Poor little Licorice..

Lesley · Post by **Lesley** » Sat Jun 29, 2013 10:09 pm

D once again! This time is the worst. She is so tiny that a few bad BMs (mostly mucous and greenish) dehydrated her. We had to go to the vet again to get her hydrated, and get her meds.

I missed her signals that she needed to get outside ASAP so she went on the carpet (shudder) and was totally humiliated. Then she was sick in the car on the way back from the vet. She has had a miserable day, and I can SO both sympathize and empathize. Been there, done that.

I haven't had her a full 2 months yet and she has had this 3 times. She doesn't get grains or gluten here. Right now she is only getting chicken and rice, although she is not eating much.

I love her to bits, but why did I have to get a dog with a propensity for D?

JLH · Post by **JLH** » Sat Jun 29, 2013 10:57 pm

So sorry, Lesley. What does the vet say? You do know not to give treats from China..............

shekoe · Post by **shekoe** » Sun Jun 30, 2013 10:40 am

I rescued a beautiful lab mix 2+ years ago. She had the same problem. Many $$$$ later, a vet internal medicine specialist prescribed: 1) a novel protein, grain free food ( duck, rabbit, or venison), and a low dose of Tylan (Tylosin) powder. This drug is a macrolide, usually prescribed for poultry to prevent/treat upper respiratory infections. Finally, my dog had almost Normans. Vets, as dedicated as most are, are as undereducated on animal GI diseases as are their human counterparts. My dog remains on Tylan, probably forever. However, she is healthy, playful, D free and training to become a therapy dog. Good luck and PM me if I can help further. Sheila

Post by **tex** » Sun Jun 30, 2013 12:42 pm

Hi Sheila,

Thanks for sharing that information.

Back when we had a lot of cattle as part of our farming/ranching operation, if/when any of them became seriously ill (I'm talking fatal, if left untreated, or if inadequately treated), Tylan was what we usually used for the most serious cases, when an antibiotic was needed. Note that since it's a macrolide, it can be used to treat Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis bacteria (MAP), which causes Johnne's disease in livestock, and is suspected by many authorities to cause Crohn's disease in humans.

Tex

JLH · Post by **JLH** » Sun Jun 30, 2013 12:47 pm

Shelia, that's great about therapy dog training. Both of our Borzoi are therapy dogs certified by a local group that is more stringent that the national ones. My dog, Jazz, can go mainly to nursing homes and assisted living places. We go to the fair and could go to Miracle League and other venues. I haven't gone on for other certifications mainly because of my MC.

DH and his dog are certified go to hospitals and assist with speech, physical, and occupational therapy appointments and much more.

Lesley, if you give me a dx for your pup, I can look up some articles in the Whole Dog Journal for you. It is not mainstream, though.

This hasn't been updated for ages. http://www.dogsoncall.com/Meet_Our_Therapy_Dogs.html

Our older girl is in this video with the little girl in the nighty http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYFbTqbM ... ZBepDWB4mk

UkuleleLady · Post by **UkuleleLady** » Sun Jun 30, 2013 3:10 pm

Hi Lesley,
Poor little Licorice indeed. I'm sorry that she has the D. A problem that is a little too close to home, I'm sure.

I hope the medicine works and Licorice is feeling better soon. I love dogs and it pains me when mine aren't feeling well.

Sincerely,
Nancy

Lesley · Post by **Lesley** » Mon Jul 01, 2013 3:36 pm

Thanks you guys. She is feeling MUCH better today. Her eyes are bright again. She is also way more playful. Still sleeping more than normal (which is good, since I haven't been too good this morning). but way better.

Joan, there is no dx. People tell me that small breeds like this often have sensitive tummies. I hope we can sort her out!
That is a great pic of her!

She has to be a SERVICE dog to live here, but she's not a trained therapy dog. I have been thinking about getting her trained, since I am trained (a therapist) and would love to take her places so that people can meet her, and she can help.

JLH · Post by **JLH** » Mon Jul 01, 2013 9:13 pm

Glad she is doing better and I hope you are, too.

So do you have the trainer so Licorice can be your service dog?

A young girl in Dogs on Call has a service dog that also was trained and certified to be a therapy dog. Catherine (her twin also has it) has Epidermolysis Bullosa (they call them Butterfly Children) and is not doing well, I've heard. It's a really horrid disease of blisters and peeling skin all over the body and even in the throat.

BTW, the service dogs are trained in a prision in Florida.

JLH · Post by **JLH** » Tue Jul 02, 2013 7:51 am

I wonder if gluten could possibly have anything to do with EB? I just suspect it for everything now.

Post by **tex** » Tue Jul 02, 2013 8:31 am

Joan wrote:I wonder if gluten could possibly have anything to do with EB? I just suspect it for everything now.

Most doctors would say that you're paranoid, but I say that you're right on target.

In conclusion, our results prompt us to hypothesized that in these patients, due to the fragility of the intestinal mucosa, the absence in the diet of gluten may be beneficial.

Improvement of renal function in epidermolysis bullosa patients after gluten free diet: two cases.

Tex

JLH · Post by **JLH** » Tue Jul 02, 2013 10:35 am

Holy cow, Tex, THANKS. I, of course, had researched it a bit but other things got in the way.

mzh · Post by **mzh** » Sun Jul 07, 2013 7:52 am

We had a greyhound, Cullen, who needed to be on tylosin the last 2 years of his life. I often wondered if I should have taken his med too b/c I was having bad mc at the time! It worked beautifully for him.

Lesley · Post by **Lesley** » Sun Jul 07, 2013 1:31 pm

Wow! I haven't had a proper visit, and this thread is so interesting.

Licorice is better, much better. Back to herself. She is having Normans - 2 the day before yesterday, none yesterday, but she's fine. (We went out and she had one today too!)
She is playful and happy. The sweetest dog I could ever have adopted.
She needs a lot more training, but she is doing very well. I do have to be careful with her food. She is so little. I can't give her too much, and limiting her is hard for a Jewish mother, so I curb my instincts.

Funny that I have to watch my dog's diet as well as my own!
BTW Joan, she is almost entirely gluten free.

JLH · Post by **JLH** » Sun Jul 07, 2013 4:01 pm

GREAT NEWS!

She should be entirely, Lesley.........And corn, soy, and dairy free according to DogtorJ. DH fed cheese for treats for the older dog when she was in obedience school. They got a tiny (nut cup) bit of ice cream at the Italian Ice store but that was so infrequently.

http://dogtorj.com/what-is-food-intoler ... the-big-4/

Lesley · Post by **Lesley** » Mon Jul 08, 2013 9:18 pm

The only gluten she is getting now are home made whole wheat treats made for her by my nutty neighbor.
They are nearly finished, but she loves them, and they help with her training.
I never buy any food from China for anyone, let alone my Licorice (with whom, I guess you know by now) I am totally in love.

She has had some plain yogurt while taking antibiotics. She loves it, so I give her a half a teaspoon full every couple of days.
Adam's dog, Lenny, LOVES cheese. Licorice hasn't had it because there is none in this house.

I cook for her. She gets a chicken neck for breakfast (raw - has all the calcium she needs and is good for teeth), and a mix of 70% protein, 30% veggies for dinner. She is doing really well on this diet.
No corn, no soy, no dairy, no grains.