my dog merlin and his very dodgy tummy.

[Sandra]

hi everyone i am asking for help with my 3 yr old dog merlin(barnellin morris dancer) when he was 13 months old he was admitted to the vrcc hospital in laindon essex his symptons were severe vomiting and lots of bloody poo looked like road kill .he had every test possible bloods scans endoscopes all were normal apart from giardia in the poo this was cleared up but the problem did not go away, he was eventually opened up and biopsies done on all organs all were normal. he was prescribed steroids as a last recort beacause he was by now laying flat on the floor and skin and bone his eyes were dull and i think he was giving up. within 24 hours the symptoms had cleared and he was eating a little lamb and carrot, he came home and continued to thrive and went onto royal canin sensitive diet when i got him home he weighed 22. kg and he now weighs 34kg shiny coat everything normal until easter this year when it started all over again.he was prescribed metoclopramide,salazopyrin zitav and antepsin and after a week steroids again but only low dose and for 10 days only the vet suggested gluten allergy so he is now on gluten free dog food he has been fine and poos best they have ever been but yesterday he became ill again and wont eat poo is grey and revolting no blood yet but i am getting to the end of my tether the poor dog looks so ill and just lays looking pathetic, during all these bouts he has never had a temperature always normal but he does have very pale gums when it happens. has anybody got any ideas as the vet has run out of solutions other than long term steroids but i dont want that obviously as that i believe creates more problems in the end. so any comments would be appreciated thanks a lot

from sandra penny -barnellin. 01268 282135.

[danielle rowles]

Gosh this sounds so awful for you, I know what its like when you have a poorly dog and no idea whats happening or if he's going to be ok. My boy Ollie has a liver shunt so I know know my way to the AHT off by heart. I did have a time when he used to get very pale gums, sometimes a greyish colour, this was caused by blood clots which he threw up over the sofa one night, so for ages I had to be exteamly careful with how much exercise he got and keep a check on his gums.

I wish there was somthing we could all do to help, I really hope the vet manages to find whats wrong.
xxx

[Ilona & Gina]

I am not a vet, but his poop being grey, that sounds like a problem with his liver. Hope you'll soon get an appointment with the guy Fran recommended.

Thinking of Merlin and you, keep us posted!

[Jo Ottinger]

I hope you find out what is wrong with Merlin soon. I was at a loss when Scout became ill and someone here recommened K9Auto Immune Support group and they are wonderful. You can go to their website or send them an email at [e-mail] there might be someone who has had a dog with the same symtoms as Merlin. I do not know what I would of done without their support the last two years. There is nothng worse then our love ones being ill.

[Vanessa Woodward]

Is his blood analysis normal? What do the scans of his gut show? Tara has inflammatory bowel disease and although she has never been as ill as your boy there have been times when I have almost given up. Scans show massive gut lesions, greasy, gray or very pale poo. She is around 22 kg., much too thin but for the moment, happy and full of energy although she has developed a skin allergy and is dropping coat to the extend that her back looks like a worn out carpet. This is an illness in which they have periods of remission and then relapse again. I agree with you about the steroids - best to use only as a last resort. I'm feeding a mixture of Exclusion and Orijen at the moment - both gluten free but I think Exlusion on its own has too much carbohydrate. Tara also has a digestive enzyme. At first we used Tryplase but then the vet here in France recommended the version for humans - Eurobiol - which is more effective and not quite as expensive. I also keep her on Pet phos pelage which helps the skin/coat and she gas a monthly injection of vitamin B12 as dogs with this condition can't absorb it from their food. Ask your vet about this. Maybe he will say it's not the right treatment for your boy but it's worth asking.

Vanessa Woodward

[Michelle Seeney]

Hi there, your dogs symptoms sound very similiar to what my little Irish girl has been going through. Have they tested for Pancreatic Insufficiency? My girl took very ill in March and we nearly lost her, they said it was HGE a form of gastroenteritus, she had another bout of it a few weeks ago, but nowhere near as bad. However, they were very concerned as to how thin she was.

They are currently monitoring her weight, but I have recently put her on Tree Barks Powder and within 3 weeks, she has gained a significant amount of weight and is looking healthier than she has done since she was ill in March. It is very good for dogs with digestive problems, or dogs that have absorption problems I would certainly recommend it, also give a good probiotic.

Personally I would also take Fran's advice and get a second opinion.

Let us know how you get on.