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charcoalcharlie

To the vet AGAIN
new issue
12>
Found [21] Posts :: Page 1 of 2
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Posted: 11:27:47 AM 10/14/2004
If it's not one thing it's another. I have a vet appt. today to see about 2 issues. 1) Missy's sudden weight gain 2) What looks like a problem with the formation of her skull (picture attached) She always has had a ridge where her skull parts come together on the top of her head. (where most pit bulls are heart shaped) Like this-- { --- if you turned it sideways. Well now there is a gigantic lump there that is not soft and puss-filled. It feels very hard as if it is part of the skull itself. She acts normal and appears to be in no pain, pressing on the lump doesn't hurt. I'll update when I get back from the vet. http://www.pounderpits.com/community/uploads/post-17-1097767177.jpg
Posted: 11:39:07 AM 10/14/2004
Shiny, I don't know if this will help, but the golden retriever I had as a kid had a head exactly like that and it was from playing too hard and bumping into things. It never gave us any problems. The vet said it was just a knot from hitting his head, and from him doing it all the time, it had calloused. (When he would run around the house, he would always run under the coffee table and bump his head). I have heard that the only time it can be dangerous, is if it gets bigger. Because that means that it is filling with puss and has to be drained.
Posted: 11:47:38 AM 10/14/2004
Let us know when you get back. Good luck.
Posted: 11:48:06 AM 10/14/2004
Good luck, hope all goes well!
Posted: 12:03:03 PM 10/14/2004
hope your dog is ok
Posted: 12:07:48 PM 10/14/2004
My sister has a pitbul that has to be on pills for the rest of her life cause she has a thyroid problem. When she goes off the pills she has massive weight gain. Hopefully that is the issue with your dog and nuthin major, good luck.
Posted: 12:17:05 PM 10/14/2004
Thanks, guys. She always had the ridge, which is very strange, but the lump is new and hard as a rock. Kali--I have considered that the weight could be thyroid. The medicine keeps your sister's dog at a normal weight? If it's that I am going to have one pill popping dog, she already takes 2 different meds twice a day for the rest of her life!
Posted: 1:13:05 PM 10/14/2004
sorry to hear about that. I just recently lost my dog to cancer and some skin condition where the immune system kills the skin. He was in so much pain too. I really hope that it isnt anything serious. Hey pit bulls are knowin for being hard headed..lol..
Posted: 2:20:17 PM 10/14/2004
shiny - isn't missy on phenobarb for her seizure control ? if i'm not mistaken, i believe phenobarb can cause weight gain. signs of thyroid are 2 bi lateral patches of hair missing from the same area, usually back towards the hips, and weight gain. poor missy , i hope everything turns out okay.
Posted: 3:04:08 PM 10/14/2004
i just looked at her picture. it is very hard to tell from the pic what the bump could be. all dogs if you feel that area of their head, have a bump there. in most cases you cannot feel it pronouncely because they have a buildup a muscle and fat over it but you can still feel it to a degree. is missy losing muscle mass in her head ? maybe that is why it is more pronounced and you can feel it easier ?
Posted: 8:06:06 PM 10/14/2004
Hope Missy is ok!! Please keep us updated.
Posted: 10:19:39 PM 10/14/2004
It's getting late...hoping all is well. Please let us know.
Posted: 10:47:14 PM 10/14/2004
As far as the weight gain if Missy is on seizure medication it most likely is the medication. I have epilepsy and have taken seizure meds since I was a teenager and any time a new drug has been introduced I always gain weight pretty quickly until my body adjusts to the meds. That lump is odd. When Punkin was a puppy the silly thing tried to squeeze under my sons bed (which is a captains bed with drawers underneath so it was a tight squeeze) anyhow she got her head stuck and afterwards for a couple of months she had a lump on her head that looked exactly like that. The vet said it was just a bruise under the skin.
Posted: 7:08:48 AM 10/15/2004
Okay.. Well, we had bloodwork and urinalysis done, so we have ruled out kidney failure for the weight gain. Liver is functioning well, so that puts Cushings disease further down on the suspect list. The vet suspects a thyroid problem for the weight gain, which is treatable with medicine. Unfortunately, I can't get the thyroid test until I pay some on the Visa, which has only vet expenses on it, because it can't go overlimit. As for the head... she said that it could be that the muscles AROUND the bone are deteriorating, not that the bone is growing. In that case, she suspects Cushings or Masticular Myositis. But because of the tests she did, Cushings is less likely. They recommended a radiograph and an MRI , but I read all about the Masticular thing, and the biggest sign was pain opening the mouth or eating, NO sign of that. So I told them that I will wait until I see any sign of pain. It is not curable, the jaw "locks" shut, but they can cut out a piece of the jaw so that the toungue can come out and the dog can eat and is happy and not in pain. If it is bony growth and not muscular loss, the suspect is cancer. They found a yeast infection in the ear, too. Hooray, something treatable!!! When I go back in 10 days for that I am going to get a second opinion from the other vet there about her head issues... Any one of the suspected causes are very scary to me The vet tried to tell me that some dogs just have different head structure, but I KNOW that this is NOT what Missy's head has looked like until 3 days ago.
Posted: 7:14:07 AM 10/15/2004
Thank you all very much for your concern about us! Scout, you sound like my vet. I also think that those of you who think the meds could be causing the weight gain may be right, the vet said that could be possible, but isn't common. But hey Missy isn't common! If they can make GinaH gain weight, they can make Missy gain weight. Missy's not missing any patches of fur. AFDaniel, I am sorry to hear about the loss of your dog. I do appreciate all of you guys.
Posted: 7:40:47 AM 10/15/2004
well i am glad her bloodwork for the most part has turned out okay. if she doesn't have the classic bare patches of fur then you may want to have the more extensive thyroid panel run vs. just the t3 and t4,free t4. they test it on blood also. sorry i can't recall all the things in now to help you but i believe one of them is thyroglobulin. best wishes for you and missy.
Posted: 7:47:08 AM 10/15/2004
awww I bet you have both had a long night. Hugs and best wishes that you get some definate, treatable, non scary answers soon.
Posted: 8:39:36 AM 10/15/2004
I hope everything works out fine. I am sure it will. Having a credit card only for the vet is a great idea. I know that we are so concerned with our pets like they were children, and making sure that these things get looked into is important. Keep us posted and good luck.
Posted: 11:02:22 AM 10/15/2004
Shiny please keep us posted on how Missy is doing.
Posted: 7:00:46 PM 10/15/2004
I hope everything turns out ok...please keep us up-to-date on the outcome....we are all praying for you ;).
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Found [21] Posts :: Page 1 of 2
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