Up every hour last night...

[107barney]

Originally Posted by RachelandSadie

oh wow thanks for the advice. i'm kinda freaked out about chicken anyways since i keep trying to fry up chicken legs and they always bleed when they're cooked. i hate to eat that now. i'll make sure he really boils good. unfortunately we don't have a meat thermometer at home and i'm working all day today.

Yeah that is another reason to stick it in the oven - no looking at blood...yuck!

Meat thermometers are cheap - good to have on hand. I check every piece of meat just to be sure. Chicken usually can be fully cooked by boiling in 15 mins. I'd tell him to defrost it first. He can put it in a ziplock bag (sealed) and run it under cold water and do a quick thaw..then boil the meat. Safest this way - you don't need to add anymore to your plate right now.

[107barney]

[QUOTE=ally173;3284879]yes always thaw up chicken or any meat before cooking it. the insides will stay colder and uncooked than the outside.
and probiotics can't be added to hot food; or the bacteria will die. the food has to be cold or slightly warm.
i use the organic instant oatmeal from greenway.[/QUOTE]


I am not familiar with Greenway so not sure if gluten-free.
I do not use instant oatmeal because the processing strips the fiber so I always use whole oats. We just buy Quaker Oats - but it's not certified gluten-free. It's still better than instant though in terms of health benefits and it really only takes 5 mins.

[Ladymom]

Originally Posted by 107barney

A bland diet is 50% rice and 50% chicken.
I'd do it for a month. I would not add anything to it, except water.
The rice should be very well cooked - I'd use brown, but that's a preference.
I'd do white meat chicken roasted and skinless with all fat removed. I would never boil meat of any kind.
I'd do the fecal profile in its entirety on BOTH dogs.
I'd do the metro, the cerenia and probably add Pepcid AC.

If I did not see any improvement in one weeks time doing the above, I'd drop the vet.

NOTE: if your dog has a chicken sensitivity, I'd ask the vet what you can sub for chicken.

I would also recommend getting the fecal profile done. Isn't this your last week of work? After that you won't get the employee discount, right? With two dogs, it should save you quite a bit to get it done now.

I always use brown rice, too. White rice has the hull where all the nutrients are removed to make it pretty.

I will buy a roasted chicken in the grocery store and use that sometimes. Yummy and saves having to roast it. Stores here have them on sale weekly.

[RachelandSadie]

ok i know ur going to hate hearing this as much as i hate to say it...but right now i'm "that" client that just simply cannot afford to go straight to the most expensive testing. it's $130 each dog for that fecal profile. that's cheaper than when i'm no longer here yes, but it's also a lot of money either way. we are having a hard time paying our bills right now what with the last few vet bills running 200-400 in ER visits. which they did NOTHING really to help them out. i know we'll have to get those fecals done if this doesn't work, but even the vet suggested waiting to make sure it's not simply the diet causing it first. if after a bland diet and antibio. they are still sick then it's the thing we'll go for, but we had to rule out their diet changes as the primary concern before she thought further testing should be done. i know i know i know....i hate being like this i wish i had unlimited funding to just do whatever i feel like doing, but to be honest, i don't. we're struggling right now and until i get my new job started and make more money, we're barely sqeezing by right now. i know we can do care credit and i'm this close to applying but we would still have to pay for it somehow. i guess that might be better than nothing if we get to that point. you have no idea how much stress i'm feeling. dogs, granny, work, changes....finances. i'm about to implode. i'm sorry to ramble. i'll try this bland/meds thing and then i swear if this doesn't clear up and stop in a week or so i will get those fecals. i know it's horrible to not just do them. i feel terrible about this. other than the vomitting off and on for sadie with a little diarrhea the last couple days she has been totally fine, and Bentley for right now is totally 100% fine in all forms. so if they get worse, don't change or anything makes Bent sick again or lethargic or if Sadie doesn't start eating by morning or gets worse we'll be knocking down the vet doors....just pray for the whole thing. pray some money lands in our laps somehow. we've spent about 4000 of our savings in the last 6 months and we're getting down into our nest egg that i was wanting to save for future family members. i feel like we're always loosing and never saving money. my car keeps breaking down, the dogs keep getting sick, and now other things are happening....i need to rest and escape but can't.

[Wylie's Mom]

Digestive issues can be so tough.

If this were me, and I wasn't yet ready for the fecal profile....I'd stop that pro-pectalin asap - bc of the sorbitol. Sorbitol can cause horrible digestive stress. Use something like Benebac, right away (available at PetCo) a few days in a row.

I'd recommend you feed just carb for a couple days...as in, potatoes. Give their systems a rest from digesting proteins. Then, slowly add protein to the potatoes. Some dogs have a lot of trouble digesting rice - so personally, I'd stay away from it right now (but that's me).

[RachelandSadie]

i may try that tonight. mashed potatoes and that's all and try to get Sadie to eat some. thats always made me feel great lol. i'm so sorry to be such a brat if i sound that way. i'm shaking and almost in tears and i'm trying to fake a smile for people at work. i'm miserable though. on top of it all i'm either sick or allergies are kicking up. and i'm on my cycle (TMI i know) but all this isn't helping me relax any. i just want to be home with Sadie so she feels loved and better, not the dh can't help her, but i like to be here too. and i want to be at the hospital with granny too...and where am i at work faking things are fine for other people's sick pets. frustrating.

[107barney]

Rachel
I can understand your dilemma and I know what it feels like to be tightly budgeted. At the same time, though, I think you have to weigh whether you are being penny-wise and pound-foolish. It's been my experience that things left untreated or guessing just result in further problems down the road that ultimately cost more money.

I think I'd go back to basics if I had to weigh the options as you are -
I'd go back to the simple diet - either turkey or chicken with potatoes or rice. If you think she's really food sensitive, go for potatoes.
As you might imagine, I'm going to tell you not to do mashed potatoes. Just microwave a sweet potato or yam 3-4 mins each side and cube it. Mix it with cubed or shredded and chopped chicken or turkey. Stop the probiotics as WM said because sorbitol is a sugar-alcohol and causes runny stools. I'd do the cerenia, the flagyl, and I'd add pepcid AC.

I'd give this ONE WEEK and if there were NO improvement, I think you have to spend the money and do the fecal profiles in their completion and act for the best interests of your dogs, even if it means putting their interests above your own. You owe it to them to do so.

[Ladymom]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Digestive issues can be so tough.

If this were me, and I wasn't yet ready for the fecal profile....I'd stop that pro-pectalin asap - bc of the sorbitol. Sorbitol can cause horrible digestive stress. Use something like Benebac, right away (available at PetCo) a few days in a row.

I'd recommend you feed just carb for a couple days...as in, potatoes. Give their systems a rest from digesting proteins. Then, slowly add protein to the potatoes. Some dogs have a lot of trouble digesting rice - so personally, I'd stay away from it right now (but that's me).

Great idea, just carbs!

How about sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes?

Lady can't digest rice. It comes out just like it went in. Oatmeal is the easiest for her to digest.

Just a thought, Rachel. Would your vet allow you to put the fecal profiles on a payment plan? That way you could get your employee discount and only pay a certain amount each month.

Having two sick dogs is tough. Hopefully they will be understanding, especially since you have already spent so much.

[ladyjane]

OK, I'm sorry but what about dog food? Seriously. I have seven dogs who are all thriving on dog food.
If one has issues, I take it one dog at a time and find a food that works. I dont do raw and I dont cook. The only time I have cooked is when I had an older pup or sick pup that needed a special diet that no dog food could cover.
I see more people having digestive problems with all of these home cooked and raw diets...I know that may not hit some of you as popular or even correct but I have had a ton of dogs go through my home and never did I have such issues.
This is merely my opinion and a suggestion for the OP...It is not meant for a debate. I dont do dog food debates.

[107barney]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

OK, I'm sorry but what about dog food? Seriously. I have seven dogs who are all thriving on dog food.
If one has issues, I take it one dog at a time and find a food that works. I dont do raw and I dont cook. The only time I have cooked is when I had an older pup or sick pup that needed a special diet that no dog food could cover.
I see more people having digestive problems with all of these home cooked and raw diets...I know that may not hit some of you as popular or even correct but I have had a ton of dogs go through my home and never did I have such issues.

She's tried many dog foods - maybe she should try the one you use with your guys since they all are doing well. I think digestive issues are more common from dog food than home cooked but I've heard of many issues with raw. Home cooked foods generally work for us, unless I feed rich foods like pot roast

[ally173]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Digestive issues can be so tough.

If this were me, and I wasn't yet ready for the fecal profile....I'd stop that pro-pectalin asap - bc of the sorbitol. Sorbitol can cause horrible digestive stress. Use something like Benebac, right away (available at PetCo) a few days in a row.

I'd recommend you feed just carb for a couple days...as in, potatoes. Give their systems a rest from digesting proteins. Then, slowly add protein to the potatoes. Some dogs have a lot of trouble digesting rice - so personally, I'd stay away from it right now (but that's me).

i agree; to get immediate help ; get the benebac pet gel from petco. this should help.

[Ellie May]

I don't mean to be gross, but when you're ready to do the fecal, couldn't the two samples just be thoroughly mixed eliminating half the cost???

Anyway, what works for one may not work for another; and while no improvement would be an obvious indicator that a fecal is needed, the ingredients in home cooked food could definitely set one or both off.

I thought I had read that Sadie has had an issue with chicken. So feeding it now would not work. Rice, potato, and oatmeal are all fne, but they won't work for all dogs. Ellie can't handle brown rice and she seems to get violently ill on white potato. She does fine on sweet potato. White rice and oats go ok.

She doesn't do very well on any diet, but she is maintained on home cooked and enzymes (absolutely not suggestiong people should start using enzymes). She doesn't do well on any dog food either. I would decide on a home cooked or rx diet and stick to it like you planned. Make sure the ingredients are GI friendly and neither pup has reacted adversely to them before. Just like when we have the flu, starting with carbs is a good idea like Ann said. And per Ellie's nutritionist, if it is a food intolerance affecting the GI tract, some improvement would be noticable within three weeks (and obv. it's not a good idea to put the fecal off that long).

[RachelandSadie]

so many great ideas here. thanks for all of them. i plan to get them over this in whatever way possible and then try once again to make a slow smooth transition to a hollistic kibble. the first try at that went well for awhile and caused Bentley to be sick and runny. Sadie was actually ok on the kibble and got sick when we went back to raw...my fault should have only switched him and not her i guess...as for payment plans no so much. i will have to cover all my costs before i leave on Friday or risk them taking everything out of my last paycheck but it doesn't matter if this doesn't work i'm going to switch to a vet in liberty where i live that's cheaper than here even with a discount and go there for those fecals as soon as i'm sure this diet/med thing isn't working. (just came up with that upon thinking more today) love you all and thanks so much

[Britster]

I agree with what most everyone else is saying.

If this were Jackson, I would probably just stay REALLY bland for a few weeks. No extra treats, no wet food, no raw, no dog kibble, nothin' but chicken, rice or potatoes like suggested. Kind of just to clean out their systems and see where it goes after maybe 2 weeks. I'm sure all the meds they're on can't be good for their tummies, either?

What about all those limited ingredient kibbles? Natural Balance offers one, and while it is grain-free, it's mostly potato, and not alot of meat. But maybe that's what they need right now. California Naturals is out there as well (even though the company was just bought out by P&G, it may be worth a shot?)

I'm sorry Sadie and Bentley are feeling ill.

[ladyjane]

My pups are on Castor & Pollux


Natural Pet Food-Organic Dog Food-Organic Cat Food | Castor & Pollux Pet Works

Not posting this to push it as the OP's solution, but it is a great food and worthy of a read.