I have a 12 year old dachshund mix who I’ve had on grain free food for about 5 years. He has had ear issues over the years but it’s been manageable and infrequent. I have been transitioning him to Purina Pro Plan for bright minds and all the sudden his ears are bright pink and he’s shaking his head constantly. I have read so many terrible things about the grain free diets but now I wonder if I made a mistake and he might actually have sensitivity to grains bc I had him on grain free food for so long. Is that possible? Should I just go back to the grain free food given his old age?
Hello,
I have two 4 year old cats who are brothers and I want to ask your opinion on what the best diet is for them. Both of them have spurts of throwing up after eating their food too fast (they both have been to the vet recently and had a normal exam) and I just want to give them the best diet possible so they can live a long healthy, happy life. What dry foods do you recommend? Grain free vs with grain? Should I also be incorporating wet food as well? What do you recommend?
My cat ate a piece of habanero cheese! It was small, probably about the size of a pea. Should I do anything? Expect anything? She seems ok as of right now
Hi there- I would keep an eye on her and if she acts like she is in distress give the vet a call. I think since it was a small piece, and in the cheese rather than a straight piece of habanero pepper she is probably fine? If she starts panting call the vet….and check the litter box. It might be messy later.
Hi- I just read your blog about Minnie. I am an American cat owner living in Thailand, so communicating with the vets is difficult. I’m on the verge on having my cat euthanized (tomorrow), and i just can’t make a decision. I hoping you will provide information to help me make a decision. Sammy is a ten year old male. Here is his history:
Dec 7-28- hiding under bed with dilated pupils but eating normally (history of spraying and hiding- not a happy cat so I wasn’t overly concerned, I palpated him and he didn’t seem to have any pain and I figured he got spooked)
Dec 29- I noticed he was a little lame so I brought him to local vet who couldn’t find anything wrong but spinal bone spurs and prescribed him Tramadol. It tasted bitter, he foamed at the mouth and started eating much less. I believe his feeding aversion started here.
Dec 31- I found a neurologist who gave him an MRI and he had surgery for a herniated disc Jan 2, 2019 and was diagnosed with a spinal infarction. He had a hard time clearing the anesthesia drugs bc of his kidney function but it is now normal.
Month of January- Slowly improving in ability to walk but losing interest in food more and more, (doctor says attributable to drowsiness caused by Pregabalin for neuropathic pain) losing weight. (Also, had ataxia from reaction to anti depressant used as appetite stimulant.) He had to be hand fed strips of ham, I believe he developed a further food aversion from me trying to syringe feed him pureed roasted chicken at around Jan 31.
Feb 1- I asked the vet to put an E tube in him because of his refusal to eat on his own. He was doing ok and walking better until his tube fell out and he had to have a new surgery mid-February to replace it. Surgery and clearing anesthesia drugs is really hard on him. Since then, his walking was getting better but then it suddenly got worse and the doctor found that his potassium was low – it got better once he changed to renal diet and Renavast. He has also been on Pregabalin for neuropathic pain, Apolet and Kasavan.
March- His walking got worse again, and I saw him endure one small stroke but the vet was not too concerned. Vet said he has reduced blood flow to his back left leg. He had replaced Kasavan with Apolet, but then added Kasavan back into his medication regimen. He is not improving in the last two weeks with the addition of the Kasavan, he drags himself to the litterbox to poop but pees in his bed. He still grooms himself and responds to me but he has a low growl when I touch him- probably bc he is so sick of all the poking and prodding. He has NO INTEREST in eating. I withheld food for 18 hours this week and withheld Pregabalin (bc the doctor said it makes him sleepy and not eat) and still NO INTEREST.
About 4 times along this journey I’ve decided it’s time to euthanize him but then he perks up and I decide not to. He is normal other than not eating, lying in bed all day (bc he can barely walk) and peeing on himself. He grooms himself and poops in litter box. I don’t think he is in acute pain but his pupils are often dilated, which just may be from stress of being incapacitated. I have varied amount of PG I give him to test his pain, and he doesn’t to be in pain but I’m not sure. I haven’t been able to get him to purr for a week or so, usually he will purr at night if I bring him into bed with me.
The vet says 90% of the time cats recover from spinal infarction. He told me start physical therapy with him but I tried and he hates it and it just upsets him more. I can’t figure out if there is any hope of him getting better. Like I said, he has always been a grumpy, hiding cat and often would growl if you approach him to pet him so that is not new. I was hoping to give him a few last years of his life. I think he is depressed and I don’t know of any way to get him out of his funk, and I still don’t know if he will ever recover use of his legs or will just get worse.
ANY INSIGHT??????????????? THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you so much for responding. I realize it’s my decision and I feel lots of pressure from friends to euthanize him that’s for sure, I also feel guilty that he may be suffering, but in the end I won’t do it unless I know it’s the right choice (For the record the vet is against it because of religious reasons)… He has had xrays of his chest because he had asthma from the bad air here, and he had an MRI of his spine- wouldn’t that have detected bone cancer, at least? I did ask the vet about if… Read more »
Krista, thank you for such an eloquent response, this is just what I needed- intuitive feedback from someone with experience on how these things go. It seems Sammy has a special cat sense because every time I think about putting him to sleep he perks up again! Yesterday the vet said he is getting better and his lameness was only from lack of use, so I have to do some gentle physical therapy. He gave me a highly palatable high nutritional gel that he has licked a little! If you could give me the name of appetite stimulants you suggest… Read more »
Hello, I am so sorry to hear about your cat and the difficulties you have had getting answers. I also want to state that I cannot, and will not ever, make a decision for a pet. That has to be your decision. You know him and you have to always be their advocate. It isn’t fair to him to let others decide. I do think that there are some pretty big holes in the plan as you present it. I don’t know if anyone did bloodwork or xrays or have repeated them as he has progressed. I also think that… Read more »
hello, the feeding tube stays in for as long as it is needed. I always advise leaving all sorts of food options out at all times and using an appetite stimulant to help encourage the eating on their own. If you trust your vet then follow their guidance and keep pestering them (respectfully and graciously) for direction. I am not going to answer all of your concerns as it sounds like you have already asked/addressed them. I do feel like in the end cats need loads and loads and loads of dedicated patience. I have known some cats who need… Read more »
My Lab, Andy, had 5 teeth removed 4 weeks ago. No bleeding, no pain, can touch his and hes fine. Whats not fine is his eating habits have radically changed. He will no longer eat dog food, wet, dry, mixed, you name it I’ve tried it, he sniffs it and walks away. Hes currently acting normally but is ONLY eating his TREATS, I put out his favorite, cottage cheese , walks away.Hes dropped a little weight and it currently alive thanks to treats , he plays with his sister, hes back to normal except his eating choices.
I would definitely make a follow up appointment with my vet. I would explain the loss of appetite and also request a thorough exam. Something is clearly not right. In the meantime, have you tried boiled chicken? I know that my dogs love it and sometimes after they’ve not been well it gets them to start eating normally again and then back on their food. Hope your dog is ok! Good luck.
My dog has bloody diarrhoea (like literally she poos pure blood with a little mucus) randomly/every couple of weeks – monthly. We’ve seen three different vets, she’s been tested for allergies which all came back clear except a slight reaction to corn but the vet said not enough of a reaction – everything else clear. She’s been checked for parasites, bacteria’s etc in her poo which also all came back clear. She’s actually been treated as well as regular top ups for worms as a precaution however it’s. She’s been given hyperalogenic, grain free sensitive food (Fishmongers Finest from Pets at home) as a precaution but still has episodes. My vet has given me steroid (Prednisolone) tablets for when she has episodes but it still happens when she’s on them, she’s also had 3 different types of antibiotics and a colitis tablet which don’t seem to work. The vet has put her on anxitine now thinking it might be anxiety but that also doesn’t help. I’m completely lost for what else to do. She goes off her food completely and her stomach growls when she has bloody diarrhoea but drinks and is fine in herself – a typical 2 year old border collie. The blood is bright red which my vet says suggests the problem is later in the digestive trace however a couple of times she has been sick with a little blood in it too. The current vet gave her an anti-acid for this but again it’s just a tempory fix rather than stopping the problem. None of the vets we’ve tried can feel anything around her tummy nor is she bothered when being felt. Any ideas what else I can do???
Hello,
I typically do the following; check a fecal three times before calling it clear. Add a probiotic. Daily. Indefinitely. Diet trials in 2 month periods. Like low fat, high fiber, hypoallergenic, vegetarian, etc. each one for two months. No snacks. No cheating (I know easier said than done). Also check a full bloodwork and urinalysis. I also do an ultrasound. I also look into a maldigestion profile for epi, etc. please keep digging. There is an answer. It can take time to find it. Wishing you the best.
I switched my cat to blue wilderness and it made her very ill. She was eating it for 9 days and it caused frequent diarrhea and vomiting. I switched her back to her old food purina cat chow indoor. How long until I see an improvement? I am struggling financially to bring her to a vet, but she seems to still be in a lot of pain.
Jennifer can I ask, how long after switching back did you see an improvement? I switched two days ago, she was on the blue for nine days. She is still having some diarrhea and vomiting, but everyone is telling me she just needs time to adjust. She seems in less pain though. Did your puppy improve after a few days or longer?
I will say Blue is horrendous, also now like many outsourced to Mexico(a lot of research) 8 years ago my 2 dogs at the time had been on Blue for a long time, then both started vomiting and bloody diarrhea, after 45 days and under my vets care we found they had severe food allergies(which we knew before hand) and the change then in the diet caused this. This is when I tore these pet food companies apart. 95% are all outsourced to either China or Mexico. There are only 2 brands now that I trust and recommend, that is… Read more »
I have never fed our cats Blue products, however I did feed it to our dogs for many years. We rescued a puppy several years ago and put him on Blue Puppy which caused horrible diarrhea. After visiting the vet and getting a clean bill of health we determined that it was likely the food. I switched him to VeRUS and 5 years later he is doing great. If the diarrhea has not cleared up after switching back to the old food I would really try to get in to see a vet even if it means borrowing money from… Read more »
Hi, I have a chow chow, Bear, she has been suffering with wounds allover her body and it have pus. I thought she’s having an allergic reaction because for her dog food but I have already changed it but it’s still the same. Since I dont have money to continue going to a vet I tried herbal approach and have been bathing her with guava leafs. I don’t know what else to do. Please help.
What did the vet diagnose it as the last time you were there? I would urge you to find a way to get her the help she needs. If this is an ongoing unresolved case, I’d suggest seeing a dermatologist, or at least an integrative or a good holistic vet. The cost of the assessment is not that high. Your baby needs help and you’re the only one who can make it happen.
Now she is eating less of the amount recommended, ans sometimes i have to hand feed her. She has lost 0.5kg this week. And is not interested in her food even with chicken broth. She is a house dog, last deworm was a month ago, doesnt have flees. Pyoderma seemed to get getter in her belly. But this last week she began scratching her ears really bad, and bitting her legs. And she is shedding. I took her to the vet at the begining and he said she has sensitive sking but is not an allergy. What should i do? I read about giving her appel vider vinegar and water bath to help the itchyness but got a worst reaction.
Hi Krista thanks for replying. About my dog i’m bathing her with a ketadine shampoo for the sensitive skin, she is not on antibiotics, for the pyoderma she is getting chlorhexidine twice a day as a lotion. She takes her multivitamines daily. She is currently having royal canin french bulldog puppy and i tried to fed her acana pacifica for the fish benefits but she doesnt like it. And here in Manila every vet says is a dermatology specialist but not ? the thing i noticed is that all this behaviour started a week after her rabies shot and the… Read more »
As I understand it (and I’m NOT a vet, but I’ve had conversations with a few veterinary nutrition experts about this since my dog has a food sensitivity), dogs are more likely to be allergic to the protein source than the grains. Chicken, beef, and lamb seem to be the most common protein allergens.