Jackson's not feeling well. :(

[107barney]

Originally Posted by _Chrissy_

What about Sam's Yams for chews?

As Ellie May said in another post, potato starch is tougher than rice on the pancreas. I was advised to not feed Barney sweet potatoes during his pancreatitis recovery.

[Britster]

My brain hurts.

But I deeply appreciate all of the input in this thread. I've sincerely learned so much and I think others have, too, which is always great when others can take in information as well.

As far as the chews, Cathy you said you give Nylabones and Cuz ball. The small Cuz balls, Jackson chews open in about 5 minutes, so they are a waste of money. I've gotten him the mediums but he doesn't like 'em much -- I guess they are TOO big. The only Nylabones he enjoys are the Flexi ones (chicken flavored) but he tends to chew off the ends pretty quickly. I'm not sure what the proper time is to throw them away. It's always made me nervous, even before this incident, that he was ingested too much of the plastic they are made out of... but if the vet thinks they are safe and okay, I will give him those because he does like them. He literally needs something to chew at certain times... if I need to get work done, or just simply want to watch a movie, that's when the bully stick would be an awesome babysitter. Kind of like Rylee, he has been licking the carpet, and finding anything else around the house to chew. And I'm being realistic that living with a 3 1/2 year old, not everything is going to picked up ALL of the time so he WILL find alternatives (bad things) to chew if not provided with something he CAN.

On another note, most things that I have read over this past week, low fat cottage cheese seems to be okay for this, but don't worry -- I'm not going to go giving him a bunch of cottage cheese or anything. But it's hard to wrap my brain around understanding all the conflicting views from certified professionals.

I also really enjoy our lifestyle. He is an active dog and I try to be as active as possible. I am not going to keep him on a leash forever and I know there will be times when he eats something outside that he's not supposed to. It's guaranteed to happen. I will be as diligent as humanely possible but I know mistakes happen so I guess I will just have to deal with things as they come along. Pepcid and hyodrogen proxide are probably good things to keep around the house, I suppose... but I am still going to fully allow him to... be a dog, and not keep him in the bubble forever.

I also will need some kind of a motivating treat for him because I am not stopping our training, either. I highly enjoy clicker training as does he but I want him to be super motivated, too. We were in the process of more complex tricks (like doing a handstand, and we had just learned backwards circles around my legs, etc) and he won't be that enthused to do these kinds of things for a piece of kibble, that's just the truth. I'm hoping this is where the chicken will come in.

But basically, I understand that this is going to be a lifestyle change in regards to his diet. And believe me when I say I am going to be super paranoid and strict about what goes in his little mouth but I also don't want to live in fear every single day and I have faith that we can find a happy balance in regards to his diet and what works for him.

[QuickSilver]

Brit, a handstand???? No. Way.

[Britster]

Originally Posted by 107barney

As Ellie May said in another post, potato starch is tougher than rice on the pancreas. I was advised to not feed Barney sweet potatoes during his pancreatitis recovery.

Jackson won't touch potatoes anyways... never has and I doubt he ever will. That is one thing; if a potato chip, french frie, baked potatoe, etc fell on the floor, that he would not touch!

[Britster]

Originally Posted by QuickSilver

Brit, a handstand???? No. Way.

Lol, yep, like this:

‪Dog Handstand Training‬‏ -...

I bet you Thor could do it!

[107barney]

Originally Posted by QuickSilver

I definitely don't want indirectly hurt Jackson either! As I said, I don't know a tremendous amount about dog nutrition. I was just trying to think of chews that are not fatty or high protein since Britster suggested he needs SOME kind of chew. Lowfat cream cheese (and other "reduced fat" cheeses) are mostly carbohydrate.

Maybe a kong with rice soaked in chicken stock would be a good bet.

For now, I'd stick with the Rx diet and stuff that into the kong. Going forward, rice might be ok. I think I would only do chicken stock if I made it myself and it was defatted and unsalted. Finding chicken stock w/o onions is really hard also.

[107barney]

Originally Posted by Britster

My brain hurts.

But I deeply appreciate all of the input in this thread. I've sincerely learned so much and I think others have, too, which is always great when others can take in information as well.

As far as the chews, Cathy you said you give Nylabones and Cuz ball. The small Cuz balls, Jackson chews open in about 5 minutes, so they are a waste of money. I've gotten him the mediums but he doesn't like 'em much -- I guess they are TOO big. The only Nylabones he enjoys are the Flexi ones (chicken flavored) but he tends to chew off the ends pretty quickly. I'm not sure what the proper time is to throw them away. It's always made me nervous, even before this incident, that he was ingested too much of the plastic they are made out of... but if the vet thinks they are safe and okay, I will give him those because he does like them. He literally needs something to chew at certain times... if I need to get work done, or just simply want to watch a movie, that's when the bully stick would be an awesome babysitter. Kind of like Rylee, he has been licking the carpet, and finding anything else around the house to chew. And I'm being realistic that living with a 3 1/2 year old, not everything is going to picked up ALL of the time so he WILL find alternatives (bad things) to chew if not provided with something he CAN.

On another note, most things that I have read over this past week, low fat cottage cheese seems to be okay for this, but don't worry -- I'm not going to go giving him a bunch of cottage cheese or anything. But it's hard to wrap my brain around understanding all the conflicting views from certified professionals.

I also really enjoy our lifestyle. He is an active dog and I try to be as active as possible. I am not going to keep him on a leash forever and I know there will be times when he eats something outside that he's not supposed to. It's guaranteed to happen. I will be as diligent as humanely possible but I know mistakes happen so I guess I will just have to deal with things as they come along. Pepcid and hyodrogen proxide are probably good things to keep around the house, I suppose... but I am still going to fully allow him to... be a dog, and not keep him in the bubble forever.

I also will need some kind of a motivating treat for him because I am not stopping our training, either. I highly enjoy clicker training as does he but I want him to be super motivated, too. We were in the process of more complex tricks (like doing a handstand, and we had just learned backwards circles around my legs, etc) and he won't be that enthused to do these kinds of things for a piece of kibble, that's just the truth. I'm hoping this is where the chicken will come in.

But basically, I understand that this is going to be a lifestyle change in regards to his diet. And believe me when I say I am going to be super paranoid and strict about what goes in his little mouth but I also don't want to live in fear every single day and I have faith that we can find a happy balance in regards to his diet and what works for him.

Barney lasts 2 minutes w/ the Small Cuz toys too. The nylabones I use are the blue dental ones. I also buy the BBQ ribs nylabone and he likes those. I've been using these forever, even with puppies, and never had an issue but of course every dog is different.

I can understand your concerns about active lifestyle and letting your dog be a dog! I know it must sound like I am a neurotic nut, but my Barney is no couch slouch. He runs around the yard, he goes on walks, he does obedience training, and he does occasionally get into trouble doing all of those things.

I really think you would benefit from a consult with a vet nutritionist because I think they do take into account YOU and YOUR DOG and your lifestyle. For example, I work 80-90 hours a week, I cannot steam tilapia on the stove. I need to roast chicken in the oven when I'm doing other things. These are things a vet nutritionist listens to. Some things are going to be "non-negotiables" but that is for his best interest, but for the most part, there is a lot of flexibility. I wonder if you could home feed one meal and do one kibble meal -using the nutrition from the second meal for treats and training.

I know you have a lot to think about and I'm contributing to your brain hurting so I'm going to step away from your thread now and wish Jackson a swift recovery and ongoing health!

[Britster]

Originally Posted by 107barney

Barney lasts 2 minutes w/ the Small Cuz toys too. The nylabones I use are the blue dental ones. I also buy the BBQ ribs nylabone and he likes those. I've been using these forever, even with puppies, and never had an issue but of course every dog is different.

I can understand your concerns about active lifestyle and letting your dog be a dog! I know it must sound like I am a neurotic nut, but my Barney is no couch slouch. He runs around the yard, he goes on walks, he does obedience training, and he does occasionally get into trouble doing all of those things.

I really think you would benefit from a consult with a vet nutritionist because I think they do take into account YOU and YOUR DOG and your lifestyle. For example, I work 80-90 hours a week, I cannot steam tilapia on the stove. I need to roast chicken in the oven when I'm doing other things. These are things a vet nutritionist listens to. Some things are going to be "non-negotiables" but that is for his best interest, but for the most part, there is a lot of flexibility. I wonder if you could home feed one meal and do one kibble meal -using the nutrition from the second meal for treats and training.

I know you have a lot to think about and I'm contributing to your brain hurting so I'm going to step away from your thread now and wish Jackson a swift recovery and ongoing health!

No no you really don't have to step away at all!! LOL I am so deeply appreciative of all of this help you have been giving me. I couldn't have got through this alone! I just meant it's a lot to take in but I have been more relaxed these past few days and I'm just going to make sure I speak with a trusted professional who can advise me on what to do, like I said, for our personal benefit.

I actually was wondering about doing half homecooked/half kibble. So that I can always have kibble on hand if homecooked is not available for some reason.

And 80-90hrs a week?! How do you keep up?! I admit my schedule is pretty lax right now, with me being on break from school, and having a dayjob as a dogwalker... it's pretty good money but the schedule is very flexible. So I've probably had too much time to think about all this stuff too much!!

I will take a look into all the nylabone products and choices, I am sure we will find something he can chew on eventually.

[QuickSilver]

I'm going to say one last argumentative thing, and then I will be quiet.

Realisitically, how much chicken stock soaked-rice would go into a kong - 1/4 cup if you use a lot? Assuming that fully half of that is from stock, that is 2 tbps. Two tbps of the average stock is < 5 calories. At that point, onions, fat, or sodium are not material.

I don't know, maybe I am just used to tiny portions. Thor's kong could probably fit one tablespoon of treat, and he thinks the kong is too big to bother with.

[tem_sat]

NM ignore please.

[Britster]

How does anyone feel about Dentastix by Pedigree?

They don't last long, so might kind of defeat the purpose of a "chew" but just curious anybody's thoughts.


CRUDE PROTEIN MIN. 8.0%
CRUDE FAT MIN. 1.0%
CRUDE FIBER MAX. 4.5%
MOISTURE MAX. 18.0%
ZINC MIN. 350 MG/KG
VITAMIN C* MIN. 70 MG/KG

Rice Flour, Wheat Starch, Glycerin, Gelatin, Gum Arabic, Calcium Carbonate, Natural Poultry Flavor, Powdered Cellulose, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Salt (Iodized), Potassium Chloride, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate [source of Vitamin C], Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, D-calcium Pantothenate, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Pyridoxine Hydrochloride [Vitamin B6], Dl-alpha Tocopherol Acetate [source of Vitamin E], Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1]), Potassium Sorbate (a Preservative), Smoke Flavor, Zinc Sulphate, Green Tea Extract, Turmeric, Iron Oxide, Copper Sulfate.

I realize it has a "min" fat and not a "max" but 1% seems darn low.

[Teresa Ford]

Just checking up dates. Wishing and praying for you and your sweet Jackson. I didn't offer advice because people who know so much more did that. But I wanted you to know many of us care about you Brit and Jackson.

[Ellie May]

I think a lot of this will end up being trial and error. Some owners would just choose to feed one food and very few types of safe treats without ever feeding anything considered risky. Others will want to use animal chews and such. That may or may not be wrong (I guess it depends on your opinion of it), but it is just probably more likely that these dogs will relapse.

I took the second approach with Ellie (at least once gave her something that wasn't on her list of things that were okay - without asking..). She had an episode and through trial and error I now know it's a no no. However, because her cases seem to be getting progressively worse, I am now at the point with her that I will stress over everything she eats. For "her", I know if she gets a Cheerio that falls or something, it will result in nothing more than some itchies. I know if a potato chip falls, I sure as heck better have the peroxide handy.

She is only lazy bc I'm lazy. There is no reason she can't take walks, play in the grass, play with her brother, play fetch, do trick training, etc. That said, I'm not going to let her stand there and continue to eat things out of the grass, etc. Attention diversion..

A couple weeks ago she got a piece of R's kibble. Still thankful that one didn't set her off!

[Britster]

Originally Posted by Ellie May

I think a lot of this will end up being trial and error. Some owners would just choose to feed one food and very few types of safe treats without ever feeding anything considered risky. Others will want to use animal chews and such. That may or may not be wrong (I guess it depends on your opinion of it), but it is just probably more likely that these dogs will relapse.

I took the second approach with Ellie (at least once gave her something that wasn't on her list of things that were okay - without asking..). She had an episode and through trial and error I now know it's a no no. However, because her cases seem to be getting progressively worse, I am now at the point with her that I will stress over everything she eats. For "her", I know if she gets a Cheerio that falls or something, it will result in nothing more than some itchies. I know if a potato chip falls, I sure as heck better have the peroxide handy.

She is only lazy bc I'm lazy. There is no reason she can't take walks, play in the grass, play with her brother, play fetch, do trick training, etc. That said, I'm not going to let her stand there and continue to eat things out of the grass, etc. Attention diversion..

A couple weeks ago she got a piece of R's kibble. Still thankful that one didn't set her off!

Makes sense. I am not really willing to risk a lot... I'd surely prefer to be safe than sorry. I am obviously not going to purposely give him a piece of cheese, or really much of anything that I know is not approved. I'm fine with giving him minimum amounts of everything and not really risking too much. As long as some lean chicken is okay, I think we will be fine in the treat department and he will be very happy with that. He doesn't need all sorts of different treats to be happy.

Since you have been thru this many times before, I definitely will take your advice. I'd obviously prefer not to have Jackson have to suffer through a bout of this worse than the one he just had. So I'll do anything in my power to not let it happen again. I'm just saying I know for a fact he will, at some point in time, eat something in the yard. Yes, I'll be out there with him, and yes I'll try to divert his attention, but I know Jackson and how quick he is to just *gulp* swallow something. He's always been a dog that has eaten EVERYTHING, lol. Obviously. Or we probably wouldn't be in this mess right now. Luckily, he's got a got a fairly good 'leave it' and 'drop it' but sometimes... he doesn't listen.

[Britster]

Btw, results from the cPL will be here by (earliest) Friday and (latest) Monday.
So I guess once we get those results, we will take it from there....