Well, I'm still upset about Shannon's diagnosis, but she has been feeling good and has even been needing to go out less often. Not sure if it is the special food, the medication or just wishful thinking, but I'm going with it. Those not familiar with my scatterbrain hobbies have probably wondered why there are a bunch of knitting blogs in my sidebar and I have never mentioned knitting. I don't knit. Actually, I do, but I am a total beginner. Haven't even figured out the purl stitch, yet. I'm fascinated with reading about what other, more experienced, knitters are doing, however. I do this with hobbies that I want to get into - I immerse myself hoping that it will rub off and I will become a true enthusiast. Doesn't always work. A year or so ago it was beading. I like beading. I have acquired some beading supplies. I had a subscription to a beading magazine. I loved looking at the finished projects, thinking about what it would be like to actually make some of those things. I completed exactly one beading project and now my attention has wandered. Anyway, today I went to A.C. Moore (there's one in Carle Place, for those on Long Island, that I had no idea was there)and wandered through the yarn and needlework section. A ball of self-striping sock yarn caught my eye. So I picked it up and a packet of the required double-pointed needles. Do you think I can make a sock? How about two? We'll see. I have one question, though. Why is it that most patterns that call for double-pointed needles require five needles and then they are sold in packages of four? I had this problem when I made my first project on DPNs and it drove me crazy. I forgot about that when I was in the store and only bought one package of needles. Now along with trying to figure out a sock pattern, I'm also going to have to keep track of what stitches are on which needle. I'm thinking this sock will probably never actually get done.
Well, after all the tests, and a consultation with a specialist, we are back where we started. The vet told me today that the specialist said that based on the results of her tests, there was no way that Shannon has diabetes insipidus and it is likely that the tests are showing early kidney or liver disease. We could run a bunch more tests to determine exactly what it is, but the vet has decided that we'll see what, if anything, changes at her next visit this summer and go from there. I think I feel worse than I did at the original diagnosis as I had allowed my hopes to get so high and now they've come crashing down. I'm not sure if or when I'll be in the mood to post here again. So, consider this me signing off.
Shannon had to go in for an ultrasound today. All her tests have been coming back normal except for extremely dilute urine. So the vet wanted to see what things looked like inside. She didn't mention it to me, but I knew that the possibility of some sort of tumor existed.
So I spent the whole morning without my puppers trying not to worry too much, scared what I was going to hear. The vet called at about 1pm - the ultrasound was fine!! No tumors, none of her organs are enlarged as they would be if they were diseased. I'm ecstatic.
The caveat is that something is causing the problem. So she is going in on Thursday for the whole day for one final test - a water deprivation test. If the urine is still dilute then it is physical - likely is diabetes insipidus. If it concentrates it means it is psychological - she is obsessively drinking too much water. The first is treatable. The second will be more difficult. Perhaps I will have to contact one of those doggie psychologists.
Name: DebbieJRT Home: Bellerose, New York, United States About Me: crotchety cross stitcher, trying to channel my inner athlete See my complete profile
