calliecritturs
Posted : 12/6/2007 9:22:31 PM
You can usually find slippery elm in bulk at a health store -- sometimes you have to take it in capsules (empty them -- it digests better and works better if you make it into a gel).
I've never 'cooked' it like Pitcairn says, but that would work. Usually I take a rounded teaspoonful and mix it with 1/4 to 1/2 cup water. It makes a sludgey gel. Usually I'll add something like chammommile tea to it (it's another good stomach healer) and either a tiny bit of honey or even some tahini (peanut butter might get a reaction but it's hard on the kidneys). You can add some meat baby food instead of sweet stuff.
Now ... since she's not wanting to eat -- get a baby syringe like you'd give liquid meds to a baby. thin out the slippery elm more -- like more of a liquid (and I'd surely use the chammomile tea -- make a cup of full strength cham. tea and add the teas. of slippy elm while the tea is hot). Add something like a spoon of lamb baby food (rich but pleasant)
THEN suck some up in the syringe. Have her stand in front of you and simply hold her snout in your non-dominant hand and the syringe in your best hand. With the hand holding her muzzle shove up her lip near the big canine tooth.
Park the tip of the syringe behind that tooth. Tell her soothingly as you go "this is gonna help your belly -- Aunt Callie says this stuff REALLY helps and it doesn't taste bad either."
And while you make soothing noises gently squirt it in her mouth. Hold the muzzle just loosely enough so she can work her tongue to swallow. See how much she'll comfortably take. I would do a syringe before and after she eats. It will soothe the way for digestion and it will leave a soothant after as well.
I actually also have another super good recipe for using slippery elm that you could also use, particularly since the vet has given a probiotic. This one is a favorite of my holistic vet, particularly when she suspects a dog may have an ulcer or a really distressed gut. It's VERY healing and might generally help given her current condition. All this stuff is health store stuff -- not tough to make at all. If you can give it an hour before or an hour after eating all the better. Best NOT 'cold' -- so usually I fill 2-3 syringes and leave one out until the next time I use it so it is room temperature. The aloe juice just needs to be a good quality ORAL juice -- preferably one that's not too bitter (and if you tell a health store that they should be able to direct you to one).
1 -- half a cup of boiling water.
2 -- add 1 rounded tsp. of ground slippery elm
3 -- let cool totally
4 -- add 1/8 c. + 2 tablespoons of aloe juice
5 -- add 10 drops of chlorophyll
6 -- Add 2-3 capsules (open the caps) of acidolpholus