posted on August 10, 2009 09:19:21 AM
Hi ALL out there in VD-LAND!
Tis 2 months since me boyo & I have been together, but, although I'm feeding him 2X normal, he's only gained THREE pounds...When he went into the HS pound he weighed 30lbs;when he came out, he was down to 19lbs...Weighed him yesterday, and he's only up to 21...
I've taken him to two different VETS since he got out of the pound for his chronic poopsies...The first put him on FLAGYL + IMODIUM, neither of which helped.
Two weeks ago, I took him to a new VET who put him on PANCREATIC ENZYMES + PEPTO-BISMAL, again with NO improvement. He was to return, but I'm too broke to go back...
Was hoping somebody else has gone thru this with their dogs?
His appetite is GREAT; he's FRISKY & HAPPY; the only problems (for which I'm losing all HAIR over) is the CHRONIC watery diarrhea, and his scarey failure to gain weight on double food rations. ALL of his TESTS for worms, etc, were NEGATIVE...
Anybody out there in VD-LAND with suggestions? T'would be GREATLY appreciated...
posted on August 10, 2009 10:08:16 AM
Tom, my suggestion if you have not tried it... RICE.
Our Lacy had problems with diarrhea from time to time and our vet said to mix boiled white rice with her food. I kept a box of Uncle Ben's boil in bag rice in the pantry to use as needed.
It has been six months since we lost Lacy and we miss her every day. I hope you and Ralphie can enjoy each other for a long time to come.
-----o----o----o----o----o----o----o----o
“The illiterate of the future will be the person ignorant of the use of the camera as well as of the pen.”
Maholy-Nagy, Vision in Motion, 1947
posted on August 10, 2009 10:55:16 AM
If your dog has diarrhea and seems to be reasonably strong, happy and active, simply follow these guidelines:
Cut the amount of food you are feeding in half.
Feed home cooked bland diets; they are vastly superior to the commercial bland diets promoted by many veterinarians
Bland foods include:
-1/3 meat
-Cooked meats that are very low in fat such as chicken (you can also boil hamburger, which will remove all the fat)
-2/3 rice or other bland grain
-Cottage Cheese
-White Rice (some will do better on cooked oatmeal)
-Do not add any oils or fats to the diet at this point
•To the Bland Food, add:
•Yogurt 1-3 tablespoons per meal (yogurt is soothing but does not really provide any significant beneficial bacteria)
•Boiled Sweet Potato: 2-4 tablespoons
•Consider giving Gastriplex if your dog has repeated bouts. Keep feeding this bland diet for at least a couple days after the diarrhea clears up.
posted on August 10, 2009 05:26:10 PM
Forgive me for asking but didn't you always used to refer to him as fatboy? And he had trouble walking down the stairs because he was so overweight? So I wouldn't be so worried because he has lost the weight as the diarrhea.
The rice is a good idea but it will not put on weight so much. Any time you change a dogs diet it might cause an upset tummy so you might need to do it gradually. If you introduce a lot of new foods you will be surprised! And not pleasantly!
I have 2 dogs with VERY sensitive stomachs and my daughter has 1. Her dog - if you give so much as one bite of human food - you will pay for it dearly. (like yours) So now I have noticed that mine - the one that has pancreatic issues, if I give him any meat, I will pay for it by having to take him to the vet. He can eat raw vegetables or fruit but no meat. Other things make his stomach cramp and he throws up. I gave him 2 bites of steak and had to take him to the vet and paid $75.00 for my foolishness.
My daughter's dog can only eat dry dog food. Mine eat can Hills ID and the other one eats can Hills KD. I mix both with brown rice because it's so expensive and they are a little overweight.
21 pounds does not sound underweight for a BT - are his ribs showing???
posted on August 10, 2009 07:06:42 PM
Stop feeding him so much.
21 pounds is probably about right for a Boston. Breed standard allows for 25-lb dog, but that's one BIG Boston. IIRC, Ralphie isn't what I'd call a BIG Boston. At 30lbs he was certainly fat, but fat and big aren't the same.
What did the vets say about his weight? Even if he does need to gain a couple pounds, a rapid weight gain isn't good...slow is better.
I'd try a spoonful or two of plain canned pumpkin mixed with his regular food. It's cheap, low calorie and has lots of fiber that should help with the diarrhea and fill him up so he doesn't creep up to the 30lb mark again.
For a quick fix on diarrhea--more for the "oops! something didn't agree with the tummy" type than a chronic problem--sprinkle a little matzo meal over food. It's very binding.
Oh, and stick with one vet. That way if he does have to "experiment" to find out what works, he'll know what he's done before and won't have to keep reinventing the wheel.
posted on August 11, 2009 05:58:58 AM
I know you are mad at the Humane Society, but call them and ask them who they use for their Vet. Then call that Vet and ask if they saw Ralphie while the Humane Society had him and maybe he/she will do a phone consultation with you if you explain the problem. Ask if they had noticed the diarrhea and if they had treated it etc. And the weight loss. You at least have the right to any medical records.
posted on August 11, 2009 05:57:08 PMTHANKS, ALL for the great suggestions!
Yes, we tried RICE -- worked GREAT until we stopped
Yes, we tried new food -- even bought VERY expensive RX food at the Vet's...NO help
The Vet says his IDEAL weight is 26 lbs...So, at 30, he was always overweight...My concern is that he's not re-gaining the weight he lost:
When he got out of the HS, he looked like a little Union drummer-doggie incarcerated at Andersonville! His RIBS + BACKBONE + HIP BONES stick out horribly -- iffen ya saw him you would have been very SHOCKED...
posted on August 11, 2009 06:12:54 PM
Can you start up feeding rice again since it worked until you stopped? I sure hope the little guy is feeling better soon.
posted on August 11, 2009 06:31:51 PM
I feed my dogs brown rice mixed with the $$ RX canned dog food 2X a day every day with the Vet's AOK. I just think brown rice is better than white rice but that's just my opinion.
Of course that is not a major portion of their diet. It's only about 1-2 tablespoons rice MOL to 2 tablespoons of canned dog food. (One gets more than the other)
If you are still feeding him Beneful you can Google it and you can see that it is full of sugar I think is what I read. Which is why dogs gobbled it up.
No table scraps. None. No rawhide. No chewies. You probably need a very strict diet. Add the rice to the diet. GO SLOW. Do NOT OVER FEED.
And if you can't handle the Vet bills then consider BT rescue for Ralphies sake.
posted on August 11, 2009 06:57:12 PMAi! Carrumba!
Dost thou own stock in Somatics,LLC?
A boost like that is good for a few extra GIGA-VOLTS to the ole noggin...Screw unilateral! Go for broke with BILATERAL and swing for the GREEN MONSTER...
posted on August 11, 2009 07:21:49 PM
Three pounds on a 19-lb dog is a 16% weight gain. That's a huge gain in 2 months--in human terms it would be like a 150lb human gaining 24 lbs, or 3 lbs a week. Give it time and his weight will go back up, but don't overfeed him--he won't digest it all and the digestive problems will continue.
posted on August 12, 2009 04:33:36 PM
I also use rice for my dogs - with 4 Boxers, we keep alot of it on hand. I usually add some chicken broth and they love it. I would try mixing it in with his regular food.
We're dealing with kennel cough right now - all night, all day constant loud coughing. Even though they've had the prevention shot, there's some newer strains they can still get. Luckily only my oldest has it. I've had to sleep downstairs with him for the past few nights. I'm dreaming of a good night's sleep!
Hope Ralphie gets better soon! There's nothing like having to try to clean up after your dog in that situation. UGH!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Caroline
posted on August 13, 2009 09:28:14 AM
One of my Anatolian Shepherds came from a rescue organization. The dog was very malnourished. Everything he ate went right thru him. He was isolated for about 6 months from the other dogs (who eat raw offal meat only) and we fed him liver and rice. I cooked chopped up liver and added it to cooked rice in about a 1:4 meat:rice ratio. Also gave him a vit/min supplement. He gained strength and weight slowly and was able to start earning his keep with our herd after 6 months. Now eats his guts and goo and the occasional coyote along with the others with no problem.
[ edited by profe51 on Aug 13, 2009 09:29 AM ]
posted on August 13, 2009 09:31:40 AM
Also, since you've been to several vets and he's been exposed to strays in the HS, I assume he's been wormed? Easy to overlook....
posted on August 14, 2009 06:48:51 AM
Good point profe - I had thought of worms but just assumed Ralphie was clean - it's an easy basic issue to overlook. Even if he has been wormed, is it possible to have a remaining issue?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Caroline
Caroline