Anyone have/dealt with dogs with IBD (inflammatory bowel Disease)

[Carolyn R]

Our one year old mini Aussie has developed IBD, prior to Easter she was showing signs and the vet and I decided that we would wait until our company left, give her a chance to settle down from stress and see if things cleared up. They didn't so we progressed with testing. Anyhow, since this diagnosis, she is doing relatively well on rice and chicken and saltines as a treat. Stools are a good consistency but none the less have the tell tale raspberry jam look to the last tsp. of the stool. I am considering starting her on prednisone to see if we can boost her system to clear up the last bit of inflammation for now. With that said, she is coping well, usually full of energy, down to a day or two a week that she is off and that the time she is off has shortened considerably. When she started off, a bad day would be her having very bloody diarea and being subdued and off for about 6-10 hours, now when she has a bad day, she is only off for an hour or two and back to her normal self.

I was wondering if any of you have dealt with this and if so, what has been the best food choices you have found. I can only introduce 1 item every several weeks after this clears up to make sure it doesn't upset her system. My vet said many IBD dogs have allergies, but the jury is out on on if it is the allergies that cause IBD or the sensitive digestive track of IBD cause the body to be unable to process certain foods well, thus referring to it as an allergy.

 

[Sonya]

My lab who has since passed away had IBS, which I believe was from allergies. MSU put him on a science diet food eventually....it was a prescription but I can't remember what it was called. It did work for him, but I am not a fan of science diet food and I cringed every time I had to feed it. After a few months I decided to try Natural Balance Limited Ingredients, salmon and sweet potatoe. He lived out the rest of his life happy and healthy on that. I still feed it to my other two dogs. If you ever do decide to introduce kibble, maybe it would work for her?

 

[user 488]

but I am not a fan of science diet food and I cringed every time I had to feed it. After a few months I decided to try Natural Balance Limited Ingredients, salmon and sweet potatoe. He lived out the rest of his life happy and healthy on that. I still feed it to my other two dogs. If you ever do decide to introduce kibble, maybe it would work for her?

Science Diet......OY!

I agree Sonya. I have a dog with IBS. The first year of her life the vet I had where I use to live put her on a small daily dose of Metronidazole (Flagyl) and Science Diet. It worked but it was a mask for the real problem. And who wants to keep a pet on metron. it's whole life?

I finally saw my other vet once I moved. Known her for years as she worked on a lot of horses at the farm and I respected her as a vet. She took one look at Sophie, my Cairn, and said "Lets just change her protein and go with Wolf King....Solid Gold. " (Bison) Within 2 days Sophie was fine. No more pills, no more Science Diet. Made me happy, made Sophie happy because she did not have to eat that crap anymore and even made my other little ones happy as they love the stuff.

Most of the IBS dogs I have heard about are remarkbly better with a change of protein. Sonya's dog with the Salmon and Sophie with the Bison. I know some dogs that are really bad and have to take meds but the food sure worked in my dogs case.

 

[Sonya]

Why do vets 'push' foods like science diet when there is obviously better choices out there...I always thought one reason was because the vet was making alittle $ off the food, especially if it was prescription that you could only get from a vet. My vet claimed what he made from the sale of the food was pretty much insignificant. I love my vet, he is a farm vet in alittle town but a good vet and had saved my labs life numerous times, but we did not agree on kibble choices at all. I explained to him I didn't like the corn in the food and he said 'well it's good enough for cows'....I just said, he is a dog not a cow....dogs eat meat cows don't. We still didn't agree and when I finally fessed up I changed foods, he didn't really say much except 'well it's working'. Even MSU recommended science diet and they are suppose to be a top school/facility....this all happened about 5 years ago but still my vet sells that nasty science diet!

 

[Sonya]

Wanted to add: I am not ripping on anyone who feeds science diet..if it works good for your animal than thats great. There are way worse choices than science diet.

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

Just a warning, I have been feeding Natural Balance Limited Ingredients for a few years, but here on the eastern & southern states there is a recall on the food (anything manufactured by Diamond and that is a long list including Solid Gold!). The problems were originally with Salmonella in Diamond brand dog food & Chicken Soup For the Soul, but they widened it to include many more brands manufactured by Diamond.

It is my preference to switch to a brand that is not manufactored by Diamond, just to be safe. They did say that the Natural Balance was not being reported as making dogs sick, but they chose to recall some of them. I know it was the lamb & brown rice, which is one I was feeding, but there was a few others too.

 

[Sonya]

I heard about the diamond recall too and was concerned since NB is manufactured in their plants, they have no plants of their own. I have had no problems, crossing fingers....and would like to see NB change plants because this isnt the first time Diamond has had issues. NB does use all of their ingredients, not diamonds but it could still get in the food through equipment. Right now I'm going to stick with it.

Wanted to add, hope you can find something that agrees with your little aussie Carolyn. I'm sure she isn't complaining though....chicken and rice sounds pretty good.

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

Mostly I worry too much, my dog is 5lbs, so I am concerned it wouldn't take much to make him sick. On the other hand, he can be picky about dog food, so if it was bad he probably wouldn't eat it! I didn't know NB was manufactured by Diamond, didn't make me happy to find out. I switched from Innova years ago when it was bought out by P & G, but finding a new dog food isn't fun either!

 

[Carolyn R]

Thanks for the feedback guys. My dog has the metoclepleamide for her upset stomach for the days she is really off. I wanted to ask, do your dogs still have the "rasperry jam" flair ups or have they completely subsided. Have any of you gone the route of prednisone for very bad flair ups? Her stools are the best they have been in 2-2.5 months, I am hoping this bout is winding down.

 

[disneyhorse]

My cat has IBD and has been on Natural Balance Limited Ingredient (duck and green peas). I switched to the NB because the prescription Royal Canin green pea and duck was twice as much and my vet was terrible about ordering it for me. The NB I can buy in a pet store.

It kinda has helped.

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

I have not read the other responses yet, but wanted to quickly jump in here as I've been through this, still go through it actually, and have some thoughts that might help.

About a year ago my Chi, Oscar, was acting off. Lethargic, no appetite, seemed in pain, etc. He has HORRIBLE knees and it seemed like it was his rear end general area that was ouchy, so I assumed it was his knees or his back (which can go out due to how he compensates for his bad knees). I was giving him Rimidal (sp?) for what I thought was joint or muscle pain. At the same time, he injured his eye severly and needed immediate attention for that. Took him to the vet, dealt with the eye first as it had actually ruptured. Took xrays of him also and couldn't really see any further issues with his knees or back, but as a side note, we noticed his intestines were slightly inflammed. Not bad, just an observation.

So, we treated the eye (he didn't lose it after all thank goodness) but he still was "off" many days and had loose stools and also a couple of seizures (from the pain we believe). Took him back and did bloodwork, you name it, we did it. And another xray. Nothing unusual in the bloodwork but his intestines were still "slightly" inflammed. No tumors, no blockages, nothing overly obvious. The vet had me start him on Prednisone 5mg, 1/2 tab, once per day (for the inflamation in his bowels) PLUS a slurry made of Metacam, 0.5ml (since it's liquid now) for the pain. We needed the pain meds in liquid form because he'd stopped eating anything - not even boiled chicken. I was also given some dry and some canned Purina EN to try. The instructions were to keep him on both meds for two weeks and then slowly back him off if I could. He was so bad off I thought I would lose him. I remember crying and saying I wasn't ready to let him go yet and was so sad because it was obvious he felt terrible!

I noticed an improvement in him very quickly, although it was slow. By the end of the first week, he was playing again and had an appetite back. At the end of two weeks, he was totally normal...including his stools being normal.

He now has setbacks every month or so. I can tell when it's coming on because he doesn't play, doesn't want a treat, etc. When this happens, I give him ONE dose of the prednisone and ONE dose of the Metacam and that is all it takes! He's right back to normal the next day.

He now eats only the Purina EN dry. His body can't handle anything else. He used to be a dog that got people food (I know, I know), but now he can't have hardly anything like that. He gets the tiniest bites of chicken breast maybe once per week and he'll get a pretzel to go gum for a few mins (he doesn't have many teeth left) and then he gets a piece of Pupperoni about 1" long each time they go "night, night" but that doesn't seem to bother his tum in that small quantity.

The vet is really pleased that he doesn't have to be on the steroid very often. When he was on it for 2 weeks straight, he did start panting a lot. But at his age (12, which isn't too terrible old for a Chi) the vet feels like even if he does have to be on it for longer periods of time, the comfort it brings outweighs the downsides.

I now feed all my dogs only the EN. I'm a believer in it working and being easy to digest and must have the right nutrients because my dogs have never looked and felt better! They are all "older" but they are happy, have great coats and have good energy.

I wish you the best. IBD can be very painful - for human or animal.

 

[Sonya]

I don't remember my lab ever being put on Prednisone for the IBS, he was on it for other things though at times.

 

[Carolyn R]

Parmela, besides the age, this is my girl to a "T". I know when she is off immediately, it is as if someone has flipped a switch. She had a flareup, I knew it was coming, as last night before bed she was off, this morning she had the bloody stools again. Looks like were going to try the prednisone.

 

[shorthorsemom]

I had a dobie once that could "paint the walls" with poo. We put blast shields around her crate during the day. It was awful. Once the poo shot down the heater duct. UGH.

Will be in my memory forever, she always tested negative for paracites, always cultured normal. Tried different foods. We did a last ditch thing of a course of panacur wormer daily (I forget how long but not just one dose). I went to a chicken based dog food for her. I did mix in some brown rice for awhile. We might have done a round of flagyl too, but I am pretty sure it was the panacur that helped the most. Will write back if I find different in my records. It was a powder I put in food. This dog also lived the rest of her days with a capsule of yucca put on her food in the morning and one at night. Probiotics off and on her whole life. Basically though after the round of panacur and the addition of yucca capsules, she never did it again. The twice daily whole capsule of yucca was for a dobe sized dog. I love yucca for the odd stuff. Takes about 2 weeks to see results... good luck. Adair

PS the yucca acts like a steroid without the side effects. On the steroid my dog drank so much she started loading the crate with pee, so we switched to yucca. Amazing results...yucca and panacur. good luck.. sorry for my quickly written answer... I know exactly what you are going through, it can be so frustrating. I get the yucca at the health food store.. I have a collie on it right now for other reasons. ps, I don't like science diet at all, so many better choices out there... my 2 cents.

 

[drmatthewtaylor]

Why do vets 'push' foods like science diet when there is obviously better choices out there...I always thought one reason was because the vet was making alittle $ off the food, especially if it was prescription that you could only get from a vet. My vet claimed what he made from the sale of the food was pretty much insignificant. I love my vet, he is a farm vet in alittle town but a good vet and had saved my labs life numerous times, but we did not agree on kibble choices at all. I explained to him I didn't like the corn in the food and he said 'well it's good enough for cows'....I just said, he is a dog not a cow....dogs eat meat cows don't. We still didn't agree and when I finally fessed up I changed foods, he didn't really say much except 'well it's working'. Even MSU recommended science diet and they are suppose to be a top school/facility....this all happened about 5 years ago but still my vet sells that nasty science diet!

Science Diet and the Hills Company are considered by most Vets one of the most reliable and progressive manufacturers of pet food available. Secondly, if in the event there is a problem then the Company will stand behind the product which is a big selling point any time Vets carry products.

Prescription foods, like prescription drugs are regulated through a licensed Vet not necessarily because they are deadly if used inappropriately, but rather the disease/condition being treated needs to be monitored so that the therapy can be continually reassessed. For cases where diet restriction is indicated, I want full control of the diet. I will prescribe a diet then recheck the patient in 1 month and change when indicated. I have more failures and lack of responses when clients start picking their own. My most success is when I have clients make their own food.

It is a commonly held myth that dogs are pure carnivores. They are not. Wild dogs do not butcher away meat from a fresh kill, they eat the abdominal contents first which includes the partially digested plants that the prey animal ate. I know of no Vet Nutritionist who recommends pure meat diets for dogs. Reasonable starch choices include; potatoes, oats, rice, corn, and wheat.

As a definitive diagnosis for IBD is difficult (intestinal biopsies are necessary) and as signs of IBD resemble many other diseases/conditions then I think it is very important to rule out other causes of GI upset before food trials are begun or any time signs recur.

Dr Taylor