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Coach - Coon Rapids, MN ESRA # 2002-440MN Age: 7 Gender: Neutered Male Color: Black/White Weight: 45-50 lb. Variety: Bench/Show Bred

Coach has a very high liver enzyme count and we don't know why. His foster home has taken him to the vet several times. He had another exam recently to check his liver levels. His enzyme readings are still abnormal and on the rise again. What we know at this point is that he definitely has liver disease and it may not be curable.

Two options are open to us. One is to monitor him. This would mean check ups every three months to track the progress of the disease and try to maintain a good quality of life for as long as possible through diet and possibly medications. The other is to continue diagnostic testing for the purpose of determining the form of the disease and to determine if it can be managed. If these tests do not determine the problem, the only thing left is an ultrasound with a biopsy. If the disease can be managed, the veterinarian thinks Coach will be able to reach the lower end of life expectancy for an ESS.

On the plus side, Coach is not showing any signs of illness. He has a great appetite and his energy level is out of sight. When taken to a leash free dog park recently, Coach ran and ran for a full hour. When he got home, he acted like he could go right back outside and run for another hour. His diet recently changed to Purina NF which is formulated especially for dogs with kidney and/or liver problems.

A note from his foster dad: Coach is fully house trained and does not need reminders. He is in an obedience class, and he knows or is learning the following commands: sit, stay, come, down, stand, and heel. He does heel very well with a training collar. He is very active. He is okay with cats. He has been good with our other dog. He is very friendly, and thinks he is a lap dog. Someone will fall in love with this guy soon!

Update Sep, 2003: Coach's vet thinks that Coach has something called Hepatic Nodular Hyperplasia. Apparently it is a condition in which the liver goes through some changes as some dogs get older. The changes can include
benign growths or lesions on the liver. It is not usually life threatening or lifestyle altering for the dog. As long as Coach appears to be healthy, there is nothing to worry about. We were told he will not have to get any more special tests. So the news is very good. The vet said it is a very difficult condition to diagnose. Coach also has a tooth condition but the vet gave him new medicine so we don't have to pull two more teeth.

He is healthy, active, very muscular, and loves to run!! We are lucky that it turned out so good for Coach. Thank you to all of you for all of your efforts and prayers.

For additional information about Coach, contact ESRA's regional coordinator Kathy Raidt

COACH'S GENEROUS SPONSORS WHO MADE IT ALL POSSIBLE:
Kathy & Bernard Raidt	Thank you, Kathy, for being my very first sponsor. Love, Coach
Jason Davis	In memory of Shadow, who touched our hearts with a tail that never stopped wagging
Nancy Lewin	In memory of Ranger
B.A. Breese
Nancy Balthazor	In memory of Molly
Shelley Kerber	A gift for Coach from our Silly Millie
Gary and Margaret Hanes	In memory of Little Maddie from Texas.