Possibilities for Pen...

I'm a fiddler - not the kind who can play the stringed instrument but the kind who has to fiddle with things and can't leave things alone. That normally gets me into trouble and leaves me wishing I had left well enough alone. But in this case, I'm blaming it all on the IBR founder and president...

We tried a little experiment on Penny - a raw diet, no Viokase or enzymes. So, after four days on ground turkey, green beans, kale, and okra, what do we have? Perfectly solid stools. Now, to those of you who haven't been following Penny's tale, that may seem like an odd thing to celebrate. But for those who have, and who know about her initial diagnosis of an insufficient pancreas that seemed to indicate she would need medicine with every meal for the rest of her life, this truly is celebratory news.

I'm no vet. My own vet will be the first to tell you that. But IBR's founder and president has likely dealt with more digestive issues in Pointers related to poor diet and neglect than anyone else, and she encouraged trying the raw diet. And I listened. So far - knocking heavily on wood - it's working, and we've been able to cut out the prescription Viokase.

So, what's going on? Well, again, I couldn't even play a vet on TV, but I'm wondering if there isn't a grain intolerance in Pen coupled with a weakened pancreas. While Pen did score an 8 on her TLi test - which measures enzyme reactivity and falls within the healthy range - it's still on the lower side. But going raw and cutting grains out made a dramatic difference overnight. We're going to try beef and chicken; while turkey seems to be working, we want to make sure there aren't any allergy or intolerance issues with the other types of meats. But we're very encouraged by the developments of this past week and cautiously, cautiously hopeful that the right diet, combined with non-prescription supplements including enzymes and probiotics, might hold the key to her overall health.

Today was an example of one of those days I'll use to badger my husband to replace our bulky digital camera, because I would have carried a small one to photograph Pen at a doggy festival. She was such a good girl - shy and a bit reserved but incredibly quiet, well-behaved, and patient and curious with adults, children, and other dogs. I was so proud of our little foster girl - she still has a long road to building her confidence, but she's making great progress.

Test Scores

Our lives are punctuated by test scores. I remember taking a weird test in kindergarten that I later realized was an IQ test. Then there were the spelling tests and the math tests and the science tests I dreaded so much. My score on the all-important driver's license test showed deductions for driving our whale of a Mercury Grand Marquis too slow - yes, too slow - on the road section of the test, and then came what felt like the most important test of my life - the ACT college entrance exam.

Now that I'm older, cholesterol, gum health, and vision tests have become the barometers of my well-being; early in life, it's all about the mental fitness tests, but later in life, our test scores more often reflect our physical fitness - or lack thereof.

I didn't imagine I'd be checking my phone and the answering machine several times each day, waiting for test scores from Texas A&M to determine the health of our foster Pointer's pancreas, but I did. Pen's first test for pancreatic insufficiency was low-cost and fast - a measurement of the impact of the enzymes in her stool according to their ability to dissolve geltain on unexposed X-ray film. The poor results of that test were pretty conclusive, but I wanted more, so we had her blood drawn and sent to Texas A&M, the only lab performing blood-based EPI testing.

A healthy dog's pancreas scores between 5 and 45, and Pen's came back...(drumroll)...8. Her score is low - in the healthy range - but low, but it's high enough that Texas A&M does not consider her to be a dog with clinical exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.

So, where do we go now? Well, our vet and I think there are two issues at play here - food allergies and a depressed pancreas. So, we're feeding a hypoallergenic food but cutting back on her enzymes, and I'm happy to report excellent results. So, the good news is that Pen may not need medication for the rest of her life after all and may be fine with good digestive supplements in time. The bad news is that we'll have to do some experimenting to figure out what her food allergy is, whether it's a certain kind of meat, wheat, gluten, or something else. But with today's excellent foods and the success of raw diets, I'm confident we'll get it figured out.

For Whom Would Pen Be Perfect?

Good news on the health front...a weigh-in this week revealed Pen has gained 4 pounds since she was pulled from the shelter. That means her diet and enzyme supplements are working, and she's regaining her health and achieving a proper weight.

Our hearts sank when the preliminary diagnosis of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) came in; we went back this week to have her blood drawn and sent to Texas A&M University for the more exhaustive EPI test. But assuming it's positive, we're still concerned - is there a forever home for Pen out there somewhere?

The EPI was scary and overwhelming to us at first. But now, about a month into it, we're finding managing it really isn't requiring any more attention than what we give to supplementing the diets of all our animals. My horse gets a vitamin supplement, Ben's gets a joint supplement, and both get feed-through fly control supplements. All our dogs get skin and vitamin supplements, and two of our older females get Proin tablets. So treating Pen really isn't that much different; I crush her dry food with a rubber mallet to make it easier for her to digest, mix in a little water and a teaspoon of enzymes, and let it sit anywhere from 20 minutes to overnight, depending upon what works best for our schedule.

Once we got past the initial fear of dealing with the EPI, it's become routine. And in some strange way, there's something satisfying about the nurturing aspect of it. Ben would be the first to tell you I'm no cook, but the little bit of preparation that goes into her meals is not only fulfilling in a strange way but also makes me feel closer to this sweet little girl.

The type of person or family for whom Pen would be perfect would also be perfect for Pen. If you're the type of person who is devoted and nurturing to your animals and want the same devotion and love from them, Pen would be perfect for you. If you enjoy finding and feeding good diets and paying attention to your animals' well-being, Pen would be perfect for you. If you want a dog that will fill a big part of your life and a dog who will make you the center of their world, Pen is the dog for you.

Pen bonds quickly and strongly; she seeks closeness and companionship; she wants to lay next to you on the couch with her head in your lap. She wants to go jogging and on walks with you; she wants to follow you while you're working in the yard; she wants to lay on the patio with you while you relax or barbecue.

Pen will give all the love, loyalty, affection, and devotion she has to a person who will return the same to her. Special needs dogs usually have a way of loving their people more deeply and completely, and Pen loves deeply and completely with every bit of her now 41 (yay!) pounds.

So close...

Well, we had hope for a bit...a wonderful young couple from our area - who loved Penny, hit it off with her, and understood and were ready to work with her EPI - went through the process to adopt her and then found out he was being sent overseas for work for three weeks out of each of the next three or more months. Her long hours as a CPA combined with his travel convinced them now is not the time to add a new four-legged family member. The unfortunate part is that they were ideal for Penny, but the good part is that we had the opportunity to meet two wonderful, giving, and fun people, and we hope things work out for them and that they're able to bring a dog into their home soon. That will be one lucky dog when the time comes...

Pen is doing well with her EPI, but we're worried her condition might scare potential adopters away from a really great dog. Fortunately, her EPI is responding not only to the expensive Viokase but also to Pancreatin (average cost 60 cents per day) and to raw pancreas (less than 10 cents per day). Administering the enzymes is easy - we mix the enzymes or pancreas in with her food and let it sit for 15-20 minutes before feeding her. That's it.

Somewhere out there is her perfect family - one who will enjoy walking and jogging with her and relaxing with her in the house and cuddling up with her on the couch.

And if that family wants an instant Pointer family, Pen and another of our fosters, Radar, get along beautifully... :)