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SIBO and not eating—urgent

Posted: 30 Sep 2019, 03:46
by mariagm62
My Lu is a 9 year old mixed lab/greyhound (assumed). She presented with not eating, loose stools and a strange behavior end of July 2019. Vet diagnosed her with SIBO and put her on Flagyl and probiotic. Couldn’t get Lu to take probiotic. Week later vet said her fecal was normal. Another week and vet said all was okay but give her yogurt. Another week and I’m asking about EPI. Long story but I got a second opinion. All bloodwork and her ultrasound presented normal. He kept her on Flagyl and gave an appetite suppressant. We are still dealing with Lu bring extremely picky with food. Yesterday I noticed stool looking like a patty again. Can all tests show normal and have EPI? Lu has gone from 82. Pounds to 65 in over 8 weeks. Today I noticed urinalysis incontinence. Her vet is going to refer her to a specialist. Help!

Re: SIBO and not eating—urgent

Posted: 30 Sep 2019, 09:43
by jilbert57
Did the vet run a Tli to confirm she had EPI?

Also was the B12 tested? Low B12 can mean low appetite.

I believe you meant the vet put her on an appetite stimulant, not suppressant?

Jill

Re: SIBO and not eating—urgent

Posted: 30 Sep 2019, 11:57
by mariagm62
Yes... I meant an appetite stimulant. I know he ran a very thorough blood panel, but I am not sure of the TLI test. I will ask him when I see him. He did not think it was EPI because her blood tests showed normal ranges. My gut instinct is that she may have EPI.

Re: SIBO and not eating—urgent

Posted: 30 Sep 2019, 12:08
by jilbert57
Sometimes the liver enzymes might be elevated a bit. But I believe blood values on a normal panel would be normal values.

To find out for sure if it is EPI have your vet run a Tli test. This is specific for enzymes released by the pancreas. If you have that test run please include B12 and folate tests as well.

The Tli test requires an 8-12 hour food fast before but please allow free access to water.

Jill

Re: SIBO and not eating—urgent

Posted: 30 Sep 2019, 12:25
by mariagm62
Thank you for the advice. Is it possible for her to have EPI and normal blood panels come back okay? She is off the metronidazole for about a week now. I noticed her stools looking mustard and cow patty again. She must be a bit nauseated too. I can only get her to eat baby chicken sticks and very lean beef pattys...still not a lot. Vet wants to send her to a specialist, but I will have him run the TLi, B12 and folate tests before we go, and maybe get him to put her on Tylan. Will it hurt to give her slippery elm right now? Where would I get it? I'm so afraid that we may lose her if we don't get a handle on it and the vet is concerned too. He mentioned he didn't think she had EPI when I asked him about it based on her blood panel results.

Re: SIBO and not eating—urgent

Posted: 30 Sep 2019, 18:10
by jilbert57
It is possible for normal blood panels sometimes so we go on symptoms and specialty test(8-12 hr food fast)Tli to confirm or rule out.
You can get slippery food at a vitamin store, or from Amazon.com.

Jill

Re: SIBO and not eating—urgent

Posted: 01 Oct 2019, 13:45
by Patsy
Blood panels are usually fine. We all had this problem while our dogs suffered. As Jill said, the epi test is a stand-alone and somewhat expensive test, but it will give you a definite answer. Feeding chicken can give a yellow stool, but you are also feeding beef. The cow pat consistency and odd smell is very indicative of epi. Scraping it off the pavement is something I wish I could forget!

Have you recorded any weight loss over the past months? A lot of us had dogs that lost a third to half of their weight, and with the correct enzyme treatment, this was put back on.
Most epi dogs are ravenous, so , your vet is right to be cautious in diagnosis, but he must cover all possibilities. Avoid biopsies till simple tests are done.
Remember to starve your dog overnight and get an early appointment, so that she doesn’t feel too miserable. It needs 5 days for the results..

Re: SIBO and not eating—urgent

Posted: 03 Oct 2019, 15:35
by Barb
Hello and welcome! The cTLI test is the gold standard for diagnosing EPI. With the symptoms your pup is exhibiting, I would definitely have this test done so you can confirm or eliminate EPI. If she has EPI, you can get started on the treatment with enzymes, tylan and B12 so you can stop her weight loss and give her relief from the discomfort of SID/SIBO.

As Jill said, an 8-12 hour fast is required before the test. B12 and Folate can be tested at the same time. Let us know the results when you get them. Hang in there.

Barb

Re: SIBO and not eating—urgent

Posted: 07 Oct 2019, 15:58
by mariagm62
Thank you all for the advice. I have documented her weight loss. Before the onset of this sickness she weighed around 82 pounds. At the first vet visit she weighed 78 pounds and by the end of September she weighed 65 pounds. My current vet (second opinion) does not want her to lose any more weight. Her last appointment was October 4 and she had gained one pound, 66 pounds. Her stool is looking close to normal, but she is picky in what she wants to eat. She will eat one of her hard treats and jerky treats (vet prescribed), and most of the time baby food chicken fingers like there's no tomorrow but snub her nose at most food. She did eat some of the AD and CN food for him. He put her on another two weeks of mertazipine. If she backslides any, she is being referred to an internal medicine veterinary specialist. Most of the time she will eat in the evening about two hours after taking the appetite stimulant. Also, when I was at the vet I noticed a round sore on her side...he diagnosed it as fungal and prescribed med. She has never had that before. He didn't say ringworm but that's what it looks like. I have no idea how she got it...only vet visit and home. Anyways I will have him run the cTLI test next time we go in.

Re: SIBO and not eating—urgent

Posted: 08 Oct 2019, 18:48
by mariagm62
My vet wants to send her to an internal specialist. I’m afraid to try anything with her if we go that route. Maybe the specialist can determine EPI. In meanwhile my vet has her taking 75mg Zantac daily. Can I stop that and start slippery elm? If she weighs 66 pounds how much do I give her?