The Cost of things: August 2014

Tags

budgeting, creston valley meats, dog treats, elanco, pet finances, poop bags, vet

Incredibly busy lately. I have about two posts in me for September, and this is one, already way later than usual.

This is my fourth year of tracking pet finances at the House of Two Bows. This is an ongoing effort to get a practical sense of what it costs to keep two 20 ~ 30 pound adult dogs in an area of the US with relatively high costs of living. Previous posts in this series can be found under the category of finances.

The Cost of (Pet) Things for August 2014:

• Food: $211 [previous month, $30]
• Treats: $49 [previous, $31]
• Grooming: $16 [previous, $5]
• Vet & Medical: -$35 [previous, $411]
• Accessories and misc: $50 [previous, $0]
• TOTAL: $291 [running average for 2014: ~$200/month]

Crazy high food total included a 15 lb. bag of Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream, one more 4 lb box of Honest Kitchen Embark, and an unanticipated, large order from Creston Valley Meats. I decided to buy another two large boxes of ground turkey, as well as an order of lamb bones. It may be a while before my schedule frees up so I can make their delivery times, so I decided to restock while I could. I did not anticipate over 20 pounds of lamb bones in my order, which I’ve been trying to disperse generously amongst my dog friends. Apparently, I need to know more raw feeders, because an extra freezer is really not in my budget. Yet it was hard to pass up lamb bones at 55 cents a pound!

I loaded up on buy 3 get 1 treats at the local Pet Food Express, and dehydrated a whole bunch more chicken hearts, in order to appease the Bows when I left them with a housesitter back in August. I went overboard, so plenty of treats remain.

In grooming, I finally got my act together to order a bulk box of poop bags from Amazon. 700 poop bags for $16, with Prime shipping? Can’t really argue with that deal.

Bowdu’s major veterinary appointment was postponed for this month, September. It already happened, and I’ll have more to say about that later. What I did receive last month was my $35 Elanco rebate, slightly more than what is normally offered as a “loyalty rewards” customer. I honestly was not expecting to receive the check so efficiently. I was even notified by e-mail when the check was on its way — overall resulting in my most positive experience yet with the company that manufactures Comfortis/Trifexis.

Finally, I tacked on a somewhat arbitrary $50 fee to Miscellaneous, which includes a rare expense category for the House of Two Bows: boarding and pet care by an outside helper. The only reason I could go to Denmark was because I roped a dog-savvy friend into watching the house and the Bows, all in exchange for a free place to stay and unlimited access to all food and drink in the house. I did lug back some Danish beer as payment, so that and some miscellaneous extras are included in the $50.

Under normal circumstances, in-home pet sitting would cost way, way more — like $50 for each night, let alone seven. All the more reason that friendships with dog-friends must be carefully cultivated, with the expectation that we’re always paying it forward, and that the winning personalities of your canine charges will help balance out the karmic scales.

The Cost of things: July 2014

Tags

budgeting, comfortis, elanco, glucosamine, joint supplements, pet finances, vet

This is my fourth year of tracking pet finances at the House of Two Bows. This is an ongoing effort to get a practical sense of what it costs to keep two 20 ~ 30 pound adult dogs in an area of the US with relatively high costs of living. Previous posts in this series can be found under the category of finances.

The Cost of (Pet) Things for July 2014:

• Food: $30 [previous month, $21]
• Treats: $31 [previous, $6]
• Grooming: $5 [previous, $0]
• Vet & Medical: $411 [previous, $0]
• Accessories and misc: $0 [previous, $0]
• TOTAL: $477 [running average for 2014: ~$187/month]

Most of this month’s food total goes towards Bowdu’s liquid glucosamine, which is not a cheap supplement. It really seems to be effective though, so I’m incorporating it into the regular budget. Otherwise, the food costs this month only include some whole pike mackerel and chicken drumsticks. The freezer is starting to look a bit bare though, and I’ll need to do a kibble run for August.

Treats included commercial treats on a buy-3-get-1-free deal, and a couple packs of raw pig’s ears, seven pieces total, which were chopped and dehydrated. Still have a gallon bag stashed in the freezer, which will get us through next month.

Grooming supplies were a 3-pack of store brand baby wipes from Target. I use these for Bowdu’s feet after walks, especially in the summer. He has been licking his feet black, which has been a seasonal thing the last few years. As long as he’s not breaking skin, I’m satisfied that his summer allergies are being kept under control.

Obviously, the big blow this month was veterinary costs. You can see my previous post about Bowdu’s vet visit for the breakdown on that. Twelve doses of Comfortis are also included in this figure. This time, they sent me a special “loyalty” promotional code for a $35 rebate on a pack of twelve. I’m never very optimistic that the rebate will go smoothly, so I’m not accounting for the discount until I actually receive it.

Anticipating another high total next month. And it’s going to be a busy one… Meanwhile, after three weeks, I can say that Bowdu is doing better, probably due to a combination of the supplements and time. He’s not at 100% though, and now he’s blowing his coat again so he’s back to looking rough and scraggly.

We’ve been enjoying some gorgeous sunsets all last month, most of which I fail to capture in photo. Some things are better experienced off screen, anyway.

Threshold: Bowdu’s July checkup

Tags

aging dogs, canine hypothyroidism, finances, glucosamine, ichon, senior dogs, vet

I dreaded the accounting on this one, but delaying it doesn’t make the expense go away. Bowdu’s last vet checkup was a heavy one, financial and psychological.

For Bowdu’s annual exam, I had an additional concern. Bowdu’s back legs — his back right leg, in particular — had been shaky for quite some time now. Last year, the vet said it indicative of muscle weakness, a symptom that often accompanies hypothyroidism. Bowdu’s energy levels remain consistent, so we maintained observational hover pattern.

Unfortunately, in the last couple months, his hind leg seems to have been giving him more trouble. The shaking, which was fairly sporadic in the past, is fairly constant now. One day a couple months ago, he started walking with a limp and keeping that back right foot raised. This wasn’t set off by any memorable trauma, and our routine has been fairly steady and low-impact, all around. He wasn’t expressing any audible pain, so I kept watch and waited it out. He returned to normal stride after a few days.

A few weeks ago, the same thing happened again. This time, however, he wasn’t so quick to bounce back. He is clearly not jumping as high as he used to. Getting up on the bed is a two-step process now, using his dog bed (placed on a cushion at the foot of the bed) to trampoline himself up to the human bed. He even allows me to lift him into the car — something that he usually makes an undignified stink about. On our off leash walks, he boycotts certain regular routes that we’ve hiked for years, and won’t follow closely. This is unusual, even for his Shibaness.

(Apologies for the vertical videography)

The second video, in particular, is Bowdu at his creakiest and slowest. [**Significant ETA: I just realized the second video is from the same day of his vet exam, which means his slow motion is actually a residual effect of the Acepromazine. The pace helps to show his funny gait though.] He is not a young dog anymore, but at nine years old, this is not what I would expect either. So we went off to the vet for as full a workup as we could manage without sedation (other than his acepromazine) …

• Office Call: senior semi-annual exam, $56 $50.40
• Total Body Function, $179 $161.10
• Urinalysis add-on, $61 $54.90
• Comfortis, 12 doses (20.1 ~ 40 pounds), $201.06
• Referral credit, ($56.00)
• TOTAL: $411.46*

* Prices reflect my 10% student discount, where applicable

The bloodwork came back just fine, and his thyroids continue to be well managed at his current dosage of 0.2mg of Soloxine, twice a day. The physical exam, however, was a shrieking, fur-flying, anal gland-releasing mess.

So much for his winning streak as a “good” patient. Bowdu was not having it this time. Suffice to say, I’m now looking forward to another estimated $500 examination, which will include sedation and X-rays, to get Bowdu’s back end issues properly diagnosed.

Based on Bowdu’s history and what I know of other Shibas with similar health profiles, I strongly suspect it’s an ACL injury. I don’t want to say much more without an official diagnosis. In the meantime, he’s been getting loaded up on liquid glucosamine supplements (which I’d stopped for a while, and more on that some other day) and he continues to get daily fish oil capsules. His weight is good, so there’s no change to his diet. We continue our regular walks, including our off leash hikes along less strenuous trails, which I think gives him the freedom to move at his own pace and comfort.

I have to trust that he knows his own body as intimately as nature allows. He won’t tax or purposely hurt himself. It’s only been a couple weeks since his visit and about 10 days since I started loading him with glucosamine, but he’s been noticeably improved. His situation is far from dire, but it will need to be addressed.

And this, too, is when I feel the pressure of maintaining an aging dog on a student’s budget. Even if his situation is “just” remedied with steady glucosamine supplements, I think I’m looking at about an additional $200 a year on nutraceutical expenses — which I’m ready and able to do. What I do now will have an impact on Bowdu long beyond my current budget situation.

The vet also mentioned an injectible solution called Ichon which is more expensive, but reportedly, more effective. Absorption is one of the biggest variables across tablet, liquid, and now injectible forms of glucosamine, so I’m going to have to do some research to figure out a solution that works best for us.

Getting ahead of ourselves though, especially since there hasn’t been an official diagnosis. Apparently, the supplements — and time, of course — are making a difference, so this is what’s in our future. Clearly, we’ve passed a life stage threshold of some sort. While Bowdu may not be as active as he was even a mere year ago, there’s a lot of life in him yet. Learning how to make the most of it is an ongoing, mutual process.

Health update on the cusp of spring

Tags

flea dermatitis, hair loss, honest kitchen, kennel cough, skin and coat supplements, skin rash, tracheal collapse, vet

A health update is called for, as we’ve had a titch of trouble recently.

Last Wednesday, I brought Bowpi in to the vet. She’d been cough-wheezing for a while. It’d reportedly started in November, when I was still in Taiwan. I certainly noticed it when I came back — a sporadic, whuffing sound that came on when she was balled up, either getting into or just emerging from sleep. RJ figured it was due to the unusually dry winter we’ve been having in California, and as it seemed to come and go, we just kept monitoring her.

The cough suddenly got louder and more frequent over one rainy weekend, so I had her in ASAP. Basically, she was whuffing and chuffing in several, continuous, uncontrolled rounds, and doing a lot of this in addition:

… yet, she wasn’t coughing frequently enough that I could count on her to demonstrate her symptoms to the vet. So I took video. Even on the day that I brought her in, the rain had cleared up, and she hadn’t coughed for over 12 hours. And Bowdu, as you can see, has been his usual, doofy self, so it didn’t seem to be a highly contagious condition.

Based on the video, manual palpation, my description of the symptoms, and Bowpi’s overall age and stature, the vet’s diagnosis was partial tracheal collapse, aggravated by a secondary infection of kennel cough. She spared me the X-rays for a more precise diagnosis, since she was pretty sure that was what was going on, and her condition wasn’t severe. She was able to recreate the coughing sound in the examination room by pressing on Bowpi’s trachea, and noted that the condition was not in the esophagus, so there was some process of elimination going into the diagnosis too.

So we were sent off with a round of Doxycycline for the cough, and a harness for Bowpi is already on the way. I definitely feel some guilt, wondering if this all could have been prevented if I had just been walking Bowpi on a harness to begin with. Like pretty much every Basenji I’ve ever walked, she’s always been a puller, jerking with great determination (for such a small dog!) towards the object of her scrutiny. This is much less of a problem when she’s off leash, as the vast majority of our daytime walks tend to be.

Obviously, I can’t always walk her off leash, so I’m doing what I can to minimize the harm that’s already been done. Like the doc predicted, her cough cleared right up after a week of medication, and her chuffing has subsided to very occasional, and minor disruptions. Neither her energy levels nor appetite has been affected, and otherwise she remains in great shape, so we carry on, and will follow up by phone in a couple months.

I am transparent about pet finances on this blog, and since veterinary fees can be one of the most inscrutable costs, I present the itemized bill:

• Office call, $56 $50.40 (minus 10% student discount
• Doxycycline (strength: 25 mg/mL), 28 mL, $30
• TOTAL: $80.40

Meanwhile, Bowdu was off his flea medication schedule for over two weeks, as I’d forgotten about it in February’s flurry. This is atypical of me, and poor Bowdu is the one that had to suffer for it.

Due to what I think were some flea or bug bites, Bowdu got really itchy in a couple spots on his chest, resulting in the loss of large swathes of fur. I didn’t actually see any bugs, though I saw the bite areas, and I didn’t find anything on Bowpi, whose short fur is usually quick to reveal any such problems. However, knowing that Bowdu does react pretty intensely to bug bites, and given the intensity of the fur loss (most of it came right out within about a two day window), my first response was to get both dogs back on Comfortis, ASAP.

This does coincide with a seasonal fur blow, which is already pretty intense in its own right. Since a few years ago (with the diagnosis of canine hypothyroidism), I’ve noted that Bowdu does tend to lose his fur in big, bald patches when he’s shedding. Pictures from February 2011 for comparison:

Pretty much always the same areas around the neck, chest, and belly, but never his back.

This is clearly the worst Bowdu has had it in years, with raw red skin and hyperpigmentation and everything.

I gave him a bath with some medicated shampoo to try and ease the itch and speed along the shedding process. I think it was actually a little too intense and offset his skin oils, because he’s felt greasier since the bath. I’ll give him another week or so, and try again again with a gentle shampoo.

Meanwhile, he’s been getting generic diphenhydramine (Benadryl) about twice a day, with breakfast and before bedtime. He’s got his skin and coat supplements: the usual fish oil and vitamin E, and additional Honest Kitchen Sparkle (which is being discontinued due to “regulatory challenges combined with low sales” — time to formulate our own herbal blend!). His itching seems to be under control, he just looks and feels rough, and is a bit cranky about being touched in certain ways.

At least he’s not too self-conscious about showing off his precious, slightly bald tummy.

The cost of things: July 2013

Tags

acepromazine, blood tests, budgeting, pet finances, vet

Another month, another barrage of expenses…

This is my third year of tracking our pet finances here at the House of Two Bows. This is an ongoing effort to get a practical sense of what it costs to keep two 20 ~ 30 pound adult dogs in an area of the US with relatively high costs of living. Previous posts in this series can be found under the category of finances.

The Cost of (Pet) Things for July 2013:

• Food: $76 [previous month, $14]
• Treats: $5 [previous, $28]
• Grooming: $0 [previous, $0]
• Accessories and misc: $0 [previous, $0]
• Vet & Medical: $289 [previous, $0]
• TOTAL: $370 (running average for 2013 ~$172/month)

WARNING (a reminder to myself, to cushion the blow): For July and into August, I am in stockpile mode. Expenses for the Bows are expected to plummet after that, because I am not going to be here to buy them things, and I am the primary purchaser of supplies at the House of Two Bows. I’ll explain shortly; details are hard to divulge at the moment.

Food expenses weren’t nearly as bad as anticipated, given all that I purchased: approximately 20 pounds of raw chicken portions, several pounds of organs, and ten pounds of whole sardines. I’ve portioned things out and really can’t stuff anymore into the freezer unless I eject all the human food. This should be enough raw meat to last several months (since they’re not on a fully raw diet), supplemented by occasional purchases of turkey parts when they roll back into season, and other freshly butchered meats.

Rounding out the food expenses for the month were the usual tubs of plain yogurt, a small stack of Weruva canned food that will serve as emergency rations, and joint supplements purchased from Prime Pet Supply.

Treat expenses were simply 2 pounds of chicken hearts, which are sitting in the dehydrator as I type. We also got a boost from the folks at Chewy.com in exchange for another review coming up shortly…

Veterinary and medical expenses were the biggies this month. Bowdu’s last veterinary checkup was October 2012, and Bowpi’s was just this last March 2013. Knowing what a pain he can be to examine, the vet seems to be doing us a favor by letting us prolong Bowdu’s blood draws (to check thyroid function) to once every 8 to 10 months, instead of every 6 months as is typically required. However, they still want us to come in for physical exams before signing off on his Soloxine prescription.

So Bowdu got dosed up with Acepromazine (he takes just one 25mg pill beforehand, but we keep a couple extra on hand for future occasions), and I brought them both in for an exam. Might as well, since I’m going to be away for a while, right? I’m a little miffed though, because I had scheduled an appointment with a new receptionist and asked explicitly if bringing both Bows together would count as one visitation fee — and she said yes. I should have known better, as the final bill accounted for each of them separately.

VET BILL
• Acepromazine (25 mg @ 3 tablets), $16.09
• Office call: annual exam, 2 @ $56 $50.40 = $100.80
• Total body function (includes thyroid), $169 $152.10
• Canine rabies, 3 year booster, $21.75 $19.58
• TOTAL BILL: $288.57 (after 10% student discount)

I expressed that it wasn’t what I was expecting, but I didn’t argue. Each Bow did occupy a separate appointment slot, after all. But I knew there was nothing wrong with Bowpi, and really didn’t need to shell out $50 for the vet to tell me that she needs to lose about a pound, because I know, I know… I blame summer communication issues between meals, as RJ has been handling breakfast and I’ve been doing their dinners, and it’s hard to balance portions day by day when each side isn’t monitoring what the other’s doing. Grr…

Anyway, Bowdu’s bloodwork and three-year rabies booster comprised most of the hefty bill. On the upshot, he didn’t utter a single shriek this time, and we were told that he does seem to be getting better with each visit. That doesn’t mean he’s learning to enjoy the vet. He’s just resigning himself to the experience — sedative, Thundershirt, basket muzzle and all…

For those of you with multiple dogs, I’m curious about your vet experiences. I understand the logic behind individual consultation fees, but I am wondering — does your vet offer multi-pet discounts?

I’m griping out of surprise because this is the first time since getting Bowpi that we have been charged for two separate consultations. We’ve had first-time intake appointments accounting for both dogs with two different vets (including this one), and were only charged a single visitation fee each time. Perhaps intake appointments are automatically blocked across two time slots, so the single fee was an introductory courtesy. At any rate, I now know that this is my vet’s policy so I won’t be surprised next time. I preferred bringing them in one at a time, anyway.

The cost of things: March 2013

Tags

budgeting, canine dental, coconut oil, glucosamine, grooming, jarrow formulas, pet finances, supplements, vet, virbac

This is my third year of tracking our pet finances here at the House of Two Bows. This is an ongoing effort to get a practical sense of what it costs to keep two 20 ~ 30 pound adult dogs in an area of the US with relatively high costs of living. Previous posts in this series can be found under the category of finances.

The Cost of (Pet) Things for March 2013:

• Food: $72 [previous month, $135]
• Treats: $9 [previous, $3]
• Grooming: $8 [previous, $15]
• Accessories and misc: $0 [previous, $12]
• Vet & Medical: $265 [previous, $0]
• TOTAL: $354 (running total for 2013 ~$188/month)

Well, if it wasn’t for Bowpi’s vet visit (regular checkup) and box of prescription flea meds, we would’ve been in the double digits this month… Alas, it’s not like I get to arbitrarily decide, “Hey! This month my dogs will get NO vetting even if it’s an emergency!” If it’s time to pay those bills, you just gotta pay up…

At least we had quite a bit of food socked away from last month. March’s total includes about $50 worth of supplements that will average out over extended periods of time. I got a couple 16 oz. jars of Jarrow Formulas Coconut Oil, which I’m guessing should be enough to last a whole year. A 32 fl. oz jar of Liquid Health K-9 Glucosamine was also purchased for $25.95 with prime shipping on Amazon. The last container (different brand, pictured below) lasted almost five months for Bowdu at half daily dose, alternating with other joint-friendly things some days.

Meanwhile, keeping our treats all raw and homemade really controls our costs in this category. This month’s expenditures included a couple pounds of chicken hearts (dehydrated at home) and two rounds of lamb bone chews. Kibble sample pouches and other freebies kept us stocked for the rest of the month.

Finally, in grooming supplies, got another tube of Virbac C.E.T. toothpaste, seafood flavored. Yum. Dog toothpaste is not cheap in comparison to human toothpaste! By the end of the year, I should have a pretty good idea of what I spend just to maintain Bowpi’s dental health (Bowdu barely needs any help there). Whatever the total, it can’t be as bad as having to dish out hundreds all at once on a full dental checkup with extractions…

Bowpi sees the vet

Tags

blood tests, canine dental, comfortis, dog back injuries, pet finances, vet

In anticipation of Bowpi’s third year adoption anniversary, I scheduled her a general veterinary checkup, including full bloodwork and a required rabies booster. Aside from the vaccination clinic (DHPP) and the emergency visit, her last official checkup was nearly a year ago for her lick granuloma back in April 2012. Unfortunately, even after a round of Betagen, it’s still there as a toughened and unsightly bump. As it remained unchanged in size and didn’t seem to bother her, we moved on. In nearly all other aspects, she has been alert, healthy, living and dreaming to the fullest, so I figured now was as good a time as any to run a full blood exam on her as a baseline from here on out.

“Since she’s technically a ‘senior’ now, we would recommend it,” commented the vet when I asked her to order the tests. My vet considers any larger breed dog that’s five years and older, and smaller breed dogs seven years and older to be fading just out of “middle age” by default. I know she means no offense, but I can’t help but cringe when I hear that word… Senior? Hardly! Not if she’s going to live to be 16 or 17 years old, like so many Basenjis I’ve heard about, right?

I confessed that just last week, Bowpi seemed to have suffered an unexpected injury as she was heard yelping when jumping up onto the bed. And onto the couch. And peeping just slightly when jumping into the car. We examined her all over and found nothing caught in her toes, no tenderness or sensitivity in her legs, and not a scratch on her. Figuring it could be a muscle or a joint thing, as happened to Bowdu about a year ago, I started slipping her some glucosamine as well, and lifting her up and down higher levels for a few days. Her gait was not noticeably affected, and she was still quite willing to run and dart about with other dogs as well, so we figured she was all better and let her jump up and down at will. But then a day later, her peeps returned.

The doctor figures it’s likely a minor back injury, a “very common complaint” with older dogs. Thank goodness she didn’t drop that s-word again. She recommended helping Bowpi up and down higher levels for as long as a month so as not to create additional discomfort.

Meanwhile, I was glad not to be chided for the state of her teeth and rancid breath. We really are trying, I swear! The vet assured me that her teeth were “not that bad,” and encouraged me to keep brushing — which I do, as best as I can. She suggested that Bowpi’s gnarly breath probably has more to do with her unique stomach flora than tooth decay, which makes sense to me. We’ve learned how to navigate and avoid Bowpi’s vomiting patterns since the very first day she joined our home, since she does seem to have a sensitive stomach, but she still has quite a capacity for launching unexpected oral stinkbombs. She’s particularly dangerous when stuff has been sitting in her stomach for a while. Anyway, this is just another thing to keep an eye — or nostril — out for.

The blood tests came back normal for almost everything. There were a few categories (specifically cholesterol, reticulocytes, and HGB/HCT) which were slightly off, but not alarmingly so. I’m more apt to pin the blood aberrations on temporary physiological issues, and I’ll take the slightly high cholesterol as an indication that I should continue to be careful and keep up with diet research, adapting as necessary.

The damage:

• Office Call: Annual Exam, $56 $50.40 (after student discount)
• Canine Rabies 3-year booster, $21.75 $19.58 (student discount)
• Total Body Function, $169
• Comfortis for 20 ~ 40 pound dogs (6 pack), $92.12*
• Referral credit, -$56 (because I sent a friend to this vet)

TOTAL: $275.10

* Elanco (the makers of Comfortis and Trifexis) is still offering a mail-in rebate for 6 or 12-pack purchases, but my vet’s price on this has gone up by a few more dollars again, as seems to happen every time we refill. Gargh.

Jottings from Dr. Dodds’ Webinar on Canine Hypothyroidism

Tags

canine health, canine hypothyroidism, dr. dodds, hemopet, thyroids, vet, veterinary endocrinology

On Sunday evening, I attended a webinar on “[Canine] Thyroid Disease and Autoimmune Thyroiditis” presented by Dr. W. Jean Dodds, DVM and sponsored by the Danish-Swedish Farmdogs USA.

As a pet person who has already read Dr. Dodds’ book and slogged through other peer-reviewed publications on canine hypothyroidism as best as I could, the vast majority of this was repeat information. I paid attention and took notes anyway as if it was all new to me. Perhaps I would’ve gotten more mileage out of the talk and Q&A opportunity if I was a dog breeder, because she had a lot of really thorough information directed towards breeders on how to screen and select for thyroid disorders. Her open liaison with breeders, in my opinion, is quite invaluable and one thing that sets her apart as a public spokesperson for canine health issues.

I also appreciated some of the detailed observations she presented with pictorial examples, which went beyond the level of description in her book (most of her pictures were already in there). Some of her comments about barrel-chested and front-loaded hypothyroid dogs made a lot of sense to me, based on what I’ve come to understand about Bowdu’s form and the range of movement he’s capable of.

She also talked a little about natural thyroid options. It’s hard to find good information about natural thyroid therapy for canines, so I would have liked to hear more about that. I wouldn’t say she embraces the idea, but she does mention it as an option, and she was willing to name-drop a few brands with a couple caveats: 1) it’s much more critical to get the dosage right and monitor reactions, since natural thyroid supplies BOTH T3 and T4 (whereas synthetic pet meds on the shelf right now just supply T4), and 2) it’s more expensive, and would probably be prohibitively so for dogs that weigh more than 60 pounds. This was covered in her book as well.

She mentioned a new double-blind clinical trial that she just wrapped up with Drs. Linda Aronson and Nicholas Dodman at Tufts (they’ve collaborated before). Results should be forthcoming in a veterinary behavioral journal. Thyroid function and aggressive/aberrant behavior were under investigation. I await the publication of that study to see what new information is presented.

In response to a good question from a trainer, who asked how she can talk to pet owners about Hemopet/Hemolife without disparaging the work of her clients’ regular vets as inadequate, Dr. Dodds clarified her organization’s position as a clinical research laboratory that needs to collect its own samples for publication purposes, using its own procedures. Hemopet is not meant to replace the work of conventional vets or compete with the handful of commercial labs that handle the majority of diagnostic tests for North American vets. Dr. Dodds’ lab is open to discussing their interpretations with conventional vets, and this would be an ideal professional relationship for the pet owner. If any part of this process is blocked, however, it’s really up to the client to decide if it’s in their best interest to work with what they have, or to seek another vet.

In all this, she hinted at some of her criticisms of the current state of the veterinary establishment. The talk was interlaced with other non-specific commentary that made it clear she understood her marginalized position, but I thought she was quite discreet. She’s been a lot more diplomatic than some vets have been to or about her, in my experience! She professed her love for the veterinary field and believes strongly in her line of work and research, though she found several things lacking in veterinary education. True to her word, that’s been one area in which she’s been campaigning for a long time. At times this does involve a bit of self-promotion that borders on oversell. But I think once you acknowledge how many questions remain in the vast, open and interconnected fields of canine health, genetics, behavior, breeding practices, pet culture, etc., then a lot of that kind of laboratory territorialism falls by the wayside as petty turf wars — particularly disadvantageous to pet people who have no stakes in that establishment, like myself.

Should the opportunity arise again, I’d recommend participating in one of Dr. Dodds’ presentations or webinars if:

• You want a quick overview of how hypothyroidism affects canine health, and you’re not inclined to spend the same amount of money on her book.
• Your own vet is unhelpful, dismissive, talks down to you, or oversimplifies explanations about thyroid issues.
• You’re a dog breeder and want to understand the dynamics of thyroid health and testing for your own breeding goals.
• You are a holistically-minded trainer who appreciates how genetics, overall health, diet, and living environment can affect a dog’s behavior, and you have some specific questions you’d like to ask.

The cost of things: October 2012

Tags

budgeting, dog food, dog treats, entirelypets.com, finances, glucosamine, groupon, pet finances, vet, zignature

This is part of my ongoing effort to track our pet finances here at the House of Two Bows. Previous posts in the series can be found under the category of finances.

The Cost of (Pet) Things for October 2012:

• Food: $84
• Treats: $9
• Grooming: $0
• Accessories and misc: $0
• Vet & Medical: $255
• TOTAL: $348 (running average for 2012 ~ $173 / month)

In food news, we’re trying out a new kibble this month called Zignature, manufactured by Pets Global, Inc. A local pet store was running a promotion to drum up interest, selling 4 pound bags that would normally retail for $9.99 for only $4.99. We’re almost done with our first trial of the Trout and Salmon Meal Formula, and have another bag of the Turkey formula coming up just in time for November. It’s going okay so far, but I’ll post my thoughts later.

Also picked up a bunch of meat and supplements, including a large container of JointMAX liquid Glucosamine at a pretty reasonable price after redeeming a Groupon for EntirelyPets.com.

Topping off the Groupon deal ($30 worth of products for $15), I threw in a couple pouches of Fruitables treats. Meanwhile, RJ is suddenly on board with dehydrating our own treats more regularly, so he took the initiative to shrink down a big ol’ bag of chicken hearts, which the Bows are loving. This makes me happy, as I’ve not had the energy to keep up with treat-making projects to make the dehydrator purchased in May 2012 pay for itself yet.

The biggest hit to this month’s finances — and knocking the monthly average back up, dammit — was vet bills, obviously. I can’t do anything about this until I move to a less expensive part of the country/world. Ugh. We’ve gotten away with no major veterinary expenses for Bowpi this year (knock on wood), but I’d like to do a full blood panel at her next annual exam (she had a limited panel done in February 2011), so I’ll expect another figure like this in a few more months.

Bowdu’s annual thyroid test — glad that’s out of the way

Tags

acepromazine, anxiety, basket muzzles, canine hypothyroidism, dog muzzles, thundershirt, vet

Whenever I post pictures of Bowdu in a muzzle, he gets invited to photo pools for muzzled pets, which honestly creeps me out… Not sure if the addition of Bowdu’s “corset” just adds to the flames, but you know what? As long as you freaky furries keep your paws on your side of the screen, I’ll just carry on with business as usual here.

Anyway, this is how we suited up Bowdu for his vet visit on Wednesday morning. His basket muzzle is hanging a little loose, and it was cinched up tight when we got closer to the vet. I had the Thundershirt on him during our walk around the block, and he didn’t seem to think anything of it. The Acepromazine had started to kick in, but I’d only administered it about 80 minutes before the examination (the instructions recommended dosing him one to two hours before showtime). Note to self for future reference: Bowdu needs closer to two hours for the sedative to reach maximum effect.

Between the suit, the mask, and the drugs, we were able to draw another round of blood without having to completely put him under. It’s not a pretty solution overall, but if this is what it takes to get the job done once a year, then hell — I’m satisfied. It’s hard to tell what really helped the situation. Maybe all of it. I had my doubts about the Thundershirt, but since we have it now, we’ll probably use it again. Besides, Bowdu did let a vet tech physically pick him up, which he’s never submitted quietly to before!

The biggest advantage of the Thundershirt was that it very clearly flagged him as a “special care” dog and abbreviated my need to offer handling suggestions. A couple of the techs actually appeared to move more delicately and speak soothingly around him because they saw the Thundershirt and immediately understood its implications. Or perhaps it’s just a natural reaction to the absurdity of dogs in clothing.

Bowdu’s never going to be comfortable at the vet, no matter how much cheese, bacon, or pasture-fed dehydrated goat liver he gets while he’s there. He willingly enters the lobby and partakes of their hypoallergenic cookies, as we’ve done dozens of times during our “fun” visits throughout the year, but the instant he’s taken into an exam room, he knows the stakes are different. He’s really too wily to be fooled.

Wednesday’s vet bill:

• Office call, $56
• DHPP vaccine (3 year booster), $24.50 (after student discount)
• Bloodwork: total body function, $169
• TOTAL: $249.50

Thyroid numbers (blood drawn approximately 9 hours after his last dose of 0.2 mg Soloxine which he gets 2x a day, twelve hours apart):

• Free T4 (ng/dL): 1.6 (reference range 0.6 ~ 3.7)
• Free T4 (pmol/L): 20.6 (ref. range 7.7 ~ 47.6)
• T4 (ug/dL): 1.7 (ref. range 1.0 ~ 4.0)