[Ryan K]

It depends on whether your grass is treated with any chemicals for weeds or fertilizer. I don’t treat my backyard with anything and my dog is fine. It fills him up and calms whatever is going on down. But, go with your gut on whether you want to let your own pet do that. Just make sure there are no chemicals or that he isn’t eating grass close to a neighbors yard where chemicals could be. Good luck. It’s stressful so I know what you are going through and I’m so sorry. 😔

[Ryan K]

My dog has this issue and it’s been a combination of getting him on the right food as well as removing allergy triggers (air fresheners and wall plugins). Another huge help was getting him on prescription food. Ask your vet about Hills Low Fat ID. I tried that same Hills science diet food your dog is on for my dog and he had gulping fits on it. I think it’s too high in omega oils. If I put my dog on ANY other food he has an episode. Not sure what this food does for him but he has hardly had any episodes since getting on this dry food diet. If I give him anything high in omega oils he has a gulping fit. I have found that if he has a fit the best thing I can do is let him graze outside until he stops. This usually lasts 20-30 minutes of him just chomping grass or weeds and then he is ok. It’s better then him eating carpet and socks (he threw up multiple socks one day which was scary!) and hurting himself. This is a mystery Illness and it’s really trial and error in making them comfortable. 😕

[Ryan K]

Limiting fragrances in my house has DEFINITELY helped immensely. I used to have fragrance wallflowers in most rooms but took them all out and stopped burning candles and my dog now only has maybe one gulping attack a year now and I’ve noticed that on those occasions it usually stems from him eating too much and getting reflux. Limiting candles and wall plug in’s has been a life changer for my dog and his gulping attacks. That’s for sure!

[Ryan K]

Oh yes I meant to say HILLS and said Science Diet. That is what my dog is on but I really want to get him off of it because I feel that it is overpriced for something just full of filler and nothing truly healthy. I’m wondering if another food has a similar fat content with a low omega oil content too? He gets acid from a lot of foods due to the oil content. He can’t take any supplemental oil or he gets super sick. It’s frustrating since so many foods are jam packing their kibble with omega oils now. I understand it’s good for them but it’s so triggering for my dogs reflux. 😭

[Ryan K]

My dog has these same episodes as well. I have noticed that he seems to have them if I burn candles and I was informed to take any air freshener plug in’s out of my walls which was interesting to me to hear since I had one in every room! Doing this has dramatically decreased the frequency of his episodes. I recently lit a large double wick Nest Christmas candle (I know it’s summer but I am a sucker for holiday scents) and within an hour my dog was gulping the floor non stop like his life depended on it. I let him out into the yard where he will eat grass for about 20 minutes and then he seems better.

Another thing that has been immensely helpful was getting him on a low fat diet. I have him on Hills low fat ID kibble and that helps a ton. If I stray and try another food he tends to have a flare up of these episodes. So, it’s been a true mix of the food he eats and the air quality. I am thinking it’s asthma mixed with reflux. He’s had these episodes for years though. If I manage his diet well and keep fragrances away he goes long stretches without the attacks. The vet has also recommended Pepcid once a day to help but I fluctuate on giving that to him all the time. I tend to give him it if he’s showing signs of upset stomach or the attacks start.

They are so hard to manage but it can be done. Good luck!

[Ryan K]

Have you tried the Hills ID low fat? I know it’s still chicken but I struggled with finding my dog the right food with his stomach issues and despite him having a chicken sensitivity he does really well on the ID low fat version. He didn’t do well on the regular ID though. His stomach issues have been a lot better. He still licks his paws and stuff because of the allergy to chicken but it’s not that serious where u would need to get him off the food. They might have small trial bags at your vets office. Just a suggestion! 🙂

[Ryan K]

Hi Laura!
My dog has been off and on with his hacking Since that initial posting. My vet and I are both inclined to think the cause of his discomfort and hacking is reflux. I actually had a few months Problem free after my cousin mentioned I had way too many plug in air fresheners (the bath and body works wallflowers) in my outlets. I didn’t realize I had one in every room. She said that caused her coworkers cat to be violently ill. When I removed them my dog was literally problem free for three months before “relapsing” about two two months ago. I did test out the wallflowers again though when he had had a few days of no symptoms and it almost instantly flared him up so I believe there is an element of respiratory distress from those fragrances but I also believe it’s a lot to do with what he eats. I have had him on Science Diet Low fat ID and that seems to help. When he gets a flare up of his ravenous licking I give him a half of a Pepcid and omeprozole (at different times during the day). I notice when he gets into a licking fit the most relief he seems to get is honestly letting him go bonkers eating grass outside until he feels better. This usually takes about 25 minutes of him ravenously gulping them down but then he calms down. Sometimes feeding him toast helps too. It’s something in his stomach and keeping it full seems to help. I think he gets reflux from his grazing habits. He doesn’t fill his stomach up with big meals so the acid builds up and overflows. That is my guess and my vet’s too. I should note that I haven’t had any extensive testing done on him…simply bloodwork and physicals. Sadly, he slipped a disc again a month ago and has been on confined bed rest which has been so hard. He hates it. But, he is walking which is great. It’s very scary to see him in pain like that from his back. The pain meds are also an insane trigger for his stomach being upset. I hope this update gives you some insight. Thanks for the link! I am bookmarking it now to read when I get back home! 😀

[Ryan K]

I’m definitely not an expert but my dog has similar instances of vomiting, lethargy and runny stool and one thing I know has helped alleviate his symptoms a bit has been a lower fat food. He does better when he is on the Hills ID Low Fat. However, he hates kibble so I struggle. I give him a pouch of Tomlyn Pre and Probiotic powder mixed into some chicken broth and it has helped him. I also give him 14 days of omeprozole antacid at the suggestion of both people on this forum and my vet. If I notice him vomiting I have found the suggestion of slippery elm powder mixed with water and fed via syringe to be really helpful. It seems to ease his acid and calm his stomach. It’s cheap and easy to make. Of course, this is all still pretty new to me so my comment is just what has helped a bit for my sickly little dog. He still struggles a lot but he seems to do better on a lower fat food and especially with the tomlyn pre and probiotic powder I found. That has really helped him. He literally was off it for two days and his symptoms came back. I put him on it again and a day later he is ok. Soooo, seems like that helps a bit. It’s on Amazon for like 17 dollars so not too bad.

Good luck with your pooch. It’s so hard seeing them sick. Hang in there. 🙂

[Ryan K]

Thank you again!

I do hope the vet can accommodate him with meds that won’t make his sensitive system even more messed up. He reacts so poorly to every pill he takes. I hope there is an anticonvulsant that won’t bother him too much. He couldn’t take gabapentin so that worries me as that is sometimes used to treat seizures. It made him sick right off the bat. We will see. Fingers crossed! He had a good day today with no signs of an attack so that was nice. I am anxious to hear back from my vet Monday to see if she concurs with the other vet there.

[Ryan K]

Thanks Anon! It was fairly inexpensive. I do need to start saving though for testing.

Oddly enough, I left a message asking for the correct dosage for omeprozole to start him on and they called me back and said that the other veterinarian on site had watched my YouTube videos and said he believes they are psychomotor seizures! He said he is recommending to my vet when she returns that he be put on phenobarbital. She will call me Monday. I still feel like this is stomach though. He seems so AWARE when he has these. I guess a trial of an anti seizure medication may be a smart idea if they tell me that’s the right thing to do. Such confusion. I wish I had bought him insurance when I got him. This is a lesson to those that think it would be a waste. I was talked out of it by my family when I got him. They said it would be a total waste of 30 bucks a month. Now I wish I had done it. He’s been in and out of the vet monthly since he turned 7. 🙁

[Ryan K]

Susan…thanks again! My vet did tell me to give him omeprozole for two weeks. She wanted me to try the rx food and the sulfralcate first. I will be doing that next.

I have to hear back about the slippery elm but I did buy that. I’m sorry your dog is going through all of this too. It’s truly hard to see happening. Your dog is lucky to have someone like you being so diligent with taking care of them! I hope I can get the finances quick to find out if he has the h. Pylori as my vet will not treat him for it unless he has a positive test result which is only done via scope. 🙁 I do lean to thinking it’s that. I feel like it’s too much of a coincidence that I adopted him and shortly after contracted that myself. I could have gotten it from his licks! Eeeek! My poor guy. He’s such a good dog too. He has never once barked or done anything destructive in the 9 years I’ve had him. He’s a very mellow, quiet, sweet little guy. It makes it harder to see him so miserable. 🙁

[Ryan K]

Anon…I have appreciated your help. Please don’t think I am ignoring or not being receptive. Everything I give my dog I definitely run by my vet first. I am incredibly aware of certain medications being problematic when taken with other natural supplements. I am very much a “call the vet to ask first” type of person. I just like getting as much info and tips from people as possible to see what worked for them. I don’t want you to think I have been irresponsible with my dog or have been ignoring anything you mentioned. My main problem is that I can’t get the expensive testing to truly get the best diagnosis for what is really happening so I want as many suggestions as possible from people experiencing the same thing with their own pets.

I have been really grateful for every post made. Susan has posted a lot of helpful info that seems likely to help my dog if I apply it. I definitely will ask my vet if he can take whatever I may want to give him. I am too paranoid to not do that. 🙂

[Ryan K]

Thank you Susan! I appreciate the help! I have wondered if it was h.pylori too. I had it and I know it was so horrible to deal with. It was a nightmare for me because of my allergies to antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors. It’s no fun! You described it perfectly with the feeling hungry and eating constantly to help ease the burning. Ick. That was torture on my body. I had to do 3 months of triple course antibiotics. Worst time of my life honestly!

I wonder if Manuka honey and mastic gum would help a dog? I used that to speed up my healing. I do think it helped me.

I bought some slippery elm powder on amazon. I’m going to try that. I would rather give him something natural then any of the other stuff first. See how he reacts to that. My vet told me to give him omeprozole for 2 weeks and then to stop. She said it’s not good to keep them on it long. She said the same about Pepcid. I don’t know if she is wrong about that but I’m not giving either right now. Just the sulcrofate. I’m going to start omeprozole tomorrow. She didn’t get me a dosage guide though for that so I have to look it up. I think it was half of one. I remember giving him those several months ago when he first started having issues. I don’t remember if they helped much. I should keep a diary or notes of how the medications help or don’t help him. My poor little guy. He’s so sweet. I hate seeing him miserable like that. He actually went into the yard after that incident for about an hour and ate weeds. I couldn’t even see him. He was just out there in the pitch dark chomping. I couldn’t get him to come in. But, he slept well afterwards. I laid out towels on my bed in fear of a vomit fest but there was none. He slept and woke up and hacked a few times but seemed ok. I am crossing my fingers that this is all just acid reflux and nothing scary like a tumor or cancer in his throat.

I’ll keep you guys updated if any changes occur. I wish my vet wasn’t out of town but I have a feeling she will only be telling me to get him scoped. :/

[Ryan K]

I should also note that he hacked all night after he calmed down from this attack. As if something was stuck in his throat. Seems like a scope will be my first test for him when I can manage it. :/

[Ryan K]

Thank you Joyce and Anon!

He had actually JUST had his last small meal when this happened. Possibly 5 minutes after he ate.

I sent the links to my vet but she is out of town for a week. I hope she can possibly view those and narrow it down. If finances were not an issue right now I would have him there getting tested for everything so it’s very frustrating. 🙁

[Ryan K]

I actually wound up getting footage of him having one of his attacks earlier. I am not sure if this link will work but please let me know what you think. I will be sending it to the vet as soon as they give me the address to send it to today. Forgive my messy home.

[Ryan K]

anon101…yes, I am following her instructions right now for sure. The only thing I am questionable about is this RX food. I really hate the idea of him staying on it long term since it really has nothing healthy about it. But, I am following the medicine and everything else she mentioned to do exactly. I am not attempting to diagnose the behavior myself but more so just awaiting results with this diet and medicine she gave me to try out. I am definitely planning on attempting to get a video for them to view and see if they can give me a better diagnosis of what they think his problem is. Trust me, I am listening to the vet! I am only asking about food for the future for other options aside from the rx one. My dog is only getting what they vet sent home with me. Sufloclrate, cerenia and ID rx food. I am feeding him three times a day in smaller meals which she said I could do. I’m just very open to suggestions on here.

[Ryan K]

Thanks Susan!

He was actually on gabapentin and it made him sick. 🙁 He took it after his slipped disc. It’s making me nervous now thinking about if this IS seizure related because medications really do make him sick easily. I have no idea how he will be treated without getting sick to his stomach since most meds do that to him. 🙁

I will get some mylanta too! That’s a good idea! I can use the syringe they gave me for the sucralfate to put that into his mouth. He takes the slurry pretty well. He’s so good about letting me syringe it into his mouth. I’m trying to also keep him active after he eats and making sure he doesn’t eat and then immediately lay down. I think that probably helps acid pop back up into the throat. I know it does for myself.

Truly curious to know whether this could be h. pylori. I do wonder if he has had it his entire life and is possibly the reason why I contracted it when I did. I know how bad my acid was when I had it. It was insanely uncomfortable.

We’ll see. Whatever happens will happen. I will get this figured out. It’s all about keeping him comfortable and content at this point until I can get the correct treatment.

[Ryan K]

Hi Susan!

Thanks for all the info! It’s really helpful! I’m going to buy him some slippery elm to try that. I have used that for myself in the past for sore throats. I didn’t think to do that for a dog! Smart!! 🙂

I am so confused about it being either seizures or GERD. It’s such a toss up. Some of the youtube videos showing Complex Partial seizures look like how he acts so it’s confusing. I’m not sure. I asked my vet if they would do a trial of anticonvulstants…most people seem to have had a ton of luck with a drug called Zonisamide for this exact situation so I would like to try that on him if anything.

The vet said they would give me a trial of it IF I can get an episode on video to show them. So, that’s my next step. If I get him recorded during an episode and they think it looks suspect they will trial him on phenobarbitol and something else. I wish they could just do this Zonasamide because it seems like it has truly helped so many from what I’ve read but if this is legitimately just too much fat in his food and acid re flux then it won’t matter.

I am doing 3 smaller meals a day for him to keep him fed. I know that when I don’t eat throughout the day I get bad heartburn so why should it be different with him? I did have h.pylori so I know how bad that feels. I am curious about that being his problem as well. They won’t treat him for that at my vet though.

He used to be on meds for pain and his slipped disc but he grew VERY sensitive to them. Actually, now that I think about it…the pain meds were the true start of him having stomach related issues. He slipped his disc in November of 2016 and was on various meds…months of those really seemed to mess his system up. He got so bad that I couldn’t give him any of them without him having the sick reaction and eating weeds and throwing up. He was on Rimadyl, Tramodol, and a steroid. Now he can’t take any of those even once without throwing up. 🙁 It’s awful because he truly needs meds for his back especially since the disc and since his hips are getting worse with his dysplasia. He even reacts poorly to Glucosamine! He’s sooooooooooooo sensitive!! It’s rough.

I’m going to just give this rx diet a try for a bit longer. I really loved him on Nulo until it didn’t work. He loves the taste which is a miracle. Maybe I can try that chicken recipe. He does get more itchy from things with lentils but it’s a trade off at this point. If I can keep his stomach and gulp attacks away I will totally deal with his itching. I am open to any food that has better ingredients then this garbage RX diet. It’s all filler and corn starch and junk. I hate the idea of him living off that. We’ll see!

Thank you again for your help! So much info to take in!! 🙂 I appreciate it.

[Ryan K]

That is a great idea and you read my mind. I was just looking at videos of seizures online when your response came through. I will do that the next time he has one of his attacks. The seizures do look pretty close to what he does. Lots of gulping, licking air and then going crazy on the floors trying to ingest anything in his path. Very very similar. I just left a message to my vet asking if she would happen to be ok with doing a trial on an anticonvulsant if he has another episode in the next few days. I hope she ok’s that. I don’t think she will. But, we will see! 🙂

[Ryan K]

Thanks for getting back! I am still somewhat holding out hope that this is reflux and not neurological. The vet said it could be either but without further testing she wouldn’t be able to say for sure. I am doubtful of them being seizures only because he seems like he knows what he’s doing and he reacts to me. I don’t know though. The gulpies seem to be common and people have such similar stories. :/

His food does concern me though. I feel like this all started happening around the time I decided to start him on a trial of rx science diet ZD for his skin. He got very lethargic and off while on it. I then mixed it up and went over to hills hydrolized protein and he was the same. Kind of acted strange and although both helped his itching…I could tell there was something up with the food effecting his overall well being. It sounds weird but I can’t really explain it. I then started trying new foods and this was when his problems got worse and worse. The Nulo has been good as far as his allergies go but maybe the fat content IS too high? 18% might be too much. I read that dogs with GERD should have low fat. I don’t know how low but 18% is probably too much if it does wind up being GERD. I also noticed that his last attack happened about an hour after I had fed him one of the wet Nulo packets but in chicken and duck. I typically just give him the chicken and salmon or chicken on it’s own but maybe the duck triggered it?? I actually have been thinking back and feel like I had fed him this same packet the previous time he had an incident. Of course, I could be wrong but I feel like I did. Duck sensitivity??

So, no concrete diagnosis. She triggered coughing by rubbing or palpating his neck. She said he is borderline overweight but she said it wasn’t to any point where she would tell me to put him on a diet. She leaned towards neurological as what her gut was telling her his problem would wind up being but she said I could trial him with sulcralfate and cerenia as well as the ID rx food. Hopefully he doesn’t have any attacks soon. I am keeping notes from now on as to when he has them so I can maybe get some solid sense of how often they are happening. I am going to start looking this upcoming week for a more hands on vet that seems more into the animals then the money. I have to figure this out. He can’t keep having these attacks. I hope if it is seizures that I can somehow medicate without expensive mri testing. :/

Fingers crossed.

[Ryan K]

Thank you everyone! Such great information and HOPE for my dog and his future! It’s nice to know there is support and motivation to get him through his ups and downs from people as nice as you all are! 🙂

I’ll be looking into a new vet next week. I had a good day with him today. No incidents so that was nice. He did hack a couple times which is kind of common for him. He has been hacking for years. I truly do think he has a collapsing trachea. I would put money on it. But, even my vet said that is a rough surgery to fix and wouldn’t really recommend it unless he was in serious need of it. So, there is nothing much to do for that aside from cough suppressants which again..they wouldn’t prescribe to him unless he had a confirmed diagnosis through MRI and x-rays. Ugh! Frustrating! I truly need to find a vet that will let me try meds on him without all the expensive testing! That’s my first step now.

Also…side question…I noticed they put him on the hills I/D and I assumed it was the low fat kibble because they sell it in baggies they put together themselves but I realized it’s the regular I/D formula which has 20% protein and 10% fat. Is that fat content too high? Should I be looking into a lower fat for his acid or is it mainly the oil content (omegas) that cause that? He seemed to be doing so great on Nulo Turkey and Sweet Potato for a little bit there. He is such a picky eater that it was almost miraculous to find a kibble he enjoyed. I also dislike the idea of him being on this hills ID because of the fillers in it. It doesn’t have great ingredients. Would I be able to put him on ANY low fat kibble or is there something I have to really look for that I should be avoiding? I was thinking of going for the Nulo Trim Cod & Sweet Potato since he likes their food. This is the analysis for the recipe…

Crude Protein 30.0% min
Crude Fat 7.0% min
Crude Fat 9.0% max
Crude Fiber 6.0% max
Moisture 10.0% max
Calcium 1.0% min
Phosphorus 0.9% min
Vitamin E 300 IU/kg min
Omega-6 Fatty Acids 3.35% min
Omega-3 Fatty Acids 0.35% min
Ascorbic Acid 65 mg/kg min
Bacillus Coagulants 80,000,000 CFU/lb min

Would the amount of omegas be too high and cause acid? It seems like finding a low fat food is tricky with such a picky eater that ALSO has health issues. 🙁 Thoughts on that?

[Ryan K]

Hello again!
I have not mentioned my financial concerns to my vet. I have mentioned not being able to afford things though which I feel like should be somewhat enough of a signal that I have financial issues going on. I always feel such embarrassment over finances and hate discussing them. I might have to just lay it all out there and see if I can get help from them somehow.

The vet did mention the symptoms possibly being caused by neurological disorders but she wanted to refer me to a specialist for diagnosis of that. I do have a friend with a small dog that is on anti seizure meds and I know for a fact that she didn’t have diagnostic testing done. Maybe I need to switch my vet? Maybe someone will just run a trial with drugs on him to see if that helps without the diagnostics? This vet that I take him too now seems super expensive. I am somewhat new to this area so they are kind of one of the first ones I found that would take him when I got here. They weren’t referred to me. I might need to find someone that makes the vet experience a little more personal and less about selling things like products they make at their office. Which mine does…a lot.

Another thing I should note is that he did have a gagging, hacking reaction when the vet pressed his trachea. She mentioned maybe it being a collapsing trachea which I have suspected for years now because of his hacking. He has hacked and gagged for probably 5 years off and on. I notice that my cousin’s yorkie does it a lot too and she said he has a collapsing trachea. Not sure if that is connected to his bouts of crazy eating and licking of the floor or not but he did hack and cough after she pressed it. Once again, she said scoping and expensive full body MRI scanning would be the only way to check that.

I might start looking into finding a vet that will just trial him for anti-convulsants and such if I can. I also might try to see if someone can get h. pylori results without scoping. I am wondering if blood work would show that somehow to save a 1K scope test? Hmmm. So much to think about.

I think this is my last dog. The stress this last year with him has been such an eye opener. I wish more people could understand how financially draining dog ownership is before they leap into adopting like I did. I don’t regret it because I love him so much but wow…when you get an unhealthy dog…it’s expensive! 🙁

[Ryan K]

Thank you for your responses. I took him in to the vet last night for an exam. She wanted to run more x-rays and suggested doing an endoscopy. Both of which I could not afford at this time. I am treating him with sucralfate, a low fat dry dog food they gave me and cerenia. I know these things most likely not solve his issue but I am trying them for now. I suggested the H. Pylori to her and she did mention the possibility of it being seizures but the diagnostics are too expensive right now for me to get for him. They would not treat either of those without positive testing. She mentioned that testing for H. Pylori was via scoping but I thought there was a blood test for that that would be less expensive? I am curious about this because I actually contracted H. Pylori shortly after I rescued him from the rescue group I found him at in 2009. I had to go through months and months of treatments to cure it. I always wondered how I contracted that. I am wondering if maybe he has always been carrying it and has passed it on to me? That would be a fairly easy situation to treat if he reacts to the drugs fast. I had it hard because I am allergic to so many antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors. I am really hoping that I can manage his symptoms and get them under control with a lower fat food for now and the meds they gave me. This is so frustrating because I really just do not have the financial access to figure this out at the moment. I don’t even have any Care Credit left right now. I just actually wound up using the last of mine on a root canal. Losing my job didn’t help this situation either.

Surrendering him is something I don’t think I could ever do. If I knew who he was going to…possibly…but, just dropping him off at an SPCA is not something I could live with. It would destroy me.

I wish I had family I could borrow from for diagnostics but I don’t. I am pretty much alone with these costs and unable to afford them. I can get his meds and his food and can give him love and attention but the multiple thousand dollar diagnostics are just not feasible right now. I hope this does not make me a horrible pet owner. 🙁

[Ryan K]

Hey everyone!
I just wanted to give an update on my dog. He has been on Nulo Turkey & Sweet Potato now for about two weeks and he seems to be doing well. He actually eats it! It has 33% Protein and 18% Fat. I do wish the fat content was higher but for now it’s working out. He finds it palatable and he has not eaten weeds to throw up in 2 weeks now which is HUGE! His stool is solid and well shaped. He seems to have more energy. I am adding a Nulo wet chicken & greenbeans pouch to the dry food once a day to get him going but he still grazes and eats off and on like he used to with the food just sitting dry which is a big deal to me since he had stopped doing that completely. This food seems to taste really good to him and it looks like it’s a great food. I’m very happy with it! Had to check in and update that. If he starts showing any discomfort again I will definitely get him back to my vet for the thyroid testing and possibly some ultrasounds. Thanks for all the ideas everyone!

[Ryan K]

Thank you again everyone!

I had a rough night with him. I gave him too much of the science diet sensitive stomach and skin and he spent the whole morning crazily scarfing Down weeds like a maniac and attempting to hack them up. I should have also mentioned in previous messages here that my vet suspects possible tracheal collapse in him. He has hacked a lot since he was about 6+. It’s just gotten worse in the last year or so. I gave him a Pepcid and it seemed so kind of settle his crazy grass/weed eating. I didn’t see him actually vomit though. I am just a bit confused as to how to feed him kibble now since he truly hasn’t been on any REGULAR kibble diet in months. So, would I just do the bland diet of boiled chicken and rice and then gradually add kibble in small amounts? I keep making things worse for him with this insane kibble swapping. I need to settle on one TODAY! Very frustrating.

[Ryan K]

Wow, Aimee I’m glad your dog is doing better. That had to be very scary. 🙁

Bill…I did have his triglyceride level tested the following day after fasting him. The level was 90 which they said was normal. I think the Precision PSL test is the one for pancreas health? That one came up 107 which is in normal range. The only red marker was on his cholesterol which was 327 which is high by a couple points. My vet said it seems ok since all his other values were good. I am truly stumped. Aimee’s points are concerning to me if this truly is something that could crash his system from too much fat but I also agree that a dog is naturally better off with higher protein and less carbs. I just need to figure out what this dog truly needs for his specific condition. I bookmarked that Victor food. I have seen it on Chewy before and wanted to look into it. Is that a bad choice though for a dog like mine who is fairly sedentary? Someone once told me not to go too high with protein and fat if the dog was lazy…which mine tends to be. I might call my vet to see what she thinks about these diet suggestions. I want to figure this out so I can move on and have my old dog acting like himself again. Thanks you guys!!!

[Ryan K]

Thanks for responding Bill!
That all makes a ton of sense. It IS very conflicting to what some are telling me to do so it’s a tricky spot. I do know though that he did much better physically when he was on a higher protein diet. I’m not sure if hypothyroidism was ruled out. Would that show up in the blood work or is that a specific test he would require? My vet didn’t mention it. I do think it is most likely diet since all of his issues began when I started attempting to fix his skin issues by mixing up foods for him. It also didn’t help when he slipped his disc and didn’t have any appetite so I wound up relying on canned food which then led to him not wanting dry again. I am open to trying the high protein again for sure since I do know that he did so well on it in the past. I might just need to throw in the towel on his skin issues and go with the higher quality food. I am not having much luck finding foods with fat levels over 20% though. I will keep looking. I see them near 18% but I haven’t found one yet over 20. I was contemplating a go on Nulo Freestyle Turkey & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Adult Dry Dog Food. It has 33% protein with 18% fat. Not sure if that sounds like a good one to try or not. But, I am definitely investigating. I just want him to settle a bit and recover a bit. I’ll definitely try a new food soon for him though! He isn’t thrilled about this Science Diet. He only eats it if I throw a chicken topper on it so it’s not winning me over. I might also go back to Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe Rabbit. He was on that for about a year and liked it a lot. That was when he was a young dog though. I think the protein on that is 36.5% and the Fat is 20% so it could be spot on with that recommendation. We’ll see! I might order that though soon! Thank you Bill!

[Ryan K]

Oh no! Now I’m torn! I was still in the midst of looking up high protein/high fat diets for him actually! I have him on Science Diet Sensitive Skin and Digestion right now because I had read a ton of reviews about it being very, very mild on the system which it seems to be so far. I don’t like the ingredients in it at all though. I would love for him to be on something more nutritious and highly rated but jeez…it’s tough now since his new sensitivities to things he was once pretty OK with. He used to do great on Orijen but now it makes him super itchy. I want him to be at the best weight though since his slipped disc issue on top of them telling me he has moderate hip dyslpasia. I was considering Natural Balance High Protein Turkey which is 32% Protein and 16% fat but maybe I will postpone that. I was also considering Natural Balance Low Calorie dog food as well as their Original Ultra formula…It’s just a waiting game to see what happens with this Science Diet right now and then to possibly try him on something else in a bit if he isn’t enjoying this or starts showing symptoms again. I’m glad his triglycerides went down to a normal level after his fasting. I hope everything stays the same. My poor little guy! 🙁

[Ryan K]

Thanks Bill! That is good to know. I didn’t even think of that. It makes perfect sense that they should have lower carbs since it’s not something they ate in the wild.

His weight seems good. That’s what the vets have told me. He seems to be fluctuating though from what I’m noticing. He’s going between 25-27 between these visits. Not sure if that is there scale or the dog. The vet always says his weight looks great though. He’s a smaller dog. I think weighed 24 back before he slipped the disc in his back though. As long as the vet says he looks healthy and not overweight i am content with that. I was looking at the higher protein foods. I might try the Natural Balance high protein lamb. He doesn’t react to Lamb negatively. It has 32% protein and 14% fat. Hopefully that is a good ratio. At this point, I literally just want him keeping down food and actually eating regularly and happily like he once did before I started messing with his foods to try to accommodate his skin allergies. If I can get healthy skin on top of a happy digestive system I will be thrilled. Thank you!

[Ryan K]

Thank you Patricia and Susan! Those are vey helpful! Maybe I am just focusing too much on attempting to find. 4 or 5 star food? I have to look into Wellness again. I could have sworn those had fermentation in them. I have no idea why but whenever there is probiotic in a dog food his ears almost instantly get yeasty. It never fails.

I will look into Nature’s Balance. I was looking at the low calorie one by them but maybe I don’t need to go with low calories now that his triglycerides are good? Or should his cholesterol drive me toward something more fat free? He DID eat the dry kibble tonight when I put some Nulo wet on top of it. I was surprised cause he was spitting it out when I just had it mixed with rice and chicken. I also saw him eat a few kibbles out of his bowl earlier in the evening in a grazing way but he does seem disinterested in the flavor. This is confusing but I’m going to keep looking!! Thank you so much!!!

[Ryan K]

Update…
Repeat blood-work showed normal triglyceride level which was a relief. His cholesterol came up as high that time though but the vet said all his other numbers were good so we shouldn’t be too concerned about that. I started him on Science Diet I/D Naturals and he hates it. He won’t eat it at all. He spits it out when he finds it mixed in his boiled rice and chicken. Should I keep up with this food or is his insistence of spitting it out pretty much a NO GO on this specific food? Ughhh! I’m so frustrated. Maybe I just need to throw in the towel and just feed him something that flares the allergies up that he likes but keeps his stomach content? It’s so hard finding something without zero lentils and no probiotic fermentation. 🙁 The nightmare continues!

[Ryan K]

Hi Susan! Thank you for all of that info!

I am not sure that I would go raw or take him to a nutritionist. I might one day but right now I want to keep trying dry foods.

I should have mentioned before that I have been having a hard time with him and foods since I decided to take him off his old Zignature Kangaroo recipe and put him on rx Hydrolized protein by Royal Canin and Science Diet Z/D. Both of these cleared his skin up immediately but made him incredibly…OFF. He seemed very agitated and unlike himself when he was on these two prescription foods. He seemed almost restless and irritable. Someone mentioned that it might have been the super high % of Omega 3’s in those diets so I got him off of them and ever since I have been trying new foods. He has been a mess since that. I haven’t had him on one food that has worked well. I am not sure if those rx foods just really messed with his gut and now he has still not recovered or what but I need to get it sorted out. I made sure that the Prescription food by Hills has low Omega’s this time because that was a concern. I also noticed that while on the Hydrolized protein diets his poops were incredibly loose and runny. That was a big part in my taking him off the ZD and trying the Royal Canin Hydrolized. I didn’t like how soupy his poops were. He has anal gland issues so I would prefer him to have a food that gives him a more firm stool. But, at this point…I just need his stomach and appetite to normalize. That’s my priority. If I find something that he actually EATS and doesn’t seem irritated by I am sticking to it. He did well on the Kangaroo by Zignature but the lentils make him super itchy and his ears get very gooey and gross when he eats it. I had him on Orijen six fish for probably the first 2 years of his life (he’s 9 now) and he loved that but continually had ear issues…I realized it was the probiotics and stopped and they cleared up. I have had him on Acana which he likes but again…ear issues…skin issues….not fun.

I did get several cans of the prescription diet you mentioned. Oddly enough, he does not like it! It’s so weird because he normally loves canned food but he sniffs it and turns away. I am hopeful that the fact that he is still eating boiled chicken and rice that that is a good sign? If he’s not eating anything I would be very scared. I think maybe I am overthinking this and giving him too many options and messing his system up. If his triglycerides come back as normal and there is nothing to worry about I will go from there. If that is a problem…I am not sure what the next step is. I think I also need to get him more exercise. He isn’t overweight…the vet says he looks healthy…but, he is very sedentary. I have a fenced yard and he runs around from time to time but nothing very regular. I might start walking him around the neighborhood. Maybe that will work up his appetite and help regulate him a bit more.

Thank you very much for your amazing help!! 🙂

[Ryan K]

Thanks so much! Me too!!

I am not sure if I would give that one a go since it features probiotics. It’s one thing that I know seems to irritate his skin for some reason. Whenever I give him food with any probiotics he gets yeasty ears. It’s a curse! I don’t know why but that has always been the connecting ingredient that brings out the yeast in him. I’ll have to google other foods to see if there happens to be a low fat with no probiotic. I will give this RX dry food a chance while I am figuring things out. Maybe he will do well on it. My only concern is that low fiber content. I hope he can manage to poop with no problems. Hopefully, his triglycerides are normal after this next bloodwork. I’m so nervous. 🙁

[Ryan K]

Thanks for that info! The vet put him on this diet because his stomach lining on the x-rays appeared inflamed and he was eating a lot of weeds and vomiting. I wound up taking him to an emergency vet for the latest batch of bloodwork because he was panting all night. When I have the results of that said to just go with the RX diet the prior but had mentioned and to have his blood drawn again. I went back and had his blood taken but have not gotten the results back so I don’t know if his triglyceride level has gone down or not. I am praying and crossing my fingers that he has normal levels. The level was crazy though. It said the normal range was under around 290 and his was 2,081! What the heck?! I don’t even give him table scraps! Anyway, do you happen to know how much in cups I should be feeding a dog his size? I’m guessing it’s twice a day? He’s a grazer so it’s tough. With rice and chicken I am not sure since I am just putting it down for him to eat right away. So confused.

[Ryan K]

Oh thanks! I had him on a Nutro and he seemed to like it which was a miracle. That was my only reason for wanting to stick with them. Plus, it seemed to be one of the rare foods to NOT flare up his skin allergies. Darn! I have tried Fromm with him in the past with no luck. He has such weird skin issues that It’s tricky finding a food that doesn’t make him go bonkers with hotspot and air infections. I have found that any foods containing any sort of probiotics seem to really exacerbates his allergy issues for some reason. I have also discovered that lentil seem to be an irritant for him. He does well on Chicken surprisingly and lamb. The hardest part is finding something without a large batch of probiotics mixed in as well as now finding something low in fat. Honestly, I will take the allergies if the food brings his triglycerides and cholesterol down.

[Ryan K]

I’m not an expert but have you tried Tuscan naturals basic lamb or chicken dry food? They are super simple recipes that my dog did well on when he was sick with stomach problems. I wound up getting him onto Nutro Lamb and he does better now but I know that the basic Chicken and lamb recipes are literally just rice, protein and flaxseed. Just figured I would mention those options since they are so simple and filler free. Good luck. I hope your pup feels better soon!

[Ryan K]

Thanks Cathy! I will ask my vet about that specific medication. He’s so sensitive to meds though that I’m really nervous about how he will handle them. When he slipped his disc and was paralyzed he was put on steroids, prevacox and gabapentin and each one made him very sick with vomiting and lethargy. I had to just wind up giving him benedryl to relax him during that awful trauma since all pain meds aside from the steroids (those were ok)just wrecked his stomach. My room always has a humidifier going since my house is so dry so that’s good. I don’t smoke or allow smokers in the house so that’s a plus. I might try that tented humidifier idea. That’s smart. I know that my cousin has a little girl with asthma and when her cough gets bad they steam up the shower really good and sit in there for 10 to 20 mins and she calms down. I should give that a try!

Thank you again! I might just buy some chewy glucosamine treats just to see if he likes them and to help build up some joint and cartilage strength. Hopefully my little guy is ok. He’s such a sweet dog too. Breaks my heart. 😢

[Ryan K]

Thanks! I definitely am planning a trip back there. I am super nervous about this as I can’t afford an intensive surgery for him at this time. I hope there are non invasive options to alleviate this issue. He’s not that old so I am crossing my fingers that he can bounce back. He has had a rough year with his disc slip and now this. He is constantly licking his lips like he has something stuck in his mouth. I hope it’s notbing too serious. Such bad timing for his issues right now. 🙁

[Ryan K]

I should also note that I had him on Vetri-disc last year when he slipped his disc and it made him sick. I am unsure of what could have been in it that made him sick but he threw up continually after taking it. When I discontinued it he was fine.

[Ryan K]

Oh wow. I’m glad I am not alone with a dog having these type of issues. He just seems so incredibly….OFF! I was just debating getting bloodwork done for him to rule out anything serious but I literally just had some done on him about 4 months ago so I was going to wait a bit longer to see if he got better and more “normal”. I think I might start from the top and just work my way down with the protein sources. I was thinking of trying a brand called Tuscan Natural. It’s literally just a few ingredients. I was going to start with the chicken recipe which just has Chicken, Rice, Brown Rice and Olive Oil. Seems simple enough. I will see how things go! Thank you so much for your response!

[Ryan K]

Thanks for the replies! 🙂 I decided to pull him off of the ZD as his poops were just far too liquidy for too long. My vet put him on Royal Canin’s hydrolized protein diet instead and he seems to be doing OK on it. His allergies (which are still unknown to me) have decreased immensely BUT he seems a little out of character since he started this food. It’s hard to explain. He just seems…restless. He’s only 8 so it’s not really an “old dog restless” thing…he just seems unhappy. He typically is the kind of dog that will just sleep when I sleep and relax all day but he has been crying to go out like crazy and although his poops are solid again…his stomach seems to be grumbling a lot. I think the food is not sitting well with his digestive system for some reason despite it doing wonders for his skin.

I want to get him on a regular, more nutrient beneficial dry food. I think he might be sensitive to peas and lentils since that is really the only thing in the Kangaroo diet he was on that could have been causing his insane itching unless he is allergic to kangaroo itself. Does anyone know of any good dry dog food without peas and lentils that is limited ingredient?

[Ryan K]

Yes, I just actually fed him a nice bowl of boiled chicken and rice which he LOVED. It’s one of the first things he has literally chewed down on since this issue started. Glad he ate that. I hope the glandex supplements make defecating a little more comfortable for him too. I know his glands give him trouble every month so that’s something I should be looking to alleviate naturally for him through fiber or supplements.

My vet is actually going to call me soon about an email to a specialist about his slipped disc that I needed her to write as a request for a second opinion about his x rays. So, I will mention it to her when she calls. He also goes back in on Friday for another laser treatment so I can ask them when I’m there if it’s really bothering me. I think I just need to truly know what it is. The stress of not knowing what it could be is making me a mess. I get very panic attack-ish when I have to deal with the unknown with my pets health. I can’t even imagine having kids.

Thanks for the response! 🙂

[Ryan K]

I have no information at all about the mass this vet felt other then her telling me it doesn’t appear to be related to the anal glands. She said anal glands can abscess and get cancerous but this seems to be along the rectal wall above or around that general area. She didn’t say anything was an emergency or that I should rush to get an x Ray or treatment ASAP. She just said that when I bring him in for his next anal gland expresssing that she will feel it to see if it has gotten larger. She said to watch for irritation and if he shows signs of struggling to defecate or continues to scoot his butt then I should possibly run him in sooner for the biopsy which would involve putting him under and prolapsing the anus to use a needle and aspirate the mass for a sample. I am wondering if this could be a hernia? His diet has been massively changed since his slipped disc issue as well. He’s had a life of strict grain free- high quality dog food but since he has been on tramadol, Prevacox and gabapentin his appetite is pretty much destroyed. He’s been living off peanut butter (I hide his pills in it), canned chicken and tuna fish and some raw hide chews which he only eats the coating off of and leaves the actual rawhide. So, I don’t know if this is dietary related? I ordered some Glandex to see if that helps his anal glands in the meantime. I doubt he will eat them though. He’s seriously so uninterested in dry kibble or even most scraps. Should I just stop giving him tuna, bones and treats and force him to only eat kibble? This is so frustrating. This whole experience has truly shown me that I don’t think I can handle another dog again. It’s so much emotional and financial stress and trauma. I love my dog though so I’m trying my best for him.

[Ryan K]

Thank you for the tips and responses! I appreciate them! I am currently keeping my little guy pretty confined and rested. His legs are working again but he does slip on the floor when I put him down. He still knuckles. I have another Laser treatment appointment for him tomorrow which will be his third. I am definitely hoping rest and immobility help him. My vet said it could take a few months to heal on it’s own if it is going to heal. If it hasn’t shown signs of improvement by the end of January I might need to get him to that specialist. I definitely do not want my dog losing the ability to use his back legs. My vet made the point that dogs that are paralyzed can get carts and still have long lives but that is just a really rough perspective for me to even think of. I can’t imagine that and it makes me sick to my stomach even thinking of that. I am going to keep him on his various meds and I just bought some supplements that are supposedly good for spinal health in dogs. We’ll see what happens! I have my fingers crossed. At this point, it’s all about trying to keep him from using his back too much and DEFINITELY not jumping..which he wants to do. I am having a hard time with this since he also suffers from seperation anxiety and we just lost our Old English Sheepdog and she was the only thing that kept him calm when we would leave our house. Now he is a mess when we leave. It’s so sad. I was just considering getting another dog to keep him company but now it’s just a bad time.

[Ryan K]

I called the Emergency Veterinarian near my area and they said the dosage is within the normal amount and then said they would assume he is acting crazy and vomiting because of something else. I am going to give him till tomorrow morning to see how he does and if he is still acting weird he’s going to the vet! But, for now…he seems OK and he’s sleeping. We’ll see. Whew! No more non-essential drugs for my dog! This has been a big mistake!

[Ryan K]

Thank you! I was doing that a lot last week but she seems to be tired of it. I might do it again later tonight though. I do need to get her pills in her somehow. I might just have to have my brother help me force them down. The vet said this is ok despite it being hard to do and almost cruel. 🙁

[Ryan K]

I just called them. They didn’t seem as concerned as I actually am. They just said to kind of ease up on trying to force food on her and to let her relax as much as possible. They said to call tomorrow if things progress and get worse or to call the ER vet that is about 20 minutes away if things get unbearable tonight. She is sleeping now so that is somewhat of a relief. I like when she relaxes and sleeps. It seems like the best thing for her right now.

[Ryan K]

Thank you for the advice. I wonder why they attack dying pack members? That’s interesting. Is it a survival of the fittest type thing? Kill the weak? Hmmmm. My other dog is such a wimp that I could never envision him doing anything remotely close to that though. He has never even “play bit” at me…even when he was a 9 week old puppy! I thought something was wrong with him cause he was so mellow and has never even licked me unless I have something actually ON me that is worth licking. But, anything is possible.

I’m really not liking my senior dog’s behavior right now. She has been getting up and going for water every few minutes. I take her out and she wanders the yard aimlessly and has foam coming out of her mouth. I’ve never seen her like that before. It’s too late to do anything now since my vet is closing in a half hour and I have no car at the moment. I wonder if I should call them to ask if the foaming and excessive drinking is normal? 🙁

[Ryan K]

Yes, that is true. I’m sorry about your dog too. Mine was on Rimadyl for a while but the vet took her off it when all of this started a couple weeks ago. They said that maybe her upset stomach could be a result of the rimadyl taking it’s toll on her. She is also off tramadol now which I think is making things worse. I just can’t get those in her. She knows they are in her food no matter what and even if I manage to get the food in her mouth she hacks it out. The vet said those are very, very bitter so a lot of pets just don’t want them in their mouths and will spit them out. The only meds she is on right now (well, if I can get them into her today) are her Proin for her incontinence and they put her on something called Deramaxx and another called Cerenia for nausea.

Honestly, I don’t think she looks good and I almost feel like I am dragging this out too much but the vet’s keep making it seem like I need to give her more chances. Maybe it’s because I am just with her too much and know her normal behavior so well and this is so unlike her? I’m not sure. But, this is torture. I am most worried for my other dog actually. He depends so much on her and he has bad separation anxiety. If I leave the house and take her he howls and barks non-stop. If I leave the two of them together he is fine. No barking or crying. Not looking forward to figuring out how to get THAT issue solved. I might have to become a hermit and never leave him alone. 🙁

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