[BookerMoose]

Our beagles are really doing their best to keep the vet's profits up these days.

In addition to Booker's sore back, Moosie's sore ACL and Popcorn's infected anal glands, now it appears that Booker has a red and infected ear - which we've started to treat by cleaning it with the usual alcohol solution we always have handy... we've been there before with them all so hopefully can get that under control ourselves (and it seems to have become less annoying to her since I cleaned it this morning) without another trip for Booker to the vet (although she is going there next week anyway for her back checkup).

THEN just now we noticed that the area around one of Popcorn's eyes is slightly swoollen and she appears to be losing the fur right above her eyelashes on that same eye. I'm wondering if this is tied to the dramatic scratching she has been doing around her snout lately... it almost looks like her gums are itchy and she is trying to scratch them with her front dewclaw. in any event we are going to the vet today to see how her infected anal glands have reacted to the antibiotics this past week so we'll add yet another ailment to the list to ask the vet about.

Dinner time these days is like a pharmacy - everyone is on at least one medication, and some are on several. Geez!

 

[Murphys Dad]

Re: Today's ailments... when is this going to sto

Believe me, I feel your pain!

Every one of our 4 dogs is on some kind of med, and I'm the only one who knows what, how much to give, and when.

If I go off for a few days, I have to fix and label med cups for the time I'll be away. This has to be done whether it's Dusty taking care of the dogs, or the petsitter.

I hope that Booker and Popcorn's new ailments are easily cured.

 

[Makaella's Mom]

Re: Today's ailments... when is this going to sto

Before Makaella passed she was on six different meds and a lot of home made food. I had to crush all the meds and blend it in with her food and top it with some roasted chicken or beef tenders to get her to eat. And, I'll be darned but she would still find the one spot where the meds didn't mix completely and push that to the side! When I would just put the pills in her food and mix in a little gravy, she could still find each one and eat everything but the pills, licking the bowl just to show me that she could! Little devil... And for two dogs totalling 200 lbs. - the cost!!!

Good luck with the meds. I'd be curious what the vet said about the allergies and anal glands, even if he disagrees with what my vet told me....

 

[Murphys Dad]

Originally Posted By: BookerMooseOur beagles are really doing their best to keep the vet's profits up these days.

I, too, feel your pain -- I have told my vet that I feel like I have paid for the whole front end of his new BMW!

I take Mags in every two weeks for a weigh-in and inevitably the visit changes from a quick in & out/no charge visit to an exam for the latest ailment. I hope your gang gets back on track soon!

 

[DaisysMom]

Goodness! I hope everything can be treated easily.

 

[Murphys Dad]

Like Judy and Sandy, I too feel your pain. Amber had a whole plethora of health problems, from arthritis and hip dysplasia to a heart condition and Cushings. I told my vet that I'm sure I had financed at least one of his kids college educations. There was a point where I had one of those pill boxes with the morning, afternoon and evening slots for pills to keep up with everything she was taking.

I hope that all your babies are feeling better soon!

 

[Murphys Dad]

When it rains it pours... never more fitting.
I hope all three feel better soon, both for your pocket and peace of mind.

 

[BookerMoose]

Thanks everyone. Good news today on Popcorn - her anal gland infection seems to be cleared up and the vet thinks the hair loss around her eye is probably just irritated hair follicles, probably from allergies which could also explain the aggressive scratching of her mouth. The vet didn't think we needed to treat the allergies at this point because she didn't think the scratching of her mouth was bad enough to have caused problems - but to just watch it for now. And the cream we need to put around her eye is the same one we already have that we put into her eye a few months ago - so we didn't even need to get a new one. And we were so busy going through an update of everyone's many ailments and their status with the vet that I forgot completely to ask whether the anal glands and the allergies could be at all connected - sorry!

Booker's ear seems to be less red and inflamed since I cleaned it out this morning... I'll keep doing that this week and see how she is by next week when her next vet appointment is scheduled to check out her back - and on the topic of her back the vet seemed happy that we didn't think she was getting any worse or in any more pain and said those were good signs.

For Moosie, however, the vet did say that the fact he is still hopping as much as he is could mean that the ACL is just not healing and he might be looking at surgery - but we'll know more next weekend when he and Booker check back in (only Popcorn was there in person).

 

[Makaella's Mom]

No problem! You've got a lot going on. Good luck with all of it -it souns exhausting.

 

[beaglesmom]

My vet says that MOST ear infections are caused by allergies. They always used to say that ear infections in floppy earred dogs were caused by moisture - but now the feeling is that most are food allergies. Wheat and corn are the most common allergens according to everything I've read. Check your dog food ingredients to see if it contains wheat and/or corn. My Romeo came to me with ear infections as a puppy - and had frequent infections until I changed his food from what the breeder had fed to a food with no wheat or corn. Voila, no more infections. Just a suggestion.

 

[Zookeeper]

I'm so sorry your babies have had to deal with so many health issues, for them and for you. It's hard to have them hurting and know there's only so much you can do for them. Good to hear the infection's are healing up and I really hope Moosie's issue doesn't end up requiring surgery.

 

[BookerMoose]

Re: Today's ailments... when is this going to sto

Originally Posted By: GlendaMy vet says that MOST ear infections are caused by allergies. They always used to say that ear infections in floppy earred dogs were caused by moisture - but now the feeling is that most are food allergies. Wheat and corn are the most common allergens according to everything I've read. Check your dog food ingredients to see if it contains wheat and/or corn. My Romeo came to me with ear infections as a puppy - and had frequent infections until I changed his food from what the breeder had fed to a food with no wheat or corn. Voila, no more infections. Just a suggestion.

That is good information - I'll definitely check out the food ingredients...

 

[BookerMoose]

Re: Today's ailments... when is this going to sto

Today's update:
- Booker's back seems to be doing well (knock on wood). She certainly isn't in pain even if we delay dinner and she has to go longer before medication. The vet says the next thing is to try to wean her off the Metacam... paws crossed. And her ears seemed to get sorted out after just a few nights of cleaning and putting ointment in them.
- Moosie's ACL (knock on wood again) seems to have been getting better the last few days. He is still doing the Moosie-hop, but much less frequently and not for as long... We're back to the vet on Friday and will see where we are at.
- Popcorn's anal gland infection is all cleared up. Her eye seems to be reacting well to the ointment and it almost looks like the fur is already starting to grow back. She is still scratching a lot at her mouth, but that doesn't seem to result in anything other than her making a lot of noise...

So far so good - hopefully we can get through this week without any new ailments coming up and some of the old ones getting resolved!!!

 

[Murphys Dad]

Re: Today's ailments... when is this going to sto

Sounds like everything is going well for the pack! Fingers and paws crossed that it stays that way.

 

[Murphys Dad]

Re: Today's ailments... when is this going to sto

I'm glad that things have stabilized.

I know the feeling of hoping that nothing else happens for awhile.

 

[Brisen]

Re: Today's ailments... when is this going to sto

Glad to hear that things are looking up!