Hi, the only thing they will find out thru blood work is if she has Pancreatitis, with Pancreatitis they are in a lot of pain, right side, under rib cage & they either lie with their front 2 legs stretched out & their bum in the air or sit in the praying position, if you touch around her Pancreatitis/stomach area they normally flinch & don’t like you touching that area, they vomit up their food, some dogs need to be put on a drip because of the vomiting & vomiting.. There’s no blood test for the stomach acid reflux…..
Ask your vet what would be the best test to do where we’ll get results, some vets don’t have to Endoscope equipment, so they don’t recommend doing it cause you’ll need to see another vet so they do all the other test first.. I went down the same road, started with medications & Patch seem like he was getting better then he started to vomit up his food, eat grass some mornings when he first woke up, burping after eating..then we’d have a few good days, so I thought, Oh he’s getting better…after trying medications things didn’t improve so I asked for fecal test, it came back no parasites…then I asked for CBC & A cpL test (Pancreatitis test) $230 results came back all good… months went by then Patch was ill again pain right side all the symptoms for Pancreatitis so this time I asked for an Ultra Scan $450 came back all good..we were back & forth to vets, I tried probiotic, which now Ive been told to stop & stop any foods with prebiotics (Beet pulp) I tried new diets, I lowered the fat% cause of his burping & acid reflux, I lowered the protein, it seemed to help..
I tried everything that people recommended…then I thought that’s it. I was sick of watching Patch suffer, in the beginning he’d just have 1 off day then after 1 & 1/2 year & after I tried a new diet Patch got worse, waking up burping up acid into his throat & burnt his throat, he couldn’t swallow, he was put on more meds Patches vet Sue wasn’t in so I got Johnathon the vet that loves steroids & Royal Canine vet diets Patches first vet at the Small Animal Hospital..Johnathon prescribed Prednisone Carafate & Losec for 3 weeks..I never gave the Prednisone cause I thought he has bad acid reflux already & prednisone is known to cause acid reflux with some people & animals…
I made a deal with myself if Patch isn’t better by his birthday 20/11/ 2014
I’m putting him to sleep, his birthday was the day I rescued him 20/10/2012
I had him for 2 years & we were always at the vet in the end Sue the vet would just ring me for free & ask hows Patch been doing, if I needed more meds she leave me a script & I’d just get Patches meds from my chemist real cheap cheaper then the vet charged….the only problem was Sue always wanted to open him up & do biopsies saying “its IBD the only way you’ll know is if we open him & do biopsies,” so I joined a IBD group & started asking question & the ladies said you don’t need to open Patch up just have the Endoscope & biopsies done & you will get some answers, so last December I went to my vet & booked Patch in with the best vet there Simon, Patch was diagnosed with Lymphocytic Gastritis & inflammation of the stomach cause the Helicobacter was left for so long vets think he has had the Helicobacter from a pup & caught it from his mom, Oh well he’s getting the treatment final after 6 years cause hes 6 years old now..
I did everything I could think to do, except one test, a Endoscope + biopsies that Johnathon Patches first vet suggested I do in the beginning but I changed vets to Sue & we went around & around in a circle, she just would ask “How’s Patches poo’s” I’d say really good, then she’d say “alright keep him on what your feeding him” I’d say BUT
It’s not that easy, LM just go to a 24hr vet & getting results there & then, the vet would just do a in house blood test, if the tests come back all good the vet normally just sends you home with some meds & a vet diet food probably the Hills I/d Low Fat restore & that’s it, you then have to go to your regular vet for a follow up..
I’m not saying Bella has the Helicobacter or stomach ulcers the 2 normally come together, but you will save money in the long run, going straight to the top & have an Endoscope + Biopsies & you will get results from the Biopsies & you’ll have a answer to all Bellas health problems & its sooooooooo stressful, Patch has become the son I lost years ago he’s my little boy & when he feels well & he’s not feeling sick, he’s a little monster, barks at me to get off the computer & take him for his 9.30 walk, runs up to any dog to say hello, gets bashed up sometimes, some little dogs bite or a cat karate chops him over the head, he just walks off wagging his tail, people say how healthy he looks shinny coat, you’d never know he has IBD…
