# Trust in your M.D.



## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

Is the lubricant a medical/surgical water based lubricant similar to what they use for humans in medical settings? If so, I would place a bet on Panda reacting to the lubricant.


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## 31818 (Oct 29, 2014)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> I have been passive my whole life and spent many years taking everything every doctor and specialist said without question. Learning to challenge doctors without dismissing their advice and expertise has been the biggest, most important struggle of my life.


Getting back on topic on the subject of canine health care, I would not hesitate to change Ricky's Vet immediately if I lost confidence in his medical abilities. So far, I have been completely satisfied with his service, but because he mostly gives me a choice between "A" and "B" courses of action on any particular medical decision for Ricky, but after weighing the pros and cons, I don't always select the course of action he might take - but mostly I do.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> Is the lubricant a medical/surgical water based lubricant similar to what they use for humans in medical settings? If so, I would place a bet on Panda reacting to the lubricant.


I would assume it is water based, though I’ve only ever seen the residue left in their eyes after surgery. Animals do not close their eyes during anesthesia, so this lube is used specifically to prevent what happened to Panda. (Usually)


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Dogfather, your experience, I think is an EXTREMELY important lesson for everyone as we age, and for people to keep in mind for their aging loved ones. I saw, time and again with my Dad, how things were dismissed or overlooked, often because of his age. Like you, he had a keen mind and did his own research, often coming up with better choices than those originally offered by his docs. As he got MUCH older and more debilitated, my brother and I had to help with this process… not to make decisions for him; he was capable of that to the end, but to wade through the medical system for him. Older people are not treated particularly well in that system.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

The contact lens solution preservative I was allergic to was thimerosol which thankfully is no longer used. Thimerosol is also used as a preservative in some vaccines. Here is an interesting bit about that. Will a vaccine containing thimerosol cause an allergic reaction to a person with a history of sensitivity to thimerosol?






Thimerosal contact sensitivity and vaccination


AAAAI's Ask the Expert talks about Thimerosal contact sensitivity and vaccination.




www.aaaai.org





I assume other preservatives are now used which some people could be allergic too.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

mudpuppymama said:


> The contact lens solution preservative I was allergic to was thimerosol which thankfully is no longer used. Thimerosol is also used as a preservative in some vaccines. Here is an interesting bit about that. Will a vaccine containing thimerosol cause an allergic reaction to a person with a history of sensitivity to thimerosol?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Not sure about that, but I have to be careful about what antibiotics they give to my dogs... I cannot safely handle penicillin or cephalosporin (anaphylaxis) ESPECIALLY when pills need to be cut up, as they often do for small dogs. So I have to remind them any time my dogs are prescribed antibiotics.

My son has a worse allergy in terms of medical stuff. He has an anaphylactic allergy to latex. (which has almost killed him several times... severe enough that they had an aid on his bus through school, carrying an epi-pen, because when he went down, it was so fast that he couldn't use it himself) So ALL his vaccines have to be ordered in a different kind of vil, with a different type of stopper rather than they typical rubber one that they push the needle through. Same thing any time he is hospitalized for anything or has surgery, he is tagged and labeled ALL OVER, so they know that all IV set-ups etc. have to be special ones with NO latex components. Even the tourniquets used to start an IV have to be special ones.

...Of course he ALSO tried to use his allergy to get out of vacuuming... "I can't possibly vacuum my room! Look at my hand! It's swelling up! The handle must have latex in it!!!" 

"No problem, honey, I can fix that for you! I'll just tape a plastic bag on the handle for you!"


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

krandall said:


> Not sure about that, but I have to be careful about what antibiotics they give to my dogs... I cannot safely handle penicillin or cephalosporin (anaphylaxis) ESPECIALLY when pills need to be cut up, as they often do for small dogs. So I have to remind them any time my dogs are prescribed antibiotics.
> 
> My son has a worse allergy in terms of medical stuff. He has an anaphylactic allergy to latex. (which has almost killed him several times... severe enough that they had an aid on his bus through school, carrying an epi-pen, because when he went down, it was so fast that he couldn't use it himself) So ALL his vaccines have to be ordered in a different kind of vil, with a different type of stopper rather than they typical rubber one that they push the needle through. Same thing any time he is hospitalized for anything or has surgery, he is tagged and labeled ALL OVER, so they know that all IV set-ups etc. have to be special ones with NO latex components. Even the tourniquets used to start an IV have to be special ones.
> 
> ...


Wow that is scary. I guess we normally look at the contents of something...not the container!!!! YIKES! So many chemicals these days. Who knows what sensitivities individuals may have!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

mudpuppymama said:


> Wow that is scary. I guess we normally look at the contents of something...not the container!!!! YIKES! So many chemicals these days. Who knows what sensitivities individuals may have!


It took a LONG time to figure out what was causing his anaphylaxis, because it APPEARED to be “random” foods, but ALWAYS after eating out. Eventually we figured out that it was any food touched with a latex glove. Since then, they have outlawed the use of latex gloves in food prep in MA, because so many food workers were developing skin problems from them. But his kind of allergy, from ingestion is MUCH rarer. But anyway, it is rarely a problem when eating out now, because most places use nitrile gloves now. If he eats out, out of state, he ALWAYS requests to see the box of gloves used in food prep, because kitchen staff rarely even knows what words on a label can signify that theremay be latex in gloves, and if they are used in the kitchen at all, he can’t safely eat there.

One of his worst reaction was when they were (without his knowledge) using those paint sprayers to psint the common areas of his university campus. They almost killed him that time. He was in the hospital for several days from the aerosolized latex. (It WAS in his records, it was a staff screw-up that he wasn‘t notified) The dean was horrified, and from then on, they were SUPER cautious! We only use non-latex Ben Moore Natura low VOC paint in our home because of him, although he seems to be OK around dried latex paint.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

krandall said:


> It took a LONG time to figure out what was causing his anaphylaxis, because it APPEARED to be “random” foods, but ALWAYS after eating out. Eventually we figured out that it was any food touched with a latex glove. Since then, they have outlawed the use of latex gloves in food prep in MA, because so many food workers were developing skin problems from them. But his kind of allergy, from ingestion is MUCH rarer. But anyway, it is rarely a problem when eating out now, because most places use nitrile gloves now. If he eats out, out of state, he ALWAYS requests to see the box of gloves used in food prep, because kitchen staff rarely even knows what words on a label can signify that theremay be latex in gloves, and if they are used in the kitchen at all, he can’t safely eat there.
> 
> One of his worst reaction was when they were (without his knowledge) using those paint sprayers to psint the common areas of his university campus. They almost killed him that time. He was in the hospital for several days from the aerosolized latex. (It WAS in his records, it was a staff screw-up that he wasn‘t notified) The dean was horrified, and from then on, they were SUPER cautious! We only use non-latex Ben Moore Natura low VOC paint in our home because of him, although he seems to be OK around dried latex paint.


Wow that is amazing. I knew about latex allergies but not from ingestion. It is interesting how people are so different. My dad was deadly allergic to shellfish.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

mudpuppymama said:


> Wow that is amazing. I knew about latex allergies but not from ingestion. It is interesting how people are so different. My dad was deadly allergic to shellfish.



It took YEARS to figure it out... They even worked him up for strange kinds of leukemia they were so stumped by what was going on.


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

I’m so confused, I thought I responded to Panda’s possible reaction to the surgical lubricant? Did I start a new thread? I can’t tell if I somehow messed up the view again.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> I’m so confused, I thought I responded to Panda’s possible reaction to the surgical lubricant? Did I start a new thread? I can’t tell if I somehow messed up the view again.


I hve a feeling the Dogfther tidied us up.  I think it cut in a wierd place, because HE wrote his post about his experience with hos docs, and YOU wrote your post about the lubricants, and they both moved over. A lot of the responses have been to the “reaction” issue, so it’s STILL all meesed up. It’s hard to keep the HF conversational kangaroos all jumping in the same direction!


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

krandall said:


> I hve a feeling the Dogfther tidied us up.  I think it cut in a wierd place, because HE wrote his post about his experience with hos docs, and YOU wrote your post about the lubricants, and they both moved over. A lot of the responses have been to the “reaction” issue, so it’s STILL all meesed up. It’s hard to keep the HF conversational kangaroos all jumping in the same direction!


I know that DogFather moves things to make it easier to search for later, but I kind of liked how random conversations ended up being here. In fact, that was a theme running through the paper I wrote a few years ago using the forum as a community. Which reminds me (many years later) that I'm not sure I ever actually posted it on the site. I'll start a new thread with it.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

I can see where the moderators may want to remind us to stay on topic or start a new thread, however I would take offense at a moderator starting a new thread making it look like I started it, particularly when the title had absolutely nothing to do with what I was trying to say. This is what happened to Eva IMO which is why she is flabbergasted.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Melissa Brill said:


> I know that DogFather moves things to make it easier to search for later, but I kind of liked how random conversations ended up being here. In fact, that was a theme running through the paper I wrote a few years ago using the forum as a community. Which reminds me (many years later) that I'm not sure I ever actually posted it on the site. I'll start a new thread with it.


I think sometimes it works better than others. Sometimes when I KNOW it’s going off in an important new direction, I’ll start a new thread. Sometimes it morphs gradually, as this one did. Her eye infection/ possible lube reaction was a side effect of her spay, and on from there… I DID post separately on trusting your vet…


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

mudpuppymama said:


> I can see where the moderators may want to remind us to stay on topic or start a new thread, however I would take offense at a moderator starting a new thread making it look like I started it, particularly when the title had absolutely nothing to do with what I was trying to say. This is what happened to Eva IMO which is why she is flabbergasted.


Right, and I’m also not sure it belongs in the coffee shop… this issue of eye lube used in veterinary surgery is something people should be aware of, in case it happens in their own dog in the future. So I think it would make sense for it to be in the “Health” section where people can find it more easily. The fact that this kind of thing happens in humans too isn’t surprising; humans are mammals too.


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

I don’t understand how my comment about my experience with surgical lubricant and questioning doctors didn’t relate to Panda and Karen’s experience with surgical the lubricant and questioning veterinarians, but I’m not upset about it. I was embarrassed I might have accidentally started a new thread on a somewhat personal matter regarding surgical lubricant without realizing it. It reminds me not to overshare and I’m glad I didn’t provide more specifics to explain why we have so much experience with surgical lubricant  Also, I don’t remember for sure, but I think we switched either away from or to glycerin. It took a while to find one that was also sterile and inhibited bacterial growth.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> I don’t understand how my comment about my experience with surgical lubricant and questioning doctors didn’t relate to Panda and Karen’s experience with surgical the lubricant and questioning veterinarians, but I’m not upset about it. I was embarrassed I might have accidentally started a new thread on a somewhat personal matter regarding surgical lubricant without realizing it. It reminds me not to overshare and I’m glad I didn’t provide more specifics to explain why we have so much experience with surgical lubricant  Also, I don’t remember for sure, but I think we switched either away from or to glycerin. It took a while to find one that was also sterile and inhibited bacterial growth.


The person who starts a thread can change the name of a thread now, I think. And it WAS originally MY thread. Unfortunately, since _I_ did not split this off, I can;'t change the name of the thread to anything that REMOTELY has anything to do with the actual subject matter. I'm not sure how this thread title helps anyone know what's in it...


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> I don’t understand how my comment about my experience with surgical lubricant and questioning doctors didn’t relate to Panda and Karen’s experience with surgical the lubricant and questioning veterinarians, but I’m not upset about it. I was embarrassed I might have accidentally started a new thread on a somewhat personal matter regarding surgical lubricant without realizing it. It reminds me not to overshare and I’m glad I didn’t provide more specifics to explain why we have so much experience with surgical lubricant  Also, I don’t remember for sure, but I think we switched either away from or to glycerin. It took a while to find one that was also sterile and inhibited bacterial growth.


Eva, your are a much nicer person than me. I do not want any moderator starting a new thread FOR ME. If they think a new thread is necessary, I would like to be politely asked to do so. And if they start one for me with a subject that has nothing to do with what I said I would be furious,

In other groups I belong to, new members are monitored closely to make sure they are legitimate and help them abide by the rules. Long standing members who have put lots of time and effort into helping others are no longer monitored and treated with respect.

A warning was recently issued in a thread about not bashing dog food brands. I assume this was directed at me, however no brand was mentioned,

I appreciate the moderators putting time and effort into moderating. However, let’s not go overboard so that people are totally paranoid about what they post. And let’s not publicly shame people who accidentally go off topic. And heaven forbid, please do not start threads for other people. Let people start their own.




Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPad


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

I realized that if I didn’t feel comfortable with what I wrote front and center, I probably shouldn’t have shared it at all. Sometimes I give more information in response to someone else than I would normally share online independently, in the excitement of having a similar experience. I edited my original post and realized that might seem confusing.


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