Guest Stripeyfan Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 Have just got off the phone to the vet and she agreed with me that doing invasive exploratory surgery (see thread here) is not the right road to go down just yet. So, providing he stays as he is, we are going to give him a couple of months on 10mg/day pred and keep him on the oxytetracycline and the home-cooked diet, and see how he is after that. We can also try adding digestive enzymes to his food in a bit if we still have problems adjusting his meds (although his pancreas test was clear). The vet isn't going to do a stool test yet as she thinks all the 'usual suspects' were covered last time he had a culture and that it's unlikely they would have returned, and with him being on the ABs for now, if there was an overgrowth it wouldn't show anyway. (The AB he's on covers clostridium, too.) Also, I don't want to take him off the ABs just to let him flare up so we can see if there's something, as this won't help him. I asked again if she thought there was a chance this could be something more sinister than IBD, and she said she didn't think so because of him putting 13 pounds back on in just 4 weeks. So please keep sending us good thoughts and 'firm poo' chants. We are praying that the next 2 months will give Kelly the time he needs to heal and that we won't have to put him through surgery. And now I must go because a cat just strolled past the front door and he is going CRAZY trying to claw through the glass to get to it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PhillyPups Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 Good news. Firm poo prayers from Philly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greyhead Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 Great news and it all sounds eminently reasonable. Congratulations! (Oh, and I can't remember if I said this before. But all other things being equal and medically addressed, glutamate once a day goes the last mile toward firming poo. At least it did for Spencer.) Quote Mary with Jumper Jack (2/17/11) and angels Shane (PA's Busta Rime, 12/10/02 - 10/14/16) and Spencer (Dutch Laser, 11/25/00 - 3/29/13). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remolacha Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 firm poo! firm poo! firm poo! glad he is feeling better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stripeyfan Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 Thankyou for the chants - keep em coming! Greyhead, if this isn't a totally stupid question, is glutamate the same thing as glutamine? I forgot to put in my OP that we were also looking into glutamine and slippery elm supplements for Kelly as I'd heard these can be helpful for dogs with IBD (or suspected IBD). Our vet has no knowledge of them as she is not a holistic vet, but thinks it's safe to try them. The only thing I can find here in the UK with glutamine in it is a glucosamine supplement for joint health (Gastriplex looked greyt but can't find anywhere over here to get it from)... but Kelly also has an old injury to his leg which he was taking glucosamine for before all this started. So if it doesn't aggravate his insides I think we will try it. Sorry for yet more questions!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greyhead Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 (edited) Glutamine is the metabolis precursor of glutamate, a neurotransmitter. Glutamine is released by cells to be turned into glutamate. You can buy the latter. Don't know about the former. But it would be more expeditious to give glutamate in any case because it's already in the form it needs to be in to be useful. Hope htat helps. I'm in a rush and my computer is not cooperating! Gtw, we buy our glutamate at the health food store or vitamin shop -- what do you call those in UK? I can't even think right now what we call them here in US. But if you Google "glutamate," does it provide anything you can use to source it? It's not B-12 but it's also not all that obscure or arcane! ETA: that wasn't a stupid question at all! I had the same one when I started! Edited May 4, 2010 by greyhead Quote Mary with Jumper Jack (2/17/11) and angels Shane (PA's Busta Rime, 12/10/02 - 10/14/16) and Spencer (Dutch Laser, 11/25/00 - 3/29/13). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest longdoglady Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 (edited) Hi Stripeyfan, I'm sorry Kelly is still poorly, Anna sends him lots of love and hopes his medicine makes him better so he does not need the nasty operation. Holland and Barrett sell L-Glutamine H&B link. You will find it in the body building section but it is what you need as it seems to help gut function. Glucosamine is different to Glutamine all those ...mine endings are very confusing Firm poo chants winging their way from Cumbria x Edited cos I clicked the post button before I'd finished Edited May 4, 2010 by longdoglady Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Energy11 Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 We are sending LOTS OF LOVE to Kelly from here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Smiley Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 Sending good thoughts and chanting "firm poo" for you and Kelly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlies_Dad Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 More good thoughts for Kelly! Quote Kyle with Stewie ('Super C Ledoux, Super C Sampson x Sing It Blondie) and forever missing my three angels, Jack ('Roy Jack', Greys Flambeau x Miss Cobblepot) and Charlie ('CTR Midas Touch', Leo's Midas x Hallo Argentina) and Shelby ('Shari's Hooty', Flying Viper x Shari Carusi) running free across the bridge. Gus an coinnich sinn a'rithist my boys and little girl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carronstar Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 More prayers and good thoughts for Kelly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stripeyfan Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 Kelly says thanks for all the good wishes (and so do we)! And he sends a big back to Anna. And now for another question... does anyone know what dosage of L-glutamine (thankyou for the link, Longdog Lady! Will be heading to H&B at the weekend as they sell slippery elm too) it's safe to give a c.74 pound grey? Thankyou x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greyhead Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 Kelly says thanks for all the good wishes (and so do we)! And he sends a big back to Anna. And now for another question... does anyone know what dosage of L-glutamine (thankyou for the link, Longdog Lady! Will be heading to H&B at the weekend as they sell slippery elm too) it's safe to give a c.74 pound grey? Thankyou x Spencer got 500 mg when his weight was between 72 and 83 lbs. (And I'm an idiot because, unlike what I said before, it *was* L-glutamine he was getting, not glutamate.) Quote Mary with Jumper Jack (2/17/11) and angels Shane (PA's Busta Rime, 12/10/02 - 10/14/16) and Spencer (Dutch Laser, 11/25/00 - 3/29/13). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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