Dog Community

Yorkie has IBD/protein losing enteropathy

Posted : 8/17/2006 12:51:23 AM

Hello,I am new to the board. I wanted to ask about my 7 year old Yorkie. She has a problem with abdominal distention. It is called ascites and it was determined that it was from losing proteins. My vet diagnosed it as liver failure with no hope. I took her to Purdue and they did much more extensive tests and an endoscopy showed IBD in the small intestine. They put her on IVD rabbit and potato and gave her iv of metronidazole to get rid of the ascites and it worked .Her stools have been soft but no vomiting. Two weeks later she was doing great maintaining weight and this was also the point she stopped taking the metronidazole I was giving her at home. Two days later the ascites returned and now she is back on the metronidazole. The distention has gone done some, 4 days later but it's taking some time. She acts fine and eats well,but this has me wondering if there could be another contributing factor. She was diagnosed with lymphoplasmacytic enteritis (spelling?)type IBD. I decided to give her a supplement of enzymes,probiotics and prebiotics starting today. It's made by Eagle Pack(solution?).The protein losing issue really concerns me. Can anyone relate to a situation like this where IBD alone caused such a issue with absorbing proteins and how things turned out. Her IBD case is more about losing proteins that runny stools or vomiting.

It sounds like trial and error on the diet. If it gets worse,I'm afraid of putting her on steroids if there are more holistic means of trying to resolve it. Any input would be very helpful at this point because vets don't seem to know much about dog foods,so I feel I'm on my own in a sense.I have read a bunch about foods and was shocked at how bad many of the commercial brands really are. There are only a few foods I will buy in the future. I would even consider a raw diet as a last resort, if it comes to it. Thanks so much.

tacran

Posted : 8/17/2006 12:26:41 PM

I don't have any concrete info or advice for you -- I just wanted to say I'm sorry to hear about your little dog's issues. Our friends had a Basset Hound who struggled with diarrhea from puppyhood. After lots of food changes, vets, meds, tests, and finally endoscopy procedures, they diagnosed her with Lymphangiectasia. It sounds similar to your Yorkie's diagnosis because the main result is that proteins are not absorbed by the body. Her appetite was enormous, but she lost weight and had lots of other immune issues (skin & eye infections). We scoured the internet for solutions; the general consensus is that attempts can be made at managing the condition with dietary changes, minimal stress levels, some meds, but nothing as a full cure. There was a Yahoo group at one time that was geared towards folks with dogs with IBD. I can't recall the exact link, but you should be able to find it searching the Yahoo Groups.

Someone else on this forum will likely have more helpful info - especially regarding some homeopathic or natural things you could try to support the digestive system. I hope things improve for your furbaby. I know how awful it is to see them sick and not to be able to figure out how to help them feel better. Take care, and give your sweet dog a scratch from me.

cakana

Posted : 8/17/2006 1:04:58 PM

I seem to be recommending her a lot today, but in all honesty, if I had a dog with any kind of dietary issues, such as you do, I'd give serious consideration to consulting with Monica Segal ([linkhttp://www.monicasegal.com]www.monicasegal.com[/link]). She will develop a diet specifically for your dog and your dog's health problems. At a minimum I'd join this yahoo group [linkhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/K9Kitchen]http://groups.yahoo.com/group/K9Kitchen[/link]. It is Monica's group and she offers some advice and there are others on there sharing their stories too. It's a great source of information and has some files you can review on different diets and health issues.

jessies_mom

Posted : 8/17/2006 3:01:22 PM

Hi; I want to welcome you to idog and also say I'm sorry that your girl has a serious and hard to treat condition. I've had Jessie to Purdue to treat her allergies and it has really helped; they also treated our cat for cancer; that was five years ago and he's doing great. I agree with cakana about Monica Segal; she would formulate a diet especially for your dog and also work with your vet.