Please put Gretchen on your prayer or good thoughts list.

[DOTLDaddy]

Gretchen has not been feeling very well the last several days. Hardly eating, lethargic, and just not being herself. We took her in this morning to see her vet. Found out right away she had a fever of 104, and somewhat raspy sounding lungs. The vet recommended chest x-rays, which we did. There is a slightly suspicious looking area on one of her lungs, which our vet is 90% sure is nothing, but she wants an expert radiologist to look at the digital "films". There is a small possibility of the big "C", but our vet does not want to make that call yet. Like I said, she is pretty sure it is nothing . . . . The radiologist will look at them in the near future, but it might not be for a week or two. The radiologist travels around to a lot of different vet offices, looking at cases that require an experts knowledge. Our vet said the time lapse will have no bearing on the prognosis or treatment options, if it comes to that.

For the fever and whatever is causing it, we came home with Amoxicillin and Metronidazole. They also took blood for a CBC, and will let us know about that tomorrow.

[emzee]

I am so glad that cancer isn't the diagnosis. That poor dog has had enough already!! keeping you all in my prayers. 🙂

[CA_POPPY]

Awww, that looks miserable, poor baby. I hope they get to the root of the problem quickly. Gretchen otherwise looks nice and fit.

[nabi]

Good to know that the specialist is thinking " non cancerous " ...look at all those biopsy site...poor Gretchen....a nice dinner of boiled chicken and rice is sure to make her feel better...

[Dashonthedash]

Good to hear that they are making progress with the diagnosis, and it likely is not cancer. The benadryl should help if it is an allergy. Maybe you could have an allergy panel done to see what she might be allergic to? We had one done for Geoff(1975-1987), the family GSD, and there were probably more things he was allergic to (including grass) than things he wasn't. Poor Geoff, that was one messed-up dog. Best of luck with the General.

[Acampingwewillg]

Im glad things are looking up a bit and hope they continue in that direction....she(Gretchen) is a beautiful girl! Prayers still coming your way....

[Code2High]

Here's hoping this clears it up and the labwork looks okay. Allergies can definitely make a body feel like used dog food, so to speak....

Don't be embarrassed about not remembering. When you are exhausted and stressed out and discussing a million issues in one day, it is easy to drop details. This is why people dealing with a difficult diagnosis should really take a friend or family member with when they go to the doctor. It's just too much for one person, and sometimes too much for two!

[CatandJim]

I came here hoping for an update from you and there it is!

The specialist vet group doctor is almost certain Gretchen does not have cancer

:B :B :B :B :B :B :B :B :B :B :B :B :B :B :B :B :B :B :B :B :B :B :B :B

Music to my ears (eyes) and I know it is to yours!! Now to get her right with this medication recommendation.

Well done Walter & Garland, well done General Gretchen!

[Go_Dogs]

Even with the mystery bumps, she is beautiful! Speedy recovery!

[dturm]

Good news!! You go Gretchen

[RBak]

Wow that's a lot to digest! Poor Gretchen! I hope that they get to the bottom of this soon, for everyone's sake. So far it sounds promising - not cancer - but allergies can be nasty too. Will keep up the prayers and healing thoughts. Hope she feels better over the weekend.

Rita

[DOTLDaddy]

On the pic below, you can see some of the red spots uncovered from the ultrasound shaving. One of the bigger ones was biopsied. You can kinda see the sutures on that one.



On the pic below, you can see where a large bump was removed for biopsy, just behind her front leg.



On the pic below, Gretchen is very happy to be back in her own yard!!! Her eyes are still looking kinda weird.

[DOTLDaddy]

OK, things are beginning to look up a bit . . . . . I think. 😛

The specialist vet group doctor is almost certain Gretchen does not have cancer, but is suffering from an allergic reaction to some unknown source. The ultrasound showed nothing remarkable. In the process of shaving for the ultrasound, they discovered many reddish bumps on her skin, which appear to be allergy related. They took a punch biopsy of a prominent one. They also did an ultrasound guided aspirate of one of her organs. (I am embarrassed to say I forgot which one :?) They also did a biopsy and cytology of a couple areas. Nothing looked cancerous in their "in house" microscopic examinations, but for the last word, some samples have been sent out to an outside lab for the final verdict. Those results will be back in a few days.

We are now going to be treating her primarily for a severe, allergic reaction. We are dropping the metronidazole, but continuing the amoxicillin as tolerated.

Thanks for all your kind words, thoughts and prayers. For those really interested in the details, you can see the instructions below:

[rockhillmanor]

I wonder if there's a "tick panel" and if there isn't, there probably should be.

It's one of those titer issues. Confusing as hell.
Titers elevated due to just Exposure or diseased?

"the best method of diagnosing this disease is through testing of serum from the dog using an immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) test. Unfortunately, a positive test only indicates exposure. Still, in the presence of clinical signs or if the titer rises after treatment or stays consistently high, infection is strongly implied by the lab results.

Read more: Ehrlichia in dogs - VetInfo
Ehrlichiosis is caused by the rickettsial organism Ehrlichia canis.
http://www.vetinfo.com/derlick.html

And all this stuff regarding treatment and testing changes as they learn more about it. ASK QUESTIONS and keep on asking them on this one.

The testing info on how and reading the results are like 5 pages long. The vet would probably have to make a phone call to one of the University's for clarification on testing and treatment.

MO is one the states that has the highest incidence according to the CDC albeit a human report but it shows the high presence of the tick and likelihood of contracting the disease.

It can lay dormant in the system for years and then rear its ugly head so IMHO just asking if you have seen a tick on your dog recently is kinda pointless, and to use this response from the owner to dismiss a tick disease, well maybe he should not have, seeing as acute fever is one of the 'big' symptoms of tick disease and especially when all the blood work comes back ok.

Certainly don't mean to to knock your vet, I know first hand that all vets can't know everything about everything! Especially since medical science is running at warp speed regarding diagnosis and treatment. We have to be proactive and help them sometimes!:W

We are praying for her. Let us know as soon as you find out something. Gretchen is very lucky to have you as an owner, looking out for her well being like you do! :C

[BCSnob]

IDEXX Vector-borne Disease Panels


NCState: Vector Borne Disease Diagnostic Laboratory

Results of recent studies suggest that the use of PCR and serological assays in parallel is likely to increase the detection of infection with or exposure to Canine Vector Borne Diseases. Therefore, in an effort to offer the most Comprehensive tick borne disease testing possible for our clients, the VBDDL is offering a trial panel to detect antibodies against 12 known species and to detect the presence, within circulating blood, of disease-causing organisms from 5 pathogenic genera! We are offering this $385 value from January 1st, 2013 through June 30th, 2013 at a greater than **50% discount** in order to gauge interest and value for the management of these diseases.

[Code2High]

Was Gretchen on metro before and didn't do well on it, or am I hallucinating?

There are several tick-borne illnesses and they cause all kinds of wierd symptoms. Lyme, erlichia and there's another one... babio something or other. I wonder if there's a "tick panel" and if there isn't, there probably should be.