Where I have been...

[KBear]

Hey Everyone- Thank you all who sent the pm's and messages checking in on me!

Sorry I haven't been around for awhile, been busy. My dog is still really sick and has lost so much weight that his ribs, spine and hip bones are showing. This is a dog that is usually obese and was on weight management food. He has lost about 15-20 pounds in 3 weeks. He is acting happy; but is still vomitting quite a bit. We are thinking that he has the equivalent of CROHN'S disease for dogs. I have gotten my neighbor's dogs vet records, who had this disease, and was also a boxer. From my research, this is apparently a common thing in boxers. I am working on getting all of Jack's records together (his old vets office closed, so it's a bit complicated). I am going to take him tomorrow to a new vet, with all of this information and have him tested for this disease. If he indeed has it, treatment is diet adjustment (ie. I will be cooking for him) and steriod injections. I am hoping this is it, so at least we know what is wrong and how to treat it. I am also trying to prepare the children and myself in case he does die. My neighbors dog only lasted 3 months from diagnosis to death, and she was only 18 months old.

Justin, could you explain CROHNS disease better.

My medication has been working wonderfully and I have felt GREAT! I have been busy doing stuff around the house that has needed to be done for years. I have also been at my daughters' schools voluntering. We had the Fall Festival Friday night and the kids absolutely loved it. We took the neighbor kid too and they had a great time. I am planning on hanging out at home tomorrow and catching up on the threads, so will see you then!

I miss you all and can't wait to caught up on everything going on. I gotta go now, Ava just smashed her hand in a door.

Kathy

[Justin]

Gosh, Kathy. You have had a ton on your plate lately. I am sorry that Jack (I hope I am remembering his name correctly) has lost so much weight. That has got to be difficult to watch.

It is great to hear that your new medication regimen is working well.

In terms of chron's disease (CD), it is a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract. The bowel wall (mainly small intestine) is affected and it thickens as a result of inflammation (the lumen [or space within the bowel] is consequently decreased, which can lead to obstruction). Due to the change in the bowel wall's architecture, malabsorption is a major concern in patients (significant weight loss). CD can be excruciatingly painful and most patients have recurring diarrhea. CD is treated with an array of medications depending on symptoms.

Kathy--I am so sorry that Jack is dealing with all of this. I wish your family well.

[scduggan]

Dear Kathy,
I am SO SORRY to hear about Jack. I hope he is feeling better. Do you think he will start expecting you to whip up some scrambled eggs and bacon now? I have a boxer named Rusty. They are the best dogs. Good luck finding solutions to his health problems.
CD

[Cindylou]

Any news on Jack's diagnosis from the vet, Kathy? Thinking boutcha and your family too.

[Katie]

Crud! I am sure I posted something last night, but it isn't here.

Kathy, what I wanted to say was that on my horse forum, there was another woman who just posted about her dog who also came down with the same thing this week.

I can check with her if you like and see if she has been offered any different ideas on how to deal with it.

Prayers to you and Jack, and for your poor little girls who are dealing with this too.

[KBear]

Justin- Thanks for the explanation, this would definitely explain the weight loss.

scduggan- no joke! The dog is so thrilled to be getting 'people food' for every meal, he is probably thinking "I should have gotten sick a long time ago..."

CL- I am still trying to get a vet appointment, that we can make. Seems like every appointment is when we already have something going. He is not throwing up anymore, now that I have him on a limited diet. I am making him chicken, rice and apples for his meals. I am feeding him several small portions a day, which I think is easier on his stomach. I am about to call a different vet and see if we can get him in early next week.

Katie- Yes, that would be great.

Also, has anyone had to cook for their pet? Do you know what is 'nutrionally sound' for a dog? The vet told me the chicken and rice was a good bland diet (the apples I added after hearing dogs like them, and he does). I am just wondering if I need to be giving him a supplement to make up for any extra nutrients he is not getting.

Thank you guys, you all are the best!

[Justin]

Also, has anyone had to cook for their pet? Do you know what is 'nutrionally sound' for a dog? The vet told me the chicken and rice was a good bland diet (the apples I added after hearing dogs like them, and he does). I am just wondering if I need to be giving him a supplement to make up for any extra nutrients he is not getting.

Thank you guys, you all are the best!

I've also been told that the chicken and rice diet is the way to go. Good luck and I hope Jack is feeling better.

[KBear]

Thanks Justin!

[KBear]

Well, I took Jack to the vet again today; but let me go back to explain all that's going on, before I get to the diagnosis.
As most of you know, Jack got very sick at the beginning of October and spent 48 hours in the emergency vet hospital. He was vomitting and had diarhea. He started eating; but by the middle of last month, he started to stop eating again. I began cooking chicken and rice for him, with apples in it. He ate that, but continued to lose weight.
In early November, we saw a new vet. They ran tests on his pancreas to check function and put him on a Rx food (it consisted of duck and potatoes.) The pancreas test came back completely normal. The doctor then took my x-rays from early October and looked them over. He saw some intestinal wall thickening and suggested that we send them to a specialists radiologists, so they could determine if it looked more like disease or a possible allergic reaction. In the meantime, he wanted me to stick to the strict Rx diet for 30 days, so we could rule out a possible food allergy; as colitis is a bad diagnosis and the prognosis isn't good.

When we first saw the new vet, Jack was 66.7 lbs., down from 76 lbs in early October and 85-90 as his ideal/normal weight. The first weigh in, 4 days later, Jack gained 3 lbs. and it looked promising. Since then, I have been taking him for weekly or bi-weekly weigh ins. The second weigh in, 4 days later, he had went back down to 66.9 lbs. The third weigh in took him down to 66.6 lbs. The fourth, today, which is 19 days from the start of the Rx diet and 7 days from the last weigh in, took him to 64.7 lbs.

Today, they also received the report from his x-ray reading. The radiologist felt that his intestines looked ok and did not feel it was colitis or allergy. However, she did say that his Liver is half the size of normal. If we decide to pursue more treatment, the next step is an ultrasound of the liver, where they will insert something into him to see the liver. This could possibly/hopefully tell why his liver is so small. They said it could be hepatitis and several other things, that I can't remember as I was in tears by then. He said that the treatment would then be to just 'support him.' If we chose to not do the ultrasound, we would also just 'support him.' He basically said, that the disease of the liver will kill him and treatment could possibly kill him as well, as all the drugs would have to be processed by the liver. So, things just went from bad to worse.

My husband and I have talked about it a little and we think we are just going to support him and let him go on until he gets where he is suffering or not feeling well, then we will put him down. He currently is still happy and acting fairly normal, he greets guests, but doesn't jump on them like he used to; he gets up when he hears someone at the door, but doesn't go nuts barking; he plays with other dogs, but tires out after 10 or so minutes; he still loves to always be touching someone and us loving on him and does not seem to be in any pain. I hope and pray that he lasts through Christmas; but at the rate he is going down hill, I'm not sure he will.

[Katie]

Oh Kathy, I am so, so sorry to hear this news about Jack. After reading back through your thread, I see that I didn't get back to you about the other person with a Crohn's dog. Unfortunately she had nothing to offer and so it slipped my mind. I was just going to add that my vet has often recommended plain cooked pumpkin, like the canned version for pies, as a good supplement/addition for a gentle diet. She has also recommended a vitamin mix to go with the rice and chicken diet if it goes on long term.

As she is also my best friend, I could ask a few questions for you and see what she thinks. Of course, without seeing Jack she can't do much, but may have some ideas for your vet to try. I wish I could do more. My animals are a huge part of my family, taking the place of my kids who flew the coop years ago. I know what a huge impact their illnesses can have on the family.

Hugs my dear, and for Jack and your girls too. This will be tough on them.