UPDATE - Worried mom - diarrhea, mucous, coughing

I've got this ancient Floor-da house with bad wiring.  Since I can't run my slow cooker and my microwave at the same time without blowing a fuse (we won't even talk about trying to run anything with the stove) I ... er ... um ... mash everything with a potato masher.
 
Like Lori says, it's gotta be mashed to mush.  er ... pate (Lori I like that -- next time I need my husband's muscle I'm going to tell him to just envision pate -- it won't help but it WILL get me off the hook!!  But it sure does sound better than "mush it up")  It's not so much that they don't 'like' it -- it's just that it doesn't get digested.

How is Prancer feeling today?

Prancer is feeling much better - hasn't been going to her crate at all.  Stupid me - thought that she was going there because she liked it, not because she was in pain !  She's been wanting to "run and jump and play" which was only a bit off during this past week.
But last night I saw her tongue flicking after a burp like sound - which sort of sent ME back down in the dumps
I'm considering bringing her to the vet today for another bloodtest and then will probably either take her to a specialist or have blood sent for a complete gastro evaluation.
And I think I'm going to start using the vet in Tarpon Springs as her regular vet - its 30 minutes away, so not my ideal for a regular vet.  The ER is 15 minutes away but they're not open 24x7 (they open after regular vet hours are over).    Or maybe I can keep my knucklehead vet and just buy my Frontline and Heartguard from him and have him administer any shots the TCVM vet recommends - sort of "keep him on the line" (he's only 5 minutes away).

UPDATE:
I couldn't bear the worry any longer so I brought her back to the regular vet to have her bloodtest redone after a 12 hr fast and everything looks like it is back to normal.  Her BUN is spot on normal, and her lipase is now 1282, down from 1834 (ref range 200 - 1800).
I asked the vet if he thinks she's now prone to pancreatitis and he said no, that all she needs is a normal diet instead of the cockeyed stuff I had her on (he REALLY hates homecooking for dogs).
I'm still debating if I'll continue to homecook.   My goal in homecooking was to reduce the grains in her diet since I felt they were unnatural .... but obviously she doesn't do well with a high protein high fat diet, so I'll probably go back to a quality avg protein/fat commercial (ie: no EVO - I'm sure she wouldn't be able to handle it) and use a homecooked topper up to 1/3rd of her diet to reduce the amt of additives and oversupplementation she's exposed to.
 
I want to strangle my vet for scaring me so badly !
 

This is great news!  I know how you feel mine scared me too.  And, after seeing her films I'm like 99% positive she was having and IBS flare up.  Painful but non life threatening like the "obstruction" they were checking for! 
 
I'm sure you'll be able to find a good grain free kibble whose company wasn't involoved in the recalls.  I'm still true to Natural Balance Fish despite the issues they had with the other flavors.  It just works so, so well for her.  But, Evanger's also makes a great product.  They sent me generous size sample bags too. 
 
 

Thanks Lori.   I think we're both on the right track.  You know Willow SO well, I'm sure you'll get to the heart of the matter very soon.
I hate to give NB my money (I don't like the whole Vension formula fiasco, I feel like they lied big time) but Prancer did really well on both the Duck/Potato and Fish/SweetPotato formulas also, so I'll probably be going back to those myself, along with Canidae.   I'm also going to see if the store near me carries the California Natural cans - or maybe they can order some for me.
Once BlueBuffalo comes back out with cans I know I'll be using those - I think they handled the recall situation rather well - either that or they have an excellent marketing staff because I really feel like they CARED.

There are good vets in Florida but you do pay a price.  From Altamonte I drive to Deland for my 'regular' vet (that's almost 35 minutes and more in 'traffic') because he's GOOD and he works with me.  The holistic vet is 20 minutes in the other direction.  There are probably 15 vets within 5 minutes of me and I won't darken their door. 

You don't have to use grains to homecook -- I virtually use none, and I don't use a high protein diet either.  The advantage to a home-cooked diet for a dog like Prancer is because you *CAN* absolutely tailor it for this particular dog.  If you run into Dr. Rimar make sure you tell her Billy and the rest of us say "hi" (she left after her post-grad work was complete at UF and the Chi Institute to go TO Tarpon Springs). 

But honestly -- please don't choose a vet because of convenience -- it's a trap.  And a vet who will give you this much garbage over somethingg this small, will also give you all kinds of hassle if something ever really *does* go wrong and you need the regular vet to work with a holistic vet.  There are too many good holistic vets and 'regular' vets in the Tampa area.  Leaving the vet feeling like you've been told you were "a bad girl" is no way to trust a vet!
 
That last sentence is clear as mud -- my point is walking away from a veterinary office feeling like you've been 'disciplined' for doing something you felt strongly about is just plain not how you should feel about your vet. 

That last sentence is clear as mud -- my point is walking away from a veterinary office feeling like you've been 'disciplined' for doing something you felt strongly about is just plain not how you should feel about your vet.

 
You are 100% right Callie - plus the way he scared me half to death rather than speaking to with logic and understanding.   I've been wanting to change vets and nows the time.  I'm going to call the Vet in Tarpon Springs next week and make an "I'm all better" appointment with them.  Prancer is only 1 so I have many years ahead to develop a relationship there.
 
I'm sure I'll be homecooking again - just not right now - I'm going to take a step back and try it again once I'm more sure of myself.  I think my next step is to try and stick to a turkey, egg, rice mixture to mimic the Hill's I/D to some degree.  I'd like to add cod to it after that goes well.  Then I'll start to substitute the rice for a nongrain carb.    This time I'm going to do it very slowly so I can better monitor changes - I'll probably also do more bloodtests at the new vet to watch lipase levels.   Slow and steady wins the race

You really can't truly 'mimic' a commercial diet -- because they put an unbelievable amount of 'supplementation' in their food (so the 'food' isn't always what you think it is). 
 
I'd either ask at the clinic or even get Monica Segal's help (she's really not expensive given what you're already spending)  -- she'll write a diet for you and help you know what you can and can not switch. 
 
In home cooking, most of your 'safety' comes in wide wide variety.  That and learning what your dog can and can't tolerate well.  My dogs like veggies I would never ever have guessed -- from okra to rutabaga and kale to "broccoslaw".  It's amazing.  And it's easier than I ever would have guessed to feed them grain free.  That's become more important with the UTIs Billy runs --
 
BUT at the same time, there are times when even *I* take a break.  Either because I'm sick or just plain toooooo busy.  Just don't drop back because you're too scared to do it -- just use the time to gather your brain together!!

You really can't truly 'mimic' a commercial diet -- because they put an unbelievable amount of 'supplementation' in their food (so the 'food' isn't always what you think it is).

 
[sm=asking03.gif] They hadn't even had the i/d "complete and balanced" until just recently.

I don't mean that particular one, I mean anything ... in other words if you are feeding XYZ's "duck and sweet potato" -- you can't just serve homecooked duck and sweet potato and have that be the 'same' as that commercial food.  The commerical foods all have (at least the better quality ones) specific standards they have to meet with x% of calcium, y% of phosphorous, z% of Vit A, etc. -- so whatever those main ingredients don't have they add as supplementation. 
 
That's what the vets are banking on -- is they can recommend whichever label 'reads' what they want for a client -- it's not that they are specifically wanting that particular meat or whatever ... but they know that those 'minimums' are supposed to be in that can or bag. 
 
When you home cook, you have to balance those things yourself -- the point of the home cooking is that the nutrition is 'fresh' rather than being simply chemocals added to make up the difference.  And the fresh nutrition is usually  better absorbed and better quality and more useable for the body.  Like living on Lean Cuisine and/or candy bars and vitamins as opposed to a balanced diet of fresh cooked food. 
 
I didn't mean that to be cryptic -- but she made the comment that she'd use turkey and something to be like a food she'd fed before.  My caution was that you can't just use those named "things" and have a complete diet.  I wasn't being negative about commercial diets -- just cautioning that she not try to have a couple of ingredients be a complete diet.  Sorry if I was unclear.

I'm still not sure what chemicals you are saying are added to the food to make up for what it's lacking in nutrition.  What chemicals are added for nutrition's sake?  Are you talking vitamins and minerals?  Those are chemicals?  [sm=asking03.gif]

I think she may mean extra *synthetic* vitamins and minerals.  From what I understand it is easier for the body for absorb nutriants from natural sources than synthetic ones.


To the OP--I just want you to know how hard it can be to have to deal with all this diet stuff.  You have my support.....

You really can't truly 'mimic' a commercial diet -- because they put an unbelievable amount of 'supplementation' in their food (so the 'food' isn't always what you think it is).
 
I don't mean that particular one, I mean anything ... in other words if you are feeding XYZ's "duck and sweet potato" -- you can't just serve homecooked duck and sweet potato and have that be the 'same' as that commercial food.  The commerical foods all have (at least the better quality ones) specific standards they have to meet with x% of calcium, y% of phosphorous, z% of Vit A, etc. -- so whatever those main ingredients don't have they add as supplementation. 

I didn't mean that to be cryptic -- but she made the comment that she'd use turkey and something to be like a food she'd fed before.  My caution was that you can't just use those named "things" and have a complete diet.  I wasn't being negative about commercial diets -- just cautioning that she not try to have a couple of ingredients be a complete diet. 
 
ORIGINAL: calliecritturs

 
Sorry - I didn't mean that I could COMPLETELY mimic the canned (why would I want to LOL).  What I meant was that I'll start with the same primary ingredients (egg, turkey, rice), add my own supplements (which I have, since I was homecooking) and try to mimic the protein / fat / carb ratios at first.
I do understand about balancing the diet - I've read both of Monica's books, 5 of her pamplets, etc.    It just seems that Prancer can't handle a high protein + high fat diet - one of those is throwing her system into a tizzy.  Its either that or she's intolerant to some ingredient I was using.     Since she pretty much had an iron stomach before this I was using ALOT of variety, giving a different recipe (diff protein and carb sources) every day.   Alas, now I don't know which it is so I need to go very slowly next time around.
 
But I have to wonder .... the Hills I/D has 30% calories from fat and 22% calories from protein.   The fat seems way high for a dog with pancreatitis yet many of them do well on it ... baffling.   Hence my theory that its the combination of high fat / high protein that does it with Prancer.
 
My husband is DEAD SET against me homecooking now - I need to show him that ESPECIALLY NOW its better for Prancer.
 
Re Monica Segal - I do believe that I'll be asking her to review my recipes going forward.   Don't tell my husband but I'm working on new spreadsheet right now LOL
 

Prancer burped and licked a couple of times yesterday - I fasted her for 12 hrs but she's not quite "right" today (she ate the 2 teaspoons of food I gave her at 8am - its now 11am). 
I'm bringing her to the vet in Tarpon Springs that has an integrated practice between regular veterinary services as well as TCVM.
I'm so worried about her and I don't know what to do for today and tomorrow .... she just seems "blah"