12 Days post diagnosis, 2 steps forward, 3 steps back!?!?

[ChristiD]

My 1 year old Airedale wont eat! I am wasting enzymes trying to get him to eat. He ended up on IV fluids at the vet for 5 nights. He came home and ate for a couple days now he is not eating. Dude has been on enzymes 12 days . I cant stand to see him suffer. What do I do? He is on Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials Beef or Chicken can food. 1/2 can at a time with 1/2 teaspoon Panacare powder. 1/2 scoop of slippery elm morning and night, 1 packet of fortiflora in morning and flagyl morning and night. Help!!!

[Eddiespaghetti]

When my little man stops eating I know it's time to do a B12 shot. The supplements usually work well, but every once in a while I know it can be higher. I would start there.
Also, flagyl is not the right medicine for EPI. Try to switch to Tylosin.

[jilbert57]

Hi Christi,
Can you give us a little more information?
Do you have the test results for the Tli and B12?
Are you supplementing B12 or is your pup getting B12 shots? Low B12 can cause low appetite. The level needs to be maintained above 600.
The Flagyl(metronidazole (flagyl)can also cause inappetance.
Can you ask your vet for Tylan? It kills the bad gut bacteria but leaves the good. Tylan is given for 45 days, twice daily.
The enzyme is given at 1 teaspoon per 1 cup kibble or 3/4 teaspoon enzyme per 1 cup canned food.
A grain free diet of 4% fiber or less is optimal. Grains can interfere with the enzyme efficacy up to 50%.
Are you incubating the enzymes with the food before serving?
You can try feeding the incubated enzymed meal on a flat plate with a stinky topper such as tuna water, parmesan cheese, etc...

Jill

[ChristiD]

the Purina pro plan has extra B 12 but I am supplementing with B12 chews. vet said no slippery elm, but I gave it to him anyway because I read about it on here. I am Incubating his food. I will see if the vet will give him Tylan. the vet did tests but did not give me the results.

[Tuckaboo Pam]

Christi---- Just ask the vet to email you the results & post them here. The staff will be able to read them & give better advice. Hang in there---Pam

[Michaela]

Have you checked him for mouth sores?

[ChristiD]

no mouth sores, Called the vet he is supposed to be calling me back.

[Olesia711]

I too would like to jump on the band wagon for B12.... as the first possibility of what might be going on.
even though the food has B12.... with EPI dogs, over 80% of all dogs with EPI NEED B12 supplementation... and high dose. Ask you vet for the Cobalamin test results in addition to the TLI test results.... so that we can better help you. but without even knowing the brand, i suspect the B12 chews you are giving him are not potent enough.

Go online and order WOnderlabs PetFactor B12 pills and give one a day (i am assuming your pup weighs about 60lbs give or take?)
https://www.wonderlabs.com/itemleft.php?itemnum=K9688

In our experience, the reason why EPI dogs don't want to eat is either because:

1. they don't like the taste of the enzymes in which case you just add a topper... cover the food with something real stinky that appeals to them... a tsp of cat food, a tsp of mashed sardines, a tsp of BBQ sauce, some baked crumbled chicken liver.... you get the idea

2. the B12 is low (explained above and by others in previous posts)

3. SID is causing the dog to have a tummy ache and they just don't want to eat. As mentioned above, stop the Flagyl... and ask the vet for Tylan instead... the EPI researchers and many vets are now not using Flagyl/Metronidazole because it kills ALL the bacteria in the gut good and bad) and this is the last thing an EPI dog needs as they don't have enough bacteria in the gut AND they don't have enough variety of bacteria in the gut........... and when using Metro, some of the bacteria that is killed will never ever come back no matter how many pre+probiotics you give the dog.

With Tylan.... it does not kill all the bacteria but rather inhibits the reproduction of more bacteria.... we also recommend giving Tylan twice a day, near a meal....for 45 days. Halfway thru the regimen, introduce a pre+probiotic... such as Visbiome, Proviable, VetriScience Mega Probiotics, Mercola Complete Probiotics, etc.... we have not seen much luck with Forti Flora and most EPI dogs....

Next.... i would remove the slippery elm completely for a few days ONLY because it might be the taste of the SLippery ELm (SE) that your dog doesn't like... HOWEVER... it is good to give for the gut... so try removing it to see if SE was the culprit why your dog didn't want to eat.... then add slippery elm back to the meal but start with just a tiny amount and if the taste was what turned your dog off from food.... i'd start with mixing something like 1/8 of a tsp of SE in with something super stinky or with a strong taste, like BBQ sauce or fish... and add it back to the food but again start with just a tiny amount of SE at first and build back up to 1/4 or 1/2 tsp.................