A Success Story

(Note other immune-system disorders: pannus, discoid lupus. Also CHD.)

Diagnosis: perianal fistulas. Cryosurgery and removal of left anal sac (overnight).

Surgery (1 day) to complete healing process ("second intention"). No fistulas.

Healing process still not complete. Surgery/cryo, discovering new fistula formation.

"Third intention" surgery to correct tissue fatigue. No fistulas present. At April 17 appointment for 1-month recheck, everything was fine - "no pathology" with good healing.

Noticed pinpoint hole in left anal area. Within the next 5 days, it grew to about 1/2 inch in diameter. Also found small fistula on right side.

Cryosurgery (cryo #3, surgery #5) on both sides. Could not find right anal sac to remove it.

Sweetie got skunked in the face. I bathed and treated him (Odormute). Next morning, his discoid lupus had broken out - lipfolds on both sides red and bleeding, 2 red spots on muzzle. Treated muzzle with Hydrocortisone 1% and lipfolds with Panalog for 3-4 days with no effect.

Switched to Rescue Remedy cream, and it started to clear up.

Started Silicea for PF. (Theresa Gonzalez, DVM - a holistic/homeopathic vet)

Muzzle cleared up, and lips improving quickly.

Anal area seems dry and clean, normal color.

May 18 (Obedience Trial)

Anus is a little bloody again - homeopathic "aggravation"? Hesitant to eat breakfast. Probably needed to poop - had 2 in quick succession on our walk after breakfast. Did well in ring (but didn't do Drop on Recall).

Didn't eat breakfast. In the ring: nice heeling but then seemed tired and did not do Drop on Recall of Broad Jump.

Ear inflammation - horizontal, both ears. Started cleaning with Vet. Liquid.

May 28 (at our Colorado summer place)

Anal area red again, with holes looking larger. Another aggravation?

May 30 (CO)

Anal area still red with holes larger. Called Theresa and Mike.

Theresa: To test for aggravation, continue silicea 3 days. If improved, continue. If worse, stop silicea for 3 days. If improved then, stay off for 1 week. Give Rescue drops in water, echinacea (10 drops in 2 T. boiled water, 1/day), garlic oil (5 drops on food).

Mike: Preparation H and Hydrocortisone 1% on area and inside holes. If not improved 8 wks post-op, call and schedule another cryo.

June 15 (CO)

5 1/2 wks post-op, 3 1/2 wks post-homeopathy In the past 2-3 days, the tissue stretching across the fistular channel has completely disappeared. Tonight I noticed a pussy discharge in the channel area.

June 16 (CO)

Talked to Mike Riegger. He said to give it 2 more weeks (i.e., 8 weeks post-op) because that's how long they allow for healing to take place. This might well be a resumption of the healing process. If it's not better at 8 weeks, then we need to repeat the cryo within 2-3 weeks after that. He's "not worried."

June 19 (CO)

Bleeding - spotted on floor of training hall.

June 20 (CO)

Noticed some pussy discharge in the morning.

June 21 (CO)

The whole anal area looks better. The fissure is a little narrower and a little less red, though same length. I can hardly make out the hole on the right side. The tissue around the fissure is returning to a normal, pale color.

June 26 (CO)

8 wks post-op, 6 wks post-homeopathy

A little pussy discharge again this morning (after a few days of nothing happening).

13 wks post-op

Did 6^th surgery (4^th cryo). "Relapse is significant," says Riegger: 2 holes on left, 1 on right, all 3 connected; 1 new area on underside of tail base (Mike has never seen this before). Did an "aggressive" de-briding triple and freeze (usually reserved for cancers). Must be seen again in 8 weeks. Most of healing takes place 4-8 weeks post-cryo.

Also found a "hot spot" of pannus on left eye, extreme outer edge of cornea.

6 weeks post-cryo. Noticed a small hole in lower right quadrant. First noticed a tiny hole a few days ago. Now it's visible - maybe 1/8'' diameter.

Sweetie has been on thyroxine (Soloxine) for 2 weeks now. I'm also cleaning the surgical site twice daily with Betadine.

The small hole is a new fistula, so S. had his 7^thsurgery (5^th cryo) today. At 4 weeks post-op (Nov. 27), Riegger was very pleased, saying that S. is "ahead of schedule."

Sweetie had his 8-week post-op checkup today, and it looks great. We'll continue using Cortaid once a day - and keep our fingers crossed.

13 weeks post-op and he's looking great! (His Pannus is also "quiet," and we're going back from 3 doses of cyclosporine a day to 1 dose.) Taking him off the Cortaid now.

Five and a half months post-op. Noticed fistula on right side. We're taking him off Cortaid and trying topical application of cyclosporine (same as his eye drops) for 2 weeks - 2 or 3 drops on a latex glove, twice a day.

Two weeks since we started topical cyclosporine. Mike pronounced the fistula "healed"! We'll now stop the cyclosporine and use Prep H-C (with cortisone).

The same fistula is back, so I've put him on topical cyclosporine again.

NO PF SINCE MID-MAY!