My heart is breaking! Any advice appreciated. - Page 2

i WOULD START HIM ON TYLAN.  Sounds like he has some gut issues;  be sure to rule out IBS or EPI;  both have tests that need to be done to rule this out.  I would also give him a 3-5 day panacur treatment;  I do believe that will also get whip if that is a possibility;  as some of the symptoms sound like whip to me.???  You can guess until the cows come home but do rule out the above before making any more changes;  and if you do make changes do it very slowly.  Best of luck  Nanci

Tylan can be bought without a prescription and it is pretty cheap at KV Vet Supply. That's where I get my dog's Tylan from. He is on it twice a day for the rest of his life.

I know you said that they have changed food several times, but have they tried the SAME food that you were feeding to him?  Also, frequent food changes can cause vomiting and diarrhea.  It may be a good idea to do a bland diet boiled beef or chicken and rice for a few days to get the GI tract under control, then gradually start mixing in a new food.

If it were my dog I would also do a broad spectrum deworming to take care of any parasites he may have.  Like others said, stool and giardia tests commonly have false negatives.  Can't hurt, might help.  I took back a pup from my breeding and even though her stool tests came back negative, she was rail thin and I was having a heck of a time getting weight on her.  Gave her a dose of Strongid, and a 3 day course of Panacur.  She had a little soft stool then all of a sudden starting putting that weight back on =)  Must have had some kind of parasite.

I remember another breeder having a similar problem with an older pup, went to a new home and kept getting sick with vomiting and diarrhea.  Breeder had kept back a littermate and that pup had no problems.  After all kinds of testing and diets with no change or results, she ended up taking the dog back for a few weeks, ran a course of deworming and fed the food he had eaten there and got his GI tract under control.  They found out that the food they (the new owners) had been feeding, I believe it was Iams (after the big recall) was contaminated and making the dog sick.  Don't remember what the contaminant was, think it was salmonella or somthing like that.  They got different food, took the dog back, and last I heard he was doing fine.

I have seen Elvis several times within the past few months.  He is energetic, bright eyes, beautiful coat and looks and acts healthy.  That's why I would have never known until they told me anything was wrong. 

They are good owners and they trust their vet because they've been to him for a while with other dogs.  After talking with them tongiht they have decided to meet me at my vet's office to help.  They love him and have been accepting of him even though they've been told he would have special needs because of his stomach.  I don't fault them for that.  They trust the vet and have only now begun to realize that there may be more to it. 

We held Reggie and Elvis back and they went to their new homes, next door to each other, within two weeks of each other. 

I'm a firm believer in feeding adult food and unfortunately I've had 3 buyers who have had vets who changed their foods.  The vets had either told them I was wrong or they have recomended a brand they sell.  Two of those ended up with severe pano and now Elvis. 

I TRULY appreciate all of your insight and advice.  This will give me the start I need to help them understand that its not normal and can't be treated as a sensitive stomach or something else without definitive testing.  I want to help this baby boy feel better and make sure that he and his family live their lives to the fullest with each other!

THANK YOU!  Next week is the start of a new chapter for Elvis!  I will keep you posted!

Please do! I would like to hear what comes out of the testing. :)

Might be a long shot, if the giardia doesnt check out, have him tested for Persistent Right Aortic Arch (PRAA).

 Does that cause diarrhea too? 

I take dog out to woods or building at night. I tie dog to tree or post and pay people to do riverdance and beat dog with rubber hose. No more problem! Sorry, but if the dog has an allergy, most of the time it is to corn or grain. Every vet sells science diet because it benefits them and it is crap! Like someone said before, constantly changing the dog will give you shitty results. Do the tests, treat for giardia, and get him on a consistent diet.

 Those aren't allergy symptoms, Gorgeous. Unless, of course, there are allergy symptoms present that aren't being disclosed here. This is more of a GI issue, IMO. 

I didn't think so, beautiful, but wanted to point out that most of what dogs are allergic to. By the way, I'm allergic to cats, even your fancy felines! Do you know much about the hypo-allergenic cats?