[Karen D]

Breeder fed Proplan puppy chicken & rice, got her home & she had soft poop & some itchiness, breeder rec. switch to ProPlan puppy Lamb & rice….perfect poops but still throwing up & itch…..breeder thinks vaccinations & or chicken are causing allergies. Just switched to ProPlan sensitive adult Lamb & Rice due to NO chicken by products….been a week, still itching & threw up last night. She is fine otherwise, eating, playing & poop is good cept there is more of it with the sensitive formula. Vet appt. isn’t till 9/10. She is 6 months old. Any ideas, change food?
Thanks, Karen

[anonymous]

I would get a much sooner vet appointment, like today. Most vets leave a spot or two open for cases that need to be seen right away.

There are no veterinary healthcare professionals here and even if their were it would be unethical for them to give specific advice as they have not examined your pup.

So, I would get on the phone and see if the vet clinic can fit you in today. Best of luck.

[Patricia A]

Karen just make sure when your switching foods to go VERY slowly. Start with a few kibbles of the new food and work up over maybe a week or so of only the new. My one dog always had some digestive upset when I switched foods even slowly. After about a week her stools went back to normal. If I would have panicked and switched again the cycle would have started all over. Of course if your puppy is not getting any better then it would be the food she’s having a problem with.
Make sure your puppy isn’t sensitive to shampoo you could be using with perfumes. I only use detergent which is fragrance free to wash their bedding also. Even rugs which have been cleaned with chemicals could be the cause of the itching if he’s sensitive. Also be aware that the plug ins of essential oil and sprays such as Frebreeze are causing toxic symptoms in some dogs including nausea.
Please let us know what your vet suggests and hope she’s feeling better.

[anonymous]

“Puppy Throws up Intermittently for the past 3 months”

Three days is my limit (before going to the vet) with intermittent vomiting and that is for a mature dog.
Puppies can become dehydrated quickly.
You can try to minimize the problem all you want but something is wrong with your dog. Stop changing the food that will only make it worse. Go to the vet! Today

[anonymous]

“breeder thinks vaccinations & or chicken are causing ”

Bad advice. GO TO THE VET!

Report back, so that others won’t make the same mistakes.

[joanne l]

When does he throw up? is it after eating after playing? After he eats don’t let him run around until he digests his food. What does the throw up look like? Is it white foam, yellow or undigested food? Oh and what breed is he? The reason why he is pooping more on the sensitive stomach one is because it has more fiber. But let me know what I ask you if you can.

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

[GSDsForever]

Hi Karen.

You really do need to see a vet, sooner than over a month from now.

Pruritus (itching) can make a dog feel utterly miserable and can quickly spiral into bigger problems, whether from injuring the skin from scratching/biting/chewing to soothe itself which can then create secondary skin infection, or an ear hematoma (which I promise you, you do NOT want to have happen) from a hard shake or scratching.

Did you know that most itching is not from a food allergy? It is more common for a dog to have other things causing the symptoms, like flea bites, mites, fungal/bacterial infection, or environmental & inhalant allergies.

It’s great that your breeder is involved. Your breeder is right that chicken could be a food allergy for your puppy and food allergies do commonly show up before 1 yr of age. Chicken and beef are top food allergens for dogs with food allergies.

But did you know that food allergies are actually not very common in dogs? Or that, in a food allergy, symptoms typically can continue for some time after switching over to another food? This is why a novel food must be fed for up to 12 weeks to see results, relief from symptoms. And it must be fed exclusively, without any treats or flavored medicines.

In the vast majority of cases, a vet will be able to diagnose something OTHER THAN food allergy and be able to help your dog get relief very quickly from itching — whether diagnosing external parasite, fungal, or bacterial infection and treating for that, or providing relief from environmental allergies.

For the environmental allergies, there are hypoallergenic and skin soothing shampoos and rinses, a cortisone shot, oral antihistamines, even a Cytopoint/CADI injection (a drug that can relieve itching within 24 hours and last up to 1-2 months) which has safe use approved for puppies as well as adults. Some dogs with pollen allergies just need a little extra help seasonally.

Throwing up in young dogs can be nothing serious and pretty normal or it can be something that really means your vet should be involved and treating. Joanne is right that it matters also when your puppy does this and what it looks like/consists of, even though that may seem gross!

[BROCK B]

Be sure to ask the vet about metsesophagus. Dogs should not throw up for that long a period of time. Food allergies cause more of a diarrhea effect with significant weight loss. Ive been blessed with dogs with both conditions. Its a struggle but manageable.

[Melissa D]

My dog has been doing this for the last 2 and half years since he was 12 weeks old, but he also has been vomiting and pooing blood all intermittently…at last vet visits it has been food trails, which didn’t work then Ultrasound, gastroscopy and biopsies, So I think I can safely say I have been sold a sick dog…….becasue no healthy dog would be doing all of this, nor would they be spending this much time at the vets…my vet is assuming for now that my furry baby may have IBS and the scope found that he has a thickening of his intestinal wall, I have googles that it says something like stomach cancer a possibility and when I read the list of symptoms for the Leiomyosarcoma, he has all of the these. So I am trying to keep my cool till the biopsies are back. My vet showed me the video of the Gastroscopy and my furry baby’s tummy and intestines did look nice and pink and I couldn’t see any inflammation, so would this mean stomach cancer could be ruled out because at the time of biopsies he had no inflammation, even though he has all the symptoms ? Any thought’s from others on here.
Leiomyosarcoma of Stomach, Small and Large intestine in Dogs
Vomiting.
Weight loss.
Diarrhea.
Blood in stool (hematochezia)
Gas (flatulence)
Stomach growling, or rumbling sound (borborygmus)
Feeling of incomplete defecation (fenesmus)

[Patricia A]

Oh that poor dog suffering like this for over two years. Melissa i would think that after two years she would have succumbed to stomach cancer already and the vet would have found cancer with all the tests.
Since the vets aren’t helping I’ll give my advice for what it’s worth. Just wondering if he’s on any flea tick meds or any meds at all that would cause constant stomach upset. Also have you tried for lets say for a week just boiled chicken and rice to see if the food is the cause? Make sure he eats some in morning and night as not to ever go with empty stomach. if the symptoms stop then you know if its the kibble or whatever food you feed . I know sounds simple but it’s worth a try.

[Melissa D]

Hi Patricia
Sorry for the delay in reply, I have been busy with my sick dog, but value greatly your suggestions and input, because like I said after 2 vets and 1 specialist and food trials, 2 lots of blood tests, biopsies we are waiting on results, but I am fearing the worst, he has had flea treatments and worming but even those upset his tummy and he gets sloppy poo, we did a food trial for 6 weeks and nothing changed with him because during that 6 weeks period he still did his intermittent vomiting and soft poop / diahorrea he is also on a prescription diet for sensitive tummy and that too has not changed his poo and boiled chicken with rice is not helping either, even pumpkin in his diet would still see him with the intermittent vomiting and soft poop/ diahorrea, my furry baby has never had firm poop and for the last 2 and half years i have monitored and inspected his poops for worms and blood etc as I have too because he has ocassionally been passing watery and nothing but blood in his poop one day and also vomiting really bright red and watery blood. the only things that has showed up on his first blood tests, was mild pancreatitis, his neutrophils are really low, his Lipase was really low and under the chemistry tests it says, Mild haemolysis and on his second blood tests, it came back showing something wrong with his kidneys and they did not show up on the first test, also on the morning of my fur baby having his biopsies taken, the specialist vet had to abort half way through because when he put the scope down, my fur baby had all this undigested food in his tummy from the day before, so their is an issue their too because the vet said his tummy should have digested that food and it wasn’t normal, so he took lots of biopsies but in the mean time it’s causing me huge debt for all these vet bills and special food and it’s something I just don’t have a lot of being on a pension, the breeders I got my furry baby from, gave me a health guarantee stating if my boy was to get sick with anything serious, they would refund my money….BUT do you think they are answering my phone calls, texts or emails….not on your life because they don’t want to honor the health agreement now, because my boy is a Labradoodle he cost me thousands of dollars and I would not recommend a Labradoodle because of all the health issues, not just with my boy but with others who have had them and they too also have had health issues, but I think its the breeders just breeding bad stock and not taking care, because all the doodles I know that have been sick or had to be euthanised have all come from the same breeder.

[Patricia A]

Oh I feel so badly for your fur baby and also for you. I would have went to that breeders door and handed the bill for at least half of the vet expenses and never mind for the suffering you and this poor dog is going through most likely from poor breeding. I went through this with my Chloe years ago. I didn’t know any better and purchased from a large pet shop Yuppy Puppy. She had so many problems immediately and I knew if I took her back they would have euthanized her. The place ended closing down a few years later because of all the complaints about sickly pups and dogs. Now I realize they were all shipped from puppy mills. Chloe lived though to 13 with many vet visits through the years because of health problems.
Please keep in touch and let me know if anything was found to be causing her symptoms. Also I know many people who’s dogs get very ill from flea/ticks meds . Very toxic and he doesn’t need this causing other symptoms possibly.
I found this regarding common diseases in labs/doodles. Don’t know if it fits exact symptoms.
Addison’s Disease
Addison’s disease is found in poodles and Labradors and has been passed on to Australian and multigenerational Labradoodles. In this disease, the pituitary gland malfunctions and fails to create an important hormone called ACTH. This hormone regulates a steriod called cortisol. Without cortisol, a dog cannot manage stress or digest food correctly. Dogs with Addison’s disease may suffer from weakness, an abnormally fast heart rate, diarrhea and excessive thirst and urination. Your vet can test your ‘Doodle to detect the presence of the ACTH hormone.
Melissa keep me updated and I’m Praying they find out what is causing her symptoms and she gets healthy.

[Patricia A]

One more thing I forgot Melissa. When you were giving the boiled chicken BREASTS ( my dogs get diahhreah from dark meat chicken) did you ONLY give the chicken/rice and not mix it with any other food or treat for the week?? A very long shot but if you didn’t it’s worth a try. I also give some PLAIN oatmeal at times. Easy I believe on the stomach, boiled egg even. I had gastritis for two weeks from a combination of things I ate that I shouldn’t (chocolate, mustard, sauce and throw in stress from taking care of elderly parents and a 17 year old dog so I can imagine what your poor baby is going through.

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

[Melissa D]

Hi Patricia
Yes Addisons Disease is being looked into at the moment as well as other things and I am looking at the blood tests and because I’m not a vet I can’t decipher what I’m looking at, but I do remember my vet mentioning something about cortisol levels but can’t remember if it was good or bad, my mind zones out after a while trying to take it all in, because it saddens me that it doesn’t matter what I feed my dog it’s upsets his tummy, yes I only ever feed boiled chicken breast on the days he was vomiting and as far as the rice goes, it gave him wind and he was still intermittently vomiting and diahorrea., I also never mixed it with anything except the probiotics the breeders told me to buy. And I don,t mind mentioning the breeders I got him from, because as far as I am concerned they have shown no interest in the fact that my dog has been sick or that they sold me a sick dog, the only thing they did do was email me on the very first occasion I told them he was sick and their reply was….NO we haven’t had any of our dogs come back sick with what you say your dog has…..I say, BULLSHIT, I have since found out that their have been several other dogs from the breeders ( Tasmanian Labradoodles) have been diagnosed with pancreatitis, one had addisons and another stomach cancer, and even though they gave me a health guarantee for the first three years after purchase they are not being very helpful and are not responding to my emails, texts and calls, I even sent them pics of my dogs vomit which was nothing but blood and a huge amount at that, the breeders read the message as they have read receipts enabled on their iphones but totally ignored me and never got back to me, no concern what so ever on their part, as long as they have a full bank balance is all that matters to them, and I am so pi$$ed off with them, I told them they could deal with my solicitor and they never got back to me, their basic customer service and basic courtesy is just not their they are rude and only care about their overseas holidays with all the money they make from each pup, a lot of these dogs go to Japan and America and Europe etc, I would not buy another from these people, they have no conscience and I feel they are puppy farming, because at last count they had 35 plus breeding pairs of dogs but I have been told they actually have 75 breeding pairs, so if this isn,t a puppy farm then what is, if they had been better with customer service and showed me some courtesy and concern for my dog being sick I wouldn’t be so pi$$ed off. Yes I will keep u updated my boy is getting his biopsy results this week coming, so I will message you here, when they come through.
Regards
Melissa

[Patricia A]

Melissa I came across this post on a doodle forum.
https://doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/doodle-with-epi
I know he’s been through dozens of tests but ask if it’s possible he is suffering from this?

Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency in Dogs

[Melissa D]

Hi Patricia
HUGE thanks to you for supplying me with these links, I have just had a good slow look over them with my morning coffee and some of resonated with me, in the info you sent it said that some vets have diagnosed GIARDIA in dogs when in fact it could be EPI….my furry baby was diagnosed with GIARDIA when he was 12 weeks old, I am now thinking that may have been wrong. I will be getting his biopsy results this week, and if they come back showing nothing, then my vet said she want’s to open his tummy up and have a good look around, now I have this info you sent me, I would much prefer to go the less invasive test’s and get the bloods done for EPI etc and only then if they too come back normal then we can go inside the tummy for a further look, without you sending me this info to look at, I would be none the wiser, In the links you sent me I tried to click on the highlighted blue link that said their are special requirements of (how much blood the vet needs to take to do the EPI test) but it came up saying an error. I also read that some dogs with EPI do really well on the RAW food diet, my fur baby has been on the RAW food diet since he was on solid foods and he was still having all these issues, so as you can tell even my vet/s and a specialist are still scratching their heads, I am hoping this weeks results will show SOMETHING at least that way we can start treating my fur baby appropriately instead of all this guess work, its doing my head in, just last night he had his food for sensitive tummy and he threw it up over my carpet, I was not impressed but i know its not his fault, I lay blame solely with the breeders, for breeding bad stock and yes they will know about it again for the 15th time, of me trying to get throught their thick heads, that my fur baby is sick, I have never come across people who are so focused on their wallet only.
Thanks again Patricia keep in touch and I will let you know as soon as we have the biopsy results this week, take care and have a great weekend.

[Patricia A]

Melissa sounds like a good plan and maybe finally getting somewhere with a real diagnosis. Yes PLEASE post results. Fingers crossed and prayers that he doesn’t have to go the open surgery route.

[Melissa D]

Hi Patricia
Yep it’s a solid plan in place for now till results come in, so my fingers are also crossed for a good outcome.
I love that you have replied to my posts, you seem to be very knowledgeable, are you a vet or just a parent of a fur baby who has also been very sick ? Because believe me when I say I have been doing my own research the last few years since my fur baby got sick and I never came across any of the info links until you sent them to me, ever grateful that you replied and have been able to help me out so much, I now have the tools and info to take back to my vet and ask for these specific tests, because the EPI is a specific test and I didn’t know of such a thing, it wasn’t brought up in consults by me or the vet and my vet is pretty good if I rock up to the office and say, I want him tested for this this or this she will get it sorted. In case you didn’t know my dogs name is C J which is short for Cooper James Dean, my vets have a giggle about his name but more so that I have given him a middle name lol.
Regards
Melissa and C J

[Patricia A]

Hi Melissa,
No not a vet. But thank’s for the compliment. I’m just good at researching all things dogs. First dog was Pookie. A little mini Doxie that was great with the kids. He’s still POOK the legend to my now grown kids. Now we have Tia Maria a nine year old very sweet Chihuahua and Loli also a Chihuahua who’s a little terror. Our Chloe passed several years ago. So since the internet I always looked up meds and side effects or anything else relating to dogs health. Especially now with so many choices in food I’m glad to have found this site. It a big help to at least give me a starting point with his reviews and ratings of what to feed. You’re post just made me feel so badly for you and poor Cooper James( I LOVE that name!!!) One of my sons friends dogs are have names starting with Mrs. (Mrs. Pickles) lol. My Hannah Belle just passed. She was 17 and finally got the strength to put her to rest. We cried and cried but she was suffering and I could not do anything to make her feel better anymore. . I would be up all night walking with her when she was having trouble breathing. . She had mitral valve disease . Towards the end I only home cooked. I found lists of food online that can be given with congestive heart failure such as frosted mini wheats. I would make her plain oatmeal no salt and break up the mini wheats and mix her heart pills in it.
I lucked out when I just put in the symptoms of CJ and added doodle and someone else had a doodle with same symptoms and was diagnosed with that disease. I hope Melissa that he has something less serious then that but at least if that is what it is he can finally be helped to feel better.
Thank you for keeping me updated. Let me know when you get Cooper James’ results.

[Karen D]

Hello & sorry to not get back here sooner. I got an appt. with my vet last thursday, she didn’t know why Ellie is throwing up, her blood work came back great. All she said was stop feeding her anything besides her dog food, no treats, none of the veggies & fruits in moderation I had been giving her……so, her last bout of vomiting was August 6th & up till fri. the 16th she still got a few fruits & veggies with her food, 10 days no vomiting. I stopped everything fri after seeing vet on the 15th & she had only dog food going forward. This morning she had breakfast & was fine…6 hrs later I gave her mid morning food & she threw up not 5 mins. after eating it. so almost 2 weeks with no vomiting. But that is what I meant by intermittent, many days can go by with no vomiting, or she will throw up 2 days in a row then many days again. Vet says she is healthy & since she doesn’t know is blaming what ever I was feeding her besides dog food. Thank you all for your comments.

[anonymous]

Is she eating too fast? Because that would cause the kind of intermittent vomiting you describe. Get one of these (sorry for the ultra long link) It’s worth the try, plus it’s a nice dish. I am so glad that you got her medically cleared.

[Karen D]

She throws up 1/2 the time in bed in the middle of the night, mostly stomach fluid, so I have to say no to it being from eating to fast. Vet was not concerned at all & I showed her my notes of dates, times, etc. 1 time in April, 4 Times in May, 3 Times in June, 6 times in July & so far 2 times August. Do you think it’s a lot ?

[anonymous]

No. Maybe feed smaller meals throughout the day (at least 4 hours apart) rather than 2 big meals.
Hopefully she will outgrow the vomiting.
No treats. No veggies. No fruits. Some dogs just can’t tolerate this extra stuff.
Add water to or pre-soak kibble maybe mix with a little soft food. Maybe she would do better on just soft food for now?
Go by what your vet advises regarding diet.

[Karen D]

Thank you, hoping she does outgrow it. By the way, Ellie is a female Cocker, born on Jan. 25th 2019.

[joanne l]

Karen was the fluid she threw up yellow? IF so maybe give her a snack before bedtime. My vet told me sometimes if they throw up yellow bile it is from a empty stomach, but I don’t know if that is why she threw up in the middle of the night. It could be.

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

[joanne l]

And it maybe true about giving her veggies’ and other stuff, like Anon said some dogs just can’t handle it, especially some puppies. Keeping things simple for their diet is better. After all dogs really don’t need vegetables. It may sound healthy to us humans but dogs they can do without it. Hope she stops this, and it sounds like she is getting better.

[Karen D]

Thanks Joanne, not yellow bile, just mainly clear sometimes, other times residue of whatever she ate last, mostly digested. She eats a lot of crap as puppies do, bugs, chews on carpet, leaves etc. So I guess if could be all of those things +fruits & veggies or ? Glad to know her blood work was ok was the main thing.

[Melissa D]

Hi Patricia A
Your post’s and reply like I said have been ever so helpful to me. I am sorry to hear about your beloved pet and everything you went through with your’s and the illness’s etc, its not fun is it, when a pet gets sick and what makes it worse, is with my fur baby C J we are still basically clutching at straws to diagnose SOMETHING, who would have thought it would still be up in the air and unknown after many months and many tests, my credit card has been doing a marathon these past few months, so much so that when I drag it out of my wallet, it’s still hot from the last vet visit lol. But I love my fur baby and would go to the ends of the earth for him, he has been my support and therapy after I lost my daughter, so of course I would do everything and anything for him, but I won’t see him suffer or be in pain, so I am keeping an open mind and am ready for anything…..I think !!! As soon as I get them results I will post here on the forum, so watch this space and thanks again for your care and concern which has actually been shown by many of here, but for the breeders who I got my fur baby from, they have shown no interest.

[Patricia A]

Thank you Melissa. Hannah was my shadow. I love of course my other two but Hannah was the one who always soothed me. She was so spunky for a all of 4lb dog. NEVER, NEVER had an accident in the home. I had wee wee pads when weather prohibited going out in back or for a walk. She would without fail go on her pad and then push it this way and that to fold it up with her nose and look at me like saying “okay throw it out.” lol. The only toy she ever played with was her heart. It said I love you when squeezed that stopped working many years ago. I stitched it so many time that when she put it in her mouth to go to bed with it she looked like she had big red lips. She’s been with us for 17 years and will miss the Hannah that was full of spunk. She was loved and taken care of in everyday so their is no guilt I could have done more. Just leaves a whole in your heart though and the tears have not dried up yet .
I am SO VERY SORRY to hear of the loss of your daughter. Had two tragic losses when I was younger and I know how an animal can help you focus on their needs to take your mind off of the sadness. As I said, Hannah would make herself comfortable curled in my lap, I would put throw cover on her and it made me feel so relaxed.
I read anon on this board mentioned being careful the fruit and veggies. My Tia can eat carrots and be fine. If Loli eats it two days in a row she throws up. So maybe best stick with just the dog food to know for sure . Praying for your and CJ.

[Melissa D]

Hi Patricia A
Well C J’s biopsy results are in and they came back showing he has IBD ? and Heliobacter, but the vet is still sort of guessing because he said we are to do another FOOD TRIAL specifically designed for IBD and doing another food trial means that they still aren’t sure, even though he said IBD, so as you can imagine I am not at all impressed, this is starting to get to me, all the unknowns even after $1,500 spent on biopsies and Ultrasounds and Gastroscopes and I am not feeling very well lately I put it down to stress because I don’t know what to do, I told the vet that I want to get my fur baby tested for EPI and he said it’s not something he thinks is wrong as it’s not jumping out at him as being a probable issue, but he did say I could go ahead and get him tested for it, so I am thinking…is it worth wasting more money for another unsure diagnosis and should we just proceed with the special diet for IBD ??? mind you though my fur baby is already on a special diet for tummy issues and its just not working, the vet did say this other prescription diet food will be slightly more super charged than the food he is on now, so basically I am not sure where to turn, I think my plan of attack will be, I go see my vet, get her thoughts on everything that the specialist has found, and then find out about the EPI test, before this new food trial ? Oh I don’t know I will see what I feel like on the day of vet visit which will be next week now, as the vet is away till Monday, I will keep you updated.

[joanne l]

I would go with the Rx diet the vet suggest. See how that goes before more testing. Another thing what food were you feeding and what are the ingredients?

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

[anonymous]

You paid for the expertise of a specialist. Please listen to him/her.

The specialist’s opinion trumps the regular vet’s opinion. That’s the point of going to a specialist, when the regular vet hasn’t been able to find an effective treatment within a reasonable amount of time.

[joanne l]

Karen buy probiotics it is good for dogs even if they don’t have a problem. Dogs with EPI and IBD benefit from this. Go on chewy.com and it is called Forta Flora it is a powder in packages and put that on his food. You can’t hurt him with that at all. Read the reviews on chewy and it is well worth it. It will help his stomach digest his food. Believe me it works like a charm. And keep the vet involved. Buy this and let me know how your dog does.

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

[anonymous]

@ Karen
Just go by what the veterinarian that is treating your dog recommends.
Supplements can cause harm and they can interfere with the absorption of prescription meds (the ones that actually help). Do not waste your money. Discuss with your vet first.

Overview of the Evidence for Probiotics in Cats and Dogs

excerpt below, click on link for full article and comments.

Bottom Line
This review provides a concise survey of the probiotic research in dogs and cats to date, including an appraisal of the significant weaknesses and limitations on the existing studies. The bottom line is consistent with my own view of the literature.
There are few studies, and those that have been done have significant limitations and often conflict.
There is reasonable evidence for some clinical benefit in acute diarrhea associated with stress or antibiotic use.
There is no high-quality, consistent evidence for most suggested uses of probiotics.
The unregulated probiotic products on the market today are plagued with inaccurate labeling and poor quality control. This means that even if probiotics might be beneficial in some cases, it is unclear if the actual products available could achieve these benefits.
There do not yet appear to be significant risks to probiotics, though the evidence for this safety also quite limited.
PS: Re: Chewy https://prime.peta.org/2017/05/buyer-beware-chewy-com-purchased-petsmart/

[joanne l]

Excuse me, Anon I am only trying to help. Karen ask your vet about it and see what he or she says first.

[anonymous]

My vet only gives specific advice pertaining to my pets, the ones he has examined.

[Patricia A]

Melissa I’m confused with your vet after all the testing and specifically a biopsy that he can’t give a definitive diagnosis of IBD? Ask for a copy of the test results also. Did he mention CJ needing to go on any meds such as steroids? Which food did the vet suggest Melissa?

Before you switch the food he suggests, try one more time of the just WHITE meat boiled chicken and white rice. NO VEGGIES at all just a few days and see how he does. I don’t believe in prescription diets myself for reasons here: https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/worlds-biggest-dog-food-scam/
I’m curious of which food he will suggest now. Please keep me updated.
Once IBD has been diagnosed, Wakshlag favors gradually switching a dog’s diet, if the main proteins have been common ones such as beef, chicken or lamb. The dog would be then fed a novel protein or hydrolyzed diet.
Yogurt is high in calcium and protein. It also can act as a probiotic, which can be good for the digestive system. If you are going to feed your dog yogurt, it should be plain and free of any added sweeteners, both natural and artificial.

Diet vs. Medicine

IBD cannot be cured and is often treated with antibiotics or other medicines designed to stop the gastrointestinal immune system from overproducing antigens. Most vets, however, prefer to manage the condition through diet and may prescribe a commercially made food or give you recipes to home-cook your dog’s food. Each dog is different and some will require a specific diet with only a few ingredients. Consult your vet before feeding your dog any homemade meals designed to manage his IBD.

A Proper Balance

Cooked meals for dogs suffering from IBD need to contain a good mix of proteins, fats and fiber. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish and flaxseed oil, may help decrease intestinal inflammation and thus ease symptoms. Fresh meat or dairy protein sources, such as cheese, rabbit, venison and duck contain proteins that are broken down into more digestible nutrients.

Fiber and Fat

While some dogs with IBD do better when they eat more fiber, others do better when fiber is reduced. Vets often recommend fiber supplementation when IBD affects the colon, as fiber improves stool consistency and reduces the growth of harmful bacteria in the colon. Typically, high fiber foods, such as vegetables, are lower in fat. While fiber can trigger more bowel movements, the lower fat content from higher fiber diets often reduces diarrhea in dogs with IBD.

No People Treats

An important part of treatment for your dog’s IBD is keeping her away from people food. That means no table scraps, no bites of your sandwich and no feeding her bits of food that happen to fall on the floor. Also, avoid giving her most commercial dog treats, such as biscuits, which can be full of fillers and ingredients that will aggravate her stomach. Natural chew toys, or rawhides, also are out, as she likely will swallow pieces that flake off while she chews.

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

[Patricia A]

Melissa regarding CJ and IBD..Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Dogs
What is inflammatory bowel disease?
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is not a specific disease. Rather, it is a specific reaction that the stomach or intestines have to chronic irritation.

What are the clinical signs of IBD?
If the stomach is involved, your dog will have chronic vomiting. If the intestines are involved, chronic diarrhea will occur. This is the most common form. In some dogs, both parts of the digestive tract are involved, so both vomiting and diarrhea occur. If the disease occurs for several weeks to months, weight loss and poor appetite are common.

When does IBD generally occur?
IBD is most common in middle-aged to older dogs, but it can occur in younger dogs as well.

How is IBD diagnosed?
The chronic irritation that causes IBD stimulates the body to send cells from the immune system to the affected area. The most commonly found cells are lymphocytes and plasmacytes. Occasionally, eosinophils and neutrophils will be found. Thus, the disease is diagnosed when these cells are identified in abnormal levels in the tissue. A pathologist is responsible for this part of the diagnosis; his/her report usually calls the disease lymphoplasmacytic gastritis (relating to the stomach) or lymphoplasmacytic colitis (relating to the colon).

In order to obtain these cells, a biopsy is required. In most cases, an endoscope is passed into the dog’s stomach or colon (while the dog is under anesthesia). A tiny biopsy instrument is passed through the endoscope and used to take small samples of the lining (mucosa) of the affected organ.

Is this the only test required for diagnosis?
The tissue reaction that occurs in the stomach or colon is diagnosed with a biopsy. However, determining what causes the tissue reaction to occur requires further testing. Tests or treatments should be performed to rule out stomach and intestinal parasites, cancer and infections. Diseases such as diabetes are also considered. In addition, diseases of the kidney, liver and pancreas should also be ruled out.

How is IBD treated?
The ideal way to treat this problem is to diagnose the underlying disease that is causing the reaction. Sometimes the above mentioned tests will do that and sometimes a cause cannot be found. In the latter situation, the disease is called idiopathic. That means that a disease is present, but there is no known cause. Many cases of IBD are considered idiopathic.

Some dogs with IBD respond to a change in diet. This is done in two ways. First, a food is chosen that contains a protein source that the dog has never had, such as duck or fish. If that is not effective, a high-fiber diet is tried. Unfortunately, a true food trial requires that the test diet be fed exclusively for four to six weeks. If dietary therapy is not successful or feasible, drugs are used to suppress the inflammatory reaction.

Do corticosteroids cause side effects in dogs?
Corticosteroids, like prednisolone, are notorious for causing a variety of side effects in humans. However, this is rarely the case in dogs.

To minimize any possible adverse effects, our goal is to use the lowest dose that is effective and to give it on an every other day schedule. It will be necessary to begin therapy with a rather high dose, but once response occurs, the dose is tapered to a minimal level.

Does this mean that I will be medicating my dog for the rest of his/her life?
Long-term therapy is required for many dogs. Generally, a dog is treated for a few months before prednisolone is discontinued to see if it is still needed. If the signs of vomiting or diarrhea recur, medication is resumed.

Are other anti-inflammatory drugs used?
Prednisolone is the most effective anti-inflammatory drug with the least side effects. However, it is not effective in all dogs. Sometimes a stronger drug is used initially to gain control of the disease. Then, prednisolone is tried again as a maintenance drug.

Could stomach infections be a cause of IBD?
Some spiral-shaped bacteria can cause vomiting in dogs. The most common are helicobacter pylori, which have been shown to be the cause of disease (including stomach ulcers) in humans and are also pathogens in dogs. However, they are also found in many normal dogs and humans. Therefore, finding spiral-shaped bacteria on biopsy is not always meaningful. It is considered a pathogen only if an associated inflammation is in the stomach mucosa.

What is the prognosis?
If a response occurs to diet change, the dog can be maintained on a this diet for the rest of his/her life (as long as it is balanced). If the dog responds to medication for stomach bacteria, a good prognosis is justified. If response occurs to corticosteroids, the long-term prognosis is also good if administration of the drug is feasible. However, if there is no response to diet or corticosteroids, the prognosis is more guarded. At that point, further testing is suggested to see if an underlying disease can be found.

[Melissa D]

Hi Patricia A
Yes C J has the lymphoplasmacytic gastritis and heliobacter as stated on his biopsy results, my vet is starting him on a 3 week course of medications and then we are doing a second food trial of the Hill’s Science Diet Z/D for sensitive tummy etc, then I touch base with the vet again after about 6 weeks to see if he needs to start the steroids which the vet mentioned to me during our phone call. C J’s biopsy results also came back showing he has a thickening of his intestines and that’s why they are saying IBD, but to do another food trial with the Z/D food then I feel they are still guessing, but then I have read on the internet that diagnosing true IBD is kind of trial and error until the dog shows signs of getting better with different foods and what a pain this is going to be, I also read that some dogs do well on raw food diets for IBD, but my boy has been on the raw food since he was a puppy and its not been helping him, also yogurt was not helping as I was reading that it does help, but it looks like my boy is an exception to the rule, but I know he wouldn’t be the only one, so that’s why I am slightly confused after reading these things on the internet, I sat back and thought…ok C J is already on this so why is he still sick and then I got to thinking, if we get his heliobacter sorted first, then maybe he won’t be so bad but then the thickening of his intestines is another issue that can’t be reversed but can be managed…hopefully. I feel I maybe should not have gone to ask Dr Google…because all it’s done has thrown me into heaps of doubt on what the true issue is, regardless of what the vet/s have said because I kind of feel they too are still clutching at straws on how to treat effectively, so if my vet is in doubt then that places me in doubt, after talking with the vet about the next move, she said to me, to try the Z/D dry and or tin food for my C J and then we check in 6 weeks or so to see how he’s doing and if needed we start steroids, so basically she’s not even sure this Z/D food is going to work, can it really be this hard ?? I am just about ready to give up, my finances and emotions are stretched beyond belief and I just want to have a healthy dog, gosh I can’t even find a food list online of what to cook for a dog with IBD, because I would prefer to cook all his meals myself as they will be more affordable, so if anyone knows where I can find a food list or cook book for homemade food for your dog that has IBD then I will be ever grateful. Thank you Patricia for all your info supplied in the previous message, I have read and re-read it all a few times, and some of it is making sense but some of it also going straight over my head, I think my mind is just in overdrive at the moment but I will go back and read it as many times as necessary until I understand it all. Keep in touch and I will let you know how C J tolerates this new Z/D food etc.

[Patricia A]

Melissa I’m praying for you and CJ. You’re truly doing everything you can for him and most people wouldn’t because of the time, exhaustion of taking care of a dog that has these health problems and the expense. Thank goodness he ended up with you. My mom had a little Yorkie who had three owners before she got him. She would have tremors/seizures, never ate good and after numerous tests vets never did give reason or diagnosis. So I always remind her Maggie ended up with her to give her the best life possible.
I read that raw helped with the IBD. I guess because it wouldn’t have ANYTHING in it that the dog could be sensitive too since it’s just natural and not hidden chemicals or things which irritate stomach. I wish that was the answer for CJ since that would be easy.
TRY not to stress because I KNOW dogs feels this. Positive thinking, a lot of petting and if you’re able walks I read is very good for people even with IBD. also below will help a little.
https://kohapet.com/the-best-food-for-dogs-with-ibd
hydrated DIET
https://www.chewy.com/royal-canin-veterinary-diet/dp/33949?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=f&utm_content=Royal%20Canin%20Veterinary%20Diet&utm_term=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrM2GlK6Z5AIVBv_jBx2M6gd6EAQYASABEgK74_D_BwE

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

[Melissa D]

Hi Patricia A
Thank you for your kind supportive words, I needed that because I am not getting much support from anyone else near me at the moment and that has left me wondering….what have I done ?? Yes when dogs get sick it puts pressure and emotional strain on the owner/s, I have actually let my own health slip by the wayside for many months now as I am focused on C J only at this moment, I have missed my twice yearly injections and never even filled out my script for my meds yet, I know they are needing to be done, but C J is top priority for the time being. Thank you for the links for me to catch up on some reading in regards to the IBD, I saw my vet yesterday and she gave me 2 lots of tablets for C J and it’s 3 weeks worth plus she had a bag of the Hill’s Prescription Diet Z/D in the dry and tinned food for him, so hopefully we are on the right track with this, so $360 later I walk out of the vets armed with the tools I need to make my C J well again and start gaining weight, he is a big boy and is about 8 to 10 kilo’s under weight because of all this vomiting and diarrhea, I have cut back slightly on our walks just until his tummy starts to settle as I see it’s no good in regular walks for an under weight dog, otherwise he’s going to lose more weight with having too much exercise, he is always hungry which is good, but his tummy just couldn’t handle all that food and walking also increase’s his appetite, but he doesn’t need any help their lol, so he just has a gallop around the backyard, which is sufficient for now. I was hoping not to have to keep buying the dry or tin food for him as I prefer to cook for him myself, but the vet sort of said, it’s probably not a good idea as it will be more trial and error further down the track because she said we still don’t know for sure which protein is upsetting his tummy, so I will give it until xmas, get him sorted on this new food and see the vet about trying single proteins after xmas as a way of finally getting an answer, but I’m still thinking about that and not sure I will bother with going down that road now or ever.

[Patricia A]

I know eXACTLY what you’re going through with neglecting yourself because it takes up so much time and care with CJ. Just went through the same thing with my Hannah. However, she was 17 and CJ has a long life ahead. Take a break and put it in the vets hands for now. There’s a diagnosis and plan. Praying new diet will work for CJ Melissa. Keep me updated. RELAX

[Melissa D]

Hi Patricia
Yes I know what you had to do for your Hannah in your previous messages I could tell all the work that went into her so I know that all your info and advice is well received at my end because you have ( been there and done that) and now I have his new prescription food for the next 6 weeks, I will just take 1 day at a time and see how it all is by the end of the trial, fingers crossed that this is all we need and nothing further in the way of meds/steroids etc. Yes I will keep u up to date on C J’s progress, thanks again.

[Karen D]

Hi, I think this post/ thread needs to be divided. There seems to be some confusing my post with Melissas. Her pup is in a MUCH more serious state than mine & I think she would get more feedback from a post of her own….Just a thought.
Karen

[anonymous]

@ Karen D
Is this what you are trying to say? https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Thread%20Hijacking
If so, it happens all the time. Some folks just don’t like to start new threads.
Glad your dog is doing well.

[Author]

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