Lola Today

What can I say about my little Lola! Well she is the most annoying needing adorable sweet lovable little dog who I wouldn't trade for anything!She's my little baby she's almost 11 years old. Her days of having liver issues appear to the in the past as of late no issues (knock on wood) her main issue right now is her luxating patella (her knee pops in and out) The vet says it doesn't appear to cause her too many problems. I've started her on a supplement called Longevity that seems to be working quite well for her. More on that later.

Hey this is still a Blog

Wow this still exists I don't update it ever glad no one reads it lol

um yeah

by the way I wrote that on the wrong blog just realized this is Lola's blog not my personal one yep going to leave it anyway.

Why is that?

Why is it that I always think of things I want to blog about when I'm away from anyway to actually blog it. I'll write the whole post in my head and think oh this is going to be great I'm going to write that later!, but then I forget or by the time I go to write the post I can't really remember it sigh anyway. Yes I did just write a blog post about not having anything to write about you read that right!

Product

I bought a new grooming tool at the state fair haven't tried it yet, but I will be soon and I'll post my review once I've tried it

I

I hope it works!

Exploding Anal Glands!!!!

Yes you read that right. My poor little Lola had one of her anal glands explode. Luckily I didn't see it happen as I read online it's quite the freaky site. Poor little Lola had Diarrhea and I didn't think to much of it because that does happen from time to time so I decided just to watch her and see how she was doing. The Diarrhea slowed down and I thought she was on the mend. I went to work on Friday and come home to find out Lola had been licking her butt all day and it was red and inflamed. This was 5:40PM and my vet closed at 6:00PM on Friday. So still not realizing the severity of what was going on with Lola ,but knowing that her baboon butt. (that's the best way I can describe it) must have hurt like crazy. I did some searching online and read things like it could just be irritated from the diarrhea or could be "worms" (glad it wasn't that) or it could be Anal Gland issues, but being the expert that I am decided it must just be irritated from the Diarrhea so I bathed her and also put a warm compress on there and put a little bit of neosporin on there. All of this I read online. I had decided that I would call the vet in the morning luckily my vet is open on Saturdays from 8-2PM. I called and they said they were all booked up, but were nice enough to squeeze us in at 10:30PM. By this point Lola was actually acting a little more chipper so I thought maybe whatever it was had passed, but I still wanted to bring her in just to be sure. I took her in and the vet saw her took her in the back and came back in without her and "said what a little trouper she is" she explained that her one anal gland was impacted and the other one exploded which basically means it came through her skin and then burst and that is what was causing the diarrhea not the other way around. Poor baby she must have been in some excruciating pain for at least the last two days or so. They kept her at the vet sedated her so they could clean up the area and express the other anal gland. So I left her there and went home for bit. They called me back to get her about 40 minutes later she was so loopy she reminded me of the youtube video called David after the Dentist. I thought about filming her, but nah I didn't. she could barely hold her head up. The vet sent her home with an oral antibiotic, a pain med and a topic cream. after I got home with her she slept for about 2 hours straight only waking up because someone outside shot off a fire cracker (thanks ass hole) in there defense I don't know who they were and they don't know me so they didn't do it on purpose, but that and thunderstorms are Lola's worst fears she freaks out. still loopy she ran down the stairs which I was just advised by the vet not to let her do. fortunately she didn't fall, but after that I decided to put her in the bathroom for awhile. I originally had plans to go to a movie so decided to go and left her in the bathroom. She was in there for another 2.5 hours by the time I came home she was wide awake and that brings us to now she had her dinner and now she is contently staring out the window still just the tiniest bit loopy doped up on pain med. I will be giving her the 3 medicines for the next 7 days. the vet said that she should heal nicely on her own. so my poor baby is now on the mend. it was an expensive day, but I'm glad I didn't wait any longer to get her the help. Lesson learned if your dog has an inflamed or is abnormally red get them to the vet as soon as possible and get those anal glands checked out on a regular basis.

Lola and Her Duck

Here is Lola and her one and only favorite toy the only toy she will play with period

Stay Tuned

Many Things to come from this blog in 2012!

I Want...

This Video is so adorable I hope it is really effective in raising money and spreading awareness

Animal Humane Society:

Animal Humane Society:
. i

Trying to raise some money for Homeless animals and it appears the donate now button is broken could someone go make sure it's working ok by making a donation that'd be great thanks

Animal Humane Society:

Currently I am raising money to help my local Animal Humane Society if you would like to help please click on the link every little bit helps I'm currently at $230.00 trying to make my way to possibly $1,000.00!

Animal Humane Society:

Teeth Care in your dog

So apparently taking care of your dogs teeth is very important especially in small dogs hmm who knew? ,but seriously Lola's teeth are very prone to tartar I brush them, but not as much as I probably should have so anyway I took her to the vet last month and the vet was adamant that she get her teeth cleaned because they were so bad. Turns out Lola had 3 molars in the back that were infected and abscessed or about to become abscessed so the vet pulled them. I really didn't want to have Lola's teeth cleaned at all simply because I didn't want her to go under for the procedure due to her liver problems this was done back on Tuesday March 29, 2011 she came through ok. Of course the vet saw this as a time to gouge my wallet ok maybe not really, but lets just say my vet is not cheap I was given one quote that said it could be from X amount to X higher amount so I aired on the side of it's going to be closer to the highest quote. Oh No little did I know that I would get there to pick up my little Lola bug and they tell me the price and I almost went into shock not really, but I was shocked anyway because the price I was given was $200 more than I had budgeted for $200!!! not $20 not even $50, but $200. This was a problem because I didn't have an extra $200 Laying around "luckily" err yeah they let me post date a payment for two days later when my paycheck came through so lucky! it was awesome because then I couldn't afford to take my friend out to dinner for her birthday like she did for me on my birthday anwyay I'm getting off track my friend understood so it's ok anyway I was glad they let me do the payment plan because all through this they had yet to bring me my dog they wanted payment before they would bring Lola out of course I guess, but as soon as I had everything sorted out they brought Lola out looking all groggy with a pink bandanna and her leg wrapped in pink tape covering where her IV had been she looked cute and miserable all at the same time. Currently she has stitches in the back of her mouth that will dissolve within about a week and she's to go back to the vet for a follow up appointment in two weeks (fortunately they don't charge extra for this appointment) The Vet sent Lola home with some ClindaCure not sure if I'm spelling that right since the name is covered partially by the doctors instructions she's to have .06ml every 12 hours for two weeks this is to fight off infection. The second thing sent home with Lola is Metacam she's to have "the 6lb dosage" which is the number 6 on a syringe type thing anyway she's to have that for 4-5 days she's about at the end of getting that now Metacam is for pain which she still seems to be experiencing slightly it might be pain or annoyance with the stitches in her mouth I'm not sure unfortunately she can't tell me. So there's a little update on what's new with Lola I'm sure in a week or so she's going to be feeling much better now that she doesn't have to walk around with a constant tooth ache.

How's Lola

Yes I realize it has been over two years since I posted on this blog, but I was tooling around on the web today and thought about this blog. Well Lola is still around! Thankfully in fact back On February 24, 2011 she had a check up and some blood work done and apparently her Liver Levels were normal. You hear that Normal! now I didn't get the exact numbers because it was a vet tech and she just knew they were normal and didn't know the numbers ,but regardless Normal!! I couldn't even believe it so some how despite the vets Lola is doing good I say despite the vets because I did a lot of research on my own some of it I had posted on here. I may have to get her tested again to be sure and I'm not going to consider her back to normal ever, but I'm at least happy at the progress. Basically here's what I did I changed her diet to a mostly homemade dog food and she takes a lot of supplements I can't list them all here right this minute and I can't remember them exactly, but I've tried several things through trial and error I'll list them here soon.

Another Vet Appointment

Lola just had a vet appointment with the Holistic vet her stats are coming down again so that means the supplements are working so we're going to continue down this path and keep giving here the supplements because they are working.

updates

Lola is doing good she's on a lot of supplements right now that I'm going to list here this upcoming week she's going to a Holistic Vet now and we're trying some different things I hadn't updated this blog in a long time so I wanted to atleast make a note on here saying I will be back with updates so stay tuned

Lola stuff

Lots going on with Lola she's been to a Holistic vet and is on lots of supplements that are working well for her. It's been awhile since I've posted a lot to report, but I will be updating again soon with details on the supplements and about the Holistic vet in general

Update

Lola is still on her Liver cleanse diet and supplements although right now we are in Kentucky Lola is doing good she is going to be going into the vet next week for another Bile Acid Test I will be sure to post an update once we get the test results

Denosyl, Marin and Milk Thistle

ok so I said I was going to do a post about these 3 supplements I haven't had the chance to do a whole lot of research on them, but I'm just going to post basic information here. I will do a more detailed most in the days to come. First Denosyl has been basically prescribed by my Vet for Lola to take 1 full pill a day even with her 5.5lb body here's a description of Denosyl.

Brand Name
Denosyl (Nutramax)

Active Ingredient(s):
S-Adenosylmethionine

What is this product used for:
Denosyl has been shown to increase hepatic glutathione levels in cats and dogs. Glutathione is a potent antioxidant that protects liver cells from toxins and death. Denosyl is recommended to improve hepatic glutathione levels in compromised animals to help maintain and protect liver function.

Availability:
Denosyl is a non-prescription (OTC) product available as 90mg, 225mg and 425mg stabilized tablets.

How this product should be used:
The tablets should be given on an empty stomach at least one hour before feeding. Research shows that, if possible, a fasting period of 8-12 hours before giving this product is optimal. The usual dose in cats and dogs is based on weight. For pets up to 12 lbs give 1 tablet of the 90mg strength, for pets 13 to 34 lbs give 1 tablet of the 225mg strength, for pets 35 to 65 lbs give 1 tablet of the 425mg strength, for pets 66 to 120 lbs give 2 tablets of the 425mg strength and for pets over 120 lbs give 3 tablets of the 425mg strength. When giving more than 1 tablet the total number of tablets may be divided into morning and evening. For example, a dose of 3 tablets could be divided into 2 tablets in the morning and 1 tablet in the evening.

What are the side effects:
There are no reported side effects.

What special precautions are there:
Tablets must be given whole. Do not break or split. Research shows that this product may be of benefit to pets that are also taking primidone, Phenobarbital, prednisone, azathioprine, cyclosporine and certain anti-depressants.

In the event of overdose:
Contact a veterinarian or veterinary emergency room.

How should I store this product:
Store this product in a cool, dry, place. Keep tablets in the original blister pack until used. Tablets are sensitive to moisture and extreme heat and should not be split or crumbled. Keep out of the reach of children.

This information sheet is for educational purposes only and is intended to be a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise and professional judgment of your veterinarian. The information is NOT to be used for diagnosis or treatment of your pet. You should always consult your own veterinarian for specific advice concerning the treatment of your pet.

The information is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, allergic reactions, drug interactions or adverse effects, nor should it be construed to indicate that use of a particular drug is safe, appropriate or effective for your pet. It is not a substitute for a veterinary exam, and it does not replace the need for services provided by your veterinarian.

Note: Any trademarks are the property of their respective companies

Ok this was taken right off of Petmeds.com so I haven't researched any of the claims, but it gives a basic overview. it says to fast for 8-12 hours I'll be honest and say Lola doesn't really fast for that long I just try to give it to her when she hasn't eaten in awhile this may be something I need to change, but I'm gonna talk to my vet about this again soon.

The Second Supplement Lola was prescribed by the vet is Marin and Lola takes 1/4 of a pill once a day. here's the description of this stuff.

Brand Name
Marin for Dogs (Nutramax)

Active Ingredient(s):
Marin for Large Dogs; Vitamin E (300 IU), Silybin A+B (70 mg), Zinc (45 mg)

Marin for Small to Medium Dogs: Vitamin E (105 IU), Silybin A+B (24 mg), Zinc (17 mg)

What is this product used for:
Marin for Dogs is specially formulated with silybin, vitamin E and Zinc to provide a multifaceted approach to liver support. Silybin is the most biologically active component of an extract known as silymarin. Silybin/sylimarin has been shown to have beneficial effects on liver function. Vitamin E, a membrane-associated antioxidant, helps protect the liver against oxidant injury. Zinc, an essential trace mineral and component of approximately 200 enzymes participates in protein and carbohydrate metabolism and hormone synthesis, in the liver and throughout the body. Studies have shown that silybin/silymarin protects against oxidative stress, provides a mechanism for liver cell regeneration, inhibits leukotrienes which are a component of the inflammatory response, stimulates biliary flow and production of hepatoprotective bile salts and increases levels of glutathione.

Availability:
Marin for Large Dogs and Marin for Small to Medium Dogs are non-prescription (OTC) products. The tablets are scored for ease of administration.

How this product should be used:
The recommended dose of Marin for Large dogs in dogs up to 36-54 lbs is 1/2 tablet daily. For dogs 55-99 lbs give 1 tablet daily and for dogs over 100 lbs give 1 ½ tablets daily. Give on a full stomach.

The recommended dose of Marin for Small to Medium Dogs under 10 lbs is 1/4 tablet daily. For dogs 11-19 lbs give 1/2 tablet daily, and for dogs 20-35 lbs give 1 tablet daily. Give on a full stomach.

What are the side effects:
There are no known side effects.

What special precautions are there:
This product is for veterinary use in dogs only.

In the event of overdose:
Contact your veterinarian or veterinary emergency room.

How should I store this product:
Store in a cool, dry area out of direct sunlight. Keep lid tightly closed to ensure freshness. Keep out of the reach of children.

This information sheet is for educational purposes only and is intended to be a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise and professional judgment of your veterinarian. The information is NOT to be used for diagnosis or treatment of your pet. You should always consult your own veterinarian for specific advice concerning the treatment of your pet.

The information is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, allergic reactions, drug interactions or adverse effects, nor should it be construed to indicate that use of a particular drug is safe, appropriate or effective for your pet. It is not a substitute for a veterinary exam, and it does not replace the need for services provided by your veterinarian.

Note: Any trademarks are the property of their respective companies

Again the Above information is taken directly from petmeds.com Lola has been taking this since June and it says it has Milk thistle in it which I'm just realizing I didn't realize til now so more research is needed on this.

The Third Supplement I give Lola is Milk Thistle and I started her on this myself, but several vets and vet techs and Lola's vet clinic said it was very good so that's why I started her on it I server her the Liver Cleanse Diet and I mix some powdered Milk Thistle in it to give her the dose one Human pill of Milk Thistle Lasts Lola over a week I don't give her much as of yet anyway, but here's a description of What exactly Milk Thistle is.

Health benefits

Milk thistle has been reported to have protective effects on the liver and to greatly improve its function. It is typically used to treat liver cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis (liver inflammation), and gallbladder disorders. The active compound in Milk thistle is silymarin, a mixture of at least 4 closely related flavonolignans, 60% to 70% of which is a mixture of 2 diastereomers of silybin. Silymarin is typically administered in amount ranging from 200-500mg per day. Whether or not these dosages are optimal is not known; no scientific data on which to base effective dosage level guidelines is available.

Research into the biological activity of silymarin and its possible medical uses has been conducted in many countries since the 1970s, but the quality of the research has been uneven.[1]

Reviews of the literature covering clinical studies of silymarin vary in their conclusions. A review using only studies with both double-blind and placebo protocols concluded that milk thistle and its derivatives "does not seem to significantly influence the course of patients with alcoholic and/or hepatitis B or C liver diseases."[2] A different review of the literature, performed for the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, found that, while there is strong evidence of legitimate medical benefits, the studies done to date are of such uneven design and quality that no firm conclusions about degrees of effectiveness for specific conditions or appropriate dosage can yet be made. [3]

A review of studies of silymarin and liver disease which are available on the web shows an interesting pattern in that studies which tested low dosages of silymarin concluded that silymarin was ineffective[4], while studies which used significantly larger doses concluded that silymarin was biologically active and had therapeutic effects.[5]

Beside benefits for liver disease and treatment claims include:

* Used as a post cycle therapy for body builders
* Lowering cholesterol levels
* Reducing insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes who also have cirrhosis
* Reducing the growth of cancer cells in breast, cervical, and prostate cancers.[6]
* Used in many products claiming to reduce the effects of a hangover

Ok now this info I got off of Wikipedia I have seen Milk Thistle Recommended over and over again for Lola's problems so that's why I'm using that again this does require more research as well which I will post again and also about any changes she's experiencing on these supplements and if the vet recommends any new supplements I may be taking her to a holistic vet soon to if and when I do I will post about it here.

Liver Cleanse Diet Continues

nothing really new to report at this time ,but just wanted to post a little bit of an update Lola has been on her diet for about 4 days now she's transitioning still from Kibble I could be imagining it, but she seems a bit more perky we'll have to wait and see. Well going further I'm continuing my research I'm going to be researching more on Milk Thistle which I have also been giving Lola and I'm going to research Denosyl and Marin I will post my findings here this week after some more research. tata for now.

Liver Cleanse Diet

so as promised here is the Liver Cleanse diet

The liver cleansing diet has been formulated by W. Jean Dodds, DVM. Dr. Dodds recommends a formula of 2 cups of pollack, cod or any other low fat white fish fillet to 6 cups of veggies and potatoes, or 25% pollack, cod or any other low fat white fish fillet to 75% veggies and potatoes. This diet has proved extremely successful in reversing liver damage along with reducing Phenobarbital.

1 and 1/2 cups moist white cooking potatoes
1 and 1/2 cups sweet potatoes
1 and 1/2 cups of zucchini
1 and 1/2 cup string beans, celery or summer squash
2 cups pollack, cod or any other low fat white fish fillet

Wash the potatoes well and cut them up crosswise into 2" pieces so the skin circles the potatoes. Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour and remove the skins.

Wash the zucchini and cut up with string beans, celery or squash and steam or cook until very tender.

2 cups pollack, cod or any other low fat white fish fillet poached in a frying pan with water until fish is white and flaky.

Mix all ingredients together until it is well blended. This will give you approximately 8 cups of food. Depending on the size of your dog, you can double or triple the recipe. For flavor you can add a pinch of garlic powder and a little Italian Seasoning to each meal.

For supplementation use the recommend dose of infants liquid multi-vitamin.

If you have been feeding kibble please remember that kibble has many more calories than the liver cleansing diet. You will need to feed at least 25% to 50% more home cooking than kibble until you are sure your dogs weight is holding where you want it. Dogs can loose weight very quickly on the liver cleansing diet so you need to monitor their weight carefully.

With liver disease try to feed in 3 or 4 small meals, the last one being at bedtime. This puts less stress on the liver. Put 3 days of meals in baggies and freeze what you won't use in 3 days. You should be able to cook once a week and freeze what you don't use. This recipe will stay fresh for 3 days in the fridge.

White low-fat fish has a specific amino acid that actually helps heal the liver. Soy and fat-free cottage cheese also have this specific amino acid, but should not be used in a diet until the liver enzymes test comes back in a normal range.

NOTE:
Home cooking is very rich. If you have been feeding commercial dog food you will need to switch very slowly to the liver cleansing diet to avoid diarrhea. Start with 3/4 of your commercial dog food and 1/4 liver cleansing diet for a few days. Then 50% commercial food and 50% liver cleansing for a few days. Then 1/4 old food and 3/4 liver cleansing for a few days and then switch over completely to the liver cleansing diet. Make sure the stools are somewhat firm before you move to the next level.

IMPORTANT:
If you are switching from kibble, and/or canned dog food, to home cooking and your dog is on potassium or sodium bromide, please be aware that there is considerably less sodium (salt) in home cooking than kibble or canned (which can have large amounts of sodium). Sodium, or salt, in the diet "uses up" the bromide and less salt in the diet could raise bromide levels substantially which would cause bromism. After switching over to home cooking, if your dog has weakness in its legs, trouble climbing stairs, gets "wobbly" or loses it's balance, your vet can reduce the bromide dose slowly and in small amounts. W. Jean Dodds, DVM, recommends reducing the dose of bromide slightly or by 1/3 at the most to see if the signs of bromism go away or are lessened. In a month, have the bromide levels checked to make sure they are in the therapeutic range. Don't worry about lowering the bromide as long as it stays in therapeutic range. Less bromide and home cooking will be healthier for your dog in the long range.

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MILK THISTLE

Dr. Dodds recommends using milk thistle in the doses listed below to help heal the liver along with reducing Phenobarbital (according to your vet) and feeding the liver cleansing diet.

Milk Thistle Dosage (from the newsletter "Healthy Pets - Naturally"):

Dog's size	Dose as % of adult human dose
5 lbs	10%
5-10 lbs	15%
11-20 lbs	20%
21-40 lbs	30%
41-70 lbs	50%
71-100 lbs	75%
100 lbs	100%

For more information on Milk Thistle, click here.

This was copied from this site http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/liver_diet.htm

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I've made this for Lola and just started to feed it to her on Monday she is doing well on it so far she really likes it she even licks the bowl so we'll see how it goes I'll be sure to post updates I'm hoping to have a blood test done in September to see how it's working I'm also looking into a holistic vet. I also found a book online in my research call Hope for healing Liver disease in your dog by Cindi Smasal I just started to read it, but Cindi is someone who had a dog with Liver problems and the book is about her research so I'm sure it will be a valuable resource.