JohnF
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2 hours ago, zimsmom said:
Have labs been done? Liver Pancreas? Maya who is 12 6/12 has diarrhea (although non bloody) since I adopted her at age 8. I use Tylan powder for a few meals & it resolves. Maybe ask for that.
Yes, they have done all the normal metabolic tests, kidneys were the only ones elevated over last year's. I still think it's probably some kind of parasite they just haven't found yet.
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GI problems seem to be an all too common theme on here; but this time It's hit my dog and I'm baffled. I wonder what I'm missing here? Peggy has been having cyclical gastro-intestinal issues these last few months. Her stool never firms up fully and can over a few days degenerate into explosive bloody diarrhea. She has been to the vet several times, and had two stool samples taken, but no parasites or anything else remarkable have been reported. She actually gets very ill with these problems and ends up in the vets on a fluid drip. They treat the condition with Metronidazole and Synuclav, and indeed those two medications appear to control the problem and she goes back more or less to normal with her stool firming up to the consistency of ice cream. Sometimes I think the vomiting is due to something entirely unrelated to the ongoing diarrhea, like eating chicken which is possibly gone off.
These flare-ups are normally just diarrhoea related, but sometimes vomiting is involved. In the most recent event there appeared to be no blood in the in the vomit. The vet says that this time there was also a UTI probably from direct local contamination from faeces on her tail which locks down tight when she is worried. They confirmed this by checking the white cells in the urine sample. Nothing remarkable was found on a Bladder Ultrasound.
One of the worst aspects of this is the probable pain and certain distress which the dog suffers which sometimes makes it impossible for her to settle at night, getting up and down every half an hour then wanting to be put outdoors, and leaving me with no sleep. I've been giving Peggy Gabapentin for this but one can only give so much.
Peggy hates being given a bunch of tablets which take 2 or goes: Omeprazole, (Metronidazole, ½ a Synuclav, and 2 Gabapentin twice a day) and also a tiny Prednisolone tab which is the only one that doesn’t cause a problem. From what I can see, all these meds just antagonize an already distressed-stomach before they get to start working. Oh, and there’s also Pro-Kaolin Paste to administer. I just wish manufacturers could come up with a less harmful treatment regime.
What puzzles me is the cyclical nature of the diarrhea becoming looser and eventually bloody. I thought it might be Giardia (I do know that smell) or Hookworms, but the vet says neither were found in the stool samples. He says Hookworm would be more often seen in kennel settings and as she has been with me since 2009, he doesn’t think there are any hooks, especially as spotting the eggs in stool is one of the first things vets learn. He therefore suspects IBS and is doing blood work to check vitamin B12 and folates.
Peggy will be 13 in September and has underlying kidney disease, about quarter way along the scale and still concentrating normal yellow urine, so one has to be careful with medications and food. She used to eat Turkey and Rice kibble, but went off it, and has been fed quality wet food that’s not too high in protein (like under 8% in wet) since. Maybe she has become allergic to chicken, but trying to find a GI diet without it seems impossible.
Does anybody have any idea what could be really causing this diarrhea, and hopefully what could be done about it?
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My vet thought so today, and has asked me to take Peggy, who currently has another vomiting and diarrhea flare up, off it. She has underlying kidney disease, but I think the culprit is more likely to be Giardia even though 2 stool samples didn't find it.
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So sorry to read of your sad loss of Zeke. You wrote a lovely tribute.
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Bully behaviour for whatever reason. Not suitably safe for a dog park. Although dogs can and do chase and pin others down in rough play, things can go seriously wrong in a heartbeat if other dogs there intervene. Dog parks are an unnatural environment where every dog out of its own territory and making its rules up as it goes along.
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So sorry to read that your beautiful Bea had to leave you. Thank you for sharing that wonderful story of how you brought her home and of the happy life she shared. Run free and full of health Bea in the new life that's yet to come.
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It's great to hear how well he's settling in and that he has learned how to neatly put his head under that fence for treats. My Peggy was a collector and dismantler of unusual things in her first months here. One of them was my electric razor, fortunately she didn't eat any of the metal bits, just left a pile of plastic all chewed up. Then she took to shredding her stuffed toys and I soon learned how to do the necessary 'transplant surgery' to re-stuff the next incarnation.
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How awful! So sorry to read that your worst fears have been confirmed. This is why all of us must promise to take our dogs to the vet asap when a major personality change occurs.
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Adorable! There may be more Greyhound in there than you think as she grows up.
I once rescued a Greyhound mixed with German Shepherd. Double coated, bushier tail, stronger legs etc. She was hyper-intelligent and very loving.
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Thanks again. Peggy has been recovering quite well and is now eating 3/4 of normal. They said keep on chicken and rice for a few more days. She had the last antibiotic injection this morning and will be on tablets of the same kind tomorrow, until a week is up as her gut linings should be back in better shape. We still don't know what caused it and what to make a big effort to avoid. Can bad teeth do that to a dog's digestive system or maybe provide an easy route for a bug to get in?
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Hi, and thanks for the reassurances. I think I'll see if 1x100 Gabapentin is sufficent and give the second one (supposed to have 2x100) in a couple of hours if she doesn't look pain free or is panting, Tramadol I might give if she wakes up distressed in the early hours of the morning. The vet put her on an injected antibiotic today and wants to give another tomorrow, they don;t want to upset the digestive system even more. They also sent a stool sample off. She has eaten about 1 and 1/4 boiled chicken breasts (pulled apart and shredded) gradually today with a little rice. I think what encouraged her was seeing me eating a burger. One can only hope she's able to handle it. I hate these complicated problems where you don't know how the dog got the bug or whatever.
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Peggy's (12 1/2) has gone and got another bloody diarrhea illness, and went anorexic and not drinking a lot or water like she did a couple of years back. I phoned the E Vet last night and asked what to give from my stock of meds and they said Omeprazole, Tramadol, and Buscopan for the colitis. The local vet has had her in on a fluid drip during the day and may also want her back on one tomorrow. They don't keep them overnight and reckon they're better with the owners anyway. They gave some kind of morphine based injection to help with the colitis pain and then Gabapentin 100mg tablets that I have to continue. The problem is that the medications have really zonked her out and caused poor balance and muscle control, and all that combined with a nasty hot late afternoon led to a lot of panting, which may of course have also been due to pain. We have to be careful what we give because kidney levels are elevated above her previous normal, so no Meloxicam type drugs. She's drinking again now and out in the back yard evening cool for a while; no interest in food yet though. Do any of you give Tramadol and Gabapentin together? These things are hard for the oldies; do any of your dogs cope OK that combination?
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You might even be able to get her to take a human tablet (break it in half if the dose is too high) if you wrap it in some cheese or chicken.
Turmeric might work better for her.
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Maybe it is because the weather has warmed up? Peggy can be less than enthusiastic about jumping in the car if it's over the mid-60's F. Try tossing a tasty treat in...
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Try Meloxicam liquid. You don't necessarily have to syringe this into them. Put on some shredded chicken breast in a bowl and the dog will wolf it down and then clean the bowl. You may not even need to give the maximum dose. Corns? Also look for cracks in the pads. Human urea-based heel balm can help a lot.
If using Meloxicam or other NSAIDs it will help against gut inflammation to give Famitodene or Omeprazole for the duration.
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Cut down on the protein level (under 21%) in the kibble you feed. Feeding James Wellbeloved Turkey & Rice senior version made all the difference in the world to our Peggy after years of 'pudding poo'. Look for something with a similar recipe in other countries.
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So sorry that Luna's time needed to come to a close. It is never easy, and it sounds like you have been one of the best owners a dog could ever have hoped for.
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That extra 10 months post-amp will have been like 4 human years to Ginny. They always leave us far too soon; so sorry to read of your loss.
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Nothing like that has ever happened to one of mine, so good luck/prayers etc for your vet consult. Hopefully it will be confirmed as benign.
The paper in this link may be informative.
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On 3/10/2020 at 5:16 PM, DocsDoctor said:
Up to two well-behaved dogs can travel with you for free on mainline trains in the UK -
Thanks for that info. Where do you get them to sit on a train or a bus? I don't think mine would go under the table happily; and what about other people's reactions?
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Congratulations! Resource guarding will take some time but eventually he should get it that you're not about to deny him them. Trading-up worked for me when getting bones back was necessary.
You took him on a train? How does that work... I've often wondered if my dog could travel that way?
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I've used a TENS clicker pen before but it can make them twitch as the power isn't variable; it gets around the fur problem if the dog trusts you though. Maybe look up the canine acupressure points and just use your fingers?
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When you take him for a walk is he being given plenty of time to mark his territory several times? If you have a yard or garden he will get into the habit of needing to mark this too.
Are you certain he doesn't have a UTI causing frequent peeing?
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Look for corns too. (They walk better on grass and carpets and a lot worse on hard surfaces).
Recurring Diarrhea problem in older Greyhound
in Health and Medical discussion
Posted
Pred 5mg to stimulate the urge to eat. Yes tried Probiotics but maybe the strong meds 'kill' the beneficial bacteria?