Power of the Paw needed for my baby brudder Tyson

I just spent the evening at the emergency vet wiff my brudder Tyson.  He has something wrongs with his eye and the vet doesn't know what it is.

When the Momma got home to gives belly rubs, during Tyson's belly rub she noticed his eye was red (which I mean our eyes are always reds and droopy) but the pupil was really small, there is some cloudiness.  She called the emergency vet and they said to brings him in.

There is inflammation and the small pupil but no scratch.  The vet said it may be uveitis but couldn't confirm. See Tyson has a weird thread like line in his eye he had since a baby.  Also, he has a brown spot on the white that may be a mass.  Since nothing in his eye ever changed our vet thought it could be a development issue.

Here is a picture of Tyson's eye from when he was a baby with the weird thread thing. It's is right eye and it almost looks like a constellation in this picture.

Tyson got to come home but has two types of drops (one to open his pupil and one for inflammation).  We are suppose to watch him closely this weekend, go to our regular vet on Monday, and then we will need to go to a specialist.

It breaks my Dane heart to see my Momma so sad not knowing what is wrong.  For now we just treat the symptoms (to hopefully prevent any permanent damage) and wait until we can find answers. If any of you out in blog world have experienced an issue like this we'd like to know.  

Update on my Knee

Sorry I has not been around much, Momma has a terrible case of the workies and still probably won't be able to help me blog much  in March.  The workies are the worst.

Today I went to the vet for my booster shots and a checkup.  I has good news!  Mr. Vet is very happy with my progress and wants me to keep doing what I am doing.  So lots of walkies, some running, and some zoomies.

But, Momma says I have to tell you I was naughty.  After Mr. Vet checked my heart and everything I barked and lunged at him (I didn't actually bite him).  Mr. Vet wasn't too concerned he says I was really stressed and he thinks I'm a little protective at times, plus the room is very small.  Not all doggies are friendly wif strangers and I sometimes don't like men.  Momma wants me to tell you all I was naughty because she wants you to know that just like other doggies I sometimes have "issues" cause I get scared. Momma and Dad just usually don't let people pet me if I appear stressy and things are fine. But, you should always ask before you pet a dog you don't know. He went ahead and gave me my shots and then he took me away from Momma and Dad and walked me out back to test my knee movement.

Mr. Vet says my muscle tone is over 10% better than last month and that my gait is fine. When he brought me back Mr. Vet said that I apologized and was wagging my tail wif him out back.  So we parted on good terms and next time I will try to be better.

A knee update

Today i went for a knee follow-up.  My knee is not worse, but it isn't a whole lot better.  Mr. Vet is concerned about me losing any more muscle in my leg, and the water therapy machine is likely to not be big enough for me (my vet doesn't have one but there is one an hour away).  So, I have been given permission to RUN!  I can run and as soon as I limp the surgery will be scheduled.  Basically it's a last ditch effort to see if I've healed enough but much longer and I will have a wimpy leg. So based on my ability to cause myself bodily harm surgery is likely in my future.

When I came home from the vet I was allowed to run and I was crazy!  I haven't hurt myself yet, so we'll see.
Here is a picture of me on the way to the vet, I was wearing my thunder shirt.

Note from Tucker's Momma: Tucker is not limping but you can tell he is still favoring his leg some.  You should have seen him run, he was having a blast.  It breaks my heart to see him smile after finally running knowing we've had to restrict him for the last 8 weeks and he'll likely need the surgery anyway.  We are going with the traditional surgery or the "tightrope" method not the TPLO.  The TPLO I find to be too invasive and our vet doesn't specialize in it.  Our vet says it takes 3 days to use the leg and after a week he'll almost be walking normal.  Then we will slowly increasing exercise and freedom.  Our best benefit is that although Tucker is a very tall Dane (37 1/2 inches to his withers) he is very lean.  He only weighs about 140 pounds which is very light for a Dane his size.  Male Danes at that height tend to weigh 160 or more.  There is still a chance that the cruciate ligament has healed enough to support the running, but not likely.  As soon as he limps we'll call to schedule the blood work, x-rays, and surgery.  As much as the surgery scares us Tucker needs to be able to run and enjoy being a dog.  

Okays, first things first -I had a setback with my knee and I is back on medicine and crossing my paws very hard that my healing will get back on track.  We talked with Mr. Vet and he said he wasn't surprised that I "tweaked" my knee again because of my past history.  So what if ALL my health problems are labeled "self induced" on my record, whatever.  Momma's been a wreck abouts my potential surgery and the woman won't even let me go out into the FENCED backyard to do my business at 5:30 in the morning unless I'm on a leash.  She says she can't trust me not to try to do zoomies in the snow.  Crazy woman - who does zoomies at 5:30 in the morning?  6 maybe, but nots 5:30.

In better news remember my 12 Tucker days of Christmas?  Well,Wyatt suggested I enter PetSafe's 12 Days of Christmas contest and I was one of the winners!

We were surprised when a big package arrived this week!

 Look at all the loot!  I heated bed, that the kittehs are totally excited about (it says it's a small dog bed but they can't read and Vader is extra Fat fluffy anyway).  A drinkwell waterer that we will gives to cousin Bambi (since the kitteh's already have one of these great inventions), some toys for me and a t-shirt for the hoomans.

 Momma and Dad loves the shirt!

 I claimed the toy beaver immediately

 And these lickety sticks are great, it was my first time trying them.

 See how big my tongue is? Oh and there is a little drool.

And I gots this very awesome treat ball, here is video of me figuring out how to use it.  (Caution I make funny noises when I play wif something the first time).

Thank you very much PetSafe for your very generous prize package!  Thank you Wyatt for letting me know about the contest, and congrats for be a winner too!

Happy New Year & an Update

Hello Bloggie world!  Did you forgets about me?  Just in case here is a picture to jogs your memory.

The household is doing much betters now.  The Momma doesn't cry every times you say Ellie's name and I is feeling much better.  My knee has made huge improvements and you can barely tell i hurt myself.  This week we should get the word from the vet but I think I will be ok wifout surgery.  I put all my weight on my bad leg to do scratchies wif my good leg and I don't fall down - that is good news!  Plus i can turn around much better now.  And, my medicines are gone and I am still doing well.  Now for some more updates:

It's been really warm here but we did have a white Christmas!  And, yes I gots caught trying to do zoomies in the snow and gots in trouble.

I gots some really nice pressies for Christmas, my favorite is my squeaky chicken.

And the bestest news!  I gots to me meet my new Cousin!  

Meet Storm, a 7 year old Rottie that was adopted my my favorite Aunt D right after Thanksgiving.

You can't see but I promise her nub was a waggin on our first greeting!

I even shared my Momma wif her, isn't she adorable?

Now I've got a lot of blogging catch up to do so I apologize for not leaving comments but we are trying to read everything.  Also, I see I have to figure out what category to enter Mango Minster in.  My fingers where crossed for "Spotted dogs that sleep on the couch" but that category still hasn't been accepted.  Maybe next year.

When it rains....

it pours, right?  I have the knee ouchies.  The vet says I tore the cruciate  ligament in my back knee.  The only good news is that he thinks I didn't rupture it.  Based on the fact that I become a total wimp at the vet and get all shaky and nervous he couldn't quite feel for sure how bad the instability in my knee is.  But since I am really not limping (I just turn funny and don't put weight on my leg when standing) and that I showed zero signs of pain he doesn't think it ruptured.  Or I is just very strong.

Official treatment is 3 weeks of pain medicine (deremaxx and a pain shot in my butt) with close monitoring of my actions - no running, jumping, zoomies, or playing wif other doggies.  I must walk at least an hour every day.  I must make improvements each week and report these to Mr. Vet.  If improvements are not being made it means x-ray & surgery.  I have not had an x-ray yet because it is very scary to put big doggies under anesthesia.  So, if I needs an x-ray I'll get the surgery too.  Mr. Vet and the hoomans don't want me to have to go under twice.  The real statistics are if the tear is under 50% it can heal on it's own (it very well may tear again though).  Mr. vet thinks there is a 20% chance that I will needs the surgery.

How is I suppose to enjoy the Holidays if I can't do zoomies?

Note from Momma:  Tucker doesn't think anything is wrong with him.  He hurt his leg doing major zoomies in the snow on Thanksgiving and was limping.  He showed no sign of pain when when being poked and prodded so we gave it some time.  It's common for him to pull his back thigh muscle, he's done it four times in 3 years.  This time the limping was better in 2 days, he continues to try to run, but when standing you can see he is putting all his weight on his other leg.  Tucker's vet likes to veer on the side of caution if the pets are not showing discomfort.  I like that about him.  There is a strong possibility that this will heal without surgery and we are hoping we can keep him calm enough so that it will.  We just need to prevent the zoomies, keep him on leash, walk him to make him use his knee correctly, and prevent him from chasing Vader. He is already putting weight back on the leg after 4 days of anti-inflammatory meds.  Fingers are crossed for our boy.  Also, thank you all for your kind words about Ellie.  We miss her dearly.

I've got a lickin' problem..........

Yup I went and dones it again....

Off to the Vet....

Momma was worried cause my furs where coming out in her hand in a spot, and I don't have much to start wifs.  I was fine on Tuesday, Wednesday night Momma noticed it, and here it is.

I may have also had a problem in the lower private regions........

My Diagnosis, Yes my vet put this on my PERMANENT RECORD:

"Chronic history of licking in the penile area - appears to have caused damage to left front leg from licking"

Diagnosis: Skin Irritation - Self Induced.

I am so embarrassed... I can't even show my face.  I just can't help it.  I lick and lick and lick some more.  Momma and Dad make me stopped when they are home,  but you know someones gotta go to work to pay my vet bills for my self induced problem.  But, CHRONIC history of licking - that's just so unfair.

 I gots ointment and I should be fine soon.  The vet said my hairs will grow back and there seems to be no sign of anything other than my licking of the area to cause the problems.  Sigh.

Catch up

Momma is helping me catch up on Bloggies, I've been reading but not commenting that much, so I is apologizing to my bloggie friends that aren't getting comments from me. I sorry.

Anyway, this past Saturday I had my annual check up & shots at the vet.  My normal 2 vets were not there so I had the poopy vet  (I've never had him before but the kitteh's have).  Momma had him check my back legs out because I hurt the left one last year and then I hurted the right one abouts a month ago.  The right one I hurts getting into the tub (I think I might have got my foot caught on the shower curtain or somethin').  We aren't sure if I hurt my leg, toe, paw, hip, whatever.  I limped for a couple days but I didn't complain.  In fact I had no problems doing zoomies, jumping on the bed, or getting on the couch.  So Momma gave it time.  Anyway, the vet found nothing abnormal in his physical examination.  So I is good!  He did tell Momma she shouldn't bathe me in the tub cause I'm too big.  He said I should be bathed outside wif a hose!  Can you believe it?  It's like 2 degrees outside you dip poop, I have no furs!  I'd be an icicle outside!  So Momma is ignoring him and will make sure that I am not tired when I needs a bath and we will be extra careful.

Oh and other good news!  My histocytoma from here and here ?  GONE! You would never know it was even there.

And Momma mades me a new collar:

If you likes it you can bid on a 1" one over at the Crossed Paws auction site for Richie and Ronni.  Also, don't forgets to stop by on the 10th of March so that you can gives me a smooch in the kissing booth! 

I guess that's about it.  My adventures have been limited as we gots another 13" of snow dumped on us over the past 4 days.  My paws are crossed that spring will be here soon!

Ouchie Update

So remember my Histiocytoma I posted about back at the end of December? Well it's time for an update. A couple weeks ago I was playing wif my basketball and I busted it open and it was bleeding like crazy. Momma had to put cornstarch on it to stop the bleeding. After that they cleaned it all up and it's been healing nicely. Mr. Vet said that they go away in a couple months on their own once the body recognizes the tumor. Well, I sped up the process because the bump is all gone now! I just have to wait for my hair to grow back now (i think that's cause of me busting it open).

So here is the proof - About a month ago:

Now!


Now I can relax knowing that I'm almost all better.

I gots a boo boo

The Diagnosis: Histiocytoma

I had to go to the vet today cause I have a bump on my toe that popped up right before Christmas. Momma thought it might be a cyst or a splinter of sorts - so I had to have Epsom salt cloths and tea bags on my foot. Nothing changed.
So, off to the vet to find out that I have a tumor. But don't worry cause my vet said they are very common, not cancerous, young dogs get them, and they go away on their own. So, I am waiting and not touching it. It doesn't really bother me, just bothers Momma. It's about the size of a pencil eraser and it hasn't changed in size at all. So, we are watching it and as long as it doesn't grow bigger, start to bleed, or ooze yuck it should be gone in 3 - 4 weeks. The other option is to have it surgically removed. But, that means stitches I may lick and get infected (where I don't bother it right now at all), plus anesthesia. And Giant doggies try to avoid anesthesia at all costs since we have such big hearts that need close monitoring. So we are waiting. I go back to the vet in February for my yearly checkup, it should be gone by then. Momma hates waiting, but she feels better knowing what it is now.

Have any of you ever had a Histiocytoma?

My momma worries like crazy abouts me - she had kitty-doggie-illness anxiety attacks whenever one of us is the slightest bit hurt or sick. Like last night I barfed cause I ate my treats too fast after running around and Momma got all worried abouts me. So, that's why Momma tells you all abouts our problems after we know the diagnosis. She know you all have hoomans that have kitty-doggie-illness anxiety too.

She says she just loves us too much. Really - is that possible? I mean could you luvs this face too much?

Snooter Ouchie

Um, so while Momma and Dad had left to go pick up my new/used kitty brudder I may have barfed on the carpet in the spare room. I then proceeded to clean up my mess by eatin' it and nosing it under the futon to hide it. In the process I gots me rug burn on my snooter and left some blood streaks on the carpet. I just need to be the center of attention at all times, that's all.

Snooter Ouchie, poor me.

Also, this is the last weekend for the STAYCATION Entries! Go out and do something - We'll pick the winner next weekend so you can still blog about it this coming week - k? All the details here!

Now I knows some of you have done this stuffs already so just send me a pee-mail (tuckergreatdane@gmail.com) if you wants to enter, k? Hey Murphy (Surfing trails?), Norwood (Pooper potty), Carmen & Brutus (your agility & CGC), Mayzie (Romp in the Park), Dexter (big scary jelly bean ball agility). Yeah, see that's proof that I read your bloggies!

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Note from Momma: We've adopted another male kitty into our home. Patch has been having difficulty with loss of his big brother Troubles. Since March we have been trying extra attention and new toys, Patch is still hollering at night at least twice a week because he is lonely, Ellie doesn't spend too much time with him. We haven't officially selected a new name for the kitty. He is a little over a year and has a larger head than normal since he was only neutered a couple months ago when he was turned over to the shelter. We hope he will help Patch with his loneliness and add some happiness to our family.

Yucky Ear Ouchie

Momma took me to the vet on Saturday cause I was shaking my head. Well duh, she kept asking me if my ear was alright and I was answering her no. I can't um, reach my ear to scratch it so Momma has too. So, anyway she's been cleaning it all week and it didn't get better - so off to the vet.

Turns out I have an ear infection ouchie - common in big floppy eared dogs that run through a lot of dirt.

Here I am being good waiting for the VET to come in the room to look at me, I'm being good.


Then, I was bad, very bad. I waited for like FOREVER (5 whole minutes) in that tiny room and then when the doctor came in I barked at him when he touched my ear. I barked and barked and barked. Momma was trying to get me to stop but my ear hurt and I didn't want her touching it let alone the doctor - You all know that they can't be trusted, specially when taking temperatures.

Anyway Momma told the vet we could put a muzzle on me. WHAT? Who authorized something so horrendous? The vet came back with this muzzle thing and Momma put it on me. Of course I was really good about it putting it on cause I didn't know what it was, but now I know better. So Mr. Vet looked in my ears and cleaned them a little. Then he point ointment in them.

So Momma has to wash my ears with a special wash once a day and point ointments in 2 times a day for a whole week! It sucks, it really does.

Spring Sprain

I have an ouchie. The vet says I sprained my leg and now I have to take anti-inflammatory medicines for a week. Here is what happened. On Thursday night I went all cracker dog when I met my golden retriever neighbor dog. I hadn't seen him since fall and we ran/bounced over the place. I probably ran around for 15 minutes. Then on Friday I seemed a little stiff in the morning. Now this isn't out of the ordinary for me cause I sleep in a ball all night, but I'm usually fine in a few minutes. On Friday night Momma and Dad were all worried cause I was limping a little on my back leg. I yelped a couple times when trying to get comfortable in my crate at bed time. They brought me up on the bed and could tell my leg was hurting me. So Saturday morning I went to the vet. My vet squeezed me in at the end of business hours cause Momma thought I needed an x-ray. The vet says based on what I did and the reactions I was giving it was my muscles/tendons not my hip. Whew. No x-ray cause that requires anesthesia when the hips are involved (cause of all the weird positions they put you in). Anyway my vet did all kinds of rubbing/massage/ bending of my leg. We went home and I am on mandatory rest for 2 weeks! I spent 2 hours laying in the sun yesterday but I was too sore to get on the couch. Momma had brought the futon mattress out for me to lay on since it hurt to get up on the couch. Poor me.

Poor me.... ouchie leg ... no couch .....

This morning I am feeling better but Momma says that's the drugs talking. I am able to get up on the couch so she let me do it. My day is going to consist of sleeping, but that is pretty normal anyway. The vet said no off-leash for 2 weeks. Momma asked him and he said I can still go to class on Wednesday night since it is my graduation class. Just no playing with the other doggies. I'm starting to think there is an ouchie epidemic going on with us Danes. Kasha, Murphy, and Duchess be careful. Honey, Darwin, and I have already caught it.

I have an ouchie

I have an ouchie, so momma took me to the vet. Turns out my pee pee got in the way when I jumped over something (most likely a fallen tree in the woods). So my pee pee got caught and I scraped in front of it. Then I licked it too much and caused all this chafing.

I've got infection fighting ointment now. I should be fine in a couple days.
Poor me and my big pee -pee.

BIG update!

So as you probably noticed I haven't posted much lately, that's cause Momma and Daddy went to a place called "Las Vegas". I don't know what it is but evidently doggies can't go cause I went and stayed with my Grammy & Grampy. I had so much fun at Grammy & Grampy's - I went for rides with them, had ice cream, played with new toys, got lots of treats & yummies, got tons of attention, and didn't have to deal with the kitties!
I was really happy to see Momma and Daddy when they got back! They were really tired from something called a "red-eye." I get red-eyes when I'm tired but I don't think that's what they are talking about. Anyway, I got to go home and take a nap with them on the bed and I got a brand new toy from that Vegas place.

On Wednesday however, momma took me to vet and I had to stay for the day. I remember something about her saying it was my "Big Day." I don't remember much but Daddy came to pick me up from the vet and I was really sleepy. Come Thursday I was rested and wanted to play & run. Momma and Daddy won't let me run cause of something called "stitches". (shhh! They think I don't realize that my dingle dangles are missing yet - but I know, I just don't care... he he).

Anyways I guess I have to have a boring weekend of "taking it easy" i.e. napping. So this week I won't be able to post my weight on my weekly weigh in because my dad can pick me up until my stitches heal...