Updates

I paint dog stuff, I don't know if I mentioned that before, but I do. I'll put a couple pictures of my 'creations' on this page. I make them for friends, and for people who order them on occasion.

Ok, here we go again.... The good news is Chip got his first 'leg' towards his CD, that's also the bad news as it wasn't pretty. Classically my fault, of course. I don't seem to practice what I preach - i.e. PRACTICE with my dog before trialing! I'm quite stupid about that actually. You'd think I'd know better right, WRONG! Oh well, he passed, it wasn't particularly pretty, but the ribbon was green!

The UGLY - Fall is here. Apache's issues are mounting & I'm kind of praying that he will find his way back into remission. His lips (in the front this time) are quite raw and he almost looks like he has herpes. His eyes are starting to swell, I'm guessing the lovely little histocytes are coming back. I had the windows open for about a week, as it was cool at night and comfortable, but obviously I can't do that. I have turned the air conditioning back on as of today, I have rabbit on order from a new source, I have also made some tea concoctions my sister has recommended to try and ease the issues he's having (I told someone at work today that I really am beginning to feel a bit like an actual witch). The really scary part this time is that his face is obviously quite itchy, and his scratching it is NOT a good thing. His issues change slightly each time, but are getting harder and harder to get him past. I love him so much, but if it appears he's actually suffering, I will not allow it to continue (I just don't know how I will if I lose him)......

Cutaneous Histioctosis...

Since this is the primary reason for this blog, I think it bears repeating.....

Cutaneous Histiocytosis is often abbreviated as CH - no it doesn't stand for Champion LOL! It's a vile & insidious Auto Immune Disease. It's also referred to as the 'button disease', as it manefests as small 'button' like lumps just under the skin. It is not breed specific, or age specific - although when some get it under 4 years old it often goes into remission never to return, the older the dog is when diagnosed, the less likely the remission will be very permanent. It's a hyper or hypo (sorry I forget which) response to an allergic reaction, and it can sort of build on itself. It is triggered by stress, allergies, etc.. It is a recessive gene so breeders can't really screen for it, because breeding to a different dog will often not produce puppies with this problem. It occurs in mixed breeds too, there is little rhyme or reason as far as figuring out who/what will likely end up with it. Most people assume it's cancer and euthanize immediately. Others do the biopsy, get the results and run into a brick wall as far as vets or are daunted by the fact that it can't be cured and euthanize. A few follow vet recommendations to treat with steriods by massive doses, & I only found 1 person on the web who's dog went into remission, the other 4 listing I found stated the dogs died of organ failure due to the steroids... I did not chose that route...

I can only speak for myself (which I do often), but vaccines/medications tend to make it much much worse - so.........Apache is being seen by a holistic vet and has not had ANY shots in the past 3 years no, and will not be getting any (refer to your states guidelines regarding Rabies vaccines). Also, to combat the food allergies (he's allergic to beef, pork, chicken, turkey, venison - so far), he eats Solid Gold dog food on his good days (when his inhallent allergies aren't likely to be triggered - i.e. winter in Western PA), and raw rabbit and/or lamb on his not so good days. I suppliment with brown rice, raw carrots, occasionally yams and sweet potatoes (yep, he eats better than I do), along with 2 Chinese Herbs I can't remember the name of right this second, and 1/3 of a capsule of Red Rasberry Leaf, Eyebright, Pau D'Arco, Milk Thistle, Cat's Claw, & Echinacea... I have it down to a pretty good science now, it takes me about 10 minutes to get the food together for his 2x day feedings. He appears the picture of health, does demonstrations with me & is one of the happiest/self assured dogs you would ever have the pleasure of meeting. No one would know he was not well spending time with him.

I'm trying to give you a reference point, at least a little, so you can maybe help you vet if your dog is diagnosed, or at least make a more informed decision in his treatment. REPEAT AFTER ME - My Vet is not GOD, He DOES NOT know EVERYTHING! It is MY job to make an informed/intelligent decision on my dog's health!! Most vet's HAVE NEVER seen this disease first hand (ask them if they've ever actually treated a dog with this exact disease), but are highly willing to TRY and treat your dog based on limited research. I honestly think some are just looking to get published somewhere/anywhere. Do all of your homework FIRST and stick to your guns - even when your vet is telling you that they don't recommend something - if you truly believe/know it's the right choice, stick with it - even it you have to dump your vet.... Like I warned you, just my honest opinion....scary thought!

Busy, busy, busy

Ok, life hasn't been grand, but it's cost me many of them... My retaining wall in front has been replaced - good news, it looks amazing!! The contractor that put it in/up is a great guy who's honest/reliable, etc.. He is, however, not cheap, but I guess you get what you pay for. The wall changes the look of the whole house, it's pretty cool actually. Next we moved on to a much larger fence, it's now 6 feet instead of 3 (which Apache would just scoff at). Again, it looks great, sturdy, secure, etc., but not cheap. Oh yeah, did I mention I accidentally had my freezer unplugged, so I lost all of Apache's rabbit (not to mention my food) & had a horrid mess to clean up and cart away. So I've been working A LOT, at anything I can fit in to my schedule. On top of that, I had the benefit of a infection in my jaw, resulting in my needing to have a tooth pulled - I bet you all envy me! Needless to say, the dogs have been great through this whole thing, sticking close to my side in this unbearable heat & wondering why I haven't been that much fun. That being said, the dogs are doing well, I think I will be sending an entry in for Chip to attempt to get his CD...but I'm saving those details for another day.

Hope everyone else is doing better than I have been (wouldn't take much, would it)

Horray

Ok, Apache is FINALLY better, no lip issues, nothing. Spring is NOT his friend, but then again, fall is not that much fun for him either. I have to avoid letting him overheat, but other than that, he's doing much better. I have GOT to stip coat out of both him and Cheyenne. They're both wooly mammoths right now. I'm actually home tonight after an 11 hour day at work, so I guess I'll groom them while I bake some pumpkin cookies for him (I should really try and do laundry or something exciting for me - sigh). He's in remission at the moment, so primarily eating Solid Gold with rice cooked with lamb, rabbit, and all his lovely herbs (it looks disgusting), his favorite raw carrots too.

I think I'm taking Apache to the Humane Society this weekend. The vet from Beaver Animal Clinic that has been supporting my decisions is having a book release party on Sunday at 1pm. I can honestly say Holistic has changed my dogs' lives for the better. Apache is definitely a good example of that!

Cheyenne still looks great. Every once in a while she looks a bit old. She's going to be 11 this year. Most people (including several vets) still think she's about 7, which is cool. Personally, she doesn't care what anyone thinks. She's a sweetie, but only with people she's always known, she prefers to avoid the limelight and hide behind Apache.

Dogs

They really do drive me nuts. Apache's issues are continuing, on and off diahrrea, and his lips just won't heal. It's annoying and frightening all at the same time. I keep hoping something causes him to improve.

The weather here is getting warmer, then cooler again. There's no rhyme or reason to it, and the dog's not the only one feeling ill. I've got my own allergy issues going wild right about now.

Chip on the other hand, continues to improve. He's slowly starting to 'get' the idea of the stand stay. I worked so hard to make him interested in other people, but not snappy, that he wiggles all over the place. Wiggling, while cute, is not an acceptable 'Stand Stay'. It's fun to train your dog, and competition lets you get an unbiased opinion of your success, but it really can be frustrating at times LOL!

Cheyenne is fine. She's such a sweet old girl. One of her many fears is thunderstorms, she'll seek me out HOURS before the stupid things hit. It's a bit typical, but she's much more accurate than watching the news.

Sigh...

I have to keep repeating to myself that I love the big dumb dog. Apache is having all sorts of assorted issues right now. The lip thing I can't seem to get to stop completely & is now around the front part of his mouth, now he's had diahrrea for days.... He loses weight every spring and fall due to allergies and all, so I am always thrilled when I can get him up over 70lbs, which is quite rare. I always try very hard to get extra weight on him in the winter, but I've never been able to get him over 75lbs. Most people that see him think he weighs much more than that, but he doesn't. It's mainly fur and the fact that he's always on his toes and his bold personality shines (yes, I said my dog has personality, better than a lot of people I know). He stops eating when his stomach is upset or when he's full (I wish I could learn THAT trick). Every time something happens with him, I'm afraid it will be his 'last' relapse. I do so love him, but occasionally wonder how I can afford to keep him & if he'll survive regardless of how much effort I put in it. So yep, a deep sigh about sums it up right now...

Progress

Apache is making some progress. Not as quickly as I would like, but progress none the less. He's happy and obnoxious as always, but I let him be. He's been doing the whole raw feeding thing for over a week now, but I only started the whole benedryl a couple of days ago. He is still improving, but with the weather steadily getting warmer, I expect a lot more 'interesting' problems to crop up. I'll try and remember to track them & hopefully my 'successful' attempts at cutting them off and putting him back towards remission. He does worry me so.

Chip is doing well while practicing obedience, but every dog is 'perfect' in their own yard. I'm thinking of entering him in a trial in June, but haven't made up my mind yet. I really should get him to more matches/run thrus before then (practice dog shows, much cheaper, and lets you know where your dog is at). I am so not serious enough about these things. I should be practicing daily, but am often too tired to care (not stellar as far as competitive prep is concerned). I need to devote more time to training my own dogs.

Why I track this

I guess for myself as well as others... I forgot that last year around this time Apache got sick, not the whole lip thing (as he never seems to have the same reaction twice), but diahrrea and loss of appetite. I finally remembered that I had given him Benedryl (extremely small dose for his size) for about a month. I have been giving him a tablet at each meal - with all of his other pills - for the past 7 days. His lips are again sealed, but still very pink in the corners. I am also going back to strictly raw feeding schedule for now. He is an expensive boy, I started totaling all his medications and suppliments, and made myself stop - it was rather depressing & I hadn't even taken his food/feeding into consideration. Jeez, what am I doing.

As I said, this is just to possibly help others, and primarily for me to track his progress and declines...

He's such a sweetie though, hates the pills, but a really great dog.

UGH!!

It's never easy with this stupid disease. It was a beautiful/sunny 70 degree day here in Pittsburgh yesterday and today. Of course, yesterday Apache went to the vet and it was uneventful. This morning I notice the corners of his mouth/his lips are drying up and flaking off again!! UGH!! I REALLY hate spring. His inhallent allergies have always been off of the charts, & I've been struggling with whatever reaction he has every year, but fearing this particular allergy response could be his last...which would break my heart.

I could take another day off work and take him to the vet, but honestly, I don't think it would make a difference. They are kindly and try to be helpful, but this is really out of everyone's league (including mine). I'm switching to raw food, keeping him inside and out of the 'pollen' etc.. and hoping/praying for the best...

He does make me crazy, but I love him. This is another example of when I have to stay calm around him when I want to jump up and down and scream at the top of my lungs! Oh well, pray for him (& me too LOL).

Good Vet Visit

Apache's visit to Beaver Animal Clinic went well this morning. It's a bit of a drive for me, but the vet there is willing to work with me and is hopefully tracking all we're learning about CH in a manner that MAY help other vets if they encounter this disease. Apace is doing better than anyone could have hoped or would have guessed. He did crack a tooth on a cooked bone I was quite stupid to give him, since cooked bones are harder and more brittle than raw ones. I've thrown all of them out now, but the damage is done. At some point he's going to need it removed, but both vets hesitate to put him under to do it when it's not bothering him. Before I forget, STRESS can also trigger CH... The most difficult thing I had to do when this whole thing started was not to stress about it around him. If I was crying, which I did a lot in the beginning, he would stress pant & yawn around me, so I was actually making it worse. When I find a lump on him, I just make a mental note, and remember to check there a week later. They occasionally flair up, then disappear again depending what is going on. He does have one CH lump on his ear, but it is one from the original outbreak that never did reabsorb. I know exactly where it is, the vets can never find it without my help, but they know I'm watching it.

Apache sees a lot of vets, obviously, but for different reasons. I do make sure he gets a check up at the holistic vet at least once a year so they can continue to document the progress of this disease and his remission - which I hope will continue forever LOL!!

Side note, these guys are filthy and need a bath. I'm a big fan of those 'self dog washes' that have been cropping up. You go there with your dog, you bathe them, use their tubs, towels, etc... and they clean up - How Great is That?!?!?! Two of my three blow so much coat after a bath I do feel bad leaving the place like that, but I guess that's what they're there for & thank goodness for that!

Allergies

Since it is allergy season & CH is a royal pain during this season, I thought I'd make a post on my experience with my dog's allergies - I have them too, but we're talking dogs LOL.

There are degrees of allergies. Dogs get sneezy, weeping eye type allergies just like we do based on the inhalant type allergies. Food allergies are normally identified as: recurring ear infections, raw/itchy feet, & stomach upset. Apache's problem (ok, one of Apache's problems) is that he has both inhalant and food allergies. Talk to your vet if you think you're looking at food allergies - it's normally grain based (corn meal, etc..), and/or protein based. Protein based (in order of most common to cause reaction in my experience) start with beef, then go to chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, etc.. Apache has allergies to the first 4 every time he even accidentally encounters them, but the lamb depends on where it's from & if there are hormones, etc.. involved. Any food based allergy response should move to food 'trials', but you have to be extremely patient, as the switch to a new food should be gradual and then monitored for at least 3 weeks once the dog is entirely on a new food. Your vet can help you with that though, as food allergies are actually becoming pretty common in dogs. Inhalant allergies are trickier actually, as you have to find out what it is - most dogs are like people - dust, mold spores, certain plants, etc... Lots of dogs have runny eyes, and sneezing & reverse sneezing as a reaction. I'm not a steroid fan personally, and I know vet's love to prescribe it, but I often reach for a benedryl type allergy product and give the lowest dose imaginable. I know Apache has issues every single spring and the thing with CH is that once he has a reaction and histiocytes start to appear, his body starts to have a reaction to the histiocytes themselves. It can grow exponentially... I have been lucky, as when I switch to an all natural and raw diet for even a week, it tends to allow his body to stop over reacting & recover. I do feed him the most premium and natural dog food I can find on the market when he is in remission, but use the raw to attempt and snap him out of a reaction. Some people ask me why I don't just feed him raw rabbit all the time.... Well, I am afraid if he has a reaction when he's on the raw rabbit that I won't know what to switch him to to try and get him out of it... It's kind of reassuring that I can use it in emergencies, but I'm running out of options & never running out of emergencies with him.

BTW: Apache's lips have healed over and are no longer raw and scabbing over. He ate raw rabbit, rice boiled with vitamins, sweet potatoes, lamb lung, & celery for about 7 full days. His lips are still quite red, but have sealed anyway. We are going to the Holistic vet on Tuesday just to have another set of eyes and to fish for ideas. Unfortunately this disease has resorted me to doing a lot of my own research, weighing what the vet says, and then making a decision (and then praying it's the right one). I have found the holistic vet most responsive to alternative treatments, obviously, but he has also prescibed things to help the dog's immune system (CH does havoc on their immune system, as it is an auto immune disease). I don't recommend discounting your vet entirely, but if it's something they've never treated or seen, make sure you also do your own research and come armed with any information you think may be helpful for them and your dog (and potentially any dog they may see after)...

Spring

Ok, you think I'd be thrilled it's warming up, but I'm not. Apache's allergies are kicking in right now. Corners of his mouth are drying up, and peeling off. I'd imagine it's allergies, it normally is, and it's never been the same thing 2 years in a row... I bleached any moss or mold in the yard since it's been so rainy. I've defrosted a rabbit (yep, I know it sounds disgusting, but....), so I'm HOPING to get him back on track again soon. I hate when he starts this yearly thing, but I have to stop myself from getting too upset. When I get upset, he gets upset then refuses to eat and gets very sick... Sigh, it's bad when you have to fake being thrilled for the sake of the dog LOL!!

Side note, made more pumpkin treats, added some ground flax seed to them too. The dogs don't even notice, but they're still good for them & they love them!

Animals!

Chey has been having some little issues lately. Sometimes she seems like she's having bladder issues, but I've run her to the vet a couple of times, and they say there's nothing that the can find (ran urine sample, palpated for stones and the like). Still, sometimes it seems like she's trying to go and can't. I opted to add some celery to her food (it's a natural diuretic), and give her a cranberry supplement 2x a day. Her favorite is the plain yogurt I've been adding, but it really doesn't appeal to me at all! It seems to be improving her situation though, but at her age, it still makes me nervous. She may not look 11 years old, but she is. I'm hoping nothing more serious develops, she's such an 'easy' dog to live with (compared to the other two anyway).

Side note, the Collie puppy has grown and is a sweet, but hard headed boy. Hormones seem to be coming into play, but hopefully, we'll stay on top of him enough that it won't be too dramatic of an issue. Conformation training for the show ring is really different, but it's fun and I'm learning a lot from the not so little wild man!

Chip is improving slightly on his regular obedience. I still hope to get his CD this year. Friends I trust tell me he'll be fine, but I'm still not so confident or sure. They can make you crazy (or crazier)...

Feral Cats

Ok, it's not a surprise, I'm not a cat person. I never have been. There have been dogs in my life which make it impossible for me to be a cat person EVER. HOWEVER, I do not wish any harm to any animal... People that feed feral cats make me CRAZY! The cat's loose about 10 years off their lives, house cats can live into their teens, but feral cats are lucky to make it to 5 years old. There's cars, dogs, poison, cold, disease, etc.... Feeding them, allowing them to breed and wander is not helping them!!

Why am I frustrated???? Tonight I came home to find a 4 month old kitten huddled in the corner of my yard - Chip of course wanted to kill it, but Apache (THANK GOD) didn't notice it right away. I wondered why said kitten didn't take off when Chip was trying to bite him as he was huddled against my fence, & once I got the dogs in the house, I saw why. This poor little terrified kitten had it's head wedged/trapped inside a can!!! It must have been fighting it most of the day because it barely moved when I approached it. I even touched it and it didn't move. With some help from another neighbor, I got this into one of Chip's carriers and over to the Western PA Humane Society. They got the can off of it's head, and it took of like it was shot out of a cannon...they caught it in a net and put it in a cage over night. If it calms down, they'll put it up for adoption....but it would have starved to death or been killed by another animal - HOW IS THAT HELPING!?!??! Spay and Neuter your pets - and for crying out loud, keep them inside & be responsible! Sorry, had to vent. Thank God for open door shelters!!