Can't Get Diagnosis For Very Sick Grey

[Guest dancewkathylee]

Canon has a tendency toward a sensitive GI tract so when he got diarrhea almost 3 weeks ago now we started him on a bland diet and waited for it to clear. After 5 days he vomited so off to the vet we went where an abdominal film seemed to be OK with the exception of a lot of air in the bowel. He was started on flagyll and an anti-emetic and we went home. We thought he was getting a bit better but no, his stools, while not as frequent, were not normal and he still had an episode of vomiting. Additionally, his breathing is fast, he's drinking and peeing a ton and he seems to be more comfortable out in the cool air then inside. So, back to the vet Lab work all normal with the exception of a slightly elevated ALT (one of the liver enzymes) and a slightly elevated white count ( no big surprise since he's now been sick for over 2 weeks ) The urine that we took in was normal which was surprising because it was quite dark and the stool was normal which was surprising as it doesn't look normal at all. His hematocrit was normal which was surprising because his stool is very dark. So, now we have prednisone, carafate, pepcid,and tramadol ( the vet thinks he has some pain) along with his normal meds and he was given a whopping antibiotic shot that is supposed to last 2 weeks. AND, we still have a dog that is breathing very fast sometimes more labored then others,eating bland diet ( probably only because of the steroid ) still drinking a ton, peeing dark urine and having better consistency to his stool but still odd amounts and dark color who is currently laying out on my front porch under my winter jacket. Oh, and the first vet appointment, no temp elevation, the second trip a "slight " elevation. And he has lost quite a bit of weight which he doesn't seem to be re-gaining inspite of the fact that he is eating the bland diet we are preparing for him.

He has been on thyroid medicine for years and his labs have always been good so I doubt that all of a sudden he has an elevated thyroid level. Besides that wouldn't make him vomit.

Does anyone have any remote idea what this could be?????

Worried about my pup

Kathy Lee

[tbhounds]

I would consult with Dr Couto

 

http://www.coutovetconsultants.com

[MaryJane]

What are the thyroid values - the vets might not be looking at "greyhound normal values" and instead using the lab normal values.

 

The urine issues sound like what my Larry went through years ago - he runs a lower specific gravity on the urine (you need a first morning specimen to check for this) and tends to pee much more if he gets a food that he is allergic to (chicken and noodles) or just too much protein. You might want to switch to a food that is novel to rule out allergies (maybe white fish) and maybe feed less protein (20% or so). Try it for about 2 weeks and see if it helps ...

 

I also recommend consulting with Dr. Couto - at a minimum, he will know the values for Greyhound thyroid levels.

 

Edited to add -- did they run a B12 and folate to check whether this is possible IBD?

Edited November 27, 2014 by MaryJane

[greysmom]

You should see if you have access in your area to a internal specialist. The can stay up to date on research and new treatments for issues relating to what your symptoms are, and perhaps suggest something more effective.

 

If you are feeding him the same protein source as the food he was on (ie chicken-based dog food and chicken in your bland diet) I would definitely switch to a different kind - boiled ground beef, or white fish. If his problem is an allergy or food intolerance, you're not helping him get better by continuing to feed him what he might be allergic/intolerant to.

[JohnF]

Try feeding Royal Canin Gastro Intestinal in cans for a while, I know it's expensive, but then so is visiting the vet more often.

 

All the interventions may have caused bacterial over-growth (ones that should be lower down).

 

it may also help to give your dog Buscopan (anti-spasmodic used for humans with IBS). I gave Peggy 10mg a day for a while.

[deboosh]

When Bonnie lost 9 lbs. following the discovery of a post surgical infection, the vet gave her one of the Hills canned prescription v arieties, called A/D. Sorry I can't be of more help, but after 3 days of anorexia, this stuff really helped get my girlie's appetite back on track. Will be thinking of your boy and am saying a little prayer for him.

[greyhead]

Our senior gray had similar symptoms to yours in recent months. Long story short after lots of testing: It appears to be a kidney infection, and the urine culture is negative nonetheless. That is because the infection site is so deep in the tissue that the urine doesn't contact it. Temperature and BP spikes are frequent. Our dog also has kidney disease, so now he is on a BP medicine and it's helping a lot. When the temp spikes, we cool him with damp washcloths at home.

 

Even more likely for your dog is a SIBO infection -- small intestine bacterial overgrowth. Have they done a culture-and-sensitivity test on his stool? That can be very dangerous, and you want to either rule it out or treat it. They should also test for Intestinal Malabsorption. This all could wind up as IBD; and the sooner you know about that, the better.

 

Here's the thing, you don't want to be giving an immunosuppressant like prednisone if what you have is infection. The infection needs to be cleared first!

 

Thyroid issues aren't going to present with those symptoms. I wouldn't spend time on that now.

Edited November 29, 2014 by greyhead

[NeylasMom]

I really can't be of much help, a lot of better ideas have been given already but I do wonder if its possible he has a partial blockage from something that's a material that wouldn't show up on X-ray? Not sure all of the symptoms fit with that, but maybe something to keep in the back of your mind.

 

I do think consulting with a specialist is a good idea. Hope you can get it sorted out.