***But first I want to say how very sad I feel about David Bowie’s death. I woke up to it this morning about 5am (saw it on Face Book), and I’ve shed many tears throughout the day. It’s a bit odd because I wasn’t a big fan. ‘My’ David Bowie was ‘Dancing In The Street’ with Mick Jagger, and much later he was ‘Heroes’ and ‘America’ at The Concert For New York City. But always I admired his charisma and energy and amazing creativity. My heart is very heavy with the news today. Very very sad.
Now to Lady Joy Belle Bojangles. I continued to give her the antibiotic I had on hand, which was the same one my vet in Salinas gave her when she had Kennel Cough in July of 2014. That time she responded fairly quickly, and got well, except all this time ever since then when she gets happy-excited about something, like going for a walk, she usually has a little cough or two. Last week however, it became worse, with more gagging than coughing, and it reminded me of how she sounded when she had Kennel Cough.
Saturday she lost her appetite and vomited twice, and once on Sunday. Then her appetite came back to normal and she has been eating and keeping everything down. Shiloh has been fine, with nary a cough. Kennel Cough is highly contagious. I’m SO glad he is well….and he never caught it last time she had it either. They live close…obviously…and drink from the same water bowl, and sleep in the same beds? Makes me wonder then, is it really Kennel Cough?
At the vets office we go in the back door directly into an exam room, in case she is contagious then less dogs are exposed. I tell the vet the big long story, show him her meds, tell him about other things I’ve noticed recently, such as skin rashes on her tummy. He examines her. Her vital signs are normal. Hmmm. He doesn’t seem to have any bright ideas. I tell him I’ve been thinking about hypothyroid and heart worm, and ask if she could have blood tests for those. The heart worm test has to be sent out but they get results from the thyroid test right away and yes, her thyroid is quite low at .7, when low normal is 1.1 and normal is up to 4.0. Low thyroid can cause coughing…I didn’t know that. ( sometimes her bark is a bit horse lately too), and skin irritations, which I did know. Though her coat is very thick, it seems like lately I’ve noticed her shedding more than usual, if that be possible. Hair loss is also a sign. She seems to lack energy…another sign…but only since the cough started, and gosh, she is 12… 84 in dog years.
They send us out with thyroid medication to last 50 days, ( two pills a day), at which time she should have another blood test to see if the level is within normal limits. I get a copy of the lab test and the notes from today. I’ll discontinue giving the antibiotics for now, and see if the cough goes away with the thyroid med. They will call me with results of the heart worm test. I really doubt she has that but I wanted to make sure.
Hypothyroidism is fairly common in Golden Retrievers. Also in humans, and I have it. That makes two of us on thyroid medication!
If this is what Joys problem turns out to be, I’ll be quite relieved.
Wandering Spirit 
I’ll be relieved, too. Treatable!
Yes!
Sounds like you found a good vet!
Mmm. I’m not really convinced of that. I had to make all the suggestions. He did mention Valley fever, but didn’t follow up on that, and I forgot. He’s an old guy taking the overload from the regular vet. If I’d wanted an apt with the regular vet it wouldn’t have been till the end of the week, so I took the one yesterday.
Oh how we love are 4-legged children. Hope everything turns out fine, which I’m sure it will.
I hope so Pam. I’ve continued to research on the Internet and found some more related things to worry about but have to see how the thyroid med works before moving on to other possibilities.
Joy is not quite that old in ‘people years’. The old rule of thumb: 1 year for Fido equals 7 years for you isn’t that simple. Dogs mature more quickly than we do early on. So the first year of your fuzzy friend’s life is equal to about 15 human years. Size and breed also play a role. Smaller dogs tend to live longer than larger ones, but they may mature more quickly in the first few years of life.
http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/how-to-calculate-your-dogs-age
Using the chart found at that link I would say that Joy is probably between 69 and 77. I hope she does well on the meds.
Hi Ed, yes I know there are other ways to figure dog age but I tend to rely on the one I’ve always used, like a typical old person. Joy has been a high energy girl all her life and it’s kept her young up till now. I always called her my Wild Child. But like the Stones say, ‘what a drag it is getting old’ , and I can hear Joy singing that now. Along with me. Shiloh at age 9, is still singing another Stones song, ” Time, time, time is on my side. Yes it is!” I want him to sing that as long as possible.
The picture of David Bowie took my breath away and I have the same feelings about him that you have – – never bought an album but loved his creativity and smoothness while being pretty dynamic at the same time. Plus he, along with so many others, helped define who we are and became. David, Mick, Motown, John Lennon….how can we list them all. The music became something beyond sound didn’t it – – we all have our own private place it still takes us. Thanks for always being able to write from your heart my friend.
Hi Marie, yes you are so right…the music is so much than music. For you and I and so many it formed us, gave us strength and hope, was our refuge…became our very identity. Remember Andrew Oldham saying ” The Rolling Stones aren’t just a musical group, they are a way of life.” ? I believe that was written on the back of the first album. But it was true, of the Stones and others. For us anyway.
Yes that picture affected me that way too. And yes, I try to write from my heart because well that’s always been the purpose of my writing. Expressing me. Some days I do better than others, and I do have to…um…temper things because, well, you know me and my tendency to get carried away. 😄
Article about a new Dog Flu, some of the symptoms described sound like Joy.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dog-flu-spread-concern-in-west-washington-state-seattle/
Thanks Ed. Heard about that. Hard to know. At least heart worm came back negative.
Micky, I am sorry that you have had a sick doggie. It sounds like you have been a sickie too. I was told that there is a dog flu going around. It is a virus,causes a cough and malaise, but not a big problem. They are advising us to stay out of the dog park for a bit. Interesting about the thyroid, Jack is on it now , same lab results as your dog. I hope your down time is over and things are looking up!
Hi Elinor, yes it could have been that dog flu. I just don’t know. I have more of a cough than Joy has now. Hers is down to once or twice a day. Mine isn’t bad, but just hanging on a bit,mass usual. I should receive my Amazon order today with a pre/probiotic for both dogs. Hoping to build up their immune systems.
Thank you for the good wishes!
Hanging on a bit,AS usual…should have been.