my previous post RE: Rui the Chihuahua

Question

Rui   QUESTION: Hello again Jo Ann. I am writing again to answer your question I received from you on December 31 regarding my previous post. I am not sure why I can't find it on your site.....

First of all I hope for your continued recovery.

1. Could you advise me how to contact Dr. Jean Dodds so I may ask for a reference in my area for a holistic veterinarian?

2. Rui had not had any vaccinations prior to the September incidence. And had not receive ANY type of product topically. I cannot think of anything that was different other than the possible change in weather?

3. I am not sure why Rui had not been subscribed Torbutrol. The second vet I took him to did prescribe hydromet syrup for his cough, which I gave to him when he was at his worst but stopped because of the warnings on the label (for humans!!) such as "Controlled substance" "Dangerous unless used as directed" and "May cause dizziness"!!!!!

4. No blood work was done on Rui before the prescription of the Temaril P. I am aware the withdrawal is gradual, but I haven't reached the point where I dare to think of taking him off yet.

5. He is much less active than he used to be, but also he is now 8, so I attributed a lot of that to his age. He doesn't like to walk on a leash, but he has a large fenced in yard that we utilize a lot when the weather cooperates. But when I do walk him I use a harness.

He weighs just slightly over 8 lbs, but he is a little taller than a small chi.

I feed him about 1/4 cup dry food (Fromm 4 star originals) and usually put a little lean protein on top to entice him to eat. (I recently made him some homemade dog food which includes, lentils, pearled barley, brown rice, chicken, collard greens, green beans, peas, carrots, brewers yeast, flax seed meal and flax seed oil.) He's still not sure about it yet!

My first vet did discuss surgery and highly discouraged it. That it could be very invasive.

We do use an air purifier in the bedroom where he sleeps and also in the living room.

I agree about having the Fluroscopy. I will ask my second vet about this.

Thank you again for your thorough response to my first question.

ANSWER: Hi Sharon...

Thank you for the comment about my health...

1.  This is a link where you will find information about Dr. Jean Dodds, including her contact information:  http://www.itsfortheanimals.com/HEMOPET.HTM

2.  I'm GLAD that Rui received no vaccinations or flea treatments/tick treatments during this time.  Good job! Any one of these things could have well compromised his current health condition.

3.  I see your point about the Hydromet syrup!  It contains a narcotic...  Torbutrol contains a sedative if I remember correctly.  You'd still need to be careful that he doesn't get dizzy or otherwise become unsteady on his feet with Torbutrol. My vet is always careful to start with the smallest dose possible of even things like Benedryl since dogs, like people, can all react differently to one product.

4.  I think it's very important to have blood work done more frequently on dogs that are on prednisone.  One side effect is renal disorders and you really need to be aware of symptoms of Cushing's disease.  My eldest Chi was presenting with symptoms of Cushing's and it turned out that the vet that I was seeing had overdosed him on thyroid medication.  That is how I sought out and met Dr. Jean Dodds...I had her evaluate his records and blood work and she determined that he was overdosed and solved his problem. Cushing's is very serious and not something that either of us want to deal with!

5.  Okay, he may be less active because he's 8 years old now...  I like that answer because it doesn't indicate that he's less active due to pain or the inability to breathe with a minimum of exertion.

How much total protein is Rui getting in that mixture that you're feeding?  Which Fromm food are you mixing in with the home cooking?  The chicken vegetable one or one of the no-grain recipes? I'm wondering why a carnivore is getting so much lentils, peas, beans, brown rice, etc.?  Especially if it's in addition to what's in the dry food? When one of my Chis was quite ill, I consulted with a board certified internist who ran several tests and concluded that my dog was not digesting kibble well and she recommended that I change over to a canned food (premium, human grade) that was high protein (I may have already told you this the last time I wrote to you). I was a bit confused at the time and uncomfortable about the "high protein" part of the suggestion and so I consulted with a nutritionist who absolutely agreed with the internist.  So did my holistic vet.  I changed her to a high protein diet that has much less grain and carbs.  She not only got better, she flourished!  Where 3 or 4 years ago many vets argued that high protein diets were bad for dogs and cats (and stressed that high protein was horribly bad for older dogs/cats and dogs with renal issues), we know without doubt now that that is not true.  I think you should be looking at food that has anti-inflammatory properties that will boost Rui's immune system.  Foods that are processed less are better for our dogs.  Look at some of the dehydrated or freeze-dried foods being offered now.  Of course, you should do this with the blessing of a veterinarian that you trust and respect.  I'm thinking that you should see if there is a Yahoo group for dogs that have collapsed tracheas and see what those folks are feeding their dogs.  Of course, you'll want to research everything you hear/read, which I feel confident that you already do.  Then, you may want to join K-9 Kitchen on Yahoo groups and see if you can consult with a nutritionist there for a diet for Rui that is home cooked and well balanced, if homecooking is what you want to do.

Yes, surgery is something that you'd really want to talk to a surgeon about and possibly other people that have dogs that have collapsed tracheas.  That's still down the line, though, since you don't have a confirmed diagnosis yet.

That's great that you're using air purifiers!  In so many ways, Sharon, you're VERY on top of things and absolutely to be commended!  You're proactive with Rui's health and you have good instincts when it comes to medications, etc.  I think that when you find a holistic vet that you like and who will work with your conventional vet, you'll be quite happy.

That little picture of Rui is simply darling.  I really, really like the fawn Chis!

If you'd like to join my yahoo group for Chihuahuas, you can respond by marking your response as private and I can send you an invite.  My thought is that it would be a way to ask questions fast and easy and give updates on Rui...but we can always continue right here on AllExperts, too.

Jo Ann      

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Jo Ann

Regarding Rui's diet, I agree, it seemed like a lot of lentils, peas, beans and brown rice....My understanding was that the lentils had lots of protein in them. It was a recipe I received from another chi lover who had 9 of them and they thrived on it. She said her vet specialized in nutrition and helped her with the recipe.

Honestly, this is very confusing and overwhelming to me. I will try to find a Yahoo group as you suggest.

Sharon

Answer
Hi again Sharon...

There's lots of people out there with lots of different opinions and for all I know, maybe lentils are really healthy.  However, having said that, carnivores do eat animal protein in the wild and recent research indicates that our domestic carnivores do better with the same type of protein.  Especially noteworthy is how recent studies show that dogs that have renal disease do better on high protein instead of reduced amounts of protein which ALL vets prescribed for them not too long ago. Science Diet and several other companies made lots of money off of their prescription diets for many years. Now we're finding that that was all wrong.  A lot is happening insofar as pet nutrition goes in recent years.  It is confusing and it can be overwhelming.  You, though, are right on top of things and you will do just fine.  You are smart and instinctive.  What you've been feeding Rui has done no damage, I just want for you to be aware of the perhaps imbalance of the home cooked on top of the Fromm kibble diet.  Maybe a canned Fromm diet would be good?  Perhaps they have one that has the same ingredients as their kibble that you're feeding him that has a good amount of protein? Fromm is a good food.  I recently researched in quite a bit when contemplating some changes for one of my Chis.  I cannot recall offhand how much protein the canned food has.  You calculate protein in canned food differently than you calculate it for dry food.  The labels on canned food are not truly indicative of total protein amounts.

Take a deep breath and know that you'll get through all of the confusion and past it soon.  You're on the right path.  You'll be contacting Dr. Dodds soon for a vet referral and you have support from me and...well, you're SMART!

Jo Ann