IBD in my dog and ANY advise please...help!

[swill]

Hi there everyone,

Sorry this might been a little long- but I want to give all the info- b/c I'm REALLY[/I] scared we may have run out of options....any advise would be helpful at this point.

My 12 1/2 year old 6-6.5 lbs yorkie was diagnosed w/ IBD 3 years ago. After many "episodes" of horrendous diarrehea/ bloody gel- like stool and all the rest that goes w/ that (no need to go into further detail if you have experienced it- you know what i'm working about) At that time, each episode was able to be "stopped" after 3-4 days w/ meds- i believe metronidizole.
We tried the novel protein diets but none seemed to work.

Finally i gave in and let the vet do surgery to take biopsies she could not get through a less envasive porcedure. It showed she had Garidais (spelling) and the results were not definitive for IBD but there was a clear thickening of part of her intestinal wall. At one point she was also on atopic(good for only 6weeks) and she has tied Tylosin at different points as well as all the general meds for this.

As a last resort we went to steroids which worked for a good two years but have finally caused intestinal bleeding.
in Dec we did another ultrasound- the findings were not clinically significantly different from before- so no cancer or organized mass- still just the thickening of the intestinal wall.
So..tappered off the steriod and was on Tylosin w/ Metronidazole prn to control the "episodes" recently- which stopped working.

She is now on Atopica, tylosin and metro prn along w/ the Hill's Z/D food.
But after two weeks she got another "episode" but it was not as as bad.
****
my main questions are
1. are there long -term neurological side-effects from prolonged Metronidazole use as i have heard?

2. does anyone have any other suggestions for my poor girl- my vet i feel has a VERY comprehensive job- but should i take her to an internist/specialist? will a colonoscopy or endoscopy find anything new or simply be more expensive and invasive stressful tests for her?

3.anyone tried acupuncture and found it helpful?

ANY suggestions would be soo appreciated- she has had horrendous accidents i my house, car etc.. but i am willing to do anything i can to try to make her more comfortable and try to decrease the frequency of the "episodes"

**I live on the VT/ NH border..so if i went the specialist route- does anyone know of -had a good experience w/ anyone from In-Town locations (brought her to Wouburn, MA regarding her eyes- one good experience- one horrendous from another dr) or from Tufts?

Thank you to anyone who took the time to read this and if you have any advise/ suggestions/ similar issues your feedback would be soo appreciated...i'm feeling very helpless and alone at this point.
Chloe and her owner.

[yorkiesmiles]

Welcome to YT -- I am so sorry you are dealing with so much with your sweet yorkie.

Are you referring to Inflammatory Bowel Disease? I really know nothing about this -- but I hope someone else can help answer some of your questions.

The one thing I can offer - is have you fed her some pumpkin? Pure canned pumpkin -- not the pumpkin pie spice stuff -- can help quickly with at least the loose stools. I would definitely add some to her diet. I would do it today! It might seem crazy - but it does work & just less than 48 hrs ago someone else had came to YT with a dog that had diarrhea for days & she bought him pumpkin & it helped immediately. I have also used it with great success.

Some people feed their dogs a bit of pumpkin everyday to keep them balanced.

Please come back & update us

[Ellie May]

What blood tests have been done?
TLI with vitamin B12 and folate? Spec cPL? Triglycerides?
Have PLE and Lymphangiectasia been ruled out?

Sadly sometimes steroids are the only thing that works and if those are no longer able to be used, I'm really not sure what can be used.

Have you tried probiotics and maybe digestive enzymes?
How about a homemade hypoallergic fish and potato diet?

[Ladymom]

What are you feeding her? Lady is just 13 and she had three episodes of HGE (bloody diarrhea) in four months.

She was hospitalized for several days right after Labor Day and I nearly lost her. Soon after I stopped the medication and tried to get her back on a regular diet, she had loose stools again. I gave up on commercial diets and started homecooking for her. I also added Animal Essentials Plant Enzymes and Probiotics and she has been 100% fine ever since.

We never did all the tests for EPI, IBD, etc. since she made such a dramatic improvement with a change of diet.

If it were me, I'd consult with a nutritionist like Susan Davis and see if a change of diet and the addition of supplements like digestive enzymes would help.

[Patti]

Sorry to hear about your baby. My 12 year old pom has IBD and has bad episodes that are controlled with metrodrozinole and then can go for months with no problems. Any change in her diet sets her off so I keep her on a very limited diet. My one yorkie is on Atopica for severe allergies. Maybe you could have her seen by an internal medicine specialist. I hope you can get some answers.