Posts made by Ann

@elbrant Thanks - that may be the way to go.

@senjisilly Good idea! I checked. Didn't find a hound glove, but I did find lots of other intriguing dog stuff to spend money on.

@jengosmonkey
Right, I'd never heard of one either, but it's the recommended grooming tool in a couple of my old Basenji guide books. It's not a brush - looks more like an oven mitt with chamois leather on one side and velvet on the other...

@zande
Ah, they do exist! I figured that people who show Basenjis would be familiar with this item. Thanks so much for the info - I'll keep searching!

Hi. I've searched the internet for a hound glove made of chamois/leather and/or velvet -- anything but plastic and nylon! I haven't had any luck. Do they still exist? Thanks for any guidance you might have.

Thanks. Yes, if an NSAID is still recommended, once her liver has rested, it seems like we should be able to be more creative with the dosing. Again, our vet might not be the creative type - she still doesn't think the NSAID is the cause for elevated ALT enzyme - but I'll continue to "arm" myself with info! And I'll check the Traumeel and Tramadol links you provided. (You're right, a zonked wild child might be a good thing at times.)

Appreciate it!

Hi. She was on Deramaxx. We haven't tried a pain med like Tramadol yet. She gets a daily dose of hypoallergenic Joint Max with glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM. I'll have to check into HA and Ester C. I'll also check into Metacam. Thanks.

Hi. Me again. Apologies. I know this issue has been discussed but my search through old postings wasn't very successful…

Alternative to NSAIDs? We have a 7.5 year old girl who needs to be taking something (broken leg in 2008, limp, inevitable arthritis), but her liver is paying the price. We have a good vet, but she doesn't think outside the box, if you know what I mean. I hear there's a holistic vet in town that may be worth a visit. But I'd like to know what you basenji experts think first!

10 days off the NSAID and, although there's still the daily backyard basenji 500 when the squirrels dare approach, she's starting to favor the leg more...

I see. Hope you find an answer. I think I'd better start a new thread about alternatives to NSAIDS! Chime in if you and Spencer have any advice.

Thanks. Hope Spencer does better, too. Has he been taking an NSAID?

Interesting. Thanks. I am feeling better about stopping the NSAID and seeing what her ALT level is after a month.

Oh, yes, milk thistle is the main ingredient in her Hepato Support capsules. Good to know that you think it's helpful. Thanks.

A detail I didn't mention in my original post was that our basenji has been taking an NSAID for a while. That's why we test her blood regularly. Our vet discounted the NSAID as the cause because ALT isn't the usual enzyme associated with NSAID usage; however, after the last hour spent reading and rereading various articles about this drug and its side effects, I am going to stop the NSAID and go with the liver cleanse diet and Hepa-Support meds for another month. Then we'll retest her blood. Does that sound sane?

Nope. Don't know if there's one in the area. It's sort of been in the back of my mind, though, for other reasons. Our girl was hit by a car a few years ago and has a limp. As she ages, I know she'll need help with the arthritis and pain…

Ah, yes, full blood panel has been done. No other problem except this. There were two elevated enzymes a month ago. One went back to normal after the month of meds; the ALT remained at "high normal." The vet mentioned an ultrasound might be the next step if nothing changes after another month of meds…I'll look into the cleansing diet for sure.

Maybe I'll track down her breeder, too. Noel, our B, is seven years old. She came from Medfly Rescue, but I think the breeder is mentioned in the paperwork they gave us.

Thanks so much.

Hi. Our vet is concerned about a mild ongoing elevation in our basenji's ALT liver enzyme. She says this particular enzyme is released when the liver encounters damage. We tried Denamarin and Hepa-Support for a month, but the latest blood test shows no improvement. It could be due to constant exposure to something we can't figure out, or it might signal a real problem with her liver. Any ideas?? Thanks!

I know! A cool find. It looks basenji-ish, doesn't it? We always said my mom would have loved Noel. Guess we were right.

Noel is doing really well. She remains the anchor in our daily busy-ness. She's waiting for me to go to work now, so she can have a proper undisturbed nap!

Ann

Hi experts,

I'm in the process of digitizing family photos and was sort of stunned to find these two shots in my mother's childhood photo album. What do you think? Is this a Basenji? In rural Nebraska in the late 1930's?

I can't ask my mom; she passsed away several years ago…before I found my beloved basenji...before I'd even heard of the breed!

Thanks for your input!

One more positive anecdote. I'm 50. I've always been allergic to anything with 4 legs. Allergy Annie, that's me. We've had our basenji Noel - my first dog ever - for a year. I do fine with her. Only occasional minimal reactions. No meds needed. AND, over the holidays, I had more contact with my sister's dogs: 3 poodles and a new hairy lab/chow mix (very hairy…wheeze...wheeze). Usually, they set me off, but I seem to be doing a bit better around them too. Maybe my immune system is getting stronger? Basenji magic.

@agilebasenji:

other than swimming, you may want to try to lunge her like a horse with the bad leg on the inside. I think this would force her to use it. Maybe uneven ground? Stairs? I give my pups Knox Nutrajoint with Glucosamine daily.

More good advice. I'll check out the Nutrajoint ingredients (have to avoid shellfish). She uses the stairs quite a bit, rather gingerly in the morning, but sometimes she runs up and down them like a mad hound. She spends most of her walks on/over/around uneven ground, but we could make a point of working it into her routine more directly. I have no idea about the horse lunge thing, but will check it out online and/or check with my brother-in-law the "horseman."