Czara
Hello all, With a great grief in my hearth I am writing to you that I loosed my beloved Czara. She looked so healthy with no problems till last week. I never thought that she will go so early and so quickly. She was just a week before her 8-th birthday. She was so exceptional for me and I will never forgett her. If there is a dog heaven above us, I am sure that she is sitting there, wagging her tail and sending her typically smiles to me saying: Please do not cry Terezia, it was the best what you was able to do for me and for you also. Her problems started on 30.12. evening. She got a big pain in her abdomen area. It continued next day therefore we went to vet hospital. I thought that she eated something wrong. Sorrow the x-ray and following ultrasound showed the big masse in her abdomen what pressed the surrouding organs and caused the pain. The vet ordered us on this Tuesday for next examination. On Tuesday we went to hospital again. Czara felt much better, eated normally, no signs of problems. The vets took her urine and her blood for tests and we did ultrasound again. The masse was covering the left size of abdomen, her right kidney looked to be destroyed and affected. I was very surpriced. Czara was spayed in Jule with ovario-hysterectomy. There was no problem with she and no tumor in her abdomen. So it must grew very quickly, there was nothing five months ago. We decided to operate her just in this day and remove this masse. Czara went to opeation room and we waited. About a one hour later the vet come to me saying that he is very sorry but the tumor is not removable. It is very big and full of blood, going cross her veins. Under his opinion Czara has no chance to live more than a few weeks and in a pain. I had no time, Czara was on the table and the vets waited for my decision. I agreed with euthanasion. I hope that it was the right decision The vet opinion is that it was hemangiosarcom, but they sent sample for examination to be sure in this diagnose. I miss her very much... Int. Czara z Gemerskej Polomy 13.01.1995 - 07.01.2003 Terezia Terezia Gargusova bernese from Gemerska Poloma www.webpark.sk/gargusova Slovakia
Whew! Hooray! Lungs Clear!!!
I never sleep well the night before Moses' chemotherapy (third session today) because my baby will be away for the day and, too, the drive to Boston makes me a bit nervous, even though we are so used to it that I could almost hop into my van, say Angell, and the vehicle would know where to go. I finally turned on the television at 3AM? Fri. and was completely bored by an episode of Three's Company. 4:45AM found me following Moses out the back door and into the yard, cup in hand, to obtain some of his urine for the renal profile they would be running at Angell in several hours. We left home at 5:30AM as the drive takes from one to two hours, depending on traffic and they start admitting at about 7AM. Our routine has become such that I know that leaving home at 5:30AM allows us to completely avoid the rush hour traffic on 128N and we arrived at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital at about 6:45AM. Moses spends his day in the Critical Care Unit where he receives his Adriamycin and his Cisplatin under the care of the oncology department and the supervision of his internal medicine specialist. Complete STAT laboratory work is performed on his blood. Today they also decided to do chest Xrays; thank goodness I was not told of this in advance as I would have been, internally, a wreck while I wondered if the cancer had spread to his lungs. I spoke on the telephone to Moses' internal medicine specialist at about 4PM and he told me Moses' chest Xrays revealed that his bone cancer had not spread. I am more than completely certain that my relief was so palpable that the doctor felt it through the phone line. Moses continues to move about without difficulty on three legs. I picked him up from Angell at about 6PM. He got home, eagerly ate a small meal, and is stretched out on the couch, falling asleep. I am hoping that this time he will have a better day after than he did following his last chemo. session, when he was very passive and had little appetite the next day, but soon was back to his old the world is my oyster self. Lisa Allen _ STOP MORE SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail
Re: Czara
Terezia, I'm so sorry to hear of Czara's passing. We lost our Bandit just about the same way. He was 7 1/2. The only difference was that the vet told us before opening him up that the mass would be inoperable. So, instead of having him euthanized in surgery, we put him on powerful steroids which kept him comfortable for about three weeks at which time he took a turn for the worse and we had him put down. Having those last three weeks to say goodbye helped. My heart goes out to you. Having been in the same situation, I can say that you definitely made the right decision. We believe that our Lord is good, much more than we are. If we can imagine dogs in heaven, then there's no reason to think that He hasn't also. We look forward to seeing our Bandit again and hope that you know the Lord and will, once again, see your Czara. Claudia Brydon in NW PA Barney OA NAJ (Aussie) Boomer (Bernese Mountain Dog) Mo (Gordon Setter Granddog) P.S. We didn't have any tests done, so don't know what type of cancer Bandit had. Please let us know the diagnosis when the results come back. With a great grief in my hearth I am writing to you that I loosed my beloved Czara.
Re: Reggie
Oh gosh David, I'm so sorry to hear this news. You and your family must be beside yourselves. We will keep you in our thoughts and prayers in the coming weeks. I had a horse die of colic (horsey bloat) when I was away on vacation at Christmas (many years ago). And I felt the same way, that I could have saved her. But please release yourself from that quilt. You were great guardians and Reggie was well loved for his short time here. Jenn Popp Healthy Paws Bones and Raw Food Diet http://www.healthy-paws.ca Toronto, Ontario (Canada) 416-264-1313 / email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: David Schlesinger | We found out today the results of the autopsy on Reggie, our beloved 2 1/2 | year old BMD. ... We received the results this afternoon. He died from stomach torsion as a | result of bloat. We feel so guilty. If we had been here, maybe we Reggie | would still be alive.
[no subject]
Friday morning on the Today Show they interviewed a family that had been traveling in Tenn., was pulled over, made to get out of their car, their small dog jumped out and the police shot it! It was the most awful example of police stupidity! Does anyone know of a site where we could go and voice our outrage? Diana Beishline
RE: Tennessee Police
Diana, I saw a writeup of this story. The man had filled his gas tank and left his wallet on the top of his car by accident. Someone found it and thought a robbery had occurred, an APB went out as a possible robbery, the family was pulled over, the people were pulled out of the car and handcuffed. They begged the officers to close the car door so the dogs wouldn't escape, the one dog jumped out and trotted around to the officer - who shot the Bulldog as it viciously attacked him. The video from the police car supports the fact that the police were asked to close the door, and shows the friendly family dog trotting over to the police officer. It's all under investigation, but it sounds like the police wretchedly mishandled the whole incident. The family of four - husband and wife and two kids - are understandably distraught. Makes me want to avoid Tennessee, which is a real shame! Pat Long ( Luther) Berwyn PA
poo eating gene
Last nite I began to develope the theory that for those of us with dogs that seem to like - no love - to eat poo that there is a gene that determines this. The gene from what I can see is recessive and requires both parents to give it to the offspring. I have a female that has been bred twice. Her mother and father were not known poo eaters however she became one especially once she had her first litter. (her brother never has been a poo eater) . This poo eating I'm talking about is what I consider compulsive rather than casual. She can tell when poo is about to be made and keeping the 5 second rule in mind races to it before it has a chance to hit the ground. Anyway, in her first litter of 4 all of these pups are also somewhat to very compulsive poo eaters. The only complaint I've had regarding any of these dogs is their bad poo eater breath. The owners have tried changing foods, adding no poo eating supplements, adding various fruits and flavors only to give the poo a more exotic flavor. The second litter from this female is now on the ground and I am pleased to see that they are not poo eaters. Since these pups have a different father I can only conclude that the poo eating gene is not present in this male. This is good news to the new owners of these puppies. I am curious if others have seen any type of poo eating behavior in dogs they've bred that might lead them to the same recessive gene poo eating conclusions. Susan Ablon Gweebarra BMD Balch Springs, Tx http://www.pageweb.com/gwebara
Re: question about swelling
Hi Danielle, First let me say I am not a vet. From my experience one possible explaination for your dog's second lump could be a foreign body, weed, splinter etc. This foreign body causes the dog's body to react by building the abscess around it. If you gave antibiotics and drained the abscess but did not remove the foreign body it may still be in there and may have migrated, and lodged in a new area causing a new abscess to form. Until the foreign material is removed it can keep moving and after antibiotics are stopped, cause a new abscess. I've had fox tails do this in the past with dogs and horses. I'd ask the vet about this possibility and what he feels in the best course of action. You could also pose this queestion to another vet for a second opinion if the first vet suggests going in to look for the foreign body. Right now my son daughter-in-law are going through the same thing with their mixed breed girl. Abscess, antibiotics, healed, new abscess. Since it has come back they are faced with the same problem as you. Best wishes, Mary Jeff Mary Chapdelaine SnoBear Berners N. California, USA http://snobear.freeyellow.com When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself. Wayne Dyer - Psychotherapist, Author and Speaker
Pet Insurance
Good Morning all, I was asked by someone from the list to post a summary of the responses that I received privately regarding pet insurance. Karen and Thor I purchased VPI insurance for my Berner when he was 12 weeks old. I did receive some benefits from it. At 10 months he was diagnosed with bilateral elbow dysplasia that required very expensive surgery. I breathed a sigh of relief that I had insurance, scheduled the surgery, and then found out that they do not cover anything considered to be a genetic related illness. I got nothing for any type of claim related to the elbow dysplasia or the surgery(about $4000.00 of expenses). Just some food for thought if one of the reasons you are purchasing insurance is to help out if your Berner develops one of those problems that are inherited and known to Berners. My only complaint (I have VPI, Veterinary Pet Insurance) is that they will exclude from what's covered anything that the dog has been previously treated for (in my older dog's case, he had flea bite dermatitis when we first got him, so that was excluded for the future). The plan I have has a $50 deductible per incident, so the insurance is really used for BIG problems. The only time I've used it is when my younger pup at 4 months ate a huge amount of an old couch; the emergency vet visit for that cost $178; after filing, we quickly got reimbursed for all but $50. So that worked out well... Also, I think if you read the fine print you will find that conditions considered inherent to the breed (such as dysplasia) will not be covered. I recently spent a lot of money on xrays and a CT scan for my puppy because of suspected elbow dysplasia. Even though I've filed, I strongly doubt any of that will be paid; it's considered genetic. I think insurance is good if you count on it to handle some of the big things (bloat perhaps, or a real illness) but probably doesn't pay when it's just routine care and the occasional case of pinkeye, etc. I don't have the insurance but wish I did. Unfortunately I never really thought about it until my Berner was two years of age and then it was too late as he has what would be considered a preexisting condition. I advise everyone that pet insurance is something that they should SERIOUSLY consider. I know my next Berner will be insured from the day I bring him home.
weighing in
While we are trying to enjoy our puppy experience we realize our pup is growing fast and will soon become a beautiful adult berner. What is the best way to weigh her without going tothe vet's office? I could try to weigh myself , then pick her up and weigh us both then subtract the difference. I am not 20 years old anymore and this is how I did it in the old days. Any suggestions? Terry Bering, Chicago
clicking noises
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Re: BERNER-L digest 4216
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Aeryn's foul deed
On Christmas eve. I brought home a tiny 4 wk. old kitten that had been turned in at the clinic by her rescuers after having spent 3 days and 2 nights stuck down a well. Any kitten who could survive that in the midst of a Canadian winter deserved a home! I named her Jessyka, after the little girl who'd been trapped down a well in Texas a number of years ago. On admission she weighed a scant 260g, yesterday, 3 weeks later rehydrated and well fed, she topped the scale at 900g! Baby Jessyka has recovered very well from her ordeal and injuries, is a true member of the family, running jumping around just like any normal kitten. Last night at bedtime (actually, it was early this a.m.) I had her out romping as usual while I got her bed tidied in her kennel. I turned my back for only about a minute when I heard Aeryn give a warning growl/bark. Investigating, I was horrified to find 'Ryn standing panic-faced over tiny Jessyka who was lying bent sideways in a puddle of blood. Oh Aeryn, what have you done I gasped as I scooped the baby into my shaking arms. The blood was coming from inside her right ear, her head was tilted alarmingly to the right, her gums were white, she was non-responsive, her pupils were equal and responsive, but she was amazingly alive. Now I was the one that was panicked. It took my mother's calming words what would you do if this was a patient and not a pet? to get me thinking straight. I ran for the bottle of steroids, gave a whopping dose along with some antibiotics and sub-cutaneous fluids. Got her wrapped up in a warm towel, and an oat bag. And prayed. It was a sleepless night for all of us as the tiny kitten hung tenaciously on to life, remarkably purring. In the light of day her temperature was normal but she was very pale and severely affected neurologically -- depressed, lateral recumbancy, no proprioception on the right side, and the right head tilt. I gave her another huge dose of steroids and hussled her into work with me. X-rays showed a subtle divot in her skull on the left side (corresponding with the single wound I could find), but no displaced fracture. She's mildly anemic from the blood lost. Three hours after her 2nd dose of steroids, Jess began to improve ~ she wanted to eat but lacked the co-ordination, and she could now struggle up to a sitting position. Right now I'm cautiously optimistic about her survival, but less sure about her degree of recovery. In her favour, she's young (only 7 weeks), and kittens are remarkably resilient. In just 18 hours since the incident, she's shown amazing strength and recovery. She now responds to her name (in a unfocussed, head shaking manner), and can eat a bit on her own if I hold the food right up to her face. She even managed to get herself into the litter box unaided. Hopefully, her mental status will continue to improve as the swelling and inflammation subside. I'm devastated that my minute's lack of supervision should result in such a tragedy. For her part, I don't believe Aeryn meant to damage the kitten, just warn her. But due to the tiny size it doesn't take much of a blow to do serious damage. If Aeryn had meant to kill, the kitten would undoubtedly be dead. Accidents are called that for a reason, they're accidents, but it doesn't make me feel any better .. All the dogs seem to realize there's something very wrong and they're all subdued -- Aeryn has been especially fawning all over me, begging for forgiveness (which was given). please spare some healing thoughts for my brave baby Jessyka sue(Aeryn with Devyn Rowyn)
Re: Licking and chewing paws
Can anyone help with the following? My 13 month old Berner Boy licks and gently chews on his front paws. The skin between the toes appears red and sore. I tried putting a bit of Vaseline in there to no avail. Is there anyting topical anyone suggest to stop this? Could be an allergy. My older non-berner, Bart, is allergic to ragweed, and the symptoms sound the same. He will lick his paws until they are raw if I let him (I don't). Bart's allergies are seasonal (late summer to late fall). I have pretty good success by giving him fatty acid supplements starting in June, and antihistamine when the allergy effects begin to show (talk to your vet about appropriate doses). During really bad years, he goes onto Vanectyl P tablets, but this is best avoided if possible, since it contains a steroid and is not good for the liver. It also increases his drinking and urination. ...Mike
Re: Aeryn's foul deed
My two berners and their four cats send you deep prayers for the recovery of Jessyka. I know as well how resiliant cats can be, so at least she has that working for her. Do give your guy a big hug and tell him you know he didn't mean to do it... Please let us know how her recovery progresses. Leslie Fortune, Faith and the 4 mouseketeers Whitehorse Yukon - Original Message - From: Susan Wilkinson [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Bernese Mountain Dog Mailing List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, January 11, 2003 7:15 PM Subject: Aeryn's foul deed On Christmas eve. I brought home a tiny 4 wk. old kitten that had been turned in at the clinic by her rescuers after having spent 3 days and 2 nights stuck down a well. Any kitten who could survive that in the midst of a Canadian winter deserved a home! I named her Jessyka, after the little girl who'd been trapped down a well in Texas a number of years ago. On admission she weighed a scant 260g, yesterday, 3 weeks later rehydrated and well fed, she topped the scale at 900g! Baby Jessyka has recovered very well from her ordeal and injuries, is a true member of the family, running jumping around just like any normal kitten. Last night at bedtime (actually, it was early this a.m.) I had her out romping as usual while I got her bed tidied in her kennel. I turned my back for only about a minute when I heard Aeryn give a warning growl/bark. Investigating, I was horrified to find 'Ryn standing panic-faced over tiny Jessyka who was lying bent sideways in a puddle of blood. Oh Aeryn, what have you done I gasped as I scooped the baby into my shaking arms. The blood was coming from inside her right ear, her head was tilted alarmingly to the right, her gums were white, she was non-responsive, her pupils were equal and responsive, but she was amazingly alive. Now I was the one that was panicked. It took my mother's calming words what would you do if this was a patient and not a pet? to get me thinking straight. I ran for the bottle of steroids, gave a whopping dose along with some antibiotics and sub-cutaneous fluids. Got her wrapped up in a warm towel, and an oat bag. And prayed. It was a sleepless night for all of us as the tiny kitten hung tenaciously on to life, remarkably purring. In the light of day her temperature was normal but she was very pale and severely affected neurologically -- depressed, lateral recumbancy, no proprioception on the right side, and the right head tilt. I gave her another huge dose of steroids and hussled her into work with me. X-rays showed a subtle divot in her skull on the left side (corresponding with the single wound I could find), but no displaced fracture. She's mildly anemic from the blood lost. Three hours after her 2nd dose of steroids, Jess began to improve ~ she wanted to eat but lacked the co-ordination, and she could now struggle up to a sitting position. Right now I'm cautiously optimistic about her survival, but less sure about her degree of recovery. In her favour, she's young (only 7 weeks), and kittens are remarkably resilient. In just 18 hours since the incident, she's shown amazing strength and recovery. She now responds to her name (in a unfocussed, head shaking manner), and can eat a bit on her own if I hold the food right up to her face. She even managed to get herself into the litter box unaided. Hopefully, her mental status will continue to improve as the swelling and inflammation subside. I'm devastated that my minute's lack of supervision should result in such a tragedy. For her part, I don't believe Aeryn meant to damage the kitten, just warn her. But due to the tiny size it doesn't take much of a blow to do serious damage. If Aeryn had meant to kill, the kitten would undoubtedly be dead. Accidents are called that for a reason, they're accidents, but it doesn't make me feel any better .. All the dogs seem to realize there's something very wrong and they're all subdued -- Aeryn has been especially fawning all over me, begging for forgiveness (which was given). please spare some healing thoughts for my brave baby Jessyka sue(Aeryn with Devyn Rowyn)
