Been Awhile

I have been slacking with Rubys blog .. she was fine until June, then the hives and itching got worse. her chest area is very bad, and she is scratching her head as well.. nothing is working, i just put creme on her for the itchiness and it helps. I have determined she is allergic to grass, as when she rolls in it she breaks out in hives shortly after. Even though her allergy test came back negative for grass, the hives show that she is allergic... housebreaking is still an issue, and so is her fear issues which are random when it comes to people.. some folks she is fine with,others she is afraid of.

right now she is at camp at a friends house, as i thought that her issues were all me, and i wanted a fresh set of eyes to see how she is and to see if it was me or her.... so far, some of her issues she has here are showing in my friends house.. I go get her this coming weekend, then we have an appointment with a behaviorist who wants to try some drugs on her to see if it will help.. nothing serious, just some medicines to see if it will help her out to level out.. none of them are dangerous, just simple meds to try to balance her out to see if that works..

she is also been training in weight pulling, and actually does pretty well with it..

its been awefully quiet here without her, rufus misses her, jesse is reveling in the calmness lol...

she is now on Pro Plan Sensitive Skin/Stomach kibble, as the high end kibbles were not working out. some dogs just cant tolerate high end kibble..

so thats about it for now.

Canned food is good....

well, its been awhile since i updated here, sorry for the delay.. Ruby has been on canned DVP LID allergy food now for a while. her last BUN/Creatinine blood work showed NORMAL for her kidney function when i put her on kibble, however she is allergic to storage mites in dry dog food so she was still itching.. so i switched her to canned food. so far the DVP and Evangers Duck and Sweet potato canned is working out very well for her. she is also on claritin allergy pills once a day now, still itching but not as bad as before. Again, i have to be careful what she gets due to her kidneys being underdeveloped. I had hoped that they would develop as she got older but no dice..oh well. she goes for blood work every 3 months now to make sure her BUN/Creatinine readings stay normal.

Candlelight Vigil held for NC dogs euthanized

Best Friends held a candlelight vigil for the 145 dogs killed by the NC shelter and ok'd by the HSUS... While its ok to stop dog fighters, there is no reason that the dogs should die. They should be evaluated and if sound and if there are rescues or people to take them that would be fine. But to kill 145 dogs INCLUDING puppies that were born in the shelter after the mother dogs were confiscated is just out and out WRONG..

A bell was rung for each dog killed, and by the time it was over 145 collars lay on a dog bed in memory of every dog killed..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEBbH7-QoqY&feature=channel_page

Do not let history repeat itself. North Carolina residents are urged to contact your state Senator and Representatives to request a redraft of North Carolina Statute NC 67-1 - 4.1 (a)(1).• Find your state legislators here by inputting your zip code + 4 (scroll down page, right hand column).• Insist that the following language from North Carolina Statute NC 67-1 - 4.1 (a)(1) be removed from the definition of Dangerous Dog: “Any dog owned or harbored primarily or in part for the purpose of dog fighting, or any dog trained for dog fighting.” Please also remind your legislators that all dogs are individuals and should be evaluated as such, not grouped together by breed.

DVP L.I.D. Allergy formula

So, Dick Van Patten makes an Allergy dog food. yes, the dreaded kibble.. Since Ruby has kidney issues, and her BUN is always elevated, I decided to switch her to kibble to see if that has any bearing at all.. So we got Duck & Potato dry and canned food. Since being on the dry her allergies have subsided, her ears are not red, and she isnt itching as much. While i prefer raw feedings for my dogs, sometimes a dog just doesnt do well on raw, so the switch has to be made. DVP makes 3 allergy formulas - Duck & Potato, Venison & Potato, and Lamb & Potato. So far everyone that I know that has allergy dogs have raved about the DVP. so its worth a try.. in another month we are going for a blood test to see what her levels are now that she is on kibble.. hopefully they will come back down to normal so i can breathe a little easier..managing a dog with kidney issues is no picnic thats for sure, but once you figure out what to feed its easy..

Coalition of animal welfare groups...

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/02/prweb2095924.htm

Coalition of animal welfare groups applauds North Carolina’s aggressive prosecution of dog fighting; But protests planned mass euthanasia of canines seized, including 60 puppies. February 17, 2009 -- A coalition of animal welfare groups has formed to protest the court-order to kill all the 127 American Pit Bull Terriers—60 of them puppies—seized from the Wildside Kennels in Wilkesboro, N.C.Led by Best Friends Animals Society, the coalition includes BAD RAP (Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pit Bulls), Animal Farm Foundation, Villa Lobos Rescue Center, and Downtown Dog Rescue.Monday’s Wilkesboro Superior Court order announced by Judge Ed Wilson would put all of the dogs down after their owner, Ed Faron had been sentenced to jail for 8-10 months. The dogs were seized Dec. 10, 2008 during a raid on Faron’s Wildside Kennels.Ledy VanKavage, an attorney for Best Friends Animal Society said, “With Faron’s conviction North Carolina’s law enforcement and judicial system sent a strong message that dog fighting will not be condoned in their state. We applaud their courage. Now, we ask them to show the same courage when it comes to innocent victims of dog fighting, the dogs themselves. We have ample evidence that the dogs from these situations should not be stereotyped and deserve an opportunity to be evaluated for potential adoptability.”The coalition is urging North Carolina, and other states, to let go of old, discredited policies that assume all such dogs are inherently damaged or dangerous. The most publicized example are the rousing successes of the dogs seized from Michael Vick’s dog fighting operation: many of those dogs are now honored members of family, therapy dogs or making great strides with their rescue groups.Best Friends is urging citizens to contact their state legislators to change North Carolina law and delete the clause in the law that makes it possible for dogs harbored for fighting to automatically be deemed “dangerous” dogs.“Dogs should be judged as individuals,” VanKavage said. “Their adoptability should be judged on their behavior and not their breed.”“Our experience has shown that every custody case reveals highly adoptable individuals that do not reflect the tragic circumstances into which they were born. Without evaluations, these dogs are lost,” said Donna Reynolds Executive Director BAD RAP.“Some of these dogs are mere puppies and there is absolutely no reason to destroy them,” said VanKavage. “Why should an innocent puppy, born into this type of situation, face automatic death because of its breed?”The groups point out that dogs raised for fighting shouldn’t be summarily doomed. For example, 22 of the Michael Vick dogs at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary , BADRAP, and other organizations have made great progress with dogs from the Vick fighting bust. Some of these dogs were condemned by other national humane organizations to be the most violent dogs in America. Now many have their Canine Good Citizenship and some are therapy dogs.Rebecca Huss, the court-appointed Special Master in the Michael Vick dog fighting case involving Bad Newz Kennels said some of the dogs have undergone transformation and are serving others, some are in foster homes, and a few have been adopted.“It is consistent with public safety concerns to evaluate each dog as an individual to determine whether they can be placed in the community,” Huss said. “It is my opinion that every dog should be evaluated on an individual basis. The Bad Newz Kennels case shows there is no reason for euthanizing dogs merely by their breed or location where it was seized.”

HSUS- EVIL

Well, thanks to the HSUS, 147 dogs and puppies were euthanized due to a fighting bust. The HSUS would not let any reputable rescues come and assess the dogs, the HSUS helped the Shelter and Judge decide that all the dogs should die...

Even this little puppy that was born in the shelter from one of the fighting dogs seized..

The dogs all could have been turned over to the rescues that tried..

Article 1A of Chapter 67 of North Carolina's General Statutes allows for the adoption of dogs from fighting pasts provided "the animal shelter shall notify any persons adopting the dog of the liability provisions "

and from John Goodwin of the HSUS himself:

"Goodwin (dog fighting 'expert' HSUS) said that the dogs have been bred for fighting and it would very difficult and expensive to re-train the dogs, even the puppies, so that they could be adopted."

and the HSUS says they are FOR animals.... yeah RIGHT...

Two HSUS reps gave testimony today declaring the dogs from the Wilkes County fight bust dangerous. These dogs have not been evaluated, and no rescue voices were heard in this hearing. The dogs had NO advocates speaking on their behalf.As a result, the judge has ordered all the dogs, including approximately 60 puppies, to be destroyed.

From HSUS statement:
"Those particular fighting dogs in Wilkes County, NC were very, very different than the Vick dogs.....Vick was not a good breeder, and he lost most of his fights. His dogs were a poor representation of true fighting dogs."

The Wilks County Shelter had the gruesome task of euthanizing and then putting all the bodies in garbage bags for the landfill...

Is the HSUS our friend? NO their agenda is the same as PETA.. The HSUS does not have an office, they do NOT give any shelters any money that they collect from donations.. Their finances are available for any to see since they are a non profit organization and are governed by law to post their profits... the HSUS has raised OVER $200 MILLION DOLLARS.. yes, over $200 Million dollars in donations.. ask them where that money went, as it sure didnt go to the dogs/cats/animals languishing in 6 x 4 concrete kennels at shelters around the USA, it went to THEM.. their salaries, their bonuses... NONE of the money the public donates to the HSUS actually goes to the shelters.. if it did, none of the shelters would be begging the public for donations or the state to help keep them running.. Next time you want to donate to the HSUS - DONT.. go to your local shelter and give them the money instead, watch the tears form in the workers eyes as you give them some cash ... since the HSUS doesnt give them the donation money they get, at least if you go to the shelter itself in your town you will see where your money is going...

the HSUS is EVIL... plain and simple...

http://www.hsus.org/about_us/annual_reports_financial/annual_reports_financial_statements.html

I am sure once you see how much money they have you will be shocked.. or to find out that NONE of it goes to any animals or shelters like they state....

For one thing, i will NEVER donate to their organization EVER.. the HSUS does not deserve any donations, if you want to know where your money goes, buy items for your local shelter and donate it that way.... dont donate to the HSUS as they dont pass out the donations like they state...

Voice your opinions to the Shelter that had all 147 dogs euthanized... with the blessing from the HSUS..

Wilkes County Board of Commissioners110 North StreetWilksboro, NC 28697Phone: 336-651-7346Fax: 336) 651-7568

Wilkes County Attorney Tony TriplettVannoy, Colvard, Triplett & Vannoy922 C StreetP.O. Box 1388North Wilkesboro, NC 28659Phone: 336-667-7201Fax: 336-838-7250E-mail: ttriplett@vannoylaw.com

District Attorney Tom Horner500 Courthouse Drive Suite 2022Wilkesboro, NC 28697Phone: 336-667-6361 or 667-2994Fax: 336 667-7999

Been a while

so i have been slacking here. things have been busy at home , but Ruby is now back on dry dog food.. while i am not thrilled about it, unfortunately with 3 dogs on raw with these economic times i just cant afford raw for 3 dogs.. so all the dogs are now on dry food which costs around $52 a month vs $140 a month for raw... I found Dick Van Pattens L.I.D. Allergy food, its basically one protein/one carb, and right now all 3 dogs are getting the Duck and Potato kibble and the canned food.. they have duck and potato, venison and potato, and lamb and potato.
so far ruby is doing good , minimal itching , nice solid poops(while larger unfortunately at least they are solid and round) so i am hoping this works. we go back for bloodwork after she has been on the kibble for a month to see if there are any changes in her kidney issues and BUN ..

Kidney issues suck

Ruby came to me with underdeveloped kidneys which were found with 3 separate ultrasounds.. however, 5 vets cant fully diagnose exactly what is wrong with her kidneys unless they do a kidney biopsy, which one of the side effects is kidney failure and death. i just cant get myself to have her go thru this procedure, as its too risky.. she has bloodwork done frequently to see what her BUN/Creatinine levels and urea nitrogen levels are..

her bun/creatinine was 33 on 1/05/09
her urea nitrogen was 46 on 01/05/09
urine specific gravity was 1.019 on 01/05/09
her PH was 5.5 on 01/05/09

her bun/creatinine was 39 on 5/01/08
her urea nitrogen was 31 on 5/01/08
urine specific gravity was 1.012 on 4/18/08
PH was 5 on 4/18/08


the normal range for these figures are:

urea nitrogen 6-25 normal range
bun/creatinine 4-27 normal range
PH 5.5 -7.0 normal range
specific gravity 1.015-1.050 normal range

since she is on a raw diet, we also have to have a nutritionalist look at her diet and make sure its compatible for a dog with kidney issues, even though we dont know exactly what type of kidney issues she has ..

this poor pup has had health problem after health problem since the day i got her in April 2008... and she is just a year old..

I wont even go into the cost of her medical bills to date that i have spent...

so next week we are going to discuss with the vet to do a day of sub Q fluids, and to take blood before the fluids to get a reading on her BUN levels and then more blood after the fluids are finished to see if the Sub Q fluids makes a difference, as dogs with kidney issues MUST stay hydrated in order for the kidneys to not strain to work..

Taken from http://www.thrivingpets.com/conditions/Renal.php

Below is a list of the most critical values for kidney patients:-
BUN- Creatinine / CREA- Phosphorus / PHOS / P / Pi- Calcium / Ca- Potassium / Potas / K- Hematocrit / HCT- Parathyroid Hormone / PTH

Tonights dinner

consisted of a turkey wing, ground turkey and bone, flaxseed oil, olive oil, bee pollen and vitamin E.. the itching is at an all time low, its still there, but barely now..

pork n turkey is GOOD!!

So ruby has been getting pork for her food trial, and did turkey as well.. so far, she is doing very well on the pork and turkey.. last night i introduced 2 pieces of beef , so far so good... i also bought 2 humidifiers to put some moisture into the house to see if that helps too, as our heat is forced hot air,which is very dry... last night was minimal itching, but she did chew on her one rear foot for a little bit until i caught her and told her to stop.... she also got just pork, turkey & bone, and beef , no supplements, no oils....

No atopica

so i decided to not do the atopica treatment with ruby right now, due to her malformed kidneys i dont want to take any chances, we are still doing a food trial, tonight she got a turkey wing and pork, no supplements at all.. just good ol' meat... her itching has decreased tremendously since i took her off chicken, and put a gate and table in front of the heating vent down stairs ,as she used to lay right on top of the vent to feel the heat, then scratch like crazy after... we are going to continue the food trial, beef is next on the list. if i can get the scratching down to barely nothing i will be a happy camper..

Atopica Treatment

So i have been researching the Atopica treatment for rubys allergies.. while i know of some folks who are using it on their dogs, i am not yet sure to use it on her.. it is an IMMUNE SUPPRESSANT.. which would weaken her immune system even more then what it is now.. and with her underdeveloped kidneys which are still not developing, i am not sure i want to try the pills...

her BUN and creatinine levels are still high due to her kidneys not developing, so doing any kind of chemical treatment is very questionable

one of the side effects is renal failure/disease so i really dont want to go down that route...

the holistic vet wants to put her on some homeopathic remedies instead, Renafood, renatrophin, renapath and Kidney Tone .. all natural remedies that have no chemicals in them to help boost her kidney functions.. so i am researching them right now.. http://www.standardprocess.com/ has the renafood, renatrophin so i was able to read those ingredients.. the other 2 remedies i am trying to locate a website for them..

pork is good

so far ruby is doing very well on the pork. minimal itching, no hives.. 2 more weeks to go on pork, then we add a different protein.. so far turkey and pork are the best for her.

pork so far so good...

today is day 3 of pork for ruby.. her itching is minimal, and i think alot of it has to do with habit as well.. i am redirecting her every time i see she is going to scratch and trying to keep her busy. she has some loose stools, but i am adding slippery elm pills to help with that and if that doesnt work some turkey wings will be added.. 3 more weeks of pork, then we move on to beef.. I am going to the vet tomorrow to inquire about the atopica treatment as well, to see if its worth it for her or to keep doing what i am doing now..

Started Pork

so yesterday ruby started her pork food trial. still itching, but not as bad, and i am wondering if its now due to habit rather then an actual allergy issue, or a small allergy issue and itching by habit as well. 3 more weeks of pork to see how she does. I also am researching http://www.us.atopica.com/treating/surveyresults.shtml to see if maybe that will work for her as well, but the pills are SUPER expensive, $60 for 15 of them.... i am going to ask my vet about them as well.

Ruby got pork with a turkey wing tonight so that her poop gets solid again, no bone = loose poop..

Another Score!!

Shoprite has pork shoulder on sale for .99 a lb.. so miss ruby roo now has 18 lbs of pork shoulder in addition to her pork leg for her food trial.. all the food has been cut up,and the shoulder bones are bagged and being frozen .. the pork bone will make a great chewing/dinner for her one night.. buying pork at the supermarket is not advisable as they rarely have sales.. the best place to get pork is from a co op supplier, i just found out my new supplier can give me pork picnics for .57 a lb....

Itching at bedtime

So last night Ruby got pork for dinner.. she itched twice not too bad after, but the worst part was at bedtime.. once she got into bed she itched for a long time , woke up and itched later on, and then this morning itched like mad... the new comforter i have on the bed was not washed in allergy free detergent, so i am going to wash it today hoping that was the problem...

pork dinner

tonight ruby got pork for dinner, olive oil, flaxseed oil, coconut oil, salmon oil, and prozyme. so far , she only itched twice, which is a HUGE improvement.. the next 3 weeks will tell if being on pork is better then the turkey for her..

Mmmmm Pork...

got a pretty good deal at the supermarket today, 20 lbs of pork for $20.... pork is very expensive, but this was fantastic... ruby is going to be going on pork now for her food trial, its been 3 weeks on turkey, and still itching....

i think she is looking forward to pork...

i am going to go back to the store next week to see if they have more, this was the only one left in the store. if they have more for $1 a lb, i am picking up as many as i can... 20 lbs will feed her for 20 days...

Time to switch

well, ruby has been on turkey for 3 weeks now and is still itching.. so we are now going to switch to pork to see how that goes.. i am waiting for the vet to schedule the bicom treatment to see what foods she is allergic to and to see if its the water we have, as we have well water and have to treat it with soda ash and bleach in a treatment system, so maybe its the water. in the meantime i am going to give all the dogs bottled water to drink to see if that makes a difference. since ruby drinks out of all the dog bowls its easier to just do all the bowls ..

Oils

So last night ruby got half a teaspoon of flaxseed oil, olive oil, coconut oil and salmon oil in her food. I also greased her down with coconut oil to help moisturize her skin that is very dry.. tonight she got the same oils, and was greased down again..her itching has decreased a bit as well.. rufus thinks she smells yummy and tries to lick the coconut oil off her, so to keep them separated is a bit of a challenge, but its being done for a few hours after i apply the coconut oil.. she will get the oils in her breakfast and dinner and hopefully this will also help her skin since its so dry..

the coconut oil is Virgin coconut oil, and is a white color when dry. once it melts, its a clear liquid that rubs on easily. the flaxseed is cold pressed, and must be refrigerated. the olive oil is extra virgin olive oil.

Turkey /Pork

so tonight ruby got turkey/pork, prozyme, coconut oil, olive oil, cold pressed flaxseed oil, slippery elm in her food. the oils are to help lubricate her dry coat to help alleviate the itching, so we will see how it goes.. so far since greasing her with the virgin coconut oil she is itching a little bit less.. smells delicious too... i also blocked the heating vent so she cant lay right on top of the heat when it comes out to help also, as once she heats up her skin she itches more as well.

Back from the vet...

back from the vet, was there for almost 2 hours.. $585 later, ruby is a candidate for the bicom , which they are going to call me when they can set up her first treatment. we are to continue the food trial, and keep a log on how she does. they took more blood, urine work, and i should have the results in 2 weeks, as some of the tests were being sent to michigan. they also took blood for a thyroid test, but a different one then the one she had last year.. i can only imagine what the bicom will cost, as she will probably need more then one treatment, as each treatment tests for different stuff. we are doing the food one first, then the airborne allergy next , and then i have to bring all her food/supplements/water for the next one.. http://www.bicom2000.org/

so tonight she got pork shoulder. at the vets she got 3 pieces of freeze dried chicken and by 6pm she was itching all over, to the point i had to give her an allergy pill from the vets office to help her calm down.. so we now know any kind of chicken in any form is OUT for Good.. hopefully the pork will show a much better reaction then the turkey , i am trying for no itching at all.. food trials are sooo much fun, no supplements, nothing but the food for a few weeks to see how she does.. then we add another protein in to see how the next one does, we still have to do beef, venison, elk, buffalo, fish, lamb and any other exotics i can get to find what works for her...

itching thru the night last night

i barely slept. ruby had me up most of the night. she itched/scratched/chewed almost all night.. she went from her crate to our bed to her crate to our bed itching/scratching/chewing most of the night. all she got for dinner was ground turkey, salmon oil, acidophilus powder, and a teaspoon of beef/green tripe mix. .... i am thinking the beef/green tripe mix is what set her off last night.... one more day before we see the new vet... i have got to get some relief for her.... she is either OCD on the itching stuff, and has nothing wrong, or she has something wrong to validate the itching... we had company over yesterday, she didnt itch once while they were here.. she ate dinner at 5:30, got the teaspoon of tripe/beef mix, and didnt itch until the company left at 9pm... once they left, it was weird, she started itching then... could it be the forced hot air heat we have? could it be some sort of OCD behavior? could it be a stress factor the itching? could she be bored? if we are out and about doing things she doenst itch
AT ALL... keep her busy, no itching.. allow down time and relaxation, itching immediately starts.... as far as her hives, she is obviously allergic to something, i do know that if she has milk bone or any type of dry biscuits /treats her chest area breaks out in hives, so there is a food allergy there somewhere. i dont know.. all i know is 4 vets so far cant find out why she is itching like this, and i am out of money.. I hope this holistic vet can find out what is going on.

chewing foot

so, tonight ruby got a teaspoon of beef/green tripe in her ground turkey w/ bone. a few hours later, 3 to be exact, she started chewing her foot and itching like crazy once our company left.. while the company was here it kept her busy, once they left, the chewing of her rear right foot began, along with more itching then normal.. so, no more beef/green tripe mix...

Itching less

So Ruby is itching much less on turkey then chicken.. this morning she got ground turkey for breakfast nothing else.. hopefully on monday the new vet will help us figure out what is wrong. i was thinking that maybe her immune system is battling demodex mange, as she has 2 spots on her back that have no fur, and that maybe the demodex is not coming out but underlying.. who knows. i am grasping at straws at this point. monday cant come fast enough LOL..

Pork n turkey

tonight ruby got pork and turkey , salmon oil, and acidophilus powder. scratching is at a minimum, but still scratching.. a few more days until her new vet visit.. at least she isnt scratching like crazy anymore.

Still Itching.. ugh

so ground turkey and a turkey wing for dinner yesterday as it was Rubys 1st birthday. she itched more then normal, and all she got was the turkey and some salmon oil. that was it.. she woke up a few times scratching during the night as well.. we see the new holistic vet monday, 4 more days....