Tillie's Vet Appt...

[Kathie]

I wonder if her back hurts worse in the morning after sleeping all night? I'm so glad your vet caught that! Lets hope the urine tests come back clean. Hmmmm...........maybe we need to start home cooked - it might be cheaper than having to have their teeth cleaned! Abby and McGee both are getting theirs done soon which is part of our Christmas present to each other!!!


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[TilliesMom]

ya, she seems to be much 'looser' now in the evening, she's belly up sleeping.
I did try to massage her lower back a little earlier today but she whimpered when I touched it... I'll try it again later tonight and see how far I can get.

Kathie, the 'funny' thing is that most dog owners are led to believe their dogs NEED kibble in order to keep thier teeth clean... ha ha, I guess we are the PROOF that that is just something kibble companies came up with years ago to make people BUY the kibble!

[Beau's mom]

Tammy, I'm thinking maybe Tillie would have better mornings if you placed a hot water bottle along her back while she sleeps at night. I have had 100 years of back problems (well, 40 years, but it feels like 100) -- and sometimes it helps. If she sleeps with you and she doesn't move around all night, it might help her to stay "loose" and not have that wretched stiffness in her back muscles in the morning. You don't want it too hot. As it cools off in the night, you could refill it or just let her body heat keep it warm. As an alternative, you could put a fleece jacket or a sweater on her to keep in her own body heat. I know you don't live in the frozen tundra, but nighttime coolness could be stiffening her up and making her feel the pain more in the mornings.

When you see the vet next, you could also ask him about a muscle relaxant medication you could give her at bedtime. Clearly, you don't want to dope her up, but maybe a low dose of something would be helpful.

PS: You aren't the only one who loses sleep over Tillie!

[TilliesMom]

thanks for the advice Lorraine! I'll give it a try!

[motherslittlehelper]

Wow, Tillie's story sure took an interesting twist, yes? Hope this turns out to be what Karen mentioned, that the day following manipulation there is often more tenderness......and that it gradually improves with time. Do you think, with pain from the original urinary infection, that she was holding herself oddly to relieve the pain and twisted it somehow? Augie trembled the morning after the subcutaneous injections of fluid. He wasn't trembling by noon, but it was scary for just that short time - he didn't go on for days of this like Tillie has.

[TilliesMom]

Yes, Linda I was very surprised when he discovered her back was messed up!!
I was able to give her a light massage last night at bedtime, she seemed to enjoy it, didn't whine at all and when I would stop, she'd look back at me, like, "WHY are you STOPPING?" lol
The trembling has been off and on for nearly 2 months now. Not only is it scary, but frustrating and annoying too! Today her trembling has been much less pronounced! I am trying to keep her calm, but when the kids are home, all bets are off! sigh.
I haven't heard back from the vet yet, which means that her urinalysis came back clear!! He said he wouldn't call if it looked good, but WILL call when the urine culture comes back.
Quite the journey we've been on! crazy.

How's Augie doing?? Is he still on antibiotics?

[motherslittlehelper]

Oh, I do hope that Tillie's urine is clear. No Augie is not on antibiotics, but some residual still may be in his system. It was a long-acting shot, and I am not sure how long it remains; I thought I read 60 days in one article, but that may not be at therapeutic (is that the word I want?) levels. His vet said three weeks. He is acting good now, but that last catheterization really set him back. He was acting well, peeing at regular/normal intervals when I took him for the recheck. After the cath to get a urine sample, he had bloody urine, peeing every hour, and wasn't back to normal for about a week. I have pulled out of our Rally classes for a period of time, as the barn has a cold damp sand floor and is not heated. He is on the urinary diet, and I just picked up his cranberry supplement yesterday. Since Augie is not going to class now, I will start Finn next week with CGC class! That ought to be a trip! Actually, he picks up things fairly rapidly and I am finding it easier to get his attention when he is outside sniffing the ground than it is with Augie. If Augie has a scent he is going after, it is extremely difficult, even with all the training we have done, to get his attention.

I truly hope Tillie is well on the road to recovery now!

[lfung5]

I am sorry to hear about Tillie's back. Bella had acupuncture and it helped. She is also on this supplement:

http://www.standardprocess.com/Produ...eletal-Support

Seems to help a lot. It is expensive but lasts forever!

[TilliesMom]

Just got the call from the vet and she got a "ALL CLEAR" for her urinalysis AND the urine culture!!! Yippie!!!!
AND she hasn't trembled at all this morning!! first time in months! She has been so happy, wrestling with her blankie, bounding down the hall, barking at our cats (lol), wanting to play fetch... smiling all the while!

Crossing my fingers and praying that this is mostly behind us now! yay!!!

[whimsy]

Wonderful news Tammy!!!! So happy for you both!!