To Those Who May Have Noticed A Dude Absence
This is my friend Dude who rescued me in December of 2009. He is a Harrier, about 2 1/2 years old at post (05/06/2010).
In February 2010 he developed Kennel Cough which resolved quickly after treatment. In March he developed what appeared to be canine Influenza, constant cough (40 times followed by a frothy white vomit; we didnt sleep for 48 hours) which slowly resolved over 12 days. At that time I noticed a small lesion on his muzzle. That one lesion has grown and spread to 4. I researched online, and it was clear this is COPV, and his vet agrees.
I have treated 2 of the lesions for 10 days (the other 2 just popped up) with Vitamin E, and supplemented with EsterC (for canines) and Fish oil to hopefully boost the immune system, which at this point, is apparently deficient. (Unknown how long Dude was a street dog, and what he may have gotten into). Dude loves the taste of the Vitamin E oil, the liver flavored Vitamin C pills, and the cheese covered fish oil pills, but I can’t report any positive results.
The tests conducted in Turkey, as well as some of the responses to several blogs and numerous sites (and the failure of home treatment) prompted me to confer with his Vet. As expected, I was told to wait it out. My concern is this virus usually affects young dogs with immature immune systems, or older dogs with failing systems. Dude is young with a long life ahead of him. Moreover, though one of the lesions was merely physically disguting, the other 3, if continued to grow, will certainly hamper his ability to eat/drink.
Dude’s vet agreed with me, as he was aware of the study. He
prescribed 5 pills of Azithromycin, to be cut in half and
administered over the next 10 days.
Although there is no proof, it is likely this virus is passed by
sharing water bowls. Apparently Dude will catch anything
offered him. Dude does't want to share anything bad
with any compromised dog, just an occasional hump, hence our
removal from the Sharon Dog Park. While this virus is not
detrimental, Dude doesn't want to be spreading it. When we
return, be assured there is no risk.
The script was filled at Target, who was not willing to refer it
to my medical plan. 
The cost was $23 US.
The 3 photo links represent day 1 of Dude’s lesions upon day 1 of
treatment. I hope i can soon report positive results. They are a
bit blurred, but I couldnt convince him to be still…
The pics:
http://i39.tinypic.com/14cthcz.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/s266gy.jpg
I may be contacted at spkr2nml@yahoo.com. Wish us well.
Comments
5 Comments
So sorry to hear about your current condition. Check out www.vcasouthshore.com- this is a state ofthe art advanced veterinary hospital. Hope to see you soon
Day 10. Warts are still there, but it appears they may have shrunk. ‘Shrunk’ is incorrect however. I’ve noticed several times during the day the warts take on a gray hue. Later they are a ‘healthy’ pink. The most exterior wart is no longer round, but rather oblong. As such I believe the outer cells are dying and being sloughed off.
To my Pooch Date friends:
Although Dude's vet assures me this is nothing dangerous, it is most likely passed by shared water bowls. It usually only affects puppies with immature immune systems (similar to chicken pox). Apparently Dude has a compromised immune system. It's unlikely he would pass this virus to his regular playmates, but I would rather err on the side of caution. Obviously he picked this up from someone in the park, and he could share the wealth. As such, we can't return without a clean bill of health. We extremely miss using up outrageous amounts of energy in the park, rather than ripping up every object within reach.
- Dude and Paul
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