January 31st, 2009 by admin

I would have been hard pressed to be able to do so much for my rescue effort of an MVD dog on my own. Thanks to all the concern and help from the members of the Dog Liver Disease (DLD) group. They take rescue very seriously and as a result many dogs’ lives have been saved and even more sick dogs have enjoyed better quality of life and increased lifespans.

If you have a dog with liver disease or you know someone who does, they are not alone and there is hope for managing the condition. Help is a click away at:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/DogLiverDisease/

January 27th, 2009 by admin

Ok – I finally have a moment to post a photo of the water-loving Havanese, “Mac”. He’s vacationing in Florida with his people-parents, who took him boating.

Mom, Dad, THIS IS THE BEST!

It’s amazing to see how much Mac enjoys life, even when his symptoms are troubling, like the head tremors he has been experiencing on and off for the last several weeks. Every time I see a photo of Mac living life to the fullest in spite of his health issues, I know that I want to be more like him.

Bonnie says that until recently, the longest head tremor lasted about two minutes (about a week and a half ago). She describes them as a “light head movement, back and forth, back and forth.”

Then after a several tremor-free days, he had a longer lasting episode on Wednesday, January 21. Bonnie said it happened “on and off” (9-10 seconds on, 4-5 seconds off) for about four minutes. I know she’s frustrated because she has tirelessly explored the causes with numerous vets, hospitals, testing, and spent as much time managing his various chronic health issues with special diets, supplements, medication and care.

He recently saw a Holistic Vet and I think he’s getting acupuncture. Bonnie may also be taking him to a neurologist. She’s been an active presence on the Dog Liver Disease (DLD) Yahoo Group, so I know the great care he is getting from Mom.

Like other dogs with chronic health issues and special needs, the best care and vigilance cannot provide a cure or even a symptom-free life, but it can greatly improve the dog’s quality of life and often extends his lifespan many times over.

Mac is living proof of a well-managed special needs dog who continues to live and love with enthusiasm.

(Mac the water and fun-loving Havanese, diagnosed Sept 2007 with MVD, Microvascular Dysplasia, and Severe Fibrosis. Born 12-16-05)

January 26th, 2009 by admin

I spent the whole day Sunday, 1/25/09, New Year’s Eve, either eating delicious Chinese food (lots of seafood), out with my parents or on the phone with my sisters.

It was the first day I wasn’t physically attached to my laptop. Today is New Year’s Day. I’m planning on going to the gym. Thankfully I have two chances to make resolutions every year. Hey, you can celebrate Chinese New Year too. It’s really just a calendar based on the lunar year. May you enjoy prosperity, peace and health all year long.

January 24th, 2009 by admin

PREFACE
This story is a bit long, but it’s one worth telling. It’s a story of the gift of life, made possible by loving commitment and determination. In the case of dogs, the rewards are almost always worth it and then some!

Sheree is an active member of the Dog Liver Disease (DLD) Yahoo Group, who shares her liver disease experiences and advice freely and generously. She has two Yorkies, both with liver shunts, who are now “alive and well and living in the suburbs”.

The stories below are told by Sheree with minimal editing by me.

FIRST THERE WAS GABBY
She came into our lives as a puppy full of health and energy. At about four months of age, she started having bouts of vomiting and stomach pain. Poor little Gabby would roll around and cry, or would vomit so much in a short time that she appeared lifeless.

Miss Pet Appeal 2001 (Gabby the playful puppy)

This is a frequent pose of Gabby’s to this day,  especially when she’s asking to play! Little did we know at this time that she would become so sick.  She was always such a sweet dog.

Misdiagnosis after misdiagnosis, vet after vet, the problems kept resurfacing every few weeks. We finally thought she would have some stability after she was diagnosed with IBD (Irritable Bowel Disease) and put on special canned food, but when we took her to Florida with us, she became very sick towards the end of the two-week stay.

One night she vomited over and over in the middle of the night while we were in an unfamiliar place. We found an animal emergency room open and took her in. They gave her some fluids and we left with her about an hour later, but she got sick again almost as soon as we were back in bed.

By that time, it was almost morning, so we found a vet hospital nearby where they immediately put her on an IV and gave her medication to alleviate her symptoms. We left her there to have blood work done and fluids replenished.

When we returned, the vet told us Gabby might have a liver shunt based on her blood work, symptoms and history. That was the first time we’d heard the words “Liver Shunt”!

When we got back to Michigan, I made it my mission to get to the bottom of Gabby’s health issues once and for all. I researched liver shunts online, resulting in my taking Gabby to the MSU veterinary teaching hospital. There she had the amroid constrictor ring put on in 2003. She was two years old.

One year later, she was sick again! We took her back to MSU. She had blown another shunt! They performed the surgery to close off the shunt, and we came home with a “guarded” prognosis. Little did I know that blowing new shunts, could and would continue to happen. At the time I was not aware of the medical management and supplements that I now know about from the DLD group.

I found the Liver Shunt group in August 2007 and started Gabby on the recommended supplements and proper food and diet. Thanks to the DLD group and especially Olga’s (the founder and head moderator) support and advice, Gabby has been enjoying the best health since her symptoms began. I only wish I had known about the group when Gabby was first sick and diagnosed. The support and information would have provided us with much needed help and saved us from a lot of extra time and grief.

Gabby is now 8-years old and as loved as she is spoiled (in the best way possible of course).

THEN THERE WAS HARLEY
Harley was a 3-year old Yorkie rescue from Illinois that needed liver shunt surgery. He was very sick and had severe aggression issues, which is  a common symptom of Hepatic Encephalopathy (HE). Harley was transported to Michigan where Olga fostered him until he was stable enough to have the liver shunt surgery and amroid constrictor ring put on in November 2007. He did well after the surgery, eating the prescribed low protein RCH (Royal Canin Hepatic) kibble, taking antibiotics and a number of supplements.

When I first saw pictures of Harley, known as “Charlie” at the time, I fell in love with him. There was something about his eyes that haunted me. I couldn’t stop thinking about him and convinced my husband to consider him for adoption. After all, we were already familiar with LS and the related issues, and this little guy needed a forever home where he could get the love and care he needed and deserved.

We took Gabby with us to meet Harley and Olga for the first time at a nearby park. All went well and my husband not only agreed to adopt him, but he has been as committed to making Harley a part of our family as I was! He even considers Harley “his” dog.

When Harley came to live with us at the beginning of May 2008, boy was he a challenge! He was a sweet dog much of the time but could turn aggressive (“turn Cujo” as we would say) in a heartbeat. I knew Olga had said he was aggressive and that he had bitten her on several occasions, but I was not prepared for anything like this! After months of patience, work and several pretty bad dog bites, I am pleased to say that Harley has turned out to be one great little dog! It has taken persistence and love, but he now completely trusts us and I believe he knows we love him and that he is in his forever home.

I recently sent Harley’s first foster mom in Illinois some pictures of him, and let her know how great he’s been doing. His pictures and update are now on the “Pet Wall” at PETCO where she works. Needless to say, she was thrilled to hear about Harley.

Gabby, however, wasn’t so sure about Harley in the beginning, especially when he had aggression episodes.

Gabby (front) and Harley (top) Sunning

They co-exist quite well now. In fact, I think having Harley with us has made Gabby more confident and comfortable around other dogs. She has also benefited from the additional supplements that Harley was taking as they’ve been added to her diet as well. They are getting closer together, but slowly, an inch at a time.

See "the 3-inch gap"

Having two LS Yorkies is a challenge and comes with added responsibility and expense, but the unconditional love Gabby and Harley give us is amazing and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. Gabby is my little heart-and-soul dog. We’ve been through so much together. And Harley’s story and transformation is amazing because it is a story of many caring people coming together to give a sick dog a chance at a good life.

Face-to-Face, almost touching

Look at him now! This photos shows him checking out Gabby, who loves to float on “her” raft in the pool.

January 24th, 2009 by admin

Hepatic Encephalopathy, or “HE” is most simply described as brain disorders due to liver disease. I posted more info on HE a couple posts down.

Some of Daisy’s recent HE symptoms include shaking after a meal, aggression, glassy eyes and lethargy. The reason such neurological symptoms are expressed by dogs with liver disease is because damaged livers cannot efficiently clear the blood of toxins or proteins. When toxins remaining in the bloodstream travel to the brain, they cause the neurological symptoms.

A restricted low protein diet reduces the amount of protein in the blood and thus reduces the load on the liver. If the damaged liver can handle the reduced load, then the blood can stay relatively toxin free so that HE symptoms will be less likely to develop. Efforts to manage the liver disease condition and symptoms can make all the difference in a dog’s quality of life as well as his or her lifespan, but even the best efforts will not provide a cure or a symptom-free life.

Understandably, dogs on such restricted diets are often hungry. In Daisy’s case, her owner let me know that Daisy acts like a dog that hasn’t seen food in a year. Daisy’s vet suggested supplementing meals with natural pumpkin, which is low in protein and may help her feel more full. White potato soaked in water to remove potassium and phosphates, then boiled in new water and cooled was another recommended food by members of the Dog Liver Disease (DLD) group.

January 22nd, 2009 by admin

Dixie Belle was a beloved Bichon Frise who was as much part of her family as any other member. She was also the constant and loyal companion of my friend Mary Beth. I always smiled when I saw the two of them walking briskly all over our little town in Colorado, which was pretty much every day.

Here is a lovely portrait of Mary Beth and Dixie:

Although Dixie was very sick in her last months, she was gracious and loving to the end. I present Mary Beth’s words here, minimally edited, which give us a poignant and touching remembrance of Dixie Belle:

I could write tomes about how special Dixie was to us, how she changed our lives for the better, how she saved us from petty arguments by just running into the room at the right time, and how she sat next to me with her head in my lap when she knew I was lonely.

I spent much more time with Dixie than I did with Wayne in the 12 years we had her. When he was in New Orleans for 2-1/2 years, she was pretty much all I had. As you know so well, these wonderful little four-footed hairy people bring joy to us in a way that only they can do. They don’t judge, pout, or talk back. They just want our love, and even when they don’t get it, they continue to be loyal and devoted.

Dixie had what the doctor believed to be a cancerous tumor(s) on her spleen. He said surgery would not return her to her normal life though it might extend it. We opted to not put her through it.

She suffered her first episode in October 2008. Internal bleeding resulted in a blood count of 45. The normal range for dogs is 200-500, I think. Amazingly, she recovered, and seemed to have completely regained her energy and personality.

Then on Thanksgiving, during her late night trip outside, her gums turned gray and she collapsed in the snow. We took her to bed, put her between us, and spent the next several hours crying, thinking that each breath was her last. Again, she revived, and again left us befuddled but overjoyed with her recovery.

Finally, on December 10, 2008, after an active but short morning walk, breakfast, and a romp with me, she collapsed, breathing with great difficulty.  She died in my arms about half an hour later, maintaining her sweet personality through it all.

This little dog should be an inspiration to humans.  Death with dignity takes on a whole new meaning.  I can only hope to be as brave when it’s time for me to meet her in heaven.  And speaking of Heaven, if dogs aren’t there, then I don’t want to go!

She is buried in our backyard garden under a little yard plaque that says, “One is nearer God’s heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth.”  We couldn’t think of a better epitaph.  She has to be in God’s heart now because there’s such a huge hole in mine.  I don’t think it’s just weird chance that DOG is the mirror image of GOD.



We love you Dixie Belle! (1996-2008)

January 22nd, 2009 by admin

HE stands for Hepatic Encephalopathy, the “behavioral, psychological, and neurological changes associated with advanced liver disease.” (answers.com)

Hepatic: “Of, relating to, or resembling the liver. Acting on or occurring in the liver.” (answers.com)Encephalopathy: any disorder or disease of the brain (wordnet.princeton.edu)

en·ceph·a·lop·a·thy \inˌsefəˈläpə-thē\ (merriam-webster.com)

Damaged livers do not have the capacity to rid the blood of toxins. Those toxins remain in the bloodstream, reaching the brain, and subsequently causing HE.

Petplace.com has a good write-up on HE, which I excerpt here:

Hepatic encephalopathy is a neuropsychiatric disorder that occurs in animals and people with advanced liver disease. While any severe liver disease can lead to HE, portosystemic shunts in dogs  (where blood is diverted around the liver) are the most likely disorder to produce HE symptoms. About 95% of animals with portosystemic shunts show signs of HE.HE is often expressed in a range of neurologic abnormalities. The first signs are usually behavioral. At first, the changes are subtle. As the disorder progresses, the signs become more obvious. Symptoms may be triggered by a meal. They often come and go, also varying in degree of seriousness.

A grading system has been modified from human medicine, for use in animals. In this system animals with HE are graded on a scale of 1 to 4.

• Grade 1. Listlessness, depression, mental dullness, personality changes, excessive urination.

• Grade 2. Staggering or incoordination, disorientation, compulsive pacing or circling, head pressing, apparent blindness, personality changes, salivation or drooling and excessive urination.

• Grade 3. Stupor, severe salivation and seizures, although uncommon, are present.

• Grade 4. Coma

Other symptoms may include: collapse or weakness, hyperactivity, head or muscle tremors, and/or  deafness.

January 19th, 2009 by admin

The ALT blood test is one of the usual tests done in a series of tests when liver disease is suspected.

ALT stands for “Alanine aminotransferase”, an enzyme important in liver function.

A high amount of ALT found in the blood is often an indicator of liver damage or inflammation. Even though the ALT test is considered to be a sensitive test for liver disease, high ALT levels in the blood can be caused by many different conditions, such as lead poisoning, drug reactions, shock, etc. For this reason, other testing is typically done in order to better interpret the ALT test.

The reason a high amount of ALT appears in damaged livers is because liver cells release this enzyme into the bloodstream when they are damaged. Although an abnormally high level of ALT in the bloodstream is greater in damaged livers, it may or may not correlate with the seriousness of the liver disease or predict what the outcome or course of the disease will be.

Shaili’s ALT level: 783 **HIGH**
Normal ALT range: (14-151 U/L)

What is the unit U/L?

U/L is “Units per Liter”
• A unit is an arbitrary amount agreed upon by scientists and doctors.
• A liter is a measure of volume that is slightly larger than a quart.

References: “Symptoms and Diagnosis of Liver Disorders in Dogs” by Veterinary & Aquatic Services Dept., Drs. Foster & Smith web site;  www.peteducation.com; Web MD; and www.gastromd.com.

January 17th, 2009 by admin

Providing the explanation took much longer than expected. I did numerous rewrites, checked my facts, had my sister who is a microbiologist proof it, and read it to various people to see if it was easily understood.

The sister who proofed it is the one who has the 1.5 year-old son with no functional small intestine and a liver that was failing. The link about baby Bo is in the side bar under “My Nephew’s Rare Disease”

I have not done the ALT or bilirubin write-ups yet, but they’re coming. Please note that the BAT is usually one of several tests in a panel of tests for liver disease.

Back to the BILE ACID TEST (BAT). First, if you haven’t seen Shaili, the athletic Pug, she is featured two posts down. Her recent blood work came back with some high Bile Acid Test numbers:

Fasting Bile Acid Test (BAT):
Shaili’s result: 13.4 µmol/L **HIGH**
Normal range: (0.0-12.0) µmol/L

2HRS Bile Acid Test (BAT):
Shaili’s result: 44 µmol/L **HIGH**
Normal range: 5.0-25.0 µmol/L

“But what does this all mean?!” you ask?

Most dogs are given the BAT to determine if there is a problem with their liver, or if another test they had done for liver disease was inconclusive.

For instance, as in Shaili’s case, if liver disease is suspected, but the biliruben test shows normal levels, the BAT is run because it is a more sensitive test for liver damage.

The BAT result numbers show how much bile acid is in the blood stream at the time each blood sample was taken.

1) On an empty stomach (no food for 12 hours)
2) Two hours after a (high-fat) meal is eaten

A high amount of bile acids in either blood sample means the liver is not adequately doing it’s job of pulling bile acids out of the bloodstream, which indicates liver damage.

The bile acid level in the blood sample two hours after the meal should only be slightly higher than the bile acid level before the meal because a healthy liver is able to remove most of the bile acids after two hours.

When a dog eats, food going into his body is in part “digested” by the bile acids that break down fats. Those bile acids are initially released from the gall bladder into the intestine to help with digestion.

After the food is digested, the bile acids go into the blood stream where the liver retrieves them and returns them to the gall bladder for storage until the next meal. This is why some articles state that the liver “recycles” bile acids.

Here is a simplified progression of the events upon feeding the dog:

1) The dog eats, triggering bile acids to be released from the gall bladder into the intestines2) While in the intestines, the bile acids help digest the food and break down fats from the meal

3) After the food has been digested, the bile acids in the intestines move into the bloodstream

4a) At this point, a properly and fully functioning liver would efficiently take the bile acids out of the bloodstream and return them to the gall bladder to be released and used again at the next meal.

4b) If the liver is damaged and not functioning properly, it will not be able to remove the bile acids at a normal rate, so the blood sample taken will show a high level of bile acids in it.

Upon eating, the body triggers the release of BA from the gallbladder into the intestine, where it helps break down fats ingested. Once the food is digested, the BA goes back into the bloodstream where it is recaptured by the liver.

Even though this test is a good indicator of liver disease, the results do not provide information on how severe the damage is, what caused the damage, whether the liver can recover and what the expected outcome would be.

Shaili’s “Fasting” Bile Acid Test is a bit higher than the normal range, and her “2-Hour” BAT level was double or more than levels in the normal range. Look at these results again along with the BAT results for a Pug Puppy that likely has a liver shunt:

Fasting Bile Acid Test (BAT):
Normal range: (0.0-12.0) µmol/L
Shaili’s result: 13.4 µmol/L **HIGH**
Pug Pup with suspected liver shunt: 287 **VERY HIGH** This is 21 times Shaili’s BAT level

2HRS Bile Acid Test (BAT):
Normal range: 5.0-25.0 µmol/L
Shaili’s result: 44 µmol/L **HIGH**
Pug Pup with suspected liver shunt: 1877 **VERY HIGH** This is over 42 times Shaili’s BAT level

UNITS DEMYSTIFIED:
• “µmol/L”  is  “micromoles per Liter”
• A mole (mol) is an amount of a substance that contains a large number (6 followed by 23 zeros) of molecules or atoms.
• A micromole (µmol) is one-millionth of a mole. (definition from Healthwise web site)

A note about the Pug puppy above. If this puppy does have a liver shunt and it is operable, it actually has a chance of living a good quality of life as well as enjoying a longer or even normall life span given that it’s condition is managed by proper diet and supplements.

If you are looking for more information, a support group, and practical advice from experienced dog liver disease moderators, please visit the Dog Liver Disease (DLD) Yahoo Group. You are not alone if you have a dog with liver disease or suspected liver disease. There you will find hope and help for managing the condition, reducing the symptoms, and increasing the livespan of your dog..

January 16th, 2009 by admin

Yesterday…today… it’s all starting to look the same to me!

I am currently waiting for more news on Daisy and also waiting for text and photos to come in for some the dogs of the frequent posters on the Dog Liver Disease (DLD) Group. In the meantime, you really have to see this picture of Shaili.

Kelly, the mom of Shaili (pronouced “shay-lee”) also sent me some info on her little athlete to go with the action photo of her below. Apparently she is at the top of her breed in agility which is pretty cool.

Shaili goes for it!

Kelly and Shaili are new members on the DLD group since Shaili’s recent blood work came back with some high Blie Acid Test (BAT) numbers and high ALT (Alanine aminotransferase).

“But what does this mean”, you ask. Well, I’m going to have to explain in another post. I did the research to find explanations in plain english, but then the post ended up being way too long, so just know for now that the results indicate that the liver isn’t fully functioning properly due to damage or dimished capacity.

I promise to post more info using Shaili’s stats, but I don’t have it in me right now.

Kelly wrote in her email to me that they rescued Shaili from “a less than ideal situation” and shares with us Shaili’s other health conditions as well as the agility work and play they have, and still do, enjoy together:

“[Shaili] is my “heart” dog and incredibly special to me. She has had her share of medical issues including luxating patella surgery, tooth extractions, Mast Cell tumor removals and severe hip dysplasia. However, she has always been a busy little thing, so I decided to try agility with her back in 2000, and she has since earned 100 agility titles (including several Championship Titles) in multiple agility organizations.

I tell her I love her every day and we will still play agility as long as she feels good. So far she has just been diagnosed with high ALT and elevated Biles Acid, so we are taking it day by day …we are cautiously optimistic that she will be OK and with us for many more years!!”

Kelly is understandably confused, because even after receiving the results from the Bile Acid Test (BAT), she doesn’t know exactly what is wrong with Shaili’s liver. From what I can tell from the reading I have done, the test does indicate liver disease but is not enough to show how severe it is, exactly what kind of liver disease it is, and what the prognosis is. Shaili is getting an ultrasound next week. If another step is needed after that it is often a liver biopsy.

Although Kelly reports that Shaili “is acting completely normal, great appetite, very active, doing all her normal stuff,” the symptoms may not express themselves until the condition worsens. The good news is that Kelly may have caught the disease in a relatively early stage and can manage the condition with the help of the DLD group so that it doesn’t get worse, and may even improve her liver functioning by putting less of a load on it with proper diet and supplements.

The reason the BAT was done was probably because her bilirubin count was normal. Mike Richards, DVM, states on his web site that “When there is reason to be suspicious of liver disease but bilirubin levels are normal or close to normal, then bile acid testing can be very useful since it is a more sensitive indicator of diminished liver capacity.” Will have to define “bilirubin” later too! (http://www.vetinfo4dogs.com/dlivtest.html Tests for Liver Disease in Dogs)

I hope everyone enjoyed meeting Shaili and learned a little bit more about liver disease in dogs.

January 11th, 2009 by admin

I am so glad that Laura, Snoop’s mom, decided to allow me to post a memorial for him. The DLD Group members’ responses to his quickly escalating symptoms and his following passing were overwhelming.

I was haunted by the events which seemed to happen so quickly. I hope this post may offer some closure for DLD members and anyone else who may have been wondering about Laura and Snoop, especially since she was only an active member for a few weeks.

Laura provided this photo of her sweet little guy who so loved to give kisses:

Snoop Vickers 2005-2008

“My little Snoop was a wonderful dog. 100 pounds of heart in a 4-pound body. When we came home, even if we had only gone outside for a few minutes, he had to give us pup kisses. But if we were leaving and asked for a kiss, he would turn his head aside. He didn’t want anyone to leave. Snoop was happy when everyone was home,  safe and happy,  with him.”

More about Laura and Snoop

As a new member, Laura Vickers introduced herself and her three year old Yorkie Snoop on the DLD group on December 15, 2008. She states that he was diagnosed with liver disease when he was two, but had almost no symptoms until recently.:”he was virtually symptom free up until a couple of months ago. Now [he is rubbing his head and lethargic]. Sometimes he “wanders”.

Like many of the dogs on the Dog Liver Disease group, he was afflicted with liver disease that was most likely a result of improper breeding.

Fifteen days later, on 12/30/08, Laura’s post on DLD entitled “Snoop is very sick”,  tells of his serious downturn:

“Please pray for Snoop. He had been doing [well] on medical maintenance but took a turn for the worse several weeks ago. Then he hurt his foot and it got infected. We thought he was fatigued due to that [injury] but then yesterday he started wandering and pawing at his head and drooling. By the time we got him to the vet he was 94 degrees and almost unconscious. I pray he makes it through the night.”

I remember reading that post and feeling the bottom of my stomach drop out, especially since Snoop was such a young dog. Note that the regular body temperature for dogs is 102 degrees.

We found out the next day that Snoop had died that night. I felt a hole open in my heart as soon as I saw the devastating title of the post: “My baby died last night”. I provide a minimally edited version of that post here:

“Snoop Vickers died at 10:00 pm last night. In his short life he brought us such joy.

It’s truly amazing how much a part of our life he was. Everyday we came home, he would be sitting in the window looking for us. For a while he wouldn’t even think about going out for a bathroom break without first giving us pup kisses. Every step I took he was be by my side. The little tinkle his collar made, the little click click his toenails made – such a presence.

I love him so much and words can’t express how I will miss him. I am ashamed to harbor the anger I have against the woman who bred him. Sweet little Snoop – he never had a day of anger – he was all sweetness and loving and could teach us all a lesson. Thank God he suffers no more.” – Laura Vickers

January 11th, 2009 by admin

This is a Memorial Post for Miss Minnow, the little Yorkie with a big heart, both metaphorically and literally.

Miss Minnow 1995-2008

Miss Minnow passed away at the vet’s some time over the night (last night or early this morning).

Bev Teeter, Miss Minnow’s mom, is a foster mom with Retro Doggy Rescue from whom I received my Halle. She is a remarkable lady who gives her heart and soul to both dogs and people, though she has endured much adversity and health crises in her own life. Here is a photo of Bev with (starting at left) Miss Minnow, the Shad Man, and Mr. Walker. Only Tiki is missing as she just adopted him near the end of 2008.

Bev and the Gang of Three

Bev is a retired RN, and aside from fostering dogs (and often the ones with special needs), she does hospice work, makes dog clothing, beds, belly bands, etc., and is a certified Dog Whisperer trainer, though I think what Bev brings herself to the training is equally if not more valuable. Her services are under Lucky Dog Training, which is North of Mount Pleasant, Michigan.

She has fostered and cared for well over 100 dogs in need. I have been to her home when she had a full house of Yorkies, Silkies and her Shad Man (I can’t remember what mix he is, but I would never forget that dog with a personality the size of Texas!).

I only very minimally edited the announcement she emailed today. I decided to provide the full text instead of excerpting it. Every word is meaningful and contributes to the story of a compassionate and nurturing dog – all three pounds of her!

Here is Bev’s announcement of Miss Minnow’s passing, which was simply entitled “Sad News”:

“This is very difficult, so please [bear with me]. Yesterday I took Miss Minnow and Mr Walker to have dentals. Miss Minnow had a loose canine for which I had previously taken her to the vet. He and I had discussed the possibilities and the risks of the surgery due to her enlarged heart, how teeth are truly related to the heart, and what would happen if we didn’t have it done, and if we did. I decided to have it done.

The surgery was difficult and she had some bleeding issues, so she stayed the night at the vet’s. He lives close to the office and when he went to check on her at 10:00 pm last night, she was sleeping.

This morning at 6:00 am, when he got to the office, she had died.

I worked for hospice long enough to realize she picked this time to go, when she was alone, as she knew how very very difficult it would be on me if she had done it here.

When I had a stroke, she was the one (at 8-weeks old) who helped me to walk again, talk again, and get myself motivated to understand that a chapter in my life had closed. I had lost so much of my memory that I could no longer be an RN, at least that is how I felt.  I had been a supervisor and never wanted my [memory deficiencies] to be the cause of a death.

Miss Minnow taught me so may things about myself, about the fact that life does go on, and that we need to be strong and continue.

She always helped me with my foster [fur] babies, and helped them to love and trust humans. She was a very smart dog who understood everything I said and comforted me when I was down.

She was my very best friend and my only friend for many years. She lived a good 13 years and I will miss her so very very much.

If you do not see me online for a couple of days, know that I am grieving. I told my vet to have her cremated and I will pick up the ashes when they are ready.

My little girl, my best friend, has gone to God. Someday we will be together again.”

-Bev Teeter, Miss Minnow now waiting at the Rainbow Bridge, Shad Man, Mr. Walker, and Tiki

January 10th, 2009 by admin

DISCLAIMER: The photo below has not been doctored, altered or tampered with in any way. This is Jack, “Mr. Wall Street” enjoying Florida before his trip to the Upper Penninsula in Michigan.

Jack says "Obviously if you have money, BUY NOW!

He is Bonnie’s friend’s dog. Bonnie is the one responsible for donating the flight to Michigan for Daisy. She is a member of the Dog Liver Disease (DLD) support group and is the mom of Mac, the water loving Havanese with MVD (Microvasuclar Dyplaysia in the liver) and Moderate-Severe Fibrosis. See the other photo of Mac in the Guest Doggies link on the right.

Bonnie let us know that Jack always ” acts as though he should have a shirt and tie on,” which earned him the title of “the Wall Street type”. It was just recently that she found the collar and tie combo at a pet store and couldn’t resist getting it for him.

Jack has a big and important look but only weighs about 6 lbs.  Bonnie’s girlfriend’s daughter got him 5 years ago. He was the runt of the litter and very sick, so the breeder told her she shouldn’t take him.  Needless to say Lindsey (1st year in college) took him anyway. He was actually in a bird cage when she first saw him. It broke her heart.

With her care and appropriate medication, he turned out perfectly!

Update on Mac:

Here’s a photo that makes me smile every time I see it. Funny and yet totally fabulous!

Now THIS is the life!

Bonnie let us know that the recent drive from Michigan to Florida was hard on Mac. He was off schedule, dehydrated and not himself for the first week, [..] then he went tearing out of the house, missing a step, and did a face plant on the patio, resulting in a skinned nose and a hurt leg. Thankfully he seems to be recuperating nicely.

January 7th, 2009 by admin

The Dog Liver Disease (Yahoo) support group has well over a hundred members, all of whom have dogs with various degrees of liver disease, included Daisy, for whom this site was created.

The adorable Pomeranian below is Ritz. He was born on July 4th, 2006.

He has a form of liver disease called Microvascular Dysplasia (MVD). Normally blood going to the liver from other organs arrives in veins that branch into smaller and smaller vessels to reach the liver cells. MVD is the condition when these microscopic vessels are abnormal, resulting in a liver that cannot properly process toxins or make the proteins needed for healthy functioning and growth.

His doting mom, Stacy has had great results with the recommendations for diet and supplements from the DLD Support Group to improve Ritz’s symptoms and manage the condition.

In her words: “Our last liver panel and urinalysis were on November 25th [..] His liver enzymes were normal, his bile acids [were] down, and he had no crystals. This was the best we ever had!!!! [..] I owe everything to the group. I would not have known what to do without them (especially Olga who is my life saver and hero!!).”

Enjoy the photos!

Angel and Ritz when they were puppies

Supposedly Pomeranian owners call this stage of hair growth the “puppy uglies”, but we’ve decided it’s ridiculously cute! His little buddy Angel is a Maltese.

Ritz and Jax looking good for Christmas 2008

This is what the filled out Pom coat looks like. Beautiful and yet, still so cute!

January 4th, 2009 by admin

I’ve been out of town the last day and a half visiting my nephew Bo, an out-going one and half year old with star quality who does not have a functional intestine, and has been in various stages of liver failure due to being 100% tube fed (into bloodstream) in order to provide him the nutrition he needs to live. You can read all about this amazing little guy and his deeply dedicated and equally amazing parents on my sister’s blog at http://schnazberry.blogspot.com/