Ibd But Prednisone Not Helping

[greyhoundgang]

No dog should be on Flagyl for a month, much less years. If there is a diarrhea problem, finding the source of the problem is needed, not masking the problem with drugs. In my opinion.

 

Greyhound Gang's LEARN/MEDICAL sectionhas lots of information about treating diarrhea naturally.

 

As I mentioned in my earlier post, a dog on a lot of drugs, needs a second opinion, and I'd use a holistic vet. Constant use of drugs, or too many at a time will cause even more problems in a compromised-health dog.

 

Proper food for your dog is one key component of health and good looking poop. Food allergies can cause diarrhea easily. A web site I like is - Dog Food Project

[Guest SusanP]

He's never had any diarrhea or vomiting, either. He'd had a little bit of weightloss and restlessness as far back as last fall, at which time bloodwork and full thyroid were fine. In about Feb he began losing weight but gained it back when I soaked his kibble in water. The vet thought it was his teeth(he needed some extractions). We had the extractions/dental done, and two weeks later he became noticeably ill.

 

He was peeing very frequently in the house, pooping suddenly in the house, he was slowing down on walks, stumbling slightly with hind legs, eating less, losing weight. Bloodwork (including tic testing thyroid, the works) and urine fine, xrays showed nothing but lots of gas in small intestines, so he took Flagyl and probiotics and improved a lot, but got worse after the meds were done.

 

So he had an ultrasound. Ultrasound showed gas and slight thickening of intestinal walls. lymphnodes fine, no temp, etc... He may have a little pain in the spine area over his shoulders, but the vet isn't sure. Vet put him on prednisone and flagyl, and he stopped pooping and peeing in the house but his appetite got much worse and he began having spasms in his head/jaw, maybe whole body as well. Vet changed meds to slightly more pred, *no more flagyl*, doxycycline, and Throzene (just in case, despite full thyroid test showing he was ok), and he began to get better but has leveled off. I had a fecal test done, negative for everything.

 

He seems to be quite interested in food at times, but almost none of it passes the smell or lick test. He seems to prefer soup or pasty consistencies he can lap up rather than chewing, though he still eats firm home made biscuits I make. Right now, he is generally looking comfortable and not as weak as he was while on the Flagyl. No leg problems at all. He occasionally bursts into a trot when I take him out on leash to pee. He's peeing and pooping normally and at normal intervals, no accidents. But he has this love-hate thing going on with food. At times he just plain doesn't want anything, and at other times, he's begging for food but will eat only certain things.

 

At around 2 a.m. he woke me to go out and pee, and then he wanted to eat. All I could get him to eat was peanut butter (he had a fairly hefty amount) and nutritional yeast broth. That seemed to satisfy him enough that he went back to bed and slept well the rest of the night. This morning he's eaten pills in cheese, refused peanutbutter on bread, ate some scrambled eggs (no milk) with nutritional yeast on it (but not much) and some soaked kibble with nutritional yeast sauce (but not much). Then I tried giving him his doxycycline in cheese, and he refused it.

 

The vet admits frankly now she doesn't know what is wrong with him (she is the internal med specialist, not our regular vet, who gave up some time ago). She wants to give these meds til Monday to work. I'm hoping once he's done with the antibiotic and or can have the prednisone reduced, he may perk up, but I really don't know.

 

Wizard is 9 1/2.

 

I tried getting to eat a novel protein, but he won't go near any food I've tried made with venison, duck or whitefish. At this point just getting food into him at all seems to be the challenge. I'm trying to get probiotics into him now, too, though the vet didn't think he needed them with no diarrhea, but I have to mash them before he'll lick them up.

 

I just don't know how much more we can put our guy through in the way of diagnostics, and we are sort of out of vet options in our area. He is being treated at the "best" specialty vet center in the area, in a city half an hour from us.

[greyhoundgang]

Sorry - thought it was IBD.

 

Acupuncture can help in many ways. Improve appetite etc. Find thee a holistic vet- I believe they can help this poor boy. However, when a dog is on that many drugs, they wreak havoc - putting him on thyroid meds without being low thyroid?? It's just too many drugs.

 

You are obviously doing all you can emotionally, financially etc. But sometimes you have to question your vet, and in my opinion, this is where 2nd and even 3rd, and sometimes 4th opinions are needed.

 

Example -

i spent $4000 on a dog with 'idiopathic cystitis' at traditional vets. I got back a dog - after a week, who had his bladder ruptured, was on cancer meds (but did not have cancer), and was still sick. I found a holistic vet, and it changed my life and this dog's life. 3 weeks later, $300 later, he was a new dog.

 

You've done so much. Don't give up. If money is an issue, Greyhound Gang will pay for the second opinion at a holistic vet. email me.

[Guest MZH]

When you say Wizard is being treated for presumed IBD I get worried b/c there's no vomiting or diarrhea. I'd imagine you've had tons of blood work done already, but have you run any tick panels on him? I can't think of anything else to do. I'm not a vet but this is what I've experienced. When there's nothing obvious to account for a sick dog, I ask for a tick panel right away.

[Guest SusanP]

He was tested for TBDs, but one reason this vet put him on the doxycycline was just in case the tests were wrong--she admitted it was a last ditch effort, since we were on the verge of putting him down.

 

He just ate 3 2.5 oz jars of baby food meat. Seems to like only paste foods right now.

 

Greyhoundgang, he has only a couple more days on the antibiotic and has improved in a number of ways, so I want to see how this goes if we can manage. But how do I go about finding a holistic vet in our area?

[greyhoundgang]

click on the highlighted area in my post -holistic vets- that will take you to a web site - put in your state and a list of holistic vets in your area will appear.

 

so this dog is on doxy for ticks, was on flagyl for diarrhea and is on thyroid meds, and antibiotics for what?? - but he doesn't have any of those issues. Poor boy.

 

you can also just do a search on the internet for holistic vets and your area. You can also contact your adoption group and they might have recommendations. Many people use holistic vets too for diagnostics and care.

[Guest SusanP]

No, he is on doxy in case there is a bacterial infection or TBD the tests missed. He was on Flagyl for severe intestinal gas.

[EllenEveBaz]

Sending best wishes for your boy.

[Guest greytpets]

have you tried another food? I feed my grey with IBD Hills z/d ultra, no treats or anything unless made of z/d. She doesn't need pred or any other meds it seems hers is purely food related because if she eats anything other than z/d the haemoragic diarrohea comes straight back. She was diagnosed via endoscopy aswell

[Guest SusanP]

I just emailed Wizard's whole history to OSU.