Mena STILL has bowel probs!

[Vivienne]

Hi Folks, well my poor little princess is STILL having bowel problems. It turned out she DID have giardia, and is now on her second course of treatment for that. But prior to having a positive test for that, the vet really thought (as did I), that it looked more like Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency; she was having huge, bulky poops, starving ravenous, thirsty and eating her poops. She did a blood test and it came back bang on the lower end of normal. So, we are treating her for the giardia AND the EPI, but this week, her poops are worse again, huge and puddingy and very smelly. If it is EPI I simply don't know how I can afford to keep up the medication as it works out about 40GBP for one tub and that ain't gonna last more than a couple of weeks. I have read about pig pancreas, but that would be virtually impossible for me to get here as few farmers raise pigs on the island. I could get beef pancreas, though. In any case, I'm not convinced it is EPI that's causing her probs since she's been worse since she started on the enzymes. I feed her dry food, and am thinking I should give her wet food, perhaps. Of course, I'll be getting another stool test done this week to see if we've managed to knock out the giardia, but I'm so very fed up with this, not least for the sake of the poor dog. She's such a good girl, so well behaved and easy to train. I love her so much, but am so very vexed! Any advice?

[super D]

What dry food is she having Vivienne.
I think with EPI and other bowel/intestinal issue they need a diet of High protien, low fat, low carbs, but dont quote me on this
xx

Vivienne, my boy was borderline in blood tests for TLI levels re EPI and I switched him to a raw diet after researching the pig pancreas. I ok'd it with my vet first. Since then, no tummy problems. Might be worth a try?

[Tedsmum]

My sister was forced to keep her dog on very expensive drugs for the rest of his life and was finding it a real problem to afford them. I did an internet search for the drug from an online veterinary medicine company and found it at a very much cheaper cost.
She took the print out to her vets and asked them to write her a prescription for the drugs instead of supplying them, that way she could send the prescription to the online supplier and get the drugs from them.
Her vets said that they would match the online price for her, and have done this at the cheapest rate she can find ever since (about a year now).
It is always worth being a bit cheeky and taking in proof that you can get them elsewhere for less money, they make a huge mark up on drugs and can afford to cut the prices when asked.
If you dog needs to continue on the pancreatic enzymes, try a web search and take it to your vets.

[super D]

Thats a Brill Idea Gill
xx

[LOVEGSD]

Sorry to hear your poor girlie is suffering, I hope you can get her back to full health and it's not EPI.

[joyce]

Vivienne, There is loads of info on the net, and what you hear every case is different as are the solutions seems at times it is trial and error.
Hope you find a food for Mena that will suit her xx

[Vivienne]

Well, thanks for the advice folks. I really appreciate it as usual:-) I think l'll try the raw food diet for a couple of weeks and see how it goes, We gotta change something! I have them on a mid-range wheat and corn free kibble, pork and barley, at the mo and always found it good in the past. Xander used to puke bile and have the skits now and again, and it was great for him, but he's gone now, bless him. Keme has intermittant skin issues, possibly allergies and now this with Mena. I did hear/read a couple of recommendations for Chappie, and my mother always swears by it, but you can't get it in North America, bummer! So it looks like raw's the way to go. I did read too that high protein, low fat, low fibre was better for EPI, and l guess you can't get more so than raw food, eh?

[Vivienne]

BTW I love all your beautiful babies!!! Will post Mena and Keme's pic soon :-)

I would deffo try complete raw feeding.Has your vet taken any allergy tests ?She may be allergic to certain ingredients in the food,just a thought x