[Anonymous]

I would consider consulting a homeopathic vet, on the home page there is a link to find one in your area: http://www.vitalanimal.com here it is: http://theavh.org/ Pay attention to the percentage of homeopathic cases they treat, holistic does not mean homeopathic.

Or check the blogs on the Vital Animal site for related articles, I don’t believe everything the homeopathic vets have to say, but a lot of it does make sense.

[Anonymous]

My poodle with allergies receives immunotherapy and does well on Nutrisca dry (fish) as a base combined with a homemade diet (see the link I provided in the Homemade Dog Food thread). She gets a fish oil capsule daily, too.
Her allergies are environmental (as most are) but she does have a sensitive stomach.
Often food sensitivities are referred to as allergies when they are not.
Allergies often show up around this age and tend to get worse with age.
I found helpful information here. http://www.allergydogcentral.com/

[Anonymous]

Edit: Never mind, I said I would keep my mouth shut and I will.
But if it was my dog, I would have the dental work done asap.

[Anonymous]

I saw a big bag of beneful in the marked down section of my local hardware store the other day. I mentioned the lawsuit to the manager, hoping he would take it off the shelf…but he just shrugged and said “We checked and it’s not on any recall list”.

[Anonymous]

Small breed puppies are in demand. Maybe the vet or the local shelter would help you with the expense of getting this dog back in good health…in exchange for the puppies getting good homes. She needs to see a vet, as a stray you don’t know what she has been exposed to, parasites need to be ruled out and the puppies need to be examined too.
Good luck and give us an update.
PS: Has she been scanned for a microchip? She may have got out of a yard or something. Someone may be looking for her.
The vet can check.

[Anonymous]

Any medications and supplements tend to make the kidneys and liver work harder, therefore the lfts and bun/creatinine may become even more elevated and also increase the risk of nausea and vomiting. The antibiotics are just for pre-op preparation.

Once she’s stable and the infection is cleared up (dental surgery), she may benefit from diet changes and supplements as aids.

My dog with kidney damage (complication of Lyme) had higher values than that.

The potential for complications from the dental infection, sepsis are greater than the risk of going under anesthesia, imo. They do these procedures quickly now, the meds are less harsh.
I hope the vet can explain things in more detail and put your mind at ease. Good luck with your decision.
My last post on this subject as I am repeating myself.

[Anonymous]

When one of my old dogs needs surgery, I often decline the lab work. You have to sign the waiver anyway saying that anything and everything could go wrong. So, I figure why spend more money and have more to worry about? The last dogs I had spayed or neutered, I declined the lab work, told the vet to just do a physical, check heart and lungs.

BTW: Stuff can go wrong even if the lab work is perfect.

[Anonymous]

The dental infection could be causing her abnormal lab values. Is she on antibiotics?
I would think they would want to decrease the inflammation first……she will probably feel so much better after the procedure, assuming it goes well.
Usually the vets are more concerned with cardiac problems, regarding tolerating anesthesia.
It’s your decision, talk to the vet some more. Ask him what he would do if it was his dog?

• This reply was modified 10 years, 3 months ago by Anonymous.

[Anonymous]

I have had old dogs that needed surgery, dental and otherwise. I usually make a quick decision, based on the amount of discomfort they are in.
Regarding the dementia and periods of agitation, ask your vet if a low dose of melatonin would help? But keep in mind the main symptoms of liver and kidney disease is nausea….so the more stuff you give, the harder the liver and kidneys have to work to detoxify. Best of luck

[Anonymous]

What does the vet that has examined the dog recommend? That is who I would listen to.
Did he say he wouldn’t do the dental surgery? Did he advise you of the risks? Do you need another opinion? They have specialists for dental procedures and geriatric care.

There is no over the counter med that will reverse kidney disease

The anesthesia drugs they use nowadays are not as harsh as back when….but then again, there are no guarantees with anything in life.

BTW: You might make things worse by adding supplements, run it by the vet first.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 3 months ago by Anonymous.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 3 months ago by Anonymous.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 3 months ago by Anonymous.

[Anonymous]

I loved the raw frozen beef marrow bones as a treat, once or twice a week for my dogs.
My medium sized dog is fine with them, however my poodle developed pain and discomfort (nausea, vomiting, shivering), she liked to grind the bone into small fragments and consume…..well x-ray showed calcified material in her stomach and colon. Luckily it passed on it’s own, however if I give this dog a bone, I have to watch her carefully and remove the bone before she gets down to the nitty gritty.
Proceed with caution.
PS: I prefer to lightly cook meat, chicken…as I cannot afford fresh killed organic meat.
I buy from the reduced price section at the local supermarket and often freeze first.
I had a meat grinder, I recently took it to the Goodwill…not worth the trouble, imo

[Anonymous]

Consider a homeopathic approach to your pets care http://www.vitalanimal.com Check the blog section.
Dr Falconer often answers questions, even if they are off topic. Best of luck

[Anonymous]

The fish oils and vitamin E begin to dissipate immediately once the bag is opened. I store 1/2 the contents of a bag in a tightly closed container and store it in a cool place, put what I am using in a large coffee container in the fridg, refill every few days.

[Anonymous]

Also, I would refrain from using supplements without your vets approval while your dog is receiving treatment with antibiotics, prescription medication. Some supplements can interfere or have interactions with the current regimen.

[Anonymous]

I mentioned in 2 previous posts in this thread what has helped my dog, he has not had a recurrence in in 4 years and is 14 years old. He had a uti, was treated and then ultrasound revealed both type of stones, he required emergency surgery.

Your dog seems kind of young for this problem. Ask the vet if she is at risk due to her breed? Was she spayed recently? Is this a complication of that surgery? The UTIs, vaginitis? Is she going into heat?
Ask if potassium citrate/cranberry tablets would help?

Increased water, add it to the food is a must, my dog laps it up to get to the food (4 small meals per day). Frequent bathroom breaks, keep things flowing.
Ask the vet if she has struvite or calcium oxalate stones? Or both? An ultrasound is a good idea.
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_canine_struvite_bladder_stones.html

“Struvite stones form in urine with a high pH (alkaline urine), diets should help to maintain a low pH (acidic urine). Diets with animal-based protein sources are most important in maintaining an acidic pH, while
vegetarian or cereal-based diets are more likely to cause and alkaline urine”.

“With Calcium Oxalate stones, a high protein diet can cause stones by increasing calcium in the urine. It lowers urinary pH and can increase uric acid. High quantities of animal protein can contribute to stone formation by increasing urinary calcium and oxalic acid excreting and by decreasing urinary citric acid excretion”.

“Your should increase your dog’s water consumption to help dilute the urine. You can do this by adding water to your dog’s food, it should look like wet mush. Avoid table scraps when caring for an oxalate stone-forming dog”.

“Depending on the kind of stone, you either want more, or less protein, and lower in fat (3 -8%). Be sure to check with your veterinarian before changing your dog’s diet”.

PS: Vaccinations should only be given to healthy dogs.
http://vitalanimal.com/vaccinations-consider-carefully/

• This reply was modified 10 years, 3 months ago by Anonymous.

[Anonymous]

I have been using GNC dog multivitamins and a glucosamine supplement for my pets, so far so good.
I use some of their supplements (human) for myself.
Sometimes I buy drugstore stuff because it is cheaper, such as fish oil….but who knows? They are all considered food supplements and don’t have to be checked by the FDA.
I like Endurance products too and they have a dog multivitamin I have used and may go back to.

[Anonymous]

I have a dog with allergies, nothing worked until I went to a dermatologist and had my dog skin tested and she started immunotherapy, wasted time and money going back and forth to the regular vet for a year and received some incorrect information. There are times when it is best to just go to a specialist.
I found this site helpful. http://www.allergydogcentral.com/

Also, consider a homeopathic approach http://www.vitalanimal.com

PS: Environmental allergies are more common than food allergies, actually people tend to refer to food sensitivities as allergies
The dust mite, microscopic and on the skin of all living things (dander) is a common one…impossible to avoid.

[Anonymous]

http://www.homeovet.net/dynamic/php/downloads/dog-c8470f2c75dbe4b683205c3919ee2310/dog_diet_complete.pdf

I find this to be an excellent guide, regarding a homemade diet for dogs

[Anonymous]

A lot of small breeds have a heart murmur, as long as it is asymptomatic I wouldn’t worry too much. There are a lot of high quality dog foods out there, try them out. Some of my favorites are Wysong, Nutrisca, Wellness…..and I recently discovered Evangers.
Fish oil is a good supplement for any dog, imo. I use a drugstore brand for humans, one capsule a day, check with your vet.

[Anonymous]

Like I said, what worked for my dog was water added to his meals (the more the better), frequent bathroom breaks, keep things flowing, you don’t want to encourage stagnant conditions conducive to stone formation. Ask the vet if the potassium citrate tablets would be a good idea for your dog?
Consider a homeopathic approach to your dogs care (less chemicals, pesticides and vaccinations)
PS: My dog did not like the prescription food, he prefers Wysong and they actually have a prescription food for prevention of struvite stones but I haven’t tried it.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 3 months ago by Anonymous.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 3 months ago by Anonymous.

[Anonymous]

My dog with allergies and a sensitive stomach does well on Nutrisca dry (fish) combined with homemade (see my post in homemade for link)

[Anonymous]

http://www.homeovet.net/dynamic/php/downloads/dog-c8470f2c75dbe4b683205c3919ee2310/dog_diet_complete.pdf

I use this as a guide, for supplements I add a dog multi vitamin, fish oil supplement, and other things depending on the dogs individual needs
I also use a quality dry food as a base, tried to get away from it, but they seem to like a little kibble here and there.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 3 months ago by Anonymous.

[Anonymous]

My dog had surgery for both type of bladder stones 4 years ago, I give him potassium citrate plus cranberry 4 tabs per day (he weighs 15 pounds).
I keep his diet simple, he does well on a little Wysong dry mixed with cooked chicken or beef or salmon. He has 4 small meals per day, I add water (about 1/2 cup) to all his meals except his bedtime snack.
I take him out to urinate about every 2 hours during the day…..the stones have not returned. He is 14 years old. I have not complied with the vet’s recommendation of frequent checking of urine ph levels or x-rays. Of course if I observe any difficulty urinating, I will take him right in.

[Author]

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