Canine Vasculitis and Pentoxifylline-need advice

[ladyjane]

These cases all look different. My son's dog had it on her belly and on her back. It was awful...I was babysitting her and the lesions seemed to pop up while I was looking at her. Thank God my vet knew immediately what it was. It was totally freaky.

[ladyjane]

Hopefully she will tolerate the med without any issues.

[Jenna AK]

Well these are crummy cellphone pix, but I'll post them anyway. This is at the vet's office on the 22nd.
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/pic...ctureid=126409
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/pic...ctureid=126408
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/pic...ctureid=126407

Hope those come out right.
ETA: Gah! grabbed the thumbs by mistake...apologies. Fixed now I hope.

[ladyjane]

Ouchies.
She is adorable!!
Hope she is on the mend soon!!

[Jenna AK]

Thank you.
I miss her so much. This is the longest we've been apart since she came home three years ago. I hope she is doing okay, poor thing.
Thanks for the well wishes.

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by Jenna AK

Thank you.
I miss her so much. This is the longest we've been apart since she came home three years ago. I hope she is doing okay, poor thing.
Thanks for the well wishes.

Awww...she will be SO glad to see you!

[Jenna AK]

I just have another question...if they were worried she had an ulcer earlier in this illness, would it be bad to give her this medicine? How do they keep it from affecting that if she can't have any Pepcid or sucralfate?

[Patti]

I hope they can get your baby feeling better soon.

[Jenna AK]

Thank you Patti.
Well I feel kind of silly posting this but.... Usually I do this for other people, but I hope no one minds if I post a candles page for Jenna:
Group *Jenna* Candles - Light A Candle
I want to thank everyone who have posted their well wishes and vibes and prayers for her here. If you'd also like to light a candle for her recovery, please feel free to do so. I think of it like a prayer chain, but not everyone is of this mindset, so it's only if you feel like participating.
It's going to be hard to sleep tonight. I just got The Hobbit, I suppose I could watch that...lol.
Thanks again everyone.

[Marhcarter]

Originally Posted by Jenna AK

Thank you Patti.
Well I feel kind of silly posting this but.... Usually I do this for other people, but I hope no one minds if I post a candles page for Jenna:
Group *Jenna* Candles - Light A Candle
I want to thank everyone who have posted their well wishes and vibes and prayers for her here. If you'd also like to light a candle for her recovery, please feel free to do so. I think of it like a prayer chain, but not everyone is of this mindset, so it's only if you feel like participating.
It's going to be hard to sleep tonight. I just got The Hobbit, I suppose I could watch that...lol.
Thanks again everyone.

I love the light a candle page. I have never seen that before. Candle lit, prayers for Jenna's recovery going up.

[Lisa and Pic]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

It often happens after vaccines. Did she have any recently? They honestly don't know most of the time what caused it.
I would say treat...just make sure you get something for her tummy to prevent any side effects. Speak with the vet about that.
My vet did consider using the pentoxyfilline but ended up with the prednisone.
Good luck!

Ladyjane is giving you great advice! She is so knowledgeable.

I can relate to your Jenna's situation because my Piccolo went through cutaneous vasculitis and this is the thread that I originally posted with pictures:

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...ind-gross.html

Her ears did start off with red scabs, before they turned black. (Not like Jenna's though.) Piccolo did have lesions on her "elbows" and they are now black scars. She was treated with pentoxiphilline for the first two weeks only and then she was also started on prednisone. (I really think the prednisone was the medicine that helped her go into remission.) We also believe this was caused by vaccines. Unfortunately, Piccolo was on both medicines for a long time (9 months I think) because by the time things were figured out she was very ill. (I did take her to the vet every week for 2 straight months before going to a vet dermatologist.) It does sound like your vet has caught this right away.

Anyway, prayers for your little Jenna and bet things get better quickly.

Also, I would not worry about any vaccines for Jenna now. (I am definitely not against vaccines and my other pups get them, but will not have any given to Piccolo, because I will not risk her going out of remission.) She gets titers now and both my vet and myself are in agreement with that, even if the law says something different in Ky.

[Jenna AK]

Thanks Lisa. I'm glad Piccolo is doing so well.
See this is what bugs me though...Jenna's ears aren't scabbed. The red color is just very strong, like a port wine stain on a human face. There were welts in her ears that looked like pimples under the skin without heads but nothing broken open or scabbed.
Left a message for the attending vet to call but haven't heard. I am beside myself with worry!

[Maximo]

I lit a candle for Jenna.

[ladyjane]

Hope you have heard from the vet. I also lit a candle last night. Try to think positive..I know it is stressful having a sick pup but you don't want to make yourself sick worrying.

[Jenna AK]

It is very hard not to worry. Funny, I swore when I lost my Mackenzie husky three years ago...no more dogs...no more pets. Then about a month went by and my daughter wanted a dog and I realized I was kind of lonely for one too. But she had to be able to choose one she could care for, so we went on a rescue site to see what they had and she seemed to gravitate towards a larger dog.... Then we found there was a Yorkie up for adoption.
Knowing how much she loved little dogs, (although I think Alaska is a lousy place to keep a small dog), I pointed her out. It was love at first sight.
However, after we had her home about a week, she began to follow me around more than my daughter. As time went on we began to see that whenever I was present that Jenna was looking for my lap or began wanting to sleep on my bed or have me feed or walk her. My daughter had wanted a dog that could be solely hers, but Jenna loves everyone in the family, so there is no one here who's life she has not touched.

I spoke to the vet today and went over her test results; there is no infection, they checked her platelets and I think he said her blood results look good, but because the red color is not gone from her ears they feel that her blood vessels are leaking under her skin. They want to be sure that this is not happening in other places in her body, like her internal organs, so that's why they want to use the pentoxifylline. However, upon talking to the pharmacy, she seems to be in for a course of a months worth instead of two weeks, so I'm waiting to hear from the vet again as to the duration and the dose, which I also think may be a bit high.
They will pick up the drug by three our time. If she needs monitoring overnight she will be kept at the ER vet and then barring reactions she may be home with us tomorrow.
Thank you for lighting candles and sending well wishes for her. I am still very nervous about using this medicine as it has to be prepared in an almond oil base, but they claim they have used it before without problems. Of course, this is my Jenna we're talking about and her sensitive little system so....
There simply is no end of worry.