Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Health check on a big-sized 13-year-old male Jack Russell

The lady owner was studying medicine in the US. When she came back for a holiday, her Jack Russell was scratching his eyes till the eyelids bled, his chest so that it was red and his penile skin till it was bald, the four paws with deep red blood in between the toes and on the toes. What was the cause? Yet the ears were spared but I saw crusty lumps on the edges of the left ear. Scabies? Allergy? Demodecosis?  Skin scrapings were negative.

Blood test - monocytes higher than normal at 11.2%.  Other values are normal.
Calcium and uric acid within normal range. Liver, kidney, joints normal.
Dental scaling done.





X-rays showed no radio-dense urinary stones but there is possibly one in the bladder area. It is hard to tell on the lateral view of the X-ray.
Urine showed calcium oxalate crystals
pH 6.5,  SG 1.022,  Protein 2+, Blood trace, Crystals calcium oxalate occasional, bacteria occasional.

The "occasional" presence of calcium oxalate does not mean there are no urinary stones. Absence of crystals does not mean there are no urinary stones. Much depends on the clinical signs of blood in the urine. The dog was furiouslylicking its penile length till the area was red and hairless. This was unusual. There could be difficulty in urination but nobody knows as the caregiver owner was studying in the US.

FEEDING OF U/D CANINE NON-STRUVITE URINARY TRACT HEALTH

Indications: Urolithiasis due to calcium oxalate, urate and cystine stones; end-stage kidney disease
Decreases purine intake and uric acid excrerion, which lowers the risk of forming urate crystals and uroliths

Monitoring Urine SG, urinarypH and BUN will let the vet know the food's effectiveness and owner compliance. Dogs fed on this diet commonly show unusual lab values like USG <1 .020=".020" bun="bun" dl="dl" mg="mg" p="p">
Long term use: Check for protein depletion as U/D is a low protein diet to decrease urea production,  but the protein level is suitable for maintenance of the adult dog. Advise a fasting serum chemistry profile and ECG every 6 months.









  

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