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Update October 2021: 

Gremlin IBD has been successfully managed by Dr. Cockwill and his team at Guardian Vet. Gremlin has been able to eat and poop well the last few months very successfully. Her diabetes is still difficult to control and remains high but stable, she requires a large dose of insulin with each meal to manage her. 

In September, Gremlin caught a severe UTI. She was trying to pee several dozen times, each time and eventually she had drops of blood and mucous. Our initial xrays and vet assessment suspected bladder cancer. But luckily an ultrasound proved it was severe swelling due to the infection. Heavy antibiotics was able to clear her. While at Guardian Vet she was also assessed by the surgeon and unfortunately her hip dysplasia and arthritis are significantly worst. So we have increased her pain management x4 each day. And Gremlin is doing much better today! 

Update on Gremlin February 2021: 

In January 2019 she began to loose patches of fur and we werent sure if it was the long term prednisone, diabetes, or the mild liver failure she was in because of her medications. Turns out she was diagnosed with induced cushings caused by the medications. There was limited treatment options to change her care because multiple diagnosis’s. 

In March 2019 she lost her eyesight and developed cataracts, because it was due to the diabetes correction surgery was not an option and she managed well learning how to navigate and especially find food! But within weeks she got glaucoma and for almost 5 months was on constant eye drops to manage glaucoma and uveitis. She went to the emergency vet twice and multiple trips to Brintnell Vet to manage the pain and treat the conditions. In August 2019, it was decided to remove her eyes and she had surgery to remove both and remove the pain. Since August she has recovered amazingly and most people can barely tell she is completely blind. She leads the walk and watches people as they walk by, she knows how to go up and down stairs and jump in the jeep. She did have a halo for a time but it never fit well and she tripped over it.

Her discospondylitis and hip dysplasia have been giving her more trouble summer of 2020 and for pain management so she has been started on Cartrophen injections monthly and Gabapentin daily. 

Thanksgiving 2020 Gremlin was rushed to the emergency vet to make sure she didn’t have an Addisonian Crisis after weaning off her prednisone. She had been on prednisone for over 3 years and her body stopped fully producing it naturally. Prednisone after long term use caused induced cushings disease - bone loss, muscle wasting, pot belly, urinary leakage, and it prevents her sugars from being fully managed. But removing it caused her to be nauseated, weak and very sleepy.Luckily she is a fighter!!! 

Since then she has been working with the Internalist at Guardian Vet Hospital to fully maximize her medications and treatments. She is now on immune suppression medication and prophylactic antibiotics and she is doing amazing!! Her fur has grown back, she is at a healthy weight, eating well and much more approachable to people and other dogs. She is living her best life because of NASAP and supporters like you!! 

 

Gremlin’s on going care costs a significant amount with purina HA dog kibble, canned rayne kangaroo dog food, probiotics, medications (stilbestrol times a week, propalin twice a day, prednisone daily, cyclosporine daily, tylosin twice a day, gabapentin daily, cartrophen monthly, anafranil twice a day, caninsulin twice a day, insulin needles, glucose meter strips and lancets) this costs almost $20/day!!! Plus the cost of vet visits and tests every 6 months!

 

Update on Gremlin May 2019:

Poor gremlin has no luck in the world! She was enjoying a fun walk with her mom and unfortunately found a porcupine!!! Poor girl got a face full of quills and was rushed to Guardian Vet for emergency surgery on April 18! She was a rockstar, super trusting of everyone and the team at Guardian was AMAZING! 

Unfortunately that following week she has signfinicant swelling to her snout and developed an infection from the quills. A week of antibitoics and she was back to living her best life. She still loves going for walks and while shes very hestiant of her mom checking her face for remaining quills, she is learning it's for the best! 

 

Gremlins on going care is a handful and half! She requires special diet of soy and kangaroo for her IBD and allergies; blood glucose readings with each meal require a glucometer, glucose test strips and lancets; insulin for each meal requires sterile syringes each time; prednisone pills and eye drops at each meal; stilbesterol to control her urinary incontinence twice a week and weekly medicated baths. These costs can become almost $400/month to manage!! Plus her semi regular visits to the vet and multiple tests that are required. 

IF you can donate towards Gremlins care we would be forever grateful! click the link for moreinformation https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/northern-alberta-society-for-animal-protection/

 

 

Update on Gremlin April 2019: 

In september of 2018 Gremlin lost an extreme amount of weight. She started vomiting her food or just not eating at all and she could not fully control her bladder. She went to see Dr. Fredlund for a full work up - bloodwork, urine sample and general assessment. It was found she had insulin dependent diabietes as her urine was positive for glucose, proteins, ketones and blood. She was immediately started on Caninsulin and her foster mom learned how to check her blood sugars before every meal. She slowly began to eat again but she never fully gained her weight or muscle back. However the silver lining of this was less stress to her spinal cord and hips. 

Over the next weeks Gremlin tranisitioned her insulin dose to a therapeutic level which required multiple glucose checks during the day (every 2 hours for 12 hours) to see how her body responded to the medication and food. 

In january 2019, Gremlin went back to see Dr.Fredlund because her fur was shedding a lot and she had significant dandruff which was not common for her at all, as well she had 2 new lumps on her leg and chest. They did skin scrapings and bloodwork to check her thyroid and general health and needle biopsy for the lumps. The skin scraping ruled out a topical infection of dermodex or mites. The biopsy's revealed no concern for the lumps! Her bloodwork showed her thyoid is normal but she could have induced cushings. 

After a few weeks of baths her skin has become less sensitive. She is learning to love bath time but only a little bit ;) 

In March 2019, her diabetes was taking its toll and her sugars were harder to control with diet and medication. Also most devesating is her eyes clouded over and she lost significant vision! She went back to see Dr.Fredlund and it was confirmed she lost over 90% of her vision due to diabetes. Her tongue was pale and we did bloodwork to monitor her vital organs function. Her elevated liver function suggested we needed to ultrasound to confirm there wasnt tumors on her liver. 

She was a rock star at her ultrasound and it showed no cancer anywhere!! But it confirmed her irritible bowel disease is still effecting her. Her intestine were intermittently inflammed, her liver is enlarged due to medications required to treat this disorder and her  adrenal glands are smaller because of steroid use. it also showed her bladder walls are irregular and could be suspect for cystisis. We did urine cultures to double check as she has had urinary incontinence her entire time with NASAP and her diabetes only makes it worse. Luckily she had no infection in her bladder! 

But just a week later her eyes became inflammed and blood shot, We rushed her to Brintnell as we suspected glucoma. But instead she had uvetis, which is abnormal low pressure in her eye. A few days later she did develope glucoma and required 3 difference medicated eye drops to manage the pressure and keep her comfortable. Glucoma is a signficant increase in eye pressure which can be very painful and can escalate very quickly. 

For continued treatment managment she is now on prednisone eye drops twice a day. And shes is learning to take them so well. 

 

November 2017:

Miss Gremlin has been with NASAP since Feb 2015, as an adoptable dog, and as of Nov 2017, has joined the ranks of our Permanent Care Animals.

Unfortunately, Gremlin's past hasn't been easy. She came to us with pretty severe behavioural concerns, in addition to inflammatory bowel disease and spay incontinence requiring special diets and meds. Her devoted foster home has put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into Gremlin's well-being, and never gave up on her, no matter how tough things got over the years. 

Gremlin really started making strides this year with her reactivity and fear aggression, we were all elated with her incredible progress, hoping against hope she might finally find home. 

But then Gremlin started limping. Miss Gremlin was diagnosed with both hip dysplasia and disco spondilosis in her neck and thorax. This means her vertebrae are fusing together and it will progress to arthritis. Her funny gate and sitting positions are because her hips can dislocate very easily. 

With the plethora of meds, the special diet, the progressive and degenerative orthopaedic conditions, and the high reactivity and behaviour concerns, we had to look at the big picture and make the tough call that Gremlin is best off in her foster home of three years, where all her needs will be met, and we know for sure she will have the highest quality care for the rest of her life. Turns out she has been home all along!!

She loves car rides, playing in the pool, long walks and running as fast as she can. She loves squeaky toys and tug of war is her favourite game. 

 

gremlin and willow