- Joined
- Dec 12, 2022
- Messages
- 9
hello,
- Your pet's name: Taco
- Approximate age: 7 years
- Sex: male
- Neutering status: neutered
- Breed: unknown, might have some Jack Russel Terrier
- Approximate weight: 21lbs. he lost 4 pounds since he arrived at the shelter
- What's their BEAM (behavior, energy, appetite, mood): I'm fostering Taco for a week now. (I'm committed to fostering him until he fully recovers and find his forever home). He's been mostly sleeping, recovering. I did engage him into tug a war a couple of times, and he tried to play with my dog. On walks he is curious and sniffles a lot. Since it's been very cold here he didn't like long walks. He's been very shy and lethargic most of the time. But I'm starting to see him slowly picking up on energy, settling down, feeling at home and testing boundaries (e.g., getting into our bed in the morning). At night he sleeps on the pillow next to me. He wraps himself into the blanket like a little cocoon and sleeps tight through the night.
In terms of appetite, he is always ravenous, gabbling his food (I use slow feeder) and constantly looking/asking for more food. Because, he is very malnutritioned and underweight, I try to feed him smaller portions but more often, about 4 times per day
- Diet: It appears that Taco was on Hills gastric biome for 6 years. At the shelter, Taco had combination of the bland diet (rice and chicken), 1/2 cup Hill's i/d from the can + 1/2 cup of Hill's kibble (presoaked). Since I got him, I stopped the kibble and kept him on Hills i/d wet food. In addition I've been giving him homemade lean turkey with sweet potatoes, chicken with pumpkin, homemade chicken broth
- Vaccination history / exposure to toxins, other medication: Taco had all conventional vaccines, Revolution for fleas and heartworm. I convinced shelter to skip his last Revolution dose though. Currently, Taco is taking only probiotic
- Primary problem, when it began and if there was anything else happening around that time: Taco's owners got divorced. He stayed in one house and then was moved to another house. Based on medical records, Taco has been pooping blood and vomiting since apprx. September. Ex-owner reported Taco's behavior being abnormal as well - destructive when left alone and lethargic. When he was surrendered beginning of November, Taco had major meltdown, was withdrawn, always shaking, barking a lot. He pooped a lot of dark red blood, was straining and crying in pain.
Since I got him a week ago, he has been having pudding-like poops and holding it well, no urgency. Three days ago, shelter's med director insisted I added pre-soaked kibble back to his diet to firm up his stool. About 4 hours later he had dark color watery pudding-like poop followed by drops of blood. He had flare up for about 24 hours. I stopped kibble as well as wet i/d and has been keeping him 100% on bland diet of chicken, chicken broth, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, a little rice.
- Is the condition better or worse from exercise, heat, cold, time of day, certain foods, emotional upset, being touched, excitement, etc? I suspect food and stress are contributing to his condition
- Has any diagnostic work been done? Diagnosis if available (you can attach your diagnostic tests to the post if you have them)
Taco was diagnosed with chronic colitis. Vet run blood, fecal, urine tests and did xrays. The infectious cause was ruled out. I can attach his medical record.
- Current and previous treatment:
Previous: For the treatment ex-owner was giving him metronidazole (inconsistently) and trazodone (didn't help). At the shelter, Taco took metronidazole for 14 days and probiotic (proviable)
Current: reiki, soothing music, essential oils ( Transition from AnimalIEO), probiotic (going to switch it from Proviable to Purina or MitoMax), GastroElmPlus blend (slippery elm, dandelion, marshmallow root, milk thistle)
Thank you to Dr. Jeff and Dr.Christina for support and valuable recommendations you've already made. With your support and support of this community I feel more at peace, and confident I can provide this little angel with what he needs to heal.
I'm taking Taco to integral vet Dr.Barbara Royal on Jan 3rd. Till then, I'm wondering what can I feed him.