I haven't really posted about this... Don't know why but... Anyways, here is what is going on:
In February Hope had an episode of diarrhea that lasted on and off for a few weeks. At the time I thought it was due to a tiny bit of dry food I had fed her - I am talking about 1/8 of a cup, once.
Coincidentally, that was also the only period I fed cheap wet food filled with by-products and things she never ate before, and also a bigger variety... I am not sure what was the cause of that diarrhea, but I don't think it was the dry.
Anyways, she was treated with Metronidazole and Amforol, and put back on ZiwiPeak Venison and fish and, and got healthy again. (From that time on I learned a BIG lesson - do NOT save $$$ on food... And will never ever feed junk-filled food again... High quality food with good ingredients might be more expensive, but sure saves a lot in vet bills and trouble)
Mid/end of March, I added one Freeze dried Salmon treat a day, since she was already eating fish on her Venison and fish canned food.
April First she hid under my bed and didn't get out for the next 8 days. No appetite, but I was able to make her eat (proplan fish flavors)... Just weird... Not lethargic though, no fever... That was the scariest 8 days I have ever been through. She only got out to go to the litter box, nothing else.
My vet was out of town, so she started her treatment on April 5th - same thing, Metronidazole and Amforol... This time she was put on Royal Canin Venison and Green Pea (prescription).
Five days on the treatment and nothing... Her poop had a lot of mucous, she had bad diarrhea... She did come out of hiding though... No playing...
The vet decided to double the time for the treatment and make it 10 days.
10 days later, and she still had diarrhea... She still was hiding a little... Her energy is back, but because she hid for so long, she gets tired easily, so if we play, she doesn't run as much, or jump as much...
No playing chase... No jumping on the bed...
So, Saturday I took her to a second opinion, as my first vet is stuck on only wanting to send her to a biopsy - meanwhile, he does not think it is necessary to have a blood test, fecal, and x-ray before doing that to rule out other problems. He wants because he wants to do the biopsy.
I understand that the only way to diagnose IBD is with a biopsy... I also understand that it is a VERY expensive procedure, and I rather do elimination tests to get to that conclusion than do a biopsy to tell me that her bowels are inflamed - that I already know.
What I want to know, is if she has other problems going on... That is my question.
We had to go back today, as she needed more specialized tests - to be discussed with the cytologist vet who worked today, then there were the x-rays and that blood tests that were also not done in the in-house lab, and she needed to be fasting for those.
Ok, so....
They did diagnose her with a possible IBD.
Fecal Float, x-ray and GHP 16/ w CBC all normal.
Both Fecal Float and Smear test negative for parasite
They gave her a convenia shot.
They put her on Prednisone Syrup 1mg for 20 days
They also put her on a Hills W/D, or recommended adding a fiber supplement to her food (which is what I chose - I will transition her to Natural Balance for cost reason)
And they also diagnosed her with a 2/6 heart murmur. I am flabbergasted how her first vet never heard this on her heart. I am actually pretty pissed off... Just to make sure I had a second vet on the practice listen to her heart, and sure enough.
For now there is no problem, no medication, nothing to do... Her x-rays do not show any signs of enlarged heart or heart disease. They are recommending an ultrasound though...
Anyways....
Here we are...... hoping my Hope
gets better soon!
Sorry for the long post!
In February Hope had an episode of diarrhea that lasted on and off for a few weeks. At the time I thought it was due to a tiny bit of dry food I had fed her - I am talking about 1/8 of a cup, once.
Coincidentally, that was also the only period I fed cheap wet food filled with by-products and things she never ate before, and also a bigger variety... I am not sure what was the cause of that diarrhea, but I don't think it was the dry.
Anyways, she was treated with Metronidazole and Amforol, and put back on ZiwiPeak Venison and fish and, and got healthy again. (From that time on I learned a BIG lesson - do NOT save $$$ on food... And will never ever feed junk-filled food again... High quality food with good ingredients might be more expensive, but sure saves a lot in vet bills and trouble)
Mid/end of March, I added one Freeze dried Salmon treat a day, since she was already eating fish on her Venison and fish canned food.
April First she hid under my bed and didn't get out for the next 8 days. No appetite, but I was able to make her eat (proplan fish flavors)... Just weird... Not lethargic though, no fever... That was the scariest 8 days I have ever been through. She only got out to go to the litter box, nothing else.
My vet was out of town, so she started her treatment on April 5th - same thing, Metronidazole and Amforol... This time she was put on Royal Canin Venison and Green Pea (prescription).
Five days on the treatment and nothing... Her poop had a lot of mucous, she had bad diarrhea... She did come out of hiding though... No playing...
The vet decided to double the time for the treatment and make it 10 days.
10 days later, and she still had diarrhea... She still was hiding a little... Her energy is back, but because she hid for so long, she gets tired easily, so if we play, she doesn't run as much, or jump as much...
No playing chase... No jumping on the bed...
So, Saturday I took her to a second opinion, as my first vet is stuck on only wanting to send her to a biopsy - meanwhile, he does not think it is necessary to have a blood test, fecal, and x-ray before doing that to rule out other problems. He wants because he wants to do the biopsy.
I understand that the only way to diagnose IBD is with a biopsy... I also understand that it is a VERY expensive procedure, and I rather do elimination tests to get to that conclusion than do a biopsy to tell me that her bowels are inflamed - that I already know.
What I want to know, is if she has other problems going on... That is my question.
We had to go back today, as she needed more specialized tests - to be discussed with the cytologist vet who worked today, then there were the x-rays and that blood tests that were also not done in the in-house lab, and she needed to be fasting for those.
Ok, so....
They did diagnose her with a possible IBD.
Fecal Float, x-ray and GHP 16/ w CBC all normal.
Both Fecal Float and Smear test negative for parasite
They gave her a convenia shot.
They put her on Prednisone Syrup 1mg for 20 days
They also put her on a Hills W/D, or recommended adding a fiber supplement to her food (which is what I chose - I will transition her to Natural Balance for cost reason)
And they also diagnosed her with a 2/6 heart murmur. I am flabbergasted how her first vet never heard this on her heart. I am actually pretty pissed off... Just to make sure I had a second vet on the practice listen to her heart, and sure enough.
For now there is no problem, no medication, nothing to do... Her x-rays do not show any signs of enlarged heart or heart disease. They are recommending an ultrasound though...
Anyways....
Here we are...... hoping my Hope
Sorry for the long post!