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02-21-2009, 08:14 AM | #1 |
Donating Senior Yorkie Talker | Mia's shunt surgery My 11 month old baby is scheduled to go to UT and have her shunt testing and her surgery the middle of March. I'll be glad when its over. My problem is getting her to eat. The University of Florida that we went to has her on Hill's l/d diet and lactulose for management but after research I've found that the University of Tennessee is the preferred place to go for the surgery and I've decided that I want to go beyond diet management if she is a candidate. She doesn't like Nutri-cal so my vet said give her karo syrup. She liked the hill's at first but now I can't get her to eat it. She never lived the canned. Now about all I can get her to eat is some cheese and not much of that. As long as I give her the karo syrup her sugar doesn't go low and the lactulose make her have a bowel movement but it's hard to regulate the consistacy of it because of her eating. She acts like she feel OK most of the time. She hasn't had anymore seizures, lathergy, or been in a coma since we came from t UF in July. Her major symptom is hypoglycemia and anorexia. Sometimes she shivers terribly and act like she doesn't feel good so we are just waiting for the middle of March. My question is how do I get her to eat? |
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02-21-2009, 08:22 AM | #2 |
YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Massachusetts/Florida
Posts: 2,614
| I have heard many good things about U of T. Best wishes on your baby's surgery. Pasquale and I will be praying for you both.
__________________ LD that's me and Pasquale "If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving is definitely not for you!" |
02-21-2009, 09:44 AM | #3 | |
Slave to My Rug-Rats Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Long Island
Posts: 7,247
| Quote:
The people there are just like you and Mia. They have pups that had LS surgery, they have pups that are not a candidate for surgery or their pups have MVD. They will give you wonderful support, help and guidance for Mia now and for the important after surgery care and then her lifetime care. She will be ok, you are a good Mommy. Food...she must eat. She doesn't like the wet? Can you get the Rx food from your Vet: Royal Canin Hepatic LS 14 - She should be eating about 6 small meals a day. She can have some apple bits (no skin) and watermelon too, as well as romaine lettuce | |
02-21-2009, 10:10 AM | #4 |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| Have you tried the Royal Canin that Nicole suggested? Is she on Denosyl and Milk Thistle?
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 |
02-21-2009, 11:05 AM | #7 |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| Royal Canin LS 14 requires a prescription. Your vet should be able to order it for you. It is a very palatable hard food. I would ask your vet about the Denosyl and milk thistle before using it but you can get it over the counter. I would definitely use them.
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 |
02-21-2009, 11:17 AM | #8 |
Donating Senior Yorkie Talker | I worry about giving Mia too much karo syrup. Could that be a problem. When her sugar get low she start to jerk and with about 1/8 tsp or so she quits. Some times when I wont be with her and she hasn't eaten I'll give her a dropper full about 1/8 tsp or so to make sure she doesn't have a spell while we are gone. Do you think that is ok? We have 3 week before the surgery so I want to keep her as well as possible. Her vet (here not @ UT) says that she is doing well enough that he "almost" hates to see me put her through it. My feeling are that I should do it before it becomes an emergency situation. What is your opinion? |
02-21-2009, 11:24 AM | #9 | |
Slave to My Rug-Rats Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Long Island
Posts: 7,247
| Quote:
The bottom line is she needs to eat about 6 small meals a day, spaced out every couple of hours. 1st I recommend that you get Children's Pedisure (vanilla flavor) and a syringe and force feed her some nutrients. Then you need to get her to eat either the RX Royal Canin kibble OR at this point Natural Balance Veggie Formula (dry kibble). As snacks: Romaine Lettuce, Apple Bits and Watermelon Romaine Lettuce is filled with Vit.K which is very helpful with blood flow in LS and MVD dogs. Apple has pectin which is good for her tummy and also has fiber, which will aid the Lactulose. If you don't want to get Rx Royal Canin food. You can also try Natural Balance, which make a Dry Vegetarian Blend, this is also recommended. It is important to feed her about 6 small meals a day, this method doesn't over work her organs, but do not allow more than 10 hrs to pass between feedings. If you can not get her to eat the Natural Balance Veg or the Rx Royal Canin, you can coat some of the kibbles with a very, very, very tiny bit of Cottage Cheese. Friendship (brand) makes a Low Sodium 1% Cottage Cheese. If you do not have the Friendship brand, you can get some low sodium Goat Cheese, but again, only to coat some kibble to entice her to eat. Please join that Yahoo Group that I posted, as they are much more experienced and knowledgable and they WILL help you too! My opinion based on what you are telling us, is that she is NOT doing well. If she has a shunt and is a candidate for surgery, I say YES get it done at U of Tenn. What are the results from her Bile Acid Test? -Nicole | |
02-21-2009, 01:09 PM | #10 |
Donating Senior Yorkie Talker | I think that Mia is doing better that some that I have read about that have shunts. Her major malfunction now is her sugar problem and I know thats because she doesn't eat good. I can't get her to eat 6 times a day. I do good if I can get her to eat some cheese once a day. She weighs about 41/2 lbs. and doesn't really seam to be under weight although I don't know what she should weigh. She is doing MUCH better than she did in the past. I think that's because I know a little more about how to take care of her and mostly the lactulose. She started eating the Hill l/d food good at first but now nothing. She will as I said before eat some cheese but I know thats now really good either. I just want her to be strong when we go to UT in 3 weeks. If you saw her you wouldn't know that she was sick. She's got to hang on for 3 weeks. I got some pediasure and if I need to force feed her I will. My vet told me once that if I had to feed her baby food through a syringe and that is an option too. |
02-21-2009, 01:20 PM | #11 |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| Is the L/D canned or dry? It is very possible that she isn't eating because food makes her feel sick. Taht is why it is important that the right foods are given. PediaSure is good but not long-term. If you can only get her to eat a small bite once a day, she should may need to be fed another way (forced or maybe some type of tube).
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 |
02-21-2009, 01:47 PM | #13 | |
Slave to My Rug-Rats Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Long Island
Posts: 7,247
| Quote:
A 4 1/2 lb dog, doesn't need to eat a whole lot. Even if you can get her to eat 6 to 8 pieces of kibble 6 times a day, that's a great start! I don't think baby food is good for an LS dog Liver compromised dogs need to be eating Carbs, then Veggies, than the proper quality and quantity of protein (low). She isn't eating b/c the stuff she is eating is causing toxins to make her feel yucky, so she associates the food to feeling bad. Start out small. Start with some Pedisure to get her going, but this isn't long term. | |
02-21-2009, 01:53 PM | #14 |
Donating Senior Yorkie Talker | I never really thought that she was feeling yukie thats why she wouldn't eat. I've been trying to leave food out for her all the time because I want her to eat. Maybe I'll just take it up and offer it only when she's being feed and soak the l/d and see how that works out. |
02-21-2009, 02:10 PM | #15 | |
Slave to My Rug-Rats Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Long Island
Posts: 7,247
| Quote:
I suggest you get these two supplements: Hepato Support Vetri-DMG For the first time ordering, I would call and order on the phone. Tell them her LS and tell them her weight, they will tell you how much she should get. Once you get those supplements to aid her liver, you can give her a little Pedisure (with the supplements mixed in) syringed for her first AM meal. Then approx. 2 hrs. later, try to get her to eat a few kibbles, either soaked in water, or coated with the L/D wet or a little cottage cheese or goat cheese. Then 2 hrs. later give her about 4 little pieces of apple (no skin). Then 2 hrs. later try a few more pieces of kibble. Then 2 hrs. later try a few pieces of watermelon. Then 2 hrs. later a few more pieces of kibble. Then 2 hrs. later a few small pieces of romaine lettuce. Then 2 hrs. later more kibble. Of course this schedule isn't set in stone, but you should be aiming for something like that | |
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