RobinM

No truer words have been said,. I was pushing chicken and rice/beef and rice on Beau prior to diagnosis unaware that I was slowly getting him sicker and sicker (he was down to 52 pounds) from food he LOVED but was intolerant to. If your vet will not start on the pred or budesinode, try the zd dry or wet or both with NOTHING and i mean nothing else. try putting the kibble in a kong and refill as necessary if possible. He can't have an intolerance to this food. It's hypoallergenic and it has a hydrolized protein. It's worth the try.

I am so sorry.

Getting ready to go, trying not to have that feeling of dread that I often get going to vet as I don't want Elsie to pick up my feelings. She should be going first as her labs were already done. DH will leave work at whatever time it is to bring her home.

Hope you are doing OK this evening.

I think it's fantastic he will lead a normal life dispite his HD. He is in greyt hands. Very happy for you both!

My back yard is straw in most places due to Polli. As far as the poop goes, time to head to the other dircection, poor boy.

I am so sorry.

With all the other life threatening things we have been though, I almost feel foolish asking for prayers for Elsie's dental. But with her just about being ten, having no real medical history other than she had a prolapsed uterus (which is why there are no more babies for Elsie), I don't know her backround. In addition to the dental, we have asked the vet for baseline x-rays of her limps, chest and abdomen. Since she is going to be under a general, we figured let's do and then forget about it. So, if you guys could once again send prayers for Elsie's successful and unevernful dental AND CLEAN x-rays, we would be more greytful. I of course will update the moment she is finished. Thanks!

Oh no. I am so very sorry. Run free sweet Kylie.

No words. I am so sorry.

I too would follow up with the vet. ALL 4 of mine had severe limps at one time or another. It was Polli who was diagniosed with OS @ 9.5.

I am sorry.

I am so sorry. How lucky for both of you to have so many years together.

Here is part of an email that was sent to me by a UPENN vet when I was considering doing that. If I had to do it again, I would do it without the surgery. But here it is: We spoke > briefly about a potential trial of low dose pred. If you > absolutely > refused to biopsy, I would be ok trying it, with the > understanding > that it may not work and you still may have to biopsy. The risk > in > trying this first is that, if you do end up taking biopsies, and > they > return positive for lymphoma, the chance of chemotherapy working > is > decreased as a result of starting the animal on pred before the > first > dose of chemo. This is very well documented in the veterinary > oncology literature. I don't want to scare you into thinking he > has > lympho. This is not nearly as common as IBD, but I have to warn > you > of all the potential consequences of our actions. Sometimes > trying > to be non-invasive is not benign. >

I understand your frustration. I really do. No advice, just healing thoughts and prayers for da Soul man.

A sedative is relatively long acting for just cutting nails. Beau is IMPOSSIBLE and he has been refused by our old vet and 2 groomers. However, our current vet is able to do it by not lifting his foot very high, just high enough to do the clip. See if your vet will work with you, rather than sedating him for hours for a 20 second "procedure".

yes, food allergies can cause havoc on the stomach. Beau is intolerant of basically everything which is why he is on a hypoallergenic food. The protein in the food is hydrolized which means it's predigested and it "tricks" his system so that he can tolerate it. I would try the z/d AND NOTHING and I mean NOTHING else, but z/d dry, wet and the cookies they make. If that does not work, it's time for meds that reduce inflammation, such as pred or budesenide.

What tests have been done? If he has food allergies, it could be to chicken, beef and rice. Many dogs with food intolerance are.

EVerytime I read about this and relive it, I just shake my head. I am soooooooooooo happy she is on the mend.

Welcome from NY! His greyhound data says he is black. http://www.greyhound-data.com/d?z=Bgpir4&a...amp;x=8&y=6

Full house! Welcome from NY!

Welcome from NY

The only way to diagnosis conclusively IBD is through biopsy which after what your dog has been through, I wouldn't do. Beau has "severe" IBD and after months of different foods, prescription drugs, OTC, herbals, x-rays, sonos, etc., after biopsy we started him on pred and imuran. The food is z/d which is hypoallergenic dry, wet and cooked tilapia. He gets nothing and I mean nothing else. anything else we give him would put him back into a flare.

The internist feels that way because the only way to get a conlusive diagnosis of IBD is to do a biopsy. I hope he repsonds to the meds. ETA- there is an incredibly insightful and extremely helpful IBD board on yahoo. It's called IBD dogs. They know more than the vets, it's amamzing. It is a heavily moderated board and I am not sure if there rules have changed but you can try. When I joined you had to have a diagnosis by bx, or you could not join.

I am so sorry for your loss of sweet Vixen.