Meet Oliver

Welcome to Sheltie Nation…better late than never to introduce yourselves!:yes:
Love the pictures of Oliver…what a beautiful boy…and big!
Oliver is so lucky to have you, so many wouldn’t have done all you did for him!
I’ve been lucky in that my two older boys both have no gallbladder issues however Piper did have squamous cell cancer of his jaw in September of 2024. These Sheltie’s just amaze me…their strength and resilience knows no bounds!
I do use medicinal mushrooms (I use a local brand), a blend of cancer fighting/immune boosting as well as Chaga (I buy the chunks and make a tea that all the dogs get with every meal). My youngest had recently had an issue with her paw (unknown origin)…possible allergy (she’s never had any problems prior and is now 5) so I started her on medicinal mushrooms for skin support and 2 weeks on and I haven’t seen her going after any of her paws. Definitely a good sign as she’d turned her back paw pink (from the saliva) from licking it!
Medicinal mushrooms are useful for many different conditions and I wouldn’t be without them in my repertoire of aids for my dogs!
Piper also had elevated liver enzymes about 7 months ago and after 2 rechecks and milkweed daily in between blood work his liver enzymes were back to normal…a big relief because I worry so much about him!
I would definitely recommend you get his thyroid checked, a Sheltie thyroid does tend to run higher so when they get a ‘low’ normal it’s a red flag however many veterinarian’s miss this.
Here’s a link to a post from a member here from 2022…even vet’s when presented with all the information sometimes balk at prescribing thyroid medication so make sure you have all the information you need.
Jess041

Thread 'Thyroid Issues'

Back at the end of July, Missy was incredibly itchy and I took her to the vet to see if it was allergies or whatnot. The vet said she had a yeast infection in her groin area and pointed out that Missy's coat felt extremely course and dry. I hadn't really noticed it changing, but my vet has owned shelties for many years so she would know what is normal course and not normal. I had my friend groom Missy later that week and asked her what she thought of Missy's coat condition, and she agreed it was on the dry side. And a friend reminded me that those are signs of thyroid issues.

Fast forward...
  • Like
And Dr. Jean Dodds is renowned for her work in thyroid testing. You can get Dr.Dodds (Hemopet) to analyze your dog’s bloodwork results as well.
hemopet.org

FAQs or Common Misconceptions about the Canine Thyroid | Hemopet

Frequently asked questions about canine thyroid disorder center around: signs of canine hypothyroid disorder; canine thyroid testing; and, medication.
hemopet.org
And of course Illinois Sheltie Rescue also has a whole page on low thyroid in Sheltie’s
www.illinoissheltierescue.com

CISR - Low Thyroid in Shelties

Low Thyroid is one of the most common ailments in Shelties, yet it goes undiagnosed most of the time. Read more here....
www.illinoissheltierescue.com www.illinoissheltierescue.com
Good luck and welcome to the best Sheltie community around!🥰
 
Sandy in CT said:
Oliver is one handsome boy! We have a bi-black as well and just love him; reactive, jumps like a mexican jumping bean (new trick - he jumps on command ), ours does not have a heavy coat either - he has more undercoat though and less of an overcoat. Our bi-blue has a massive overcoat and not much of an undercoat.

I hope you find some answers. Glad you shared your story of Oliver; I hope to hear more!
Click to expand...
Thank you Sandy, he’s a handsome little guy and he knows it, I say he’s quite the little flirt at the vet sometimes.

Usually he has more of an undercoat and doesn’t have much this “winter” (we’re in Southern California so things aren’t so wintery right now) and because of the changes in texture in some areas is what has us puzzled.
 
Checking thyroid is a great idea. Ruffles is on thyroid meds so I know her problem isn't that, but it's important to rule out in Shelties. As Lisa said, be sure your vet knows that Shelties read differently than other breeds; some vets don't. I print out the Illinois Sheltie Rescue page and bring it with me...it's the most informative site on the topic. I'm sure you'll get to the bottom of things!
 
olliesmama24 said:
Hello everyone,

I know I joined last year and sorry for not introducing us sooner. I joined because I love how supportive you all are, this is truly a blessing and wonderful Sheltie community.

I would love to introduce you to Oliver. He is 6 year old male who has had quite the adventure since we brought him home in 2019. Little guy (I say little but he is a big boy from his litter, currently weighing 39lbs), is light of our life. The first two years of life he struggled with stomach issues, vomiting almost weekly, after putting him on Royal Canine Gastrointestinal dry food, he stopped vomiting and put on weight. Surprise, Surprise the endoscopy done during this time also revealed Oliver was born with one kidney.

Reactive little guy that is full of life, stronger than most realize and has a bark that will stop grown adults in their tracks Lol.

October of 2024 our vet found Oliver had a hernia on his right rear side. This was moment the rollercoaster ride began. The surgery consult revealed that not only did he have a hernia, he had one testicle that was larger than the other, gallbladder mucocele, and node on his adrenal gland. Surgeon did a UCCR to rule cushings and it came back negative and proceeded with a triple surgery in November. It was the biggest fight little guy had to go through but it got through it all beautifully. January 2025 recheck showed he was healing incredibly well, another UCCR was done just to be sure, again came back negative.

We had noticed he was eating better than he was prior to surgery and drinking a tad more, plus he had a UTI, and elevated liver values and we decided to meet with an internal specialist who after reading all of Oliver 90+ medical records suspected cushings and we agreed to ACTH test and it also came back negative. Remember, I said Oliver is reactive, well he likes to jump against doors and pull with all his might while on a harness, this led to should injury. Orthopedic surgeon recommended electro shockwave therapy and PRP. Oliver went through 3 rounds March-May. Along the way he had another stubborn UTI that required a long dose of Calvamox. UTI was gone but there was still protein in the urine, we got second opinion from another internal specialist because our primary one kept insisting he had Cushings, even after 3 negative tests. Second opinion didn’t believe he had Cushings because of two negative UCCRs. He’s on telmisartan to reduce the protein in his urine.

We’ve noticed that he doesn’t have much of an undercoat, some hair looks dull or wispy, not sure what’s the cause. Planning to take him for a full bloodwork but it’s always hard to see any changes in our little guy.

I know this is a longer introduction than expected but Oliver’s story is one that I wanted to share because when you look into his happy, silly face I’m always in awe about what he’s been through and what a fighter he has been.
Click to expand...
Velcomen to you and Oliver
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top