Well, Beta pooped last night, had diarhea in her kennel sometime during the night and had only water diarhea this morning with blood in it. I realized this morning that she couldnt even hold the tiny amount of food she had yesterday and knew that she wasnt getting better with all of the medicine.
I took her in this morning and was just streaming with tears as I checked her in. It is just too much to feel her shudder like a leaf and nothing helps. So they took her and were to give her IV meds throughout the day hoping for news from the tests.
I received a call late in the day from the Gastrointestinal Specialist that did the scope. She said that Beta has been diagnosed with Hypertrophic Gastritis which is a rare disease in people and even more rare in dogs.
Giant hypertrophic gastritis of Basenji dogs.Krunngen HJ.
Giant hypertrophic gastritis is a newly recognized disease of adult Baseji dogs similar to Menetrier's disease of man. It is characterized by weight loss, diarrhea, dry coat, pale membranes, anorexia, raised convoluted rugae in the body of the stomach, palpable fluid- and gas-filled intestines, colonic inflammation, and radiographically demonstrable dilated intestinal loops. Laboratory findings include leukocytosis, neutrophilia, low hemoglobin, hypoalbuminemia, hypobetaglobulinemia, hypergammaglobulinemia, decreased serum fatty acids, hypocholesterolemia, indicanuria, low fecal pH, and increased fecal fat and nitrogen. Four dogs studied had gastritis with hypertrophy and diffuse lymphocytosis and plasmacytosis of the small intestine.
This disease in humans is called Menetrier Disease.
Ménétrier's Disease
Ménétrier's disease causes giant folds of tissue to grow in the wall of the stomach. The tissue may be inflamed and may contain ulcers. The disease also causes glands in the stomach to waste away and causes the body to lose fluid containing a protein called albumin. Ménétrier's disease increases a person's risk of stomach cancer. People who have this rare, chronic disease are usually men between ages 30 and 60. The cause of the disease is unknown.
Ménétrier's disease is also called giant hypertrophic gastritis, protein losing gasteropathy, or hypertrophic gastropathy.
Symptoms
Symptoms include pain or discomfort and tenderness in the top middle part of the abdomen, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, vomiting blood, swelling in the abdomen, and ulcer-like pain after eating.
Diagnosis
Ménétrier's disease is diagnosed through x rays, endoscopy, and biopsy of stomach tissue. Endoscopy involves looking at the inside of the stomach using a long, lighted tube that is inserted through the mouth. Biopsy involves removing a tiny piece of stomach tissue to examine under the microscope for signs of disease.
Treatment
Treatment may include medications to relieve ulcer symptoms and treat inflammation, and a high-protein diet. Part or all of the stomach may need to be removed if the disease is severe.
The specialist said that in humans they cut out the area of the stomach that is effected. In Beta's case it is her entire stomach.
There is no cure for this disease. This is a precurser to stomach cancer in humans but they haven't found it in dogs. Apparently there are a few cases in basenjis, one boxer and a couple of dogs in Holland.
The stomach lining thickens. Remember how they thought it was the intestine folding over on itself and couldnt find anything in the surgery? Well, there is text online somewhere with reference to that in intestines which sounds similar to this and I wouldnt be surprised if they are not related.
So basically the stomach cannot hold proteins. Then the blood vessels cant hold the proteins and the fluid passes to a layer outside of the vessel causing the swelling. Last night when I brought Beta home I noticed her muzzel looked swollen again, but figured it was the IV meds.
We are sending a sample of her blood to a well known (they say) vet dr at Texas A&M who is doing research on gastrinoma which is a rare disease as well. They are testing with a new gastrin level test.
Anyway, there are two treatments in dogs. One is something called a sandostatin drug which is in the injectable form. And the other is monoclonal antibody. Apparently the two treatments prolong life a bit but the disease is terminal.
Beta's lungs came back with an increase of eosinophil cells. These can be caused by a parasite condition, a fungus (blastomicosis) or a sever allergy. We are giving and have given her from the beginning the prednison and flagyl to aid this. The doctors are not sure if this is a result of the stomach disease or not. They suggest that with this type of lung cell to use fenbendazole which is a super strong parasite anti worming med.
So, the specialist did another blood test today to review her protein level. Remember she has had about 3 of these tests with low protein levels, but nothing major. They say her protein is at 3.2 and the vet's regular level is 5.2 for the norm. She then gave me a formula about her protein. There are two types of protein, the albumin and globulin. She did some math equation that states Beta's globulin level should be 2.5-4.5 I think, and that her albumin minus the globulin is less than 1 and is life threatening.
What that means is, she can't hold her protein through food (because she can't hold her food), now her blood vessels arent going to hold the protein which is the swelling part.
All I know is that she hasnt eaten in 4 days, shakes, is in pain, and has diahrea with flecks of blood in it and she is depressed.
I brought Caesar home today. I picked Beta up from the vet with oral meds to give over the weekend. She is now on tramadol pain med as well. I had a discussion with the specialist that since she had already sent Beta's case to a few gastro doctors and she has this rare disease that has been found in other b's that I felt It is unfortunate that they can only prolong her life. It is unfortunate that no meds for intestinal problems, parasites, or ulcers have made one bit of improvement in her day to day life. I feel that it is time to put her to sleep or help her to the rainbow bridge as the b community says. I have scheduled her time to be Monday morning at 8:30 am which will allow the doctor to get samples of her stomach afterwards. I hope that the samples they take will be of interest to someone out there that will give the b community more info on this disease. I have challenged her and hope that it will help someone as I hope this journal of Beta's illness might help another B owner down the road.
I have thought about if it is correct to put her to sleep as opposed to her dying naturally and have decided that she will eat till her heart is content and throw up and have diarhea as much as she wants until Monday. She is suffering and I can aid that. I can't imagine keeping her in critical care on daily IVs becuase she can't hold food down. That is not the quality of life for my little Beta.
She came home today on some pain meds for sure. She has been fighting this for 4 weeks now and tonight she grabs her stuffed squirell and does her crazy dance on the couch for the first time! That is how I will remember her.
Blowing on her face and watching her run around the room in delight. Watching her wag her tail at me because she is so happy ( I didnt know b's could do that, Caesar doesnt) and remembering her beautiful timid , gentle and sweet nature. She is looking at me with her sweet brown bambi eyes right now and that is the face I will always remember.
This Sunday I will take her with Caesar to the West Park dog park in Tampa. She will meet with her group of basenji pals (10-15 local b's) to play and enjoy the park for as long as she wants. That group is her family as much as I am. They accepted her into the pack and loved her as a scared and hurt rescue, as a happy strong playful basenji, and now as a sick little girl. I will miss that bounce in her trot and the rare roo's she made. My little Beta.
If anyone is in the Tampa area, you are welcome to join us. I will arrive around 9am and stay as long as they want.
http://www.forthevoiceless.org/west_tampa_dogpark.html
Thank your for listening to her story.
Betsey
