[Jaky S]

I’m no doctor but that sounds like an auto-immune disorder. I got with a pet homepath to help my cat recover from chronic wheezing. Our healer passed away sadly but I learned a lot about how to support our pets immune system. Maybe you can find one for a consult. Have you tried home cooked meals, removing toxins from the house, switching to stainless bowls, feeding home grown probiotics like milk kefir, try turmeric & pepper, goat milk from primal? My dogs don’t do well on grain free but we feed Tender and True and they do great but I cook for them too.

[Jody M]

Good Evening. I’m new to this website. I have a 4 year old Bahamian Potcake. He has canine hepatitis, one FHO hip and one full hip replacement. We have been thru a lot. The IM doctors want me to change his food from bison, brown rice and organic carrots to Royal Canine HP. They believe he may have IBS because of high ALT numbers thru out Finns life. His stools are soft and mushy. I know this is not normal but I just read the ingredients in Royal Canine HP and wow it sounds terrible. Finn is on the Balance IT supplement but this also upsets his stomach. He has to have low or no copper in a supplement because of his canine hepitaias. Does anyone out there have any suggestions how I could improve his diet to help my little buddy with the IBS without switching to a commercial dog food? And maybe a different vitamin supplement to complete his home cooked diet? Any help I would be much appreciated!!!!!

[pitlove]

I think there are meat grinders available that are still good quality but not extremely expensive. You could also check Goodwill like Anon said or even Craigslist for people selling used ones for cheap. Also The Raw Feeding Community has a facebook page. People may have suggestions for you on that page for a cheap but good grinder.

As far as cancer goes, I don’t think its as one dimentional of a disease process as some of the holistic minded doctors are making it out to be. I know Rodney Habib and Karen Becker shout loud about how its kibble that is the leading cause of cancer, but they are missing so much of the bigger picture. Cancer is caused from genetics or environment or both. Sometimes it is genetic. That being that case, the dog eating raw isn’t going to prevent the cancer. There are also dogs on raw that will develop cancer. There is also breed disposition. Golden Retrievers are a prime example, but there is a small group of ethical breeders working very hard to breed cancer out of the breed. Our pets are living so much longer now due to vaccines and proper vet care that we are getting to see them live to older ages and see cancer develop. People say our pets werent getting cancer as frequently decades ago. But the quality of care we are providing our pets has grown a lot since then. I think it has more to do with that than kibble.

I don’t personally feed raw to my dogs, but I am not 100% against the idea of it. I understand the concept of feeding fresh foods to pets, just as humans try to eat fresh foods. I don’t however buy into the grain free, high protein etc etc kibble trend.

[ivy c]

Yes, you’ll be able to provide Tramadol to dogs provided there’s a legitimate prescription with the proper dose data. Dogs expertise painful health problem and conjointlyinjuries, necessitating the employment of the pain medication Tramadol. The opioid-like pain reliever is prescribed for dogs only the medication is taken into accountbecause the best suited one for pain relief.
Tramadol, conjointly on the market in brand Ultram, is also used preponderantly in humans however constant came be employed in dogs further. Of course, the medication ought to be within the right dose strength. like humans, the employment of Tramadol in dogs ought to be through with the suitable precautions when consulting with the doctor. If administered right, Tramadol may be terribly helpful in managing the health problem or recovery of the dog.

When is Tramadol administered to dogs?

Tramadol is employed in dogs for pain relief almost like the means it’s in humans. The drug will facilitate manage conditions like cancer treatment connected pain, degenerative joint disease and different chronic sicknesses, chronic pain, and post-surgery. The dose is calculated per the load of the dog and adjusted reckoning on the dog’s response to the medication. Multiple doses is also administered in an exceedingly day, and it should take a couple of days to visualize improvement within the pain symptoms.

What ought to i do know before giving Tramadol to my dog?

Tramadol for dogs ought to lean within the right means for the foremost effective results. aspect effects will occur similar that experienced by humans. Drug dose also canbe cyanogenic for the dog. it’s suggested to stay track of the doses administered. Dogs area unit sometimes prescribed to require immediate unharness Tramadol pill. The extended unharness version isn’t suggested because the capsule is also chewed or broken the mouth itself, and also the effects will raise the danger of aspect effects.

Another word of caution is that the Tramadol utilized by humans might not be appropriate for the dog. parenthetically, individuals can purchase Tramadol and use it together with another pain relieving drug which will not be appropriate for dogs. Administering this medication may be harmful and you must perpetually discuss with the doctor for any Tramadol dose or name whole alterations.

What is the most effective thanks to provide Tramadol to my dog?

Dogs may be quite clever in avoiding swallowing the medication. The pet owner will insert the Tramadol pill within a scoop of food and build the dog swallow it simply. Else, the mouth of the dog ought to be command open gently and also the Tramadol pill pushed down the throat in order that it’s to be enveloped. For quicker pain relief, Tramadol injections or IV works best and also the doctor will administer the pain medication for your dog.

[black m]

Help me, my dog vomited everytime he eat, I’ve gave him to the doctor but he said it was a normal phenomenon. I’m still worry. any help? thanks

• This topic was modified 7 years, 7 months ago by black m.

[Madison L]

Hi, Christopher.

Thank you so much for the information.

I find it interesting that most doctors would claim a vegan diet is unhealthy, solely based on the fact that I have received the opposite insight from doctors, (considering they are indeed talking about my overall health entirely). I do agree, however, if they deemed a vegan diet not as healthy as a omnivorous diet, I would still choose to be a vegan for ethical and environmental reasons.

I ask the following question in the least offensive way possible: why is it your dog is still fed a vegan diet if it is the healthiest choice, and you yourself do not avoid consuming meat and dairy products? I do understand your dog will eat what you feed her, healthy or unhealthy. We control what we consume as well.

How do you prepare the additional vitamins, minerals, and enzymes? Do you include these mixed in with the dry kibble? Does Nature’s Balance test on animals? Also, does your dog need to consume more of the vegan dry food than she would a meat and vegetable-based kibble? My coonhound eats four meals each day: 3.5 cups dry and 1/4 cup wet, in total per day. He has a high energy level and metabolism, and we hike/walk/play outside for about 2-3 hours per day, through ought the day.

I am very interested in learning more about dogs on vegan diets. If it is like you said, that doctors and veterinarians are not educated in nutrition and do not support a vegan diet, who do we speak to about it to learn more about a dog’s nutritional needs? (Aside from what we’re doing right now).

[Christopher E]

Madison et al… I started this thread when I myself was eating a vegan diet. Although I still believe that eating vegan is the healthiest choice for both myself and my dog, I didn’t have the conviction necessary to stay away from meat and dairy, which I love. But my dog, on the other hand, has to eat what I give her. Clearly she would prefer a steak over a carrot… as would most any human; but I have decided what I believe to be the healthiest diet for her… which is a diet low in carcinogens and, more importantly cancer growing fuel… cancer is, after all, the number one killer among K9s.

Madison, I understand that you feel a need to defer to what your vet tells you, but there is a flaw in your logic… doctors, by and large, do not know anything about nutrition. Medical schools have only recently begun offering basic introductory courses on nutrition… it is just not what they are trained for.

99%+ of doctors (human) who would actually be willing to discuss diet with you would tell you that eating a 100% vegan diet is not healthy… but you still do it.

I am not pushing my ideals/morality/etc onto my dog as many other posters have stated or alluded to. Even when I was eating vegan I was doing it solely for health reasons. Don’t get me wrong, I was also happy that I was creating less of a negative impact on the environment and that animals were not being mistreated because of my diet… but those were just added benefits.

I feed my dog nature’s balance vegan dry kibble, along with a plethora of supplements (see below), simply because I want for her to live another 10 years and remain as energetic, lucid and healthy as she always has been.

(Vitamins: A,D,E,C,K,B-1,2,6,12,Panthothenic Acid, Folic Acid, Paba, Choline, Inositol, Rutin,Biotin; Minerals: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, Cooper, manganese, iodine, sulphuric, silica, molybdenum, boron, selenium, iron; Protein: alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, asparagine, cystine, cystiene, glycine, glutamic acid, histidine, hydroxyproline, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methsonine, valine, ornithine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, glutamine, tyrosine, taurine; Enzymes: amlase, trypsin, papain, lipase, protease, protease, bromelain, pepsin, ditase, pectase; Essential Farty Acids: arachidonic acid, linolenic acid, linoleic acid, oleic acid (Norwegian Kelp, ground Flaxseed, nutritional yeast, garlic, calcium citrate, lecithin, borage seed, lactobacillus, acidophilus + amino acids and enzymes))

[Vicky F]

My little dog Jack was suffering with severe belly bloat filled with fluid. Had to have it drained 3 times. Took him to an Internal Medical doctor who put him on a Lasix diuretic called Furosemide. Highly recommend for the fluid in the belly. It was a miracle, his belly bloat is gone but is now skin and bones. Doctor said to get weight on him asap before organ failure. I’ve been giving him boiled chicken mixed with white rice and mixed vegetables and kibble offered all day. He seems to be getting tired of both and I’m looking for ideas to fatten him up quick.

[sandra c]

My cocker just turned 9 and I always fed him Rachael Ray dog food. He was going poop two and three times a day. I changed his dog food to Earthborn dog food about six months ago and it has been fine. He has had the loose stools for four days. On the third day and fourth day I was feeding him rice and baby food. Took him to the vet and he said he had coilitis and sent home with perscription. He seemed better after a week but he started having the dirreaha again so I took him back to the vet. He got a shot of penisillon and more pills. Dr. said call him back if he is not better in three days. It has been two days and he is still straining and with the loose stools. Doctor told me to have him eat his dog food again and I was putting baby food in it again. I can tell how badly he feels and he has already lost nine pounds. Could this be his food? What should I feed him now? I am at a loss for my poor little guy.

[Lewis F]

As promised in my post above, I brought Sophie in for her 6 month check-up and Bordello vaccination. The Doctor drew blood and the results will be back tomorrow. We did not draw blood for the determination of metals, but the broad scan to see if any of the levels would indicate there was a problem “brewing”. I will share the result shortly after I receive them.

I did ask the Doctor if he had heard of the Class Action suit against Champion and of course he said yes. In fact, he said a quite a few patients that were either using Acana or Orijen and was familiar with the charges. His view has been the same to all of his patients, and that is if your pet is showing no signs of a problem with either Acana or Orijen over time (Sophie being 16 months), then monitor the suit, get blood work done at your pet’s physical and stay the course. If there is any indication of a problem with the blood work we will do further testing and then evaluate a course of action. He did agree with Mike Sagman, that there too many unknowns in what is driving the the accusations.

[MaryLou M]

Just following up on this topic. Similar experience to Andy M. We have been feeding our two labradoodles (8 and 10 yrs old) Kirkland Signature dry dog food for years. We have tried a variety of the flavors over the years and overall have been happy. We prefer the mature dog food version but our local Costco (Camillus, NY) doesn’t carry it so we have been feeding the Kirkland’s Signature Adult Dog Chicken Rice, and Vegetables formula (dry, red bag) for the past year and a half. We purchased a new bag last week and suddenly we are having issues. When we gave them their first bowls from the new bag, they took one whiff and walked away; they wouldn’t eat it. The older dog (that is ALWAYS hungry) caved sooner and eventually ate it. The younger dog could not bring herself to eat it, hours later looking at me wanting something else. This has gone on for a few days now. I have been “doctoring” it up with a little canned cat food (a favorite treat of theirs that they are well accustomed to and does not cause them problems.) She eventually eats it but does appear to be not too happy about it. She now has diarrhea and is leaving small cow plops everywhere. She is also acting a bit lethargic. I would not be so quick to think it is the food if it had clearly not smelled right to them from the beginning of the bag. I sure hope we are not seeing another issue like a few years ago. Is anyone else having similar problems? I too don’t know what to do.

[pitlove]

Hi Jo C-

There is no accurate test out there for food allergies. The serum testing is notorious for false positives and false negatives.

Each of those are different immunoglobulins in the body that are responsible for setting off certain histamine reactions. This SHOULD have been explained to you by the doctor that did the testing, but clearly it was not which makes these results useless as you can’t interpert them well.

If you want to do this correctly, you will need to start over and conduct a proper elimination diet. It is the gold standard for accessing food allergies. An elimination diet can be done a couple different ways.

Option 1: A home cooked diet of a single novel protein (something your dog has never had before) and a single carbohydrate (again, one your dog has never had before). This is to be the SOLE diet for 3 months. No treats, no table scraps, no flavored medications, no food from other pets, no dental chews, nothing at all but the diet.

Option 2: A commercially prepared hydrolyzed protein diet from the vet’s office. Same rules apply here. With these diets the protein molecules are so small that the bodys immune system does not recognize them as a threat and will not form a histamine reaction.

Once the 3 months is up, you can then do a food challenge and reintroduce the old food to see if the symptoms come back. If the dog is positive for food allergies, he/she should have improved over the course of the elimination trial. If the allergies are due to something in the environment, its likely no change in symptoms would occur.

This is very hard to do for most pet owners, but when done correctly will give you a definite answer as to if the dog has food allergies. Sorry, to say, but I would throw out your results from the serum test and see if you can get your money back. There has been an overwhelming amount of research proving that the reliability of those tests is very low.

[Michael S]

I’ll ad my two cents worth. I rescued my dog 3 years ago. He was 9 1/2 months old. Acana is the only dry food I have ever fed him (every other evening I’ll add some canned food to his meal). I rotate him between several of Acana’s recipes. At our yearly exams my vet (each of the doctors I see at the office) always raves about the excellent condition my dog is in. He maintains a perfect weight (he was vastly underweight when I adopted him). He has had no health issues. Acana is his staple food.

When The Clean Label Project reared it’s dubious head, red flags were immediately raised by experts and regular people with common sense. People need to be very cautious when buying into the con job they’re selling…and people need to be very cautious believing Truth About Petfood. That blog has turned fear mongering into a cottage industry, and I was not in least surprised when they allowed Clean Label Project to solicit consumer information from their site.

If you aren’t familiar with The Clean Label Project here are a couple of links that might give you food for thought.

https://therawfeedingcommunity.com/2017/06/20/why-wont-clean-label-project-listen-to-concerned-pet-owners/

http://www.chadhayesmd.com/the-clean-label-project-is-playing-dirty/

[Lisa K]

I can almost 100% tell you that your dogs seizures came from the food you are feeding them.

My dog Horus ( Shih Tzu Chihuahua mix. Completely Shih in apearence) 5 years old at the time, was perfectly healthy. I had been feeding him Prina One dog food. At the time I was unaware of what Raw dog food and thought I was feeding a good quality brand of Purina. Well one day he just feel over and his body seized, foam started coming out his mouth, his eyes bucked out. I grab him up hysterically thinking he was having a heart attack. I was about to try CPR on him, when he snap out of it and jumped up, and began running around. I got online immediately and started searching for a reason by symptoms. I came to the conclusion it was a seizure and hoped it would not happen again. A few days went by and he had another one, but this time he began having them every 30 mins to an hour in between. I rush him to the vet. They administered phenobarbital and did blood work. His readings were normal with a slightly elevated liver, which the vet said could be the problem but he was not sure. I took him home with a prescription. The doctor said he would need these meds for the rest of his life. I didn’t believe him because that’s what they said about my daughter when she was one. The doctors gave her to high a does once and I pulled her off the meds. She’s 26 now and has never had another seizure, but I gave Horus the meds as prescribed. One day the thought hit me that it could be his food. I started researching the brand I was feeding him and discovered that Purina had several law suites against them for seizure related issues. I was stunned. I continued to research to find what I should be feeding him and found out the a Raw food diet was the best options for dogs. After more research on quality and the best brands I immediately ordered his Raw food. Over the next few weeks I whenned him off the meds. For the next 2 years he never had another Seizure.

Now 3 weeks ago I forgot to order his food and had to get a bag from the market. This time I got Pedigree until his food could arrive. Big mistake. 2 days into the Pedigree he began having seizures again. I rushed him to the vet emergency because he was not recovering from it. They just kept coming. They put him on Keppra and Potassium Bromide which did absolutely nothing to stop the seizures and later his normal vet told me vets sale this stuff to make more money. It does not work, and it’s way more expensive then phenobarbital. My vet gave him one shot of phenobarbital and started Horus on a regiment of vitimains, Enzymes and Amino Acids along with a suggestion to purchase a product called Vet CBD, which I got immediately after leaving her office. These along with the Raw food should help in his recovery. She also said that he may have some brain damage because of the severity of his seizure this time. It has now been 1 week and Horus has not had another seizure. I am still working on his recovery as I do think he may have suffered some brain damage as he will not stop endlessly pacing. He has a wonderful appetite and his blood work remains good.

With all this said, I do see that your pooch is on a raw food diet, but I would also suggest you get her started on supplements also. What she recommended was: Arthur Dex joint support for all animals given by weight of dog, Ultimate Daily Classic 1/2 pill daily, and Ultimate Selenium1/2 pill daily, All by a company called Youngevity which you can get on Amazon. The Vet CBD I’m not sure you can get. It depends on the state you live in. I’m in California and Cannabis is legal here.

I hope some of the info I left helps you in some way.

[zcRiley]

I would rather starve my dogs than give them yeast culture and Dried Bacillus Coagulans Fermentation Product. The whole probiotic rage that doctors are still trying to push cuz you replace or increase the good bacteria in the gut? No such thing, never proven and is now being taken off the shelves for humans.

Zignature, all the way, to forever. My dogs don’t look that way cuz of my kisses!

[Christi G]

Get Dandelion root supplements for the bloating… I actually take it myself – maya’s not really overly bloated so she’s not getting it but she did bloat for a few days and that’s when I ordered it – more for me – not Maya. It has a lot of medicinal benefits and is cheap. For a dog your size, I would do 2 of these in the morning (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002IWCLU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1) . I’ve read great things about it and my I don’t have any bloating myself. Also, give him ginger supplements for his nausea. Maya’s doing well but my sister wanted to wean her back on to her dry food. Is your dog on a probiotic? I suggest this because it chock full of supplements and vitamins and dogs love the taste. One tub will last you about 2.5 months: http://www.gnc.com/dog-multivitamins/341085.html?mrkgcl=1098&mrkgadid=3200889428&rkg_id=h-876542dade62516db72bd07b9aef859c_t-1520201684&product_id=341085&flagtype=brand&vendor=none&channel=ppc&adpos=1o1&creative=189757865686&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=CjwKCAiAz-7UBRBAEiwAVrz-9e9uY6iLC8kTrcBew5YVlkiombzLsfzn7aJnIzn5CfR4ZM51zItEJhoCYCgQAvD_BwE

Maya is getting much less food at her normal meals because I’m home to give her the mini meals. I think that has prevented the bloating as well. She’s about 58lbs – she gets about 1/3 cup of her dry food, 1/2 cup of white rice (the GNC supplement mixes well with the rice) and about 1/3 of a large boiled chicken breast for b’fast and dinner. For lunch and late dinner she gets green beans (about 1/3 cup) and more of the same amount of chicken. My sister asked to not give her the CLA or coconut oil any longer but I truly feel it was beneficial. She gained about 3 lbs and was highly energetic… but she’s doing well now just lost a little weight. 🙁 I had to step back and realize this was not my dog but my sister’s and her wishes are what I need to abide by… but the info from this post is what she is currently getting and I still think the info from my last post was good info. If you start your dog on coconut oil – which I would not do at this point – maybe if you can get his health under control then you can (maybe a 1/2 tbsp in the AM for his size – but start out at 1/4 tbsp for a few days as he will get diarrhea if you start him out on too much to soon… that didn’t happen with Maya but it did with me last year when I started taking coconut oil!). Maybe if you give him a normal breakfast and then an early smaller dinner and then a mini meal (I mean, were talking green beans and rice and chicken – much less than your dry food) around 7 or 8, it will help. I’m personally not a fan of any dry food but fromm’s and it’s very expensive but when I see things like meat by-product and meat parts on the side of a bag of food that costs almost $100 (a very large bag) it just pisses me off! As far as the CLA, I would just puncture and squeeze out the liquid onto his food – just one in the AM (this is the one I gave maya: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MT0OT71/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

PLEASE REMEMBER – I AM NOT A VET OR A DOCTOR OF ANY KIND AND AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT OR HOW YOU USE THE INFORMATION I HAVE GIVEN. I am only sharing my own experiences over the past 3 months since Maya was taken off her meds…. I think she’s better off without them. I mean, who wants to take chemo meds for the rest of their lif?

I think VETs get overly invested in “specialty” dry dog food without really even knowing the shit-crap they put in that food and in prescribing meds without doing any other research involving natural supplements.

FIRST thing though – you need to get him on a probiotic. That can help “even out” what’s going on in his gut… and that has a positive effect on other things. AND get the Dandelion Root. Order through amazon with the links I gave you and if you don’t have it, sign up for a trial prime account so you can get them within 2 days! Also, with the GNC supplement/probiotic powder, you can sign up for auto delivery and get it for $18… just go back and either cancel the auto-delivery later and/or change the delivery to like 2 months or so based on your dogs usage. Given his weight, the tub will last you at least 2.5 months. Read the directions and start out with a smaller dose for a few days and then the whole dose once his body is used to it. I would not do coconut oil until you get his bloating and throwing up under control. I truly hope this helps… and I hope vets will start taking a more holistic approach to treating dogs… and instead of insisting on dog food that they sell, think about how simple meals with good supplements can benefit the dog… and not how the vet’s dog food can supplement their bank accounts!

[Terri L]

My shitzu/maltese has colitis. My doctor recommended Natural balance LTD sweet potato & venison formula. So far this has really worked for her. I have to also mention she is on Tylan powder for about 5 years now everyday. Her flair ups were still happening quite often. When they were really bad the doctor would give me a tube of endurosyn which works well to help her heal after a bad bout. I took it upon myself to start her on Purina Proplan FortiFlora and I have to say since she’s been on this probiotic her flare ups (when they do happen) are not as intense. No blood where as before she would have bloody stool for almost 2 days.

My question is she has lost her taste for the sweet potato & venison. It’s like one day she just decided she doesn’t like it anymore. Before that she would kill for her wet food. I only give it to her in the evening so I can get her medicine and probiotic into it. I may have to change and was wondering if anyone could recommend another wet food for me to try her on. She still enjoys the LTD sweet potato and venison dry food. She eats that with no problem I just find it strange she forces herself to eat the wet food now. I would appreciate any suggestions anyone has.

[Scherry H]

Hi Sue! He seems good today. Tenchu has been on gabapentin since September 2017. I believe that it helps a lot He is able to rest better since he started it. We have seen many vets. We live in a nice city with lots of options. He has 3 now. Their opinions do differ a little at times. His homeopath over sees all decisions made by the allopathic doctors. I think with arthritis one just has to try everything and hope for the best. It’s just part of aging unfortunately. We haven’t tried acupuncture, PRP, cold laser, or chiropractic care yet, so they are next. That is one reason he has 3 vets and counting…..if I only I could find one practice that does it all. I do appreciate forums like this because I learn so much. Thank you!

[Cheryl G]

I have a chihuahua that was diagnosed with stress induced colitis. She had bloody stools, bad breath and was on different pain meds. She is 8 years old. Her blood work also came back normal, but she still has bloody stools from time to time and does seem in some sort of pain occasionally. My doctor put her on Hills Prescription Diet with stress. It has made a big difference in her stools, digestion and even bad breath. However, I do have 2 other Chihuahuas and sometimes she likes to sneak to eat their food. When that happens, she will start to display symptoms of pain(whining and shaking) and bad breath. I’m almost convinced she many have some type of polyp or cancer in her intestines. And then I have to give her a prescription pain pill. She is also a very nervous dog lately( she grew up with my grandkids, but now she doesn’t want to be bothered by them or any other people except my husband and me) and Dr. Has prescribed Xanax for her to use occasionally.
The Hills ID with stress was the only food that seemed to work good for her. It is expensive, but my hubby says it’s like medicine. Her dr. Visits are less frequent when she is on this food.

[amber t]

Since Oct, my dog has been going through multiple symptoms. It started with vomiting and anorexia. She was given a dexamethasone shot and cerenia and it worked for a week. Then same symptoms same treatment and it worked. Happened again so was given presidone, didn’t work and caused black tarry stools. She had a foul odor, given another shot, worked for almost a month then same thing. Given a Dex shot, not as good on working and then given dex pills. Now she has reddish brown stool (bloody). She is more tired and very burpy. The bloodwork was normal, the xray in Oct was normal and the ultrasound in Nov was normal except enlarged kidneys due to kidney infection. We have tried a few food source, right now she is on buffalo. She is not acting herself before she got sick, she still stresses easy, for example storms, strange people outside. She is almost 12 years old. I have thought of euthanasia if it is needed. The doctor says her condition is either IDB or cancer, only way to tell is an expensive biopsy which I can’t afford at the moment for all the test, medicines, and food that I have tried on her. Have any of you had dogs that developed IBD at a later age or cancer of the GI, or something that sounds similar? Any good foods or supplements or medicines? She has been seen by three different vets.

[Sheri K]

In November we lost one of my babies (at the age of 16.5 years old) to liver and brain cancer… he stopped eating and ended up letting them cancer just take over. Not quite 4 weeks later his liter mate (lab/chow mix) who had just started showing signs of kidney disease had 7 seizures. He had stopped eating his treats and wouldn’t chew so I stopped into the vets office and asked him to take a look. At the end of November Kody had a quarter sized lump protruding at the base of his tongue. It has been diagnosed as melanoma. My vet said there wasn’t anything he could do so I started researching ways to help Kody. I ran across cannibis and other holistic medications that could help him with his end of life journey. I have since brought him into hospice care with a holistic vet where he is taking cannibis as well as several other all natural medications. He has been doing good and only had one bad time which was when he bit his tongue chewing dry dog food and it got infected. We have taken him off the dry food and switched him to Blue Homestyle recipe and I mash up the chunks and mix beef gravy over the top so he will eat it.

Yesterday he got up and ate his breakfast without issue, which is a 1/2 can of dog food. When I got home I gave him his second feeding and he kept smelling it and walked away refusing to eat. He wouldn’t eat his 2nd helping later that night either. We know the melanoma has moved into his lungs and he did cough a lot last night. When I gave him his cannibis, another oral pain reliever and an immune system booster this morning he didn’t fight me. I again made his food (a different kind) and put it down for him and he refused to eat again. The medicine that helps control the growth rate of his tumor is in his food so him not eating is very bad. So now it has been 24 hours since his last meal. I know he is at the end of his journey. The tumor is now stage IV and is over an inch wide and almost that tall on the right side of his tongue. He has plenty of airway and honestly he is a little devil. He isn’t suffering because the natural medicines seem to relieve the pain he would be in without any side effects. I refuse to keep him here if he is uncomfortable and his hospice doctor and I agreed when it was time I would help him transition but I know it’s not time.

I do not want him to starve himself to death. Do you have any suggestions on foods I should feed him to entice him? He is still interested in food because he kept smelling and staring at me while I ate… I tried feeding him by hand and he wouldn’t take it. I just need something to spark an interest in him again…. even if I have to go buy a steak.

Any suggestions?

[Michael D]

The following are several suggestions that would make dogfoodadvisor.com more useful for me. But, before I begin, let me say thank you for all the years of work that has gone into the site. Also, I know most suggestions are rejected or shelved for legitimate reasons.

1) I would like to be able to filter the lists by canned/dry, rating, manufacturer, primary ingredient, and keyword.

2) I noticed that many of the dog foods brands available in my local stores (Houston, Tx) are not listed on dogfoodadvisor.com. Most of the formulations are not listed. It is entirely understandable base on the variety available. Most are so cheap that I am confident they will be on the undesirable list. All I needed was a list of recommended formulations (thank you). However, I would like you to provide detailed instructions (video) so that your members could go to their local grocery and pet stores to collect the necessary information. A proper analysis likely requires experience and a doctorate. But your members should be able to submit a photo of the food package, ingredients list, expiration date, (and possibly the price). They could use this photo evidence to populate a database. Granted, 97% of your members will not be interested in contributing. But, dog lovers are more community-oriented than most. I bet one in fifty of the people who post on your forums would be willing to participate. With photographs and a few checks, it is not apparent to me how malicious actors could corrupt the systems. You could offer a reduced membership to participants if revenue increases as a result.

Thank for reading,
Regards, Mike

[Candice T]

GM, as an owner of two dogs that have developed seizures, I have stopped using all flea shampoo and meds.
All gave my dogs seizures even when I cut the dose down in half or diluted the shampoo.
It was horrible to watch and know I was the cause.
I trusted the vets advise and numerous good rating on shampoos on Amazon before purchasing. All with disaterous results.
My dogs bite and scratch at the spots where the spot drops were applied, hair lose and skin bubbling.
First thing I did..
A Luke warm bath a gentle shampoo and wash Ed rinsed and repeated..3 times until the pain and sting went away.
Next I gave Activated Charcoal 1 three times daily for the first 4 days. By day two they were back to normal.
I will never use any drop, oral or shampoo in or on my dogs ever again. They are all toxins and have killed many pets.
Oh but I have fleas or my dogs haven’t had seizures sonit must be ok? You are wrong. You are poisoning your animal.
So what do you do ??
First a swim if your near the ocean.
If not. Fill two containers in the tub.( I use a plastic clothing bin)
With Luke warm water. Put dog in water take out in tub and put diluted blue Dawn dish liquid on it. Lather up good making sure to hit the neck first to stop fleas running to the head. Keep lathering until you see dead fleas. If u can get a flea comb or regular comb through hair do so. Separate the fur look for fleas close to the skin. Take a large cup dip some water out of container and rinse off some of the soap. Then repeat again rubbing on the Dawn. Using your hands massage in make sure not to get in the eyes, make sure you do feet and tail. After ten minutes. Put in first container of warm water. The waiting should come up to the neck. Now using your hand gently massage the shampoo out.
Put dog back into tub an put on good conditioner. Massage in.
Put dog into clean second container of warm water rinse well.
Repeat after a few days to kill off any eggs
After bath use Cedarcide or Wondercide. A must have.
Wash all dog bedding, your sheets as well if they sleep there. Vacuum. Empty bag and vacuum again.
For those of you who use meds to control seizures after. I chose not to even though my vet suggested them. I use the Activated Charcoal. It absorbs toxins in humans and dogs.
I am not a doctor and am giving this as advise
I have had many dogs over the years and all though I used spot on products on my large dogs with little affect, I realized now it affected them in ways I couldn’t see. It is posion and should not be used. I don’t live in an area with ticks so I don’t have that problem. I live in a very warm high humidity country with a large amount of roaming cat’s. So fleas are abundant.
I also put coconut oil in my hands warm it and rub into my dogs to keep skin from drying out, which also causes itching.
Or let them lick it up.
Good luck everyone please look up the cedar oil
C

[tania a]

My dog had his 1st seizure 12 days ago he had convulsions. The convulsions went on for less than 2 minutes. I don’t know what triggers them, He gets fidgety prior to having a seizure and paces quite a bit, Winter is always the roughest time for him as he can have up to 1 seizure per week (not much when compared with what some other poor dogs). He was in worse shape on the meds than he was with the seizures, so we elected to not medicate him. i read hundreds of blogs and websites It was during a casual conversation with a friend that I learned about doctor Benson Wooley, she gave me his contact. I contacted he i explain everything to him and make purchase of the herbal product. we had full expectation that my dog will find total rest from seizures, 2 months using herbal treatment, his seizures totally reduced. After finishing his treatment, more than 1 years now, he has been totally seizure free. he have not experienced a single seizures after using Herbal treatment. his medicine does not have any side effect. If you want to contact him call (904) 601-2741

[GSDsForever]

Dharlee (Deborah),

Hey, I’m a little concerned re your discontinuing Apoquel. I’m hoping that you discussed this with your vet first?

I really strongly recommend, in human medicine and veterinary care, that all persons alert their doctors first, discuss and seek medical advice and guidance, before discontinuing any medication.

Wishing you well at your upcoming vet appointment! Hang in there.

[GSDsForever]

Wow, lot of sharply divergent information, strong opinions, values, and emotions in this thread!

I really feel for you Deborah. I can tell 100% that you love your dog very much, have been through and still are going through a lot, want and try to to the right thing — and wish to be respectful of your vet and others here & elsewhere.

If I met you in person, I’d really love to sit down and just talk it through supportively.

There’s so much in this thread to comment on. I’m going to presume, benefit of the doubt, that even where we disagree, that all here intend to be respectful and are motivated by sincere belief that they are giving you the best advice for your dog to be well. I wish to do the same.

1)I don’t like/believe in/recommend Dynovite. I just don’t think it’s this amazing product or expenditure to accomplish what you/others want. I think it’s a gimmicky & an overhyped, overpriced product that is very trendy, convenient, readily available, & well-marketed to take advantage of people and their pets.

I would eliminate it and start from scratch with a quality food. Supplement as needed.

2)Royal Canin Ultamino — aka the hydrolyzed bird feathers food

I 100% hear you & support you, agree with not wanting to feed this food. That SHOULD be okay. Honestly. Why? Because there absolutely are alternatives to it and the science/feeding strategy behind it is NOT unique on the market.

Here’s the thing: a diet of hydrolyzed protein + very limited other ingredients, starch (no protein allergen), pure fats IS hypoallergenic, meaning LESS likely to trigger allergic food responses and/or food intolerance reactions. So that *type* of diet recommendation from a vet is a valid one.

That said, THERE IS NOTHING SPECIAL OR NECESSARY OR BENEFICIAL about feeding specifically bird feathers or “poultry byproducts aggregate” as the protein source. It’s the hydrolyzed aspect of the protein ingredient that is key to hypoallergenic status. If your vet did not explain it well to you, food allergens are proteins, and a hydrolyzed ingredient has the protein (the allergen) broken down into much smaller components that are less likely to trigger the body’s recognition of the ingredient and allergic response.

Other hydrolyzed diets, besides this one, may be fed. Other equally good options for feeding allergic dogs include limited protein, limited ingredient diets that exclude what your dog is allergic to if that is known or strongly suspected.

Sometimes this is rather simple. In a dog that has eaten the same diet of chicken its whole life, for example, merely switching to a fish based food can work. When a variety of foods have been fed, with no relief/allergies continued, a novel protein limited ingredient diet is fed. “Novel” here simply means whatever YOUR dog has not had before, not anyone else’s. It is critical here that the diet you select has pristine quality control, takes rigorous steps in manufacturing or home preparation, to avoid cross-contaminating the diet with ingredients not listed on the label. Especially when it is not known what all your dog has been exposed to and may be allergic to, it may be best to to avoid the current known top allergens for dogs: chicken, beef, eggs, dairy, soy, wheat, corn — and now also fish, lamb (after these have become no longer “alternative” foods but commonplace to feed). For dogs that have been exposed to everything under the sun, a really unusual protein can be used (e.g. kangaroo, if elk/venison has been fed).

A word of caution regarding OTC kibbles, cans, dehydrated/etc. products: In an OTC product vs alternatives of vet prescription commercial diets or homemade, you need to do your homework — research the food and ask pointed questions of the manufacturer and consider the actual plant that makes the food. Most people don’t do this, aren’t aware of the problem (trust the label too much) and many OTC commercial foods, including so-called limited ingredient diets, fail such cross-contamination quality control and therefore fail to provide relief (because the allergen is still being fed but not listed on the label). For a severely and genuinely allergic dog, this can be a nightmare — as tiny amounts can trigger the allergic response.

I do find it odd — and perhaps I am missing something here — that your vet is proposing and insisting (as you say) upon this one food. That doesn’t make sense to me — not on any scientific, research & evidence, best practices basis — purely from what you’ve said here.

What if this food stopped being manufactured tomorrow? What if it were recalled and therefore could not be recommended (temporarily)? What if your dog hated it and refused to eat it?

Surely there are other foods you could purchase to accomplish the medical goals here. Surely you could also feed an appropriate homemade/home prepared diet. This leads me to my next part . . . .

3)Vet-Client Relationship and Recommendations

A good veterinarian-client relationship is one of mutual respect and two-way dialogue. That dialogue includes both sides considering and addressing what the other is saying. Both sides may raise valid points that are worthy of consideration, understanding, discussion.

This means mutually asking and answering questions as necessary and respectfully, patiently making decisions TOGETHER in the best interest of the dog. Basing decisions upon careful consideration of facts and evidence, where things are explained and understood, still involves two way discussion. Some respect for the *values* of the pet owner, should be accorded by one’s vet, not to mention any actual fact based knowledge that a pet owner may have.

As an example, I have expressed to my vet(s) that, aside from concerns about ingredient/formulation quality, I am not comfortable on ethical grounds (including documented animal cruelty discovered in feeding trials) in supporting a particular major dog food manufacturer. Both vets (over the years) I expressed this to were very respectful and open to alternatives selected together. One vet shared that she did not know about the issue and asked me further about it because it disturbed her too. (Vets are busy and, like all people, don’t hear about/read everything and miss things.)

Similarly, my vet and I *discussed*, *considered* Apoquel (which you said you use) and Atopica for severe, unrelenting allergies and I ultimately rejected both after researching them. He was fully respectful of that. He never was pushy about either or any other course of action proposed. Later, when Cytopoint was recommended, I did choose to use this (again based on my research and discussion with the vet/vet staff) and have had great results.

I appreciate that you like your vet otherwise, find her to be “nice.” But it sounds like more two-way discussion should be happening and alternatives considered.

Conversely, as with human doctors, I strongly believe it is important that people see a vet that they trust — and then proceed to trust in what they say. By this I mean not that clients simply blindly and without discussion automatically do every single thing that their vet suggests or recommends, but that they seriously consider and respectfully attend to their recommendations, ask questions, try to understand, and reach good decisions TOGETHER. It’s a better course of action to propose major changes to one’s vet first, consider what she has to say & discuss, then take action than the other way around.

If a client cannot trust her vet (or human doctor) or cannot have full, open discussion with them, then why would that client see that vet (or human doctor). And yet I know many people who do exactly this — and it is probably a frustrating experience for both sides.

I see this come up, with dog owners I talk to, with vaccination schedules, heartworm prevention, and diet (including especially raw or homemade diets). And yet all of those topics are important and ones I expect to be able to discuss openly with my vet in full — and I do. If I can do it, you can do it.

Without being there, since you like your vet, it sounds to me *possibly* that either more time needs to be spent with you on this topic or you might need to be more assertive, vocal yourself and ask questions — ask why just this food, what are alternatives, what about this or that food (why or why not), what about a trial on a different one, what about a homemade vet supervised diet (using a consult service w/veterinary nutritionist if necessary), and be just as persistent as she has been. Get the answers you need to make the best decision for your pet, based on multiple options and good information.

***IF*** you’re just going to your vet because she’s close by, out of habit/length of time seeing her with your pet and hesitant/uncomfortable leaving her for a new one, because she’s “nice” (even caring), but are NOT ultimately getting what you need from her medically — are not able to have a full & open discussion with her, have all your questions & concerns addressed, receive alternatives and options — then I would see a different vet.

4)If your dog has more food intolerances, GI reactions to overall formulations, like too rich, etc., a sensitive digestive system more so than actual allergies, then there are foods very good for that that I would explore. These differ somewhat from strict allergy diets. Was your dog diagnosed with allergies or just sensitive tummy/touchy digestive system or food intolerances? Was a specialist consulted by your vet?

Some foods appropriate to sensitive digestive systems are just bland and very moderate, conservative in overall nutrition profile/guaranteed analysis, and low residue (meaning highly digested and low poop).

I’ve known people to switch from diets marketed explicitly for this purpose, prescribed even, to Fromm’s (and Fromm is a great company, with an excellent longterm record of quality control) Whitefish formula and it’s been exceptionally well tolerated by their dogs. It’s bland, not rich, and has quality ingredients. That’s just one example. There are other choices. Wellness Simple and Nutrisource come to mind, also Go! Sensitivity and Shine.

5)Homemade diets

If this interests you, your vet should be helping you and supportive, as it can be done.

Your vet should be able to provide a free, published balanced diet appropriate to your dog’s needs/condition, minimally consult (sometimes this is free) with a specialist colleague, OR full blown consult (for a fee) or outright refer you to go see a specialist in nutrition who will design you a diet or multiple meals you can safely feed.

Similarly, regarding that itchy skin/allergies, your vet can consult and discuss a case — often for free — with a veterinary dermatologist (specialist) or outright refer you to see one. Has your vet done this? If not, why not? If you have reached the point that you are trying so many diets, things, experienced such a range of symptoms over time, dog taking Apoquel, your vet insisting upon RC Ultamino now, consulting/referral would conform to best practices.

If money is really tight and you don’t have dog insurance (or coverage), there are both free board certified veterinary nutritionist/other credentialed authored single diets available on the web as well as one entire book of therapeutic veterinary diets (from UC Davis) now freely available on the web.

Personally, if you want to go the route of an actual veterinary nutritionist helping your dog, I would recommend (for many reasons) a long distance consult with board certified veterinary nutritionist Susan Wynn (unless you are in Atlanta, in which case you can see her in person). It’s about $300. She will consult with generalist vets long distance, which not all veterinary nutritionists will do.

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by GSDsForever.

[Andy B]

I am no doctor, but my maltese/pekingese has had back leg tremors after an aggressive run or ball chasing episode, and I believe it is adrenalin. The exact same thing used to happen to me when I was a drag racer. He will be 16 in December and is just now starting to show signs of aging. Btw, his brother also has the tremors, but not near as pronounced.

[Michael P]

I have a 15.5 yr old chow/Belgian shepherd with lumbosacral disease, some arthritis, perhaps a disc issue, and a small degree of dementia. Her ability to walk and squat to pee or poop (I help her with both to reduce accidents) has worsened dramatically over the last 4 months.

She’d been on metacam for about a year without gastric issues (good digestion was always a strong point) but since efficacy was diminished and for kidney safety switched to Galliprant. The effects were marginal- no better or worse than metacam- so we moved to Prednisone.

The steroid dramatically improved ability to stand up and walk, made her drink/pee a lot (expected side effect), but created anxiety and much more dementia. As we reduced dosage the benefits decreased, so we weaned off and returned to Gslliprant 2 weeks ago.

THIS TIME, the med came labeled ‘give on empty stomach,’ which I did, and I’ve noticed GI symptoms unlike previous time, when I gave with s meal. Soft stool, some diarrhea. So for the last three days (after giving with a meal) I have seen the first perfectly formed stool of the last 2 weeks.

I spoke to the doctors at Galliprant and they say the med is “more bio-available” given on an empty stomach, but EFFICACY IS ABOUT THE SAME , when given WITH or WITHOUT FOOD.

[Randy D]

Therese, it sounds like Lucy is in good hands and you finally have an idea of what’s wrong and a solid plan to treat it. When I’m sick, I try to follow the doctors directions, and common sense dictates that I would do the same for my dog. Good luck to Lucy from a fellow Texan.

[Susan F]

My 12yr old Labradoodle recently had GOLPP surgery and the doctor suggested moving to a large kibble to help avoid any future regurgitation or aspiration pneumonia. I want to find a good wuality food but in a larger size. Any suggestions?

[pitlove]

Hi Jeri-
I understand how frustrating it can be when something happens to our beloved pets and we can’t find an answer from the doctors. Just remember they are humans, not God’s. Sometimes it’s takes multiple opinions and multiple trips to different doctors to get an answer.

It’s likely that episode you saw was isolated and completely unrelated to diet. CECS has also only been documented in one breed. Continuing to feed her based on a self diagnosis is not helpful as it’s not a true diagnosis.

You may have to use the prescription food just long enough to stop her from having diarrhea. It will cost much more money than a bag of prescription food if she gets dehydrated enough from constantly having diarrhea.

It also sounds like you have changed foods a lot. My question would be did you transition her each time? You did not mention if you did or not.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by pitlove.

[Andrea B]

I need to add, up until May of this year he was on duramax we took him off to do a dose of steroids hoping to give him a boost, but at the same time we were treating a cyst on his paw with a strong antibiotic that was making him throw up big time so not really sure if the steroids got a chance to really help at all, but we never put him back on the duramax. told me his kidney levels were kind of high.. this was why when I saw this drug I thought GREAT this could work for Max. I am not a vet, but in humans with arthritis you manage both the pain and the inflammation it causes my mom had it really bad in her knees and that is how her doctor managed it. So I keep thinking in a Dog it would work the same..the closest I am getting is 155ml of tylenol with I do not believe does anything for the inflammation

[anonymous]

Hope this helps:
By Klaus Loft, DVM
Angell Dermatology Service
Anyone who suffers debilitating environmental allergies tied to changing seasons, pet dander or household dust mites knows first-hand the misery of a scratchy throat, itchy eyes or painful rashes.
Not everyone knows, however, that our pets can experience similar allergic reactions — and other very bothersome dermatological issues. But our pets need not suffer in silence. Modern veterinary science has evolved such that advanced, comprehensive treatments are now available to treat a range of skin conditions.
Top pet dermatological issues
Our four-legged friends suffer from some of the same skin issues as we do — and several that we do not. The most common conditions we see at Angell include:
•Parasites, such as mites, fleas and mange (scabies)
•Infectious diseases, such as Staphylococcal pyoderma (“Staph”) skin infections, yeast and fungal infections and skin fold infections
•Systemic diseases, such as autoimmune diseases
•Skin cancer, such as Squamous cell carcinoma, cutaneous lymphoma, Mast cell tumors
•Allergies, such as flea allergy dermatitis, adverse food reactions, environmental allergies, etc.
All of these conditions can become serious and, if untreated, dramatically reduce quality of life. But the tremendous strides made in veterinary innovation, however, is very good news for our pets. Specifically, the testing and treatments for allergies now rivals human healthcare in its sophistication, quality of care and long-term health outcomes.
Unlike humans, dogs and cats cannot tell us about their dermatological health issues. So we as pet owners must look for the signs. The most common indicators that a pet is suffering from some kind of allergy involve frequent episodes of ear infections, red raised or open sores on the skin, constant licking or biting of paws or groin — sometimes causing wounds that will not go away.
Allergies present a particular challenge because there can be hundreds (even thousands) of potential allergens that impact pet health, from foods to pollen from grasses, weeds, trees, dust mites and more. Today’s specialty veterinary hospitals have access to the very latest diagnostic tests to get to the bottom of what’s ailing our pet. Among these tests is the Intra Dermal Test (IDT).
IDT is generally considered the gold standard of testing for identifying allergens that cause pets to suffer from chronic skin and/or ear diseases. IDT involves injections of a series of concentrated allergens into the skin to determine which of them generate allergic reactions in a given animal. The use of fluorescein — a chemical that illuminates the inflammation caused by the injected allergens in order to visualize the strength of individual reactions — is key to accurately diagnosing pet allergies, and is just one of the many ways veterinarians use new technologies to improve care and diagnostics.
The results of IDT (as well as a review of the pet’s medical history) can then inform comprehensive immunotherapy treatments to relieve suffering. Veterinary dermatologists rely on IDT to build customized treatment plans for patients called Allergen Specific Immuno Therapy or “ASIT” for short.
ASIT involves a series of injections specifically created for the allergic animal’s skin. These injections, of diluted allergens, are designed to make a pet less sensitive to their allergens over time. In most cases these injections must be continued for life to reduce symptoms, but they are highly effective. Seventy to 90 percent of pets experience a reduction in symptoms as a result of ASIT treatment. These treatments can be delivered even more easily via droplets under the tongue, perfect for pet owners who are squeamish about giving injections to their pet.
This treatment is very new to the North American field of medicine (both human and veterinary) and underscores just how far innovation in veterinary medicine has come.
When it’s time to see the vet
Many pet owners are understandably concerned about taking their animals to the veterinarian because the cost (to say nothing of the fear some animals experience when going do the doctor) may outweigh any perceived reduction in suffering. To help pet owners know when it’s time to bring Fido to the doctor I’ve compiled my “Top Ten” list of dermatological symptoms that should never be ignored:
•Intense itching of the skin (head shaking, running the face into the carpet, furniture, etc.)
•Biting at the skin that creates red, raw crusting areas of the skin
•Multiple ear infections (head shaking, odor from ears, scratching at the ears with hind legs)
•Paw licking or chewing and frequent infections of the skin in the webbed skin of the paws
•Staining of the fur of the paws and nails on multiple feet
•Reoccurring skin infections in the groin, under the shoulders, perianal areas (on or under the tail)
•Greasy scaling skin and/or fur with odorous skin
•Hair loss, or thinning of the fur
•Dark pigmentation of the skin that is chronically infected
•Sudden depigmentation of skin
Allergies and other dermatological issues can be as frustrating for pet owners and their veterinarians as they can be for pets. I encourage any pet owner whose animal is experiencing any of these symptoms to consult with their veterinarian.

Dermatology – Common Issues

[pitlove]

Hi Dewper-

Welcome to the forums!

The hallmark signs of a food allergy noted by doctors are “ears and rears”. So, ear infections, itchy ears, licking the rear end (anal opening). Feet licking is most often associated with grooming, or environmental allergens. My chocolate Lab, who has no allergies, will lick his feet sometimes after its rained or when they get wet to groom himself.

I would not change his food just yet, but instead look to see if the paw licking stops when fall/winter hit. It took a couple years for me to figure out that the dog in my avatar most likely had environmental allergies because I kept realizing that the symptoms started when summer hit.

[Dennis M]

Rita,

Hi — totally agree with anon101 above. You definitely should consult with a neurologist. Sounds like the same thing our boy struggles with, and we finally got a “gustatory seizure” diagnosis. Our regular (general practice) vet was stumped for years, and it’s really best to go to a neurology specialist. If you can, take a video to share with the doctor — that helps with diagnosis. Also if you can keep a log of when it happens, how long, what was your dog doing just before it starts, etc.

If your dog starts to have a seizure and you can’t stay home to supervise, although it seems harsh, you definitely want to crate your dog with no blankets, beds, or toys. If it is a gustatory seizure, it makes them eat inedible objects, which can be extremely dangerous. Please keep us posted and good luck!

Dennis

[anonymous]

Please do not apply anything to the skin or give over the counter meds intended for humans or give supplements unless instructed to do so by a veterinarian that has examined the dog.
You could make things much worse and increase the risk of infection.
Hope this helps:
By Klaus Loft, DVM
Angell Dermatology Service
Anyone who suffers debilitating environmental allergies tied to changing seasons, pet dander or household dust mites knows first-hand the misery of a scratchy throat, itchy eyes or painful rashes.
Not everyone knows, however, that our pets can experience similar allergic reactions — and other very bothersome dermatological issues. But our pets need not suffer in silence. Modern veterinary science has evolved such that advanced, comprehensive treatments are now available to treat a range of skin conditions.
Top pet dermatological issues
Our four-legged friends suffer from some of the same skin issues as we do — and several that we do not. The most common conditions we see at Angell include:
•Parasites, such as mites, fleas and mange (scabies)
•Infectious diseases, such as Staphylococcal pyoderma (“Staph”) skin infections, yeast and fungal infections and skin fold infections
•Systemic diseases, such as autoimmune diseases
•Skin cancer, such as Squamous cell carcinoma, cutaneous lymphoma, Mast cell tumors
•Allergies, such as flea allergy dermatitis, adverse food reactions, environmental allergies, etc.
All of these conditions can become serious and, if untreated, dramatically reduce quality of life. But the tremendous strides made in veterinary innovation, however, is very good news for our pets. Specifically, the testing and treatments for allergies now rivals human healthcare in its sophistication, quality of care and long-term health outcomes.
Unlike humans, dogs and cats cannot tell us about their dermatological health issues. So we as pet owners must look for the signs. The most common indicators that a pet is suffering from some kind of allergy involve frequent episodes of ear infections, red raised or open sores on the skin, constant licking or biting of paws or groin — sometimes causing wounds that will not go away.
Allergies present a particular challenge because there can be hundreds (even thousands) of potential allergens that impact pet health, from foods to pollen from grasses, weeds, trees, dust mites and more. Today’s specialty veterinary hospitals have access to the very latest diagnostic tests to get to the bottom of what’s ailing our pet. Among these tests is the Intra Dermal Test (IDT).
IDT is generally considered the gold standard of testing for identifying allergens that cause pets to suffer from chronic skin and/or ear diseases. IDT involves injections of a series of concentrated allergens into the skin to determine which of them generate allergic reactions in a given animal. The use of fluorescein — a chemical that illuminates the inflammation caused by the injected allergens in order to visualize the strength of individual reactions — is key to accurately diagnosing pet allergies, and is just one of the many ways veterinarians use new technologies to improve care and diagnostics.
The results of IDT (as well as a review of the pet’s medical history) can then inform comprehensive immunotherapy treatments to relieve suffering. Veterinary dermatologists rely on IDT to build customized treatment plans for patients called Allergen Specific Immuno Therapy or “ASIT” for short.
ASIT involves a series of injections specifically created for the allergic animal’s skin. These injections, of diluted allergens, are designed to make a pet less sensitive to their allergens over time. In most cases these injections must be continued for life to reduce symptoms, but they are highly effective. Seventy to 90 percent of pets experience a reduction in symptoms as a result of ASIT treatment. These treatments can be delivered even more easily via droplets under the tongue, perfect for pet owners who are squeamish about giving injections to their pet.
This treatment is very new to the North American field of medicine (both human and veterinary) and underscores just how far innovation in veterinary medicine has come.
When it’s time to see the vet
Many pet owners are understandably concerned about taking their animals to the veterinarian because the cost (to say nothing of the fear some animals experience when going do the doctor) may outweigh any perceived reduction in suffering. To help pet owners know when it’s time to bring Fido to the doctor I’ve compiled my “Top Ten” list of dermatological symptoms that should never be ignored:
•Intense itching of the skin (head shaking, running the face into the carpet, furniture, etc.)
•Biting at the skin that creates red, raw crusting areas of the skin
•Multiple ear infections (head shaking, odor from ears, scratching at the ears with hind legs)
•Paw licking or chewing and frequent infections of the skin in the webbed skin of the paws
•Staining of the fur of the paws and nails on multiple feet
•Reoccurring skin infections in the groin, under the shoulders, perianal areas (on or under the tail)
•Greasy scaling skin and/or fur with odorous skin
•Hair loss, or thinning of the fur
•Dark pigmentation of the skin that is chronically infected
•Sudden depigmentation of skin
Allergies and other dermatological issues can be as frustrating for pet owners and their veterinarians as they can be for pets. I encourage any pet owner whose animal is experiencing any of these symptoms to consult with their veterinarian.

Dermatology – Common Issues

[anonymous]

Regarding the recent changes:
http://prime.peta.org/2017/05/buyer-beware-chewy-com-purchased-petsmart
Excerpts below (out of context), click on link for full article.

So what’s a concerned animal guardian to do? Research! Some online retailers, such as 1800PetSupplies.com and PetFlow are not affiliated with or owned by animal-abusing companies. Target and some other brick-and-mortar stores sell supplies but not live animals. You can also investigate local “mom-and-pop” stores in your community that don’t sell animals—they are usually happy to special-order products for you.

Online animal-supply retailers might seem like a good alternative, but buyer beware: Many are owned by companies that support the cruel pet trade. Recently, it was reported that Chewy.com has been purchased by PetSmart—so buying products from Chewy now means lining the pockets of companies that are responsible for tremendous systemic cruelty to small animals. Many other online animal-supply stores—including OnlyNaturalPet.com, Pet360.com, PetFoodDirect.com, and Doctors Foster and Smith—are also owned by companies that profit from peddling live animals.

[anonymous]

http://prime.peta.org/2017/05/buyer-beware-chewy-com-purchased-petsmart
Excerpts below (out of context), click on link for full article.

So what’s a concerned animal guardian to do? Research! Some online retailers, such as 1800PetSupplies.com and PetFlow are not affiliated with or owned by animal-abusing companies. Target and some other brick-and-mortar stores sell supplies but not live animals. You can also investigate local “mom-and-pop” stores in your community that don’t sell animals—they are usually happy to special-order products for you.

Online animal-supply retailers might seem like a good alternative, but buyer beware: Many are owned by companies that support the cruel pet trade. Recently, it was reported that Chewy.com has been purchased by PetSmart—so buying products from Chewy now means lining the pockets of companies that are responsible for tremendous systemic cruelty to small animals. Many other online animal-supply stores—including OnlyNaturalPet.com, Pet360.com, PetFoodDirect.com, and Doctors Foster and Smith—are also owned by companies that profit from peddling live animals.

[Maria S]

It has been a lot of years since I have had to worry about Chylothorax. My GSD was diagnosed at the very young age of 1 year, she is now nearly 9. She never showed any sign that she was sick, then for 2 days she only nibbled at her food and on the third day she was breathing heavier than normal. I took her to our normal vet, they took x-rays and saw fluid so they tapped her chest, 3-4 Liters and kept her chest kept filling up within minutes. They told us they were not equip to handle the situation and our only chance was to take her to the specialist right then and there or euthanize. So my husband and I rushed our girl to the ER.

Once there, they did more diagnostics to try to figure out what was causing the Chylothorax so they knew how to go about trying to treat it. After about $2500 in diagnostics, it came back idiopathic, no medical reason for it. We ended up having to leave her at the ER overnight and finally by the next day she was doing a little better. She stopped building up fluid and she was allowed to go home. The doctors told us to start a low fat diet, Rutin, and minimize the exercise. I do not remember dosing of the Rutin, I believe we started out at 1500mg 3x/day (86lb at that time). I don’t know the science behind the dosing either, I just did what I was told.

Doing this treatment, Daisy did well for about 3 months before we had to take her in again to get her chest tapped. The doctors increased the Rutin to 3000mg 3x/day, I was going through I think 3-4 bottles a week. It must have helped some though because Daisy did well until November, about 11 months after being diagnosed. She was tapped the first week of November, then the third week, then 5 days later, then 3, then 2, then needed done again the next day. Each time was harder to get fluid out because of the fibrin that was building up after each tap. They told me I had to do surgery or euthanize.

We made an appointment with the surgeon for a consultation. We were hesitant because of everything we had been told and read it didn’t look good. The surgeon, however, told us that he had a 79% success chance (that may not sound good to most people but with the 35% odds that we were reading about this sounded great) so we set up the surgery for the next day. We were quoted $2500-$4000 depending on recovery. Daisy did very well with the surgery (thoracic duct ligation and pericardectomy), ended up having to stay 1 extra day because of mild fluid buildup still. I got to take her home the day before her 2nd birthday.

Daisy stayed on Rutin for I’d say 6 months or maybe more and still to this day stays on a low fat diet. I get yearly chest x-rays to make sure fluid is not building up again and so far it has not. She plays pretty normal for the most part, she will play until her tongue starts to turn blue so I do have to watch her.

My point to this lengthy response is this: The surgery may be pricey, and yes it is not a 100% guarantee it will cure Chylothorax, but there are still better odds of it helping rather than not doing a surgery at all. I feel a drain would be best if the surgery does not work (obviously curing the condition would be better than just treating) or if it is your only option because of money issues. On that note though, I wish I had found this forum when I was dealing with this. It would have been nice to know that there was another treatment if they surgery did not work, no doctor ever mentioned this to me.

I wish the best of luck to everyone that is battling Chylothorax and if I can help in any way, please feel free to reach out to me.

[pitlove]

Hi Christie-

I have never known a vet to refuse to allow the dog to switch to a different brand of prescription food when the current one isn’t working/the dog won’t eat it. All of the doctors I work for will suggest Royal Canin if Hill’s doesn’t work etc etc. That is definitely bizzare behavior of that vet. Perhaps see if one of the other vets will ok you ordering Royal Canin SO online?

[LuckyLab]

The new vet we are seeing who we like offers both an oral and Vector as options. Looking briefly online Vectra seems to have much less serious side effects associated with it and it sounds like something we could use once a month in the summer and discontinue easily in the winter (its too cold in Colorado for fleas in winter).

My vet supports either decision and even no action if that’s my choice. I will get a flea comb and try that out, we did bathe him with an oatmeal shampoo and never saw anything but as you guys pointed out we may never see them (that’s consistent with our vet too).

We are watching him very closely and the itching does seem to be mildly improving, I’m hoping it gets to a point where there is no way its fleas and we can move on. I know half a dozen breeders I’ve spoken to in CO have said they’ve never given their dog flea/tick meds so its indication this would be out of the norm.

We’ll run Vectra by her doctor and in the meantime watch him closely. Assuming we see no more improvement in the next week and her doctor is ok with its application in our home we will administer the Vectra. At that point, he’ll be closer to 11 weeks old and 3 weeks past their 8-week recommendation.

[Susan]

Hi Sue,
Sounds awful you’d stressing if & when it could happen again…

I found this post (Below) on the net so I copy & paste it..
I hope it helps, the vet recommends doing an Ultra scan but I would be doing an Ultra Scan every 3 months to be 100% sure another Intestinal Adhesions is not forming… Depending on how good the Vet is with using an Ultra scan machine, they can see if a dog has thickening of the bowel thru an Ultra Scan, I had an Ultra Scan done on my boy 2 yrs ago when I thought he had Pancreatitis & the vet ended up looking at his bowel as well to see if he had thickening of the bowel, so Ultra Scan will be able to see if any adhesions starting up again..
Here’s the post I found

**Poster- Has anyone dealt with intestinal adhesions in dogs I have
Resolved Question:

Has anyone dealt with intestinal adhesions in dogs???? I have a 3yr old dog who got spayed on 04/15/2010 and then formed an enormous intestinal adhesion,(almost died) had surgery to remove it and im horrified thinking that she might be getting another on (i think I feel a lump) does anyone have any ideas? or have ever dealt with this??? please only respond if it is something you are knowledgeable about. Thanks
Submitted: 7 years ago.

Category: Dog Veterinary

**Vet- Hi there!
Intestinal adhesions are simply internal scars that the your dog’s body forms after surgery. Just like humans, each dog forms scar tissue differently and there is no way to control it.

Occasionally, intestinal adhesions can rarely cause intestinal entrapments, leading to an intestinal obstruction which requires surgery. Your vet hopefully did a good clean up of the adhesion when it was removed and flushed the abdomen well which is the only “treatment” that is thought to potentially help prevent adhesions again but there is no guarantee since some animals are just super-scar formers. There has also been some research using povoiodine solutions but this has not been used in a clinical setting and the results are not conclusive.
As I said, intestinal adhesion formation is rare but does happen and unfortunately there are no way for you or your veterinarian to prevent it. I work in a specialty/referral hospital where the ER doctors and surgeons do A LOT of surgeries and the good news is that I haven’t heard of it happening more than once to a patient. If your concerned that it may happening again, you can have your veterinarian evaluate Lily and potentially have an abdominal ultrasound which is a non-invasive way to look inside the abdomen and see what is going on. Even if an adhesions forms, as long it doesn’t entrap the bowel, it does not need to be removed and most dogs will reabsorb/break down the adhesion over time.

I hope this helps!
Dr J Veterinarian

[anonymous]

This topic comes up so frequently that I thought I would post this article from LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital, it stresses the importance of an accurate diagnosis being the first step in treatment.
“This is the reason that we encourage diagnosis of the underlying cause of the allergy and more specific or less potentially harmful treatments”.

Introduction
Coping with an itchy pet can be an extremely frustrating experience for you, the pet owner and can truly test the limits of the human-animal bond.  Persistent scratching and chewing by the pet can also result in self-excoriation and open wounds.  The following information is intended to provide the pet owner with a basic understanding of the most common underlying causes of itching and allergies in the small animal.
 
The Most Common Causes of Chronic Itching
The common causes fall into two groups: external parasites and allergies.  External parasites that most commonly cause chronic itching dermatitis include fleas and sarcoptic mange.  We often recommend therapeutic trials for sarcoptic mange in chronically and severely itchy dogs.  We always recommend stepped-up flea control and monitoring for fleas, as flea infestation can really make allergy worse!
 
What are allergies?
Allergy is a state of hypersensitivity in which exposure to a harmless substance known as an allergen induces the body’s immune system to “overreact”.  The incidence of allergies is increasing in both humans and their pets.  People with allergies usually have “Hay Fever” ( watery eyes, runny nose and sneezing) or asthma. While dogs can rarely also have respiratory allergies, more commonly they experience the effects of allergic hypersensitivities as skin problems.  Though there are a variety of presentations, this can often be seen as redness and itching, recurring skin or ear infections, and hair loss.  This is sometimes called ‘eczema’ or atopic dermatitis.  

What are the Major Types of Allergies in Dogs?
Flea Allergy
Flea allergic dermatitis is the most common skin disease in dogs and cats.  For the flea allergic patient, 100% flea control is essential for the pet to remain symptom-free.  “But doctor, I never see fleas on my pet.”
 
You may not see them, but that does not mean they are not there.  The allergy is caused by the flea’s saliva, and it only takes a few bites to induce the problem.  Also, the itchy pet often scratches so much that adult fleas are removed, making them hard to find.  “If fleas are the problem, why is my pet still itchy in the winter.” – In warm climates like we have Louisiana, fleas may survive in low numbers year-round.  Because flea allergy is so common, we recommend that complete flea control be instituted before proceeding with diagnostics for other allergies and that year-round flea control be maintained for all allergy patients.

Food Allergy
Some pets develop specific hypersensitivities to components of their diets.  The allergen usually is a major protein or carbohydrate ingredient such as beef, chicken, pork, corn, wheat, or soy.  Minor ingredients such as preservatives or dyes are also potential allergens.  The diagnosis of food allergy requires that we test your pet by feeding special strict diets that contain only ingredients that he has never eaten before. This is often achieved by feeding a prescription diet for a period of 10 – 16 weeks.  If the signs resolve, a challenge is performed by feeding the former diet and watching for a return of the itching.  If this occurs, a diagnosis of food allergy is confirmed.  

Atopic Dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inherited predisposition to develop skin problems from exposure to variety of commonplace and otherwise harmless substances including the pollens of weeds, grasses and trees, as well as house dust mites and mold spores.  Diagnosis of AD is made based on the results of intradermal skin testing or by in vitro blood testing.  Skin testing is the preferred method; small injections of many different allergens are made in the skin on the pet’s side, under light sedation.  Observation of the reactions helps us compile a list of allergens for a “vaccine” that is made to decrease the pet’s sensitivity.  Sometimes multiple skin and/or blood tests are necessary to accurately assess the patient’s allergies.

Secondary Infections
Allergies are often the underlying cause of recurring skin and/or ear.  Bacterial and yeast infections, though secondary to the allergy, can cause an increase in your pet’s level of itching. Long term treatment with antibiotics and anti-yeast medications is commonly required, along with medicated bathing programs.

Can allergies be cured?
Unfortunately, there is no cure for allergy and it is usually a life-long problem. We seek to control allergy and improve the quality of life for both you and your pet.  We will formulate the best program of management that suits all involved with your pet’s care.  

Can I have the itching treated without the expense of diagnostic testing?
Symptomatic drug therapy can help to reduce itching.  Steroids, such as prednisone tablets, in particular, are often employed to stop the itch.  However, without addressing the underlying cause, the itching will return.  Long term use of steroids can result in many health problems.  This is the reason that we encourage diagnosis of the underlying cause of the allergy and more specific or less potentially harmful treatments.
– See more at: http://www.lsu.edu/vetmed/veterinary_hospital/services/dermatology/patient_information/allergies_in_dogs.php#sthash.tAEI8WbV.dpuf

[Tatiana R]

My 10 year old dachshund itched her butt sligtly here and there, nothing that would worry me. Her annual visit came around and the vet said her glands are large and full, that he advised to express them (or pop them? first time I heard someone use “express” as a term for it) and ever since then.. my dog is licking her genitals and anal to the point where she is raw. She is now starting to scratch on her snout, as if her mouth is itchy. Doctor gave her allergy medicine and steroids, but she won’t stop itching… she looks like she’s getting a small blister around her genitals too, possibly from licking so much. PLEASE HELP. I thought expressing the glands is supposed to help a dog not itch, not make them itch worse than ever before!!

[anonymous]

“He didn’t have any problems with it but he wasn’t super interested in the food unless we doctored it up with toppings etc”.

I always add at least a tablespoon of cooked protein and a splash of water or plain chicken broth (no onion) to kibble. Minimal snacks, 2 meals per day.
I consider kibble the base (1/2 to 2/3 of the meal).
Kibble, even the so called best ones, look so dry and boring otherwise.
Right or wrong, my dogs are thriving on this regimen.

I have been pleased with the quality of Zignature Whitefish (check Chewy dot com for prices)
For something more reasonable I would consider Purina Pro Plan Focus Salmon.
I agree with pitluv, not to make too many changes right now.
Good luck with your pup 🙂

Ps: I avoid potato and sweet potato, in my experience some dogs with sensitive stomachs don’t do well, a lot of kibbles use too much potato (cheap filler) imo

This is not veterinary advice; consult your veterinarian.

[THERESA A]

I know this is an older thread but I was looking on the internet for a solution and saw that this website recommends a product. Let me tell you my story. I have a ten year old yellow lab mix. He was constantly active and could run and catch deer at our place in Utah. He got into a brand new bottle of dog vitamins and ate 93 out the 100. That was in February, 2016. In April, the doctor put him on thyroid medicine. He was starting to show signs of arthritis. The vet prescribed Rimadyl twice a day. Within 3 days, he was paralyzed in his back legs and vocal cords. I immediately stopped the pills. He had Rimadyl in the past but it was occasional for pain. The vet would not accept that it was the Rimadyl. She blamed a neurological problems and Cushings Disease. She put him on the medication for Cushings which made it worse. We took him to a neurologist who did not have all the equipment to diagnose him. But she suggested Acetyl L-Carnitine, Vitamin B and CoQ10. He is slowly getting better. I do not believe it is neurological because he can stand up on the carpet easily but he slips on the tile and sometimes concrete. He has lost muscle mass. I was looking on the internet to see about supplements for building muscle. His diet consists of grain free kibble, meat, vegetables, raw eggs, jumbo carrots instead of bones, Vitamin B, CoQ10, Acetyl L-Carnitine and his thyroid meds. There was a website that stated Dog Advisor recommends a product called Gorilla Max to build muscles in Police dogs and show dogs. Does anyone have experience in this? Suggestions?

[carol d]

I don’t think but of course I am not a doctor so I can tell for sure.

Maybe it was from a bad dream http://www.moj-sen.info/ because as the humans so the dogs can have.

[anonymous]

No, I’m not joking. Many people did not take their pets to the vet even 20, 30, 40 years ago.
No shots, no neutering, they just disappeared one day at around 5 or 6 years of age.
Just the way it was. They weren’t tested for allergies either, poor dogs just scratched themselves to death, they called it “mange”.
Heck, many of us never saw a doctor unless it was an emergency! LOL
Things are different nowadays, diagnosis and treatment options are available, thank goodness.

[judy t]

Cameron,

Here’s some basic science: don’t take any drugs that haven’t been on the market long enough to determine long-term effects. And if, as you say, we’re in a lot of trouble, much of it is due to the fact that too many people blindly follow anyone wearing a lab jacket.

I was “digging at my husband’s doctor”? RIGHT! He prescribed two drugs and told us that they would be safe to take forever with no adverse affects when they’d just been out for a couple of years! How scientific is that? One has since been recalled for causing coronaries and the other is causing gastrointestinal problems. How long has Bravecta been out?

Read some of these reviews on the subject: http://www.productreview.com.au/p/bravecto.html

Personally, I’m good with anecdotal evidence.

As for what I do, I have four dogs, two inside and two primarily outside. I just put Advantix II on my big, healthy year-old lab/shepherd mix for the first time, and I’ll watch her carefully. For my others, I’ve found diatamaceous earth to be very effective in treating bedding and lounging areas. I also bath and check them often and use various herbal sprays which repel insects. I’m next door in Alabama, so I have pretty much the same climate that you’re in.

And thank you for your thank you, you condescending jerk.

[Cameron M]

Susan and Judy, I was thanking the individual who took the time to express his/her opinion.

Judy, I am sorry for your loss, however, I am not discussing Comfortis I am discussing Bravecto. Likewise, I am not discussing your doctor ( hey readers…lets stop here a second…scroll up a bit and read the post where the person suggests listening to your vet now notice Judy digging at her husband’s Doctor…can’t win huh?).

I keep responding because seriously…we are in a lot of trouble today because people do not understand basic science…perhaps our schools are to blame. It is truly scary to me to hear such twisted yet seemingly “common” sense comments be accepted…such as it must be toxic if it kills fleas.

Rubish! So Judy to answer I will say I do not know what you mean because what is toxic to a flea is obviously vastly different than what is toxic to my dog or myself with both us being mammals.

Even between mammals there are vastly different toxicity variables. Do you enjoy grapes Judy? How about chocolate? Both really tasty and good food items for humans that will kill dogs…gee…it seems simple common sense doesn’t really work in the world of science. So please keep your you simple homespun observations to yourself because all you do is create danger.

If you actually have studies which support harm being caused by Bravecto then please do share…but you don’t. Scopes even investigated this and found all the hype to be an urban myth based on conjecture vs facts.

Flea and tick control are extremely important – neither Judy or Susan have bothered to offer a helpful suggestion as to a proven alternative to medication ( I say proven vs swing a chicken over your head on a full moon).

So please Judy and Susan…can you share a good method to protect my gal here in FL from flea bites ( which cause disease) or ticks ( which cause disease)?