Abby has colitis...need help please.

[Abby's Dad]

Was it boneless chicken/Turkey? Do you know what the boneless/bone % of her diet is? As in she gets what percent bone and what percent just meat? Also What kind of vegetables? and I'm assuming cooked b/c dogs don't process them raw? (they just poop them out whole!) Sorry so many questions it's just kind of important to know to assess her situation better how much does she weigh and how old is she? Poor baby! I feel so bad for her.

Its the complete raw meals from oma's pride. I have no idea of %. Its ground meat w/bone and mixed with ground veggies. http://www.omaspride.com/catalog.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=2&category_id=8

She has been eating that for over a year w/o issues. she weight 27.2 2 weeks ago. Also has bad itching we are seeing a dermatologist tomorrow for that. We think her ear problems thought to be infections are in fact from itching her ears therefore inflamming them.

 

[Emmasmom]

I have never had a dog with colitis, but see it in people. First thing you need to get the colitis settled down before adding a lot of different foods - raw etc. It may mean going on a food, like Ann did, that you are not particular about until you can get the colitis settled and then transition over slowly. If it were my dog, I would work closely with the vet - he is the trained professional. He is going to be working with you for quite a while to solve the immediate problem and work towards to solution that keeps the colitis in control.

Hope Abby is feeling better.

 

[Lightplum]

Out of the blue this just happened. She was eating raw with chicken necks. On and off loose stools with mucus for over a month. Right now she is eating chicken & rice (homemade). She is also on metronidosol, but that is stopping tomorrow as it does not seem to be helping and the possible side effects seem to risky. What kind of food are you feeding your dog that has colitis or GI problems.? How long does this last? What causes this? What do I need to stay away from.
She was also on vibrant pets. Now she is on forta flora, vet recommended.
Does this mean she will not be able to eat raw again? Any input would help Abby feel better.

how long has she been on the raw for? And may I ask why you switched to raw from her kibble? It sounds like her system may just not be able to handle it...or shes getting too much etc...as far as the metro stay on it for the recommended time frame...its going to take awhile for things to calm down in there...this will help it. Start with a bland diet, COOKED chicken and rice, and stop giving the supplements. Forta flora ive used in the past and it does nothing...

Hope she feels better quickly.

 

[danisgoat]

how long has she been on the raw for? And may I ask why you switched to raw from her kibble? It sounds like her system may just not be able to handle it...or shes getting too much etc...as far as the metro stay on it for the recommended time frame...its going to take awhile for things to calm down in there...this will help it. Start with a bland diet, COOKED chicken and rice, and stop giving the supplements. Forta flora ive used in the past and it does nothing...

Hope she feels better quickly.

This would be my question too. When did you switch to RAW?

 

[Chris]

I'll be sure to add Abby to my prayers.

 

[Abby's Dad]

This would be my question too. When did you switch to RAW?

Abby has been on raw for quite some time ...a little over 1 year. When she got Lyme last oct/nov she got sick from doxy and she blamed it on the kibble and refused to eat it. When i got concerned and called the vet she suggested raw. So that was the turning point for me to switch to raw.

As far as the vet recommendation now.....she just says continue doing what i'm do, give her fortaflora nad if I would like i can start her on metro. So last week i decided to start her on it.

Since Oct. when she first got an eye infection we made 2 trips to the vet , then it recurred and another trip. Then ear infection 2 trips, then that recurred another trip, then the loose stools, another trip, then blood work, another trip. Tomorow the dermatologist.

Now we have learned 1 of our cats is a diabetic and is trying pills that are not working . I called the vet this am to try and get the cat in and get an update on Abby and I never got a call back. The poor cat can hardly walk and they have all the bloodwork and numbers to start insulin...I just need to learn how to do that so it can be done. $$$ are running very thin as the trees are not producing any bills this time of year (trying to keep a sense of humor). I just don't know how to handle and deal with all this at the same time. $62. per visit.

 

[Mally's Mom]

Abby and the cat are on my prayer list to get better.

Note: I believe there is a company someone on the forum mentioned that helps
with pet's medical bills. (or basically a cheaper way to go)

 

[danisgoat]

Abby has been on raw for quite some time ...a little over 1 year. When she got Lyme last oct/nov she got sick from doxy and she blamed it on the kibble and refused to eat it. When i got concerned and called the vet she suggested raw. So that was the turning point for me to switch to raw.

OK...so her GI system is used to the RAW. I wasn't sure if this was something you recently switched her over to.

 

[Abby's Dad]

We put her on a single ingredient food -- California Natural Chicken and Rice, and she stayed on that for quite some time.

Be aware that it may take some time...colitis doesn't go away in a week. It's a condition that can take some time and vigilance to improve.

You'll also have to monitor her treats, any chews she gets, etc.

Ann - thank you so much for the info. I know your not a vet so please answer the questions based on your dealings with Pixie. I do have some more questions to help me understand this. So, in the early stages Abby had loose stools every now and then for about 2 weeks. Then it cleared for 2 weeks, then she had normal poops in the am and loose poops in the afternoon. (she always went 2x a day very small amounts and very firm.) Then the mucus started. On the road to recovery she is going to continue to have loose stools?? What about her anal sac? did you have that checked? The single food is not a problem, what do you mean by monitor her treats? She gets none? No carrots, bananas? yogurt? or just smaller amounts? Her treats are just little round chrunchy chicken treats. Did you feed 2 meals a day or 3 - 4 smaller ones?

She had the same thing in fall 2010, when I thought she might have gotten into some mouse poison, but now i'm thinking she didn't. Could this be a seasonal allergy related? Any idea how this started? I really got zero info from the vet, as we were working on the cat and thought maybe Abby just got into something (well, her thinking anyway) I know Abby got into NOTHING.

Thanks for helping out.

 

[Ann]

First, I didn't realize Abby has been on raw for a considerable amount of time. I don't pretend to be educated in raw diets, but is it possible she had a bad batch of food...spoiled, perhaps, that set off this recent issue?

The first thing I'd do when you finish the Forta Flora is put her on Dr. Goodpet digestive enzymes: http://www.goodpet.com/library/pharmacyFiles/canine.asp
It really helps dogs with digestive issues and is a holistic supplement Abby can stay on forever no matter what diet she eats. It really helped Pixie and I gave it on the advice of the canine nutritionist I used to get her through the colitis.

When I said monitor her treats, I meant don't give her anything that you don't know the ingedients -- for instance, regular dog treats from the supermarket. Read the labels on everything you feed her. You can certainly give holistic, single ingredient treats or carrots etc., but I'd even be careful with those until you have her system straightened out. Stay away from dairy products for now (yes, even yogurt) and stick with as few ingredients as you can until she's completely normal. The crunchy chicken treats should be fine if they're just chicken but do read the label and make sure they aren't made in China.

Pixie eats two meals a day. Remember the more meals you feed, the more poops you get. Abby could continue to have off and on loose stools until you stabilize her diet and gastrointestinal tract. I did a lot of research and homework when I went through this with Pixie and learned a great deal about feeding and dog food. One thing I found from experience is when you think you're out of the woods and give just that teeny piece of goodie that's off the menu, you'll have a flare-up. Stick with the program and also add some canned pumpkin (pure pumpkin from the can, not the pix mix) to Abby's food and that might help too. Just a spoon per meal.

I hope this helps. Feel free to PM me if you want more specific information. Good luck!