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We have an elderly Westie, who has Addison's Disease that has been well managed for years...she also has had bouts of gastro-intestinal problems...at times requiring hospitalization. She had been doing well over the past year....but lately she has had bowel problems, with frequent very loose stools .... mucus and some blood at times in her stool. I have had her on a diet of boiled ground chicken and white rice...in the past this has worked out ok for her (bland diet). Last month when we took her to the vet he put her on an anti biotic and told us to increase her daily dose of steriod medication that she takes for the Addison's. She seemed to recover and had a couple of weeks relief...but for the past 3 days it has been back to the loose stools.
We will of course take her back to the vet tomorrow....but wondering if anyone else has similar experience and what worked for your dog.
Well, one thing is, what you put in results with what comes out... meaning her food, meds etc. Over time bad eating and toxic stuff in our body catches up with us.
Is she eating truly wholesome, nourishing healthy foods? Are you giving her the boiled ground chicken and white rice every day as her food?
Could be many things here, all the meds might be doing this too.
Antibiotics although may fix the problem at first, continued use (or even one time) cause adverse side effects, including overall lower immune system. And same thing with use of her daily dose of steroid medication...
Just a thought but I would definelty look for a holistic vet to get their view on things, can't get worse.
My kitty goes regularly to her vet and gets acupuncture and chiropractic care, she does well, and is on the road to healing!
Hope something is found out! IMO steriod med everyday seems, well so toxic but that is me. I would just research other opintions as there must be some...
Well, one thing is, what you put in results with what comes out... meaning her food, meds etc. Over time bad eating and toxic stuff in our body catches up with us.
Is she eating truly wholesome, nourishing healthy foods? Are you giving her the boiled ground chicken and white rice every day as her food?
Could be many things here, all the meds might be doing this too.
Antibiotics although may fix the problem at first, continued use (or even one time) cause adverse side effects, including overall lower immune system. And same thing with use of her daily dose of steroid medication...
Just a thought but I would definelty look for a holistic vet to get their view on things, can't get worse.
My kitty goes regularly to her vet and gets acupuncture and chiropractic care, she does well, and is on the road to healing!
Hope something is found out! IMO steriod med everyday seems, well so toxic but that is me. I would just research other opintions as there must be some...
and i hope for the best for you and her!
Thnk You for your kind advise....but it really doesnt seem to apply to this little girl....She has had Addison's Disease which is a devestating shut down of the adrenal system.....she has had it for the past 7 years. It is a serious condition and it is considered unusual that she has survived....that is due to monthly hormone shot and daily tiny dose of cortizone.
Anyway, thank you for your thoughts, but you are 100% incorrect.....It could be worse.... Addisons is often a fatal disease.....all the acupuncture or chiropractic care in the world isnt going to cure it. Just like a chiropractor wouldnt treat childhood diabetes or cancer.
She is already 14 years old.....so by all accounts she is doing very well.
The doctor did put her back on the anti biotic and increased her cortizone from 1/4 to 1/2 a tablet. She seems to be responding. I do boil her ground chicken and rice myself....her diet does include some Nutro Senior dry food...when she is better....but I still cook her the chicken/rice.
So your dog has primary Addison's and is taking DOCP and cortisol? I'm sure you know already that digestive problems are a common occurrence with Addison's, and antibiotics can also cause intestinal problems. Perhaps what your dog is experiencing now are side effects of the antibiotic. I'd keep up with the bland diet and see if she'll return to normal when the course of antibiotics is completed.
It sounds as if your vet is managing her illness well. Addison's is a devastating disease, and your dog's survival to the age of 14 is a testament to the good care she's received from you and your vet, and to her indomitable spirit. She must be a terrific dog!
So your dog has primary Addison's and is taking DOCP and cortisol? I'm sure you know already that digestive problems are a common occurrence with Addison's, and antibiotics can also cause intestinal problems. Perhaps what your dog is experiencing now are side effects of the antibiotic. I'd keep up with the bland diet and see if she'll return to normal when the course of antibiotics is completed.
It sounds as if your vet is managing her illness well. Addison's is a devastating disease, and your dog's survival to the age of 14 is a testament to the good care she's received from you and your vet, and to her indomitable spirit. She must be a terrific dog!
You make my eyes tear up.....you understand! She is a fiesty little westie....with a very strong spirit.....twice we have had to carry her to the emergency hospital.....near death......Addisons is indeed a devestating condition.....and it is very expensive to maintain her. She still has all the spunk and fortitude and orneriness that goes with her breed. As long as she can shake it off....and wag her tail ..(gotta love the westie tail wag)...well if she can....so can we!
Again, thanks for your understanding....often people seem to assume that we are doing something wrong....rather than beating the odds.
The reason I understand is that I have Poodles, and as you may know, along with Westies, Poodles have high incidence of Addison's --and Cushing's, too. One more thing we can thank the backyard and puppymill breeders for, I guess.
Did you know that UC Davis is conducting research into finding out how Addison's is inherited in hopes of finding a genetic test to screen for it? I don't know if they are still looking for DNA samples, but here is the website so you can at least read about what they are trying to do. CGAP (http://cgap.ucdavis.edu/Default.htm - broken link).
It's a very positive thing that a big vet school is initiating a study like this. Hopefully the research will help to eventually eradicate this awful disease from the canine genetic pool.
You've obviously provided wonderful love and care to keep her going for so many years with Addisons. Try adding a spoonful or two of good quality plain yogurt with acidophilus (ie, Activia) to her food, to help counteract the antibiotics and other meds.
We have an elderly Westie, who has Addison's Disease that has been well managed for years...she also has had bouts of gastro-intestinal problems...at times requiring hospitalization. She had been doing well over the past year....but lately she has had bowel problems, with frequent very loose stools .... mucus and some blood at times in her stool. I have had her on a diet of boiled ground chicken and white rice...in the past this has worked out ok for her (bland diet). Last month when we took her to the vet he put her on an anti biotic and told us to increase her daily dose of steriod medication that she takes for the Addison's. She seemed to recover and had a couple of weeks relief...but for the past 3 days it has been back to the loose stools.
We will of course take her back to the vet tomorrow....but wondering if anyone else has similar experience and what worked for your dog.
You probably need to get her on probiotics. I can only feed my dog chicken and rice as well. I buy chicken breasts only and either boil or bake them. I cook the rice in broth -- either a very low sodium brand that I buy or broth that I make myself. She gets a vitamin every day and spoonfuls of plain lowfat yogurt.
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