Tully - lots of tests and now a diagnosis

I'm so sorry to hear you're going through this with Tully. Poor little girl. What did she get out of your training bag? Sending prayers and positive vibes for a quick recovery :hugs

P.S I'm with Tully when it comes to cattle dogs!
 
Caro said:
After a month of scans, tests and an endoscopy poor little Tully has a few diagnosis.

Tully has been sick for some time, basically at the same time as Deska so I've been very worried I'll lose her too. The Internist found she has moderate to severe IBD. Basically her intestines are very inflamed and scarred, which is causing allergies, sensitivities, and malabsorption. She will be on a high dose of prednisolone for a few months, then on a lower dose with another drug for a year or longer. And she's on a very strict, low fat, limited ingredient diet. I'll be putting baby locks on all the cupboards.

So Tully has what Deska had, except his progressed to cancer. We only found out about Tully because of Deska getting very sick and seeing the specialists; the same Internist is treating Tully. If only one vet, in all those years, the hundreds of consults and thousands of dollars had picked it up.

On top of that, we saw the ortho vet and she has severe arthritis in her right elbow - which is why she's having trouble walking. And her false hip is not aligned properly. Unfortunately, there's nothing she can take because of the IBD.

I am seriously reconsidering not getting another Sheltie. The ortho vet said arthritis is a big problem in Shelties and almost no breeders hip/elbow score. All the health issues are exhausting.
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:(( I'm sorry you have been through all of that with your Shelties.
 
Hannah said:
I'm so sorry to hear you're going through this with Tully. Poor little girl. What did she get out of your training bag? Sending prayers and positive vibes for a quick recovery :hugs
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It's the bag I use for teaching classes, so it has a mix of food to tempt the fussiest eaters. I know she got a bag of Royal Canin Educ (luckily low fat treat) and another bag of Ziwi Peak (40% fat). She may have gotten some dried duck I use for 'leave it', little pkt of peanut butter and a sample packet of Salmon kibble. Guess the steroids are also making her joints feel good, I think she climbed onto the wing chair and then the bookcase to reach the coat rack the bag was hanging off. Lucky she didn't have time to also get into the training box, which has lots more treats.

It was only a couple of weeks ago Tully was admitted for pancreatitis for the weekend, then admissions for tests this week and last week. It's the same place where Deska had his surgeries (and died) so they know me very well. I told them they should be dedicating a room to me!

I'll have to isolate her when I go out. Not sure how, my place is too small for crating, maybe lock her on back porch or a bedroom and hope the steroids don't make her need to toilet a lot. God a whole year of this. Anyone else with experience of long use of steroids and hunger issues?
 
I'm so sorry to hear about Tully, Caro...and that you may need the hospital again too! These Shelties are certainly resourceful...not always a good thing! I hope they can treat her easily and get her back to you without another crisis. Please take care of yourself too!
 
My last dog Daisy was a Cocker with major allergies. When she was roughly 12 or 13 the vet put her on a low dose of prednisone as well (she had so many ear infections).
She also had an incredible appetite because of the steroids and could reach almost anything. If she could smell it she'd do almost everything in her power to reach it! Those steroids made her hungry ALL the time! I would suggest you mince up some veggies (if she can handle that) to add to her food to try to satisfy that hunger...anything that'll help her to feel full longer.
That girl of mine got into sooo many things because of the steroids...I once came home and found she'd eaten a whack of specialty chocolates (wrappers and all)...had to give her peroxide to make her vomit!
The one side effect that was most unwanted (and one the vet refused to admit was caused by them) was recurring bladder infections! I was constantly taking her for urinalysis! She'd be on antibiotics for it and no sooner would we stop that she'd get another one, even did a clean urine draw and an X-ray on her bladder but couldn't find the reason. The last 6 months of her life I actually took her off of them and she didn't have another bladder infection. Keep an eye out for this!
Hopefully Tully won't need to be on them for too too long because they are really hard on the dog (Daisy was on them for over 2 years).
 
Caro said:
It's the bag I use for teaching classes, so it has a mix of food to tempt the fussiest eaters. I know she got a bag of Royal Canin Educ (luckily low fat treat) and another bag of Ziwi Peak (40% fat). She may have gotten some dried duck I use for 'leave it', little pkt of peanut butter and a sample packet of Salmon kibble. Guess the steroids are also making her joints feel good, I think she climbed onto the wing chair and then the bookcase to reach the coat rack the bag was hanging off. Lucky she didn't have time to also get into the training box, which has lots more treats.

It was only a couple of weeks ago Tully was admitted for pancreatitis for the weekend, then admissions for tests this week and last week. It's the same place where Deska had his surgeries (and died) so they know me very well. I told them they should be dedicating a room to me!

I'll have to isolate her when I go out. Not sure how, my place is too small for crating, maybe lock her on back porch or a bedroom and hope the steroids don't make her need to toilet a lot. God a whole year of this. Anyone else with experience of long use of steroids and hunger issues?
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Oh my goodness! Wow. I had no idea that steroids had that effect on a dog! Poor girl. How is she today?
 
Oh, Caro, I am so very sorry you are not well again and poor Tully is ill too! You guys have been through so much heartache last year and now this year! I was so hoping things would get better for you guys.

I also had no idea either that steroids made dogs hungry ALL the time!

Sending you virtual hugs and prayers that things take a turn for the better soon.
 
Tully was on steroids when she was young for her hayfever/grass allergies. That's when the bench-surfing, cupboard opening disasters happened - I'm sure some of them have been immortalised on SF. So I do know how bad she gets - just wasn't expecting it on the first day!
 
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