New Update on Penny

[Kari]

I thought I would post an update on Penny as it has been a little over 4 months since her surgery/immune problem started (crazy  :crazyeyes: ...it feels like so much longer). She is doing really well and her hair has almost grown back in but her scar is still pretty evident. She is back to her normal silly self - she is able to do our entire daily walk of 2 1/2 miles :walk2:. When it is warm out I usually carry her for a bit just to give her a break.

We had a call with her neurosurgeon on Tuesday and they have decided to take her off of the last immune suppressant drug. We have been tapering it off for the last two months. I am so happy to have her off the drugs but a little nervous at the same time. The doctor has told us they consider her in remission right now but that it is not uncommon for the immune system to act back up. So we have our fingers crossed that she stays healthy. If it were to act up she would have to be put back on the immune suppressant probably for the rest of her life. Which also isn't the end of the world but does cause some logistic problems with her being around other dogs. So thank you to everyone who has given us so much support during this time - I don’t know what we would have done without you guys!!

On a side note, Penny has recently become a full fledged member of P.E.A  . I forgot to ask her doctor about it, but am wondering if it has something to do with the medications or getting off the meds - I just put a call into them. She never...ever was a poo eater for 4 years and now all the sudden we can't keep her away from it  . She doesn't seem to be interested in poo other than her own (and Mr. Tuckers). Has anyone had success with getting them to stop?

[PattyInAK]

Misty was a poop eater and nothing we did made her stop.  We tried meat tenderizer on their food, we had heard that it makes for unappetizing poop.  We tried the tablets you give them for that sort of thing.............everything we could think of, and nothing worked.  Her vet said that sometimes their food is so good that its still good the second time around. 

We were told that when you have dogs around horses, the dogs like the horse manure, and  to not worry because its full of nutrients, which makes sense.  All horses eat is hay, grain and water.  I don't think that dog poop is so pure.  Anyway, its a disgusting habit.  Thankfully, Willy and Alex are not poop eaters.

[Barb]

That is great news !!!  Keeping all fingers and paws crossed here that she does well going forward without any immune system meds.

My two are cat poo eaters or any we may pass on our walks - thankfully they don't eat each others !  Sorry - no help from us - I have heard of a lot of remedies - but not really heard of any that work......

[Beth]

Glad to hear that Penny is doing better.  We're sending rays to her so that she stays healthy!

Chilie sez:  2 1/2 miles?!?!?!  Oh my!

[Kari]

Chilie sez:  2 1/2 miles?!?!?!  Oh my!

The funny thing is that you would think she would be dead after that walk, but we will get home and she will race around with her toys like she never went on the walk  :idiot:!

[Roberta]

yes we take our pair on hour hour and a half walks Amy only protests if its on gravel, but just ignore her and she makes it, and a the end Oliver will still be running around like and idiot.
Roberta

[Valerie]

I am so glad to read an update on Penny.  I really hope she can stay off the meds and will be OK.
Isn't it wonderful to see them back to being their old silly selves?  I never eralized how much I missed the antics until she wasn't well. LOL

Go Penny on her 2 1/2 mile walk.  Cookie can still only go about 20 minutes at a time.  That's great that she has healed so quickly! 

[Sandishooligans]

  Penny!  You go, girl. 

Now as to that poo eating?  EWWWWW!  Dolly was our resident poo eater.  Tried everything.  Nuthin' worked.  Maddie will saunter over to the neighbor's side yard for a sample of kitty rocha but we can pretty much nip that one in the bud since it's out front and she's usually on a leash. 

[cheryl186]

  what fantastic news about Penny...YIPPIEE!!!!!!  As for the poo eating...well...my two are members also...nothing I have tried has worked...

[Kari]

Well...Our regular vet is a little concerned about her sudden interest in poo. Apparently when dogs eat dirt all the time that can mean that the are having an immune system problem of sorts and since she has no access to dirt they want to be double careful that there isn't anything wrong. She told me that normally she would say not to worry about the poo eating and train her out of it, but with Penny's interesting medical history they want to make sure everything is okay. So I am going to take her in tomorrow to get a blood panel done to check her white blood cell count to make sure the Imuran didn't cause it to be too low. Better to be safe than sorry...

[Valerie]

I hope they are being overcautious and the tests come back fine.  :xfinger:
Let us know how it goes tomorrow.

[scootersmom]

Glad to hear Penny is doing so well!  *cheers*

Scooter, unfotunately, also likes to indulge in a little fecal snacking at times.  And he completely fails to understand why I don't approve of it (Dear Scooter: STOOL IS NOT FOOD.  No kisses, Mom).  He even carried a piece indoors with him once and was like WHAT YOUR PROBLEM, CRAZYPANTS MOM? when I reacted accordingly (much cringing and hand-waving and out-freaking, as you can imagine).

Keep us posted on the next round of tests - I read above that you're taking her back just to make sure the poop-eating isn't a symptom of something bigger and badder.

[MyLittleBoo]

Glad to hear that Penny is doing so well...  Now, about being a poo eater, well, I can't help much there since I have one  of those myself...  Hope everything comes out alright with the blood panel...     Give Penny some belly rubs, hugs and smoochies for me and Miss EmmyLou....  *hugs*