Benson's Story

Here is Benson's story - and some great tips from his parents!

Hey Tracey,

 

So really the updates from when you saw us (which I can't 100% remember when that was). Benson got sick a total of two times over the course of last February to June. The second time he had pneumonia they told us to put him down- then we met you guys! In July I took Benson to Virginia Tech Animal Hospital for a second opinion on recommendation that they are one of the top vet places in the US. They were amazing although it's a long drive and Benson wasn't a fan of them. They recommended soft palate removal. I decided to have Benson's surgery at the beginning of August- August 11th at Dogs and Cats Referral Hospital in Bowie MD - where we have always gone. Dr. Eileen Snakard performed his surgery. His soft palate was removed, apparently it was too long and also too thick. He didn't need his nasals enlarged but during the surgery the surgeon was nervous since she removed so much palate he would swell so they did a temporary trachestomy during the surgery to keep his airway secure until the swelling went down. It cost him another day there but it did wonders for him! We brought him home after they reversed his trach on Friday. We had a follow up appointment a week later at which point his trach hole had closed on its on as expected and the surgeon removed his sutures from holding up those big wrinkles for the trach :)

 

Benson has since been fabulous - we transitioned him to Doc Side vet. On his first appointment he had lost about 6 lbs- which is good for him to keep a low weight. We first saw Dr. Joy Gooding on is now added to my christmas card list- I really adore her. We spent two hours there and I got to ask all my neurotic questions and sort of set a "game plan" on how to prevent Benson from further pneumonia outbreaks. We switch his food to no grain, no corn- and are now feeding him Evo and always include other cook foods such as : veggies, boiled chicken, yogurt, sweet potatoes, etc - per Dr. Goodings recommendations. Benson now is a brat and won't eat his food unless chicken is on it!

 

We also stopped doing lemon- as I told you before- to help prevent gastric reflux and ulcers. In transition, we now give him papaya tablets instead of lemon. I've heard of it for humans but never for dogs. But so far so good.

 

Benson is alive, well, and kickin. The past few days he sound congested but we have a follow up appointment at Doc Side on Friday. From all the anti-biotics he was on- he got a yeast infection in his ears so we're going back to make sure he's good- but we might also get an xray and see what's going on.

 

September 5th was Benson's first bday. We met with some friends and their pups and went to Iggies for pizza and celebration.

Stella is Doing GREAT!

I'm very happy to tell you all that Stella is doing great after her surgery! She came through with flying colors and actually has never seemed healthier. We couldn't be happier. Our vet took fantastic care of her, and within a few days she was back to her old self, or new and improved. Guess we gambled poorly when we opted to not get her fixed. In hindsight we should have, but hindsight is always 20/20. For now, we are enjoying our happy and healthy bulldog. Hope you and your bullies are all doing well - send me updates, pics, and any tips and I'll add them to the blog. I just got some interesting new info from some friends recently on how they keep their bully Benson healthy, I'll post it soon!

Resting Before Surgery

Stella and her family just wanted to say thanks for the well wishes! We will post an update as soon as we are in the clear from surgery and eating biscuits with abandon again!

Pyometra

Well we have had a bad turn of events. Stella has developed Pyometra (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyometra) which we knew was a risk when we opted to not have her go through surgery to spay her. This infection may actually have been the reason for her recent lung issues, as her system might have been comprimised while trying to fight off the infection. We noticed a small amount of pus on the floor where she had been laying, about 4 weeks ago, and then nothing. However, shortly after her breathing issues got bad and she started antibiotics, the discharge got much worse and more frequent. Turns out it's a good thing it's coming out, otherwise it's much harder to diagnose until the dog is much sicker. So, long story short, she is scheduled for surgery tomorrow. We've been treating her breathing issues the past few days to try to ensure she is as strong as possible before surgery, and our great vets at Doc Side know how special she is, so we know she is in good hands. I'll post an update once she's through surgery and let you all know how she does.

Trouble with Allergies Turning into Infections

Stella has had shortness of breath for the past few days, and some trembling, which had us concerned. This morning we took her into the vets (we go to Doc Side Vets in Fells Point, Baltimore) and they took a look. Turns out her lungs looked a little cloudy and interestingly enough, we had been in almost exactly to the day, two years ago, with X-Rays to compare today's to. We have also just switched our air conditioners off, and gone to open windows as the temperature is cooling off. This makes us wonder, as well as our vet, if Stella has seasonal allergies. I wish we would have thought about this before she got sick, and started her on some Benadryl. But alas, we didn't.

So now she has what can best be described as the possible beginnings of pneumonia. We won't know for sure until the blood tests come back but they started her on antibiotics anyhow, just to be safe. They also told us to start giving her Benadryl and they prescribed her another med often used to treat asthma. (Theophyline - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theophylline). The vet thinks this should do the trick, but we are going to be on the look out for this issue when the seasons change again and allergies flare up. If your dog has been acting like breathing is difficult lately, consider this a possibility.

Another nice result of the vet trip today is that they pulled up this blog and watched some of the videos, and are now well aware of the benefits of the lemon. We had been trying to help Stella these past few days with the lemon treatments, but she just wasn't able to clear everything out.

I hope to post another update soon letting you all know she's doing fine - so stay tuned. And in the mean time I hope all of your doggies are doing well, and my best wishes for those who aren't.
xo
Stella's Mom

An Update - May 2010

Happy to report that Stella is doing great! She gets her lemon treatments and lots of "time outs" and that seems to be keeping her healthy. Her favorite things are to play upside down attack and grab, and to go for car rides where she gets her face as close to the AC vent as possible and then snores up a storm. Hope all your doggies are doing well and bringing much joy to your lives! Any new visitors, look at the early posts for info on dealing with health issues, and good luck!

Update on Stella

Well, good news to report. Stella has been doing well for the past few months. Yes, we still give her lemons to chew on every few days or so. Yes, she still spits up huge nasty phlegm blobs. Yes, we have to give her frequent time-outs. Yes, she is still happy, loving life and bringing tons of joy into our lives! How is everyone else doing out there? Make sure to leave any updates on your dog's story, especially any tips on how you are keeping them healthy and happy.