# Miller - Back to Work...Mostly



## HoneyDreameMomma (Feb 12, 2015)

Some of you may remember a few years ago when we got our wonderful LGD, Miller.  We got him from a rescue and although he had been given flea and tick treatment, he still brought home a lot of 'friends' with him.  We took him to the vet first thing, and when they did the blood work up, he tested positive for two tick-born illnesses.  What followed was a long several months of antibiotic treatments as well as seizure treatment meds, because the diseases had advanced to the point he was having multiple seizures a day.  It was a rough go, but after 3-4 months, he was better and didn't need any medication.  

Even sick he was a great LGD, but after he got better, he went on to be an AMAZING guardian.  He's helped us train two pups into LGDs almost as amazing as he is.  He's our sweet, gentle boy, the first dog my husband ever really liked (true story), and the goats adore him.  Anyway, about 2-3 weeks ago, he started showing signs of being sick (laying around and being less responsive, eating less, etc.).  When I took him into the vet, his platelet count was significantly down.  They figured that he was having an Erhlichia flare-up due to his past history, so they put him on the necessary antibiotics to treat it, with the note that if he didn't show noticeable improvement, he needed to come in for another blood test, because it was likely something else. 

He just finished his antibiotic, and he never really showed improvement, so we have an appointment with  the vet tomorrow to see if we can figure out what's going on.  Anyone ever had experience with this?  I know one of the other top reasons for low platelet count in dogs is cancer, but I'm really hoping someone out there has other things they've heard of.


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## Sweetened (Feb 12, 2015)

Im no help experience wise, but ask the vet if hecan be given black strap molasses in water to help build that blood up. I dont think it could hurt. Hoping all the very best for you.


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## Southern by choice (Feb 12, 2015)

Yes, your assumptions are correct but there are other factors to also consider, try not to get too stressed it may not be that at all. I know... easier said than done.   
Will be praying for Miller and your family.


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## Hens and Roos (Feb 12, 2015)




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## Baymule (Feb 12, 2015)

Big hugs for you and Miller.


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## bonbean01 (Feb 12, 2015)




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## OneFineAcre (Feb 12, 2015)

Sure hope Miller is OK
He is in my prayers


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Feb 13, 2015)

Thanks everyone.  Follow up blood test is Monday morning - I'll let you know how it goes.


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Feb 15, 2015)

Miller took a turn - stopped drinking water  - so we got him into the vet yesterday.  The good news is his platelet count is back up, and the repeat blood test ruled out issues with liver, kidneys and a few other big things.  The bad news is, he's obviously still sick, and they can't figure out what's going on.  They are trying to target one thing at a time in order to narrow down what might be the issue.  He's on a round of antibiotics now to target his stomach and digestive track, and we were able to get him to drink after we got back from the vet's office.  The vet said if that's what going on, we should see a noticeable difference by tomorrow.

Today he was still very lethargic, but he did choose to go back in with goats tonight - a big win!   We are keeping our fingers crossed.  The pictures below are Miller greeting a few of his girls when he went back into the goat yard.


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## Southern by choice (Feb 15, 2015)

Glad to hear he is somewhat better and greeting his goats!
Are you giving him any probiotics?
I assume they have already checked for diabetes as well.


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Feb 15, 2015)

The vet said if he's responsive to this antibiotic, the illness is likely something with his digestive tract and he'll start him on a probiotic.  Is it a problem to just have an LGD on probiotics regularly?  It seems like something that might be a good idea, but I didn't know.


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## Sweetened (Feb 15, 2015)

I agree on probiotocs! Mix some yogurt into his food thats plain and has live bacterial culters (we use astro baltic style)


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## Sweetened (Feb 15, 2015)

Probiotics will only ever do good.


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## Southern by choice (Feb 15, 2015)

Probiotics are great and will only help.
LGD breeds generally have iron stomachs because they kill stuff and eat it... they are good at their body's adjusting...BUT...there are issues with some kinds of bacteria that they can get from these kills too. Especially old dead rotting deer parts, squirrels, etc
Rotting deer parts are really not good.
What are they looking at as far as his digestive system?


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## Hens and Roos (Feb 15, 2015)

that they figure out what is causing him issues


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Feb 17, 2015)

The vet is mostly looking for bacterial infections.  Miller had one last fall, so maybe his digestive tract was a bit compromised. However, this time he wasn't showing several of the common signs (vomiting, diarrhea, or an elevated temperature).  He just had EXTREME fatigue and lack of interest in food and water.  

If this latest antibiotic doesn't make a significant difference, they will look into other possible problems.  However, his energy has increased the past couple of days, so things are looking good so far.  We're starting him on probiotics and hoping he continues to improve.


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## Hens and Roos (Feb 17, 2015)

that he continues to improve for you!


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## mikiz (Feb 22, 2015)

How's he doing?


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Feb 26, 2015)

Good news is digestive infection seems to have been the issue and the antibiotics and probiotics are doing the job.  The past several days he's been getting better and better, back taking care of the goats and even playing with Clyde.

Bad news is one of the family members we have visiting us accidentally hit him with the car this morning (no joke ).  THANK GOODNESS it was a very minor hit, and Miller walked away from it, but he started limping shortly afterward, and he whines when we touch his leg, so we've got another vet appointment today to confirm that nothing is broken.  

I'll try to post an update later.


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## Hens and Roos (Feb 26, 2015)

oh no   that nothing is broken!  Keep us posted


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## Sweetened (Feb 26, 2015)




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## HoneyDreameMomma (Feb 26, 2015)

Miller's minor limping got worse and he started shaking, so I took him in to the vet earlier than we were scheduled for.  Bless that boy, he had limped out into the field to be with his goats and was so sore he couldn't walk at all when I went out to get him! I think a certain pyr will need to be locked indoors while he recovers... 

I need to build some muscles!  I cannot lift a 90+ lb dog, and the only other adult at home was my sister-in-law who is 8 and 1/2 months pregnant, so I had to get creative.  After a failed attempt to lift Miller onto a cart I had in the field, I pulled our van into the field - praying the entire time I wouldn't get stuck in the mud from all the melted ice and snow.  Miller is such a good boy.  When he saw me bringing the van over, he mustered enough strength to get up and try to jump into the back - very difficult considering it was his hip/back leg that was injured, but it was enough momentum that I was able to hoist him the rest of the way.

The vet said nothing was broken, and more importantly, there was no sign of any kind of internal bleeding, however, his hip was knocked so severely out-of-socket, they were not successful when they put him under anesthesia to try and put it back in.  The vet told us with large dogs when it's this bad, even if they can get the femur back into the hip socket, it usually comes out again anyway.  Because of this, Miller is having hip surgery tomorrow.  The vet is optimistic, so I'm very hopeful it will go well.


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## Hens and Roos (Feb 26, 2015)

that all goes well tomorrow


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## frustratedearthmother (Feb 26, 2015)

Geeze Louise!  Poor fella, when it rains it pours...


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## Southern by choice (Feb 26, 2015)

poor Miller  and you too 

These dogs... something about them that makes us give all we have because they give all they have!


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## Pearce Pastures (Feb 26, 2015)

Oh poor baby!  I just want to give him a hug.  And you too.  Hang in there.


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Feb 26, 2015)

Southern by choice said:


> poor Miller  and you too
> 
> These dogs... something about them that makes us give all we have because they give all they have!



So true!  DH was never much of a dog person before we started farming, but he loves Miller.  I kind of choked at the cost of surgery - I wish money weren't an issue, but sometimes it is, and I wasn't sure how DH would feel.  He didn't even bat an eye; just said, "Let's get him fixed!"  

I love my boys!


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## OneFineAcre (Feb 26, 2015)

Poor Miller.
Hope he gets' well soon.


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## Hens and Roos (Feb 26, 2015)

HoneyDreameMomma said:


> So true!  DH was never much of a dog person before we started farming, but he loves Miller.  I kind of choked at the cost of surgery - I wish money weren't an issue, but sometimes it is, and I wasn't sure how DH would feel.  He didn't even bat an eye; just said, "Let's get him fixed!"
> 
> I love my boys!



I hear you on the cost of surgery, sending prayers your way


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## babsbag (Feb 26, 2015)

Poor guy, I hope they get him put back together with no lasting damage. Sweet of DH not to balk at the $$.


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## BrownSheep (Feb 26, 2015)

Modern medicine, veterinary included, is capable of working miracles!


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## Sweetened (Feb 26, 2015)

Thinking of you and Miller at this time.   for a good, speedy recovery without complications.


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## Robbin (Feb 27, 2015)

We're pulling for you and Miller...


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Feb 28, 2015)

The surgery seems to be a success!  It took the vet 3 hours, and he said it was a bit of an adventure, but Miller seems to be doing well today.  He already tried to walk with his foot down. 

He's at the vet until Monday, and we'll have several weeks of rehab, but so far so good!  Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.


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## bonbean01 (Feb 28, 2015)

That sounds promising


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## Hens and Roos (Feb 28, 2015)

Glad to hear!


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## Hens and Roos (Mar 2, 2015)

How's things going for you guys?


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## Baymule (Mar 2, 2015)

Miller is a trooper and this won't keep him down. Prayers for Miller, you and your family.


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## Goat Whisperer (Mar 2, 2015)

So glad the surgery was a success!


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Mar 2, 2015)

Miller finally got the all clear to come home today!  Our vet is very pleased with his progress.  He's not supposed to run or jump for at least two weeks, but he's already walking pretty well and it's very clear he doesn't plan to stay put for long.    He was so excited to be home, and the goats and Clyde were excited to see him.  Clyde has missed him like crazy.  That big puppy came running across the field the moment he saw Miller get out of the car.  He tried to nuzzle him, but Miller snarled at him.  As the Alpha, Miller gets testy when he's sick and he feels like his position in the pack might be threatened.  Lol - Clyde may be bigger and in better health, but he was still submissive.

The first picture below shows the surgery site (which isn't so pretty), but also shows how well he is already standing (which is beautiful!).  The second picture is him crashing shortly after I took him for his walk.  Love this boy!  We're so glad he's on the mend!


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## Baymule (Mar 2, 2015)

That is terrific news! I an so glad the surgery went well and Miller is home!


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## bonbean01 (Mar 2, 2015)

X 2!!!


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## babsbag (Mar 3, 2015)

So glad he is home and doing well. I bet it will be hard to keep him quiet for his recovery.


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Mar 3, 2015)

Does anyone have any good ideas for healthy, fresh, affordable meals for a LGD?  Miller usually eats high quality/high protein dry food with only a little fresh meat and veggies, but he is not interested in regular dog food  at all right now.  I'm guessing the antibiotic isn't playing too nicely with his stomach...

Plain yogurt for probiotics is already on the menu, but I want to make sure if I'm feeding fresh, I get him all the nutrients he needs without the sugars, excess fats, etc. he shouldn't have.  How safe is canned tuna for dogs?  I know fresh fish would be better, but I'm trying to go with stuff we already have on hand.  The surgery wasn't cheap and we need to keep things as frugal as possible.

I was thinking of making some rice with tuna and eggs in it...maybe some peas too.  Any of you that feed your LGDs fresh have some suggestions? Thanks!


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## Southern by choice (Mar 3, 2015)

Laugh if ya want but when Callie was down we cooked every meal.
We cooked chicken, lightly breaded, marinated, you name it if it could be prepared it was. She had to eat. Cottage cheese (warmed) scrambled eggs, gravy, pork chops, any thing we were having to eat she got.


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Mar 3, 2015)

Works for me. I want to make sure he has everything he needs to recover, and if that means spoiling him a little, I think I can handle that.


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## Hens and Roos (Mar 3, 2015)

we went through the same with Ellie- no interest in eating- turned her nose away at the foods she would normally eat- even the peanut butter and liver sausage were no go.  The meds she was needing to take really threw her off .  It took her about 1.5 weeks before she started actually being interested in eating.  Getting her medicine into her was a challenge- she actually shifted through the food the meds were in and spit out the pills.


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## OneFineAcre (Mar 3, 2015)

I'm glad Miller is home and doing well.


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Mar 3, 2015)

Hens and Roos said:


> Getting her medicine into her was a challenge- she actually shifted through the food the meds were in and spit out the pills.



LOL - that sounds familiar.  Pill pockets, any kind of food...I cannot successfully hide that boy's pills to save my life!  I have to do the drop them down the throat and hold his muzzle thing, which I hate.  Even then, he can occasionally maneuver his tongue and spit them out.  Took six tries to get both pills down him last night.


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## Hens and Roos (Mar 3, 2015)

Sounds like what we went through....we got her to eat marshmallows and hotdog pieces with ketchup- but only if she saws us eating them too- so we ate ones with out the pills and gave her a few without as well and then got the ones with pills in her.  Thankfully she is back to taking peanut butter....so much easier!

Hang in there


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## babsbag (Mar 3, 2015)

We cooked hamburger and rice casserole for sick puppies. Did you try putting the pill in wet cat food?  The other thing to try is the meat baby food, the odor is really strong and sometimes that helps.


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## Shorty (Mar 3, 2015)

I dog sit a lot and one of the dogs the only way for her to take a pill was to put it far back on her tongue and pull her tongue out it would make her swallow the pills


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## mikiz (Mar 3, 2015)

This is for new mums, but I assume it would do the same for a sick dog, maybe try some of these?
http://dachshundaustralia.com/getting-new-mums-to-eat-drink/80


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Mar 4, 2015)

Thanks for all the great food suggestions!  I've found Miller likes just about anything that contains rice and meat.  However, he actually ate a bowl of dog food today.  I wasn't even going to try to feed him any for a few more days, but DD just brought it into him after she fed the rest of the animals.  He scarfed it down after eating 3 cups of rice and sausage, so I think it's safe to say his appetite is back. 

He's getting more energy, although he's still unsteady when he walks.  He almost ran away from me today when I took him out for a bathroom walk.  I can tell he's already itching to do a parameter check, but given how bad coyotes are right now, that is definitely not happening for a few more weeks - at least not unsupervised.  He is starting to go stir crazy (between moments of complete exhaustion), and unfortunately we're getting another ice storm even as I type this, so he's not going to get as much outside time as I'm sure he wants the next few days.

On the upside, it has been so neat to see Clyde with him the last few days.  Clyde has to be outside with the goats 24/7 while Miller is recovering, and I think he gets a little jealous sometimes, but in spite of that, he is so sweet with Miller.  He comes running over excited with tail wagging every time he sees Miller come out of the house, he nuzzles him, he watches over him whenever he goes outside for walks and potty breaks, and he always waits for Miller if Miller is tired and has to slow down.  Miller tries to act tough and occasionally growls at Clyde to assert his position as alpha, but it's clear he misses him, and he pouts a little every time he has to come back inside.  So sweet!


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## Hens and Roos (Mar 5, 2015)

Glad to hear the good update!


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## Baymule (Mar 5, 2015)

Old fashioned butcher shop, get the "bone dust" under the meat saw blade. It is mostly marrow and dogs love it, good for them too.


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Mar 6, 2015)

Our house bunny, Reggie is getting pretty chummy with Miller.  Wish I could get a picture of them touching noses - they do it every time they greet, but I haven't grabbed my camera in time yet (I keep trying).  You'd never guess that this is a dog who regularly chases and kills wild cottontail rabbits!  This is why I LOVE LGDs - they just seem to understand what belongs. Miller hasn't so much as barked or snipped at Reggie.  He greets him, and they lay around together most of the day until Reggie goes back into his cage at night.  The only time Reggie gets startled is when Miller gets up suddenly - I did get a shot of that.  Lol - his big pink eyes look like they're going to pop out of his head.   Not sure if it was Miller's size or his big, muddy paws (we'd just gotten back from a walk).




  What an adorable odd couple!  I actually think Reggie will miss Miller when he moves back outside.


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## Southern by choice (Mar 6, 2015)

So glad Miller is doing better.... hard to see where he had his surgery though, breaks my heart but ultimately glad he is alive and well.

I love a person that brings their muddy LGD's in the house! 

LOL my house dogs cannot come in muddy but the LGD's sure can.

Very sweet with the bunny. 

Our guinea pig did not fare so well on Christmas day when we brought Callie in... found the back half of "popcorn" on my daughters floor. It was gruesome and it was my youngest DD who found it. To Callie's credit she'd never seen her before and the pig was running around.  We think the pig may have been squealing and Callie went running in there. Still sad. We couldn't be mad she had no idea.


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## OneFineAcre (Mar 6, 2015)

Glad Miller is doing well


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## babsbag (Mar 7, 2015)

Happy to hear that Miller is doing well; he will be back on the job before you know. And so cute with the bunny, most of the time these dogs just get what belongs and what doesn't. That being said I wish my male LGD would realize that these little balls of fur running around the barn are just miniatures of him (but females) and not something to fear. It is so funny to watch, he won't cross paths with them if he has a choice.  Silly boy.


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Mar 30, 2015)

Miller is back to work - at least part time.   His leg and hip have healed enough that he can go wander the property at his leisure, and we've set up a 'den' for him in the barn, so he can get away from everything.  He still has to have a pain pill/anti-inflammatory for several more weeks, and of course he still limps sometimes, but considering how evasive the surgery was, he's doing great!  He patrols, marks his territory, checks on his goats regularly, although he doesn't want to be with them full time yet (bouncy kids that climb all over his leg and hip keep him on the other side of the fence ).  Last night we had a doe giving birth and it sounded like one of our neighbors cows was giving birth too, and you could hear coyotes all over the place.  This is a picture of Miller and Clyde after they had been out chasing coyotes and other varmits.  This peaceful scene was fairly short lived - they heard something and ran out to investigate. Love those boys!


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## Southern by choice (Mar 30, 2015)

Makes the heart just so happy.  That is for you! You are such a great LGD "mom".

Nothing like a great dog!


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## OneFineAcre (Mar 31, 2015)

So glad to hear Miller is better


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## Baymule (Mar 31, 2015)

I am glad Miller is doing better. Thanks for the update.


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## Hens and Roos (Mar 31, 2015)

Glad he's on the mend!


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## Latestarter (Apr 18, 2015)

Really tough on a person when their dog is "down" for whatever reason. So glad yours is on the way to a full recovery! Just wondering if the family member that hit him offered to help in any way with the costs of his recovery? Seems to me the least they could do under the circumstances.


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