcers generally around the eyes, ears, footpads, groin, and bridge of the nose"
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2202
Now, the treatment. Ellie is on five different meds. Fatty Acids, Prednisone, Carafate, Clavamox (antibiotic), and Famotidine. Typically dogs are treated with high doses of steroids. The side effects of all of these medicines is heartbreaking, which brings me to my next topic.
We have an appointment with a holistic vet in Raleigh on January 15th. Dr. Bowman with the Bowman Animal Hospital and Cat Clinic is a holistic vet with experience in acupuncture, dietary needs, etc. I wanted to take the approach initially and my conventional vet (Dr. Burris) was very supportive. However, during a consult with the veterinary dermatologist at Un-named University, he insisted there was no holistic approach to treating this disease. While researching dietary needs, I had a friend suggest a book, "The Nature of Animal Healing" by Dr. Martin Goldstein. In his book, he states that in his clinic, 95% of the cases can be treated in a holistic manner, including cancer. This gave me hope. Maybe I don't have to keep my one year old sheltie on steroids for the rest of her life, resulting in secondary conditions and early death.
This is my journey: healing my dog, maintaining health in my other pets, and who knows, maybe improving health in my family along the way. I know it's not going to be easy. It will be a long process requiring patience and lots of love. But I am determined to save my dog. The dog is not just any dog, she has chosen my son as her person. They have a bond that I cannot properly put into words. I love this dog because she unconditionally loves my son.
Here is a picture of her after surgery. We have been taking pictures of her daily to note her progress and I will be posting those gradually as well.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Welcome to my page!
I don't know if anyone will ever read this, but this is my way of documenting my reasearch and the process of healing my dog.
For starters, I am a stay at home mom, military wife, and animal lover. In my life time, I have had dozens of cats, a handful of dogs, and a horse. In my adult years, I have had two cats and three shelties. Why shelties? Well, they just sort of chose us. We adopted our first sheltie, Daisy, years ago. She was part of a breeding stock and since she was not producing puppies, she was no longer wanted. She was a wonderful addition to our family but it pained us to see that she was never properly socialized and never really acted like a "dog". So, in response, we bought our first sheltie puppy and named her Katie. Katie really helped Daisy become more comfortable in her settings. When Daisy was eight years old, we had to put her down due to complications of over breeding (at her previous home). Katie became an only dog and was introduced to a new family member in the same year (our son Will was born). Katie was a good dog with our son, but we knew she was lonely. A year later (last Christmas to be exact), my husband bought me another sable sheltie, Katie's half sister, named Ellie. She was an adorable pup (aren't they all!) and was such a cuddle bug! She was going to be my dog....but she had other plans. Our son, then 12 months old, seemed like the perfect playmate for a new puppy. Ellie picked him as her person. Shelties have a tendency to favor one member of the family. They are inseparable! I wouldn't have it any other way. Any boy needs a dog!
Now, the reason for this blog. Our beloved Ellie was diagnosed with Pemphigus Foliaceus. Information is so limited regarding this disease, but here is what I have (summarized). It is an autoimmune disease affecting the skin. In Ellie's case, she has scabs all over her snout and her body. She is visibly uncomfortable. It has a 60% mortality rate; however, it is not the disease pets die from but secondary conditions that claim their lives. We have an excellent vet in Hope Mills, NC who I highly recommend for conventional medicine, but we have decided to take a different approach, holistic medicine. This blog is all about my journey and the process of healing my dog.
For starters, I am a stay at home mom, military wife, and animal lover. In my life time, I have had dozens of cats, a handful of dogs, and a horse. In my adult years, I have had two cats and three shelties. Why shelties? Well, they just sort of chose us. We adopted our first sheltie, Daisy, years ago. She was part of a breeding stock and since she was not producing puppies, she was no longer wanted. She was a wonderful addition to our family but it pained us to see that she was never properly socialized and never really acted like a "dog". So, in response, we bought our first sheltie puppy and named her Katie. Katie really helped Daisy become more comfortable in her settings. When Daisy was eight years old, we had to put her down due to complications of over breeding (at her previous home). Katie became an only dog and was introduced to a new family member in the same year (our son Will was born). Katie was a good dog with our son, but we knew she was lonely. A year later (last Christmas to be exact), my husband bought me another sable sheltie, Katie's half sister, named Ellie. She was an adorable pup (aren't they all!) and was such a cuddle bug! She was going to be my dog....but she had other plans. Our son, then 12 months old, seemed like the perfect playmate for a new puppy. Ellie picked him as her person. Shelties have a tendency to favor one member of the family. They are inseparable! I wouldn't have it any other way. Any boy needs a dog!
Now, the reason for this blog. Our beloved Ellie was diagnosed with Pemphigus Foliaceus. Information is so limited regarding this disease, but here is what I have (summarized). It is an autoimmune disease affecting the skin. In Ellie's case, she has scabs all over her snout and her body. She is visibly uncomfortable. It has a 60% mortality rate; however, it is not the disease pets die from but secondary conditions that claim their lives. We have an excellent vet in Hope Mills, NC who I highly recommend for conventional medicine, but we have decided to take a different approach, holistic medicine. This blog is all about my journey and the process of healing my dog.
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