Dog is shaking uncontrollably

Question
Hi Shelley,

I have a dog that is 4 years old. Her name is Dixie and she is a Brittany Spaniel. Last week I brought her to the vet and they diagnosed her with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. They gave me two different medications. (I don't know if you are familiar with these medications) The first one is Metronidazole and the second one is Prednisone. The vet told me to give her one tablet of the Metronidazole every 12 hours for 10 days and she told me to give her 1/2 a tablet of Prednisone every 12 hours for 7 days, then 1/2 a tablet every 24 hours for 7 days, then 1/2 a tablet every other day until gone. So what I do is I give Dixie the pills at 8 am (I have to drop them down her throat because she won't eat them) and I feed her 1 cup of dog food. I do the same thing at 8 pm. I give Dixie NO treats because I think that may upset her stomach. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Anyways, the reason that I am sending you this message is because Dixie has been constantly shaking uncontrollably and she seems very tired. I do take her for a walk once a day so that could be why she is so tired but she is always sleeping and she seems depressed and maybe in pain and she never wants anything to do with me. She also has been very very thirsty and hungry. I know that the hunger and thirst are side effects from the medicine but I don't know if the shaking/twitching is a side effect from the medicine. Also should I feed her more often? I feed her every 12 hours. Do you think she is getting to much medicine? Or is the shaking/twitching normal? If the shaking/twitching is NOT a side effect I will call my vet ASAP.

Thanks!

Answer
Hi Kylie,

Thank you for writing to me about your dog's IBD.  The shaking is definitely a very worrisome condition. Did your vet do any preliminary blood work prior to giving these medications or a follow up?  Have you called her to discuss this side effect? Your dog should be on Milk Thistle to flush the toxic effects of the medication out of her liver.  The best brands are GAIA or Dr Ron.

The perfect non toxic cure for IBD is a product called VSL#3.  It is recommended by physicians that specialize in intestional diseases.  It is expensive but it works.  They ship it to you on ice as it has to be refrigerated.  You give 1 packet 3x a day to start.  Over time this amount can be reduced.  www.vsl3.com/  A friend of mine was recently scheduled to have part of her colon removed and I suggested that she try the VSL.  Her symptoms disappeared.

Since stress can be a huge factor in IBD, I would recommend two herbal remedies, one to be given in the morning and one in the evening.  Pro-quiet and Tranquil.  I would also suggest giving ginger capsules, 3 am and 3pm as well as slippery elm bark.

Please do not vaccinate while your dog is ill.  Dogs who are ill are not supposed to be vaccinated. In fact, intestional damage can be a symptom of over vaccination, called vaccinosis. I would not vaccinate in the future except for a 3 years rabies.

Other medications such as flea and tick prevention can also do this kind of damage, as well as flea/tick collars (a poison), chemicals in the environment, water or food. Your dog should be eating a high quality human grade food such as Nature's Logic Lamb.  Your dog's IBD may simply be a result of food allergies!

I am assuming that your vet did a full fecal exam to check for all parasites including GIARDIA?

Please let me know if what I've recommended helps your dog's condition, should you choose to treat her more naturally.

Best Regards,
Shelley Davis

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Hi Kylie,

How is your dog doing?