Slippery elm

[Pattib]

Hi all, thanks so much for all the answers. I’m giving the enzymes as suggested and I got the B12 capsules with the intrinsic factor. Also she seems better with Metronidazole than Tylan so we’re on that. The main problem is she hates the food with the enzymes on it so I got the capsule maker. That makes her eat her food better bc it tastes better. Unfortunately half the time she throws up the food after giving the capsules. Not sure why. So it’s an up and down battle. Today she weighed 10 lbs so that’s better. The vet Tech found Panakare enzyme tabs on line and I think I will try those instead of the powder in the food or the capsules. If anyone knows anything about the tabs, good vs not good, let me know. I have found she needs a B12 injection every week, even with the B12 supplements. The vet seems to think bc of her age (16+) her digestion is so poor, we may never get her very stable but can only manage the symptoms as they arise. He put her on Cerenia to help with with vomiting and soothe her stomach. So that’s where we are...Fighting the good fight everyday. God bless you all for your support and for this site. I’m sure she would not be alive today without it.

[jilbert57]

Hi Patti, with the enzyme tablets you crush them up, sprinkle over food and incubate with room temperature water.

You might look into Creon.

Jill

[Madelon]

Hi Patti. With the enzyme tablets - as Jill said crush them up BUT you want to give 1 tablet per cup of food PLUS 1 tablet for the bowl. So if you are feeding 1 cup of food you would use 2 tablets. Did you try feeding the powder enzymed food on a flat plate, adding a stinky topper, or incubating a little longer? Sometimes those tricks work at getting them to eat. It's all trial and error.

Metronidazole is fine - some do better on it than others - just watch for neurological side effects. And you can give Slippery Elm with the metronidazole - it's a pre-biotic not a probiotic and doesn't seem to interfere with the antibiotics the way probiotics do. I give my boy SE with his Tylan but you'll need to give it twice a day - 12hrs apart.

Sending you hugs. Please keep us posted on how things are going.

[Pattib]

Thanks again for the suggestions. Will try the crushed tabs as soon as they arrive. Maybe they will work better if they don’t smell as much as the powder. I’ve tried all kinds of toppers but she’s so picky. I cook for her as she won’t eat any kind of dog food, dry or canned. Lord knows it’s a battle as what she likes one day, she won’t eat the next! I make different dehydrated treats with enzymes and sometimes that’s all she’ll eat so that’s frustrating. No significant weight gain since we started this journey but she’s alive and staying at about 10lbs (she used to be 13+ Lbs) so I am so thankful for that. And without Riland’s story from Pit Sisters and this site I would have lost her. So we keep fighting.

[Madelon]

Hi Patti. Have you tried the WonderLabs Pet Factor B12 pills? I'm thinking the B12 is still low. Some EPI dogs do better with methylcobalamin (which is what the WonderLabs pills are made of ) instead of cyanocobalamin. Also, we have seen over the years that the little dogs a lot of times need a bit more B12 than what is typically recommended. You might want to have the B12 tested to see where you're at using the Nutramax chews and if it's still under 600, you might try the WonderLabs pills. We've had some of the little dogs actually need shots and pills - not sure why.