My dog's isssues are running my life and my vet doesn't think there is a problem

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sienna11711

My dog's isssues are running my life and my vet doesn't think there is a problem

Post by sienna11711 » 05 Aug 2020, 19:57

Hello all! My dog has not been formerly diagnosed with ANYTHING despite thousands of dollars on bloodwork. No parasites, no thyroid issues, nothing. The only thing so far was a maldigestion panel ran last week which showed extremely high TLI, but my vet didn't even comment on that. Her b12 and folate are normal.

Dog- boxer female, age 9, adopted at age 7 from family member, 54 pounds

-growls/snaps at anyone that tried to pick her up (including the vet), always jolts a bit when she is pet especially near her organs
-HATES being leaned over or slightly constrained in any way
-very leash reactive and weird about being sniffed closely, dogs she is friendly with laying near her/touching her
-excessive shedding when stressed
-large amounts of stool
-pees herself while sleeping or when very relaxed laying down
-regurgitates kibble undigested hours later
-cannot digest fat well, fish oil will make her vomit
-fearful, always checking around her and seems paranoid
-high strung, agitated
-when not on anxiety meds (trazodone) she has a chronically low T4 that does NOT respond to levothyroxine, vet thinks something else is causing an underfunctioning thyroid
-also used to have chronic UTIs and skin infections

After a year of changing food up, using digestive enzymes (not specific EPI enzymes), probiotics, and reducing stress lifestyle-wise (stable routine), she no longer regurgitates food and her stool is normal... HOWEVER!! Beginning Oct 2019..

-excessive weight loss (lost 8 pounds and she was already at the ideal body type) and ravenous appetite
-have to feed her 4 cups of food to keep her weight at 54 (she used to be 58 lbs on 2.5 cups)
-constantly begging, stealing, and sniffing for crumbs
-whining to be fed even 1 hour after eating
-sniffs out poop and random rotten food to eat out on walks
-800 times more reactive to other dogs
-drinking water excessively
-shedding like no tomorrow all over the house, constantly "shaking it off"
-peeing when she sleeps despite no UTIs
-completely restless around the house, barely naps, extremely clingy
-is now waking up 1.5 hours early to be fed and starts asking for dinner 2 hours before time

I know her stools are normal, but I have strictly avoided higher fat kibbles. I will also mention that my dog cannot, under any circumstances, digest home cooked or raw food, period, no matter how low fat it is. Her stool turns orange and slimy and she loses weight rapidly and becomes even more insatiable. She does become less reactive on that food, but it's to expensive to maintain with her appetite.

Has anyone had a similar issue with their dog? I don't know if there's something else I need to be asking the vet for. I'm a prisoner in my home as she has become the most clingy, early riser, hungriest, thirstiest, most stressed out, urinating dog ever :( My apartment is covered in hair also, if I brush her out massive amounts of hair come out. She never had that issue for the first 8.5 years of her life!


I attached a photo of her at her skinniest 3 months ago.
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jilbert57
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Posts: 2092
Country: United States
State: Washington

Re: My dog's isssues are running my life and my vet doesn't think there is a problem

Post by jilbert57 » 05 Aug 2020, 21:53

Has your vet checked for pancreatitis? Here is an article on high Tli:

https://vetmed.tamu.edu/gilab/service/assays/tli/

Good looking Boxer!

Jill
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.

sienna11711

Re: My dog's isssues are running my life and my vet doesn't think there is a problem

Post by sienna11711 » 05 Aug 2020, 22:13

So I just looked at the maldigestion panel she had done and her Spec cPL (which is what that article said is the test for pancreatitis) was 182 on a 0-200 scale, so definitely higher end. Vet just said "IBD and severe anxiety" and to see behaviorist. She has always been super stoic about pain so I do wonder if she could have something going on there and that's why she flinches and is weird about being held.


Thank you! She's much cuter now that she's got some chunk on her :)

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jilbert57
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Re: My dog's isssues are running my life and my vet doesn't think there is a problem

Post by jilbert57 » 05 Aug 2020, 22:53

Thanks. It is high but still in range.
I was thinking maybe her mid section was tender.

Jill
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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Olesia711
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Location: North Carolina
Country: United States
State: North Carolina
Pet name: Izzy
My name: olesia

Re: My dog's isssues are running my life and my vet doesn't think there is a problem

Post by Olesia711 » 05 Aug 2020, 23:44

Hi.... sorry that you and your dog (who is a cutie!) is struggling so much.
Was the cPL done very recently or has it been a while... if so when?

Also..... with all this hair loss/shedding.... in addition to shedding....does she look like she has lost hair symmetrically on both flanks?
Olesia, was owned by Izzy, a 35lb Spanish Water Dog (SWD), Diagnosed at 1.5 years old - TLI results 1.. Izzy passed away on February 13, 2020 at 15 years old. She lived with EPI for 13+1/2 years. It was because of Izzy that Epi4Dogs was started... she was the inspiration. May her legacy of helping others with EPI continue for as long as needed.........

sienna11711

Re: My dog's isssues are running my life and my vet doesn't think there is a problem

Post by sienna11711 » 06 Aug 2020, 00:21

The cPL was done two weeks ago along with TLI, b12, and folate. The shedding is even all over and she has no patches, just lots of shed wherever she sits and walks, and if I brush it just comes out endlessly in clumps but still no patches. Once I brush it for a while and then bathe her with anti-seborrhea shampoo it kind of staves off the shedding for about 2 weeks, weirdly enough.

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Olesia711
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Posts: 3858
Location: North Carolina
Country: United States
State: North Carolina
Pet name: Izzy
My name: olesia

Re: My dog's isssues are running my life and my vet doesn't think there is a problem

Post by Olesia711 » 06 Aug 2020, 00:28

Hmm.. I have to give this some more thought then... I was thinking possibly chronic pancreatitis that is segueing into EPI cuz then the TLI readings will not be accurate... but if this was was all done recently that doesn't make sense. The other thing I was thinking of was a-typical Cushing's.. which was every symptom you mentioned but you would see some hair loss... So back to the drawing board on this...
Olesia, was owned by Izzy, a 35lb Spanish Water Dog (SWD), Diagnosed at 1.5 years old - TLI results 1.. Izzy passed away on February 13, 2020 at 15 years old. She lived with EPI for 13+1/2 years. It was because of Izzy that Epi4Dogs was started... she was the inspiration. May her legacy of helping others with EPI continue for as long as needed.........

sienna11711

Re: My dog's isssues are running my life and my vet doesn't think there is a problem

Post by sienna11711 » 06 Aug 2020, 09:13

I know EPI dogs struggle to keep weight on, but she will stay at a normal weight eating extra kibble.. in the past she has had an extremely elevated PSL on random labs. Maybe I'll try and find an even lower fat food just to be safe for the time being. Last night she was standing on my bed and I put my arm gently under where her organs as if to pick her up, she totally froze up and arched her back a bit.

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jilbert57
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State: Washington

Re: My dog's isssues are running my life and my vet doesn't think there is a problem

Post by jilbert57 » 06 Aug 2020, 13:27

Hmm, sounds like an inflammed pancreas or stomach issue. Hope she gets better.

Jill
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.

User avatar
Olesia711
Founder & Research Director
Posts: 3858
Location: North Carolina
Country: United States
State: North Carolina
Pet name: Izzy
My name: olesia

Re: My dog's isssues are running my life and my vet doesn't think there is a problem

Post by Olesia711 » 06 Aug 2020, 14:13

my "guess" is that, once again, as Jill stated, her pancreas is inflamed... especially since in all the test the pancreas is showing high readings even though still within normal range.

It may help to actually continue to give her pancreatic enzymes.... not the full recommended dose that EPI dogs require.... but maybe have that amount when eating. Often times to treat pancreatitis, dogs ARE given the same enzymes as they are when they have EPI... in other words, in both cases the enzymes "help" to do the job of digesting nutrients since the pancreas is not doing it's job.

Talk to your vet about this to see if he agrees it would be a good thing to temporarily continue giving the enzymes
I think your idea to give a lower fat food is also a good idea. I you wnat, check out Annamaet LEAN & Grain Free ... very low in fat!
https://www.chewy.com/annamaet-grain-fr ... pMQAvD_BwE

I used to feed this to my EPI + Diabetic dog who's diabetes went way out of whack with any slight increase in fat.
But, this company then added "peas" to the diet... and that no longer agreed with my gal. To override the pea ingredient, if this is a problem.... then just add baked (skin removed) white chicken breast or very lean (fat trimmed) pork loin meat....

All the issues that you mention regarding her "reactions" could all be because she is in pain and does NOT want others near her as she may be feeling vulnerable..... it really does sound like you need to get to the root of the problem here.... not just chalk it up to anxiety.....

Or they could be signs of some underlying condition................

Your vet is correct about the Low Thyroid..... sometimes Low thyroid is the result of something else going on.

So, based on your comments, in my guesswork ....IMHO i've ruled out possible EPI (at this juncture) and possible A-typical Cushings.
However.... the "Her stool turns orange and slimy" to me these particular signs may be a good indication, along with everything else, that what you may be dealing with is IBD...and probably SID (small intestinal dysbiosis).... and SID can happen to any dog dealing with some sort of gastrointestinal issue- -it does not have to be EPI. It can happen with EPI, Pancreatitis, IBD, IBS, any gastro upset issue...........
Has your vet suggest hydrolyzed food???? For possible food sensitivities? Might want to ask his opinion to see if this is something he thinks might be a possibility. If so ask your vet to let you try this particular hydrolyzed food:
https://www.chewy.com/royal-canin-veter ... o/dp/43698

And if there is a possibility that what also might be going on is SID, then ask your vet about trying Tylosin Tartrate/Tylan (made by Elanco)Image... Imageit is a macrolide antibiotic ... should be given initially for 45 days, twice a day with meals. This antibiotic (although originally designed for pigs, honeys bee and chickens) is now on the 2020 World Wide WSVA List of Essential Medicines for Cats and Dogs

Well, this is all that i can think of...... please let us know what your vet says..............
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Olesia, was owned by Izzy, a 35lb Spanish Water Dog (SWD), Diagnosed at 1.5 years old - TLI results 1.. Izzy passed away on February 13, 2020 at 15 years old. She lived with EPI for 13+1/2 years. It was because of Izzy that Epi4Dogs was started... she was the inspiration. May her legacy of helping others with EPI continue for as long as needed.........

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