Inflammatory Bowel Disease - Page 2 - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Yorkiedaze · 07-19-2007, 06:08 PM

This is what I found in my Home Veterinary Handbook:

Inflammatory Bowel Disease:

This is a group of diseases of the small and large intestine characterized by chronic and protracted diarrhea, malabsorption, weight loss, anemia and malnutrition. They are all treatable, but seldom cured. In each case a different type of inflammatory cell is found in large numbers in the lining of the small and/or large intestine. These cells distinguish the specific diseases. Diagnosis is made by endoscopy and biopsy of the bowel wall, or by exploratory surgery.

Lymphocytic-Plasmacytic Enterocolitis:

This is the most common inflammatory bowel disease in dogs. LPE has been associated with giardiasis, food allergy and overgrowth of intestinal bacteria. Lymphocytes and plasma cells are the target cells seen on biopsy. Certain breeds are predisposed, suggesting a genetic influence. They are the Basenji, Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier and Chinese Shar-Pei. In the Basenji, the disease is known to be related to an immune disorder.
LPE produces a small bowel-type diarrhea. Vomiting is common. Involvement of the colon produces signs of colitis.
Hypoallergenic diets cause partial or complete resolution of symptoms in some dogs. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial overgrowth and giardiasis. Immunosuppressant drugs such as azathioprine (Imuran) and/or prednisone are used if other treatments are not successful.

In this book, it goes on to explain these forms of IBD also; Eosinophilic Enterocolitis, Granulomatous (Regional) Enteritis, Neutrophilic Enterocolitis and Histiocytic Ulcerative Colitis, which I will gladly fill those in if anyone wants.

LoveMyJake · 07-19-2007, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

So, do you sometimes have symptoms without changing a single thing in your diet?

Yes. In fact, I can be fine one day and really sick the next. Last year I was fine all year until October, then I got sick and ended up having surgery. Diet doesn't affect Crohn's as far as making the disease itself worse. It can, however, make the symptoms worse. I can't eat anything spicy, and I have to avoid certain foods that are hard to digest, but for the most part, I can eat whatever I want.

SophieRose · 07-19-2007, 08:59 PM

I want to just add that corn, wheat products are too irritable for their systems. Watch the protein level reading when the blood test is done. This is a very painful disease for these little pups. Science Diet from the vet is not nutritional and should only be used for a short time because if you read the label, the protein is very low. Sophie was ill for several years and escalated to continuous bloody stools. Very debilitating.

A internist (animal) would be my recommendation if you don't see significant results. Read extensively about pancreatitis, IBS and colitis in Yorkies. Warmly, Deborah

PS I am so sorry to hear your pup is sick because it is such a worry.

YorkieSue · 07-25-2007, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

TLC - Marcel has those gurgly noises (so loud!) every so often from his tummy. And the 3 days firm/2-3 days soft stools. Can it be IBD even though he never has vomiting? (altho I can immed. tell in the a.m. if he's feeling "low" and if something is brewing)

What is Tylan?

Oh yes it could be IBD, for sure...COULD BE. And, I could RELATE SO MUCH TO YOUR COMMENT about knowing immediately in the a.m. how your pooch feels. I CAN TOO AND IT IS IMMEDIATELY EVIDENT!! My heart sinks when I realize that he is having a flare up. Good comment, I identified.

YorkieSue · 07-25-2007, 09:47 AM

I have researched and researched this insidious disease in dogs and it's a disorder that requires constant vigilance with Buddy, my sick little guy...not so little for a Yorkie--thank God, he is very sturdy!! I now know what it is, the causes, the consequences for the dog, the heartbreak for me, the worry and the joy of seeing a beautiful poop with regularity. Rught now, Buddy is on day 10 of health--but waking up each morning is really like walking on eggs with him cause I can tell from the moment he opens his eyes if this day will be a good, healthy, playful one as all Yorkies should have.

I don't like it one bit, But Buddy, for the foreseeable future, is on Reglan 2x daily with pepsid (will fade the pepsid soon) and i/d dog food, which I am not crazy about either--BUT HE IS!! I feed him smaller amts three times a day.I am traveling for the next two months so do not have the luxury of weaning him off meds or getting him onto a healthier food (tho I am told the i/d is very nutritious but still.....)because STABLIZING him is the critical point now. Besides where I am in VT is not very conducive to great Vet care--not like in NY. The closest really good one is an hour away--certainly not practical if he should get really sick because I decided to experiment--which I will not!! I also travel with Flagyl because the moment I see the mucuous and blood in his stool, I start that and it seems to work fast. This poor little guy has upper and lower distress though I know this is not a requirement for a diagnosis of IBD--it can be either or both.

Thank you all for your suggestions. I don't know what Tylan powder is but will check. Some of you may know that I represent a holistic dog food company and my little Dixie Cup is thriving on this wonderful food. But I won't even try it again with Buddy--this little guy gets sick with a smidgeon of boiled, low sodium turkey--if this gives you any idea of how sensitive his tummy is. Anyway, it sort of kills me that my own food is not appropriate for what he had but hell, stuff happens. At this point, I almost don't care what I have to do to give him the quality he deserves. I can no longer tolerate watching this adorable little/big guy mope around, in pain from whichever portion of his G.I tract is bothering, with diarrhea and vomiting. The I/D dog food seems to be helping and I know the Reglan is. One day, MAYBE, he will be off meds...I would really like that.

I welcome any other suggestions...thanks again to you all. Susan, Buddy and Dixie Cups. mom

YorkieSue · 07-25-2007, 10:26 AM

I am so grateful for this long letter of yours, TLC. I do not feel so alone any longer. I have been and am going thru hell with Buddy, although for ten whole days he has been symptom free--even playful and naughty like a Yorkie should be. What a joy. But I know what's coming in just a matter of time, unfortunately.

I have and am literally the poster child/dog for your letter. I AM walking in your past shoes--I say 'past' cause obviously your Tylan powder is working. But every word you typed is EXACTLY what I am going thru with Buddy, my rescue Yorkie. Little did Iknow but guess what? I would have adopted him anyway!! His is almost five years old and God knows how long he has had this malady.

I too, hate, just hate giving him vet food or even commercial food of any kind. Since I sell holistic dog food, I long ago gave up on the commercial food (if it's sold in the store you can count on it not being really fresh and could even be risking your dog's health as things are going nowadays) but now I am forced to listen to my vet (whom I adore) because I need to help my little 'fireplug' aka Buddy to stop vomiting and spewing out bloody/mucousy stools. It is very hard on MY NERVOUS SYSTEM to say nothinig of how lousy he must feel during the regular flare-ups.

I think I mentioned in a letter to you personally, TLC,or on the boards that I will not only check out this powder but will also ask my vet when I get home from my travels, in about two months. Of course, I took Buddy and Dixie with me for these three months out of NY as I travel thruout N.E. but because I am traveling I have no options with Buddy. My vet and I discussed this and she wants me to keep him on Reglan 2x a day plus pepcid and the i/d dog food until I get home. If I try to make any changes while traveling, and he gets REALLY SICK, I am screwed as the vet situation, as you can safely assume, when traveling around here is almost non-existent; especially when you are not a customer and have the daunting task of going thru all the preliminaries with someone new <arrrrgh>.

By the Way, if anyone knows of any PET INSURANCE that might be approved for a dog with IBD, please let me know. I tried VPI (I think this was it) and they turned me down flat because it's a pre-existing condition. However, if I had called what Buddy has "gastritis" I think they would have approved him. Go figure.....

Time to send this.

dwerten · 07-25-2007, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YorkieSue

I have researched and researched this insidious disease in dogs and it's a disorder that requires constant vigilance with Buddy, my sick little guy...not so little for a Yorkie--thank God, he is very sturdy!! I now know what it is, the causes, the consequences for the dog, the heartbreak for me, the worry and the joy of seeing a beautiful poop with regularity. Rught now, Buddy is on day 10 of health--but waking up each morning is really like walking on eggs with him cause I can tell from the moment he opens his eyes if this day will be a good, healthy, playful one as all Yorkies should have.

I don't like it one bit, But Buddy, for the foreseeable future, is on Reglan 2x daily with pepsid (will fade the pepsid soon) and i/d dog food, which I am not crazy about either--BUT HE IS!! I feed him smaller amts three times a day.I am traveling for the next two months so do not have the luxury of weaning him off meds or getting him onto a healthier food (tho I am told the i/d is very nutritious but still.....)because STABLIZING him is the critical point now. Besides where I am in VT is not very conducive to great Vet care--not like in NY. The closest really good one is an hour away--certainly not practical if he should get really sick because I decided to experiment--which I will not!! I also travel with Flagyl because the moment I see the mucuous and blood in his stool, I start that and it seems to work fast. This poor little guy has upper and lower distress though I know this is not a requirement for a diagnosis of IBD--it can be either or both.

Thank you all for your suggestions. I don't know what Tylan powder is but will check. Some of you may know that I represent a holistic dog food company and my little Dixie Cup is thriving on this wonderful food. But I won't even try it again with Buddy--this little guy gets sick with a smidgeon of boiled, low sodium turkey--if this gives you any idea of how sensitive his tummy is. Anyway, it sort of kills me that my own food is not appropriate for what he had but hell, stuff happens. At this point, I almost don't care what I have to do to give him the quality he deserves. I can no longer tolerate watching this adorable little/big guy mope around, in pain from whichever portion of his G.I tract is bothering, with diarrhea and vomiting. The I/D dog food seems to be helping and I know the Reglan is. One day, MAYBE, he will be off meds...I would really like that.

I welcome any other suggestions...thanks again to you all. Susan, Buddy and Dixie Cups. mom

Feeding him small portions 3-4 times a day is best so he can digest it. Dexter is on kibble purina ha - soy hyrdolized diet and doing well. I know you cannot do anything now but read ingredients in id and it is pork which is high in fat and ibd can lead to pancreatitis

once you get back contact doniasea@aol.com and do a natural diet if you can. If you want kibble what dexter is on is great - i feed him 3xs a day and he is not on pepcid any more. I had an animal communicator tell me he still has cramps but he seems ok. He is 10lbs and no vomitting since easter so we narrowed it down to no potato as potato is hard to digest for them like corn and carrots - there food needs to be mushed, juiced or food processed for their bodies to break down this food properly.

dwerten · 07-25-2007, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dwerten

Feeding him small portions 3-4 times a day is best so he can digest it. Dexter is on kibble purina ha - soy hyrdolized diet and doing well. I know you cannot do anything now but read ingredients in id and it is pork which is high in fat and ibd can lead to pancreatitis

once you get back contact doniasea@aol.com and do a natural diet if you can. If you want kibble what dexter is on is great - i feed him 3xs a day and he is not on pepcid any more. I had an animal communicator tell me he still has cramps but he seems ok. He is 10lbs and no vomitting since easter so we narrowed it down to no potato as potato is hard to digest for them like corn and carrots - there food needs to be mushed, juiced or food processed for their bodies to break down this food properly.

probiotics dds plus 30 minutes before food is good as good bacteria going into body to kill bad bacteria and enzymes to help break down food. Donia can help you with this as i am working now with her with my allergy yorkie and then will work with dexter when i get her better as he is stable.

dwerten · 07-25-2007, 06:56 PM

dexter could not tolerate lean ground turkey as he got real sick out of the hospital and ended up back with a bacteria infection from this food. He only vomits so his issue is upper gi but yours is upper and lower as upper is vomitting and lower is diarrhea - you need to get him stable on just food with out meds and i would try purina ha as my vet uses this with his dogs and soy is easier to digest as dexter has been doing good on this. He gets nothing but this though - NO TREATS- once you get him on this food exclusively and no medicine - start pro biotics for a month - if that works then go to enzymes - you need to do baby steps with these guys. I am still at food step only - vet told me he could get use to this diet and get sick again and last resort is steroids or another drug and i do not want to do that so trying to do it with diet. Donia is awesome - she believes food is your best medicine and she has helped a lot of dogs on my other yorkie lists. It is not as easy as it is all home cooked.

dwerten · 07-25-2007, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YorkieSue

Oh yes it could be IBD, for sure...COULD BE. And, I could RELATE SO MUCH TO YOUR COMMENT about knowing immediately in the a.m. how your pooch feels. I CAN TOO AND IT IS IMMEDIATELY EVIDENT!! My heart sinks when I realize that he is having a flare up. Good comment, I identified.

yes girgling and burping is gastric acid - pepcid helps control the acids in tummy. Kibble is hard to digest so a more natural diet is best and easiest to digest. I think a lot of the probs are in the food we feed them. for a strong healthy dog all is great but a sensitive dog with issues i think home cooked is best if you get all nutrients in the diet. Dexter is on kibble but i feed small portions 3 xs a day and i do not over feed - no treats and no free feeding - even if he is hungry i am disciplined after 10k in vet bills with pancreatitis and ibd - pancreatitis can happen if ibd gets bad enough - it happened to dexter

Wylie's Mom · 07-26-2007, 04:54 AM

Wow, this is more common than I thought, these poor little babies!

Well, I've been using the Tylan for almost a week - and also Pepto. Marcel has had some "soft serve" as well as some mucus/gel (trace blood), BUT, interestingly - he hasn't "felt" symptomatic. I've heard his tummy start the gurgle, at which time I immed. give some Pepto to soothe and to prevent full-on diarrhea. He has NOT felt under the weather at all! So, even though I can tell his system is acting up a bit, the Tylan/Pepto combo seems to be starting to help w/ both the episodes (not progressing/worsening) and with how he actually feels.

I am really hopeful that after a month on Tylan, I see some progressive results. His diet is so very simple: chicken, parmesan sprinkle, occasional rice. He has Orijen for grazing (http://www.championpetfoods.com/orij...redients.aspx), which is grain free and I like this food better than even Canidae. This is all he eats except for bully sticks.

It's really helpful to hear from all of you who are going through the same things.

dwerten · 07-28-2007, 01:49 PM

you may want to ask about the pepcid as girgling is acid and that could help with that. dexter had the vomitting end so not sure on the other end what to do but check into that

OwenandDaisy · 02-17-2008, 06:55 PM

We have two Yorkies - one is five years old and one is three. The five year old is a male who has been stricken with IBD for about a year. Right now he is in the midst of a really bad episode.

What we have learned: Food allergies are the most common cause. Foot licking, eye drainage that turns red, crimson colour on hair around feet and regular troubles with ear infections are common signs of impending IBD related to food allergies.

Treatment: We have discovered a vegetarian diet that we will try when Owen starts eating again. Right now he is not eating and is on his second day of steroid therapy.

Medications: Some people talk here about using Pepto Bismol when the dog has inflammation. This, we have learned, is not as good a treatment as using liquid Zantac which your vet can prescribe, but you can acquire from the human pharmacy (Ranitidine).

We have been lucky with our dog because he is a larger Yorkie. A week ago he weighed 10 lbs. and when he first got sick he was roughly 14. This past week he lost about a pound, coming down to 9.1 lbs. because he has not been able to keep food down, then stopped eating all together.

We believe we have discovered that he has an allergy to chicken, plus perhaps several other foods. Our hope is that keeping him away from chicken and feeding him this vegetarian diet in conjunction with the Zantac will lead to improvement.

In one past episode, he responded well to an antibiotic with a single steroid injection. I have seen some people here talk about reactions to steroids. In our case, the Prednisone actually caused instant and marked improvement in his deportment - taking him from depressed back toward normal behaviours.

Wogger · 02-18-2008, 08:43 AM

Your poor little pup!! Two of my human children have IBD (ulcerative colitis) and it is a HORRIBLE disease!!!

Omega 3 and probiotics are natural things that can help both animals and people with IBD. Flagyl seems to help some.

Give your pup a hug for me

OwenandDaisy · 02-18-2008, 11:28 PM

Hello to everyone dealing with IBD in their Yorkie.

In our case, it has come to pass that IBD was not the correct diagnosis for our five year old male dog. He actually had kidney disease and he passed away today.

It is our hope that sharing the details of his illness will help someone else achieve a proper diagnosis.

First, I must make the point that Owen was our first dog. We did not recognize subtle signs in him that a more experienced owner might have realized to be kidney trouble.

Still, our misdiagnosis could well have happened to anyone.

So, here is our story:

In August of 2007 our dog began vomiting several times each day. He also had wicked diarrhea. He had thrown up many times in the past, so we were used to this and expected him to stop after two days. When he did not, we took him in for treatment.

The vet looked him over and gave him a short acting steroid and an antibiotic - believing he had eaten something (he was notorious for getting into garbage and buried treasures on a walk) that contained a chemical or other toxin.

The steroid and antibiotic ended his trouble - at least temporarily.

About a week later the vomiting began again - with some yellow bile present - and this worsened until he had to be seen at the local animal emergency. After a course of blood work and other treatment he was diagnosed with IBD or possibly a pancreas issue. He was started on a low fat diet after getting fluids from an IV and a host of helpful injections.

When the low fat diet seemed to work, and Owen returned to normal, the diagnosis of IBD seemed to fit his history of gastric troubles. He sometimes burped a bit of bile and we learned to control this with liquid Zantac.

When Owen became ill recently, we began the usual course of treatment for a flare up of IBD. We administered Zantac twice a day and gave Metachlopromide when there was vomiting. He wasn't getting better.

After four visits to the vet or emergency in 10 days, we had Owen on steroids and he was not responding. It became apparent that something more was wrong with him. We went to a new vet, ran blood work (which the emergency had refused to run the previous night stating that the blood work would be out of line due to his steroid medication) and discovered that his kidneys had completely failed.

We now clearly know that Owen had kidney disease, not IBD, but presented with symptoms of IBD. His blood work in August 07 at the emergency was actually normal with only slight elevation in creatinine.

His blood work today was off the charts and we ended his suffering peacefully.

The loss of this lovely dog at the age of five in a family where we do not have children is devastating. Our hope is that sharing our story might prevent another dog from improper diagnosis and to help people be aware that kidney disease can be diagnosed as IBD.

Thank you Owen for the joy you brought to our lives. You will never be forgotten.

07-19-2007, 08:59 PM	#18
SophieRose Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Petaluma Posts: 2,217	I want to just add that corn, wheat products are too irritable for their systems. Watch the protein level reading when the blood test is done. This is a very painful disease for these little pups. Science Diet from the vet is not nutritional and should only be used for a short time because if you read the label, the protein is very low. Sophie was ill for several years and escalated to continuous bloody stools. Very debilitating. A internist (animal) would be my recommendation if you don't see significant results. Read extensively about pancreatitis, IBS and colitis in Yorkies. Warmly, Deborah PS I am so sorry to hear your pup is sick because it is such a worry. __________________ Peace and Light, Deborah My Sweet Sophie 1994-2007Welcome, Charlie Barley 4.14.07 & Sofia Bella 9.13.08 http://www.dogster.com/dogs/535291

07-25-2007, 09:47 AM	#20
YorkieSue Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: NY Posts: 96	IBD Thanks for all the info from everyone I have researched and researched this insidious disease in dogs and it's a disorder that requires constant vigilance with Buddy, my sick little guy...not so little for a Yorkie--thank God, he is very sturdy!! I now know what it is, the causes, the consequences for the dog, the heartbreak for me, the worry and the joy of seeing a beautiful poop with regularity. Rught now, Buddy is on day 10 of health--but waking up each morning is really like walking on eggs with him cause I can tell from the moment he opens his eyes if this day will be a good, healthy, playful one as all Yorkies should have. I don't like it one bit, But Buddy, for the foreseeable future, is on Reglan 2x daily with pepsid (will fade the pepsid soon) and i/d dog food, which I am not crazy about either--BUT HE IS!! I feed him smaller amts three times a day.I am traveling for the next two months so do not have the luxury of weaning him off meds or getting him onto a healthier food (tho I am told the i/d is very nutritious but still.....)because STABLIZING him is the critical point now. Besides where I am in VT is not very conducive to great Vet care--not like in NY. The closest really good one is an hour away--certainly not practical if he should get really sick because I decided to experiment--which I will not!! I also travel with Flagyl because the moment I see the mucuous and blood in his stool, I start that and it seems to work fast. This poor little guy has upper and lower distress though I know this is not a requirement for a diagnosis of IBD--it can be either or both. Thank you all for your suggestions. I don't know what Tylan powder is but will check. Some of you may know that I represent a holistic dog food company and my little Dixie Cup is thriving on this wonderful food. But I won't even try it again with Buddy--this little guy gets sick with a smidgeon of boiled, low sodium turkey--if this gives you any idea of how sensitive his tummy is. Anyway, it sort of kills me that my own food is not appropriate for what he had but hell, stuff happens. At this point, I almost don't care what I have to do to give him the quality he deserves. I can no longer tolerate watching this adorable little/big guy mope around, in pain from whichever portion of his G.I tract is bothering, with diarrhea and vomiting. The I/D dog food seems to be helping and I know the Reglan is. One day, MAYBE, he will be off meds...I would really like that. I welcome any other suggestions...thanks again to you all. Susan, Buddy and Dixie Cups. mom

07-25-2007, 10:26 AM	#21
YorkieSue Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: NY Posts: 96	IBD response to TLC and to all I am so grateful for this long letter of yours, TLC. I do not feel so alone any longer. I have been and am going thru hell with Buddy, although for ten whole days he has been symptom free--even playful and naughty like a Yorkie should be. What a joy. But I know what's coming in just a matter of time, unfortunately. I have and am literally the poster child/dog for your letter. I AM walking in your past shoes--I say 'past' cause obviously your Tylan powder is working. But every word you typed is EXACTLY what I am going thru with Buddy, my rescue Yorkie. Little did Iknow but guess what? I would have adopted him anyway!! His is almost five years old and God knows how long he has had this malady. I too, hate, just hate giving him vet food or even commercial food of any kind. Since I sell holistic dog food, I long ago gave up on the commercial food (if it's sold in the store you can count on it not being really fresh and could even be risking your dog's health as things are going nowadays) but now I am forced to listen to my vet (whom I adore) because I need to help my little 'fireplug' aka Buddy to stop vomiting and spewing out bloody/mucousy stools. It is very hard on MY NERVOUS SYSTEM to say nothinig of how lousy he must feel during the regular flare-ups. I think I mentioned in a letter to you personally, TLC,or on the boards that I will not only check out this powder but will also ask my vet when I get home from my travels, in about two months. Of course, I took Buddy and Dixie with me for these three months out of NY as I travel thruout N.E. but because I am traveling I have no options with Buddy. My vet and I discussed this and she wants me to keep him on Reglan 2x a day plus pepcid and the i/d dog food until I get home. If I try to make any changes while traveling, and he gets REALLY SICK, I am screwed as the vet situation, as you can safely assume, when traveling around here is almost non-existent; especially when you are not a customer and have the daunting task of going thru all the preliminaries with someone new <arrrrgh>. By the Way, if anyone knows of any PET INSURANCE that might be approved for a dog with IBD, please let me know. I tried VPI (I think this was it) and they turned me down flat because it's a pre-existing condition. However, if I had called what Buddy has "gastritis" I think they would have approved him. Go figure..... Time to send this.

07-26-2007, 04:54 AM	#26
Wylie's Mom Furbutts = LOVE Donating Member Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 35,889 Blog Entries: 2	Wow, this is more common than I thought, these poor little babies! Well, I've been using the Tylan for almost a week - and also Pepto. Marcel has had some "soft serve" as well as some mucus/gel (trace blood), BUT, interestingly - he hasn't "felt" symptomatic. I've heard his tummy start the gurgle, at which time I immed. give some Pepto to soothe and to prevent full-on diarrhea. He has NOT felt under the weather at all! So, even though I can tell his system is acting up a bit, the Tylan/Pepto combo seems to be starting to help w/ both the episodes (not progressing/worsening) and with how he actually feels. I am really hopeful that after a month on Tylan, I see some progressive results. His diet is so very simple: chicken, parmesan sprinkle, occasional rice. He has Orijen for grazing (http://www.championpetfoods.com/orij...redients.aspx), which is grain free and I like this food better than even Canidae. This is all he eats except for bully sticks. It's really helpful to hear from all of you who are going through the same things. __________________ ~ A friend told me I was delusional. I nearly fell off my unicorn. ~ °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° Ann \| Pfeiffer \| Marcel Verdel Purcell \| Wylie \| Artie °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨°

02-17-2008, 06:55 PM	#28
OwenandDaisy Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 10	We have it bad We have two Yorkies - one is five years old and one is three. The five year old is a male who has been stricken with IBD for about a year. Right now he is in the midst of a really bad episode. What we have learned: Food allergies are the most common cause. Foot licking, eye drainage that turns red, crimson colour on hair around feet and regular troubles with ear infections are common signs of impending IBD related to food allergies. Treatment: We have discovered a vegetarian diet that we will try when Owen starts eating again. Right now he is not eating and is on his second day of steroid therapy. Medications: Some people talk here about using Pepto Bismol when the dog has inflammation. This, we have learned, is not as good a treatment as using liquid Zantac which your vet can prescribe, but you can acquire from the human pharmacy (Ranitidine). We have been lucky with our dog because he is a larger Yorkie. A week ago he weighed 10 lbs. and when he first got sick he was roughly 14. This past week he lost about a pound, coming down to 9.1 lbs. because he has not been able to keep food down, then stopped eating all together. We believe we have discovered that he has an allergy to chicken, plus perhaps several other foods. Our hope is that keeping him away from chicken and feeding him this vegetarian diet in conjunction with the Zantac will lead to improvement. In one past episode, he responded well to an antibiotic with a single steroid injection. I have seen some people here talk about reactions to steroids. In our case, the Prednisone actually caused instant and marked improvement in his deportment - taking him from depressed back toward normal behaviours.

07-19-2007, 06:08 PM	#16
Yorkiedaze My hairy-legged girls Donating Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: lompoc, ca. Posts: 12,228	This is what I found in my Home Veterinary Handbook: Inflammatory Bowel Disease: This is a group of diseases of the small and large intestine characterized by chronic and protracted diarrhea, malabsorption, weight loss, anemia and malnutrition. They are all treatable, but seldom cured. In each case a different type of inflammatory cell is found in large numbers in the lining of the small and/or large intestine. These cells distinguish the specific diseases. Diagnosis is made by endoscopy and biopsy of the bowel wall, or by exploratory surgery. Lymphocytic-Plasmacytic Enterocolitis: This is the most common inflammatory bowel disease in dogs. LPE has been associated with giardiasis, food allergy and overgrowth of intestinal bacteria. Lymphocytes and plasma cells are the target cells seen on biopsy. Certain breeds are predisposed, suggesting a genetic influence. They are the Basenji, Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier and Chinese Shar-Pei. In the Basenji, the disease is known to be related to an immune disorder. LPE produces a small bowel-type diarrhea. Vomiting is common. Involvement of the colon produces signs of colitis. Hypoallergenic diets cause partial or complete resolution of symptoms in some dogs. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial overgrowth and giardiasis. Immunosuppressant drugs such as azathioprine (Imuran) and/or prednisone are used if other treatments are not successful. In this book, it goes on to explain these forms of IBD also; Eosinophilic Enterocolitis, Granulomatous (Regional) Enteritis, Neutrophilic Enterocolitis and Histiocytic Ulcerative Colitis, which I will gladly fill those in if anyone wants.

07-25-2007, 06:56 PM	#24
dwerten BANNED! Join Date: May 2007 Location: USA Posts: 11,073	dexter could not tolerate lean ground turkey as he got real sick out of the hospital and ended up back with a bacteria infection from this food. He only vomits so his issue is upper gi but yours is upper and lower as upper is vomitting and lower is diarrhea - you need to get him stable on just food with out meds and i would try purina ha as my vet uses this with his dogs and soy is easier to digest as dexter has been doing good on this. He gets nothing but this though - NO TREATS- once you get him on this food exclusively and no medicine - start pro biotics for a month - if that works then go to enzymes - you need to do baby steps with these guys. I am still at food step only - vet told me he could get use to this diet and get sick again and last resort is steroids or another drug and i do not want to do that so trying to do it with diet. Donia is awesome - she believes food is your best medicine and she has helped a lot of dogs on my other yorkie lists. It is not as easy as it is all home cooked.

07-28-2007, 01:49 PM	#27
dwerten BANNED! Join Date: May 2007 Location: USA Posts: 11,073	you may want to ask about the pepcid as girgling is acid and that could help with that. dexter had the vomitting end so not sure on the other end what to do but check into that

02-18-2008, 08:43 AM	#29
Wogger Donating Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 141	Your poor little pup!! Two of my human children have IBD (ulcerative colitis) and it is a HORRIBLE disease!!! Omega 3 and probiotics are natural things that can help both animals and people with IBD. Flagyl seems to help some. Give your pup a hug for me

02-18-2008, 11:28 PM	#30
OwenandDaisy Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 10	The worst happened Hello to everyone dealing with IBD in their Yorkie. In our case, it has come to pass that IBD was not the correct diagnosis for our five year old male dog. He actually had kidney disease and he passed away today. It is our hope that sharing the details of his illness will help someone else achieve a proper diagnosis. First, I must make the point that Owen was our first dog. We did not recognize subtle signs in him that a more experienced owner might have realized to be kidney trouble. Still, our misdiagnosis could well have happened to anyone. So, here is our story: In August of 2007 our dog began vomiting several times each day. He also had wicked diarrhea. He had thrown up many times in the past, so we were used to this and expected him to stop after two days. When he did not, we took him in for treatment. The vet looked him over and gave him a short acting steroid and an antibiotic - believing he had eaten something (he was notorious for getting into garbage and buried treasures on a walk) that contained a chemical or other toxin. The steroid and antibiotic ended his trouble - at least temporarily. About a week later the vomiting began again - with some yellow bile present - and this worsened until he had to be seen at the local animal emergency. After a course of blood work and other treatment he was diagnosed with IBD or possibly a pancreas issue. He was started on a low fat diet after getting fluids from an IV and a host of helpful injections. When the low fat diet seemed to work, and Owen returned to normal, the diagnosis of IBD seemed to fit his history of gastric troubles. He sometimes burped a bit of bile and we learned to control this with liquid Zantac. When Owen became ill recently, we began the usual course of treatment for a flare up of IBD. We administered Zantac twice a day and gave Metachlopromide when there was vomiting. He wasn't getting better. After four visits to the vet or emergency in 10 days, we had Owen on steroids and he was not responding. It became apparent that something more was wrong with him. We went to a new vet, ran blood work (which the emergency had refused to run the previous night stating that the blood work would be out of line due to his steroid medication) and discovered that his kidneys had completely failed. We now clearly know that Owen had kidney disease, not IBD, but presented with symptoms of IBD. His blood work in August 07 at the emergency was actually normal with only slight elevation in creatinine. His blood work today was off the charts and we ended his suffering peacefully. The loss of this lovely dog at the age of five in a family where we do not have children is devastating. Our hope is that sharing our story might prevent another dog from improper diagnosis and to help people be aware that kidney disease can be diagnosed as IBD. Thank you Owen for the joy you brought to our lives. You will never be forgotten.