10/16/2026
STUIE UPDATE. Sorry for the upcoming long read, but it is not the greatest news for Stuie, but before you start reading, be assured, we are not giving up on Mr. Grumpy Face, because he has a lot to feel grumpy about.
When he first arrived at the Co-Op we went straight to the ER to learn he had a tick-borne disease and extreme anemia. They recommended a blood transfusion, but he was producing his own red blood cells so we opted out for a couple of days to see if a proper diet, rest, and comfort would help increase his red blood cell count, and it did. He moved into my house so I could monitor him better.
Stuie often experiences these strange episodes where he enters a trance-like state and freezes. Because this happens so frequently, I took him to a neurologist to find out why. Included in this post is a video of one of his episodes along with a few pictures; he typically sits down and lowers his head toward the ground while keeping his front legs extended. We performed an MRI, a CT scan, and a spinal tap. The brain MRI revealed inflammation causing neurological deficits. Since inflammatory brain or spinal disease in dogs can be either infectious or autoimmune, we tested his spinal fluid for several infectious diseases. All results were negative, making an autoimmune condition the most likely cause. We are now waiting for his next appointment to discuss potential long-term adjunct immunosuppressant therapy.
As I mentioned in a previous post, his mouth is in horrible shape. This is what his dentist had to say:
"He also has numerous retained tooth root remnants from both incisors and premolars that need to be extracted. His upper molars have end-stage periodontal disease and require extraction as well. His lower canines show significant bone loss around the root tips, which is consistent with long-standing chronic infection. Furthermore, the lower right canine has a vertical fracture extending below the gum line. The severity of the disease around the tooth roots and the vertical fracture makes these teeth poor candidates for root canals, especially given that he may require long-term immunosuppression for his neurological condition."
Bottom line, he will not have many teeth left, but he will be out of pain. However, he may not be a candidate for dental work if we cannot get his neurological issues under control.
Included in the pictures is a 3-D image of his skull. The brown tube is the incubator tube. Look at that underbite!
Such a long road ahead of us. I will keep everyone up to date on his journey. He is a special fella.
