Gut issues

[MaryJeanne]

Hi Everyone, I am new to this site and so happy I have found you.

This is about my dog Sadie who I adopted in September 2023 along with her littermate sister.
When I got her she was feisty and very active, loved running around the yard and always had the zoomies. No problem with her digestion, her and her sister both had solid healthy bowel movements. No issues.

She is 12 year/2 month old spayed, 25 pound female Schnauzer/Maltese mix and on November 24th, 2023 she started having soft stool which quickly went to watery diarrhea. This started within 1 day after receiving a dose of Comfortis flea medication, she vomited 4 hrs. after receiving it. Prior to and upon the onset of this issue Sadie was constantly licking her sibling's left ear (almost aggressively, she wouldn't leave it alone) Her sibling ended up being diagnosed with a yeast infection in that ear which since has been treated.

Over the next few weeks I started with a probiotic, the Mercola brand, but it did not bring about any change in her condition, I added Colostrum, Mercola brand also to see if that might help, it didn't either.
On December 13th, 2023 I took her along with a stool sample to the vet who prescribed her Hill's Science Diet Biome formula and Proviable probiotic.

We had small successes with this and by Christmas she was having some solid stool (AM) but followed by soft stool (PM).

By last week she started having mostly soft pudding like stools again with periods of watery diarrhea.
Contacting the vet again just last week, the vet prescribed her Metromidazole (compounded liquid form) which I was able to administer 1 dose and it made her ill, up came dinner and she then refused to eat. I did not wish to try to administer her more on an empty stomach and on top of that after reading the potential side effects of this medication I don't wish to give it to her again.
In looking through this site I found The Pet Health Nutrition Digestive Enzymes and Probiotics which I just ordered.

I was wondering about testing the Biome, food change ideas, etc.

I was hoping someone could give me some much needed guidance because my head is spinning.

Her last and only inoculation this year was Rabies on 9/16/2023.
She has received no flea preventative since November 24th, nor heartworm preventative since November 17th.

(1/21/24) On her energy, she was running around yesterday early morning feeling good which I haven't seen her do in almost 2 months, she ate breakfast (Biome food mixed with a little organic turkey patty to help to get her to eat) (no meds) and took to her bed for most of the day.

As of 1/22/24 she had watery diarrhea and there was a small amount of blood present. She will no longer touch the Hill's Biome food. Last night I was able to get her to eat a bit of Fresh Pet Sensitive Stomach with a small organic sweet potato (peeled). Same meal given this morning with Proviable probiotic. She had two small wet bowel movements this AM, normal in color and there was no blood present .


Thanks so much.
MJ

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Welcome to HA! MJ. We are thrilled to have you with us, and thank you for making your first post on the forum!

Thank you as well for rescuing Sophie and her sister. We'll definitely help you work through her health challenges. And help optimize her quality of life.

started having soft stool which quickly went to watery diarrhea. This started within 1 day after receiving a dose of Comfortis flea medication, she vomited 4 hrs. after receiving it.

Wow! Why this happened and how to prevent these problems and manage them if they arise, is a great example of why the Vitality and Balance System (VBS) came to be. And is what you will learn at HA!

Here are a couple of articles to get you started:

The Return to Wholeness and Homeostasis

As the legacy of Decartes comes to an end, the principle of dynamic equilibrium is being rediscovered and gaining prominence in veterinary medicine.

www.holisticactions.com

Using the Vitality and Balance System in Holistic Veterinary Practice - Holistic Actions!

www.holisticactions.com

I was wondering about testing the Biome, food change ideas, etc.

I was hoping someone could give me some much needed guidance because my head is spinning.

Yes, lots and lot of ideas. That's what HA! is all about, so you will find dozens of resources that address this.

Perhaps start with the HA! 101 course which is available in your member area through the dropdown menu.

Also, in your resource library you'll find a nutrition area which contains many webinars, toolkits and a primer about diet.

@aruna, I'd appreciate it if you could point MJ directly to the Nutrition Toolkit.

Even though there are a seemingly overwhelming array of options about what to do, you will learn a simple and mindful method of deciding what to do here at HA! with Holistic Medical Decision Making (HMDM). The HMDM report is attached to this message.

Feel free to post any follow-up questions once you have started going through some of the resources.

 

[MaryJeanne]

Thank you so much Dr. Jeff for the information, I'm diving into your recommended reading.

MJ

 

[aruna]

Hi, @MaryJeanne, here are the links Dr. Jeff was referring to:

• Holistic Pet Health 101 course
• Nutrition resource page where you will find the "Uplevel your nutrition" workbook

And if you need help finding anything, just email us to [email protected]

 

[MaryJeanne]

Thank you so much!

 

[MaryJeanne]

Well Sadie has come quite a long way. Sadie is off all prescription food and continuing on Fresh Pet Sensitive Skin and Stomach formula with a little steamed sweet potato added (about 2 TBSP). She still receives her Proviable probiotic daily. She has had more formed bowel movements in the last week than she has had in over the 16 weeks since this started but still has bouts of diarrhea. This morning she had a solid stool and this afternoon she had diarrhea, the food nor the amount fed has changed. She is trying to eat roots, she digs in the dirt and grabs roots and munches away, I do deter her constantly and luckily she listens well. I was wondering about switching over to The Health Pet Nutrition Enzyme and Probiotic formula. Anybody have any input I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[MaryJeanne]

An update on Sadie.

Sadie has reached the goal of healthy bowel movements but she is holding what seems to be gas in her belly, her belly is very rounded (approx. 7 weeks now). She is eating normal, drinking normal, bowel movements are normal as well as urination. Her gums are pink, nose is cool and wet, tail up, ears up, smiling, carrying her toys around, she had lost a lot of her fur but that is growing back and she seems all around happy but for this rounded belly.
Previously, Sadie had never been on a poultry diet (always salmon or lamb dry kibble according to her previous person) until this gastrointestinal issue started last November. All the prescription foods prescribed by her Vet were chicken based as is the Fresh Pet I am currently feeding.
She was put on a slow feeder 3 weeks ago and last Thursday I started transitioning her back to lamb (Spot and Tango brand). For snacks she gets slivers of organic carrots and organic blueberries.
She did receive her Heart Gard Plus protection 2 weeks ago so I thought ruling out parasites as a cause?
I discontinued her Proviable probiotic and started her this past Sunday on The Health Pet Nutrition Enzyme and Probiotic formula(1/4 of dose to start). She is now moving her bowels 3 times a day instead of 2 which I credit to her being new to Enzymes and or the introduction of the new food.
I know when things like this happen (3 months of diarrhea, loss of good nutrition) it can take time to come back to some normalcy and I understand the the trapping of gas can be a result of the gastrointestinal issues but it does concern me if I am doing what I need to do.
Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hey MaryJeanne!

That's great news about Sadie's normal stools and high BEAM.

Thanks so much for the follow-up.

Yes, you're absolutely right that her GI stuff may take more time to fully re-balance.

As you transition diet, you might want to consider a fully fresh (not processed at all) food diet such as raw Small Batch, Viva, etc.

The eventual goal is for her to be able to eat a wide variety of foods as per Jan Allegretti's Fresh and Flexible meal plan:

Amazon.com

You might also want to consider adding a well trained and experienced vet homeopath to your vet care team.

It may be that the Comfortis reaction that started this may have created an energetic obstruction which can only be dealt with energetically (vs. the physical effects of food, supplements, etc.)

 

[MaryJeanne]

Thank you so much Dr. Jeff. I have been looking for a holistic vet and they are few and far between here, this actually surprises me. Our present vet is wonderful, she practices Chinese medicine as well as Western medicine but with this incident they have not addressed it holistically so I am unsure about bringing her back into the mix (just not feeling good about it). I have thought about taking her in to her present vet for acupuncture but I am doing research to find another healer for her. I so appreciate your response and your recommendations and will look into the fresh food brands you shared. We will keep chugging along and I will update you with Sadie's progress. Thank you again

 

[Dr. Jeff]

You're welcome MaryJeanne!

Good luck in your search.

BTW-Vet homeopaths can work virtually from any location. They don't need to be local.

Dr. Herman, Cooney and Sagrera are a few who are highly trained and experienced.

 

[MaryJeanne]

Whew, had a hard time getting back into the forum.

Update on Sadie 4/26/24: I took Sadie to the vet on Wednesday when it appeared her belly was getting even bigger and the outcome was a bit more concerning than I expected. She has been diagnosed with IBD and protein losing enteropathy. The vet did an ultrasound and blood work and she prescribed Prednisone (20mg daily) which honestly freaks me out. I have attached her test results and notes here.
Its been an upsetting couple of days but so far she is handling it well. I give her Pepcid 1/2 hr. prior to dosing Prednisone (with food) to help protect her from ulcerations.
I put her back on her Fresh Pet for now as it agrees with her. So other than increased urination and her hunger (always ravenous anyway) she is doing okay.
My daughter in law who is in the veterinary industry mentioned low fat diet and vitamin B12 shots but we hadn't gotten that far yet. Sadie is due back for blood work Wednesday after next to check for improvements.

Just last week I started both dogs on Bug Off Garlic, putting Sadie on Prednisone I stopped giving her the Bug Off Garlic just in case there may be a chance of interaction. Would someone be able to weigh in on this? I don't want to put her at anymore risk. Thanks so much.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hey Mary Jeann!

I'm sorry to hear about Sadie's continued health challenges.

Her albumin is super low and she may need an infusion to bring it up ASAP so she doesn't keep building up fluid.

If you have not already done so, considering getting her to an internist or 24/7 hospital to help get her over this hump.

And definitely start working with a vet homeopath at the same time.

 

[MaryJeanne]

Thank you so much Dr. Jeff, I appreciate you and Sadie does too!!!! Thank you thank you!

 

[Dr. Jeff]

 

[Dr. Jean Hofve]

Hi MaryJeanne! I'm going to have to disagree with Dr. Jeff about the Fresh and Flexible plan. This is a vegan diet. Dogs do not absorb protein as well from plants as they do from meat. With her low albumin, I would certainly emphasize animal protein in the diet. You could certainly add meat to the Freshpet, which is low in protein (only about 25%) and mostly carbohydrates.

 

[MaryJeanne]

Thank you both for your suggestions, they are so helpful. Sadie had another visit to her vet yesterday for blood work and her low numbers are climbing. The edema is gone! The vet wishes to keep her on the same dosage of Prednisone until her weight increases. Her caloric intake has been increased along with higher protein source by adding organic chicken breast to her diet. She is receiving approx. 750 calories (and some extra) per day with Organic Greek yogurt, fresh organic carrots and organic blueberries for treats. The goal now is to get some weight on her. We will be doing weekly weigh ins but it looks like we are on the right track. She has a skip in her step and obviously feels much more spunky.

Dr. Hofve, I did not receive notification of your comment and just read it today, but thank you. I was reading the nutritional info on the Fresh Pet and did see 10% protein, yikes!, So last week I upped her with an additional 2 1/2 oz. of chicken per meal (2 servings per day). We hope to see a weight increase at weigh in next Wednesday.

Thank you both again. Blessings.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Great news about Sadie!

Yay!

 

[MaryJeanne]

Very Grateful!

 

[MaryJeanne]

Good morning everyone

The good news! Sadie had a weigh-in yesterday evening and has gained 9.6 ounces in 1 week from her last weigh in!!! So so happy and thankful for all the help I have received here.
Hopefully next week it will have doubled.
Meals she is consuming 850 calories daily along with snacks of blueberries, carrots and full fat Greek yogurt (about 1/4 cup total).
She is still on 20mg of Prednisone per day and hoping soon that will get decreased.

I hope everyone is having a beautiful day!

 

[MaryJeanne]

Good morning.

Dr. Jeff you mentioned a holistic practitioner by the name of Dr. Cooney, is that Todd Cooney?
Thank you,
Mary Jeanne