Kenzie more problems

Epi4Dogs Foundation Inc.’s mission is the advancement of science and education relating to EPI (Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency), yielding useful insights and positive outcomes in better managing EPI in dogs and cats. Our goals are to support and/or collaborate with veterinary EPI research and researchers, and to promote EPI awareness by educating the general public, pet owners, pet organizations, rescue and shelter organizations, veterinary schools and veterinarians.
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Floramac
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Location: Telford shropshire
Country: United Kingdom - England

Kenzie more problems

Post by Floramac » 08 Mar 2019, 06:14

After Kenzies annual check up and the stress of emptying her anal glands, I mentioned to the vet that her itching has been getting worse. She did have an allergy to a certain type of grass seed when she was young but has been much better since we moved. She is always a bit scratchy under the belly but these last few weeks her back and all over is sensitive and itchy. With all that was going on with her poo I admit I did not pay too much attention. The vet gave us a spray to try - Ermidra, I gave her a good spray yesterday, which was very difficult due to her long coat but she seemed to enjoy the slow massage and we thought it seemed to give her some relief. However we went out last night, around 6 and when we got home, there was fur everywhere and poor Kenzie was in obvious discomfort. We both presumed she had reacted to this spray. I made up a weak solution of vinegar and water and it seemed to soothe. Spoke to the vet this morning and she advised a warm shower which I have done and Kenzie is now relaxed. The vet now wants to find the underlying cause and has booked us in for this afternoon for blood tests to check her thyroid, then she wants to do an ultrasound of her abdomen and then allergy tests (She seems to think it unusual to have allergies develop at her age). Anyone's thoughts please? I have reduced her enzymes to 3/4 tsp but as yet no improvement.
Kenzie diagnosed Sept 2015. Fed 3 times a day on Millies Wolfheart, Panzym enzymes 1+ tsp per 120grams food, 1/8 tsp tylan twice a day, altenate 1/2 b12 per day. Also on 1 previcox a day for arthritis in paws and 1 Apoquel for allergies. Diagnosed with poor heart contractibility Sept 2020, on 1 Vetmedin twice a day. 2nd heart scan March 21 shows little deterioration so appear to be working.

Latest TLI was 5.5 Previous readings have been TLI - 3.4 and 4.2.

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Miss Maddie Moo
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Re: Kenzie more problems

Post by Miss Maddie Moo » 08 Mar 2019, 07:10

Well the warm weather we had last week wont have helped my eyes have started to itch which indicates the pollen is out..never heard of that spray but does sound like a reaction i did know a dog that had what they thought had severe allergies for years in fact the owner spent £1000.00s on this dog when she changed vets to mine he did thyroid test and turned out hat had been the problem all along unfortunately the dog was 12 by then so his respite wasn't long lived so i think your vet is very wise....i am not a lover of the allergy tests due to this .
Maddie DX April 2011 along with low B12 she was feed with a low fibre food below 3% , fat was not restricted ( she wasnt good on pea based foods ) She initially had a course of B12 shots weekly over a period of 6 months and then we used the B12 pills from Chemeyes in the UK . We used Panzym and slowly had to increase the dose as she aged when she was first DX she was 23kg but she gained weight quickly and got back to 33 kg .
Maddie gained her angel wings in Jan 2018 at the age of 10 to a condition unrelated to EPI.
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Madelon
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Re: Kenzie more problems

Post by Madelon » 08 Mar 2019, 07:51

My understanding is that dogs are like people and can develop allergies at any age. If you've moved and this just started happening it could be something in the environment at the new location that was not in the previous location? My boy has severe allergies both food and environmental. Our dermatologist has us use Duoxo (chlorhexadine) shampoo, Chlorhexadine 4% spray (to spray specific spots), both of which you can get on Amazon, and I give him Zyrtec twice a day. I always know when Spring is near because he starts to show symptoms of allergies long before Spring is here. Allergies are extremely frustrating. Good luck and keep us posted.
Madelon, owned by DOC. DOC dx EPI 5/2015 = TLI < .4, B12 406; Folate >24. DOC taught me so much and together we battled and overcame EPI, food sensitivies, environmental allergies but we lost the cancer battle. DOC was dx with hemangiosarcoma 5/2022 and crossed the rainbow bridge July 24, 2022. He is and always will be the love of my life, my soulmate, my heart dog.

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Floramac
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Re: Kenzie more problems

Post by Floramac » 08 Mar 2019, 08:57

Thanks for the responses, very interesting to hear about the thyroid test, still not sure about this ultrasound but will find out this afternoon. When she had allergies previously (it's been 3 1/2 years since we moved), it was all around her tummy area, this seems to be all over including her tummy but specially done her spine and sides, not her paws or feet. Poor Kenzie, having a bad time of it 😔
Kenzie diagnosed Sept 2015. Fed 3 times a day on Millies Wolfheart, Panzym enzymes 1+ tsp per 120grams food, 1/8 tsp tylan twice a day, altenate 1/2 b12 per day. Also on 1 previcox a day for arthritis in paws and 1 Apoquel for allergies. Diagnosed with poor heart contractibility Sept 2020, on 1 Vetmedin twice a day. 2nd heart scan March 21 shows little deterioration so appear to be working.

Latest TLI was 5.5 Previous readings have been TLI - 3.4 and 4.2.

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jilbert57
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Re: Kenzie more problems

Post by jilbert57 » 08 Mar 2019, 10:22

I am sorry to read Kenzie is having a time of it. Our jack is sensitive to fowl, so now he is on beef, pork or salmon and doing a lot better. When the allergies come up I clean their feet with mix of 1/2 gallon water, 1/2 c hydrogen peroxide and 1 cup white vinegar(i keep it mixed in a plastic container and change every 2 or 3 days). It takes care of frito feet and itchies for us. Dip feet in.
As for body itch I use Madelons suggestion of shampoo.
Let us know how the appointment goes.
My name is Jill and we live on the Hood Canal in Washington State. We currently have 2 Jack russells, TJ is 8 and Sadie is 2.

Mickey and his pancreatitis brought me to Epi4dogs.com site in 2012 to help manage it.
He lived from 6/99 - 8/2014

Mickey, Jack Russell. Chronic Pancreatitis. Dianes enzymes, 1/8t 3x/day with meals.

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Floramac
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Location: Telford shropshire
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Re: Kenzie more problems

Post by Floramac » 08 Mar 2019, 12:29

Just back from the vets, poor Kenzie was very subdued! Normally paces round the treatment room desperate to get out but I think today she was just fed up of it all. Hardly moved when the blood was taken. Vet suggested just warm showers at the moment, she thoroughly checked her skin and there are no red inflamed or sore areas, a few scabs from her claws scratching. Once the thyroid tests come back we will decide where to go next, an ultrasound to rule out any other issues and then blood allergy tests.
She did mention a hypoallergenic diet but I feel that is a long way down the road yet. One day at a time.
Kenzie diagnosed Sept 2015. Fed 3 times a day on Millies Wolfheart, Panzym enzymes 1+ tsp per 120grams food, 1/8 tsp tylan twice a day, altenate 1/2 b12 per day. Also on 1 previcox a day for arthritis in paws and 1 Apoquel for allergies. Diagnosed with poor heart contractibility Sept 2020, on 1 Vetmedin twice a day. 2nd heart scan March 21 shows little deterioration so appear to be working.

Latest TLI was 5.5 Previous readings have been TLI - 3.4 and 4.2.

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Patsy
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Re: Kenzie more problems

Post by Patsy » 08 Mar 2019, 16:29

Just throwing in some lateral thinking. Mineral deficiencies can occur with maldigestion as in epi. For instance, zinc deficiency which can cause skin and thyroid problems. I don’t think vets check this as a rule.
Arctic dogs are known to need zinc supplements, but this article states that other breeds like GSD and Great Danes are susceptible too. But also consider that as epi is an autoimmune condition, strange problems occur, and my dog suffered from more than her share.
This is the article, which I found interesting as a non medical person. No harm in mentioning mineral deficiency to your vet. They fixate on allergies.

https://dogtime.com/dog-health/57291-si ... ciency-dog
Springer spaniel Marti had Epi, PLE , MMM just to confuse me. She lived till 12yrs, chubby and happy despite eight years of epi.
Capsule enzymes suited her best. B12 supplements made her into a new dog!
After a cocker with PLN kidney disease, I now have two healthy rescues, a lively, suicidal , small ginger terrier, adopted with pneumonia, and gum disease needing nearly all his teeth out, and a fluffy grey toy poodle/terrier from Greece.

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Madelon
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Re: Kenzie more problems

Post by Madelon » 09 Mar 2019, 11:17

Wow Patsy that is SO interesting. Thank you for posting the article. I'm definitely going to talk to my vet about it when I have Doc's yearly blood test.
Madelon, owned by DOC. DOC dx EPI 5/2015 = TLI < .4, B12 406; Folate >24. DOC taught me so much and together we battled and overcame EPI, food sensitivies, environmental allergies but we lost the cancer battle. DOC was dx with hemangiosarcoma 5/2022 and crossed the rainbow bridge July 24, 2022. He is and always will be the love of my life, my soulmate, my heart dog.

Paige's Guardian
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Re: Kenzie more problems

Post by Paige's Guardian » 09 Mar 2019, 16:45

I have 2 dogs with food allergies. My big chocolate lab kept going to the vet with skin, itching and hair loss. Ears itchy and infected. They gave me ointment for the ears......and told to bathe him everyday and they gave me an 8 oz. bottle of shampoo for a 70# dog. That bottle cost $15.00. So, he eventually started to go bald from so much hair loss. He lost his entire undercoat and the hair on his belly. He was licking his paws like crazy. I finally looked at the dog food bag ingredients and asked the rescue what they fed him. The common protein was chicken. I stopped all chicken. In about 48 hours he stopped scratching. It took forever for his hair to grow back. No more ear infections (not one) in a big droopy eared guy. Blue buffalo decided to change their fish formula to include turkey.....I found this out when my lab started to scratch his ears and lick his paws. Again, another time, his dry food formula changed with no notice, and he started licking his paws.

My Dane with malabsorption was not licking her paws but her face was itchy, she was losing patches of hair on her head, then going bald on her back along the spine area. So, certainly, not the typical food allergy sites for itchiness. She also had 3 episodes of full body hives--she looked like a zombie with patches of hair sticking up. Vet specialist wanted to do skin test but I didn't so, luckily my vet was happy to run a blood test for allergies which research says is worthless. It came back positive for lamb, corn, green peas, rice and mosquitoes.

Funny thing, she was being fed lamb, rice and it had green peas in it. She has never had any corn. I have no idea about the mosquitoes. So, I removed all of those and she stopped itching right away. Her hair grew back. She has never once had an episode of hives again. She got itchy and had some hair loss on her back again when TOTW-Pacific Stream added green peas to the formula and I didn't realize it until it was too late. So, had to find a food that didn't have green peas. That has been the hardest thing to do thru all of this...seems >95% of foods have green peas.
Paige's Guardian (Conny)

Paige, 8-year old Great Dane.

Dx: Malabsorption at age 9 months of age. Low Folate. On plant enzymes for 1.5 years. Experienced bloat 2x and Pancreatitis. Switched to Enzyme Diane. TLI tested but never low. Diarrhea when off enzymes.
06/2019--cPL <50 (normal) SID-Tylan 3/8 tsp 2x/day. 1 tsp Pancreatin 6x per meal. Royal Canon Hydrolyzed Protein Dry Food

Barb
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Re: Kenzie more problems

Post by Barb » 10 Mar 2019, 17:52

I am so sorry you are going through all this with Kenzie. Early on we had to go to a prescription diet, so we haven't had these issues.....until just recently when Kolby developed "hot spots." We treated them and will keep an eye out.

I will be interested to hear the results of her thyroid tests. Having dealt with thyroid problems in the "humans" in our family, I know how many symptoms there can be when that is out of whack.

Hang in there.

Barb

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