Longtime member, not active. Had a basenji with the same diagnosis back in 2004. He took a tremendous amount of bicarb each day, his Fanconi was being well managed, but he started having seizures at night. Our vet gave us something to stop the seizure that we'd administer rectally. We kept track of the number of seizures and they started becoming more frequent, to about twice a week, if I recall. The final seizure he had he went temporarily blind and howled and howled and we knew that was it was time. I just sat on the floor with him and cried. A couple months later we looked at photos we had taken of him right before and he looked very, very tired. Very much the hardest thing we had ever done was to let him go across the Bridge, but after looking at those photos, we had done the right thing. Our vet had told us that it was possible he would have a seizure and not come out of it, and we certainly didn't want that.
Fanconi Protocol Primer
-
DO NOT EDIT . If you share, Dr Gonto has requested it be copied in full as it is.
201x Fanconi Protocol Primer
An introduction to the REPLACEMENT for the 2003 Protocol
This information is now distributed to vets consulting with Dr. Gonto.
Written and approved for posting by Steve Gonto, M.M.Sc., Ph.D.
We have learned much about Fanconi in the last 25 or so years of using and refining the treatment Protocol, but we again entered a STEEP learning curve when the new GENETIC test came about, and revealed in short order that our prior thought that glucosuria was time related to bicarbonate loss and thus a good indicator of "onset" of the disease, was, in a word, WRONG. We now see many dogs, NOT glucosuric, and far younger then the "three years of age" which we though was the youngest that dogs onset, as already losing bicarbonate.
In a way, I realize that hindsight is always 20/20, but since we treat our HUMAN Fanconi patients as infants (newborns, really), I don't know why we ever thought that a Fanconi patient that is canine might "only" onset so late. Of course, other then PU/PD and GLUCOSURIA, what else was there to see in these patients. We were not going to do regular, serial blood gasses on ALL Basenjis, thinking to catch an "early" bicarbonate loser, even if we had known about this phenominon years ago. It was the advent of the GENETIC test that "re-wrote" the book, and made us do a few "baseline" gasses that turned out to be anything but "baseline", discovering affliction at a FAR earlier then expected age.
Now, before even going on about (YOUR DOG), even the Protocol is now of questionable use in Fanconi...and it is about to be FAR more refined. Here is the "blurb" I now include with it, to all new "treating" vets.......
<>
Questions? Contact Dr. Gonto via email: outdoc@aol.com
Please keep in mind that this is VOLUNTEER work for Dr. Gonto. He generally responds quickly, but has a paying job taking care of humans. Have patience while waiting for a response and remember email is not flawless. Note that it is easier for Dr. Gonto to reply via email. Please leave phone calls for emergencies only.
Please place this IN FRONT of the 2003 Protocol when providing your vet with Fanconi information. Here is a link to the 2003 Protocol: http://www.basenji.org/ClubDocs/fanconiprotocol2003.pdf . -
Thanks Debra, very useful to keep in mind for the future if I should ever need it, I'm sure this will reach many people who need it now as well.
-
Thank you for posting!
Can we forward to chat lists?
-
ABSOLUTELY! The only request is you post it precisely as it is with the link and the request to not edit it, as per Dr Gonto's request. So many are not doing blood gas testing until sugar is spilled and Gonto says we need to as issues may start before that. Also, Pam Hamilton flbasenji@earthlink.net is willing to help anyone who needs her. Sadly, we have many Wimauma with Fanconi, one spilling at only 10 mos, so she is in contact with Gonto regularly.
-
ABSOLUTELY! The only request is you post it precisely as it is with the link and the request to not edit it, as per Dr Gonto's request. So many are not doing blood gas testing until sugar is spilled and Gonto says we need to as issues may start before that. Also, Pam Hamilton flbasenji@earthlink.net is willing to help anyone who needs her. Sadly, we have many Wimauma with Fanconi, one spilling at only 10 mos, so she is in contact with Gonto regularly.
Thanks, Debra.
-
Debra, can I include this in my Newsletter? With the link attached as a website address?
-
Gosh yes, please do!
