AKA's Winner Winner Chicken Dinner
"Winnie"
Winnie passed away from bloat
3/4/11 to 3/22/15
Pictures of Winnie at bottom of page!
Winnie's story. . . . . .
This little puppy has a BIG story...please allow me to share. Winnie was the only puppy that was born alive out of a litter of 15 puppies. She weighed 7oz (less than 1/2 a pound!) and was very small and weak. She didn't eat the greatest and at 3 days old had seizures which landed her in the emergency clinic 45 minutes away for the night. She was on Karo syrup in her formula and getting fed every hour along with antibiotics for 2 weeks. After 7 days she gained an ounce or two, no longer weighing 7oz. At 4 weeks old, weighing about 3lbs she suddenly stopped eating. I rushed her to the Vet, where she was negative for worms and negative for parvo. She had a heart murmur that, has went away after she was a puppy. The Vet suspected anemia and gave her iron drops but wasn't sure...So we did the logical thing and packed up and drove 6 hours to my very experienced breeder Nancy Walker. We stayed there and Nancy and Carol helped me get her to eat and gain strength. After the weekend we went home because Winnie was much stronger and eating well, again on antibiotics. The next week or so we had several difficult bouts with constipation...At 6 weeks old (6lbs) when things were looking better Winnie developed Massive infections in her front leg joints. Her right pastern and her left elbow were swollen and gigantic, she was completely unable to walk..She was put on liquid antibiotics immediately by my Vet along with daily injections of a very strong antibiotic that could potentially shut her kidneys down. After the first 3 days of injections she had improved but not healed up completely. Her right pastern joint had went down and she could slightly use it, but she had to go off of the injections due to the potential side effects. After a few days we had to go back on the injections to try to heal the infection in the left elbow joint, which at that time she was unable to put weight on that leg or even bend it, walking 3 legged was very difficult for her. The swelling went down but not gone so we had to continue with great risk with the injection antibiotics..At 8 weeks nearly 2 weeks of not walking much she walked on all 4 legs! My Vet said that i was extremely lucky that she lived through that at her age! I was so excited that she could walk again!! THEN...a couple days later her right front leg that had the pastern infection (but healed first) started bowing..probably due to the extra weight of walking 3 legged and tendons stretching! It looked horribly and deformed so she got on some proper supplements about the time the left leg bowed also! The supplements were given heavily for 2 weeks at which time they started straightening.. After that at approximately 10 weeks she was NORMAL!!!! Winnie was not alone in her journey there were Mastiff friends and family across the globe following and praying for her on Facebook. People will never truly understand what that meant to me and Winnie!! I can not wait until the day she can thank everyone in person!
The meaning of her name is: The legend tells that years ago every casino in Las Vegas had a three-piece chicken dinner with a potato and a veggie for $1.79. A standard bet back then was $2, hence when you won a bet you had enough for a chicken dinner, saying "Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!”
On Saturday February 11, 2012 I Woke up at 3am to load up and go to the Indianapolis, IN dog show with Winnie. Winnie, Libby (Mastiff-Winnie’s 4 ½ yr old mother) and Piggy (2 yr old English Bulldog) all went out to the bathroom. Libby and Piggy went came running back to the door. I walked out to get Winnie, she was setting in the grass. It was extremely cold and Friday night we had a very little bit of snow, sleet, and freezing rain.
When I went to Winnie I noticed that she has poop all over her hind end and a pile of yellowish loose stool next to her. I thought at the time she had something hanging out of her butt and didn’t want to stand up, or perhaps slipped on some ice. I got her in my attached garage and cleaned her up and she walked seemed totally fine. We loaded up and drove 3-4 hours to the dog show, when we arrived she wasn’t wanting to talk into the building. She could only walked about 2-3 feet at a time. We finally got in the building. I assumed that she she had slipped on ice or got crazy spinning playing and got sore and stiff from the car ride. We get into the building it was extremely cold in Indianapolis, we were 2 hours early and in that time she was able to walk but her movement looked odd, like something hurt. After the 2 hours of waiting we went into the ring and she did the same thing as when we went into the building. Not wanting to walk but a could walk about 2-3 steps without sitting down quickly, ultimately getting dismissed from the ring for lameness. We get home and it was on and off Saturday and Sunday. Monday February 13th we left at 8am, went to 3 vets. My regular Vet Dr. Kevin Kennedy from Hilltop Veterinary Services
He prescribed muscle relaxers Methocarbamol and Banamine for pain. Then we went to the 2nd vet for the day
ARK Veterinary Services
Dr. Garrett put her on some Chinese herbal stuff and antibiotics Doxycycline. Dr. Garrett is also a Chiropractor and did an exam and adjusted her, also injected aquatherapy- Adequan and B12 into acupuncture points.. Her diagnosis was overall body weakness and possible Spondylosis, which is a degenerative spinal issue! Then we went to the 3rd Vet of the day
All God Creatures
Dr. Schafer took xrays of lower body, and rear on side and back. Nothing look abnormal to her, back and hips appeared normal. Her assistant Dr. Buss –Chiropractor arrived and examined and adjusted also. We decided after the long day we went with the Methocarbamol, Doxycycline, and Tramadol.
After returning home Monday Winnie was exhausted and just wore out!! She rested most the night. Winnie was having troubles using the restroom. I gave her an enema on Sunday night and Monday night. Tuesday she didn’t poop, had a movement on her own outside-laying down-on Wednesday night. She was drinking but not as much as usual, and only urinating a maximum of 2-3 times a day. She had been eating some, not a lot. She could have been acting like a spoiled baby, being dramatic, but she would eating better with me feeding her by hand. Wednesday I was unable to get her to take the pain pill, she would shake her head violently as if a wasp was in her mouth, so I couldn’t get her to eat it. Wednesday she was appearing to feel good and actually laying up and chewing/playing/sucking on her toy for majority of the evening hours, unlike Tuesday where she layed in her crate rather lathargic. She did NOT appearing to be having difficulty eating/drinking/swallowing. She was refusing to eat or drink because she couldn’t stand to do so. I was hand feeding her and she was losing weight quickly. She has not been coughing, nor has she been running a fever. Occasionally she will stand up quickly, but did NOT want to go outside at all! She was unable to stand up to poop or pee, she would lay in the grass to potty. At this point I was putting her on a snow sled and dragging her outside and rolling her over in the grass to potty. Occasionally me and my roommate would both carry her outside into the grass.
On February 17th we went to LVSES (Louisville Veterinary Specialist and Emergency Services) in Louisville, KY. We saw Dr. Britten first. She took her in the back and preformed some basic neurological test, similar to reflex type tests. She was determined at that time that it was hip dysplasia. I disagreed, but allowed hip xrays to be done. I had asked all of the vets that I had seen if it could be Myasthenia Gravis, a neurological issue that two people on facebook had suggest to me by recognizing the symptoms, a third had come to me the day I went to LVSES. All three vets I saw on Monday, February 13th did NOT think that was her problem. When I asked Dr. Britten about Myasthenia Gravis, she said that according to her neurological “exam” that did not fit. She was very determined that it was hip dysplasia. She saw the xrays and discussed them sticking to her diagnosis. I asked her throughout the 30 minute conversation about looking at the xrays with me. Dr. Britten practically argued with me that there was NO other possibility than Hip dysplasia! Dr. Britten got obviously upset with me and I never saw or talked to her again.. Dr. Nester came in and talked to me more. I asked again to see the xrays. A nurse came in and tried to give me discharge papers, I said I wasn’t leaving until I see the xrays! I went back and looked at them with Dr. Nester. I said to him they don’t look that bad to me, what is your honest opinion. He said well they don’t look that bad. SO at that point I referred back to the research and information on Myasthenia Gravis. I told him that I wanted him to give Winnie the Tensilon shot. It is a short term test that either has a dramatic effect or it doesn’t and if it does, its basically a for sure that they have Myasthenia Gravis. He was suppose to bring me back to see her effect to the shot but he didn’t! He returned and told me her reaction. I knew instantly that it was a dramatic reaction! She hadn’t walked more than 5 feet at a time in a week. He told me she got up, walked about 50 ft and stood and pooped AND peed. Winnie had not been able to stand to potty in a week either! He wasn’t confidant that she had a dramatic reaction but felt that it was enough to warrant the expensive blood test that is only processed in California! On February 23 I called Dr. Nester and he had just got results, his words were “she tested very positive” !! So the next day my vet called in a prescription to CVS pharmacy for Pyridostigmine Bromide which she took twice a day. After a week she was better-able to stand to potty, but went down in the rear on occasion. So after a week we upped the dosage to 3 times a day! In less than a week she was walking 100% of the time. An odd twist to her disease, typically when a dog gets Myasthenia Gravis the first symptom a dog gets is Megaesophagus. Megaesophagus is basically when the esophagus gets enlarged and is unable to push food down, and food and water sets there and gets regurgitated up regularly.. Well Winnie developed megaesophagus after about two weeks. She was then put on Metoclopramide for the vomiting three times a day. A couple days later I took her to my vet and we did a thyroid test and it came back low, so she went on thyroid medicine twice a day. On March 4th Winnie, along with Libby and Piggy celebrated her 1st birthday!!!! YAY Winnie
Updating, on April 30 Winnie had been walking well since starting the medicine. She has occasional bouts with vomiting lasting usually about 3 days. She had a lot of trouble with loose stool and diarrhea the entire time. So I call the Dr. Nester and he cut her Pyridostigmine Bromide to twice a day and within a week she was able to hold her potty overnight and while I was gone to work!!
May 18, 2012 After over a week on nearly constant regurgitation, Winnie went back to Louisville Vet (LVSES)..We did 4 various chest xrays. The vet had mention a long time ago that eventually this would be necessary to check for Thymoma (cancer of Thymus gland) or enlarged Thymus. The vet looked at xrays and they were also sent off to a radiologist. All saying the Thymus looked fine, and to thier suprise the esophagus looked fine as well. We assumed she had some megaesophagus (enlarged and flabby in areas) which is VERY common with Myasthenia Gravis.. So not sure exactly why the regurgitation issues. We added some MORE medicine and as of May 23, she was starting to do better! Hopefully she will be in good shape for the Nationals in Wisconsin next week!
Winnie is a very happy, playful, sweetheart of a girl! She is made an appearance at the 2012 MCOA Mastiff National Specialty, as a triumph of her achievements and being ALIVE thanks to the grace of God and all that prayed for her and hundreds of fans that followed on Facebook!
For those more curious about Canine Myasthenia Gravis (it is a disease in humans also), here is some info!
s than 5 minutes after injection. It is recommended to give atropine prior to the test (0.05 mg/kg IM) to prevent excessive muscarinic effects such as vomiting and defecation. It is possible, but very rare, to induce a cholinergic crisis during the “Tensilon test” that results in excessive muscle depolarization, weakness, and respiratory failure. Although I have never seen this, an endotracheal tube and equipment for ventilation support should be readily available.
The meaning of her name is: The legend tells that years ago every casino in Las Vegas had a three-piece chicken dinner with a potato and a veggie for $1.79. A standard bet back then was $2, hence when you won a bet you had enough for a chicken dinner, saying "Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!”
On Saturday February 11, 2012 I Woke up at 3am to load up and go to the Indianapolis, IN dog show with Winnie. Winnie, Libby (Mastiff-Winnie’s 4 ½ yr old mother) and Piggy (2 yr old English Bulldog) all went out to the bathroom. Libby and Piggy went came running back to the door. I walked out to get Winnie, she was setting in the grass. It was extremely cold and Friday night we had a very little bit of snow, sleet, and freezing rain.
When I went to Winnie I noticed that she has poop all over her hind end and a pile of yellowish loose stool next to her. I thought at the time she had something hanging out of her butt and didn’t want to stand up, or perhaps slipped on some ice. I got her in my attached garage and cleaned her up and she walked seemed totally fine. We loaded up and drove 3-4 hours to the dog show, when we arrived she wasn’t wanting to talk into the building. She could only walked about 2-3 feet at a time. We finally got in the building. I assumed that she she had slipped on ice or got crazy spinning playing and got sore and stiff from the car ride. We get into the building it was extremely cold in Indianapolis, we were 2 hours early and in that time she was able to walk but her movement looked odd, like something hurt. After the 2 hours of waiting we went into the ring and she did the same thing as when we went into the building. Not wanting to walk but a could walk about 2-3 steps without sitting down quickly, ultimately getting dismissed from the ring for lameness. We get home and it was on and off Saturday and Sunday. Monday February 13th we left at 8am, went to 3 vets. My regular Vet Dr. Kevin Kennedy from Hilltop Veterinary Services
He prescribed muscle relaxers Methocarbamol and Banamine for pain. Then we went to the 2nd vet for the day
ARK Veterinary Services
Dr. Garrett put her on some Chinese herbal stuff and antibiotics Doxycycline. Dr. Garrett is also a Chiropractor and did an exam and adjusted her, also injected aquatherapy- Adequan and B12 into acupuncture points.. Her diagnosis was overall body weakness and possible Spondylosis, which is a degenerative spinal issue! Then we went to the 3rd Vet of the day
All God Creatures
Dr. Schafer took xrays of lower body, and rear on side and back. Nothing look abnormal to her, back and hips appeared normal. Her assistant Dr. Buss –Chiropractor arrived and examined and adjusted also. We decided after the long day we went with the Methocarbamol, Doxycycline, and Tramadol.
After returning home Monday Winnie was exhausted and just wore out!! She rested most the night. Winnie was having troubles using the restroom. I gave her an enema on Sunday night and Monday night. Tuesday she didn’t poop, had a movement on her own outside-laying down-on Wednesday night. She was drinking but not as much as usual, and only urinating a maximum of 2-3 times a day. She had been eating some, not a lot. She could have been acting like a spoiled baby, being dramatic, but she would eating better with me feeding her by hand. Wednesday I was unable to get her to take the pain pill, she would shake her head violently as if a wasp was in her mouth, so I couldn’t get her to eat it. Wednesday she was appearing to feel good and actually laying up and chewing/playing/sucking on her toy for majority of the evening hours, unlike Tuesday where she layed in her crate rather lathargic. She did NOT appearing to be having difficulty eating/drinking/swallowing. She was refusing to eat or drink because she couldn’t stand to do so. I was hand feeding her and she was losing weight quickly. She has not been coughing, nor has she been running a fever. Occasionally she will stand up quickly, but did NOT want to go outside at all! She was unable to stand up to poop or pee, she would lay in the grass to potty. At this point I was putting her on a snow sled and dragging her outside and rolling her over in the grass to potty. Occasionally me and my roommate would both carry her outside into the grass.
On February 17th we went to LVSES (Louisville Veterinary Specialist and Emergency Services) in Louisville, KY. We saw Dr. Britten first. She took her in the back and preformed some basic neurological test, similar to reflex type tests. She was determined at that time that it was hip dysplasia. I disagreed, but allowed hip xrays to be done. I had asked all of the vets that I had seen if it could be Myasthenia Gravis, a neurological issue that two people on facebook had suggest to me by recognizing the symptoms, a third had come to me the day I went to LVSES. All three vets I saw on Monday, February 13th did NOT think that was her problem. When I asked Dr. Britten about Myasthenia Gravis, she said that according to her neurological “exam” that did not fit. She was very determined that it was hip dysplasia. She saw the xrays and discussed them sticking to her diagnosis. I asked her throughout the 30 minute conversation about looking at the xrays with me. Dr. Britten practically argued with me that there was NO other possibility than Hip dysplasia! Dr. Britten got obviously upset with me and I never saw or talked to her again.. Dr. Nester came in and talked to me more. I asked again to see the xrays. A nurse came in and tried to give me discharge papers, I said I wasn’t leaving until I see the xrays! I went back and looked at them with Dr. Nester. I said to him they don’t look that bad to me, what is your honest opinion. He said well they don’t look that bad. SO at that point I referred back to the research and information on Myasthenia Gravis. I told him that I wanted him to give Winnie the Tensilon shot. It is a short term test that either has a dramatic effect or it doesn’t and if it does, its basically a for sure that they have Myasthenia Gravis. He was suppose to bring me back to see her effect to the shot but he didn’t! He returned and told me her reaction. I knew instantly that it was a dramatic reaction! She hadn’t walked more than 5 feet at a time in a week. He told me she got up, walked about 50 ft and stood and pooped AND peed. Winnie had not been able to stand to potty in a week either! He wasn’t confidant that she had a dramatic reaction but felt that it was enough to warrant the expensive blood test that is only processed in California! On February 23 I called Dr. Nester and he had just got results, his words were “she tested very positive” !! So the next day my vet called in a prescription to CVS pharmacy for Pyridostigmine Bromide which she took twice a day. After a week she was better-able to stand to potty, but went down in the rear on occasion. So after a week we upped the dosage to 3 times a day! In less than a week she was walking 100% of the time. An odd twist to her disease, typically when a dog gets Myasthenia Gravis the first symptom a dog gets is Megaesophagus. Megaesophagus is basically when the esophagus gets enlarged and is unable to push food down, and food and water sets there and gets regurgitated up regularly.. Well Winnie developed megaesophagus after about two weeks. She was then put on Metoclopramide for the vomiting three times a day. A couple days later I took her to my vet and we did a thyroid test and it came back low, so she went on thyroid medicine twice a day. On March 4th Winnie, along with Libby and Piggy celebrated her 1st birthday!!!! YAY Winnie
Updating, on April 30 Winnie had been walking well since starting the medicine. She has occasional bouts with vomiting lasting usually about 3 days. She had a lot of trouble with loose stool and diarrhea the entire time. So I call the Dr. Nester and he cut her Pyridostigmine Bromide to twice a day and within a week she was able to hold her potty overnight and while I was gone to work!!
May 18, 2012 After over a week on nearly constant regurgitation, Winnie went back to Louisville Vet (LVSES)..We did 4 various chest xrays. The vet had mention a long time ago that eventually this would be necessary to check for Thymoma (cancer of Thymus gland) or enlarged Thymus. The vet looked at xrays and they were also sent off to a radiologist. All saying the Thymus looked fine, and to thier suprise the esophagus looked fine as well. We assumed she had some megaesophagus (enlarged and flabby in areas) which is VERY common with Myasthenia Gravis.. So not sure exactly why the regurgitation issues. We added some MORE medicine and as of May 23, she was starting to do better! Hopefully she will be in good shape for the Nationals in Wisconsin next week!
Winnie is a very happy, playful, sweetheart of a girl! She is made an appearance at the 2012 MCOA Mastiff National Specialty, as a triumph of her achievements and being ALIVE thanks to the grace of God and all that prayed for her and hundreds of fans that followed on Facebook!
For those more curious about Canine Myasthenia Gravis (it is a disease in humans also), here is some info!
s than 5 minutes after injection. It is recommended to give atropine prior to the test (0.05 mg/kg IM) to prevent excessive muscarinic effects such as vomiting and defecation. It is possible, but very rare, to induce a cholinergic crisis during the “Tensilon test” that results in excessive muscle depolarization, weakness, and respiratory failure. Although I have never seen this, an endotracheal tube and equipment for ventilation support should be readily available.
