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Turkey and sleepiness/constipation?

Posted : 5/16/2006 9:44:49 PM

Hey everybody!
Not sure whether to put this in Nutrition or Allergies/Skin problems because it relates to both.

I found an awesome holistic vet who is willing to work with me and Daisy with an elimination diet. He says to start with only one protien- no carbs or veggies with it. The reason behind this is that if the dog shows allergy symptoms, you don't know if it's the carb/veggie or the protien/meat that's doing it.
We're going with turkey for now, since it's cheap and she has never had it before. He did caution me that it may be all poultry daisy is allergic to, since she has been exposed to both chicken and duck. He says that if it doesn't bother her, I should notice a difference in a couple of days. We're using ground turkey at about 85/15 lean. (the vet says she needs all the fat she can get- she's very skinny.)

Wow- it is amazing a difference of about a week makes! She scratches and licks herself only every couple of hours (compared with every couple of minutes.) Her tummy is doing great too- except for one thing. She hasn't pooped today at all and she's a bit sleepy. The last couple of days she did poop it was very firm. Since this is an elimination diet, I dont' think I could give her pumpkin or mineral oil. I'm going to call the holistic vet in the morning and see what he thinks, but I just wanted to see what ya'll thought too.

I know turkey has triptophan in it (the thing that makes you sleepy on Thanksgiving) could that be the cause for her sleepiness? She just doesn't seem as active as she normally is. Perhaps though it's like people- the carbs get you up and up and up on a sugar high, and then you come crashing down. That's daisy with her zoomies. [sm=biggrin.gif]

Now she just lays around the house looking sad and scratching her ears. I dont' think it's detox yet! it's only been a few days and I thought with detox it was blowout diarrhea, not the opposite. (from what I've read).

Any ideas? It certainly could be stress since I just moved back home since school is out, and Daisy loved it there and misses Oscar. Whenever she sees a black dog pass by our house she whines and whimpers.

jennie_c_d

Posted : 5/17/2006 12:29:50 AM

She needs BONE! Just meat will make her poops very crazy. Crazy poops make you feel bad. Emma had a bad week, just recently, and those poops can really get ya down!

forpaws

Posted : 5/17/2006 7:23:08 AM

I thought with detox it was blowout diarrhea, not the opposite

Actually it can go both ways. When I was doing an ellimination diet, it was suggested to freeze fruit juice into cubes and give a couple of cubes twice a day to help with tummy stimulation. Ask your holistic vet about that.

I'm sure part of her problem could be she is missing Oscar too since she is bonded with him and that is her buddy. She is probably a little depressed about not having him around like she is used too.

Give her some hugs and a butt rub too for me. Poor little girlie!

thedoc617

Posted : 5/17/2006 7:59:47 PM

Jennie, I thought emma couldn't tolerate raw bone- didn't she have a bad blockage?

And I thought bone was what made their poops hard, not soft.

brookcove

Posted : 5/17/2006 9:11:46 PM

If you've ever cooked that thanksgiving turkey yourself you know the lengths we go to to get that bird moist and flavorful! Turkey is a low-moisture, low-fat meat . These characteristics will both tend to slow down the large intestine (which can cause mild to moderate constipation). I would definitely call the holistic vet for a quick recommendation of how she'd address this. I know I'd add some sodium-free organic canned green beans or boiled summer squash but I would check before adding anything to your challenge diet. She may recommend an absorbant fiber or some other course that doesn't expose Daisy to additional food sources.

The tryptophan is significant enough to make her pretty mellow for a few days. Her body will adjust after some time, especially if you get her lower digestive tract moving along at a normal pace again! [

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Some tips for surviving detox that you may not have heard elsewhere (lessons from detoxing numerous rescues "cold turkey"!!):

Bathe as often as is healthy for her with an oatmeal shampoo or the mildest shampoo you use on her normally, diluted 5/1. Also brush her gently with a bristle brush, getting down to the skin, as often as you think of it. The skin is the most important detox organ so extra care and stimulation during this time really pays off!

Ask about basic detox supplements if Daisy is not on any right now. Sam-E, milk thistle, and B-complex are all important for the liver. I suspect Daisy is already on biotin and EFAs for her skin. Antioxidants like A-C-E-selenium are generally beneficicial (definitely get your vet's adivce on these - she might not recommend them for various reasons). CoQ-10 is also good for any dog going through any almost type of stress.

Get creative about increasing her water intake. Put a couple more bowls around - float a toy in there or an approved treat (I guess this would be a chunk of frozen turkey for now!). Add another walk or active play session to stimulate both appetite and fluid intake.

Check any changes in her routine or supplements with your vet, or course.

Good luck! I defnitely know where you are coming from!

jessies_mom

Posted : 5/17/2006 9:51:37 PM

I don't have any advice to offer about the constipation; I just wanted to say it's great that you found a holistic vet to help Daisy. It's not healthy for a dog to be on an all meat diet very long so hopefully that part won't last more than a few weeks. I hope Daisy feels better soon. Good luck.

jennie_c_d

Posted : 5/17/2006 10:32:56 PM

Emma had a suspected blockage, but it turned out to be a very irritated lower bowel. She had the other kind of bad poops

She was quite droopy, from having poop issues, and throwing up....

No calcium is bad, and too much calcium is bad. A small amount of bone or bonemeal will not constipate Daisy, and will more than likely help to move things along.