Colitis VS TAP WATER TOXIC warning::very long post

[matese]

When I adopted cody (Nov. 2013) he came to me with a serious Colitis condition, (unbeknown to me at time of adoption, also unknown to my vet) seems he has had this from hurricane Sandy (oct.2012) . (I found this out after speaking to prev. owner that surrendered him) My vet has been treating him since day after I took him home and I discovered he had Colitis. I have the BEST vet in my COUNTY, she has given him diff. meds which has not worked…..I know proper diet is a MUST with colitis. The first 3 months I was feeding him boiled rice with small amounts of boiled 96 % fat free chop meat alternating the chop meat with cottage cheese(vet approved) and a few TSP’s of prescription canned dog food my vet gave me. With this diet & the vet meds, his poop changed from watery, mucus with blood to poop coming out like pudding, now had some form to it, I think it still had mucus in it because when I pick it up to throw out it is sticky, and there is blood in it. He will make one poop, then several times a day when he poops it’s 2 or 3 drops of PURE BLOOD…..
A couple of months ago I was researching for a proper diet that will work with the vet meds. I came upon a site that read……tap water is highly TOXIC, it advised spring bottle water only…In my area that is sold in plastic jugs….years back I read not to use plastic bowls for dogs food or water, the chemicals from the plastic bleed out into the food and water, to use only glass, ceramic or stainless steel food bowls…. So I wrote this back to the site with this info. The reply back was yes that is true, they also added that when spring water in glass containers was advised many ppl wrote the expence of spring water was to great and hard to find….So now they just advise spring water, I was told if I can find spring water in glass container is better…..the article also read NEVER MICRO WAVE pets food, the reason for that is to long to put in this post…..the article read to give raw veggies, listed several veggies to be puree in blender, add 2 TBLE to food. Also listed several sublaments to be added to veggie mixture, also said raw meats should be used. (this was for home made food recipe). No meds to be used with this food. I want to give proper food that will work with vet meds, not work against meds.I am trying to make this post as “brief” lol as possible. SO, my question REALLY is THE WATER, Is TAP WATER HIGHLY TOXIC, and if so is spring water in PLASIC jugs less toxic the tap water, or another way of putting this is IS SPRING WATER BETTER THEN TAP WATER. Where I live I do not have city water, I have spring / well water (but chemicals added to reduce bacteria is used, this is a community where they supply us with well water, I do not have my OWN well, we have what is called THE PUMP HOUSE where the water comes from, it is monitored every morning and tested every morning to ensure water is of drinking quality….My pup is now on Hills prescription diet Z/D canine ULTRA dry & canned dog food, vet said NOTHING BUT THIS FOOD and WATER only. Follow up visit to vet is nx wk. This SUDDEN CHANGE OVER of course caused very very loose poop, which has taken 7 days to now be less loose, and is now coming out with some form to it, not just a pile of loose poop. I will work with my vet, she will do all that can be done to get him on the road to recovery, I have been using her since 1984, I have 1000% confidence in her. Again my concern is THE WATER, TAP or SPRING WATER IN PLASTIC JUGS. Sorry for such a lengthily post, but I know some back ground is needed to get a question answered. Thank you for any advise or suggestions. Cody means THE WORLD to me. I CANNOT loose this dog after just putting my beautiful girl down this past Oct.

[107barney]

I live in a city that has one of the cleanest water sources in the country. However, I like to filter it before drinking it. I don't see any real concern with water in jugs unless someone bottles it themselves improperly. Have you looked at the EPA website for info on this? I would not rely on random holistic websites that make all kinda of unsubstantiated claims. I think your vet is on the right track looking at food allegies as a cause of the colitis and recommending the z/d diet. There is also RC hypoallergenic and others that are similar to try.

[kjc]

I think Gerber water for infants (Fluoride free)would be your best choice.

[matese]

Originally Posted by 107barney

I live in a city that has one of the cleanest water sources in the country. However, I like to filter it before drinking it. I don't see any real concern with water in jugs unless someone bottles it themselves improperly. Have you looked at the EPA website for info on this? I would not rely on random holistic websites that make all kinda of unsubstantiated claims. I think your vet is on the right track looking at food allegies as a cause of the colitis and recommending the z/d diet. There is also RC hypoallergenic and others that are similar to try.

when it comes to my babies, I NEVER follow what I read on a website without consulting my vet. I keep bottle water (in plastic jugs) in my house all the time, and because my water is supplied by the community and chemicals are used, I did after reading that website start giving him the bottle water, and I did start putting 2 TBPS of puree veggies in the rice / chop meat food because I didn't think him eating rice n small amt of chop meat was giving him the nutrients he needed, also any site I went to suggested veggies, reason I added to his food. That has all stopped per vets instructions, he is to eat the z/d food only. This "EPA website for info on this?" not under standing what you mean by checking info on this....what I would be looking for? Thank you for reading my post and giving me your input.

[margaritaville]

If Cody came from the hur. Sandy area and drank some contaminated water it is possible he may have/had c diff which is extremely difficult to get rid of. As for the water-do you live in an area of Pa. Where fracking is common? If so I would feel more comfortable with bottled water... Even in plastic.

[matese]

Originally Posted by kjc

I think Gerber water for infants (Fluoride free)would be your best choice.

EXCELLANT idea, lol, I am out of the baby era lol, didn't even know there was special bottle water for babies. Will get on next trip out. Thank you for reading my post and your advise.

[Micah my love]

Originally Posted by kjc

I think Gerber water for infants (Fluoride free)would be your best choice.

Originally Posted by matese

EXCELLANT idea, lol, I am out of the baby era lol, didn't even know there was special bottle water for babies. Will get on next trip out. Thank you for reading my post and your advise.

I have always give the Gerber water to mine it really helps with the tearing/staining eyes to

[TxVicki]

Mine get Filtered Water.

[matese]

Originally Posted by margaritaville

If Cody came from the hur. Sandy area and drank some contaminated water it is possible he may have/had c diff which is extremely difficult to get rid of. As for the water-do you live in an area of Pa. Where fracking is common? If so I would feel more comfortable with bottled water... Even in plastic.

Cody lived in Rockaway NY, which is on the border line of queens & Brooklyn, houses are all built along the bay area. I spoke to the prev. owner 2 weeks after I had cody, I told her cody came to my vet with serious colitis condition. She told me Rockaway got hit bad by hurricane Sandy, her house was flooded and she had to leave, she said she put the dog in “A” shelter (not even gonna go there!!!!) she said the dog was in the shelter for 16 days, when she picked him up he had diarrhea, (I had also asked her was he prone to car sickness, because he does suffer from that, another story lol) she said he never got sick in the car until he was in that shelter. Sooo, after taking him out of that shelter he now had diarrhea and car sickness. This woman I believe was a FIRST TIME DOG OWNER. She did not have a steady vet, she used whom ever if or when the dog needed medical attention, (I know this because when she surrendered the dog he came with a bag of all his belongings including a folder of his medical records. Not ONE vet was used 2 times, she even used a MOBILE VET. For the diarrhea she told me she saw a vet, dog was given meds, (for how long a period I don’t know) she said even with the meds and after the meds the dog still had diarrhea, she said THE VET TOLD HER DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE DIARRHEA IT WILL GO AWAY. (can I believe a vet would really tell this to someone when a dog has diarrhea, with mucus & blood in it? Or did she just give up and didn’t want to deal with having to take dog out for walk every hour? OR-being a first time dog owner was just innocently ignorant and listened to what this vet told her because she TRUSTED THE WORDS OF A VET, if in fact a vet did say this. I choose to believe she was innocently ignorant, I say this because this dog was MUCH LOVED, was given MUCH ATTENTION, his coat, sweater harness & leash were good quality, coat & sweater was expensive, many hours were spent on training him to walk not pull on leash walks, to sit, stay etc. this shows me there was an interest in the dog. Cody came to me as ONE SPOILED TO DEATH PUPPY, which I love . So I MUST BELIEVE the prev owner was innocently ignorant. It is GREATLY possible he did drink contaminated water, I will bring this up to my vet, I have appt. for cody next week. When you say “contaminated water it is possible he may have/had c diff which is extremely difficult to get rid of” what do you mean by “c diff” not to savvy with these abbreviations used on YT but am learning lol’ . also you wrote “ As for the water-do you live in an area of Pa. Where fracking is common? (oh how I HATE to sound STUPID lol I have lived in NY Da Bronx all my life, I moved to Pa. 13 years ago), never heard the terminology “FRACKING” what is FRACKING so I can check into this. I would like to thank you so very much for reading my post, the information you provided is outstanding. If you can answer these couple of questions I have asked of you I would greatly appreciate it. Cody means the world to me, I will do what ever it takes to get him well. In my research of colitis I read if prolonged could lead to cushings decease, My last baby that I had to put down this past Oct. had cushings decease for the last 7 years of her life, I do not want to go through that again. I cannot tell you how very sick at heart I am over this colitis cody has, and the diff. meds my vet has had him on, all have somewhat helped but not cured. I have 1000% confidence in my vet, if there is a cure she will find it, right now it is a process of elimination

[matese]

Originally Posted by Micah my love

I have always give the Gerber water to mine it really helps with the tearing/staining eyes to

Really, wow, great to know, deff. on my shopping list. Thank you so much for reading my post, and thank you so much for your info.

[matese]

Originally Posted by TxVicki

Mine get Filtered Water.

I do plan on putting a filter on my faucet, a friend of mine suggested that to me, not because of Cody's condition, they were at that time not aware cody had this condition, I just made a remark about how much bottle water I keep how much room 5 2 1/2 gals containers take up and I keep them in the bath tub of my smaller bathroom, if there is a leak in one of the containers at least its in the tub lol,. With all this snow we have had, I am waiting for Spring to come. I need a new faucet, need the plumber, then I'll get the filter. Thanks for the tip.

[kjc]

C-diff is a bacteria, fracking is a practice used in mining where the voids are refilled with water (some idiot thought this was a good idea, thought to have caused an earthquake here 2 years ago)

I use a filter pitcher... I think Brita makes them which would be fine for the dogs (and people too!)

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by kjc

C-diff is a bacteria, fracking is a practice used in mining where the voids are refilled with water (some idiot thought this was a good idea, thought to have caused an earthquake here 2 years ago)

I use a filter pitcher... I think Brita makes them which would be fine for the dogs (and people too!)

We use Brita too for our water.

There was no fracking in Virginia prior to the earthquake. The epicenter of the quake was in Mineral, VA (near me).

[margaritaville]

Clostridium Difficile in Dogs
The reason I bring up the subject of c diff (clostridium difficile) when you mentioned Sandy is that during the hurricane the sewers and treatment facilities were flooded. Leaving homes that were flooded, streets and beaches in our area contaminated. Iam a nurse and see c diff often since it is easily transferred. The symptoms you describe fit the description.

EPA's Study of Hydraulic Fracturing and Its Potential Impact on Drinking Water Resources | US EPA
There is also a map showing the areas where fracking is common and there seems to be a lot going on in PA., unfortunately I can not find it right now but Im sure you could google it

[matese]

Originally Posted by kjc

C-diff is a bacteria, fracking is a practice used in mining where the voids are refilled with water (some idiot thought this was a good idea, thought to have caused an earthquake here 2 years ago)

I use a filter pitcher... I think Brita makes them which would be fine for the dogs (and people too!)

The c-diff I will talk to my vet about, the FRACKING!!!! don't know where I can get this info from, but I will put on my Sherlock Holmes hat and do some investigating on that. I was the advertisement on that Brita pitcher, sound good to me, I'll check into them also. You have been so sooo helpful, I don't want to loose this little boy, my first male, I have had 3 female yorkies, all past now, Cody came to me at a time I was at my lowest point in life. I had to put down my 16 y/o beautiful girl Matese, I know she was 16 y/o but she was healthy, going blind, loosing hearing but spunky as all hell, and for her age was healthy, then she was gone, I was more then devastated, she was the last of my lil brood, 3 weeks after having to put her down I get a phone call that my son (50 y/o) died in his sleep, heart attack, he never had a heart condition, was not sick, he was my only child, my son lived in NY, I am in Pa. I had to identify my son at the medical examiner because he died at home. I live alone, no family members live in Pa, all in other states, I had to drive back & fourth to NY in a haze, I was a hazard on the road, my mind was always drifting to the day I held my baby in my arms while a tech injected her and ended her life to going to the medical examiner to identify my son. Cody came to me 18 days after my son passed away, he was a gift to me from my vet (my vet did not of my son passing away, when I went to see cody and decided to adopt him is when I told her about my son) Cody rescued me, not me him, he is my sunshine, he put love back into my empty heart, he made my house a HOME again. This is why cody is MORE then very special to me. I can't loose him to this illness. Sorry I wrote such a long post, it's just so crushing to me to have this sweet lil baby so sick, but he is such a lil clown you would never know he has such a bad illness. Thank you for all your info. and reading such a long post.