Mo's health thread

[Chiana]

hi guys!

I'm new on this forum and just posted my introduction. My Moses, or Mo among friends, is little over a year now and has been through quite a lot healthwise.
Here's a summary of his health-life so far, in case someone is struggling with similar type of issues:

All started well with this little guys life apart from the fact that he had this so called tight cork screw tail. under the tail there were incredibly deep skin pocket which was very difficult to keep clean and dry and it frequently bothered him. Sometimes he acted like Stevie Wonder shaking his head when rubbing his bum.

Last Feb (when he just turned 1yr) we finally found a good vet who made all efforts to cure it and eventually concluded that an operation is necessary.
I was freaking out after reading all the stories about tail amputations from the web.
Luckily after we got to the clinic and saw the x-rays, all that needed to be done is to remove the skin pocket below the tail and only remove a tiny triangle shaped tip of his tail bone.
Now our Mo still has his tail, but it is a tailbone like in humans...under the skin
The surgery was not as scary and big as I first thought and I only hope that I would have found this vet earlier and got all this fixed sooner.
The operation and recovery was way easier than it looks from the pics below.



After that all went fine for a while. Then now couple of weeks ago he got these strange looking blisters between his toes. Off to the vet again. It was diagnosed as furunculosis, so now he is in heavy cortisone meds for couple of weeks to cut the cycle short. Vet said that it can re-appear each spring/fall, so let's see and fingers crossed that this fast cut helps and it stays away.
I feel so bad for my little boy

For something good, while we were at the clinic to sort out his tail issue, I got his back x-rayed, just in case since what I have read, frenchies tend to have spine issues. Well at least for now we are safe and all looks almost perfect in his back ray:

Here's a pic of Mo's bum couple of months after the operation. By the end of the summer his coat should be as it was before.

 

[Squishy Walnuts]

Poor guy! I'm glad he's feeling better now.

 

[2bullymama]

Poor little man.... but so so happy all went well and he is all set to continue causing havoc, er, I mean having fun!

By chance, do you have pictures of the paw 'blisters'?

 

[Jakeyjake]

Awww poor boy! Glad is healing nicely and won't have any more tail pocket issues.

 

[Alice Kable]

I'm glad Moses' tail pocket was an easier fix than originally thought. Buster has a tail pocket too. It is an inch long and "hooks: around to a spot that is pretty deep. I clean it regularly and take him to the vet every 2 months for a deep cleaning.

 

[Chiana]

I didn't took any proper pics of Mo's blisters, but will attach couple that looks very similar. They looked like cold sore blisters.
Mo's blisters never broke, so they looked rather clean, but also looked like they must be sore. So they did not look quite as bad as in those pics.

It started when I noticed some redness between toes during nail trimming and started to pay a close attention to it. I started to wash the paws by Malaseb shampoo since my initial thought was that it might be yeast or just some random irritation. Mo never excessively licked the paws either. (We used so many different skin treatments in the tail section before the operation so i have like a pharmacy in our cupboard).

The redness phase lasted for like three days. Then literally over night the blisters appeared. I continued a week or so with malaseb and betadine cream and bacibact powder to dry it out. This kept it under control, but it did not get any better. The off to the vet and here we are.

Now after one week with cortisone (Vetaraxoid) Moses's toes are back to normal. The meds helped in only few days and we still keep going for one more week when we gradually take him out of the meds.
Next thing we hope when we reduce the meds is that it will hold and the blisters will not immediately return. The vet said that if we got this under control in very early stage, it will be easier to live with even if it re-appears next fall or any other time. If the blisters return within few days after quitting the meds...then it's back to meds for yet another week or so until it stays away.

 

[Chiana]

I'm glad Moses' tail pocket was an easier fix than originally thought. Buster has a tail pocket too. It is an inch long and "hooks: around to a spot that is pretty deep. I clean it regularly and take him to the vet every 2 months for a deep cleaning.

So glad to hear you have such place close by where it can be cleaned properly! I know how difficult those pockets are. Mo also had a very deep pocket and only after the x-ray we learned how deep it actually was. It also curved upwards at the end. The surgeon told me during de-briefing of the operation that by my own I had no chance in keeping it clean and healthy. She also said that there were infected skin in the back end of the pocket.
I was so relieved, since for me such drastic operation really is a last resort and was concerned that if there would have been any other way.

 

[Chiana]

Awww...blisters returned after reducing meds seems that this will take longer than expected.

 

[GizmoAndLola]

Poor guy. Seeing your pets in pain is never easy. Sending lots of love to the little guy.

 

[Chiana]

I spoke with the vet today. We have increased Mo's meds back to 1+1 (1 pill morning, 1 evening). Toes looks a lot better again. Now we will keep this up until they are fully healed and then start reducing 1/4 every third day to get to the level when/if the blisters return.

In a worst case scenario Mo has to stay on meds, but the vet said that with that dosage it is really no big deal.
If that happens, she will describe a similar med but without antihistamine, since that makes Mo a bit sleepy.
She said that the antihistamine supplement is only when the infection is on to reduce itching and when toes looks normal, there will be no more need for that add on.

I feel so relieved now when I know again what to do and that my little guy will get back to normal life in no time. Phew! :havemyheart:

 

[davidh]

Awwww sweet baby, so happy his tail is fixed and all better now. Hope his paws get better soon.

 

[Chiana]

Oh no, *insert bad word here* ! Paw blisters re-surfaced, again...two days after quitting the meds for the second round.
Now in addition I noticed also a strange spot under the eye...
Trying to get hold of our vet, but it seems that she might be on a summer holiday.

 

[Tgirl]

Poor baby.

 

[Squishy Walnuts]

Poor Mo! I hope you can get a hold of your vet. Could that be a pimple?

 

[Chiana]

Poor Mo! I hope you can get a hold of your vet. Could that be a pimple?

Strange thing is that it's just a furless spot, cannot feel any bump. My fear is that whatever it is that's bothering his paws is spreading.
No luck reaching the vet yet. Put him back on cortisone while trying to reach my vet. Will ask her again also about the possibility for food allergy.
I have tried to study and understand raw feeding, but somehow I still cannot get it fully. Heard lots of success stories of transitioning to raw...and would really much like to get Moses healthy and out of these meds.

 

[Chiana]

Finally got hold of our vet. The saga continues...Mo is back on Vetaraxoid 1/4+1/4 pills and his feet must be wiped daily with mild, light tea colour Betadine mix.

Once all blisters are healed, then again cut back the meds. I forgot to ask her about the possible food relation to this, but will do so next time. We are transitioning Mo to Pure Natural anyways and so far so good...solid stool and lots of energy. Looking good.

We got AniLavo to wipe his spot on the face.

Let's see how this goes. If the situation continues then we go in for another inspection.

 

[blushy]

I know how frustrating dealing with reoccurring issues & on/off meds can be! Hang in there!