Hi everyone!

[amsheppard]

I am from Cypress, Texas and I own a basenji (Samantha) and a basenji/lab mix (Buddy). I adopted Buddy from the HSPCA and he is 6 years old. Buddy LOVES food and gains weight quick so he is what I call my diet dog. Everything he eats is measured out carefully to keep him as trim as possible. His also loves napping and following me around while I move about the house. He loves attention from people and seems to grow more indifferent to other dogs as he ages. Oh and being brushed. If he sees a brush he gets very excited and it is the only part of the grooming process that is easy with him. Everything else is usually met by hiding under something or turning into dead weight.

Samantha is 5 years old and has been recently diagnosed with Fanconi. She loves getting the first drink of fresh water, tearing up tissue, sun bathing, staring a hole into me, comfort, taking my spot on the bed or couch if I move, laying on Buddy and general mischief making. Despite the Fanconi diagnosis she is healthy and since it was caught very early she should be fine. She doesn't like swimming or rain but does enjoy a good bath. She will happily jump in the tub or shower. She likes people well enough and loves children but other dogs are difficult. She likes running up and down the fence line with the dogs that live around us but tends to be particular about other dogs.

I look forward to getting to know other on this board and their dogs.

Angelica

[Terry]

Welcome Buddy, Samantha and Angelica from a fellow Texan! We're in Montgomery, not far from you!

Terry

[tanza]

So Sorry to hear about Samantha and Fanconi. When was she born? Was it before or after July 2007? We did have the linkage test for Fanconi in July of 2007… Thank goodness we had the linkage test at that time and now have the direct DNA test so that no Basenji need ever have this horrible affliction again as long as breeders test before breeding. Is she on the protocol? I send good thoughts that she does well on the protocol.....

Have you told her breeder?

But welcome, lots of good information here. Also there is a yahoo group for Fanconi dogs that you can join.

[amsheppard]

Hi Terry!

Pat, Samantha was born December 17, 2006. She was purchased from a pet store (didn't know about pet store/puppy mill link then) and they gave us some paperwork with her parents names on them but no contact information for the breeder. She is on the protocol and is doing really well. So far we have only had to change her food and give her 6 potassium pills a day. She was eating Kirkland Premium Dog food from Costco and now she is eating a high protein diet of Innova Dry Puppy Food and Royal Canin Calorie Control High Protein canned food. Shortly before her diagnosis she was peeing alot, drinking tons of water, losing muscle mass and here fur was getting really scraggly looking.
Now she is sleek, muscular, and her fur is so soft and shiny. She still drinks lots of water and we have to make sure she doesn't overheat but other then that she is her feisty self.

[Terry]

Good to hear that Samantha is doing well on the protocol! Hopefully you have a vet willing to work with Dr. Gonto as so many are unfamiliar with the needs of Fanconi affected dogs. : ) Although you said potassium, I assume you meant 6 bicarbonates per day. The bicarbs are the most important part of the protocol. (Just so you know, I do speak from experience - we have lost 6 Basenjis to Fanconi. As Pat said, we thank heavens for Dr. Johnson and his team at U of MO, with the direct test; maybe this disease can go the way of the dodo!)

Terry and the Illusion pack

[amsheppard]

Terry,
We have our regular vet and a team of internists and nutritionists who are familiar with Fanconi. I had printed out the protocol when we first went to see the internal specialist but they already knew about it. Samantha is not on bicarbonates yet. For now it is just the potassium pills and food change. When she goes back for her next checkup they will rerun the tests and change things as needed.

Angelica

[Moth]

Welcome to you, Samantha, and Buddy

[tanza]

@amsheppard:

Terry,
We have our regular vet and a team of internists and nutritionists who are familiar with Fanconi. I had printed out the protocol when we first went to see the internal specialist but they already knew about it. Samantha is not on bicarbonates yet. For now it is just the potassium pills and food change. When she goes back for her next checkup they will rerun the tests and change things as needed.

Angelica

Very interesting…. I have never heard of a Fanconi dog not on Bicarbs even caught very, very early? I think even in the protocol that is the first thing that Dr. Gonto talks about. This is from the Protocol...

7. SODIUM BICARBONATE ANTACID TABLETS- (Brands include URL, Rugby, Lily, Watson and Concord.) This is THE MOST IMPORTANT component of this protocol. Without correction of the Fanconi bicarbonate loss and correction of serum acid/base imbalance, this disease remains fatal. Sodium Bicarbonate 10-grain antacid tablets (similar in size and appearance to an aspirin tablet) are available OTC from any major pharmacy.

[amsheppard]

@tanza:

Very interesting…. I have never heard of a Fanconi dog not on Bicarbs even caught very, very early? I think even in the protocol that is the first thing that Dr. Gonto talks about. This is from the Protocol...

7. SODIUM BICARBONATE ANTACID TABLETS- (Brands include URL, Rugby, Lily, Watson and Concord.) This is THE MOST IMPORTANT component of this protocol. Without correction of the Fanconi bicarbonate loss and correction of serum acid/base imbalance, this disease remains fatal. Sodium Bicarbonate 10-grain antacid tablets (similar in size and appearance to an aspirin tablet) are available OTC from any major pharmacy.

Yes, I understand that this is odd and it was to me at first too since I had read the protocol over and over again before going in to see the specialist. It is my understanding that they are taking things one part at a time and that her next visit they will see how her food change and potassium pills has affected her and then go from there. I am sure she will be put on bicarbonates eventually. She was diagnosed in April and has been doing well so for now I am trusting the vet to do what is best. I am sorry to hear about the loss of your basenjis and I hope one day that Fanconi will be a thing of the past.

Angelica

[Baileysmom]

Welcome to the board from a fellow newbie! I am glad you were able to get the Fanconi caught early! You have two beautiful Basenjis!!

[dcmclcm4]

If the vet is using Potassium Citrate instead of Sodium Bicarbonate to balance the ph level, this is incorrect! This is how they used to do it in the old days and it does not work. Your girl could develop metabolic acidosis. When I lived in Houston in 2002 this is what the specialist at Gulf Coast Vets originally wanted to do for Zippy and I told them I had already taken care of another dog with the disease and I follow the Gonto Protocol and that was that. Your girl needs to have a venous blood gas done to get the ph reading. I have had a couple of Fanconi affecteds and all of them had to be on sodium bicarbonate even if the ph level was just a little off. My last girl lived to be 13 years old and lived about half her life with Fanconi and she did not die from Fanconi but from a liver mass.

Have you joined the Fanconi group on the Yahoo Groups? You should do that as it is extremely informative and you can get answers to any questions you might have regarding Fanconi.

If your vet has any questions, he can contact Dr. Gonto, whose e-mail address is listed on the Fanconi Protocol for Vets.

Jennifer

[Patty]

Welcome to the Forum to the three of you. Samantha is a very pretty girl. Such a shame about the Fanconi and I hope the treatment will soon be sorted. You have made a good choice as there are so many knowledgeable people on here who can give you good advice on the Fanconi as well as most other Basenji related things.

[amsheppard]

Thanks to everyone for your concern about Samantha. Jennifer, Gulf Coast is where Samantha is being treated and now I am having second thoughts. I called but her vet is not there until Monday. I will call Monday and get this sorted. I have not joined the Fanconi Yahoo group yet.

Angelica

[dcmclcm4]

At first, Zippy was using the Potassium Citrate which was a prescription for low Potassium but it bothered her stomach/intestines so much, she had nasty runs. I switched her to an over the counter Potassium pill and a powered form of Potassium that one can put in the dog food. After the switch, she did not have any more stomach issues. Her potassium level was not all that low though.

Zippy was treated at Gulf Coast because her regular vet did not have the machine to do the venous blood gas test and I did not want her to be poked once for regular blood work and then drive her over to another vet to have the venous blood gas test done. I was not happy with the regular vet anyway because of a disagreement with thyroid testing. Zippy saw Dr. Heald at Gulf Coast for a couple of years until I moved to Ohio. I was happy with him but I do not know if he is still there though.

Do you have any of her test results? Was a venous blood gas test done?

Jennifer

[dcmclcm4]

Some of us own pet store dogs and/or rescue so we may be familiar with the breeder and/or the sire and dam of Samantha. You never know as someone on this list may own a littermate!

Jennifer

[tanza]

@amsheppard:

Thanks to everyone for your concern about Samantha. Jennifer, Gulf Coast is where Samantha is being treated and now I am having second thoughts. I called but her vet is not there until Monday. I will call Monday and get this sorted. I have not joined the Fanconi Yahoo group yet.

Angelica

Never a bad thing to question…. and one thing about this list, many of us have been there, done that... so it is a good sounding board. Those that have had Fanconi dogs are pretty much up on the protocol and how it works. Hopefully your Vet will be open and if nothing else will call/email Dr. Gonto for a consult

[tanza]

Any update with your Vet? Let us know how it is going.

[amsheppard]

@tanza:

Any update with your Vet? Let us know how it is going.

I have been getting the run around with the vet. I keep calling and being reassured someone will call me back but no one does. I requested a different vet to contact me today so hopefully I will hear something back.

[tanza]

Sorry to hear that….. maybe time to look for another Vet?

[amsheppard]

I finally got an appointment for Sam to have her tests redone and see how everything is going so far. It seems all the doctors have split for the holiday and the residents and doctors still around are swamped. Anyways she will be rechecked and we will discuss further treatment.