[nagdu] Worried about Chet. Again

[Pickrell, Rebecca M (IS)]

What about colitis?  

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Buddy Brannan
Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 1:34 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Worried about Chet. Again

It could be something he's scrounging, but if it is, it's something he's
doing *very* fast.
On Jul 28, 2009, at 11:27 AM, Sharonda Greenlaw wrote:

> Buddy,
> I had the same problem with Rusty while he was with me--he's been 
> retired and in a new home because of theheat here in AZ. Anyway, I 
> found out that it was something he was scrounging. Do you think this 
> could be happening? Just a though.
>
> Sharonda
>
>
> On 7/28/09, Buddy Brannan <buddy at brannan.name> wrote:
>>
>> Hi y'all,
>>
>> OK, it's 4 in the morning and I'm up. Not a great sign (because I 
>> actually did go to bed).
>>
>> Since a couple days after Melanie's surgery at the end of June, 
>> Chet's had the runs. Oh, not continuously, but every time I think 
>> he's hit the end of them and is getting better, they start up again. 
>> After several weeks of boiled hamburger and rice (with increasing 
>> food, resulting in runs, then back to boiled hamburger and rice), we 
>> went to the vet, also for his annual checkup. Bad news: he lost about

>> eight pounds. Which, by the way, I didn't notice; no ribs sticking 
>> out horribly, and the vet even thought he still looked OK, but 8 
>> pounds is significant when your dog weighs about 55. The blood work 
>> showed nothing, and I (obviously) couldn't get a stool sample, but 
>> they gave me a de-wormer anyway, which didn't help, so then we got a 
>> week's worth of antibiotic and something to help with the diarrhea, 
>> no idea what that was, but I was to give both for a week twice a day.

>> This I did, and things improved such that the boiled hamburger went 
>> away, then the rice went away, and stools felt normal again. His meds

>> finished up on this past Friday, and right up through Monday evening,

>> not only was everything looking better, stools were normal, at 
>> regular and expected intervals, and at regular and expected 
>> quantities.
>>
>> Naturally, over this time, I've taken Chet out for guide work very 
>> little.
>> Since we got home, I think he's been actually working three times, 
>> including yesterday. And yesterday's was probably the longest time he

>> was out, about three hours total. Well--this morning at a little 
>> before 3:30, we awoke to an unpleasant and all too familiar odor, so 
>> out the door we ran, and the diarrhea was back. There was a nice 
>> solid poo in the crate, along with some icky squishy stuff, but it 
>> was all at least able to be picked up, and I have it in baggies for 
>> the vet (assuming it's not too old by the time I get there later 
>> today). I'm not confident I'll get a newer sample though.
>>
>> In light of Chet's anxiety on long car rides, I wonder if this isn't 
>> related to going back to work? Chet is always very eager to go, but I

>> wonder if he isn't still anxious about it anyway? Seems like a 
>> strange coincidence that this should start back up after his first 
>> trip out and in harness in about two weeks.
>>
>> Well, we'll see what the vet has to say about it later today. But I'm

>> mentally preparing myself (as far as is possible, anyway) for the R 
>> word.
>> Which isn't going to be easy for Chet at all if we determine that 
>> that's what's needed. Probably not easy for me, either, but these 
>> things never hit me until they're right on me.
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>>
>
>
>
> --
> Sharonda Greenlaw
> President (Phoenix Chapter)
> National Federation of the Blind
> -------------
> Come, read and take a journey with me at 
> www.WorldOfShariG.blogspot.com 
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--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: (814) 746-4127 or 888-75-BUDDY
Create your own economic stimulus package:
http://www.powermall.info


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