# Your advice, please on this colitis issue and vet wanting to change diet?



## jesuschick (Dec 5, 2010)

So, gave Hope the slippery elm last night and it is too soon, of course, to have made a difference. 

This morning, the mucous, again. Out of her bottom and she spit up some once.

Called the vet. Mine is out today and the other is a fabulous, probably close to 70 year old gentleman who has very different ideas than my regular vet. This could be good to get his seasoned and perhaps different perspective.

The sweet tech hears my explanation (she was willing to hear the whole saga, bless her) and gets my numbers and talks to the Doc.

He said after reviewing her records and what sweet tech shared, he believes that she has colitis. I knew this and have said it for days. The girl is energetic, gaining weight, healthy as can be on paper with every test known to man or dog.

Okay, now what?

He wants her on WD food for 2 weeks. It is this one:
Dog Food Reviews - Hills Prescription W/D - Powered by ReviewPost

Which of course looks like garbage to me, but honestly, I would feed it if I thought it would help.

We just do sooooo poorly with her when we change foods, so I hate to do it. Her stools (when she does not have the mucous) have been getting better and better.

I'd REALLY rather boil some ground turkey, add plain rice and scoop out a couple of sweet potatoes. I told the vet tech that and she said that should be okay. I just do not know then what to give them during the day when we are gone.

They also said that if I can get liquid Pepcid or something like it (perhaps the anti-diarrhea stuff from Petco) to call back and he would help with dosing.

Your opinion? Suggestion?

I really appreciate it!!


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## michele (Jan 12, 2009)

Our cat has IBS -she has been on Hills perscription diet sensitive for 6 years that's the only thing i can give her,chicken is a no no,fish a no no,i know she's not a dog but i would try the food for 2 weeks so her tummy can settle and nothing will aggravate it.I also give her slippery elm .


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

I haven't dealt with colitis so I'm not going to be much help. But I just wanted to comment on the ingredients in the Science Diet ....

Ingredients:
Ground Whole Grain Corn, Powdered Cellulose, Peanut Hulls, Chicken by-product Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor, Soybean Meal, Soybean Mill Run, Dried Egg Product, Soybean Oil, Corn Gluten Meal, Iron Oxide, Choline Chloride, L-Lysine, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Potassium Chloride, preserved with BHT, BHA and Ethoxyquin, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Taurine, DL-Methionine, L-Tryptophan, L-Carnitine, Beta-Carotene. 

The first ingredient is CORN.  The second ingredient is powdered cellulose. What is that? It is SAWDUST.  Followed by peanut hulls, by-products of chickens (not the meat), and then liver flavoring and two different kinds of soy. 

I wouldn't feed this food to a hamster, let alone a dog. I just don't get it. 

I really think there HAS to be a better way to treat this baby than this garbage. I will do some reading and see what I can come up with. 

Hang in there, I know this is hard. Keep up the slippery elm, it won't hurt and it might help calm things down. Poor baby.


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## jesuschick (Dec 5, 2010)

Thanks! This morning I gave her some slippery elm water with a bit of organic baby food sweet potatoes and dehydrated chicken. She gobbled it up!

I did some reading and I am going to try the turkey and rice route. I will add sweet potatoes if I cannot get her to eat it. She has been grain free but I am willing to try this! The dry food seems just awful to me.

She does get a lot of chicken. It could be the chicken. Hmmm.


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## tricializ (Jun 1, 2010)

I had a maltese who had some stomach/intestine issues. I made her ground beef, scrambled eggs, rice etc. and it did wonders for her. Not saying to go against your vet as I don't know if the issues were the same. But I used more of a common sense approach and fed what would be good for a person with this issue.


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## rachellauren (Oct 15, 2008)

macy used to have trouble with her tummy (knock on wood). We had been to the vet's multiple times in a year for cholitis. My vet recommended pepcid too, the people tablets are fine, they will recommend the dosage based on weight. I didn't feed her the vet diet, I did plain rice with some pumpkin for a couple of days. When i switched her food to wellness chicken and sweet potato, all the problems seemed to stop.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

Bryco was diagnosed with colitis too...

You need to fast her, first. Go as long as you possibly can without feeding her. She is big enough hypoglycemia shouldn't be a worry. Her tummy needs time to calm down.

I understand that you are frantic to find a solution for her and it is so frustrating, but all these changes aren't helping her, they are making it WORSE, because her tummy is already irritated and you keep trying to "fix" it with another food source.

As the vet to please give her a steroid shot. This will calm down her insides as well. If they don't want to, tell them your friend's puppy that had the same problem was helped out a lot by one. It is a slow acting shot that keeps their insides calm for about 2 weeks, usually enough time for the problem to resolve.

After you have fasted her, give her 1 LEVEL tablespoon of shredded, PLAIN, boiled chicken, NOT TURKEY. Add 2 tablespoons of unflavored children's pedialyte to this, and your slippery elm and pumpkin. DO NOT GIVE HER ANYTHING ELSE. 

Every 3 hours thereafter, give her 1/2 tablespoon of shredded plain boiled chicken and 1 tablespoon of plain unflavored pedialyte. You will keep this up for 2 days. After that, add 1-2 kibbles in. You will want to feed her 3-4 times a day, VERY small meals. 

Please realize...*she does not and they DO NOT need access to food during the day*. It isn't doing anyone any favors and _is probably making her problem worse because her tummy simply never has time to settle_. 

Most dogs outgrow this issue as their intestines get bigger. But I seriously would not be even the slightest bit shocked if the cause of her problem is that she is free fed. They are not cattle. They do not need to graze. In fact, in the wild, their tummies are designed to go days without food, then gorge. That is why many people do not free feed. It is not how they are made to digest.


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## jesuschick (Dec 5, 2010)

Okay. I will have DH take her and entertain her while I feed miss iron tummy. I will offer her nothing tonight. I have to come to work tomorrow so I may start the feeding part tomorrow night through the weekend.

My vet is back in tomorrow. I will ask him about the injection and see if I can take her tomorrow afternoon or first thing Saturday.

I had changed their eating and worried that could be part of her issue. I stopped refilling their bowls as I have always done with my chi's. They have recently been getting a measured amount in the morning, in their dish for day and measured again at night.
I was concerned since I read here that we should feed puppies 4 times a day.

I will leave food out of the pen tomorrow. I will give Ruby extra ZP since she is so tiny (to me) I do not want her to not be gaining since we are working extra hard to beef her up.

Thanks everyone. I am trying my best and appreciate your help and encouragement.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

Hope will be fine...maybe she just needs to get bigger. I know it's hard and frustrating but I genuinely think you are nearing the end of the tunnel


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## bayoumah (Nov 30, 2010)

hi karen i dont have any answers for you but i do feel your worried words and just wantedyou to know that i read all the forum at night and each night i think maybe little hope will have a better day today with her little belly trouble my thoughts are with you and hope your friends sheila and buster


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## Lisajazzi (Oct 27, 2010)

Hey Karen. I just wanted to say hope she's better soon. Pixel has had colitis alot since I got her and been on antibiotics a few times for it. In her case it was rice causing problems and cutting it out totally and substituting for potato has worked. 

Hope she's better for you soon.

x


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## MChis (Oct 13, 2009)

No words of advice here but what Kristi said sounds like your best bet. I know she went through an awful time with Bryco so I'm hoping this regimine works for Hope too! I would also be feeding 2 times a day. I fed all my Chi's twice daily (with small treats once a day) & all were fine & never suffered from hypoglycemia. Mari was our smallest when we brought her home (1lbs 14oz). Even her puppies at 7 weeks are on 3 meals a day & they are just barley over 1lb & they too have never had any hypoglycemia issues. 

Anyway, I wish you the best of luck & hope you find a resolution for her issues asap. Good luck!


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## Cream Chi's (Jan 24, 2011)

jesuschick said:


> He wants her on WD food for 2 weeks. It is this one:
> Dog Food Reviews - Hills Prescription W/D - Powered by ReviewPost
> 
> Which of course looks like garbage to me


I have to say I find these kind of quotes by lay people on forums worrying! Unless members have a considerable knowledge of science and nutrition - do they really know more than experienced vets and the scientists that a big company like Hills can employ? We currently have one dog whose life has literally been saved by Hills ID. We may have ethical issues about buying pet foots from multi-national companies and the air miles involved in importing said food - we also feed more 'natural' food to our healthy dogs - but in the end it works for the dog in question - and that is the most important thing.


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## jesuschick (Dec 5, 2010)

Cream Chi's said:


> I have to say I find these kind of quotes by lay people on forums worrying! Unless members have a considerable knowledge of science and nutrition - do they really know more than experienced vets and the scientists that a big company like Hills can employ? We currently have one dog whose life has literally been saved by Hills ID. We may have ethical issues about buying pet foots from multi-national companies and the air miles involved in importing said food - we also feed more 'natural' food to our healthy dogs - but in the end it works for the dog in question - and that is the most important thing.


For us, it has nothing to do with importing food nor ethical issues. 

I intended the "to me" addition to imply that I am not making a judgement for all, but for us. 
I should have been more clear. I should have said "It looks like garbage to me*, FOR HER.*

She has a grain issue to begin with so correcting her colitis with a corn based food would be awful, FOR HER. That is all I meant.

I apologize.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

I won't get into the prescription food debate, but will say that I agree with you Karen 100%!!!

How is she doing today?


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## Cream Chi's (Jan 24, 2011)

Thanks, I take your point - just having a rant about people who seem to know it all - not you obviously!!


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

Cream Chi's said:


> Thanks, I take your point - just having a rant about people who seem to know it all - not you obviously!!


Are you talking about me because I criticized the ingredients in the prescription Hills food?


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## jesuschick (Dec 5, 2010)

Brodysmom said:


> How is she doing today?


Not good. Bloody mucous again. All she has had to eat since Thursday mid-day is pedialyte/slippery elm tea laced with pumpkin and a tad of shredded chicken breast.

She is still super energetic and running around like wild. She acts like nothing is wrong which at least encourages me.

Going to the vet in just a few minutes.


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## liss77 (Feb 9, 2011)

Hi,

Just wanted to say I hope that you find a solution for little Hope soon. I suffer from Colitis myself & it is not a fun thing to deal with as it causes cramps & bloating & generally feeling yucky & lethargic. The sooner you get it under control for her the better.

I also had a cat who suffered from IBS & who was put on Hills - Sensitive Stomach which was great, but he HATED it & learnt to open our pantry & would eat horrid things like dry pasta & biscuits if we forgot to lock it!
What we found best for him was EVO dry food, he loved it, it is the same price as the Hills, helped with his IBS & weight gain & is totally grain free. Don't know what others think of it, but we found it fantastic for our cat & it might be worth a try for your little one after the fasting etc suggested by Flippedstars.

This is the website Meat-Based Pet Food – Premium Dog Food, Cat Food, Ferret Food, Dog Treats – EVO Pet Products

Best wishes for a speedy recovery Hope :flower:


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

What did your vet suggest Karen? Little Hope has been on my mind! I hope she's doing better, although I know that colitis doesn't have a 'quick fix'.


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## LDMomma (Mar 28, 2009)

Roxy was just diagnosed with colitis recently. She ended up getting a medication (oral) that would soothe the colon and help with the irritation. We did end up getting the rx food. The treatment worked and Roxy is no longer bleeding analy, pooping 4000x per day, or having chocolate-syrup poop. I had her on the rx food for only 4 days.


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## jesuschick (Dec 5, 2010)

Back on flagyl for another 10 days. He had another case recently in another small dog that took 2 doses to rid her of the giardia. 

He reminded me that we have to treat this but look at the positives. We have a VERY healthy girl (we know because she has had hundreds of dollars of tests to prove it) who is active, eating, energetic, holding weight,etc. True. I could not imagine having this issue and her losing weight, lethargic and such!

We discussed diet and nutrition extensively. I got the I/D Prescription food for digestive issues. 

It is not a healthful choice for her but it may have to be a choice for her to re-establish a healthy G.I. system. 

If she can manage something else in a bit, I plan to move her from this food. They were out of the small bag so I had to get an 8 lb. bag.

My hope is that she will bound back in a couple of weeks, I can get her on ZP and donate the remainder of this food to my shelter.

No tummy gurgling. Stools only a couple of times a day (as opposed to the 4000x-boy can I relate!)-and they are finally SOLID!! The true test will be if we have the mucous/bloody mucous in the next week.

I have a Nupro sample coming. I am tempted to give it to her since I really feel as if she needs additional nutrition due to this food. I keep reminding myself that this is a temporary fix. If this food/additional round of meds will work, I do not want to rock the boat! 

Her weight held steady which is so surprising. Both girls have held their weight consistent for about 3 weeks. Hope is 2.7 lbs. (she'll be 5 months tomorrow) and Ruby 2.3 lbs (she is close to 4.5 months).
I am still sneaking Ruby ZP squares when Hope is not around!!

Thanks for your concern and LDMomma for your posting which is SUCH encouragement-I do not feel as alone in this issue!


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## omguthrie (Oct 13, 2009)

I'm glad to hear that little Hope is doing better! Yay!

I would caution you to not add anything to this diet! It is working so why in the world would you add anything to it? Give her poor system time to settle down and get used to being happy with one food. If it were me I would keep her on it for a month or so and then very slowly switch her over to one type of food. Not nupro and then ZP and then something else. One food. 

She does not need nutritional supplements. The I/D is a complete food. You may not love the ingredients but it is fine nutritionally. I've known dogs that were on it their entire lives with no supplements and were in great health.

Just slow down and let her body heal. She sounds like a tough little girl!


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## cherper (May 8, 2009)

Hope it helps her get back to normal. I would be concerned with that ingredient list as well. corn doesn't seem like the most gentle carb to digest by any stretch of the imagination. And byproducts..**shudders** !
Keep us posted


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## Cambrea (Feb 21, 2010)

The thing I find interesting about the SD food is that every vet I've ever visited recommends it 100% of the time. The same vets will all have varying opinions on what tests or other procedures to do for the same illness. I find it odd that they would agree on something like food. It seems to be that they get a commission and learn in vet school that this is a healthy food choice.

People on the forums are often lay people, but Tracy for one has done extensive research on dog nutrition and has a wealth of information from which she kindly gives her advice and opinions. I am often very appriciative of her knowlage and helpfullness.

My vet recommnded the SD food for Pepper for weight loss and hair loss (she had no idea what was causing these things). I chose not to and went with a completely grain free food with other supplements. She is now growing fatter and furrier! 

I think you are doing the right thing for Hope by reseaching all your options. Keep up the good work and I'm so glad she is doing better! Hopefully she can transition smoothly to the ZP and be over the upset tummy issues


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## KayC (May 3, 2005)

Cambrea said:


> People on the forums are often lay people, but Tracy for one has done extensive research on dog nutrition and has a wealth of information from which she kindly gives her advice and opinions. I am often very appriciative of her knowlage and helpfullness.


This is true


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## bayoumah (Nov 30, 2010)

hi karen just checking in on our little hope is are belly starting to seem better?


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## michele (Jan 12, 2009)

Yes update please !


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## jesuschick (Dec 5, 2010)

Oh! I did update a few posts back!

Here is the short version:

She is back on antibiotics for the giardia. After much discussion with her doctor, I bought the Hill's Prescription Diet, I/D for gastrointestinal issues. The dry version.

He just asked that I try her on it for 2 weeks. I can live with that even though I wish that she was getting more/better source protein, etc. 

I am not going to "rock the boat" for awhile and offer her a supplement (Nupro) or anything else (ZP as a treat). Just this food.

So far, no mucous, no vomiting and she actually has firm stools. The secret will be if this holds out for a week. It has typically been 4-7 days between bouts.

Thanks for checking in on her!


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

I am critical of the SD line because of the ingredients it contains. However, nobody can argue with success. That line has successfully treated many, many, many tough cases. If it works - who is to argue? If vets prescribed it, and it is expensive, and the diet didn't help - that would put the vets in a tough spot and they likely wouldn't be recommending it. I don't believe it is a long term fix and I wouldn't want my dog on it for a lifetime, but shoot - to get through a tough time? Of course.

I hope that Hope (haha) is feeling much better soon. The fact that you've already seen solid stools is very encouraging!! I'd be over the moon!! Keep up the good work!


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## michele (Jan 12, 2009)

great news ! i wouldn't worry as i said ,my cat has been on it for 6 years and she's still looking good and her fur is silky smooth (think i'll try some )


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

Glad to hear that is helping her! They put Bryco on it as well but it didn't help him, so, hopefully Hope is on the road to recovery!


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