anyone have good results with Royal Canin Gastro intestinal low fat?

[zowiandnikasmom]

hello all,

question i have is.... does anyone out there use this food and if so what kind of results have you seen? i would sincerely appreciate any info anyone has to offer.

my dear 11 year old zowi has atypical cushing's disease, chronic pancreatitis, an enlarged liver, colitis, high cholesterol & triglycerides, hypothyroid, and frequently battles yeast and bacterial infections on her face and in her ears. she has been on blue buffalo chicken & brown rice healthy weight for a couple years. poor girl has been hospitalized 2 times with pancreatitis in the last 10 months. a couple weeks back she had an episode of bloody diahrrea that was diagnosed as colitis. (was just so happy it wasn't her pancreas again.) her last bloodwork showed triglycerides so high the lab had to verify the result. it was at 1029 when normal range is 29-291! it may also be affecting how accurate her chem panel results are because of the high amount of fat in her blood. (lipemia) lipase (pancreas enzymes) and alkaline phosphatase (liver enzymes) are also elevated and creatinine is low. her thyroid medication dosage was also checked and is at the perfect range. her cushing's is under good control per an adrenal panel sent to the university of tennessee, but her estradiol is still significantly elevated. we switched one of her meds in hopes to see this decrease. the dr says she is at a healthy weight for her size and age and does not need to lose weight.

so for lack of better food choice and information, i have transitioned her to rx diet royal canin gastro intestinal low fat per the vet's recommendations. it is the lowest fat food commercially available and specifically works to lower triglycerides & cholesterol, and help the liver & pancreas which seem to be zowi's main issues at the current time. zowi has and has always had a great appetite and happily eats the new rx food. she gets the dry food and also the canned food for giving her her meds. zowi's dogtor said it is a really good food. they have switched their rx diets from science diet to now primarily royal canin products.

it has been a tough and expensive road managing all of this with my girl, but she is doing great overall so it is no doubt absolutely worth it. when people meet her they have no idea she is ill at all and most days, i don't see it either which is wonderful. i hope we stay this way for a long long long time!!!

thanks for listening! hugs and well wishes to all of you & your beloved furry companions!

[tokipoki]

My goodness, it sounds like you and Zowi and gone through a lot! I haven't had to use the RC gastro but perhaps other will have good experiences with this food that they can share with you. I hope that Zowi continues to do well with the RC!

[zowiandnikasmom]

oh my, yes we have! thank you so much for the well wishes for my girl, it really means a lot!

[Yorkiemom1]

Hello!!!!! I use RC gastro on my little Hailee...she had a bout with pancreatitis just last month...mild case....and my vet put her on that...so far, excellent results....everything is good, no more symptoms, she loves the food, and she is loosing weight too! Best of luck with your baby girl, I think you will like the results you have with this food!

[zowiandnikasmom]

hi yorkiemom! so sorry to hear that hailee had a bout of pancreatitis, but glad it was caught early and was only a mild episode and also glad that she is doing great now! you did a fantastic job getting her through it! i know how hard and scary it is when our pups are sick and especially when it is pancreatitis as i lost my angel nika during a horrible acute case of pancreatitis that required intensive hospitalization due to conjunction with hypoglycemia. (even though she went to the vet immediately.)

i'm not a fan of corn in dog foods and ingredients were my main reason for using the blue buffalo and being stubborn initially about trying the RC. also the canned version contains pork by-products. but my vet said not to focus on every ingredient and know that this food has "science evidence based" results that are very good and it will give her the nutrition she needs. if it helps my baby girl, that's all that matters!!!

thank you sooo much for sharing your experience, it means the world to me! sending positive thoughts for hailee to continue to have great results as well!

[Yorkiemom1]

Originally Posted by zowiandnikasmom

hi yorkiemom! so sorry to hear that hailee had a bout of pancreatitis, but glad it was caught early and was only a mild episode and also glad that she is doing great now! you did a fantastic job getting her through it! i know how hard and scary it is when our pups are sick and especially when it is pancreatitis as i lost my angel nika during a horrible acute case of pancreatitis that required intensive hospitalization due to conjunction with hypoglycemia. (even though she went to the vet immediately.)

i'm not a fan of corn in dog foods and ingredients were my main reason for using the blue buffalo and being stubborn initially about trying the RC. also the canned version contains pork by-products. but my vet said not to focus on every ingredient and know that this food has "science evidence based" results that are very good and it will give her the nutrition she needs. if it helps my baby girl, that's all that matters!!!

thank you sooo much for sharing your experience, it means the world to me! sending positive thoughts for hailee to continue to have great results as well!

What your vet has told you, as far as "science evidence based results" is accurate information and very true! These formulas are all balanced according to evidenced based outcomes and you can give your baby that diet and be comfortable doing so!
Prayerful for continued success with your baby girl....this particular RC diet will certainly address numerous of her issues, and I think you will see excellent results!

[zowiandnikasmom]

Thanks again so much! I'll surely update when I get her next chem panel results!

[107barney]

Yes.....Have been using it for two years with 12 year old Barney. He mostly eats home cooked food though. I like the product, and that is big for me since I hate dog food.

[107barney]

I should add that for about 4 months, Barney ate this food exclusively since I had no time to cook. His blood was not as good on this food as it was with home cooked. Specifically, his lipase was elevated. It concerned my vet enough, and concerned his vet nutritionist enough, that Barney is on a 3% fat diet for life of home cooked food. The kibble is used for backup.

[Susan78]

I never have tried this type of food but I just want to wish your baby the best recovery and good health. Susan

[zowiandnikasmom]

Originally Posted by 107barney

I should add that for about 4 months, Barney ate this food exclusively since I had no time to cook. His blood was not as good on this food as it was with home cooked. Specifically, his lipase was elevated. It concerned my vet enough, and concerned his vet nutritionist enough, that Barney is on a 3% fat diet for life of home cooked food. The kibble is used for backup.

Thank you so much.... I'm very happy you have found the right diet that works for Barney. Zowi is around the same age, will be turning 12 in January. I know that this is the "last resort" commercial food and I hope to see results or she too will need a home-cooked diet formulated to her many issues. Like you mentioned, time is an issue in that area but I will do whatever it takes. Unfortunately for my girl, the significant elevation of estradial is known to increase the lab values that we're dealing with too so hoping this change of medication (switching from hmr lignans to sdg lignans) will offer some good results combined with new diet. Those high triglycerides predispose her to pancreatitis and I'm so worried. It's a delicate balancing act. If necessary in the future, I'll be looking for some recommendations of a nutritionist to formulate a diet after her next chem panel. I think I have heard many here suggest Cornell if I remember correctly? Wishing you and Barney continued success and many happy healthy years together!

[zowiandnikasmom]

Originally Posted by Susan78

I never have tried this type of food but I just want to wish your baby the best recovery and good health. Susan

Susan, Thank you so very much. That means a lot! Hugs to you and your dear Kinder!