IBD diagnosis - Please Help
 

My 12 yr. old little Yorkie was just diagnosed with the above disease from an abdominal ultrasound done by a board certified vet radiologist. My vet is on vacation and instructions were given to me by another vet on staff. She is not eating and maybe takes a few sips of water and that is it. She's lost so much weight, just skin and bones now.
Please if anyone has a dog with this condition, please tell me the protocol treatment that was given or tried for your pet and if it worked. My little one has no appetite, bowels normal and she's not vomiting.

Has she had blood work done recently?

Have they tried to give her appetite stimulants? If not, ask your vet about Entyce or Mirtazapine.

Hello Lady Jane. Thank you for the suggestion and names of appetite stimulants. Did they work for your Yorkie? And yes, she had a complete blood work up done. Everything was normal, with the exception of one slight elevation, but it was not GI related. I'm to pick up Royal Canin LF Gastro vet diet canned food today, but she's been on this in the past when they first thought it was pancreatis and she stopped eating it over a short period of time. The dry food by the same manufacturer she did not like and would not eat. I'm to pickup a B-12 liquid and Tylan powder too. I'm so scared.

Hello Lady Jane. Thank you for the suggestion and names of appetite stimulants. Did they work for your Yorkie? And yes, she had a complete blood work up done. Everything was normal, with the exception of one slight elevation, but it was not GI related. I'm to pick up Royal Canin LF Gastro vet diet canned food today, but she's been on this in the past when they first thought it was pancreatitis and she stopped eating it over a short period of time. The dry food by the same manufacturer she did not like and would not eat. I'm to pickup a B-12 liquid drops and Tylan powder (for better digestion) too. I'm so scared - she's lost so much weight.

Have you tried sprinkling Parmesan Cheese on the food?

If she doesn't like that food, ask your vet if you can switch to Hill's ID Low Fat. I have had better success with that. The one thing I will caution you about is that low fat is not necessarily a food that will help .....IF she really does have IBD there could be an allergy issue. Has your vet mentioned that at all? I have dealt with IBD in a few pups...one had a history of pancreatitis and she also had IBD and lymphangectasia. I ended up doing a nutrition consult and home cooking for her. She had to have a protein that she has never had before. My Teddy Bear has IBD and also has had pancreatitis....I tried the ID low fat after a bout with pancreatitis but he was really having issues so we went back to Hill's Ultra ZD and he is doing amazingly well!

Oh...and yes, those appetite stimulants do work! I have not personally used Entyce but know people who have and had great success with it. I have used Mirtazapine for years for different pups when they were anorexic...sometimes it doesn't work, but my experience has been that it works more times than not. It is an inexpensive medicine and certainly worth a try! One of our members here many years ago had a pup who she thought was going to die because she simply would not eat...she had a protein losing enteropathy. They put her on mirtazapine and it was like a miracle!

Lady Jane - I don't think my latest post went through to you. Did you get it about 12:28 p.m. Eastern time?

I'm trying my reply again -- previous one did not go through. (I'm new at this site.) Lady Jane, thank you so much for your input about the Hills ID and Hills Ultra diet. My Vet's office does not carry Hills products, so I'd need a prescription to switch and buy it elsewhere. I left a message for him to call back regarding this (as I like the ingredients in the Hills better than in the R.C.) and also talk about your suggestion on the appetite stimulant. I was happy to read you had success with these products because that is what I'm looking for. Melody (that's my Yorkie's name) ate a total of 6 teaspoons of Royal Canin L.F. GI vet diet between breakfast and lunch. I added the Tylan powder the Vet prescribed. Did you ever use this? I'm to give 1/16th tsp. 2 x's day mixed with the food. It's a digestive aid. I just purchased liquid B-12 at his suggestion too. Suppose to place 3 to 4 drops under her tongue 1 x daily. Like you, I also had 2 very expensive consults with a Holistic Vet nutritionist and was home cooking along with the Rx Vitamin/Minerals supplement from Jan., but late March she started having issues. it really got bad in June. Nutritionist wanted me to try baked cod fish and butternut squash. Melody ate it once and refused it after that. I guess this was her attempt at a "novel" diet for my dog. It's SO hard to see your little one sick and not eat. I also was instructed to stop her heart worm med and the Rx Vitamin/Mineral Supplement, as one or both could be contributing to her GI upset. I thank you once again and any additional info you can pass along to help my little girl will be so much appreciated.

If you stop the heartworm prevention make sure you get Ivermectin. You don't want her to end up with heartworms...that is devastating. The treatment is rough on them and expensive!!

It is hard when they don't feel well to get them eating again. When Teddy had pancreatitis this past year I was really worried about him. He stayed sick for a few weeks...one day my vet asked about his food. I had switched him to the ID low fat and she said that it was probably the reason he was still sick. Sure enough...went back to the Z/D and within a couple of days he was so much better. I also give him Pepcid which seems to help him. I was giving Reglan for a while but have recently stopped it.

Yes, I have used the Tylan powder in the past....for some reason I am thinking one of mine turned a nose up??? Not sure on that. I am not using it presently for Teddy or my foster Daisy who also has some GI issues. She is on the Hill's ID low fat and loves it...it also keeps her well. She has had some really bad bouts with bloody stools...and HGE. :( We suspect IBD but she has not been scoped. The one time she was in ICU they were talking about doing one but she recovered quickly and her ultrasound showed improvement so the specialist decided not to do it.

Melody! What a pretty name!! :) Do you have a photo of her you can share?

Let me know what the vet says. I am hoping the appetite stimulant might be the answer.

Yes, Melody is a pretty name for a very pretty girl. I chose it because it's from a song lyric that says, "You are the Melody in my life, you are the song." So her AKC papers have her full name as Melody In My Life....and she is. I don't have a picture I can post because they are either paper photos or on my cell phone, which is only an emergency cell and doesn't have the capabilities to e-mail a photo.
Regarding the heart worm med, she's been on Interceptor (milbemycin) since the other brands gave her more side effects than this one. I've always blamed the once a month dosing on her GI problems since her sick days were right around the time of administering the heart worm pill. The nutritionist has 6 spaniels and not one gets heart worm meds. She tests them twice a year and suggested I do the same so her stomach isn't taxed further with the parasiticide.
When the Vet called back, he had a valid point on the appetite stimulant. He'd prefer monitoring her eating progress to determine that she's responding to treatment rather than artificially making her eat more.
I asked him about Hills and why his practice doesn't carry it. He said they haven't improved their formula in years and other brands have surpassed what they offer. He does have patients who order Hills ID through their on line store, but it's because their pet was on it previously and doing well, so they just keep it available for them.
Melody perked up with the B-12 drops and finished 1/2 can of the Royal Canin today. I think this is great for the first day. So relieved. I want her to keep it down though so it can give her nourishment and continue improving. I'll keep you posted.. Yorkie people are great! Thanks.

Not my business but holistic vets often do that regarding heartworm prevention and it is BAD advice. End of story.

As for Hill's .. hogwash. Hills is a reputable company and I know for a fact the ZD was changed...the kibble is actually a different size. Of course the formula may be the same but if it works why change it? I love Royal Canin but I have had some problems with my pups liking their foods.

I hope your vet is right about the meds and the food and she ends up doing very well. I am a frequent flyer at a large specialty hospital and they always use appetite stimulants. I never heard of what your vet mentioned....but of course, if she eats that is great! The "amount" of food she eats has nothing to do with the treatment...the only way to know if the treatment is working is if she is eating. Please keep us posted!

By the way, you can save money by ordering your food from Chewy.com It may be less than what your vet is charging.

Holistic vets may have some options but to go against accepted medical practice that has valid research data is where I draw the line.

I seriously doubt the heartworm meds have anything to do with her gi issues. People who tend to go holistic always believe they are poisoning their dogs with preventives. It is an ongoing problem for our pups imo.

And, as I said, you can get Ivermectin...it has nothing added to it.

When you have time, I strongly suggest you peruse this website. Heartworms are no joke. I am always horrified when I hear horrible advice on this topic. I have had dogs probably longer than many here have been alive and none have ever suffered as a result of heartworm prevention. I have, on the other hand, seen yorkies die from heart issues due to damage from heartworms and/or heartworm treatment. There is actually a post on here about a pup that came to our rescue and died...broke my heart when it could have been prevented if her owner had only given her that one little thing per month. https://www.heartwormsociety.org/

A nust read for anyone who is playing russian roulette with their pup's life by not trying to prevent heartworms.


https://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yo...kill-dogs.html

I found Ivermectin tablets (not chews) at Valleyvet.com. They are the only place I could find Ivermectin formulated for dogs with food allergies. If this is what you were referring to, I'll call my vet for a prescription.
Just curious, what is your background? You mentioned you're a "frequent flyer at a specialty vet hospital." Are you a Vet Tech?

I just want to 'thumbs up' a few things Linda mentioned --

- I would not, under *any* circumstances discontinue heartworm prevention. I'm a minimalist when it comes to vaccines, meds, whatever. I would not mess with heartworm prevention. Not worth the risk, trust us!

- Hills Rx food is an excellent for many dogs who need a very specific diet - it can be life saving and/or life altering in terms of diet and symptom treatment.

- Tylan. I did try Tylan for Marcel when he was a puppy; it didn't do much. But it does help some dogs; if you try it, just try to buy the smallest amount possible in case it doesn't work.

Your vet probably has it...or certainly can get it. It is available in liquid form...for oral or injectible use. You must be VERY careful with it though...the dosage is extremely small and you do not want to give too much! I don't know about that place you mentioned or if these tablets are ok. Again, ask your vet!

I have been involved in yorkie rescue since 2005. I also have multiple pups of my own and many have had medical issues. I also have a medical background so that does help. Unfortunately our breed is having more and more genetic issues and I have seen every one of them not to mention other stuff. I also have had more pups with torn cruciate ligaments than I can count. I seem to be a magnet .. but, my vet says it is because I look for things. I am pro vet and strongly believe in at a minimum, yearly exams and blood work. You can often pick up things before they become a major problem. For example, protein losing nephropathy, is a condition we are seeing in a lot of yorkies ... if you don't do urine and blood testing on a routine basis, by the time you know they have it, they are usually in the end stages. I also strongly believe in prevention ... as they say "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" (which is why I am strongly advising heartworm prevention) :)

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Thanks Wylie's Mom for your input. I'm finding the manufacturer of Heartgard (Ivermectin) tablets for dogs up to 25 lbs. are out of stock and on back order, so I guess if I am to resume heartworm preventative, I have to use my Interceptor. I will see if I can speak to the Vet today (Sun.) for advice.

Lynn (Yorkiegirrl123)

Heartgard (the regular Heartgard, not Heartgard Plus) is a very common medication and should be available from your vet. If not, there are other online pharmacies that carry it, such as PetMeds (https://www.1800petmeds.com/Dog+Hear...rod368151.html) or Drs. Foster and Smith (https://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...m?pcatid=10455
).

Phil, she doesn't want Heartgard. She found a site that has tablets that someone compounds. I had not heard of that before but I guess possible?

I guess there is some confusion here. Heartgard makes a chewable AND a tablet. The tablet (straight Ivermectin) is formulated for dogs with food allergies because they make it with no flavorings, etc. This product (for dogs up to 25 lbs.) is unavailable on ANY vet pharmacy site, but IS available for larger weight dogs.

I wrote to my regular vet and he still wants her off her Interceptor for a few more weeks until her stomach issues are under control. Then he said he will potentially give straight (oral) Ivermectin in a few weeks. I wonder if he knows you can't purchase it due to manufacturer (Merial) not producing the tablet for her weight range. The chews are available but have additives.

After reading everyone's post about not stopping heartworm meds, I wanted to give her the August dose of Interceptor since I have it here, but it expires on 8/10/18, and basically that's not going to work now. What a dilemma.

Oh, I missed the part where you wanted the pill form, not the chewable. Could you ask the vet about using a pill cutter on a larger dose pill to get the correct dosage for your dog? Looking at the ValleyVet page (https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail....1-77C1EAC6DE18), it looks like the pill for dogs under 25 pounds contains exactly half the amount of ivermectin as the pill for dogs 25 to 50 pounds. A pill cutter could work if the ivermectin is even distributed in the pill.

Thanks Phil for your input too. The Vet has the ability to have Ivermectin formulated without additives just like the Heartgard tablet but in a capsule form. So I guess that was what he was referring to.
Lynn

How is Melody doing today with her food? Do hope she is doing well!

Yes, thank heavens she is doing much better. Eating what I give her and asking for more. Giving her 5 to 6 small mini meals of her R.C. L. F. canned so not to tax her digestive system. She likes the cherry flavored B-12 drops and doesn't even notice the Tylan powder.
Thanks for asking.
Lynn

Oh, that is great news!!

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