Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Campfire Brain Trust,please help save my dog

Good to hear she is improving Sawbuck. Thanks for the update.

Thank you all for the support and advice.

Brandy is now walking with a near normal gait. Her hind legs seem to be working much better. The couple times she moved today she broke out into a slow trot. While this is a step in the right direction, Brandy is still very ill. Having seen many animals struggle while I was growing up on our farm, I know she might not make it. I can tell you that she is still fighting the good fight. If she doesn't take a turn, I think tomorrow or the next day, she may start eating on her own again.

Great to hear.

Good morning all.

Today Brandy is much improved. She is more engaged, is stronger and is walking well when she decides to move.

She got up from bed on her own and went straight to her toilet area without any signs of weakness. She also barked at the coyotes last night for the first time in 10 days or so.

I am syringe feeding her 3 times a day now. She was still losing weight so I decided to up her ration even more and she seems to be responding well.

All of the advice given me here helped immensely. Much of it helped me to research what might be going on with her.
A happy result now seems a possibility.

So what did you decided it was, the combination of the tick disease with the collar?

Good news..

Yes, that seems the most likely. I'm thinking it was likely a fatal combination unique to Brandy.

I have been feeding her a mixture of Hill prescription canned dog mixed with a squirt of nutri-cal, a fresh egg from one of my hens and some Call of the Wild dry dog food ground into a flour.

I also gave her 3-4 cc's of Durvet Vitamin B Complex Oral Gel for calves and goats (pic). I have no idea if it helped or was even detrimental but I gave it to her, finished the last of the tube this morning.


This morning I gave her a mixture of roasted chicken, a small amount of baked potato and ground Call of the Wild mixed into a slurry by adding no salt beef broth.

I wish I ate like that dog

glad to hear this isn't going to be a sad ending to a story

Good to hear!
Dogs are the best!

My gal friend the vet is not always real prompt checking her e-mail, and I think her server's real spotty, as well.....looks like my inquiry finally came up,....here's what she wrote:


Erlichia is a very bad disease that can vary in symptoms from being totally without symptoms to fatal. It was first called Tropical Canine Pancytopenia and came to this country with dogs brought home from Southeast Asia during the Vietnam war time. When I get a pos. on a blood test I usually run a complete panel of blood work to evaluate kidney and liver function. A round of Doxycycline at that time is always indicated or the older drug Tetracycline is also effective. "Tick Fever" has become the current nick name for this disease. The dog you described might be suffering from blood cell break down and severe anemia or a number of other problems. Blood transfusions are often indicated. B 12 injections and steroids do help. Unfortunately, The prognosis must be very guarded to poor at this time. Animals that do survive the hard battle are often sick for 4 to 6 weeks and require more than 1 blood transfusion so it is very important to do both a major and minor cross match each time and not transfuse from the same donor if at all possible. good luck with this one.

It's good to hear that things are looking up, and I hope that will continue to be the case.

GTC

Do you have a Vet School within a reasonable distance? The specialists in a Vet School / Hospital blew my mind when I had to get emergency surgery for a blockage in my Lab. They called in a surgical team and operated on her at midnight and called me at 2:00 AM to update me.

I would seriously consider doing that if you are willing to eat the expense. Best of luck to you and your pal. Hoping for the best!!

Greg, thank you. Her situation is indeed dire.

Sako, unfortunately I am financially limited.

Today Brandy is back on the doxy. While she appears to be incrementally improved today once again, I fear she has lost the tongue coordination to lap water. I am now giving her water by syringe as well as doxy 3 times per day. Oddly, she is laying on the porch, her normal vantage point for the first time in weeks and seems to be in very little discomfort.

If she continues to mend, that drinking problem should fade away. Dogs on the mend have an amazing ability to recover.

I would call someone and explain the situation. See if they will look at your dog pro bono. It would not hurt to ask.

Well guys, it wasn't meant to be.

We said goodbye to Brandy today. Join me in a toast if you wish.

Sorry to hear that, man. Not much consolation, but you tried your best till the end. Love on that new pup...

Sorry to hear that very much so. It was meant to be though as it was. She got to her favorite spot, and that was a pleasant place for her to relax

My deepest sympathies.

And a Bulliet will be lifted!

Jeff

May God grant you peace

I am sad for your loss.
You did your best.
Yes, a toast to your wonderful friend.

I'm awfully sorry she's gone, sawbuck.

Darned sand is blowing here now.

Sorry, sawbuck. I've been following the thread and praying for the best. I know your pain, and it sucks.