[Jennifer Y]

I have a 2 year old golden retriever. Since she was 8 weeks old, she’s been eating Orijen or Acana dog food (mainly Orijen). For the past year she was on a rotation between Six Fish and Regional Red.

For as long as I can remember, she’s always been a very itchy pup (mainly her neck and her bum/tail, but she itches all over). She’s never itched to the point where hair loss or rashes have been a problem. She also used to have eye infections every couple weeks, until I correlated her eye infections with her Regional Red rotations. Her only real “symptoms” have been eye infections, hot spots every so often, soft stool (firm to begin with, but ends as soft) and itchiness. She’s been on Orijen Six Fish for the past 6 months. I suspected she had a food intolerance to beef and chicken, which was why I decided to order a Nutriscan kit to see if there were any other ingredients she was intolerant to.

These were her results: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5_-KpxSZJvmdXhzQUxGSFVFNkk&authuser=0

I received the results today, which really took me by surprise. She has a reaction to every single ingredient they tested for. All 24. I’ve read many positive reviews online about how the Nutriscan test has helped many different dogs, and it seems to be relatively accurate.

I’m currently at a loss for words and not really sure where to go from here. If the test is in fact accurate, I’m not quite sure what I can feed her as I’m unable to find ANY food that does not contain any of the ingredients tested. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for taking your time to read my post!

• This topic was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by Jennifer Y.
• This topic was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by Jennifer Y.

[Anonymous]

The symptoms you describe sound like environmental allergies and may not be related to her food sensitivities, which btw fluctuate and change.

You may want to consider seeing a specialist/dermatologist, this has been going on for 4 months/1 year without any periods of significant relief.

Or consult a homeopath http://theavh.org/

Has your dog had the skin testing to identify environmental allergies? In my experience environmental allergies are much more common that food allergies.
People often refer to food sensitivities as allergies.

My dog is doing well, she receives immunotherapy, she now eats a variety of foods with Nutrisca (salmon and chickpea) as a base.
The scratching, skin irritations, stomach upset, 2 ear infections, red rashes, 2 prednisone trials went on for a year before I took her for skin testing. I never had the blood test that identifies food allergies done. A lot of the allergens are airborne….impossible to avoid.
I tried an air purifier, dehumidifier….useless and noisy.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by Anonymous.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for posting the results of that saliva test (dog was not examined by a veterinarian)

Many people opt to have this test done on their pets instead of going to a specialist/dermatologist. They should be aware that the results may not be helpful.

PS: Nutrisca is a limited ingredient food. Dogs can have both environmental allergies and food sensitivities/allergies.

[Jennifer Y]

Thanks for the reply L M! She’s never had any skin testings or any type of testing for environmental allergies. I will be bringing that up at the next visit to the vet on Thursday.

One of the vets at the our clinic is actually a homeopath, and I will be requesting an appointment with her shortly as well to discuss a solution or alternative to handling the situation.

If all else fails, I will consider taking her to a dermatologist. Hopefully I’ll get to the bottom of this and find a diet that works best for her.

Thank you so much again, for the article as well as options I can take.

[Anonymous]

Atopic dermatitis is a hypersensitivity or over-reaction to a variety of commonplace and otherwise harmless substances in the environment such as plant pollens, house dust mites or mold spores. Most pets with atopic dermatitis either inhale or absorb their allergens through their skin. Allergy tests are used to identify what a pet is allergic to in their environment.

There are two types of allergy tests, the intradermal allergy test and blood testing for allergies (serologic allergy testing). In an intradermal allergy test, the fur is clipped on one side of the chest and very small amounts of common allergens are injected into the skin. This test is very precise and is only performed by Veterinary Dermatology services. Because most pets with environmental allergies become exposed to their allergens through their skin, the intradermal allergy test may also best simulate a pet’s natural allergies. In a blood allergy test, a blood sample is obtained and submitted to a laboratory for testing.

If a pet is diagnosed with atopic dermatitis, there are three methods of therapy. The first method of therapy involves removing the allergen from the pet’s environment. Unfortunately, this is not possible in most cases. The second method of therapy involves the use of anti-itch drugs such as anti-histamines or steroids (cortisone). Some of these anti-itch medications do not work in every pet. Other pets develop side-effects from taking certain anti-itch medications.

The third method of therapy for atopic dermatitis (environmental allergies) is allergy injections. Other names for allergy injections include desensitization, hyposensitization, allergy vaccine, or allergen-specific immunotherapy. Immunotherapy involves a series of injections of diluted allergens. Over time, these injections make a pet less sensitive to their allergens and thus less allergic. Most pet owners are able to learn how to give the injections at home. When based on the results of intradermal allergy testing, immunotherapy helps manage the allergies in approximately 70-90% of pets. Most pets will respond to immunotherapy within 6-9 months, but some pets will require up to a year of immunotherapy injections before a full benefit can be noted.
http://www.mspca.org/vet-services/angell-boston/dermatology/boston-dematology-allergies.html

[enny]

Brothers has a dog food which helped a police dept. canine unit in Florida clear up serious allergy problems. I’ve used another of their formulas which I liked alot. Do a little research about the Brothers brand. They’re rated 5 stars also.

[Susan]

If you read the test your dog can have rice duck lamb & don’t forget the Nutri-Scan Salvia test, test for JUST 20 foods only so there’s probably other foods like Tapioca etc that your dog can eat …. your dog can eat the “California Natural” Lamb & Rice that has just 4 ingredients Lamb, white rice, brown rice & sunflower oil.. or the best thing I would do is feed raw diet that way you are in control of all the ingredients…….
Your dog has just proven LM WRONG she always goes on on that your dog cant have food intolerances chances are your dog has environment allergies, see a Dermatologist for environment testing & waste $2000 then what, how do stop all the pollens in the air, all grass on ground, you cant the Nutri-Scan test has proven LM her wrong.. Dogs do have Food Intolerances..
Jean Dodds has the only & best IgA & IgM salvia testing around….

[Anonymous]

PS: All we can do is share our opinions based on experience and knowledge and hope that they are helpful.
I hope the OP reviews all treatment options available, and has positive results. Whatever avenues they choose to explore for their pet.

[Jennifer Y]

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. I have spoken to my vet about the results, and have considered contacting the holistic vet at my vet clinic. My dog’s insensitivity reactions has been mild enough that my vet and I decided to try an elimination diet.

Over the past 2 years, if I try to recall her vet appointments along with the kibble I feed her, she seems to be reactive to something in Orijen Regional Red. I believe it’s pork (since it’s the highest reactive ingredient that came back on the Nutriscan test as well). To play it safe, I began her on an elimination diet. So far, so good. No hot spots and no eye infections. When I get around to testing out pork, I will find out whether it’s been the culprit.

Susan, thanks for your input about the rice, duck and lamb. But the test indicated not to feed her anything that she showed a reaction to (mild or otherwise) in either IgA and IgM results. She unfortunately showed a medium reaction in lamb (IgA), strong reaction in duck (IgA) and a strong reaction in rice (IgA). Against the suggestion of the results, however, I have tried lamb in her elimination diet, and she seems to be doing alright. I do believe there is merit to Dr. Dodd’s test, and I trust her research. But in the case of my dog, I don’t think her intolerances are as severe as the test makes it seem. I’ve been giving her probiotics and coconut oil, which may have played a part in her doing better on her current food as well. I am also considering starting her on raw, but I’m still in the process on researching about raw before I fully dive into it.

Once again, thank you everyone for your suggestions. I really appreciate it 🙂

[Anonymous]

http://vitalanimal.com/natural-dog-food-work/

4/8 and 5/6 That saliva test is mentioned in 2 of the comments, both comments received a response from the homeopathic veterinarian.

PS: I don’t believe everything the homeopathic vets have to say, just as I don’t believe everything the traditional vets have to say.
Sometimes “The truth lies somewhere in the middle”

[Dori]

Jennifer have you called Dr. Dodd’s office or the number on your Nutri-Scan test and spoken to them about these results? Explaining to them that you are questioning the results? Perhaps they can re do the test free of charge.

I believe Nutri-Scan has the popularity that it does because of Dr. Dodd’s reputation. She has done fabulous research in regard to the thyroid. I had my allergy girl do the Nutri-Scan test a while back and outside of everything I already knew I really did not get any new information with the exception that it showed her to be sensitive/intolerant of white fish. Funny thing is it’s one of the few foods that Katie does really really well on. Just saying. I follow Dr. Dodd’s work because one of my other dogs is treated for hypothyroidism for many years. I’m not saying the test results for your dog are inaccurate, I’m just saying that there can be some issues with the test.

I figured out all of Katies food issues through a very long time of trial and error and a process of elimination of ingredients not necessarily having to do with the main protein in the food. Her biggest is that she cannot deal with any fowl whatsoever regardless of where it is on the ingredient list. Initially I thought it was just chicken. Turned out is was anything having feathers. Good Luck!

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by Dori.

[Kristine V]

Hi all,

I’m new to this group and we too have recently had the NutriScan test done on our 1 year old Akita. I was shocked when we got the results. My baby has been quit sick and loosing weight. I’m not quit sure how confident I am in the results though because he pretty much had a reaction to everything. We also suspect he has IBD. He’s currently on steriods to help with the inflammation but his diet is a nightmare. I think process of elimination is the best. ALthough when you have a sick pet, trial and error is very scary. We have had to go against the scan results and give our boy some of the foods it says he can’t have only because of him being ill. If not progres is made by our December 2, 2015 vet appointment, my baby has to have open abdominal surgery – 🙁

[anonymously]

I would consult a Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist, if you haven’t done so already.
Have x-rays and ultrasounds revealed anything?
Regarding the saliva and hair tests for canines: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=nutriscan
Best of luck

[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.

[Kristine V]

The ultrasound could have missed a foreign object as well. Or he could have an infection in the bowel. So many u knowns.

[Susan]

Hi Kristine, are you seeing a vet Gastroenterologist specialist? & has Koji been tested for EPI & S.I.B.O & Parasites??
When a dog is having problems with the small intestine you need less fiber & Soluble fiber, problems with the Large bowel more insoluble fiber, the only kibble that worked for my boy 3 years ago was the vet diet “Eukanuba Intestinal” low Residue, it only has 1.7% crude fiber, my boy does best with foods that are Soluble fibers & not insoluble fibers foods….the Hills Z/d Ultra is high in insoluble fiber….Have you try any of the vet diets ?? just till Koji is stable…

The vet wanted Patch on the Eukanuba Intestinal for 1 year, so his bowel could rest & heal…Patch was doing 2 nice firm poos a day, but Patch still had stomach problems, bad acid reflux, vomiting, grinding his teeth, nausea, eating grass, in the end Patch had an Endoscope & biopsies done, they put the camera down into his mouth & into the stomach & if the Pylori Sphincter is open (end of stomach into the small intestine) the vet can look at the small bowel & take biopsies from the small bowel as well….. a lot of dogs have the Endoscope done instead of being cut open….my vet wanted to cut Patch open but I said NO……Patch had his Endoscope & Biopsies & has Moderate to Chronic Lymphocytic Gastritis with associated spiral bacteria infection (Helicobacter Pylori) & Inflammatory Bowel Disease…I finally got some answers… ask vet about Colonoscope & Endoscope + Biopsies instead of cutting open…..
Have you looked at “Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis” or Hypoproteniemia here’s a link,
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/digestive_system/diseases_of_the_stomach_and_intestines_in_small_animals/inflammatory_bowel_disease_in_small_animals.html

[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]

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.

[Susan]

Hi Kristine, yes I know what you’re going thru, I rescued my boy at the age of 4 yrs old, the day he was suppose to be put to sleep & it was his birthday, today actually, the 20th November, he was Micro Chipped with DOB, the lady said feed him a healthy diet & he’ll look good again, he was in real poor condition, he suffers with skin allergies as well from food & Seasonal environment allergies, so I’d say Patches old owners took him to the pound cause of the IBD & Skin problems & got rid of him 🙁
Until Koji has biopsies you will be going around in circles, so the sooner he has his biopsies you’ll get some answers on what type of IBD he has & what is causing the inflammation of the small bowel….Patches vet also blind medicated Patch & I would watch him get worse with some medications, the Prednisone (Steroid) made Patch sick, ant acid meds made him worse, finally this year I learnt he’s not making enough stomach acid Hypochlorhydria, so no more ant acid medications….. Metronidazole seem to be the only medication that helped him & certain foods…… boiled rice irritated his bowel causing noisey, gurgling bowel noises, bad wind & then diarrhea, kibble was no good, it irritated his stomach more, so I was soaking the vet diet kibble in warm water till kibble was soft then fully draining all the water & squeezing out any water & putting the soft kibble in a blender for about 5-6 seconds but its still over processed kibble & hard to digest, water added with kibble can cause acid reflux another thing I learnt this year….

I cook now for Patch but I still have problems with his weight keeping it on & his stomach some days & every 5-6months Patch gets S.I.B.O & has to be wormed then put on Metronidazole for 2 weeks then he’s all better again……
In the beginning I belonged to the “IBDogs” a yahoo group & they were the ones that told me to have an Endoscope & biopsies done on Patches stomach & small bowel, it only cost $750 that’s with 2 biopsies…. but Patches flap (pyloric sphincter) to the small bowel was closed & vet couldn’t go thru to his small bowel but the ladies in the “IBDogs” yahoo group said their vets got thru to the small bowel, so maybe some specialist know how to open the Pyloric Sphincter so you can go thru & get biopsies from the small bowel….

This time next year Koji will be much better, sounds like you have the right specialist, Koji is a very lucky boy, he has you, some people just give up & do what happened to Patch dumped at the pound… all I did in the beginning was breathe, sleep, dream, IBD & Skin allergies….

[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.

[Pitlove]

Hi Kristine- I have no advice to offer, I’m sorry, but I really wish you and Koji a lot of luck in figuring out whats wrong with him. Be strong!

[Kristine V]

Thank you Pitlove. We are staying as positive as we can.

[Jennifer Y]

Hi Kristine,
Sorry to hear about Koji. I unfortunately don’t have much advice for your situation. Since posting about Nimbus’ Nutriscan results, we’ve done a bit of trial and error on raw meat proteins with her diet, but my situation wasn’t as dire as your’s. I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now.

I personally take the Nutriscan results with a grain of salt. She does fine with most of the food she’s apparently reactive to according to Nutriscan. I’ve been giving her Kefir and plant-based digestive enzymes to help break down her food as well, because I do believe she has a sensitive stomach. Maybe try adding those to Koji’s meals?

Regardless, I hope you find answers soon and some extra cuddles for Koji!

[anonymously]

It sounds like she is getting the best of care. I think anyone reading about Koji will be sending positive thoughts her way. Maybe the surgery will identify the problem….it’s not like you have a lot of options left.

How long has she been ill? Wondering if this is acute, or due to a congenital anomaly.

PS: Did a veterinarian that examined the dog recommend Nutriscan? If so, I would make sure to report the results to him, so that maybe he will rethink suggesting it to other clients in the future.

Keep us posted, we are all pulling for her.

[anonymously]

An added thought, when my dog started with the allergy symptoms I wasted a year trying all kinds of bogus remedies.
Nothing worked until I went to the specialist. When you have a serious condition, in my opinion, go to the best, right away.

[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.

[anonymously]

Are they giving him sub q fluids? Every day or every other day? It shouldn’t be too expensive, I found it helpful with my dog that had kidney damage related to Lyme disease.
In fact, I gave it myself (prescribed by veterinarian).

Sounds acute (from what you describe), if he gets through this, he should be good to go for a few years. I would not look at the abdominal surgery as a negative thing. I would listen to the specialists and do what they advise.

PS: Sometimes you get a dog that needs nothing but the minimum of routine care. Then there are the ones that have allergies or diabetes or some other condition that costs a few bucks. In the end, it all evens out.
In fact, I wouldn’t wait too long to have the surgery, if he is as bad as you say, maybe they can move the surgery date closer. The weaker he is , the less likely he will be able to tolerate it. What you describe, sounds like an emergency situation.

[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]

Sorry, just read your PS….yes, we are literally looking at having surgery the 1st week of December. He has to be tapered off the steriods before they can do it. I said the same thing to the specialist. We can’t let him get so weak that he can’t tolerate the procedure.

[anonymously]

Well, as long as the specialist is board certified, I would stick with him. Otherwise, you will have to get copies of all Koji’s records and start all over again with someone new.

Your only other option would be to take him to an emergency 24/7 veterinary clinic, if it comes to that. Believe it or not, I have had good luck with those places. However, they are not cheap.

[Kristine V]

Oh yes, his specialist is board certified. And I guess the positive, although they have only 1 surgeon, is that this place is a 24/7 emergency hopsital as well. His specialist and where the surgery would take place is at VCA Advanced Veterinary Care Center in Lawndale, CA.

[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]

Hi Aimee,

Thanks for your response and you are absolutely correct. Our vet is going to make the calls directly. Dr. to Dr. discussion about Koji. Today is his weigh in and I’m so stinking nervous.

Totally non related question, how did you go about posting your profile picture of your doggy? I can’t find how to do it on here and want to put Koji’s picture as my profile picture so all can see him. 🙂

[Kristine V]

Jennifer Y,

Are you making your own Kefir? and what plant-based digestive enzymes are you giving? Also, how much are you giving of both? The Kefir sounds like something I would like to try and discuss with vet. Thanks for the tip on these two.

Koji’s folate levels are low which is consistant with diffuse disease of the proximal small intestine. I wonder if the Kefir would help. And how long does it normally take to see if it’s working?

[Jennifer Y]

For digestive enzymes, I’m using Enzyme Miracle. It seems to be the only plant based digestive enzyme with good reviews that I could find. The instructions says about a scoop (provided in the container) per cup, so I’ve been giving her a scoop per serving of food. http://www.amazon.com/Enzymes-Dogs-Miracle-Digestive-Servings/dp/B002RNZDYG

As for kefir, I haven’t been able to find kefir grains anywhere in my area. I’ve been using store bought kefir, which almost always uses cow’s milk. I heard you can order kefir grains online, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet. I’m not sure if Koji has any intolerance to lactose, or beef, but I would maybe suggest making your own kefir out of water or maybe goat’s milk (which is what I’m trying next). I would say maybe give a week, but that’s a very rough estimate. Some may take longer, some may only take a couple days, and some may see no actual difference. I give my pup about 3-4 tablespoons a day, but I divide it into her 2 servings… so 1-2 tbsp per serving. I started with 1 tbsp per day and worked it up to the amount I’m giving her now, to avoid any digestive upsets.

Hopefully your vet is able to provide you with better information and input on kefir and the enzymes. Fingers crossed that you might be able to see enough of an improvement, and delay (and possibly not have to at all have) the surgery. Best of luck to your and your little family!

• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by Jennifer Y.

[aimee]

Hi Kristine… In regards to the pic.. goodness it was so long ago that I did that but as I recall fairly simple Go to gravatar dot com Hopefully someone who knows more about it can help you if that doesn’t work.

[Susan]

Hi Kristine, scroll down down down to the botton you’ll see on your right “contact us” click on “contact us” & all these blue links will come up, the first link is the link you need…..

[Shawna]

Kristine,

Every dog and every case is different but my Pomeranian, Gizmo, had IBD and, with the help of my holistic vet and homeopathy, we were able to figure out that chicken was causing the inflammation. She is sensitive to chicken. As soon as I figured out it was the chicken and took her off of it, no more IBD but it did take about a year to heal her gut completely. If you haven’t tried an elimination diet with a novel protein and carb, I think it could be worth a shot.

[El]

Hi Shawna

“with the help of my holistic vet and homeopathy, we were able to figure out that chicken was causing the inflammation.”

How did Homeopathy help you figure out that Gizmo’s IBD was caused by chicken?

[Jenn H]

Chicken is very often the cause of dog food intolerances. Maybe because it’s probably the most common protein source. I don’t know.
Usually a good place to start in figuring out what is upsetting a dog’s stomach is eliminating the chicken. Try something like lamb or beef. Don’t go too far from the most common to venison or bison until everything else is proven unacceptable.
I’m surprised it took a holistic vet to get you there. Figured it was common knowledge by now.
I’m talking about chicken used in prepared foods. Like kibble and canned. Not homemade diets. I don’t know much about that. I only cook for my dogs when they need bland diets. When I do it’s the antibiotic & GMO free organic stuff.

[Pitlove]

Jenn- When my dog first presented with skin issues, everyone told me to avoid chicken at all costs. I fed him beef mainly and other things. Turned out everyone was wrong and beef, not chicken, was the problem. Each dog is different. We can’t forget that.

[Jenn H]

Pitlove you are absolutely correct. Every dog is different. My point was that when weeding out the protein sources as possible allergies chicken is a good place to start, then beef, then the next most common meat….
It would be nice, easy and convenient if all dogs could eat the exact same things.

[Author]

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