Mysti ours/Surgery#2coming

by **petJill13.8** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 9:17 am

Hi
We now own Mysti and she is doing well --not bothering her incision.Yea!
But still have trouble with tape worms. This is worming #3 in 2 months - Drontal 68 mg. She was hyper again last night. Either they are not totally gone with 1 pill or she is picking them up somewhere. She is never out loose but is walked 2-4 x per day on lead -- cover 2-4 miles in our walks. She smells everything but is not allowed to taste her find!!! Any ideas?
We'll keep working on it. Need her to be really well for her next surgery(s) -- breast cancer -- waiting for OR time or Oct. 6 whichever comes first. She now is taking Canine vitamin and Spirulina to help replace what she lost when they removed her spleen.

Mysti wants to tell you she now has a pedigree with special letters too!
" I am a boxhund MBFP
TRANSLATION
boxer, dachshund, ?
Mixed Breed Found Pet
see card below.
Will update after surgery

by **critters** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 10:34 am

Drontal should take care of tapes, so she must've been reinfested. Tapes usually come from fleas.

by **Toni** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 12:57 am

I'm a bit late on following up your question about dogs living without a spleen.

I had an 11 1/2 year old g. Shep mix that had his spleen removed when he had stomach torsion surgery. He lived just fine for another 4 years and his passing wasn't at all related to his lack of spleen (he was 15 1/2 years old, was 65 lbs, had a mega-esophagus and had spondylosis. 2 weeks before he passed on, he was still chasing snowmobiles and going sledding with us, so he was quite healthy and active for all his "problems".

I have a walker coonhound that is 12 or 13 years old (she was a stray adult in "97) that just had emergency spleenectomy yesterday...she had a large growth on her spleen that had started to bleed internally. We have opted (our vet agrees with us) not to send in for pathology, as hemangiosarcomas do not respond well to treatment. If it was benign (hemangioma) then we have nothing to worry about. So instead of spening about $ 100.00 for the pathology report we are spending it on supplements that help fight cancer naturally and build up her immune system....
I am comfortable that her lack of spleen will not cause her any problems.
The Drontal dosage for a dog 16 - 30 lbs is 68mg, so the doasage should be correct. You seem aware that she can reinfest with tapeworms (as well as a few other parasites) by eating mice, rabbits, squirrels, etc.,(your comment about not letting her taste what she finds on her walks) as well as from fleas. When is the last time they ran a fecal to see what parasites she might have?(and even a "clean" fecal is not a guarantee that she is fre of parasites, just that she doesn't have any parasites that are actively producing eggs at the time (or even a faulty reading is possible). The life cycle of each type of parasite is different which is why it is often necessary to deworm more than once, although Praziquantel( one of the ingredients in Drontal) is usually effective against tapeworms with just one dose.

Good luck with Mysti. :ecstatic:

by **SandyNY** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 8:26 pm

i always find the topic of tapeworms interesting because i have had just as many vets tell me that the adult worm is never actually killed off as vets who insist the adult is killed and the pet reinfested. maybe this article explains it - there are many different types and some are not treated with the same medication as others.
I have never had a chronic problem in a dog but certain cats we have had seemed to be constantly infected. ( while others in same environment never had symptoms)
My one cat,Misty, would occassionaly pass a huge worm - which all at vet office said was the "mother" (Or adult) tapeworm. noone seemed familiar with a cat doing this or why it should happen (even without her having treatment)
anyway, hope Mysti is feeling 100%!!

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm ... icleid=768

by **petJill13.8** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 10:59 pm

Thanks for the helpful posts re: spleen surgery and tapeworms. (Toni 9/20/08 and SandyNY 9/20/08). Surgery #1 was spaying and removing the tumor. The large (big softball),weighty (2+lbs), oozying tumor in her spleen was sent to the lab and results were benign .. yea!. Since she isn't "filled" with cancer, we opted to go ahead with surgery to remove as many hard breast lumps as possible (safety margin included). Not sure what the lab fee will be so we'll wait for an estimate after we see what the surgery will cost.
On the worming issue. I took the stool sample with me (little white wiggly worms included). They took my word and didn't want to see the sample. I doubt she has fleas since she has had a dose of Sargeant's Squeeze-On every three weeks and is taking a Bug Off pill daily. She has also had 2 baths. However for the last 2 days she has been licking her rear end (didn't do that with worming #2) and it seems a bit swollen back there. If this keeps up we'll get a vet apt. shortly. She may have reinfected herself already. Joy!
Toni - you mentioned diet to help fight cancer-- any info you have on that topic would be most helpful. I guess we will be looking for ways to stop the spread of breast cancer once she is rid of lumps ( the ones I've felt are on 2,3,5 on right and questionable lumps on left). Thanks loads for your interest. I'll keep you posted on worms and lumps. petjill13.8

by **Toni** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 12:49 am

GLAD TO HEAR PATHOLOGY REPORT IS GOOD! I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY YOU CHECKED...NOW FOR THE FINAL SURGERY! i have a young foster cat helping way too much, so I'll get back to you on the diet thing...I already had this all typed out once, with diet and supplement info, when the stinker :angel: