Misc.

[Bryan B]

First I'd like to comment on Ross's new avatar. It's so warm and fuzzy...I'm so confused! :confused: ;)

Secondly, my best 4 legged friend is sick. We were playing in the yard several days before Christmas and I was throwing her pinecones (her favorite outdoor activity). After catching one she started coughing and wheezing. After a day or two of occasionally coughing and wheezing she seemed to be over it. Over the last 5 days or so she has been coughing and wheezing more, she has been more lethargic, and her breath has become awful. I took her to the vet yesterday afternoon and he couldn't see anything by looking manually, so we took her back in this morning for x-rays, possible scope to find the cause, and cultures to check for infection. She has been there all day and I still haven't heard back from them. Please say a prayer for my Abby. She has been at my side during all of my health problems and surgeries this last year...I just can't stand the thought of losing her. :o :(

[Ross]

So sorry to hear about your buddy. Have they checked for fluid on the lungs? I'm wondering if dogs can't get some strain of Pyothorax like cats can? Let us know how she does.

[tobagotwo]

I have to wonder if she inhaled a piece of pinecone while playing.

I hope she's all right, Bryan. I know how crushed I would be if anything happened to my own, four-legged Abby.

Best wishes,

[Nancy]

I was thinking the same thing as Bob. Pinecones have seeds hiding in the cone, they're like nuts. Could have inhaled one of those.

I love my animals too, so I know how worried you must be. Your little friend will be in my prayers.

[Bryan B]

Thanks all. :)

I'm with you, I'm almost positive that she aspirated either a piece of pinecone or other debris (when she catches the pinecone there's usually a cloud of pinestraw, dirt, etc. that goes flying in the air :D). She's back home with us tonight. They did an x-ray and the vet didn't see any foreign object in her lung (good news), but he wants a radiologist to read the x-ray to make sure. He also inserted a large needle through her throat and "rinsed" her esophagus/airway with sterile water in hopes of dislodging any foreign object that might be trapped there. She has a shaved throat and a lime green bandage around her neck that she has to wear for 3 days. He said the esophagus has a lot of folds in it and can easily trap something that Abby is trying but unable to dislodge on her own. He put her on the animal equivalent of Augmentin until the cultures he took today come back. He also put her on Hycodan as needed to help supress her cough. If things don't improve by early next week he will run a scope down her throat to get a better view in hopes of finding the source of the irritation.

When I called to check on her around 4pm the receptionist said only that Dr. "K" (he has a similar name to coach K from Duke :D) wants you to come in so he can talk to you. As you can imagine, my thoughts were not good at that point. I'm feeling more positive now. I'm leaving tomorrow to go back to Nashville, and I was so worried that it was going to be a terrible ending to a most difficult year. It's amazing how close you can become to a family pet. Like I said before, she never left my side during all my problems this year and I was worried that I would have to leave her when she needed me most. Hopefull all will turn out well for my girl, but we may have to give up the pinecones. If so she will probably have to enter some type of canine 12 step program since I have been tossing pinecones to her since she was just a pup. :D

[EVELYN]

Bryan

Inhalation of some of the Pine cone spores....Please have them check for that. I've seen it happen and I've also seen pine needles inhaled. A friend of mine almost lost her dog to that. She ended up in the veterinary hospital in Philly.....they were the only ones who were able to find and remove it. It's definitely nothing to play with!!!

Good luck....and I will say a prayer for your pupper. If she doesn't get better or they can't find anything, don't give up, bring her to a University related specialty hospital.

Good luck

Evelyn

[Harrybaby666]

I am really sorry to hear about Abby...I hope that she is doing better and you two will be back to having fun in no time...I know if it were Bandit, I would be DEVISTATED....I couldn't imagine losing him either...I definitely can tell you that he IS my family, so I know how you feel. I just wanted to add my support, even though I am late on this one. Take Care, and you and Abby are in my thoughts and prayers. Harrybaby666 :D :D :D

[Mary]

Bryan,

Do yourself, and Abby, a favor and give up the pinecones. I have three Granddogs, and if this had happened to one of them, our family would be in a state of medical emergency. I hope she continues to improve.
Please be careful on the road back to Nashville.

[Karlynn]

Bryan, I'm praying for Abby. Our beloved pets' unconditional love is something we are blessed to have. They are not "just animals" to us, are they.

[labguides]

Do keep us posted on your good friend. Dogs add so much to our lives.


Mindy with
Sami, Westie, age 9 ,certified therapy dog
Maggie, Wesite, age 7, certified therapy dog
Vashti, lab, guide dog school breeder, age 3, certified therapy dog
Beijing lab, guide dog school puppy, age 17 months, mischief maker

[gijanet]

for good measure. I'll be on the lookout for faux pinecones, (ie, rubber or vinyl or some other lovely artificial substance.) Please let us know how Abby is doing.

[Glenda]

Bryan, how awful! Boy you have had a year! I pray 2005 will be a much better one. I know how devastating it would be to loose Abby. My little dog will be 10 in June and she is slowing down so much. She can't see or hear well and she's got arthitis in her back legs. I know I will loose her someday but I don't want to think about it. I get so terribly close to my animal friends. My husband just the other day told me I should own a zoo, the way I love animals.

I will pray that she will get better. (and you too.)

[Bryan B]

Well I'm back in Nashville. Abby had a bad night last night...and it totally freaked me out. She woke up two different times wheezing uncontrollably. I gave her another Hycodan and she fell asleep on my arm (pushing her snout against it hard as if that was helping her to breathe better). She has been doing much better today. She rode with us to the airport, and when I got home I called my Mom and she said that she has continued to do well today. I like the idea of a rubber pinecone, but knowing Miss Abby like I do I bet she won't buy into the idea. :rolleyes: I guess the best idea is to take her to an area without pinecones to run and play...that's going to be hard to do in the Tarheel state...pine trees everywhere you go. I just hope she gets better. My Mom is convinced she is going to be ok but I'm still a little worried.

Since I named the topic "Misc." I'll continue on that theme. The airports were packed today! I'm glad I didn't wait until tomorrow to fly home...bet they will be even worse. It was a good day to fly weathwise though and we were only 15 minutes late taking off.

Has anyone experienced increaced itching of their scar with this cold weather? This is my first winter with the artwork on my chest and my scar has been itching like crazy during this cold spell.

Hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year! :)

[Kay]

Bryan,

So glad Abby is improving! Both of you have been in my prayers since I read your post yesterday. I can only imagine how panicked you've been when she's in such distress! Probably on a par with your own surgeries -- if not even higher!

My sister's poodle is in the hospital this week recovering from surgery. If anything happened to her, the whole family would fall apart. So lots of doggie prayers are going up this week!

Keep us posted on Abby.

Kay

[Karlynn]

So glad to hear Abby is doing better.

Keep putting lotion on your scar. The winter weather dehydrates skin badly and will cause the scar to itch. Even if your skin isn't visibly dry, it most likely is still pretty dry.

[Glenda]

Bryan funny you should mention the itching. My scar has been driving me crazy. I finally did start putting lotion on it today. Yesterday I put up large Tupperware boxes filled with Christmas decorations and today I have payed for it. I must have pulled a muscle or something. It hurts so bad at the very top of my sternum. Just a few minutes ago I took a Darvocet. I'm just waiting for it to kick in.

Have a safe and happy New Year. Hugs and prayers are coming your way.

[Bryan B]

Here's an update on Abby:

Dr. "K" (her vet) called today to let us know that the radiologist conferred that there is nothing in her lungs...very good news! Her culture came back positive for a staph infection and the antibiotic he put her on last week should knock it out. She will be on it for a total of 2 weeks. My Mom said that she seems to be acting more perky today and her appetite has improved as well. We have all agreed that we will have to find an alternative to pinecone tossing in the future, so let me know if any of you run across any "faux" pinecones (she prefers squeakers :D). Now I'm wondering if dogs can pass staph infections to humans (she's a very affectionate dog :o). If so I guess I'm going to have to find a vet here in Nashville for treatment. ;)

[gijanet]

and the infection/pine cone splinters is/are not in her lungs. Perky is good! Haven't found any faux pinecones, but am still looking...........haven't checked E-bay yet, though. Aren't they supposed to sell just about anything?

Try Gold Bond lotion (not the powder) for the itching. That or Cortizone, but Cortizone gets pretty expensive after a while. Hugs.

P.s. Yeah, and just try getting YOUR insurance to pay for a trip to the vet. :D

[Abbanabba]

Hi Bryan, I'm so glad to hear Abby seems to be back on the road to recovery! It's amazing just how big a part of your family your pets become - they really are like kids (..only they're happy with pinecones instead of playstations! :D ..). I hope she continues to improve and is pestering you to throw things for her again soon (..good luck with the search for a new toy..).

A : )

[Bryan B]

Pam,

I can't help you with what to expect, just wanted to return the well wishes for your friend's pooch. My aunt used to date a guy that had a Great Dane and he was a great dog too. It's amazing how such a big dog could possibly think he was a lap dog. :D

And we have had a long warm spell here in TN and the itching has completely disappeared, so it definitely must have been the cold dry weather that was causing it.

Anna,

Even when she wasn't feeling well she still wanted to go out and play catch with the pinecones. It's going to be interesting trying to "teach this old dog new tricks". :rolleyes: