This morning AWOL looked pretty bad. Her breathing was shallow and although it was cold outside she was panting hard. Her gums were white, a sure sign of anemia. Grandma said that she'd take her to the vet today, but mom was crying when she left for work so I know it's not good. They think she has a tumor, like Dobie, Ajax and Sandy did, dogs I didn't know.
AWOL has been a good friend to me. She walks with me and tells me when I go too far, and she plays with me a little bit. She's quite old, Jaeger's age I think, but until very recently she had a lot more energy than Jaeger. I'll miss her.
Note from mom:
AWOL was diagnosed with lymphoma and we elected to put her on prednisone because she is pretty old, canine oncology is quite costly and only about 50% of dogs go into remission at the stage in which AWOL was. I feel bad about cost being a factor, but Natasha's VERY expensive stay in intensive care wiped out any other options for the time being.
Years ago, Dobie was also diagnosed with lymphoma and given about 4 months on prednisone. She actually improved and stuck around for 4 years! So it seemed that AWOL may have dodged a bullet, but she died a few hours after seeing the vet, presumably from heart failure, an overworked organ under pressure from some sizable tumors.
Note from Mom...
Some canine vaccines can provoke an immune response in many breeds, and Weims are one that is predisposed to some scary reactions: Hyperinflammatory disease and hypertrophic osteodystrophy, where bone growth bolts and requires treatment with steroids; Immune system breakdown; Injection site sarcomas; Weims with these conditions sometimes end up in rescue, fortunately, and can be treated if not corrected: many more Weims are put down out of ignorance. New guidelines have been established by AAHA and UC Davis Veterinary College for core vaccines and the schedule at which they should be administered. Core vaccines are Canine Parvovirus, Distemper Virus, and Adenovirus-2 and boosters are recommended every three years. Non-core vaccines should be evaluated in terms of location, the dog's environment and social situation and the prevalence of disease in an area at a given time. Here's a link for more information:http://www.tristateweimrescue.org/weimpdf/New_Vaccination_Guidelines.pdf That said, some veterinarians area taking a holistic and homeopathic approach to vaccines and recommend homeopathic nosodes for adult dogs. The nosodes only help protect dogs against Parvovirus, Distemper, Kennel Cough, Panleukopenia and FIP. Some nosodes seem to work more effectively than others. None of these produce titers against these diseases like a vaccination , so they are NOT vaccine replacements. They do seem to moderate a disease condition if the animal is exposed, even if they don't prevent it. It is another option for those guardians who wish to avoid vaccinations. Of course in the traditional veterinary field, there is resistance if not hostility to homeopathy, just as with human alternative medicine. Your own dog's lifestyle should be the biggest factor in determining vaccines.
