[Willi J]

Hello, my beloved black lab, Jean Paul (9 1/2 years old) has been diagnosed with Chronic degenerative valve disease. He is on medication to help ease the symptoms…but medication alone cannot cure the problem. Apparently, only heart surgery has the potential to address the valve problem, (as well as the other issues that arise as a result of that valve problem: Atrial fibrillation, Mitral and Tricuspid regurgitation and Heart failure). As of yet, I have found only one center in the USA that performs heart surgery; Colorado State Univ. There, they are performing a type of valve surgery where the defective valve(s) are replaced with artificial heart valve(s) made from bovine pericardial tissue or with mechanical valve prostheses. The other surgical alternative I have identified is a procedure known as “Mitral Valve Plasty,” (which is another name for Mitral Valve Repair). This is performed by two doctors: Dr. Masami Uechi, (located in Japan), who travels to France and Singapore on a regular basis for this procedure…and Dr. Dan Brockman at the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, in England. Dr. Uechi conducted this surgery at Cornell in 2014, but has currently run into problems securing a visa to come back to the USA. I am earnestly trying to line up every option for my pup in order to make the best and most well informed decision on his behalf. Does anyone out there have any additional information that could help ?

[anonymously]

I understand your worry. I think it would be best to find a veterinarian that you trust and listen to what he recommends.

Don’t trust Doctor Google, there is a lot of misinformation on the internet. And remember you can’t go to a vet and dictate what they do. Do you realize how insulting that is.
Give them some respect for knowing something. After all they went to school for as long as a medical doctor.

Contact the rescue organization you dealt with and tell them you need paperwork signed by a veterinarian to confirm treatment received so that you can continue the treatment accordingly …..if they don’t/can’t provide, that tells you something.

[anonymously]

Helpful article below:
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.

[anonymously]

Helpful article below:
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.

[anonymously]

Helpful article below:
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.

[anonymously]

I would go with the current weight recommendations on the dog food bag or a little less, divided up, 3 meals per day, around 6-7 months go to 2 meals per day.
I have a 20 pound adult dog that eats about 1 to 1 1/2 cups per day (kibble mixed with a little cooked chicken, meat, scrambled egg or whatever) and a splash of water.
Funny thing, my 10 pound poodle mix eats the same amount! She has no weight issues.
Metabolisms, activity levels, etc ….
You will find what works.
Until you figure it out, I would weigh once a week. Stand on the scale, weigh yourself, then pick up the dog and get on the scale (I recommend one of those cheap digital scales from CVS, battery lasts about a year). Deduct your weight, note fluctuations….adjust diet accordingly.
PS: Also, see what your vet advises, they go to school for the same amount of time as a medical doctor, maybe they know something.

[anonymously]

Please consider going to a dermatologist/specialist for testing….see my previous posts, it will cost you less in the long run. Use the search engine here: “allergies”

Helpful article below:
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.

[ilse]

No disrespect meant to the vets on this list. However, the vet i consulted did not find any indications of tumor or infection, and as far as i understand, many dogs have those anal sacs expressed regularly for the duration of their lives. He really had no suggestions other than to keep expressing or do surgery.

No advice on effect of weight, diet, or anything else. I’m having to do all my own research, find out about possible connections to diet, weight, and more.

I apologize if I caused offense to “anonymous.” I am sure vets are much like other medical doctors; some are good

[Julia]

Hi Everyone! I’ve been having some concerns about my dog Leica. She was a rescue and has severe separation anxiety so has been on a therapeutic dose of Fluoxetine (Prozac) for about 8 months (I didn’t want to do this but we tried everything else and the doctor thought it best). I want to ween her off soon because her training has been going well but she has gained weight which is one of the listed side effects. I want to help her lose the weight! She currently eats about 2 cups of Acana Grasslands everyday and I usually also give her some organic veggies and occasionally a very small amount of Kefir or greek yogurt for that probiotic boost. If I do include some fresh meet I cook it plainly and reduce the amount of kibble. I think I feed my dogs pretty well but what can I do to help Leica? She gets a good amount of exercise- daily walks and runs in the woods/field a few times a week. My other dog Forest is a one year old lab/boarder collie mix so he keeps her pretty active too. I would be truly grateful for any advice!

– Julia

• This topic was modified 9 years, 8 months ago by Julia.

[Julia]

Hi Everyone! I’ve been having some concerns about my dog Leica. She was a rescue and has severe separation anxiety so has been on a therapeutic dose of Fluoxetine (Prozac) for about 8 months (I didn’t want to do this but we tried everything else and the doctor thought it best). I want to ween her off soon because her training has been going well but she has gained weight which is one of the listed side effects. I want to help her lose the weight! She currently eats about 2 cups of Acana Grasslands everyday and I usually also give her some organic veggies and occasionally a very small amount of Kefir or greek yogurt for that probiotic boost. If I do include some fresh meet I cook it plainly and reduce the amount of kibble. I think I feed my dogs pretty well but what can I do to help Leica? She gets a good amount of exercise- daily walks and runs in the woods/field a few times a week. My other dog Forest is a one year old lab/boarder collie mix so he keeps her pretty active too. I would be truly grateful for any advice!

P.S. the meds seem to have made her more sedentary while we are at home. She naps. a lot.
I tried but couldnt get photos to work.. ?? can you link them from fb?
– Julia

• This topic was modified 9 years, 8 months ago by Julia.
• This topic was modified 9 years, 8 months ago by Julia.
• This topic was modified 9 years, 8 months ago by Julia.
• This topic was modified 9 years, 8 months ago by Julia.
• This topic was modified 9 years, 8 months ago by Julia.

[Jenn H]

I know I’m very spoiled living in an area where I do have a lot of options. Being near Boston I can go right to Tufts (one of the best vet schools) in an emergency.
There’s so many different vets and emergency animal hospitals. I guess I assume it’s common.

Believe me I know phone consults can be very expensive. As if vet care isn’t expensive enough already.

Personally I wouldn’t change foods w/o slow transition, but you know your dog better than anyone. Even the vet. Follow your own instinct.
Remember you are your dog’s advocate. He needs you to be his voice. Make it heard. I’m not a confrontational person, but eventually I ran out of patience. I told them that I was done seeing my girl sick and they needed to stop blaming everything on Lyme and find the solution. Doctors don’t like to think they are wrong. Sometimes they need to be humbled.
While I still ended up with an umbrella diagnosis at least I got them to successfully treat the symptoms without pushing their agenda.

[anonymously]

Helpful article below:
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.

[Mary Susan S]

We have two bichons. One of them (now almost 12) has been diagnosed with allergies ever since she was two, and the baby of the family (now three) may be developing them. We want to feed them the same kibble in any case. The senior dog’s allergies got worse last year, and we started looking at a food component for the first time.

We have the joy and trouble of having a very particular veterinary allergist. She wanted originally to sell us a prescription diet, which “is not rated due to its intentional therapeutic design” here on the DFA. But the ingredient list speaks volumes: “Dried potato, venison meal, coconut oil, potato protein, hydrolyzed soy protein, natural flavors, vegetable oil, fish oil, ….” I dug my heels in. Luckily for me, they had added the hydrolyzed soy protein when my allergist’s back was turned. Supposedly, this doesn’t trigger allergies the way plain soy does, but I could claim principle. Really, I objected to feeding my dogs potatoes flavored with venison!

At that point, the doctor wanted us to cook for our dogs, which I also refused to do on the grounds that I don’t cook for us, either. However, if you are willing to do so, you will definitely know what your dog is getting. With otc kibbles, apparently, you don’t, not really. Even a high-quality company (one that actually makes their own kibble) probably makes different formulas on the same equipment, and might or might not clean thoroughly enough in-between runs. My allergist knows of a website that helps with balanced recipes for dogs, and if you like, I could find out what it is.

But we forged onward, valiantly. Our allergist likes Champion because they make their own kibble and in general maintain very high quality. So first I went for ACANA Lamb & Okanagan Apple Singles Formula. However, doc cited research at Cornell that a diet limited to lamb is linked to heart disease in dogs. Pork is a common allergen, too, so we first picked a rabbit-only kibble that did fine in terms of allergies but had our younger dog eating dirt. I wish Acana made Singles in the more unusual meats, like venison! But we then tried Acana Singles Pork and Butternut Squash, and fortunately, our dogs seem to be doing well enough on it. (Yes, on top of drugs — Atopica — for our senior dog.)

It’s been rough, because our babies like their treats and kongs and such. The only “limited diet” canned food I’ve been able to find that my allergist didn’t promptly dismiss out of hand is Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet. (Although I have to confess, she really wants us to go with baby food. Sadly, the only single-protein baby food we could find was too runny to keep inside a kong.) At least rabbit or pork (and nothing else) treats have been findable on Chewy.com, although they’re expensive.

The key to what you’re doing is to know your kibble ingredient list, cross your fingers and hope that that is actually all that’s in the bag, and not buy anything else. No treats from the table (except for steamed or raw vegetables), that sort of thing. (Oddly, peanut butter was fine with a veterinary allergist!) Oh was there joy in this house when we got to the point of adding cheese back into the dogs’ diet!

Be especially careful with eggs, by the way, because it’s in just about all the quality foods (like the Fromm brand you’re talking about), and is apparently a very common allergen. We probably won’t ever try putting it back. You need to go at least two months with a given set of foods before adding anything, and then one at a time.

I hope this helps, especially the warning about an all-lamb diet. Unfortunately, I don’t have an actual citation for it.

[Cannoli]

Or better yet have your vet do blood tests. I get blood tests done once a year and my doctor tells me what vitamins I am lacking in. So I then research the whole foods that have those vitamins and immediately add them to my diet.

We should do the same with our pets before we just start throwing supplements at them.

[Chloe G]

After ruling out medical, I don’t know why my pup stopped liking the taste of the wild high Prairie puppy food. I got him when he was 7 months old, transitioned him from Purina puppy chow to TOTW and he loved it! I doctor it up with egg, olive oil, cooked meat and a bit of yogurt (or some combination of those ingredients) each meal. One day, about a week and a half ago, he stopped eating it. He’ll lick the yogurt, pick at it, and walk away. My trainer said sometimes dogs will not eat to see what else you’ll give them, so in the meantime, exercise him well and over the food right after. He still doesn’t eat it. I’m looking to try a new kibble, in case TOTW is too rich for his stomach and giving him indigestion.

Any recommendations at this point? Something decent quality, maybe not too rich? Or something?

[Shawna]

Here’s another doctor on acid reflux (and heartburn) if interested. This is in humans but holds true for our pets too.

“The Myth About Heartburn
It’s commonly believed that heartburn is the result of overeating. And although 116 million Americans may overeat, the size of the meal has no scientific correlation with the frequency of heartburn.
Then we must be producing too much stomach acid, you say. Having too much acid production is very rare. In fact, the opposite is the case. In most people, stomach acid decreases with age.

What Causes Heartburn?
In order to cure acid reflux disease, you must remove the cause of the problem and promote the healing process. The following are the most common causes:

Food allergies: In my practice I have found that a majority of cases of heartburn are caused by food allergies. Food allergies often cause a host of other problems and can be diagnosed with a simple blood test.

Foods: certain foods cause the lower esophageal sphincter to relax, thus leading to heartburn. These include peppermint, coffee, alcohol and chocolate.

Hiatal hernia: This is a physical condition where part of the stomach protrudes through the diaphragm. It can generally be reduced without surgery, though even when present it is not necessarily the sole cause of heartburn

Low Acid Production: Ironically, low stomach acid levels can result in heartburn. This is much more common than increased acid. This problem can be assessed clinically and is readily treatable.

Medications: Many medications cause heartburn as a side-effect, including, several acid blockers. These include:

Acid Blockers: Prevacid, Prilosec, Zantac, etc.
Asthma inhalers (beclamethasone, flovent, etc).
Corticosteroids
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen.
Antianxiety medications, such as diazepam (Valium) and lorazepam (Ativan).
Osteoporosis drugs such as alendronate (Fosamax).” http://www.centerforfoodallergies.com/gerd.htm#part1

[Shawna]

Here’s another take on acid reflux that is supported by many. This is from the website reflux.org and is written by a medical doctor – the bio says this about this doctor “Dr. Stephen Wangen is the co-founder and Medical Director of the IBS Treatment Center. He
lectures nationally and is the author of two books, “The Irritable Bowel Syndrome Solution,”
and the recently released “Healthier Without Wheat: A New Understanding of Wheat Allergies, Celiac Disease, and Non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance.”

Dr. Wangen writes
“However, it’s not just a dairy allergy that can cause reflux. As we already discussed, gluten intolerance is also known to trigger reflux. (Note that reflux can be the only presenting symptom of celiac disease, the most researched form of gluten intolerance. But also note that you do not have to have celiac disease to be gluten intolerant.) In fact, any food can potentially trigger reflux. And the right kind of testing will point to the relevant food(s). But there are certain foods that come up more often than others as allergens. The top four food allergies that result in reflux are:

Dairy Egg Soy Gluten

But remember, it’s not the food that is the real problem. The real issue is how your body is reacting to that food rather than anything inherently bad in the food itself.” https://www.reflux.org/reflux/webdoc01.nsf/487b3ba0c2f1a4ff85256ff30009f061/cc3c84cff50a7a0b8525764e005d879b/$FILE/2009%20Summer%20Reflux%20Digest%20final%20to%20upload.pdf

Although these four foods may be the most likely to cause acid reflux, they are not the only ones that do. Additionally continuing the acid reducer can create further issues as acid is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY for protein digestion. Protein malnutrition can happen with long term use of these acid reducers and a whole host of new symptoms can be caused by protein malnutrition. B12 absorption is also dependent on adequate acids in the stomach and B12 malnutrition will also cause some unusual and problematic symptoms.

[Pitlove]

Hi Sadie’s Mom-

In regards to your question to me, there are a couple things you could try until Tuesday. If its her back maybe elevate her food dish so she doesn’t have to bend over to eat causing pain to her back. If its the tooth, soft food like canned wet food would be a really good option for encouraging her to eat and maybe giving the tooth a break. Just because the vet doesn’t think its a big deal, doesn’t mean its not! I was in a car accicent in ’12 and the EMT’s thought I had a sprain in my wrist, turned out to be broken! The tooth really could be more of an issue than the vet thinks just from talking over the phone. First thing I would definitely try (because of her back) is finding a way to lift her food dish.

Edit: And yes El Doctor is certainly right when he mentioned keeping her lean. Especially with Sadie being a Dachshund and all the back/hip problems they are known for, keeping her at a healthy weight is critical. Make sure you are feeding her for the weight she should be and not current weight. Not too many treats either!

• This reply was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by Pitlove.

[Suzanne W]

Aimee, anonymously, pitlove, eldoctor, Anna c, and forum readers, thank you so much for all the advise and thoughtfulness! I really feel that you care about my Maltese, Sophie. She has been fine except for being a little more tired the past couple days, then vomited a small amount this morning, but is eating, drinking, and urinating fine. She has had no other symptoms and I truly believe that with great food and good care, she will make her new red blood cells and be perfectly fine. I have read veterinary journals i.e. Experiments which are horrible to the lab dogs, but I digress. I learned that day five is frequently when problems are SEEN, though if the dog ate a bunch it may have vomiting and diarrhea very soon. The blood work is abnormal the very next day, but they may appear fine till day five which in one study was sorta level then started slowly dropping on day seven. They replace approximately one percent of their red blood cells daily, so it takes awhile. Red blood cells have a life of 120 days. Vomiting should be induced immediately and then take to emergency vet because they might give activated charcoal or other care which may keep your dog from any serious problems. If you didn’t induce vomiting in the first two hours, then just take your dog in anyway. If your dog develops signs and symptoms of panting, fast heart rate, fast breathing, restlessness, lethargy, portwine coloured urine, pale gums, not eating or drinking, weakness, dark colored skin, bruising, finally collapse, obviously you needed to get dog in at beginning of all this. There isn’t a cure, but the treatment is supportive i.e. I’ve fluids, possible corticosteroids, antibiotics though I didn’t get why, and possibly a blood transfusion with oxygen as the red blood cells are how the oxygen travels through system. If you take pet in, then they have an excellent prognosis, but if you try to deal with this at home, your pet may die or suffer organ failure, heart problems, and may even need surgery. Now it’s time for a healthy diet to hel make red blood cells. An iron rich(think liver). Diet will help. They recommend meat, eggs, fish, folic acid(found in enriched cereals and fortified products) and vitamin c. That’s all I can remember off hand. Sorry so long, but i want to help anyone who goes through the same thing. Btw the studies were on onions and garlic, allium family. Thanks again to all of your support it meant so much to me, you have no idea. I’ll update after this is completed! And to Pitlove, that pit charged but only wanted to sniff. My precious Ida freaked out and that’s what started the problem. Neither dog was at all viscous. God bless!!!

[Ana A]

Hello el doctor, I would like to try feeding her raw…is that what you mean by “commercial fresh food”?

[Pitlove]

@ El Doctor- Whoops! Didn’t catch that spelling error in time. Now it won’t let me edit my post

[Suzanne W]

El Doctor, I hope I am replying to you, actually I don’t know what I am doing so you may never get this, I am posting and hoping the people who have been so helpful and caring i.e. Aimee, anonymously, and you. Anyway, the symptoms you gave me and the site is actually more extensive than the vet told me, so thank you. I thought they told me it may cause problems weeks after!? Anyway, I will breathe easier if she does, on Tuesday, which would be four and a half days. It’s only been 24 hours… Anonymously really opened my eyes up for my own body in regards to supplements. You should check out that frontline video as it is shocking! I’ll post on here tues if all goes well, I can’t think of the other. Thank you and God bless you!

[Pitlove]

Hi Aimee- Thank you! Yes, he’s doing quite well. I’m not/can’t home cook so we will have to introduce both together. He said we will talk about over the counter foods I could use. I’ll use whichever dry kibble he suggests. He is not much a fan of the over the counter limited ingredient diets for the reasons you explained, but he knows I can’t afford the rX formulas forever.

El Doctor- I was speaking to him as though he wanted to use a dry kibble and not homecook. You and I simply have two different trains of thought- neither is wrong. It simply depends on what the OP would like to do. Hell, he might not even be interested in a food trial at all. I simply wanted to provide the reason for my vet recommending this food as we did not talk about homecooking since he knows I can’t/don’t do that.

Both Aimee and I agree that “If using commercial foods, use food from the vet office that have been made specifically for this purpose.”

[Pitlove]

Boddy D- I wanted to explain MY vet’s reasoning for wanting my dog to use the Royal Canin prescription diet for his food trial since El Doctor urged you to stay away from it based only on the ingredients.

When a protein is hydrolyzed, they break it down into its component amino acids which in turn makes it harder for the dog to have a reaction to. Now of course if your dog had a soy allergy, he would still react. Other reason for my vet wanting me to use the prescription diet and not an over the counter limited ingredient diet is because, when Royal Canin has their prescription allergy diets manufactured the machine is sterilized after each “run”. It can not be guarenteed that commercial dog foods labeled as “limited ingredient” use those same quality control measures. In fact, I believe it was another poster on here, Aimee, that once said that some over the counter limited ingredient diets had tested positive for proteins that should NOT have been in the food. Cross-contamination is NOT what you want when conducting a food trial.

The reasons my vet and I spoke about that I listed above is why when doing a TRUE food trial to test for food allergies, the prescription diet (while it may be expensive) is the recommended food. However, you’re welcome to think on what both myself and El Doctor have suggested and make your own decision.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by Pitlove.

[Lyndzy L]

Carol, thank you SO much posting this information it has been really helpful to me. My Great Pyrenees Mix dog ( barely 3 years old ) is battling with Chylothorax.

6 months ago he had surgery for a lung lobe torsion, they have no idea why it happened and it’s uncommon just like Chylo, but the prognosis was great so we went ahead and did it spending almost 10K after everything. I had two vets suggest we put him down before we were even able to determine that it was a lung lobe torsion and not only that, they had to open him up again when he got his chest tube stuck on their kennel ( a day after his first surgery ) and ripped it out and more air got into his chest…. it was a total disaster with one set back after another but he made it through it and we were so happy and relieved and he was acting great, my miracle dog I thought…. and now here we are 6 months later with him out of breath at the vet.

I just knew in my heart it was related to his lung lobe problem but they told me that chylo is unrelated, it’s a different kind of fluid. They tapped his chest… 2 liters I think? and told us about the surgery which I do not want to put him through. They had difficulty tapping his chest due to scar tissue from the past surgery and not only that just being at the vet stressed him SO much he went potty on himself and began panting and breathing hard way worse than before I brought him there…. this is the most laid-back, let you do anything to him dog I’ve ever met ( not to mention he is a therapy dog ) so to see him react like that broke my heart and I never want to take him into another vet’s office again.

After doing some research I found that the lung lobe torsion IS indeed related to Chylo but doctors are unable to tell what causes which but I do believe it was his torsion that created the Chylo. The vet that told me it was unrelated is a “specialist” but they don’t know jack about it, leaving me very disappointed and upset. I will NOT be taking him back to them.

I’ve been searching desperately for a vet that knows anything about this condition and the treatments but so far have had no luck ( I’m in Memphis, TN ). After seeing your post about the pleural port, which no dr. yet has mentioned to me, I believe that is the route we want to go… if we can find someone who can do it without complications and if so I’m praying that we can somehow afford it. We are already in so much debt from his torsion surgery I’m not sure what we are going to do. Right now he is acting OK with an occasional deep breath or two, it’s been a week and half since he was tapped. I have started him on Rutin.

I am concerned about how this works long term and how expensive it is to upkeep… how is your dog doing?? Are you still draining fluid twice a week? If you wouldn’t mind filling me in on how she’s doing I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by Lyndzy L.

[Pittiemama]

Thanks for your input el doctor! Luckily I’m not easily influenced. I’m thankful to those who give advice while at the same time I do my own due diligence. I do, however, appreciate hearing other people’s experiences and how they got to where they are. Anecdotal evidence isn’t hard data numbers but it still carries weight and matters.

I’m already planning on seeing a holistic vet in my area who I know personally through the vet field.

I’m familiar with peer reviewed journals and have used them through my own college career.

Though I’m still learning, I’ve dabbled in Naturopatic medicine with one of my dogs with cancer many years ago and was fortunate enough to have a very amazing Naturopathic Veterinarian who helped him.

Again, thanks for your words! Best to you as well.

[El]

Hi Pittiemama, welcome to DFA!

I’m very sorry to hear about your pups kidney issues 🙁

I believe in exploring all options when it comes to the health of my furry family members. I research everything and then I research some more. I think that peer reviewed articles are very important because they are written by experts and reviewed by experts in whatever field the article or study comes from.

A good place to search for canine kidney disease, or any medical issue you would like to research is “Google Scholar” and “Pubmed”.

Anecdotal evidence can often be confusing. For instance, Shawna’s baby lived over 8 years on a holistic, raw diet with plenty of alternative treatments.

And a friend of mine adopted an 8 week old lab who was diagnosed with kidney disease at 12 weeks old. She lived to be 9 years old on a low protein, prescription diet from the vet.

I tried to talk him into feeding a less processed homemade or commercial diet that used fresh minimally processed whole foods but he stuck with his vet’s food. I can only imagine how long she would have lived on a fresh food, minimally processed diet designed for kidney patients.

I did talk him into using freeze-dried kidney products and I suspect they helped. Seeing a holistic vet is something I would definitely look into. The more you know, the better you will be able to make an informed decision regarding the care of your pup.

Naturopathy is a very controversial form of “medicine” and I hope you do your due diligence before going down that path. Make up your own mind based on your own research.

Below are a few very critical quotes and links about Naturopathy and the original online, no attendance required, schools of natural healing. I wish you and your baby a long and healthy life 😉

“The Biggest Quack School in Natural Medicine Closes”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-andrew-lange/the-biggest-quack-school_b_641931.html

“Diploma Mill PoliceSM Clayton College of Natural Health (AL) Distance Learning Accreditation Report”
http://www.geteducated.com/diploma-mill-police/degree-mills-list/clayton-college-of-natural-health-accreditation

“Clayton College of Natural Health: Be Wary of the School and Its Graduates”
http://www.quackwatch.org/04ConsumerEducation/Nonrecorg/clayton.html

“A Close Look at Naturopathy”
http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Naturopathy/naturopathy.html

“Colorado, naturopathy, and “health freedom”: Devolving into a quack wonderland?”
http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2013/06/11/colorado-naturopathy-and-health-freedom-devolving-into-a-quack-wonderland/

“Britt Deegan Hermes, a former naturopathic doctor and Bastyr grad, has a new blog: Naturopathic Diaries. It is a must-read! Britt reveals the pseudoscience and lack of clinical training behind naturopathic education.”
http://www.no-naturopaths.org/

[Laura M]

I use the large sized “bites” as treats but I would not feed this as a regular diet. Read the ingredients and you will agree I think. I attended a dental seminar recently and they recommend what is on the VOHC website for oral care, but as stated previously, the only way to keep the teeth in good condition is to brush and regular cleanings as recommended by your vet. Although not all vets are doing the best dentistry treatments either. The doctor was a specialist in the dental field. I live in an area where there are a lot of specialty veterinarians so I am lucky. I love your breed, had two minis at one point in my life. I feed my dogs a variety of things right now. One I feed Acana, my puppy I feed Nutrisource puppy and my old girl I feed Holistic Select turkey and lentil. Hope you find a good diet for your special friend!

[anonymously]

“Foreign bodies of the stomach are always potentially serious, but may not constitute a medical emergency. Many foreign bodies eventually exit the stomach and pass harmlessly in the feces. It is the foreign bodies that become permanently lodged or that block food passage that are the most critical. The inability to eat and/or vomiting are sure signs that the foreign body is causing a problem”.
“All foreign bodies must be removed from the stomach. Some, especially if small, will pass into the intestines and exit the body with the feces. If a lubricant such as mineral oil is administered, it may be especially helpful at moving the foreign bodies, such as a small piece of cloth or small fragments of bone, into the intestine. Mineral oil, however, is of little help in aiding the passing of large objects such as balls. If an object is going to pass naturally, it usually occurs within 48 hours of ingestion. If vomiting begins, or the object fails to naturally pass, then surgical removal is the only option. Left untreated, gastric foreign bodies usually result in ulceration, starvation, dehydration, and eventually death. If your puppy ingests a foreign object, always consult your veterinarian to determine the appropriate therapy”.

The above are excerpts from Pet Education, Doctors Foster & Smith “Foreign Bodies in the Stomach Can Cause Vomiting in Dogs” I was not able to post the link.

[Gwen J]

Hi el doctor – Thanks for taking the time to give me so much information. I will be putting this in my ‘keep’ file. One question though, how much longer than 12 to 15 years would one expect a dog to live? I know there have been dogs that have lived longer but thought this was pretty much the norm.

[Pitlove]

Hi El Doctor- You said: “Are not people capable of the same thing?”

Yes of course they are and we classify those people as sociopaths. But Dick was not talking about humans.

You then said: “And failed to understand the message he was trying to convey about the horribly inhumane way that food animals are treated.”

I haven’t failed to understand anything. I was simply pointing out a flaw in his logic that a dog would “feel bad” watching an animal be slaughtered. Just because I chose to focus on that part of his arguement and not the rest, it does not mean I wasn’t able to understand his point. That is what you failed to understand.

[sascha k]

Thanks for writing. I’ll explain my thinking below.

I tend to be skeptical of vast global conspiracies myself but there is something to be said there. While financial ties are natural in any business, why is it the top contributors are the ones being most heavily (and often exclusively) being pushed? They want me to believe out of the hundreds of products available on the market, only 2 pass muster?

I’ve compared the ingredients of Hill’s Science diet and Nutrience Sub zero and while I’m no doctor, nor biologist I can tell the difference between grain filler and meat.

Just compare the ingredients below:
http://www.nutrience.ca/dog-food/nutrience-sub-zero/dry-food/canadian-pacific/
http://www.hillspet.ca/en-ca/products/ib-canine-mature-adult-chicken-and-rice-dry.html

I am not shopping for a vet that will confirm my biases but I’m looking for one that will discuss the differences in ingredients, the mass recall deaths, the research and the financial ties with me without shutting me down.

I understand a vet is a medical doctor who doesn’t have time to cater to every dumb question by an internet “genius”, but my personal feeling is that when someone doesn’t want you to ask questions there’s a problem.

I trust absolutely no one. I want the vet to distill the research to me in layman’s terms on why he/she is making the dietary recommendations. And yes this includes vets recommending the diet I prefer. Right now all I’ve got to go on is authority. It could well be that Hill’s and Royal Canin is the only commercial dog food anyone should feed their dog, but given all the available information detailed above I want an explanation for my objections.

As for the new vet I’m talking to he wasn’t implying there is a vast conspiracy of vets twirling the mustaches in the darkness. Only that there is verifiable evidence of strong financial ties and that some vets perhaps push these 2 diets a little harder than the quality of ingredients warrants.

My source isn’t some naturalnews hippy woo, but the Wall Street Journal:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB878509979865406000

[sascha k]

thanks for your feedback.

I hate to be that annoying Google University graduate thinking he knows better than someone academically trained but my bullshit detectors go off when he recommends only 2 brands out of a large portfolio of brands.

They also go off when someone refuses to answer questions. On the flip side of the coin I understand every doctor doesn’t have time for every internet conspiracy theorist and listening to their(my) nonsense but at the same time I heard the human MD’s spend something like 2 weeks on nutrition.

If vets spend a similar amount of time then hell, *I’ve* spent more time than that reading papers, websites and speaking with trainers, walkers and pet owners.

At the same time I realize the sheer hubris of me as a layman questioning a medical professional.

I think I will take your advice and get a second opinion, but that second opinion would only be one more vet. What I want is a veterinary nutritionist. Someone academically trained specifically in nutrition and I have no idea how to go about finding such a person and I find if I ask any doctor about a specialist they tend to get offended and blow me off.

Doctors are great people, but they often have huge egos.

[sascha k]

My dog recently got diarrhea and a bacterial infection with an unknown source.

My vet severely criticized Nutrience Sub Zero and DogsWell Happy Hips ordering me to stop using them and all natural high end foods as he claims they are all garbage.

This goes against the 5 star ratings on this website.

Here’s the kicker: He recommends Hill’s Science diet which not only killed my friend’s cat but is generally agreed upon to be of terrible quality.

I’m just a somewhat intelligent layman and he’s a qualified doctor but I highly dislike how the general consensus from a variety of sources is recommending against the very brand my vet is pushing.

This is Canada btw and we generally have better laws on professional conduct so I don’t think he would be taking in kind bribes of any sort.

[Kevin R]

Hi Anon. Yeah, I know and I’ve always leaned more towards her issues being environment related. However, she doesn’t really seem to change from one season to the next like some dogs. She has always had year round issues. I guess I’ve just been baffled by the these different issues she’s had recently, she’s never had the genital issue before and the anal glands haven’t been this bad. Yet, she isn’t very itchy. Her skin is constantly changing in redness though, from red to not red and in between. I’ll take a look at the link you provided. I’m looking to at least consult with a vet dermatologist or internal medicine specialist. There’s a couple places here locally. Maybe it will be helpful to discuss with her vet to determine the highest priority of what she needs as I’ll be going in a few days for blood work and talk to the doctor who will be removing these bumps. I’m afraid this procedure here will set me back a bit and delay the trip to vet dermatologist though. Thanks.

[LadyJane]

Our dog had severe liver issues and the doctors did not have a clue why. The counts were way over where they should be and he had anemia as well. We thought he was going to pass, no energy, slept all day, wouldn’t eat. Then I started researching. I read about Milk Thistle for people and found it also helped dogs. Checked with my vet and they agreed I should give it a try. After 5 days, a huge improvement! It is by Apawthocary and is in liquid form. Twenty drops once a day on food is all it took. Online they swore it would perform miracles and it did! Our dog is back to healthy counts, healthy weight and playing like a puppy (11 years old). It is now a daily part of the diet.

[Kelle J]

Molzy, my Cavalier King Charles has the same symptoms. After multiple tries with different Chinese herbs, acupuncture, dietary changes, etc. we finally took her to a specialist who scoped her throat and bronchials. (While in there he took photos that he later showed us.) It turned out that her left bronchial is 95% collapsed and her right bronchial is 75% collapsed. (She’s never worn a collar when walked, just a soft harness. The doctor believes it is genetic.) At the same time he removed a small amount of excess palette tissue that was touching the back of her throat. The collapses are after the bronchial tubes split so she is not a candidate for surgery. My husband did some research and we have her on some good supplements designed to rebuild cartilage which has helped quite a bit. (She used gulp/panic/eat grass several times a day and night. Now she has an episode once every couple of days.) When it happens, I find that if I open her mouth (which she actually comes to me to do), stick my finger toward the back of her tongue and then gently pull her tongue forward, they’ll be a soft popping/suction-release sound and she’ll feel better. Occasionally this doesn’t work, so when that happens I just let her go outside and eat a bit of grass so she can throw up and clear her lungs. We’re planning to take her back to the vets soon to have her re-scoped so we can see if the supplements have arrested the collapse and possibly rebuilt them in some way. If you’re interested, I’ll let you know the results. Good luck–your pup is lucky to have you.

[jamie h]

I want what’s best by my dog and I know (from experience) some vets have different interests. I would love to go to a holistic vet, but have yet to find one in my area, so I am stuck with a conventional one. I’m looking for people who have been through similar situations so I have an idea of what to expect and what helped them. So I don’t just do whatever a vet tells me, without question. I know every dog and every situation is different. I am here for educational proposes, not to play doctor.

[Ysabella J]

Hey everyone!

I know this is mainly a forum for dog nutrition but I am branching out looking for information. I will try to make this as short as possible. About a month ago, Reese (our 4 & a half year old Golden) was outside playing with a stick and came back to me crying. I examined her mouth and didn’t find anything. For the next few days she was very sore when opening her mouth too wide. Took her to the vet and they sedated her and checked her mouth and did X-rays with everything returning normal. She was put on meloxicam and the doctor warned me about MMM. She quickly got better and wasn’t as sore but I noticed she still wouldn’t open her mouth all the way when yawning and seemed to be careful when picking up balls. Another vet said it could be TMJ and to continue the nsaid for another week. Other than not being able to fully yawn, she seemed to be completely fine. Eating fine, no drool, no whining, etc. I talked to the vet and they recommended sending out the 2M antibody test and starting prednisone. I did some of my own research and decided to get a 2nd opinion from the holistic vet first. Only thing is, she was booked out 3 weeks. In the meantime, we were careful with her jaw. No bones or chewing and no ball playing. She didn’t get any worse and I once again only noticed her yawn being off. Fast forward, Reese had her initial appointment last week and the doctor there agreed with MMM. Said the muscles around her jaw bone felt almost non-existing. She also commented on how her cheek muscles looked like they were slightly sunken in. We sent out the 2M antibody test and it came back as a borderline antibody titer and they recommend a muscle biopsy to confirm. Vet agrees with me that since her symptoms aren’t terrible that we will wait to do this since it is an invasive procedure. The holistic vet decided to put her on chinese herbs and supplements. We are also doing acupuncture weekly (for now). She said at this point since her only symptom seems to be her yawning and muscle atrophy that we don’t need to put her on prednisone, or NSAIDs. If it gets worse, we may have to. I will do anything before turning to the steroids. We are reluctant that we caught it before it progressed but doc says no vaccines or toxins that can trigger a reaction since it’s an auto immune disease. We already had been feeding partially raw and Orijen kibble which we will continue to do. She has had two acupuncture sessions and has been on the supplements for one week and I haven’t noticed improvement, but she’s also not doing worse. Anyone have any recommendations or have been through this? I read it is common in the breed but I had never heard of this disease until now. Any advice is much appreciated from me and my girl. Thanks from the both of us!

[Rebecca S]

Some of the common allergic symptoms seen in dogs are Chronic ear inflammation, Itching, Paw biting, Obsessive licking etc. There are certain meats and grains that might likely to cause your dog with allergy. These food items are pork, rabbit, beef, chicken, fish, egg soy and corn. Consult some good doctor or follow the below link. Like animals human do get allergic of some food. Check out few below healthy recipes for better health.
http://www.yellowpages.com/weston-fl/mip/moon-thai-japanese-inc-4618031

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by Rebecca S.

[aimee]

Hi Kristin,

I’m so sorry that you and your beloved Koji are going through this. I’m sure it is heartbreaking. Please post back with any updates.

In regards to the specialists asking to see Koji and being compensated for their time in reviewing the case they may be legally bound to do so. Most if not all states require the patient be examined before making medical recommendations. For me it is a red flag for any Dr to do otherwise.

There is a ‘loophole” if you want to call it that. If your Dr, who is the treating Dr, wants an opinion on his/her case than your Dr can consult with another Dr, but the Dr who is legally responsible for the case remains your original Dr. The consulting Dr. can not recommend to you, the owner, what to be done nor converse with you about the case. This is why “Our vet is going to contact another IM doctor and get there opinion.” is legal but you calling the IM Dr and asking for them to give you an opinion is not.

I think these Dr. to Dr. types of consults are often done as professional courtesy if it is just a short sweet few minutes phone call. But if extended…. the Dr being consulted may ask to be compensated for his/her time and the consulting Dr would then pass that charge on to you.

I hope this helps in some small way for you to understand why none of the specialists you called would review the records at your request without seeing Koji.

[Kristine V]

No, they aren’t giving him fluids. He’s plenty hydrated. My husband and I made the mistake of watching how the surgery is done on You Tube and we both sat there crying our eyes out. My biggest fear is post-op, septic infection. I find myself trying to find THE best surgeon for him, but how does one determine that ya know? So many out there. Our vet is in Orange County, CA and his IM doctor is in Lawndale, CA. My thought process is when he does have surgery, I want it to be close to home so we can visit him while he’s there. I’m actaully trying to find a hospital that has the family suites where we can stay and sleep in the room with them post-op until he is discharged. Sounds crazy, but he’s my baby and I know having us with him, sleeping next to him, will only enhance his recovery. So that puts me more toward finding someone in our area. Do I go with the speciality hospital who has only the 1 surgeon or go with a bigger specialty hospital who has many? uuggghhh

[Kristine V]

Hi all,

Thank you all for your support and suggestions. Koji’s symptoms started early September. We noticed he was looking a little skinny and suddenly he started throwing up before eating, after eating, eating grass etc. On evening of day 3 and throwing up, we took him to his vet. They gave him a shot to help with the nausea. The last time he had seen his vet was in June for his last puppy shots. From June to September he had not gained any weight. His symptoms were slowly creeping on. That night at the vets office, they did x-rays and said there was no visible foreign object but there was lots of gas and thickening of his small intestines associated with inflammation. Our vet then referred us to a specialist, Internal Medicine doctor. Ultrasound was done, which pretty much revealed the same as the x-ray. From this point on, he just got worse. He was put on so many medications, had every blood test done, and everything pointed toward Inflammartory Bowel Disease.

THE BIG PROBLEM: Koji is eating, however, due to whatever is going on in his small intstines, is NOT ALLOWING ANY NUTRIENTS to be absorbed in his body. Hence the continued weight loss. Last week alone he lost 3 pounds within 4 days. He went from 81lbs and is now down to 74lbs. So I’m sure as your reading this, you can see our desperation and dilemma. NOTHING is working. His new vet, who did the NutriScan food sensitivity test and is currently treating Koji, is as baffled as we are. No matter what we feed him, no matter waht supplements we have given him or how often he eats, his body is just not absorbing any nutrients. We tried the Holistic approach along with Western Medicine and NO SUCCESS. Trust me when I say this, we have exhausted every non surgical option to help our boy. I am his voice and his advocate and no matter the cost, we are not giving up on him. I have called so many specialist BEGGING to have a new set of eyes review his medical records and NOT ONE specialist was willing to review them without paying $180.00 and having to bring Koji in for an appointment. I work in the medical field and peer case reviews are done all the time. Why in the hell can’t a group of specialist do the same.

So this is where we are….our baby is in pain, has no life in him, no excitement, no mommy kisses or cuddles. He doesn’t want to be bothered. My husband and I knew the steriods would make him feel like this and we told ourselves we have to suck it up seeing him like this and pray for a damn miracle that the steriods kick in internally and we see progress. Sadly, nothing has changed except him getting skinnier. On the positive, we had his protein levels checkedthis past Tuesday and they are perfect. Meaning he is not in immediate life threathening danger. Meaning we have a little more time to give the steriods a good 2 weeks of waiting and see what happens. There is no worse heart ripping pain than seeing him suffer like this. So as you can imagine, as much as we truly DO NOT want him going through open abdominal surgery, we have no other choice. It’s a major surgery and not one to be taken lightly. The risks associated with this surgery are very high and we could very well loose him. But in our hearts, we feel we are slowly loosing him now. So what’s a parent to do? Risk the surgery and know we will get an exact diagnosis, or do nothing and we end up having to cross him over the rainbow bridge? It’s tuff ya’ll. A very crappy situation to be in. For all we know, and the IM doctor said herself, he could have a piece of plastic or some small object in his intestine that she wasn’t able to see on ultrasound. I can go on and on but in the end, nothing we are doing is working and he isn’t getting any better and I just want a miracle and want my baby back! 🙁

I would like to post his picture so you all can see my beautiful boy but I don’t know how to upload a picture on here as my profile picture.

[Kristine V]

Bless you for rescuing your fur baby. Its terrible that people give up on there pets like that. Koji isn’t just a dog, he’s our baby and means the world to us. I eat, breathe and live in constant worry and sadness for him. He’s on my mind 24/7. Our vet is going to contact another IM doctor and get there opinion. I know surgery is a huge next step and one I desperately wish we could avoid but we are up against the wall. Koji was on the same meds as your and all made him feel like crap. I stopped everything and within days, we had our playful boy back but the IBD was still haunting him. Akitas are such an amazing breed and are actually prone to GI issues. Whatever the end result is, my husband and I know we tried everything possible to get him well. Im a realistic person and I would never compromise Koji’s quality of life. And I could never live with myself knowing we didnt exhaust every possible option to save him. My heart is so heavy. My husband and I said we’d give the steriods a good run for the next 2 weeks. If no results, then we absolutely have to make a very big decision. I so wish his case were simple enough for endoscopic procedure but it’s just not.

[Kristine V]

I have done so much research and even went to the doctors asking them to run certain tests. Again, comes back to IBD. h. We just feel like what do we do, nothing and keep trying different medications and hope they get it right or watch him wither away and he wont recover at all or risk the surgery and find out exactly whats going on. We are in a very difficult position but will do everything in our power to save him.

[Kristine V]

Hi Susan, we are seeing an Internal Medicine doctor at a specialty hospital. Koji has been tested for everything. Parasites, pancreas, colon, cancer, etc. Every test, blood and diagnostic is coming back toward IBD. They can’t scope him because the scope wont reach the section of the small intestine that appears to be inflammed. Trust me, surgery is the last thing we want to put him through. He’s been on so many medications and he’s not responding to any of them. Based off the NutraScan results, we are very limited on what he can eat. We tried the vet diets and refused to eat them. There is only 2 kinds of kibble he can have but until the inflammation goes down, we were advised not to give it right now. So for now, im home cooking the foods he can have. We have spent nearly $3, 500 in 2 months for every result, other than surgery, leading to IBD. But like i said in previous post, they are guessing at what medication to give him because they dont know what form of IBD he has. Surgery really is our only option. I wish it weren’t but nothing is helping him. He’s getting worse and worse.

[Kristine V]

Hi. Yes, Koji has had x-rays and ultrasound done. His small intestine is inflammed and thickening. All blood tests, GI panel, Malnutrition panel, etc point to IBD. Problem is, without knowing exact form, he can’t be treated correctly. He was at 81lbs Oct. 8 and is now down to 75lbs. He’s not absorbing any nutrients due to the inflammation in the small intestine. My baby is literally withering away. He could very well have a piece of something stuck in there that isnt being seen on x-ray. Its crazy how fast his health is changing. He has his vet and Internal Medicine doctor closly monitoring him. Thats why we all agreed if no improvement by 12/1, we have to do surgery.

[Bev A]

Thank you Betsy!
Thanks Shawna for answering me. Bitty drinks plenty of water, I always keep water in the bedroom as well and she gets off the bed a couple times to get a drink. Through all of this she has had a good water intake. Even when she was trying to starve herself because she was lonesome she would drink. She lost a pound that time and it was by accident that I discovered she was lonesome. I had taken her to my girlfriend, she hadn’t eaten in days except for the goats milk. My friend had cooked a pork roast and she offered her some. She turned it down but then her cat walked in. Bitty jumped right down and ate the whole dish.
I am not sure what the creatinine is. It was ok three months ago. And I am sure they checked it but it was the BUN she was concerned with. I am sure I can get a copy and will do so this week.
Bitty eats canned food all the time. She has very few teeth left so canned is about all she eats. It is the Science Diet KD that I feed when she will eat it. But this has got to be the pickiest dog I have ever had in my life! She will eat it for a few days and that is it. I tried the Weruva which they said no dog would turn it down, haha! I keep goats milk on hand for when she refuses to eat. After a couple syringes of that she will usually eat so I won’t give her more. I picked up a can of the Holistic grain free today when I went to see my doctor and did some shopping after. She was hungry I guess because she ate 2 tablespoons. But tomorrow she may not. She was eating the malt-o-meal which is why I was giving it to her. It is mixed with heavy cream and turkey gravy, but today she decided she didn’t like it.
I really am not sure how to add more protein when she is so picky. Once in a while she will eat a scrambled egg, but she turned that down this morning as well. When I make her food at home I always crush calcium carbonate into the whole batch so she is getting that as well. I have found the acacia powder and the garden of life. Should I also add the Renal Support? I think I will have to crush and add to a bit of water or goats milk or she won’t take it. If she thinks it is in the food, she will stop eating again. she is so ornery! Thank you so much for responding. You are awesome! I didn’t know how else to find you and just hoped it would work by coming here.

[Shawna]

Hi C4D,

“Mine was adamant about using the Sub-Q’s and giving famotadine (Pepcid AC) to help with the metabolic acidosis that is a part of kidney disease. That’s the reason he doesn’t want to eat.”

You’ve mentioned this a few times and I was hoping you would allow me to give a different point of view? First though, I DEFINITELY agree with the Sub-Q fluids. Fluids are started when BUN and creatinin get to a certain level usually. This is, in part, to help flush toxins from the blood (hence why they wait for a build up of those toxins). Flushing those toxins out helps pup feel better and is often the only cause of inappetence.

I wanted to talk more about Pepcid AC. I think the first thing is that these types of drugs don’t actually help with “systemic” acidosis. They are designed to control the amount of acid in the gut only – not in the whole body. However, the doctors that I follow feel that indigestion etc is caused by too little acid production. This makes sense to me when you think about how food is digested. When we eat protein our gut makes hydrochloric acid in response to the amount of protein in that food. It does this because it then activates the enzyme pepsin in the stomach that helps to digest protein. Not enough acid and the protein sits in the tummy not getting digested — this causes symptoms. YES, antacids do work but they don’t resolve the issue but rather hide the symptoms. You are still not digesting your proteins and NOW, due to the antacid, you are digesting even less protein (while potentially on an already low protein diet). It’s no wonder our dogs and cats don’t live long with KD. 🙁

Yes, when ulcers are present there are definitely considerations that need to be made. That said, ulcers are caused by Helicobacter pylori bacteria. Newer thinking believes that dietary sensitivities (which we now know can be activated by bacteria) strip the lining of our gastrointestinal tract and set the gut up FOR the bacterial infection and symptoms – aka ulcer. Avoiding the trigger, when possible, is a far better way of dealing with a symptom than simply medicating the symptom.

You had mentioned Dogaware as a reference for the use of pepcid with inappetence but Mary actually states that it was the pepcid that was “causing” her Shar Pei to have inappetence. She writes “WARNING: I had my dog on Pepcid for over a year when I discovered it was contributing to her inappetence. Once I stopped giving it, her appetite improved immediately.”

A few times a year, the last few years at least, I could tell that my Audrey was having some gut issues after eating. I resolved her discomfort by mixing apple cider vinegar 50/50 with water and forcing it down via syringe. With in a few to five minutes she would belch and then be fine. Other great options for inappetence that don’t have protein digesting side effects would be peppermint essential oil and ginger extract. Actually, just yesterday I watched a video on Dr. Melissa Shelton’s Facebook page — she’s treating a kitten that was failing to thrive. She offered kitty food and kitty sniffed but wouldn’t take it. She picked kitty up and dropped 5 to 6 drops of Kitty Boost (an essential oil she formulated specifically for cats) on his back and then rubbed it in. While rubbing it in she said that it had the oils from GI Goe (her blend for tummy issues) in it. She spent a minute or two rubbing the oil in the kitties fur, set the kitten down and continued talking. The kitten immediately went over to the food bowl and started eating. It was pretty amazing how quickly it worked.

Anyway, sorry this was soooo long. Hope there was some food for thought there. 🙂

[Natalia N]

Hey there, new member on the site (aside from all the creeping I’ve been doing for the past two years). Just wondering if anyone on here could help me out a little.

I’ve been thinking about getting service dogs for a while now, all that’s left to do is bring it up with my doctor to get a referral and convince my parents that I’d really benefit from them. That’s half the problem, the other is feeding them once I get them. I live in Canada (I understand that the US has much better prices on dog food) and I’m a university student so I don’t have that much money to spend; I’m trying to figure out what kind of dog food(s) I could buy that’s easy on the wallet but also has decent ingredients.
And if anyone is willing to help out with how to talk about it with my parents that would also be greatly appreciated.