- Joined
- Jul 20, 2020
- Messages
- 18
Hello Forum,
I hope this is not too much information—it is long. We have been working with Dr. Jeff regarding our dog, Marty’s (7yrs old, chihuahua, 9lbs) pancreatitis and elevated liver enzymes. Marty has been making steady progress with that (pulsatilla, play, sniff walks and improved diet). Recent lab results show lower levels in both areas.
On May 20, we noticed some blood in Marty's urine. We took him to our local vet. He had been playing rambunctiously, and we thought maybe he strained something. She didn't find an infection and he seemed to be better and there was no more blood in the urine.
However, we noticed blood again this past Sunday, so we took him to the vet this morning. Our vet couldn't determine with certainty (x-ray) if there are stones, but there was something on the x-ray that may be stones. She is doing a urine culture for the possibility of an infection, but it seems likely it is stones. Her recommendations were a special diet, and follow up with another x-ray, or we take Marty to a specialist for an ultrasound to determine with certainty if it is stones or a mass.
In the meantime, the vet suggested a special dog food (Royal Canin) to help dissolve the possible stones. We are not too comfortable putting him on a canned diet after the pancreatitis and I’m not clear on how this diet works to help with the existing stones. Will something like this irritate his pancreas and liver function? Marty has been on a special prescription diet from Just Food For Dogs(JFFD), Metabolic Support Low Fat. It's a fresh food (human grade) made with turkey breast, ground beef, beef liver, psyllium husk, acorn squash, eggs, oats, coconut oil, EPA/DHA. There is a possibility that JFFD can make a special food for Marty. My concern is how to balance it all. Although he is much better, Marty still seems to be limited in what he can eat without getting an upset stomach. My husband thinks Marty has an allergy to chicken, but I’m not sure. At times he gets ahold of the other dog’s food or the desert tortoise’s food, or something he has found somewhere. (He is an adventurous eater.)
Marty’s appetite is normal. His energy level is slightly lower and he is clingy. He is drinking more water, but it is 100 and something degrees outside. He is urinating more frequently, and he has yelped with pain a few times. I know from experience how painful stones are and I am concerned about blockage.
We attended last week’s forum, and will be there tonight as well, but would appreciate any input on how the diet can help with stones. Should we set up an appointment with the specialist without waiting to see how a change in dog food addresses the issue? Thank you, and I apologize for the length. Thank you.
I hope this is not too much information—it is long. We have been working with Dr. Jeff regarding our dog, Marty’s (7yrs old, chihuahua, 9lbs) pancreatitis and elevated liver enzymes. Marty has been making steady progress with that (pulsatilla, play, sniff walks and improved diet). Recent lab results show lower levels in both areas.
On May 20, we noticed some blood in Marty's urine. We took him to our local vet. He had been playing rambunctiously, and we thought maybe he strained something. She didn't find an infection and he seemed to be better and there was no more blood in the urine.
However, we noticed blood again this past Sunday, so we took him to the vet this morning. Our vet couldn't determine with certainty (x-ray) if there are stones, but there was something on the x-ray that may be stones. She is doing a urine culture for the possibility of an infection, but it seems likely it is stones. Her recommendations were a special diet, and follow up with another x-ray, or we take Marty to a specialist for an ultrasound to determine with certainty if it is stones or a mass.
In the meantime, the vet suggested a special dog food (Royal Canin) to help dissolve the possible stones. We are not too comfortable putting him on a canned diet after the pancreatitis and I’m not clear on how this diet works to help with the existing stones. Will something like this irritate his pancreas and liver function? Marty has been on a special prescription diet from Just Food For Dogs(JFFD), Metabolic Support Low Fat. It's a fresh food (human grade) made with turkey breast, ground beef, beef liver, psyllium husk, acorn squash, eggs, oats, coconut oil, EPA/DHA. There is a possibility that JFFD can make a special food for Marty. My concern is how to balance it all. Although he is much better, Marty still seems to be limited in what he can eat without getting an upset stomach. My husband thinks Marty has an allergy to chicken, but I’m not sure. At times he gets ahold of the other dog’s food or the desert tortoise’s food, or something he has found somewhere. (He is an adventurous eater.)
Marty’s appetite is normal. His energy level is slightly lower and he is clingy. He is drinking more water, but it is 100 and something degrees outside. He is urinating more frequently, and he has yelped with pain a few times. I know from experience how painful stones are and I am concerned about blockage.
We attended last week’s forum, and will be there tonight as well, but would appreciate any input on how the diet can help with stones. Should we set up an appointment with the specialist without waiting to see how a change in dog food addresses the issue? Thank you, and I apologize for the length. Thank you.