Due to the heat (not hair "lube" :D), my dad used to shave our dog Brutus (griffon mix) every summer, and he would act the same way at first - embarrassed and insecure. It probably didn't help that Beau "Without Regard" Jangles the husky was laughing at him constantly....until Beau realized that Brutus was cooler...in every way. LOL My dad even left a tail tuft on Brutus once, but none of the other neighbor dogs would play with him. :D Brenda

Hello Everyone! I'm really glad i found this thread! I have some tips as well. :O) I am a female type A 1.I saute in chicken broth my onions,cilantro,tomatoes and squash with my chicken,fish,shrimp or turkey. 2I make homemade hot sauce boil together then put in food processor.season to taste Also, you can hand cut tomatoes,peppers and onions to make a pico de gallo. season to taste 3.. turkey meatball- Make golf ball size balls. 1 15 oz tomato sauce,3 small tomatoes,1 small onion,1 green and 1 red bell pepper,1 tsp parsley,1 tsp garlic,1 tsp oregano,1tsp basil,2 packets splenda,2 egg whites and black pepper. mix all ingredients together and cook. When meat ball are ready mix sauce in with the meatballs. let simmer 5 minutes. Serve. 5. these are some ideas i have thought of or got from someone else. I use my own type A food and my own ideas. :O) 0.Hash browns 0.oatmeal muffins 0.pancakes 1/2 cup of plain oat meal,4 eggs,1 splenda,1/4 tsp vanilla. Grind oatmeal then mix all ingredients. 1.fiesta eggs 2.turkey veggie soup 3.sweet and sour meatballs 4.turkey burgers 5.pizza- 1/2 c oatmeal uncooked and ground up, 2 tsp of Italian season,3 tsp garlic,1 1/2 nsa baking powder,2-3 tsp water.Mix and patty out.sauce-1 small can of tomato sauce,1-2 tsp garlic,2 tsp balsamic vinegar.splenda to taste. toppings- turkey,tomato,onions,peppers,etc. 6.meatloaf 7.turkey tacos 8.chicken fajitas 9.chicken fried rice 10.hot chicken fingers 11.pepper chicken 12.stir fry 13.beef stew 14.chili 15.cabbage 16.pepper steak 17.pot roast and veggies 18.meat loaf 19.seafood gumbo 20.red snapper stew 21.bass 22.spicy shrimp 23.crab cakes-2 oz crab,1 egg,1/4 c. onion,1/4c. bell pepper.Mrs dash to taste,1/4 c. oatmeal. mix all ingredients and fry like pan cakes. add hot sauce. Yum! veggie stew 25.Garlic vinaigrette dressing-1/2 c. balsamic vinegar,1/2 c.nsa garlic vinegar,1 tsp garlic chopped,2 tsp thyme,1/2 tsp ground ginger,splenda to taste. 26.sweet potatoes- 2 lg sweet potatoes,vanilla flavoring,orange flavoring. Mix and bake on 350 for 20 min. 27.candies yams- 4 yams,splenda,cinnamon to taste. bake on 350 till caramelized Have lots more. But i will have to add more later. :O) Hope this helps someone. Sorry it's so "short ans sweet"

Hi Allison: Please keep us posted on Monday .. thanks for the info. of requested tests on Stop the Thyroid Madness site. In the old days, doctors went overboard in unnecessary tests & surgeries, but nowadays insurance put a restriction on that. Over a decade ago my sister wore her hair in an "onion" bun (capped with a metallic hair fastener), they took X-ray and the doc. thought it was a HUGE GOITER, or HUGE THROAT CANCER. They did CT scan & MRI & unnecessary tests just to find out that it's a bundle of hair & metallic cap. I wrote to my insurance asking for further thyroid antibody-test & neck-checking for my 12-year old daughter, and my insurance wrote back " You can submit a pre-authorization request for review. This normally includes a letter of medical necessity with medical records to substantiate the service. This review generally takes 15-20 business days and all responses are made in writing. " From StrawChicago: I will wait for the kelp snack to boost her metabolism, and if she becomes depressed again during the summer, then I will take her for further thyroid-test. When I read through the Earthclinic.com/People's pharmacy website, one person reported solving her hypothyroid just by consuming a few Brazil nuts a day (high in selenium, necessary for normal thyroid function). Another person solved her hypothyroid with Stress-Tabs (Vit. C 120 mg, Thiamin 10mg, Riboflavin 10mg, Niacin 50 mg, Vit. B6 5 mg, Folate 400 mcg, Vit. B12 100mcg, Panthothenic Acid 40 mg, Proprietary Amino Acid Blend 100 mg (Arginine, Glutamine, Taurine), Sensoril extract.). The NON-MEDICATED approach is more effective & less side-effects because it comprises of a vast array of nutrients to boost thyroid health. Plus one can adjust the dose by oneself (less Brazil nut, or less seaweed snack) ... without going through the doctor. There are side effects for Levothyroxine: Insomnia, flushing, muscle pain, fatique, mood swings. There's a long list of side-effects of Synthroid, see the link below: https://synthroidhaters.wordpress.com/synthroid-side-effects/ When I googled, "The problem with Synthroid", there are tons of info. of horrible effects either through buying less-effective generic drugs, or it doesn't work, or the dose is too high, etc. Here's one example: " Saw dr after labs and ultrasound dx cysts on thryoid and hypo put me on generic synthroid.25. On meds for approx 6 weeks became very hoarse to the point of not being able to speak, not sleeping for more than 3 hrs, terrible bloating and gas, increased racing heart and "shaking like tremors". ... Subsequently I felt so bad I stopped the med without her knowlege. Hoarseness, sleeping, hand symptoms and chest fulness, bloating have improved to what they were before starting meds." http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Thyroid-Disorders/problem-with-synthroid/show/1587399 From Stop the thyroid madness site: "Did you know that a healthy thyroid makes five hormones?? They are T4, T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin. T4, also called thyroxine, is simply a storage hormone meant to convert to T3, the active hormone. But a healthy thyroid doesn’t make you totally depend on conversion alone, and also gives you “direct” T3 plus the other hormones above ... Being on a T4-only med means you are missing out on four other hormones directly, and thus, you are being forced to live for conversion alone!" Many people complained that Armour Thyroid (dried pig thyroids) are no longer available, and the chemical Synthroid has tons of side-effects, which they can't handle. See an excerpt from below link: "I had been on Armour thyroid for several years and it worked really well. Unfortunately, my last prescription was put on hold by the manufacturer and I have not been able to get it filled. That was in July 2009. My dr. had to put me on Synthroid instead and I feel terrible now. I have insomnia and anxiety yet my blood tests look fine. I'm not sure what to do now. I've called the pharmacy several times in the last 4 months and Armour is still not available to the public. " http://www.endocrineweb.com/community/hypothyroidism/1288-armour-thyroid-vs-Synthroid "About a year ago I was prescribed Synthroid and almost immediately had a pretty severe reaction to it. Throat swelled, ankles and hands swelled, heart raced ... felt like crap. My doctor switched me to an all natural herbal product called "Innate Thyroid Response." It worked pretty well until just recently. So I'm going back for a tune-up. :o) Doctors and pharmacists are provided ve-e-ery generous "perks" by pharmaceutical reps for pushing what my doctor calls, "designer drugs." The more expensive the drug, the "more effective" it is often touted to be, when often that could not be further from the truth. I would question the motives of a doctor who "insists" that one drug is preferable to another ... especially a tried and true oldie like Armour." Tinyhandz said... 2 years 52 weeks ago "I was on Synthroid for a while and I really did not like the way it made me feel. I was shaky, nervous, couldnt sleep, and I became very anxious over the months that I was taking it." http://www.endocrineweb.com/community/hypothyroidism/1288-armour-thyroid-vs-synthroid

Well, antibiotics are NOT going to help with anemia, and without proper veterinary treatment I'm afraid you're going to lose her. Isn't there another vet around who can really help? If she's doing that bad, she may need a blood transfusion which is expensive, but may save her life in the short term. Anemia is caused by something, and unless and until that cause is found and treated Meshka doesn't have much hope for survival. It depends on how far you can go with treatment of course. If you're not going to do anything else for Meshka, please euthanize her. She is suffering, and slowly dying of anemia is NOT a good death- it will take days. I'm glad the kittens are mostly doing well.