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Big mouth dog expert, heal thyself’s dog
By Christie Keith
September 22, 2007
So, of course, if someone else has a serious health issue with their dogs, I’m full of helpful advice. I have tons of information at my fingertips, and know where to find the stuff that I don’t.
But when it’s our own dogs who are sick, sometimes it’s not so easy.
My dog Rebel has had a lot of health challenges in his life, starting at around the age of 7 when he was diagnosed with cystinuria, a genetic kidney defect that’s emerging as a serious problem in his breed, Scottish Deerhounds. I’ve had one previous dog with this condition, and actually own the Canine Cystinuria website and email list. It’s an extremely rare disease, and it’s unlikely you’ll ever need this information, but if you do… it’s all there.
Then a few months ago, Rebel started putting on weight, even though I hadn’t reduced his exercise or increased his food. I cut back on his portions — and I use a food scale, so it wasn’t just guesswork — and started taking him for a few more free-running sessions, but the only result was he started begging obsessively for food, and even eating food off the ground, something he’d never done before. I mean, dogs don’t usually pick up new habits at the age of 8, do they?
So I dragged him off to the vet, who ran a battery of tests, the upshot of which was, he has Cushings. Over the years I’ve sent a lot of owners to Heidi Schmeck’s monumental Canine Cushings resource site and email list, and I’ve belonged to it myself for years. I felt really knowledgeable and totally able to discuss his condition, and absolutely pissed off and miserable that I had to.
Then there’s the bladder infection problem — both Cushings and cystinuria leave dogs prone to chronic urinary tract infections, which means Rebel has had his share and the UTIs of about ten other dogs in his life. And naturally, I’ve written about this, you know… once or twice.
Over the 26 years I’ve been involved with Scottish Deerhounds, I’ve known perhaps a hundred dogs to have impacted anal glands. It appears to be a fairly common problem in our breed, mostly in males. But never once has a dog of mine suffered with it.
Until last week, when Rebel did. Of course. So now we’re coping with that and believe me when I tell you… eeuuwww. The only thing I can say is that I won’t be referring you to any websites about this condition.
No, what I apparently need now is a website for people whose dogs are cursed. Got one to recommend?
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HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF SUPRGLAN? IT IS AN ALL NATURAL TREATMENT FOR CANINE CUSHINGS DISEASE. IT SEEMS TO MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
Comment by SANDI STEEVES — September 23, 2007 @ 2:06 pm
SUPRGLAN CAN BE FUND ON THE INTERNET. I FORGOT TO MENTION THIS PREVIOUSLY. MY DOG WAS TESTED FOR CUSHINGS SOME TIME AGO [ABOUT 18 MO AGO], BUT IT WAS EITHER TOO EARLY AND HADN’T SHOWN UP OR SHE DIDN’T HAVE IT. THE VET THOUGHT SHE MIGHT BE GOING TO DEVELOP IT. HOWEVER, SHE DEVELOPED MANY OF THE SYMPTOMS LATER [EXCESSIVE THIRST, RAVENOUS APPETITE, HAIR LOSS ON HER ELBOWS AND END OF TAIL, INTOLERANT OF HEAT, SOME LOSS OF MUSCLE TONE IN HER BACK LEGS] SO I PUT HER ON SUPRGLAN. WHEN I FOUND IT ON THE INTERNET. SHE IS 13 1/2 YEARS OLD AND SEEMS MUCH BETTER NOW.
Comment by SANDI STEEVES — September 23, 2007 @ 2:20 pm
I have never heard of it, and it doesn’t come up on Google, so you must be spelling it wrong, but I have a holistic vet and Rebel is already on an effective integrative treatment program, so it’s probably not something I’d be interested in.
However, I’d be glad to give my opinion if you were able to give me the correct name of the supplement. Just be aware, I’m pretty brutal when I think something is being irresponsibly marketed or is snake oil.
Comment by Christie Keith — September 23, 2007 @ 4:03 pm
Hi Christie, Sorry to hear Rebel has been under the weather, hope he feels better now.
I have book marked the Cystinuria page. I was health chair for Bulldog Club Of America’s health committee and pushed to have BCA participate in and contribute funding to Dr Henthorne’s study. I was also able (unfotunately), to personally contribute DNA samples from several dogs who were affected or first generation relatives. It’s a miserable disease. As with Deerhounds, the vast majority of affected dogs are male. Although the lines I am currently involved with are not known to be carriers, I will be relieved when we have a marker and screening test.
Comment by Jennifer J — September 23, 2007 @ 9:22 pm
Wow, Jennifer! I was glad to see BCA had contributed to Dr. Henthorn’s research. Sadly, I would say at the moment unless one of the breed clubs does some major, major pushing and fundraising, the search for a marker and test is dead in the water. I’m extremely depressed about the research right now.
I was on the board of directors of the Scottish Deerhound Club of America for two terms, and we funded research during that time and it seemed to be really important to the breed, but now it’s as if many people just want to shove their heads deep in the sand and not think about it. The amount of complacency and false information, acting as if because we don’t know everything we know nothing at all, drives me insane.
Comment by Christie Keith — September 23, 2007 @ 10:29 pm
I didn’t know cats had anal glands until Tom had issues. One day he would not let me touch his back near his tail, so I forced him to let me look. I said, “That looks expensive!” and off we went to the vet. This helped when Sassy had her problem. Sassy was worse though- her gland exploded through the wall of her skin, when I picked her up. So you got a lot of sympathy from me on the yuck factor. Fortunately, both cats are better.
Comment by Georg — September 24, 2007 @ 5:22 am
Christie—
First: my sympathies about Rebel. Second: you are my favorite big mouth dog expert. Third: let me know if you find that website for people with cursed dogs—I have a couple of Scottish Terriers whose ills qualify me for participation.
Comment by Lisa — September 24, 2007 @ 7:03 am
My own dog had been diagnosed with Cushing’s. I was fortunate enough to meet Dr. Martin Goldstein at a book signing. He told me what to get for Hammer was the drugs from the vet weren’t working. I bought what I needed at GNC (phosphytidyl serine - still can’t spell it much less pronounce it), and Hammer never was bothered by the disease again. He died from bladder cancer about 8 years after being diagnosed with Cushings. I have read that terriers (especially Scottish terriers - Hammer was a terrier mix) are prone to problems with the bladder.
I’m sorry about your precious dog. Their attitude is often the key to a happy life.
Comment by Carol — September 24, 2007 @ 7:28 am
Christie, BCA Charitable Fund is meeting next week and I hope to get an update on research and funding requests from UPenn, I’ll let you know if anything promising comes of it.
It’s a challenge to keep the money flowing when the results aren’t guarranteed.
Comment by Jennifer J — September 24, 2007 @ 8:03 am
Carol—
Scottish Terriers have 20x the incidence of TCC exhibited by any other breed. Scotties also have a high incidence of Cushing’s Syndrome. I believe they two maladies are related and that both relate back to a hereditary metabolic fault that makes the breed particularly susceptible to hormone disrupters. A bladder cancer study performed at Purdue a few years ago pointed squarely at herbicide exposure as one cause of TCC in Scotties. Many living things—including human beings—suffer a panoply of diseases owing to the deleterious effects of estrogen mimics, which are ubiquitous in modern life. And about PS: You’ll find many testimonials to its effectiveness on the CanineCushings-AutoimmuneCare list.
Comment by Lisa — September 24, 2007 @ 8:27 am
Hammer was my “foster” dog. Sure - would anyone think I would give him back? I had him since he was about 3 or 4. He developed bladder stones shortly after I adopted him. Had successful surgery and never seemed bothered by any other bladder problems until developing cancer in the beginning of 1995. I saw the Purdue study about the correlation between outdoor chemicals and bladder cancer, especially in terriers. I personally never use the stuff on my lawns, but my neighbor is a lawn fanatic. Lord knows what ended up on her property. His Cushings was never much of a factor as it was successfully controlled by the over-the-counter item mentioned before. I will check out the web site. Glad to know the PS is more accepted now than it was when I started it.
Comment by Carol — September 24, 2007 @ 9:34 am
Any updates on UPENN research for Cystinuria in dogs other than Scottish Deerhounds? Tried to search their site and not much turned up.
Comment by Lost for Words — September 24, 2007 @ 10:35 am
Oh, Christie, I am so sorry to hear about Rebel’s latest troubles.
Comment by Cate — September 24, 2007 @ 5:51 pm
Carol: I would like to hear more about treating Cushings Disease with Phosphytidyl Serine. There is a GNC store in this area so I assume they carry this. Mainly I am wondering what is the dosage and how often, etc.
Comment by Jean Cordell — April 13, 2008 @ 7:31 am
Hi, Jean.
You can find all the information on that subject that you could want if you join the Canine Cushings list:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/g.....mmuneCare/
Comment by Christie Keith — April 13, 2008 @ 9:43 am
Hi, I came across http://www.petconnection.com/b.....selfs-dog/ when looking for blogs on canine bladder cancer.
My dog Jack has recently been diagnosed with this. I have been trying a few things, like apricot kernals, ect and two weeks on he seems to be doing okay. I have avoided the treatment tablets the vet offered as he said that they would not “cure” it just offer more time, and they come with possible horrendous side effects. I am tracking what I am doing for Jack on my blog. I am interested in what others are doing for their dogs, its why I am writing to you. I hope REbel is still with you …
Godlove to all
love and light
Gina
Comment by Gina — July 28, 2008 @ 1:21 am