Hi,

I was sorry to read about your having to decide to have your much loved Jago put to sleep, but it is a decision which all of us as pet lovers have to take from time to time.
I am so pleased that you found the courage to accept your responsibilty, and I am convinced that you have done the right thing by him.

W

Thanks Walter
It doesn't feel very right at the moment in my heart but I know its true in my head. There is an eerie silence in the house that I don't think I will get used to, maybe in time we'll think about another dog - we got Jaygo 10 days after our previous GSD passed on but I don't think it will be as quick this time. As an abused rescue Jaygo took a lot of time and retrainng to turn him into the loving dog he became over the last 10 years. I'm not sure if I have the energy to do it again. We shall see....

For anyone wanting to try a special diet, I used Wafcol Salmon and Potato almost all of the time (occasionally Royal Canin Matured 26 when I could get it and some fresh fish and chicken) with good results Jaygo was stable using it.

Jaygo couldn't tolerate meat, don't get me wrong he loved to eat bits of steak turkey and lamb but the effect it had on him was not worth the agony and mess!
I wish all your readers the very best with their dogs. Lets hope someone comes up with a cure soon.
best regards
Joyce

Have read all the e.mails re this awful disease as our dog (GSD 6yrs) was diagnosed recently. We have visited a consultant who advised us to 'bombard' him with the Atopica (400 mgs per day). However, our problem is, try as we might we just cannot get him to take the tablets. We have tried everything, minced beef (raw and cooked) minced lamb (raw & cooked) sausages (raw & cooked), different types of cheese (which he normally loves), ham, spam and so on and so on. We have now run out of options. He sniffs out the tablets every time. I have tried poking them down his throat and squirting water, still to no avail, he manages to spit them out. We are at our wits' end. Without the tablets it will be the inevitable ! Please, has anyone out there any tips of how to get the tabs down him ?
Brenda.



-------------------------------------------------------
> Dear Walter.
> My six and a half year old german shepherd
> developed anul furunculosis last year,he was given
> tablets and cream for three months by a vet but
> got worse.
> I contacted another vet and they referred me
> to Dick White referrals who operated on him it was
> expensive but after three weeks it looked really
> well again it has stayed like this for nearly five
> months now but when I did my daily check on him
> today I found his anal orifice red and raw looking
> I used some Fuciderm cream on him but does this
> mean he will slip backwards again to how he was
> before the operation.
> Keeping fingers crossed for your
> advice
> John

Hi,

You could try dividing each meal into two parts, and mix the crushed tablet in the bigger part, Warm up the other part, and spread it over the part with the tablet in, covering that part completely All being well he will not detect the crushed tablet until he has the scent from the rest and eaten it.

W

My 7 Yr old male GSD has recently been diagnosed with AF. He is not insured, and I am concerned about potential cost. My Vet has put him on antibiotics (although he doesn't seem to have an infection), suggested removal of the anal glands (because my dog has had recurring problems with these since he was 2 years old), and putting him on Cyclosporin and keratoconizole. However, it would cost over £1000.00 to have the glands removed, and £100.00 per week for medication. Please could you indicate if these costs are typical, and if I agreed to medication, how long the course of treatment would last.
Sorry if I sound uncaring. I am actaully very fond of my dog, but I have to be realistic as to what I can do.

H,

In my experience removal of the anal sacs does not resoplve peri-anal furunculosis - a different and separate condition which is extremely resistant to treatment. Cyclospirin (Atopica) is the treatmnt of choice, but by no means guarantees a cure.
I am a bit out-of-touch with current veterinary fees in the UK, but I must admit to a sharp intake of breath when I saw the figures you quoted!.
W

Hi! - I have a 10 yr old GSD with anal furunculosis. It started over a yr ago. He was first treated with Atopica and it cleared up straight away, then returned. We started with Atopica again but as with the other post he refused it in all types of food (it was liquid capusules - do they do it in tablet form?) - the vet also gave us the human equivalent of the drug, which worked out much cheaper (about £120 for 3-4 weeks worth) but this time it didn't work!
He has had his anal sacs removed, and is frequently shaved. He has not tried steroids as his bottom has not healed up after surgery (6 month ago). He is back to the vets again tomorrow as he now has constipation (he had the runs when we took him 3 days ago). We've changed his diet now to perscription diet, which he loves (he was not keen to eat before) and is still on Oxycare, which stopped him having a rumbling tummy after 5-6 hours of not eating and we've just started with the antibiotic metronidazole. We bathe his bottom 3-4 times a day with Pevidine then apply Sudocream (which he seems to like!) at night we put on manuka honey (which he loves!)
The vet said he has recently read a paper about a new drug, that has had some success and he's looking into it - any idea what it is?
I would also like some general advice on what to do next!!!!!!
Thanks,
Sue
PS A lot of readers will be wondering why I put my dog through all this and I sometime wonder myself - but he seems perfectly happy, he loves his walks, enjoys going to the vets, wants to play ball all the time and kill any empty cider bottles, well any plastic bottles! As with all GSD's he never grew up!!!!

Hi,

I am sorry to hear that your dog has this intractable condition, and that it is not responding well to treatment. Atopica is the treatment of choice, but I can find no reference to a liquid preparation of it - see the attached reference from the Atopica Data sheet:

13. Atopica - Presentation
Soft capsules containing 10 mg, 25 mg, 50mg or 100 mg cyclosporine A. The capsules bear the imprint: S in a triangle and are labelled with the amount of active ingredient. They are coloured: Atopica 10 mg: yellow-white oval capsule...

If the medicataion you are getting is not that, you are not getting Atopica.

I am not aware of a new medication for treating anal furunculosis - I would be interesed to know what it is.

W

My GSD was diagnosed with AF at age two - she lived to 13 which is a decent age for her breed. As soon as she was diagnosed we took her to Richard White in Cambridge and followed his advice - he is an expert in this field. She had a number of operations with him and was on a special diet for the rest of her life and we were delighted to get her to 13. She died in 2001 so maybe treatment and knowledge of this condition has progressed since her time. She did have a poor start in life and I suspect that compromised her immune system.

Anyway I hope this message gives some hope to those of you battling with this disease

Hi, Laraine,

Thank you for that encouraging message.

W

Hi there, I'm so glad I found this site. Please bear with me however as this is a bit of a long one!

Our seven year old German Shepherd bitch Suki has recently been diagnosed with anal furunculosis and is currently coming to the end of her first 4 week treatment of Atopica.
However whilst the vet seems content that the lesions are healing up, we have noticed a huge downturn in her general wellbeing and indeed her happiness.

She no longer wants to go outside or play, all's she wants to do is lie in the kitchen all day, you literally have to push her out the door to let her get outside to go to the loo.
She can't be bothered with anyone, she's very moody and in general she just seems very depressed.

She is still straining to go to the toilet and she has bent herself over so much trying to go that she has actually gave herself a hump in her back with it.
Her nose is very warm and dry and she is panting quite a lot too. At her checkup last night, the vet advised my mum and dad that she would need a chest x-ray carried out now as he heard some strange noises in and around her left lung.

My dad thinks that the disease is maybe at a further advanced stage that what we have been informed (our vet thought it was quite mild).

We were just wondering if there is anything we can do to help her - diet wise just to try and help her and even make her a little bit happier. It is heartbreaking to see her in such a state, it literally is almost as if she isn't the same dog.

I look forward to your reply,

Thanks in advance

Hi,

I have already responded to you - see a seperate posting below.

W

Hi,

You have all my sympathy - this is a dreadful condition in GSD's and almost impossible to cure completely.
The treatment of choice - indeed, in my experience the ONLY treatment is a course of Atopica ( Cyclosporin) tablets. Expensive, but it usually works, though the condition does tend to recur.

W

Hi i have a 6yr old adorable gsd, he was diagnosed with af a few weeks ago the vet has prescribed him prednidale tabs 5mg 3 times a day ,norodine tabs twice a day along with 10ml of liquid parafin and 10ml of lactose, He is still in very much discomfort and is still constipated when he does pass a couple of rabbit like dropping he quickly eats it,his back is hunched when he does try to go and cries very loudly, since taking this tablets he's very lifeless and is panting alot. The vet said the next stage after this is tail amputation which will be used to form a new rectum which we find very drastic. please help as i dont like seeing my dog is such pain and discomfort
lorrain

Hi,

Tail amputation and restructuring of the rectum is very aggressive treatment of which I have no experience and i would ask for references before allowing ti to go ahead.
I suggest that you ask the vet if you could not try a course of Cyclosporin treatment first.

W

Hi Walter,
It's 15 months since I last wrote and I thought an update might help others undecided what to do.
My dog Ringo did not need another operation and has been clear of AF for over a year now. He is on a Maintenance dose of two 100mg Atopica twice a week (my vet said his was one of the worst cases he had seen and took a long time to heal) and goes for a checkup every three months. His only food, apart from an odd dog biscuit or Pointer chicken stick (no beef or hide chews or bones) is Royal Canin German Shepherd 24 which I have found to be an excellent food for the dicky German Shepherd stomach. I have stuck rigidly to Ringo's treatment and food and hopefully my dog will now lead a long and healthy life, he is only 4year 9month now, as to his early treatment see post from August/September 2008
With regard to Brenda Dakin's post Atopica is supposed to be put down the throat (NO food two hours either side of dose)
Regards, Dave.

Hi, Dave,

Well done! I am delighted to hear of yor success in treating this horrible condition in your GD. Congratulations to you and to your vet for persisting in the treatment,
With all good wishes for Christmas and the New Year.

walter

My 11 year old GSD was last year diagnosed with anal furunculosis. He was on Atopica for about a year. A few weeks ago i took him to the vet as one side of the problem never healed and was getting worse. The Vet put him on Nizoral (ketoconazole) and Atopica. Unfortunately about 5 days later he died suddenly, i didn't have a post mortem on him.

I also have £250 worth of tablets, Atopica and Nizoral that are no use to me. The Law dictates they cannot be redispensed. Am i allowed to find somone who wants them, as it seems such a waste, and i also have to pay for his cremation. Thanks

Hi, Mi ck,

You should take them back to the vet who dispensed them and ask him to dispose of them for you. He may even agree to buy them from you if you talk to him (or her) nicely.

W

Hi,
I have a 3 year old GSD she was diagnosed with AF in october she has been on atopica it was 300mg a day then was put down to 150mg a day she also had an injection once every 2 weeks for 6 weeks which was very expensive, I have been to the vet today and he is now talking about removing anal glands, whilst i would love to keep her as she is sweet and loving im not sure all this treatment will be good for her all the pain that goes with AF seems too much So my question is should i just put her to sleep so she sufers no more, im also having trouble with gettin her tablets down her throat she will happilly chew and swollow them but i have been told they have to go down the throat,
I have read all the previous posts and have spoken to the vet about putting her to sleep but he seems very insistent on operating because she is so young your advise would be very welcome thank you helen x

Hi,

i am sorry to hear that your GSD has this distressing and painful condition.

1. Removal of the anal sacs ( glands) does not always cure the condition. It is not primarily associated with the anal sacs.

2. The dog is YOUR property in law, and if you wish to have her put down, for whatever reason, the decision is yours and if your vet is not prepared to do it for you you can aske for a referral to one who will.

3 Your dog may well have several years of pain and discomfort ahead of her and you of worry and expense. If you have taken this very difficult decision your vet should be supporting you, not trying to talk you out of it.

W

Hi walter,
thank you so much for your quick reply, i cry daily for my GSD when i am cleaning her behind as she is so brave and only whinces a bit now, thank you again your iformation has helped me to stick to my guns on this one.
helen x

Walter thanks for your reply. I bought the tablets from Vet Medic on the internet and they wont take them back. Do you know anybody who uses this medication who might want them?

Cheers mick

Hi,

The only legal way for you to dispose of these medicines is to take them to your local pharmacists and ask them to get rid of them for you. Thy may even charge you for doing so. It is NOT legal for you to pass them on to anyone else for use on their pet.

This is the down-side of buying medicines "on the cheap" over the internet. Had you bought them from your vet you may have been able to come to some arrangement for the practice to buy them back from you.

W

My 7yr old dog has tis awful disease. He has had it since January 2009 and has had several surgeries. He is now on steroids and Tramadol for the pain. We wash him and care for him daily but the inevetable is just around the corner. Our problem is he has a sister who has never been away from him since their birth. She has Epilepsy and Pancreatic Insufficiency and is also on daily treatment.
We will have to decide soon what to do about our boy and how it will affect our girl. His AF is advanced and the wholes around his anus are huge. We love him but a hard desicion will need to be made soon. We must remember that we have to do what is best for animals, it is our duty of care.
I am sorry for anyone who has to watch their animals suffer.

Regards Kate.

John Wrote:hi my gsd has anal furunculosis so iwas told today.she has already got epi and has had to have b12 injections for the past 4 months.the anal furunculosis was only discovered today on a injection trip.she has been put on a/b for the mext 10 days.will the treatment for this affect her epi.the vet said about an opperation but its not a nice thing to do.i dont want her to be in pain.

loulou
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dear Walter.
> My six and a half year old german shepherd
> developed anul furunculosis last year,he was given
> tablets and cream for three months by a vet but
> got worse.
> I contacted another vet and they referred me
> to Dick White referrals who operated on him it was
> expensive but after three weeks it looked really
> well again it has stayed like this for nearly five
> months now but when I did my daily check on him
> today I found his anal orifice red and raw looking
> I used some Fuciderm cream on him but does this
> mean he will slip backwards again to how he was
> before the operation.
> Keeping fingers crossed for your
> advice
> John

hi
my gsd has already got epi.and has now got anal furunculosis.it was discovered today has she has been having b12 inlections for her epi.will the a/f affect her epi she has panzyme powder on her food and also has a pro biotic in her water.the vet said about a operation but said its not nice.i dont want her to be in any pain the vet has given a/b for 10 days but didnt want to give pain killers because of her epi.

John Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dear Walter.
> My six and a half year old german shepherd
> developed anul furunculosis last year,he was given
> tablets and cream for three months by a vet but
> got worse.
> I contacted another vet and they referred me
> to Dick White referrals who operated on him it was
> expensive but after three weeks it looked really
> well again it has stayed like this for nearly five
> months now but when I did my daily check on him
> today I found his anal orifice red and raw looking
> I used some Fuciderm cream on him but does this
> mean he will slip backwards again to how he was
> before the operation.
> Keeping fingers crossed for your
> advice
> John

John Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dear Walter.
> My six and a half year old german shepherd
> developed anul furunculosis last year,he was given
> tablets and cream for three months by a vet but
> got worse.
> I contacted another vet and they referred me
> to Dick White referrals who operated on him it was
> expensive but after three weeks it looked really
> well again it has stayed like this for nearly five
> months now but when I did my daily check on him
> today I found his anal orifice red and raw looking
> I used some Fuciderm cream on him but does this
> mean he will slip backwards again to how he was
> before the operation.
> Keeping fingers crossed for your
> advice
> John

Hi, I noticed my 10 yr old GSD had just started with AF 2 weeks ago. I have kept it clean with salt water and then dried it after. She went in for Cryosugery today and has antibiotics for 2 weeks.

Im aware this may come back but Im hoping as it was caught early it may stay away.

Here is hoping. She is currently asleep at my feet, snoozing off the GA.

Liz