Desperate! Help with One Question Please

[KonaGirl2020]

Took Kona in again to check her for diabetes. I’ve been checking for diabetes since May 2023 because out of nowhere she started drinking SO MUCH water. She is not diabetic.

Vet was useless. We told him what’s happening and he said, “that’s not good.” He said to keep giving her the Entyce. Today will be day 6 of Entyce and she’s still not interested in food.

Yesterday I tried peanut butter and fish oil in Kona’s syringe meal. She seemed to lick her lips a little bit. So, I kept giving it to her in all four 1/2 cup meals. Unfortunately, that may have upset her tummy. This morning she pooped and the first half was 5-star shape and color. Second half was diarrhea. Which is the first time she’s had diarrhea, so today I’m scaling back the peanut butter.

Yesterday I also increased her pills to 7 Pancreved 425 with:
1/2 cup blended chicken
1 tbsp pumpkin
1 whole egg
2tbsp peanut butter
1 B12 in the first syringe
1tsp Salmon Oil

I syringe feed her at approximately 8am, 12pm, 4pm, and 8pm.
By the 3rd meal she had some energy and didn’t flop onto the floor. In fact by the night time syringe session, she had a bit of strength and actually fought me! I still fed her using the syringe.


This morning she wasn’t as lethargic and actually registered her name and a command. I was in TEARS! She’s been so out of it that this gave me some hope and understood that I need to bump up the enzymes. I kept thinking she would overdose if I gave her too many pills.

I don’t have the Pancreved powder but will ask for a prescription to get it. For now, I’ve been using an Amazon pill crusher twisty thing that was $7, but super worth it!

Lastly, Kona took two licks of the unflavored Pedialyte and stopped drinking water. So, I got rid of it and Kona drank about 24oz of pure water immediately after removing the Pedialyte. The vet didn’t say she was dehydrated but said she needs to eat. (So frustrating!)

THANK YOU all for your help and suggestions! This has been so hard for my vibrant and super loving puppy and I can’t say enough about this group. You are an amazingly caring and wonderful group of people. I will post tomorrow how Kona did today.

[Olesia711]

is there anyway you would be comfortable seeing a different vet.... 2nd opinion? someone who will do more than Entyce for 6/+ days?

[KonaGirl2020]

Yesterday Kona did a lot better! She actually got out of her bed and registered when I said her name, which doesn’t seem like a whole lot, but it gave me hope that she would do much better with the increase of enzymes. She did throw up water because she drank a lot. However, there was no food, so that was good news.

Her legs continue to be a little shaky and overall she’s pretty weak, but did not fall.

Today I had to go to work so my daughter took care of her. Kona loves my daughter, and with the little bit of energy she had today she followed her around the house, which says a lot! Total today she ate 2 1/4 cup of blended chicken with a combination of oil, peanut butter, egg, bone broth, B12, and pumpkin. I am just trying to find ways to help her get the protein and that she needs. Because she has been on Entyce for six days, I’ve decided to stop giving it to her because it obviously is not going to give her the appetite that she needs to eat on her own. Yes, we are still syringe feeding Kona because she has no interest in food.

No diarrhea today. Just three BEAUTIFUL poops! in fact, she might be a little constipated, so I’m thinking of increasing her pumpkin intake, but don’t want to affect the amount of fiber in her tummy. However, she may be weak and that is why it looks like she’s straining so hard. Any suggestions?

[jilbert57]

If she is doing good I would stay the course.
Give her a few days of sameness to the diet.
How much pumpkin are you giving?
The right amount can help with constipation but too much might cause diarrhea.

Jill

[Olesia711]

GREAT update on Kona....... sounds like she might be turning the corner.... i sure hope so!!!!!!!!

also, once she appears to not have this possible constipation, what you also might want to include in her diet is a banana.... try giving her a 1/2 banana ... loaded with nutrients.... for dogs with PLE (even though this is not what is going on with Kona) they sometimes give scrambled egg and banana cause these two ingredients cover the gambit of needed nutrients in a sick dog..... and i saw where you are already giving her an egg, so maybe just add 1/2 mashed banana........

Please continue to keep us psoted.

[Jane&Clyde]

I'm so glad to hear that Kona is doing better! Fingers crossed that this trend continues and that she will regain her interest in food once she is a little stronger.

[KonaGirl2020]

I’m giving Kona 1-tablespoon of pumpkin for 1/2 cup of blended chicken.

Wait! Someone just mentioned scrambled eggs. Am I supposed to be cooking the egg? I’ve been putting a raw egg in the chicken just before I shove it in her mouth with the syringe. Which…by the way she bit the tip of the syringe today, showing a little attitude and a glimpse of her sass. She’s been so weak and spaced out that when she wasn’t responding I thought she might be dead with her eyes open. The only clue I had she was alive was her slow breathing.

I’m scared of changing anything because I want her to get better so bad!!

[jilbert57]

That sounds good on pumpkin. If she eats the egg raw I think thats great if not try a scramble.

Jill

[KonaGirl2020]

Update- Kona went to vet today and weighs 58.4 lbs.!!! OH NOOO!!! We’ve been syringe feeding her since 2/27. I upped the pills of 9,000 lipase to 14 pills.

Feeding her 3x a day using a syringe thingy:

12oz -combo of blended chicken with grain free Purina One chicken/duck ground canned food
14 Pancreved 425 pills - sitting in warmchicken broth for 20min
6tbsp blended pancreas
3 tbsp Egg white
1 pump salmon oil
1-B12
1- Pre and Probiotic
1-tsp blended pumpkin

Poop continue to be a nice solid or soft/solid 3-4”.

Vet said she’s not dehydrated, gave her a B12 shot and a steroid shot (Triamcinolone) to induce appetite and address any inflammation she might have.

What else can I do???!

Should I increase the pills? If so, by how many???

Kona is disoriented and wobbly. She fell on her front leg yesterday and was guarding her paw. Which is HORRIBLE because her hind legs are not strong! I’m hoping the steroid will also address that inflammation.

[Eddiespaghetti]

The ataxia of the hind legs are probably due to muscle atrophy. There are some minor tests you can do to see if it might be more neurological though.
Lift up one leg, fold the paw (almost like making a fist) and then release. If it snaps back quickly, it's probably not neurological. Do this for all four paws and compare. While you are at it, pinch the webbing in between the toes. They should have a pain response when you pinch them.
Neurological issues usually effect whole sides. Right/left. If it is just in the hind legs then you are possibly dealing with spine issues or muscle atrophy.
To check the spine, run two fingers down both sides of their spine with light-medium pressure. If you see sectional puckering, there might be a spine issue there. Vets usually do these tests at every check up it is what they are poking around the spine for.
Dogs are a lot less likely to get salmonella. Cooking the eggs will obviously lower the chances. Salmonellosis from raw eggs is already uncommon in America due to current food laws. If you are syringe feeding I feel the raw eggs are probably easier to feed. Also, if you ask me, instead of feeding three egg whites, feed one whole egg/day. Since Kona baby seems to be under nourished, all EPI dogs are when first diagnosed, you shouldn't have to worry about the increased fat and chronic from the egg yolks. Once she shows signs of improvement you can adjust.
Complicated enough? Nope, let's talk steroids. Overall steroids are perfectly fine for 99.8 percent of puppos. If we are dealing with muscle atrophy though, the steroids could cause the muscles to atrophy more. Steroids can rip water from those muscles. You will not want to rely on steroids if you can avoid it. Sometimes you can't though.
My Eddie boi has dealt with neurological issues and muscle atrophy. I want to give you all the information we have learned, but do not want to overload you. If you are seeing improvement keep on keeping on. It can be a long journey for you two.