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Beau
Aug 5, 2014 15:54:48 GMT
Post by charitybob on Aug 5, 2014 15:54:48 GMT
I can confirm that if Terry has a different brand to the original it has on a number of occasions increased his seizures and now I insist on one brand only.
So I would definitely recommend you monitor this.
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Post by Girlytrude on Aug 8, 2014 16:22:33 GMT
Beau is all set to start Keppra tomorrow. I've left it till the weekend to start it as I've been in and out a lot the past two days and want to be around to monitor any obvious changes in his behaviour or awareness (as we've been warned it may make him a bit dopey), and he's on 1 three times a day so we'll now be more restricted to times of the day we can be out doing things, so I'll need to work out timing for giving them that fits well with the usual routine.
Catherine explained that Keppra has had good reports for dogs on the whole, but in some cases it has been noted to have a short lived impact, with the efficiency tailing off after 6-12 months and in some cases becoming completely ineffectual. However, Beau is at a stage where we do need to step up the drug level again, so this is the best option for the time being. Others have issues for kidney and liver function so we want to avoid them for as long as possible. XX
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Beau
Aug 8, 2014 17:50:33 GMT
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Post by charitybob on Aug 8, 2014 17:50:33 GMT
Good luck both of you xxx hoping it's compatible xx
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Post by Girlytrude on Aug 17, 2014 3:14:31 GMT
Well Beau has now had a full week on his new medication and what a week it's been! He started with his first dose of Keppra last Saturday morning. Within an hour he was staggering drunkenly, falling over, poorly co-ordinated, and had to be accompanied into the garden for safety. Once on the garden he staggered, toppled, fell, righted himself...all the time staring at the blue sky with what appeared to be a grin that was a cross between bemusement and joy. It has to be said, he looked happy as Larry and drunk as a skunk! Lol. As the week has gone on he has become more accustomed to the side effects and they have been less dramatic, although do seem to be creating an interesting twist in his mood leading to a more vocal, bolshy and pushy boy who is having to be reminded about sensible behaviour around the other dogs if he doesn't want to trigger world war 3 - not all of them appreciate a loudly 'snarling' 20kg lump flying at their throat with teeth in an attempt to initiate play The good news is he seems mentally bright and alert, and more settled at night than we're used to. So I'm hoing this is a good sign over all. XX
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Post by janiceldr on Aug 17, 2014 8:43:58 GMT
That's all good news, let's hope the keppra is the answer & life can hopefully return to some kind of normality (whatever that is LOL) . X
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Beau
Aug 17, 2014 10:32:10 GMT
Post by charitybob on Aug 17, 2014 10:32:10 GMT
Sounds promising tho still early days xxx
Puds crossed for you both
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Beau
Aug 26, 2014 2:33:54 GMT
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Post by Girlytrude on Aug 26, 2014 2:33:54 GMT
Our of the blue at 02.23 Beau had a small seizure. Very unexpected. Started with frantic pacing, and the seizure came on very rapidly. Only lasted about 30 seconds and wasn't too violent. He was up on his feet quickly afterwards and pacing again, but I noticed his head was 'twitchy', and when I went to stroke him he was ducking and flinching as if he wasn't wholly sure what he was seeing, or had disturbed vision. But he messed on the kitchen floor (as he often does if he hasn't actually messed during the seizure itself), had a little something to eat, a drink and took himself off to bed and is now sleeping soundly. So hopefully a blip and nothing more. Beau now has a Facebook page where he will be keeping Facebookers up to date with his story as well as Forumers. So if anyone would like to pop by and say hi there too, please feel free: www.facebook.com/beaudumplingClare XX
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Beau
Aug 26, 2014 11:08:54 GMT
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Post by charitybob on Aug 26, 2014 11:08:54 GMT
Let's hope it was just a tiny blip x
Still very early days of the new meds too I'm daring to hope that keppra will be more effective overall for him. Hugs to you both.
Svety was a bit shaky the other day and like you are it always puts us on tenderhooks.
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Post by Girlytrude on Sept 7, 2014 14:29:07 GMT
I'm pleased to say that one seizure was just one and things have been going well since. The Keppra does seem to have had an impact on Beau's mood. He is more bolshy, gobby, feisty and pushy with the other dogs, but I'm not sure if it's a mood change as such, or that the medication has cleared his mind so he's less dopey and therefore we're seeing a more terrier-like nature. It means we have to be a bit more aware of his very forceful attempts to initiate play with a couple of the others who are wary of him already because of his epilepsy, and can be very reactive due to their own issues, but they seem to be adjusting to the changes in him and realising his growling, nipping and lunging IS play and not aggression now.
We're continuing with the dosage as it is, and the real test will be waiting to see if we cross his usual "cluster" date without incident. Fingers crossed! XX
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Beau
Sept 8, 2014 10:02:23 GMT
via mobile
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Post by mollymoo on Sept 8, 2014 10:02:23 GMT
Fingers crossed for you Beau x
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Post by Girlytrude on Sept 15, 2014 10:09:39 GMT
Beau had two small seizures yesterday, one in the morning, one in the evening. Both were less severe than in the past and recovery was swift, although he did sleep quite a bit during the day...hey, lazy Sundays It's around 6 weeks since the bad episode that landed him in the vets, and I suspect we're at the point where ordinarily he might be having a full cluster. So I'm seeing these small breakthrough seizures as a positive rather than a negative. Each one is isolated, brief, with good recovery. So whilst it's concerning that he is still having them at all, with refractory idiopathic epilepsy we know that we may never see Beau completely seizure free, and the best we can hope for is the greatest reduction of his seizures we can achieve. XX
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Post by Girlytrude on Nov 16, 2014 16:50:00 GMT
Things are going really well and Beau has been very level in terms of his epilepsy for the past 2 months which is excellent. So much so that it's improving the relationship between him and Tessa, my feisty female JRT who has always been iffy with him due to his seizures. I let them out for a wee yesterday and when they came in I was distracted with a phone call, and forgot to segregate them. I heard a small grumble from Tessa. When I looked round she was in Beau's crate WITH Beau! He'd obviously adjusted his position and she grumped (which she does with all dogs if they dare move while she's cuddled up to them). BUT she didn't fly at him or go for the throat...she simply gave him the usual grrr that she gives all dogs and adjusted her position to suit and settled back down I called her out of the crate and pushed the door to for safety...but I think we might be developing a relationship at last, and all as the result of him not having a major seizure episode in 3 months. XX
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Post by charitybob on Nov 17, 2014 13:21:02 GMT
Fabulous to read that the keppra appears to be suitable for beau xx
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Beau
Dec 12, 2014 20:51:26 GMT
Post by Girlytrude on Dec 12, 2014 20:51:26 GMT
Beau had been doing really well, but a blip on Tuesday meant he had 3 seizures in quick succession in the early hours of the morning. He recovers quite well from them in between now, is less dazed or dopey, but is much more snatchy with food and can be a bit snappy or 'feisty' so has to be carefully watched around other dogs. He spent the afternoon snoozing, and then followed his foster brother Bomber's lead and started writing his list for Santa. So, if you would like to treat a Lifetime Foster Dog to a little something for Christmas (or at any time - the list will remain ongoing) please take a look: Beau's Wishlist
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Beau
May 27, 2015 15:23:37 GMT
Post by Girlytrude on May 27, 2015 15:23:37 GMT
Beau has been doing incredibly well, and had his first seizure since December yesterday, a whole 5 months. Even then it was one solo seizure, which lasted less than 40 seconds and he recovered almost immediately, was up on his feet, alert and scoffing a lemon curd sandwich as an energy boost. His new medication really seems to be having a positive effect on controlling his epilepsy which is brilliant. The flipside (because frustratingly there is one) is that he is far more active and lively generally and seems to think he can take life at 100mph, which his short stumpy legs aren't quite up to, so he has developed a limp in the leg he had a cruciate repair on. Hopefully just muscle strain but we'll be getting it checked out to be sure. But, to see him so full of energy and physically active is fab. My worry was that more medication might mean a more dopey, more confused Beau, but in fact he is more alert and lively than he has been in the last couple of years...it's as if the new med, in leveling out the seizures has cleared the 'fogginess' too. It's great XX
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Beau
May 28, 2015 19:47:15 GMT
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Post by mollymoo on May 28, 2015 19:47:15 GMT
Sounds like you're making the most of your new found energy Beau, well done and hope you don't get any more nasty seizures x
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Post by Girlytrude on Nov 28, 2015 5:55:26 GMT
For almost a year now Beau has been a little unsteady on his back legs, and since February this has been more closely monitored. At that time it was difficult to pinpoint a cause. He has always carried a slight limp in his right hind leg since his cruciate operation, but it was barely noticeable and only after a long walk. However after starting the new medication for his epilepsy, which increased his alertness and activity levels, this limp began to show a little more obviously...not drastically so, just something we noticed from time to time. However he would occasionally stumble, the leg would appear to give way, or he would fall completely, his back legs unable to support him. When running he used the power from his front legs to pull him along, rather than pushing with the back legs, so was happier and more stable in a run, but once walking or standing his front legs developed a tremor and the back slowly crumpled. There were no definitive clinical signs at that time, and it was thought to be a combination of effects of his high medication dosages, possible brain damage from the passed severe seizure episodes, neurological issues or most likely a combination of all of these. By June, the limp was becoming more noticeable, as were his incidents of stumbling, and some sideways movement of the kneecap was noted. The muscles holding it in place weren’t doing the job so well, and a combination of hydrotherapy and physiotherapy was advised to strengthen the muscles both above and below the kneecap, tightening these up and thereby pulling the kneecap itself more firmly into place and improving stability. Unfortunately the funds for this were not readily available during the Summer months, and with the change in the weather and colder temperatures (temperature extremes being one of the triggers for Beau’s seizures) it was not sensible to be moving from a warm indoors and warm water, to colder outside air whilst damp (both from the hydrotherapy tank and the baths he would need to be clean in preparation) so this treatment had not started yet. Beau’s general mobility continued to decline, but did not seem limited to just the right hind leg, and his falls and stumbles became more frequent, with increasing difficulty getting back up afterwards. Over the past 2-3 weeks I have had to help him stand, held him up to walk, supported him in and out of the garden, rescued him when he’s fallen and can’t get back up, and at times had to carry him back indoors. Eventually he became almost unable to walk at all and was reduced to dragging his back end across the floor unless helped up and supported. Beau shows no evident pain, so it is very difficult to know if he has injured himself, or is in any way uncomfortable, but his appetite was as good as ever, he was eating and drinking well, toileting (with support), and still wanting all the same involvement in activities. However, clearly something was getting worse, so we headed off to see Peter, the orthopaedic vet at the practice (and Senior Partner). I still half expected the verdict to be related to his leg, but was also worried that the signs all appeared to be similar to those I’ve experienced in dogs with neurological issues, either spinal arthritis, hips or stroke. Peter’s thorough examination confirmed that Beau had a highly sensitive point midway along his back which when touched caused an immediate nerve reaction and twitching of the skin and muscles from there back through to his tail and legs. Unable to sit, Beau laid down on his side and Peter witnessed the leg twitches we’re accustomed to, which have been present for a very long time, but which were also confirmation of nerve pressure. Peter’s verdict was some form of spinal/neurological issue, the cause of which could only be confirmed by an MRI. It may be a disc trauma or decay, a tumour, an arthritic type condition or something like spondylosis or some other neurological disease. However, the treatment would be much the same regardless, and so Beau was given an immediate steroid injection. Peter explained that it would either work...or it wouldn’t. There would be no half measures, so we wouldn’t see a slight improvement, we’d either see Beau walking or not, and the effect should be apparent by the weekend. If it didn’t work, he’d move on to Plan B, but if it did, then Beau would begin a course of oral steroids. I am very pleased to say that after 2 more days of lifting, carrying and supporting, on Friday morning Beau woke up and stiffly managed to stand unaided. He then proceeded to walk on all 4 legs to the garden, pottered round, toileted and made his own way back; all without falling or stumbling once. As the day wore on he became a little less steady, but I think that was tiredness as he was so keen to make use of his re-found legs he was making the most of it by following me around all day the way he usually does...my shadow! I'm sure Beau is relieved to be mobile again...all that falling over in this weather (muddy garden) and sometimes in his own mess after toileting had meant far too many baths for his liking. This was what he thought of the experience recently... We will be back to see Peter on Monday, but (fingers crossed) this is working, and we’ll find out what the plans are from here on in on Monday. XX
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Beau
Dec 2, 2015 10:14:26 GMT
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Post by cavalier789 on Dec 2, 2015 10:14:26 GMT
Glad to hear Beau is doing well
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Beau
Dec 13, 2015 17:37:51 GMT
Post by Girlytrude on Dec 13, 2015 17:37:51 GMT
As expected after about two weeks, the effect of the injection began to wear off and Beau began to stumble and fall again. Before this became too pronounced we were back to see Peter so that he could see how Beau's mobility had improved, but how this also highlighted the instability in his right hind leg - the one he had the cruciate and crudial repair on. Peter was able to better locate the issue with his right leg which he confirmed has some side to side movement of the kneecap and dislocation, and the improved mobility under the influence of the steroid injection confirmed his suspicion that it's a Spondylosis based issue with possible small fractures from ageing vertebrae and his increased activity levels.
He feels that once Beau's spinal repair is well on the mend he can help with the knee issue also, with a trial combination of anabolic steroids for muscle building, and structured exercise, to keep costs down. That will be to discuss when Beau has general mobility back more consistently. In the meantime Beau had another steroid shot, and can request an oral steroid to continue with for a couple of weeks if he's not fully back on his feet when this wears off. XX
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Beau
Feb 10, 2016 14:38:13 GMT
Post by Girlytrude on Feb 10, 2016 14:38:13 GMT
Beau moved from the injections to oral steroids, but the orals didn't prove as effective and there was a decline in his mobility over the last couple of weeks. Annoyingly one of the drug companies that sends out his epilepsy medications suddenly changed their policy without warning, leaving him without one of his medications while the rescue sorted it out. This led to him suffering 4 seizures over 2 days (thankfully Diazepam helped keep these to a minimum). Unfortunately the spasms and rigidity of the seizures led to a suspected new fracture in his spine and he is currently back on injected steroids having lost the use of his back legs completely. The prognosis is good, but recovery will be slow and could take up to 12 weeks for a full return to his usual bounce and energy. There are things we are doing though to aid his comfort. He is having a trim down of his usual curly fluff, to make keeping him clean more manageable. With him stumbling and falling (especially after toileting) and with the constant wet and muddy conditions, bathing frequently is not pleasant for him as he cannot stand safely in the bath and has to be laid down and showered, meaning he is laying in the water risking getting cold, and having to be turned and manoeuvered to rinse all parts, painful for his back. So a shorter coat makes rub downs and baby wipe clean ups easier. At night Beau was struggling to sleep comfortably. Most dogs lay down to sleep in this position: With the back legs turned to the side, but the top half of the body straight, this slight twist in the spine was causing him extreme discomfort and nights were spent briefly napping, then whining and dragging himself in circles trying to get more comfortable. We discovered that by encouraging him to lie entirely on his side, with his spine straight, like this: he rests comfortably and sleeps soundly without interruption or pain, waking more rested and with a little more stability and movement in the morning. This latest episode has confirmed how much Beau is my shadow. With a mobile dog you are so used to being followed you tend to not be so aware of it. but when it's a dog that is trying to drag themselves across the floor to be by your side in everything you do, even just taking two steps to get a pen from the desk, or flick the kettle on, it makes you incredibly aware of every movement, and I am learning to plan my day, ensuring I have everything I might need at the start so as to restrict how often I need to move in order to limit his need to move to follow me. As I type he is in a bed beside the desk. XX
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Beau
Feb 12, 2016 16:41:38 GMT
Post by cavalier789 on Feb 12, 2016 16:41:38 GMT
Poor Beau,hopefully mobility will return soon. He is so lucky to have you caring for him.You are so patient!
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Beau
Feb 15, 2016 14:14:46 GMT
Post by Girlytrude on Feb 15, 2016 14:14:46 GMT
I do my best honey. I'm no saint, and it's incredibly tiring at times, but I am lucky that all of my dogs understand and the only 2 set routines we have are feeding times and bed-time so that walks, play and everything else are not demanded at specific times and can be juggled through the day dependent on each dog's needs, my availability, having Ben to help etc. It works well as they don't get stressed if the day's plans suddenly change due to an emergency or something unexpected XX
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Beau
May 16, 2016 17:12:21 GMT
Post by Girlytrude on May 16, 2016 17:12:21 GMT
A little update from Beau himself: Hi Folks, Been a while since I wrote anything so I thought I'd pop on and tell you how I'm doing. The injections for my legs worked their magic and I've been back to my mad running in the rain - isn't mud great? And sunbathing on the good days, chasing away any of those pesky birds that think they've got the right to share the garden. There's been some problems getting my meds delivered on time which led to some withdrawal seizures which hasn't been great, but Foster Mum knows the drill and adjusts the other doses to compensate, so she kept me stable and safe while the rescue organise interim meds from the vet and sort out the problem with the supplier. But now it looks like I may have another problem. I've always had a strange coat. Very thick hair on my head, like a sheep's wool, tight curls, very soft and needs to be brushed regularly to stop tangles. But the hair on my body is thin and fine, very delicate and breaks easily, and can only be brushed with a soft brush or it pulls out. And I've had intermittent scurvy skin problems which flare up from time to time, but are usually kept under control with diet and a sensitive shampoo. Foster Mum decided I needed a bath after my recent seizures because I had a little accident and was a bit smelly. And while she was bathing me she noticed a bald patch on my side. When she turned me round to wash the other side I had a matching one in the same place on the other side. They're about fist sized and on my flanks, and the hair on my sides is getting generally thin. Foster Mum said that's not a good sign, and might mean I have another medical problem, so she's asked the rescue for the okay to see the vet for a full check-up. They are probably going to need to do a wee test, and blood tests and that all costs pennies, and as I'm a Lifetime Foster Dog all of those bills are paid for by the rescue. If you could help with a little bit towards my bills, it would really be appreciated. My medication alone is around £60 a month, and if I need more tests now it puts a lot of pressure on a small rescue. Donations can be sent by Paypal to donations@littledogrescue.co.uk Or use the orange button at the top of the page. It would be great if you could help. I'll keep you updated with how things are going. Beau-Beau
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Beau
May 25, 2016 8:52:41 GMT
Post by Girlytrude on May 25, 2016 8:52:41 GMT
Beau is in the vets again this morning and he gave me permission to give you a little update on his behalf until he can bribe the nurses to let him borrow their computer. Our visit yesterday evening was a bit of an adventure, with my car throwing electrical wobbles at me before we even made it out of the village, leading to an emergency stop at the local garage. They checked it over and cleared it safe to drive but she'll need to be booked in asap for some work Having rearranged Beau's appointment for about 40 minutes later, we saw Peter and had a lengthy consultation with (as usual) lots of helpful explanation of the likely issues, the tests needed and being mindful of the costs to the rescue, how best to achieve the right outcome. Peter's suspicion is that Beau has Thyroid problems, but can't rule out Cushings or other adrenal problems completely without tests, so Beau is back in this morning for some basic bloods to check all the usual functions (liver, kidneys etc), which will give a good guide towards the most likely direction for the next level of tests, ie: Cushings or Thyroid. Beau's tummy is not 'pot-bellied' and his liver isn't enlarged, so if there are no liver changes on testing, then the indication is most likely thyroid, and the full test will be done to confirm that, and the likely cause (viral, autoimmune, tumour etc). The Little Dog Rescue as always is covering ALL costs for these tests. the initial blood screen is £40, and the potential Thyroid test is £150, so today's bill is going to be around the £190 mark, without any additional costs for medication or further screening advised. TLDR is a small rescue, with limited funding sources, relying totally on donations and fundraising. Beau is a Lifetime Foster Dog, one of 4 remaining as others have passed on due to their age or the illnesses they were dealing with. The very nature of 'LIFETIME' fostering means that these dogs need continual care, ongoing veterinary costs, and often these increase as their condition deteriorates, changes or their age increases their health issues. EVERY PENNY COUNTS. And your help is needed. To make a donation, you can Paypal to donations@littledogrescue.co.uk Thank you for reading. Beau and I send our love XX
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Beau
May 25, 2016 12:09:03 GMT
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Post by Girlytrude on May 25, 2016 12:09:03 GMT
Hi Folks, I've managed to sneak onto the nurses' computer during their lunch break, but don't tell them I just heard them phone the Foster Mum and tell her she can pick me up in a couple of hours and that I was being a good boy. I had to bring my tablets with me because I take them at 11, and I had to be here at 8.30. 8.30? What time is that? I was still half asleep when Foster Mum lifted me into the car! It was damp, and chilly and faaarrr too early for me. I like my lie ins. But I took my tablets for them at 11 and they said I was very good and took them well. And so I should, I've been doing it twice a day for 5 years. Chuh! Anyway, I was ear-wigging on their phone call and there was something about ALPs and GPTs and Glucose and stuff. It doesn't mean anything to me but this is what they told her: My ALP is 664, normal range is 13-83 My GPT is 115, normal range is 17-78 My Glucose is 9.9, normal range is 4.2-7.1 Apparently that means my liver is having problems and struggling to do whatever it is that it does. It doesn't give them as many answers as they'd hoped, but based on the other symptoms, with my hair falling out, and my skin looking like cornflakes, my muscles being weak and feeling the cold a bit, Peter still thinks it's looking more like thyroid stuff, so they're going to do the full thyroid test at the lab now and we have to wait for the results. But the good news is I can come home! Which is extra good because Foster Mum mentioned something nice for tea to make up for missing breakfast. Uh-oh, gotta go, lunch break is over and the nurses are back. Better skedaddle. Catch you later when I'm home. Beau-Beau
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Beau
May 30, 2016 16:04:05 GMT
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Post by Girlytrude on May 30, 2016 16:04:05 GMT
With the Bank Holiday weekend we're still waiting for the test results, but Beau is ok. He's looking a little threadbare it has to be said, but thanks to a fabulous group on Facebook called Groomer Volunteer Network UK, a salon in Sheffield have offered Beau a professional pampering session in a couple of weeks completely free of charge Can't wait to see what he looks like after someone who knows what they're doing has had their hands on him instead of my hatchet efforts!!
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Beau
Jun 1, 2016 7:21:56 GMT
Post by cavalier789 on Jun 1, 2016 7:21:56 GMT
I look forward to seeing his new haircut
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Beau
Jun 16, 2016 19:25:04 GMT
Post by Girlytrude on Jun 16, 2016 19:25:04 GMT
Beau went for his makeover yesterday courtesy of Cheryl at Fluffball Dog Grooming. Cheryl is a member of a group of groomers who sign up to volunteer some free time to rescue dogs, and she very kindly offered to help out with Beau when I put his name forward. The experience was exemplary, for both of us. Time was taken to ensure Beau was happy and relaxed before starting...he got to explore and make sure there were no cats hiding in any of the nooks and crannies, and had a chill on the sofa. Then it was up onto the table and on with the clippers, at which point he decided it was all a bit boring and he might as well get comfy...laying down! Lol... <you can see his bald areas in these shots> Next it was time for the bath, and 2 full body shampoos... Before heading back to the table for a blast with a very powerful hairdryer and some more clipping and some finer trimming, nail clipping, feet tidying etc... There was a lot of discussion about what to do with his face. We'd both decided on a proper 'terrier cut', a neat, trimmed, boxy whisker and beard square face. But as Cheryl worked, the amount of ooze, slug slime, saliva and hidden gems (he's very savvy at hiding his pills in his whiskers) led to the decision that for his comfort and to make all round hygiene a priority, it was coming off! Besides, beards are soooo 2015!! And so....may we unveil the new, clean cut, very handsome (although startlingly different)..... BEAU
Before and after...
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Beau
Jun 16, 2016 19:38:42 GMT
Post by Girlytrude on Jun 16, 2016 19:38:42 GMT
Removal of his coat to this extent (we've never gone so drastic before) has enabled a much clearer view of his physical condition. It's easier now to see his possible breed mix (his nose is much longer than we'd imagined, and does lend itself to the Airedale/Welsh Terrier lines). It's more easy to follow the flow and movement of his hind legs and the limp/dip on his right side, and to now see more clearly what I'd been noticing in terms of a front leg weakness which I felt was strain trying to weight bear to compensate for the rear legs, which is causing his front right foot to twist considerably... He also has an 'abnormality' on his left side on the ribcage. Not a lump exactly, and may be a genetic/birth defect in the bone, but will be closely monitored and discussed with the vet. It was never felt before and only noticed now that his coat is so short and the ribs can be felt properly. I have to say I was very impressed with Cheryl's attention to detail, and although she said "it's not as neat as I'd like due to him laying down a lot", I think in light of what she was dealing with, it's a fantastic job, and after over 2 hours, he was getting tired, so I'm sure she must have been. Beau loved her, and clearly felt very comfortable with her, Cheryl herself commented that she has never had a dog lay down and allow all four feet to be clipped, nails, hair, the lot, without fidgeting or pulling away. Beau just loves being pampered!! The gang at home all went mad when they saw him. I think they thought there was a new arrival. And Tessa was literally throwing herself on the floor, play-bowing, rolling over and trying to entice him to play...she NEVER does that with Beau! I think now she can see his face and eyes, and he looks smaller she is less threatened and sees him as a new playmate. Lol. So all in all a great experience for him, and he is definitely fresher smelling, easier to keep clean and comfortable, and looks adorable XX
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Beau
Jun 16, 2016 19:44:47 GMT
Post by Girlytrude on Jun 16, 2016 19:44:47 GMT
In other news, Beau's thyroid results finally came back. His T3, T4, freeT4 etc...all were within normal range.
But his TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) was well below normal range. It's a sign that his thyroid gland is struggling, possibly under additional stress due to his epilepsy. He's started on Thyforon for 3 months, to be retested and his levels re-assessed then. Fingers crossed over the next couple of months we'll see hair regrowth on the thin areas, and an improvement in his joint strength and mobility and his general energy levels (as low thyroid levels cause pain, muscle weakness, ligament injuries, lethargy etc). XX
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