Dog Health Care on a Boat

 

I am eleven years old Golden Retriever and have had allergies for as long as I can remember.  My food and grass allergies give me canine atopic dermatitis.

Canine atopy is likely to be a polygenetic condition (Shaw et al 2004) but no genes have yet been identified. The heritability of atopic dermatitis was around 0.47 in a group of guide dogs the majority of which were Labrador retrievers but which included some Golden retrievers and Labrador-Golden crosses (Shaw et al 2004).  That is, about 50% of the likelihood of the occurrence of this disease can be attributed to genes.

Beside the broken wrist from jumping out of SUV because I got Bud's leash wrapped around my paw, I have been in great health.

We returned from an afternoon sail from Moody Gardens in Galveston back to our home port by Clear Lake.  I was thirsty since I do not like to drink much water away from shore since  I will not pee on the boat!

Well I ran up to pier to the bathroom and drink some water.  I returned to the boat and drank some more water from the hose.  After some encouragement I ate a little dinner and then something horrible happened.  My stomach began to swell to the size of a small pumpkin.  I went to my matriarch to tell her that I needed to throw up.  She quickly got me to the head to throw up.  She then notice my enlarged stomach and rib cage.  Papa came on board and he carried me upstairs.  They rushed me and Bud to the emergency Vet on I-45.  Bud did not want to go in.

They x-rayed my insides and made sure that my stomach had not twisted.  Thank goodness it had not twisted and was just gas.  They put a big, long tube down my mouth into my stomach to release the gas.  You could hear the gas being released.  The pressure went down, and I felt so much better.  I had bloat without torsion (twisting) also now as gastric dilatation.   No one understands why this happened.  Probably from drinking too much water and getting air in my stomach at the water hose.

Before leaving, make a bloat kit for your dog.

Know First Aid and CPR for Dogs.

Drunkin Sailor Dog Disorder

After the Idiopathic Vestibular (Old Dog/ Drunkin Sailor) Disease

Dogs with idiopathic vestibular disease have some combination of the following signs:

• A head tilt
• An unsteady gait, loss of balance, or falling over
• Circling in one direction
• Eyes rapidly moving from side to side, known as nystagmus,
• Sudden vomiting

SHAKE, RATTLE, AND ROLL: TOP 10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT VESTIBULAR DISEASE by Jared Galle of Ann Arbor, MI

Cannot Keep a Good Dog Down

After discovering that my partner in crime and travels, Bud, was sick with myxoid liposarcoma, cancer of the fatty cells (soft tissue) in his chest and under his arms.  He will be going to the canine oncologist possibly to have it removed, so that I can have more time with Bud.  This cancer (I have heard) can spread to other organs, and he does not want any big masses on his chest.

Here is a collection of my travels across the USA with Bud.  Stay strong.

 We are looking into foods, spices, and herbs to help slow down the growth, turmeric (curcumin), bakers yeast, (beta glucans), apigenin (celery, apples, parsley, teas,artichokes).  I know that we can not stop it, but at least give me more time with my best Bud.


 

Great information before you see the doctor or oncologist from the Cancer: What Should You Ask Vet from Dallas Gold.  

Thank you!

Dogs Sharing the Boat

Two dogs that share everything love the bigger SUV with the big Bud bed.

Bashful Bud, yellow lab, cuddles under Whitley's head while driving across Texas in a smaller SUV.

Bud, yellow lab, sure does make a great pillow for Whitley, golden retriever.

Learning to share tight quarters with a growing puppy.

First sailing trip, everyone finds the best spot

My Tail of Devotion for Whitley

Whitley is my inspiration and one way to make the world a better place. Her loving nature is ideal to help those in need. She and I hope to help children in the hospital with their recovery.

Whitley listens so well and is so patient especially when she wants to play. She loves to play with her soft toys and go swimming. If I am splashing too much, then she will swim to me and demand that she guides me back to the shore.

I am devoted to Whitley having a great quality of life, and she provides me the same.

Our dogs go everywhere with us, and when they can not one stays home with them. Our dogs bring us so much joy to our lives, and they feel the same about us. They are our family.

This is a special Tail of Devotion

my face was swollen, better now!

DON'T PANIC!!

Yesterday I was alone in my home when momma went to work. My face started to swell up and hurt. When momma came home, I ran to her, and she was very upset. I never had experienced anything like this before. None of the vets would let us see them, and told us to go to the emergency room for pets. She did not want to drive by herself to the emergency room with me being sick.

Momma said that I have angioedema from what I do not know. She applied cold compresses and gave me children's antihistamine. We still do not know what caused it. I had thrown up pieces of a tennis ball that I swallowed yesterday morning. Maybe latex (I need to be tested).

What do you think? My face has gone done now (24 hours later), and I am feeling better.

Angioedema is an acute condition, characterized by non painful subcutaneous inflammation and oedema in cheeks region, oral mucosa and around the eyes. This condition appears suddenly, usually within 20 minutes to allergen exposition.  The dog can be variably itchy, nervous, and sometimes laryngeal inflammation can cause severe respiratory distress. Should cardiovascular system be affected by this allergic reaction, the dog needs emergency help to avoid fatal consequences.

Which is the best treatment for a dog with angioedema?

Main treatment goal is stopping inflammatory reaction by using corticoids. We administer methylprednisolone intravenously. This is rapid-acting glucocorticoid that interrupts inflammatory reaction very quickly and effectively.

How not to ride in a car

Whenever I ride with brother Bud, he always gets into trouble. He is up and down jumping from window to window, barking, crying, and being annoying.

I love to ride in the car because I know that I shall be going somewhere fun. Mother asks me to sit and I do and just look out the back window. But when Mr. Bud comes with me, he won't stay on his side and keeps pushing me around. Only a few minutes into the drive we starts to cry because he misses home, and he will not stop crying no matter how much mom and dad try to calm him down.

We used to be able to sit right next to them, but because of Bud's behavior we have to lie down on the hard mat in the back of the vehicle. Plus they put bars up in the back so that Bud won't bother them.

He always enjoys when he get there but he just HATES to ride. I guess that I shall just suffer through it since I love to play with him so much.