greyhndz

Since the ingredients in k/d (and most of the other Hills Rx diets) were less than desirable, I decided to home cook for iggy Lexi. I used this: Donald Strombeck. I also received a dietician-created diet which allowed for very precise measurements of phosphorus, protein, sodium, etc. Egg and cottage cheese are, I was told, the most bioavailable proteins, with, as was mentioned, the egg white being preferred as it has little phosphorus. But Lexi turned her nose up at every recipe I tried, and when I finally gave in and fed her the k/d, she wouldn't touch either the kibble or canned. Because she's 12, I decided that quality of life is more important than quantity. Normally, Lexi eats anything, so for her to turn down something edible, it must be pretty foul. My vet and I decided that having Lexi continue to eat was the priority, so I returned her to a normal diet. And interestingly, her kidney function stabilized and her urine protein creatinine ratio dropped significantly. She's also on benazepril. I don't advocate this for any other dogs - it was a decision made by my vet and myself and based upon Lexi's own personal needs. Here are some other sample diets. The first few are from Strombeck's book:

Nancy, no.... what happened? When did you begin to suspect this? Words can't possibly express.... all of us fell in love with Bones when he showed such amazing courage fighting back from his injuries and all the complications that followed. He's an icon, a treasure. And so is his mum. I'm so sad, but so honored to have "met" him. Jordan

a good laugh but FANTASTIC news!!! Yay, Wally and Ducky!

Run free and fast, sweet Stormy.... Joslin, I'm so terribly sorry.

Hi Pat I've experienced a lot of frustration with F&S - it takes forever to receive an order, they don't communicate with you to let you know about any problems, and they try to limit their communication with vets to faxes. I found the pharmacy phone staff less than helpful. Their prices may be good but I'll never order from them again.

None of my pack would take the Iverhart, unfortunately. They want their Hartguard Plus chewables, and nothing less!

There is a generic now available (carprofen) for Rimadyl. I haven't tried it so can't attest to its palatability or efficacy. KV Vet has very good prices for most meds though I don't see carprofen as generic. Entirely Pets does carry it. They carry Rimadyl as well. Their prices are also good.

Happy Burp-Day, Stormy! So glad you're feeling better, and hungry again. Have a wonderful day, beautiful boy!

Hoping your baby girl is OK, and that this is nothing serious!

Xan, you should get in touch with "tigger", whose Stevie was recently diagnosed with PLE. Here's her thread from around a month ago: http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php?showto...p;#entry3670337 I'll point her toward this thread. She's done tons of research and I'm sure would be happy to share what she has been through.

Ducky, here are a few articles. The last 2 are very comprehensive but I don't think you'll have any problem getting through them. Lots of details on staging, treatment protocols and prognosis. I'm so sorry your friend and her hound are having to face this. https://www.vetconnect.com.au/5min/data/07940795.htm http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/vetme...e/detail/132510 http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/vetme...mp;sk=&date= http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/artic...mp;sk=&date=

I tried these for broodie Susie but they didn't stay on, for some reason. I've used Show Foot spray with some success. What's finally worked best for Susie is buying rubber matting that comes in rolls. I trim the matting (the stuff I bought was 4' x about 30') to 2' width and it winds throughout my downstairs, where i have laminate floors Susie was refusing to walk on. The rubber or vinyl mats or runners you can get at Home Depot would probably work as well, especially the kind with a carpeted-like surface. This is what my downstairs looks like. Attractive? NOT!!! But Susie now walks everywhere so I'll live with it.

Joslin, you and Stormy are in my heart and my thoughts. We're all here for you. As you said the other day, you'll wake up every morning and deal with that day as it evolves -- and hope each day will bring a Stormy who is happy, who wants to eat, and go for his walks. One day at a time, but many hugs at a time for your beautiful boy (and his loving mom). Jordan

Jenny, could you PM me your regular e-mail addy? I have some literature to send you. I can't do much at work, but am happy to research this some more when I get home Jordan

Kathy, Lexi became ill from Azathioprine within 1 week. By the end of that week, she stopped eating, acted sick, became lethargic, febrile, vomited, and had liver function tests through the roof. I believe Dr. Sisson says that if a dog is going to be intolerant, it will happen quickly, usually in the 1st 2 weeks. BTW - Entirelypets.com has good prices on Sam-E (Denosyl) http://www.entirelypets.com/denosylsd4.html and another brand which is generic for Denosyl, and also contains milk thistle, etc: http://www.entirelypets.com/sadenosyl2256.html I also swear by Liver Support Factors, in addition to Sam-E: (I have a bottle I can send down if you'd like it) J

Robin, definitely put down the bowls and step away from the supper dish! The more you're stressing over this, the more Polli is feeling your anxiety and is less likely to chow down. If she doesn't want to eat, take it away, try again in 1/2 hour. Sometimes, when you put a cafeteria in front of their noses, their switch turns off and they have no interest. I've found that the cans of Hills A-D go over well, and they're high in fat and calories. Strained baby meats are also very stinky and my guys have always gone for them even when they turn everything else away. The Ensure is a great idea, if she'll take it. I bought the Ensure Plus for my osteo girl Charming, and it kept her going for a long time. You'll find something she likes. Great news that she ate the chicken. Tomorrow she may decide there's something else she's willing to try. But try to relax and be upbeat in front of Polli so your anxiety isn't transmitted to her. Then, put on your running shoes, blast your ipod and go for a walk or run. Be sure to sing along to the music -- loudly -- so all your neighbors will think you're a nut. Hugs to you and Polli. It *will* get better!

Amber, you and Soul are in our hearts and thoughts tonight. He's getting the critical care that he needs right now, and you'll finally have answers to the GI problems Soul has been experiencing for a while. Sounds as if he might have protein losing enteropathy/inflammatory bowel disease. They might need to scope and biopsy him to confirm a diagnosis. But he'll get all the specialized care he needs at Tufts. I hope tomorrow brings answers, but especially a much-improved Soul. Take care of yourself! Jordan

I agree with everything LovesDoggies has to say. I, too, assumed Angell would be far more expensive but apparently they were able to cut a great deal with the manufacturer. Leflumonide (brand name Arava) is also available generic. Because I'm in NH, I, too, have them ship direct, and you can put the order in online (but then they have to call you to get your credit card info -- strange set-up but they don't have a secure website). Honestly, if I hadn't mentioned the pricing to Dr. Sisson, I wouldn't have known Angell would offer such a great deal. Is Becky being followed by Internal Medicine? Jordan

Is Bruce in remission? Dr. Sisson is brilliant. (Oops, sorry, don't mean to swipe the thread!) >>>>That is where Becky goes I wonder why they don't give them to us at that price. I will have to >>>>let her foster mom know that. Thank you. Wha??? That's awfully bizarre!! I started shopping around online for prices, when Dr. Sisson told me that I wouldn't be able to get a better deal than Angell was offering, which is the $.88/tab. Lexi is now on 40mg/day (two 20mg tabs) and I just received 120 tabs for 2 months for around $100. What dose is Becky on? I'd definitely contact the pharmacy and the treating vet's office to find out what's going on. The only thing I could think of is that dogs being treated by Dr. Sisson receive a discounted price because he's doing a study?!? I can certainly ask him next time I talk with him. The prices I found online ranged from around $1.40 up to $4.00/pill. Most were in the $2 range.

My iggy is on leflumonide, managed by Dr. Sisson at Angell. She has immune mediated polyarthritis, dx'd Feb. 2008. Was on steroids x 6 months. Tried to introduce Imuran (azathioprine) a few months in, with goal of getting her off steroids sooner due to problems with kidney disease). No go - developed drug induced hepatitis and was very ill for a couple of weeks. Lexi's coming to the end of a 3-month taper of methylprednisolone, and hoping testing will show that she's at a therapeutic level of leflumonide. Angell sells leflumonide for the cheapest price around: $.88/tab. They can mail a Rx to you. I can't find any pharmacies able to meet that price. So far, Lexi hasn't demonstrated any side effects. She had a CBC and profile done 2 weeks after starting, then again in 2 weeks, when she had a leflumonide level drawn and mailed down to him, where it's sent to a specialty lab Jordan

This is actually an excellent idea. Penny desperately needs calories and nutrients in order to heal. She can get a far greater concentration via a TPN line than via a PPN (meaning, through a peripheral vein, not a central vein leading directly to the heart) line. The critical-care vets can calculate out exactly what her metabolic needs are, and supply these through the TPN line. The line should not be at all uncomfortable once it's in. She needs many more calories than an otherwise healthy dog would: they have to supply the "maintenance" calories and nutrients she needs on a day-by-day basis, then add on the losses from vomiting, diarrhea, stress, fever, etc. I'm glad they're being very aggressive about treating her. And I hope that at this time next week, she'll be home!

Check your PMs, Robin. Good luck, Ms Polli! You're gonna whiz through this!

Ducky, a few thoughts (and a lot of concerns - I'd recommend very strongly that she be taken to an E-clinic that can resuscitate her and do appropriate diagnostics. Black stools may indicate a GI bleed, but not from the colon. This is generally from the stomach or small bowel (usually duodenum, immediately past the stomach). To confirm this, the vet could have easily done tested for occult blood in the stool. If she's bleeding to the point that she's having black (melenotic) stools, she may well be in shock, and that could account for low BP, elevated heart rate, hypothermia, and lethargy. I think the only chance she has at this point is not just fluid resuscitation, but probably endoscopy, possibly transfusion depending upon what her numbers look like, and most importantly, getting her out of the hands of vets who don't seem to know j*cksh*t about a critically-ill dog. I wouldn't expect to have seen much in the way of response to sucralfate at this point, not with a dog this sick. Jordan Pardon my French.

My heart breaks for you. Know that so many of us have walked this path, and know what you are feeling, and have cared deeply about Bodie and your family throughout your journey. You've all shown tremendous courage and dedication to each other. Bodie's deep love for you, and his inner strength, kept him going. And now your own deep love and inner strength will allow Bodie to make one more journey that will set him free. How lucky he's been to have you as his family. Warmest hugs Jordan

I'm a fan of the Bite Not, but I don't think it's useful for protecting front or rear paws. The dog will be able to reach them even with the collar on. It's really useful for injuries on the body, or anyplace he'd have to bend his neck to get to, but not the paws, unfortunately. How about a Therapaw or other velcro-on bootie?