[LittleRockstar]

My Mastiff/Shepherd/Mutt has colitis. She's been doing well on raw meaty bones (only!) for the last year and a half. Her vets were amazed! Anyway, she's having a flare-up right now and I don't know what to do. She's miserable and I can't keep her in the house with me where she belongs until I get this solved. I let her in, but only when I can be right there with her. And I get up every two hours at night to run to the door with her. Sometimes we make it.

I think stress triggered this latest flare-up. I had to board her two weekends in a row and she got all stressed out. (I trust the boarders - they know her well and they raw feed too). They said she was poopy before they even fed her.

Any ideas?

 

[christyb]

What exactly are you feeding (also amounts, cuts, etc...)? What supplements if any? How much? Any treats? Is the water filtered? I am guessing you are dealing with diarrhea - is it "true" diarrhea or is it soft piles, etc...? Mucousy? All that good info will help in trying to come up with a plan!

 

[LittleRockstar]

She's been eating a half to a whole chicken a day without skin. She cannot handle any supplements, treats, organ meats, or anything else. I used to be able to switch off to pork neck bones or ribs, but she started throwing them up every time. The dogs drink reverse osmosis water, but I think they had city water while they were boarding.

It's true diarrhea: She's desperate to get out several times a day, There is no consistency at all, very mucosy and bloody. It gets this way everytime she has a flare-up. She's just been well for so long and she's not getting over it as quickly this round.

 

[christyb]

Wow, that's really tough for both of you!

Have you ever considered using Classical Homeopathy to treat the illness?

Also, are the chickens you are getting "enhanced"? I have noticed that with some dogs the saline solution causes all kinds of digestive upset.

Another group that I belong to has a dog with the same type issues and the doggie daycare that the dog goes to is supportive of feeding raw. However, they do encounter problems with new staff members not understanding that no treats means no treats and it is not a reflection of meaness!

My current foster dealt with horrendous diarrhea for 3 weeks - every two hours like clockwork from 9pm-9am and then throughout the day, it was awful! I worked with my vet who practices classical homeopathy and he gave Tyson a remedy and told me that within 72 hours things should be better. In addition on that final day I switched him to ground beef (so I could control the fat and he had been on whole chicken for the preceeding 3 weeks) and viola the road to solid poops began!

It could be a combination of stress, water change and unknown treats/food from the boarding (either 'stolen' from another dog, her helping "clean up" a stray pieces of food, a staff member sneaking one, etc...). If it were my dog I would fast for a day, check your chicken source (for enhancements, find out if there were any changes from the supplier, feed, etc...) and seek out homeopathy.

Good Luck!

 

[lolar2]

I have ulcerative colitis and sometimes allopathic meds are all that helps. In the future, there is some evidence that switching to all-grass-fed meats might help lessen flare-ups (in humans too) because of the difference in the fat composition (ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 oils, specifically). I know no one wants to use allopathic meds but permanent damage and scarring to the colon can happen quickly and sometimes it's necessary.

 

[christyb]

Lolar - I'm curious if taking O3 capsules would help? Most prey model raw feeders feed O3 to try to compensate for the overabundance of O6 and lack of O3 in factory farmed meat. If people feed grass fed and/or a lot of fish then they typically don't. So I am curious what your thoughts are on O3 - do you take it? If so, what doseage? Does it help? In writing this post, I am curious if perhaps Colitis is one more impact of factory farmed meat?

 

[LittleRockstar]

I think I'll be taking the allopathic route tomorrow. It hasn't completely worked for her before, but it has given her a degree of relief. At this point, I'm willing to try anything. My poor puppy. She's miserable.

I'll be checking for grass-fed meats too. I'm almost due to go meat shopping anyway.

Thank you both for responding.

 

[dynamicdoula]

Would probiotics be beneficial for dogs?

 

[lolar2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by christyb Lolar - I'm curious if taking O3 capsules would help? Most prey model raw feeders feed O3 to try to compensate for the overabundance of O6 and lack of O3 in factory farmed meat. If people feed grass fed and/or a lot of fish then they typically don't. So I am curious what your thoughts are on O3 - do you take it? If so, what doseage? Does it help? In writing this post, I am curious if perhaps Colitis is one more impact of factory farmed meat?

Factory farmed meat is a factor in developing ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease but not other types of colitis. And it's only one factor. I sometimes take O3 but tend to forget! Am trying to switch us to more grass-fed but, again, that's not always convenient. I do try to eat plenty of fish esp. when I'm not pregnant.

 

[LittleRockstar]

I'm starting to freak out! My poor dog! Her name is Scout, BTW. She's throwing up nothing. She looks pitiful. I can see her ribs. I have to get ahead of this. I got my human all loaded in the car to go get drugs from the vet, immodium and probiotics and the brakes went out at the bottom of the driveway. Thank God I didn't get anywhere! Now I'm stuck here until after 4:00.

Sorry for the ramble. I'm beginning to panic.

 

[phatchristy]

Yikes, so sorry about your dog! That has to be super painful for him as well

: . Sadly, I had a friend who had severe colitis...battled it off and on for two years. Nothing worked, and she wound up having a colostomy (yep, a colostomy and she was only 30 years old

: ). I know she was constantly doubled over in pain...and near the end even in the hospital before her surgery she would be in horrific pain and would literally only pass blood (she was only on IVs at that point

: ).

I hope the meds work asap for him!

 

[christyb]

Is she throwing up bile? Have you fasted her? If she eats on a schedule and she missed that schedule that would most likely be the reason for the throwing up bile (also a great reason to not feed on a schedule!).

While you are waiting and you want to investigate homeopathy, here's a group to join:

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/truthaboutvaccines/

A homeopathic practitioner can see you in person, speak with you on the phone or communicate via e-mail.

Hope you have as low stress a day as possible. I know that this is really hard and then to have the brakes go out - argh!!