The State of the Pack

We have not forgotten about R so I thought that I'd give you an update on him. Because we cannot seem to avoid veterinary mysteries, his saga of damaged red blood cells ("acanthocytes") and weird lymphocytes in his blood has continued. On the same day as Shyla had her xrays, R had blood drawn. His blood cells were slightly better but still not normal. On the good news side of the ledger, we've managed to put a few pounds back on his athletic frame so he's looking more healthy now. He loves getting a full-sized lunch every day!

You might remember that the presence of acanthocytes in a dog's blood is usually an indicator of a serious disease. We searched with ultrasound for hemangiosarcoma tumors in all of the usual sites and didn't find any. We tested his kidney and liver function - both were fine. Since then, we've been watching him and waiting to see if his body healed on its own. Since it hasn't, we are looking for less common causes of the acanthocytes.

We believe that a bad bag of Natural Balance kibble started the whole saga. Since then, we've had extended periods of feeding him home cooked meals and then two different kinds of high quality kibble. His best blood test happened while we were homecooking for him.

Because we know that a long-term homecooked diet has to be carefully balanced, we consulted a veterinarian who specializes in nutrition for help with R's diet. She says that there is a step in a dog's metabolism that can be damaged by toxins or other processes, resulting in an inability to metabolize certain nutrients - and also resulting in damage to the dog's red blood cells. Thus, in a dog with this problem, the wrong diet will cause acanthocytes to appear. This vet has designed a homecooked diet for R that we're in the process of starting. It is quite simple - beef, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, oil, and a supplement.

The new diet doesn't sound fancy or super-special to me. So, I asked the veterinarian if there was a kibble that would work for R. Her reply was that no kibble had the right balance of nutrients and ingredients to solve this problem. So, we're giving the homecooked diet a try for at least a month, and then we'll have R's blood tested again to see if it improves.

I must say that R has seemed energetic and happy at every point in this saga except for the beginning when he was quite sick. He and I had a wonderful mountain bike ride together today, and then we sat for a moment on Hug Hill. I love his eyes and how they reflect the world that he's looking at, including me!

We are waiting for the results of Shyla's tests. The good news is that her limp seems to be getting much better. It's barely noticeable now. That has to be good news, doesn't it?

And, her energy level is through the roof. Indeed, for the first time since she joined our family, she's become a destructive chewer. Unfortunately, her favorite things to chew are my clothes. She's chewed the zippers out of 4 favorite jackets and fleece sweaters. It's time to puppy-proof the house, at least until Shyla is allowed to exercise again. We're hoping that's soon!

I love her anyway and completely forgive her for eating my clothes.

If you're looking for a good investment, I can give you the name of our vet hospital. With our business alone, they must be hugely profitable :)

Thanks to all of you for the supportive comments and emails. They make such a big difference when I am going through a crisis with one (or both) of our pups. I am very grateful.