I Know This Has Been Asked A Lot,,but Is It Close To Time?

[Guest FordRacingRon]

Ate 5 jars of baby food last night

[winnie]

I'm so sorry your Princess Leia isn't feeling well.

 

Our four pack ranges in age from 8 y/o to 13.5 y/o. All love to eat, so I'm not much help with that. Glad you're finding something that works!

[Guest FordRacingRon]

And just give her the B-12. It can't hurt and potentially can help a whole lot!

Question about this now. Went to vets today and go the shot. About 11am. At noon:30 went to El Pollo Loco (for those not from around here,,,they cook citrus marinated chicken on flame grills, Mexican type sides etc) and on a whim I ordered her 3 thighs. Got home, stripped the bones and gave them to her (sans skins) and right down the gullet. Followed by a jar of baby food. Followed by half of my Pollo Bowl (rice and bean bowl with white meat,,she go 3/4 of my meat). Then she ate a chicken strip. I have to attribute that to the injection (Unless she is getting better).

 

How long will the effect last?

Another thing is I am an eternal optimist (after beating cancer) , my wife is pretty much a pessimist (opposites attract!). She is ready to give up every day , I am never ready to give up. We have to find the middle.

[DesiRayMom]

When my angel Skeeter starting failing last year, he had stomach/bowel problems and loss of appetite.

We put him on Budesonide (a type of steroid that as it was explained to me, targets the gut) and Vit. B12 shots.

He started out with one injection a month, and as the year went on, we went to every 2 weeks, and for the

last few months of his life, he got those B12 shots weekly. They gave him a whole 16 months of good quality

life before I had to let him go. His doctor said she thought the B12 shots were "voodoo", but couldn't argue that

they certainly made him feel better, and he ate well.

 

In Skeeter's case, I could tell when the B12 was wearing off, just by his attitude and appetite.

[Guest FordRacingRon]

When my angel Skeeter starting failing last year, he had stomach/bowel problems and loss of appetite.

We put him on Budesonide (a type of steroid that as it was explained to me, targets the gut) and Vit. B12 shots.

He started out with one injection a month, and as the year went on, we went to every 2 weeks, and for the

last few months of his life, he got those B12 shots weekly. They gave him a whole 16 months of good quality

life before I had to let him go. His doctor said she thought the B12 shots were "voodoo", but couldn't argue that

they certainly made him feel better, and he ate well.

 

In Skeeter's case, I could tell when the B12 was wearing off, just by his attitude and appetite.

Budesonide was the last step for her,,according to the vet,,it the B doesn't work. Thank you.

[Batmom]

So glad she ate for you! Even if she did eat your lunch .

 

If she has some good times each day and the bad times aren't too bad and she isn't wasting away ... there's no rush. :)

[greyhead]

We knew that Spencer actually had low B-12, and we found that out weeks before we diagnosed the IBD (for which he took budesonide). He got two B-12 shots per week for the first month, IIRC. (We bought the bottle and the syringes/needles from the vet, which is much cheaper than having it done at the vet each time. But you can buy B-12 through Amazon, and we get syringes from Drs. Foster & Smith because they don't require a prescription in WA.) Before diagnosing the B-12 deficiency, Spencer was showing cognitive confusion, low appetite, and got to where he could barely get up! The B-12 worked within hours.

 

After that first month of twice-weekly shots, we went to twice-monthly shots. In answer to your question, we could tell when the effect was wearing off at that point. So the vets said it was okay even though once a month was standard.

 

I'm glad your vet will use budesonide if necessary instead of prednisone. It's the best for older greys with intractable GI inflammation. (ETA: Spencer, having IBD, needed both the B-12 *and* the budesonide. We were able to discontinue the budesonide after a couple years, but we never discontinued the B-12.)

 

So glad she's doing better!

Edited August 19, 2014 by greyhead

[Guest FordRacingRon]

We knew that Spencer actually had low B-12, and we found that out weeks before we diagnosed the IBD (for which he took budesonide). He got two B-12 shots per week for the first month, IIRC. (We bought the bottle and the syringes/needles from the vet, which is much cheaper than having it done at the vet each time. But you can buy B-12 through Amazon, and we get syringes from Drs. Foster & Smith because they don't require a prescription in WA.) Before diagnosing the B-12 deficiency, Spencer was showing cognitive confusion, low appetite, and got to where he could barely get up! The B-12 worked within hours.

 

After that first month of twice-weekly shots, we went to twice-monthly shots. In answer to your question, we could tell when the effect was wearing off at that point. So the vets said it was okay even though once a month was standard.

 

I'm glad your vet will use budesonide if necessary instead of prednisone. It's the best for older greys with intractable GI inflammation. (ETA: Spencer, having IBD, needed both the B-12 *and* the budesonide. We were able to discontinue the budesonide after a couple years, but we never discontinued the B-12.)

 

So glad she's doing better!

Parallel dogs. With the slight swelling in her intestines, Leia does have IBD, just minor. Your paragraph about cognitive confusion was what started this , so far,,4 month process. Maybe we are on the right course finally.

So glad she ate for you! Even if she did eat your lunch .

 

If she has some good times each day and the bad times aren't too bad and she isn't wasting away ... there's no rush. :)

One thing seems to be a constant,,after 11 years of dog food she is not going to eat dog food again. NO kibble ever,,,if I can find the right canned food,,maybe. She has great times each day, just the same dog I have always known, just not a chow hound anymore.

 

When I ordered my pollo bowl I ordered the one with double chicken,,who knew at the time she would get the doubled part, and half of my single part!

 

I may be at El Pollo tomorrow buying 10 thighs. My wife ordered a wing special but was napping when I got home,,Leia would have eaten the extra wings too, I suspect.

[gracegirl]

Smart girl, El Pollo Loco is the best! I love that place.

 

Glad to hear that her appetite has returned. Keep us posted on sweet Leia.

[3greys2cats]

Glad to hear that Leia is eating, that is a good sign! I too am struggling with my Max who will be 12 on Columbus Day, I cook many concoctions and give him different things daily, cooked chicken, steak, burger, chicken pie, canned food, Blue Wilderness, Merricks chicken pot pie, Rotisserie chicken, yogurt, pasta, salmon, he will still eat dry food but it must have many add ins, I don't give up trying to get 2 meals a day into him, sometimes he won't eat till later day or night, it is frustrating, he is getting really bony. Hoping Leia continues eating, hugs to her

[greyhead]

"Your paragraph about cognitive confusion was what started this , so far,,4 month process. Maybe we are on the right course finally."

I don't remember what I said, but I hope I didn't bolster the idea that she had CCD. There are so many things that can cause poor cognition, and dementia is only one of them.

 

Btw, I still have budesonide (in various strengths) from Spencer. PM me if you want them. We got them compounded at Roadrunner Pharmacy in Arizona. (They ship the first order overnight at no extra charge, or at least they used to.) But they're not cheap. You'll probably also need to try the prescription diet food with hydrolyzed protein. Until the inflammation is brought under control, if she has IBD, she'll develop an inflammatory response to each form of protein you give her. That's why they eat something new for a couple days and then won't touch it. Let me know if I can be of any help at all.

[Guest FordRacingRon]

"Your paragraph about cognitive confusion was what started this , so far,,4 month process. Maybe we are on the right course finally."

 

No,,,,what I meant was that was what started us going to see all those specialists to find out no one can tell us what is wrong with her. She had bouts of shaking int he middle of the night,,,a bunch of stuff. I have a book called "Good Old"dog" which was written by the vets at Tufts UNiversity and is had a section on CCD in it. The book says there is not definitive test for CCD so everything else must be eliminated before one believes that is what a dog has. That is why we saw every vet in the universe (it seems).

 

Leia ate more baby food last night too. And fr the first time since Sat, no diarrhea at any time yesterday.

 

ANother thing we noticed is she seems to only like things that are warm. So its off to the market today to buy a bad of chicken thighs and if that doesn't work,,off to El Pollo Loco again.

[carronstar]

Eating is good. I am so happy that you have found something she likes. I think I see a crock pot in your future.

[Guest FordRacingRon]

Big test coming up,,i am off to the supermarket to buy some chicken thighs, come home and cook them. If they do not work I will try El Pollo again. It may be the flame broiled taste she like,,I can grill them too if I have to.

 

BTW,,I went to a baseball game last night and my DW saved 3 chicken wings for me for when I got home (from El Pollo) as I always have the munchies,,,Leia wouldn't let me eat them. I had to give her all the meat off of them. then another jar of baby food. then a cookie, she hasn't eaten cookies since Friday.

 

Still has the runs though.

[racindog]

Praying for GT's Biggest Sports Fan! Give her a little love for us.

[greyhead]

Is Leia taking metronidazole or tylosin, Ron? We had to use both. Tylosin is very bitter, so we put it in gel caps and gave it that way. You probably will have to give one or the other to get past the runny poops.

[Guest FordRacingRon]

Is Leia taking metronidazole or tylosin, Ron? We had to use both. Tylosin is very bitter, so we put it in gel caps and gave it that way. You probably will have to give one or the other to get past the runny poops.

Metronidazole I beleive, in a liquid concoction that also has something in it the vet called "Kaopectate " type of drug.

 

I bought some thighs, cooked them,,nose up at them. Went to Pollo, bouth 6. She ate one right up. took another and mixed it with the one I cooked,,she ate it.

 

Can a dog live on chicken thighs? Seriously. Can a dog live on chicken thighs, chicken strips and baby food? We give her vitamins too.

[greyhead]

I don't know, Ron, but I would suspect not permanently! Hopefully, it won't come to that.

 

You might try grain-free, corn-free kibble, like Natural Balance venison and sweet potato. Spencer lived on that, plus raw venison, for four years. But until the immune system calms down, like with budesonide, you risk her developing a reaction to every novel protein you try, and then there won't be any more novel proteins -- except maybe kangaroo and emu. And frankly, those come in formulas that are too fancy (lots of additions like cranberries, kelp, etc. etc.) that create more complexity than IBD dogs can handle.

[KF_in_Georgia]

Ron, try grinding up some of her kibble and mix that with anything she's willing to eat. That will give her a better nutritional base than straight chicken. I used to send the kibble through the food processor until it was just crumbs, then mix the crumbs with oatmeal, flavored yogurt, potatoes, chicken bits, chicken broth, or Ensure--anything around. For several months, my old boy just didn't want to eat food that crunched. (No signs of dental problems, either, and he'd eat cookies any time--just not a regular meal.) Then, just as suddenly, he went back to eating his kibble (on a day I didn't have any ground, so I tossed a couple of pieces in his bowl hoping to keep him busy while I ground some for him). I was grinding three cups of kibble a day, and Sam was eating all of it--with extras. Sam was 13 at the time, and kibble-plus-extras kept his weight stable.

 

You can try vitamins, but those things smell nasty (to people--and possibly to dogs). I had a vet one time advise Flintstone Chewables (but nothing with Xylitol in it for sweetening--Xylitol is toxic).

 

I've tasted the Ensure. I think it takes very bland, but I think it's bland enough not to make a dog's stomach queasy. And I think it's also okay for dogs with a lactose sensitivity. But we're talking about the "straight" Ensure--not anything super-fortified or whatever. But it's sweet, and that goes over big with dogs.

[Guest FordRacingRon]

I don't know, Ron, but I would suspect not permanently! Hopefully, it won't come to that.

 

You might try grain-free, corn-free kibble, like Natural Balance venison and sweet potato. Spencer lived on that, plus raw venison, for four years. But until the immune system calms down, like with budesonide, you risk her developing a reaction to every novel protein you try, and then there won't be any more novel proteins -- except maybe kangaroo and emu. And frankly, those come in formulas that are too fancy (lots of additions like cranberries, kelp, etc. etc.) that create more complexity than IBD dogs can handle.

NB potato and duck were her kibble of choice before this started,,,,,I sometimes wonder if smell has anything to do with it.

[Guest FordRacingRon]

I am giving this diet one more day and going into the kibble crunching mode. All we have a belnder that has only been used to blend cat food into mush,,I can give it a whirl. Maybe kibble with El Pollo and then just add more kibble.

 

She too doesn't seem to want to eat anything that crunches,,and her teeth are fine.

[Guest FordRacingRon]

So can anyone tell me how much,,in people calories,,a dog can eat each day?

[KF_in_Georgia]

The numbers will vary with age and weight of dog. But try this: find out how many calories a day she was eating of her old food when she was well and her weight was stable. The calorie count will be available on a website or on the bag. My guys eat 2.5 to 3 cups a day of food that's 355.8 calories per cup, so that's 890 calories for the 55# girl, 1067 calories for the 67# boy (plus treats).

[Guest FordRacingRon]

The numbers will vary with age and weight of dog. But try this: find out how many calories a day she was eating of her old food when she was well and her weight was stable. The calorie count will be available on a website or on the bag. My guys eat 2.5 to 3 cups a day of food that's 355.8 calories per cup, so that's 890 calories for the 55# girl, 1067 calories for the 67# boy (plus treats).

That is what I thought ,,about 1100 calories for my dog to maintain 70 pounds. Going to try today to sneak actual dog food into her,,,wish me luck.

[greyhead]

Wishing you luck!