Precious Buster is an angel...

[k9diabetes]

Re: Buster has diabetes and IBD

Vetprofen is Carprofen / Rimadyl. It certainly could be the cause of the panting - most anything that bothers them can cause them to pant.

When Chris went back on DermCaps when he was about 13, he started to having attacks of panting every day. I never suspected the DermCaps because he had taken them for years when he was younger with no problem. But then he got colitis and I took him off all of his supplements. Panting stopped. So I started adding his supplements back in one at a time and as soon as I gave him DermCaps he started panting again. Stopped it again, panting disappeared, and we threw out the DermCaps.

I agree with Patty that the only way to sort the issue out is to pick a dose that will absolutely not result in any low blood sugar and stick with that for a few days, a week if possible, and then do a curve and see what you've got.

I've never used Rimadyl, only Metacam. And have had such good success with it in two dogs now, both taking it daily for long periods of time, that it's going to be my first choice always for an NSAID. It is more expensive than Rimadyl but also has a long track record of use in the UK and a pretty good reputation.

That said, there will always be dogs who can't use NSAIDs safely. We've been lucky with both Chris and Jack and that they tolerate it extremely well.

With his delicate bowel, he might be sensitive to NSAIDs.

Try to eliminate as many variables as you can - maybe stop the Rimadyl, settle on a dose that you stay at for a week, and refrigerate the insulin. Do a curve and then you can figure things out from there.

There are some other options if his hips are definitely arthritic. Pain meds like Tramadol. Adequan injections, Herbal supplements like DogGonePain, supplementing with glucosamine...

Natalie

[debbie]

Re: Buster has diabetes and IBD

Here I am again. Now I would start a new thread for this one but dont know how. Before I got operated on buster's eye was funky one day when I came home from work. Ran his to vet and they said he has some dirt in it. OK I gave him eye drops. Then I got my knee replacement and I was not here for a few days. In the meantime my husband was the caregiver. Anyway to make the short and sweet. He took buster back to vet. Meanwhile all this time we have been pulling stuff out of his nose. Took him back they said he had a sinus infection too. Thought the eye looked better but then got bad again. Took him back and they gave him stronger antibotic and eye drops. OK he is on the pervicox, antibotic and eye stuff. They said he is baffling them. Has anyones dog had a sinus infection and the dogs eyes is like funky. Meaning it is up in his head sometimes. The vet said something about the third lid but I have no idea what that is. HELP PLEASE. ANYTHING OR ANY ADVICE I WILL WELCOME Also he is sneezing.

[CarolW]

Re: Buster has diabetes and IBD

Debbie - I'm sorry I can't help you; not enough expertise.

Has the vet cultured the infection, to determine to what antibiotics it might be sensitive? If not, that might be a good idea.

The third eyelid sometimes comes out to cover part or all of the eye if there are problems with the eye. That isn't much to say!

But on threads - it's SO much easier to help you and your dog (those who can do so) if you do NOT start a new thread, but always post to your own original thread! That way, it's possible to check back in case there is other related information. Thanks!

Best wishes to you and Buster!
Fri, 6 May 2011 07:21:03 (PDT)

[k9diabetes]

Re: Buster has diabetes and IBD

Hi Debbie,

Some eye problems cause the eyes to kind of sink back into the face and look smaller.

Horner's Syndrome, which seems to be pretty common in Labradors, is one possibility.

http://www.peteducation.com/article....+2105&aid=2478

Although the article above doesn't specifically list an infection as the cause, it describes infection as related in the treatment section.

How is Horner's Syndrome treated?

Depending upon the location of the injury, phenylephrine eye drops are administered to relieve the clinical signs. The underlying cause such as a bite wound or middle ear infection should be treated. In cases of idiopathic Horner's Syndrome, the condition often resolves after 6-8 weeks. Horner's Syndrome caused by injuries to nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord generally have a better prognosis.

Idiopathic means there is no known cause or trigger.

http://www.eyevet.ca/horner.html

I would want them to culture the crud from his nose to make sure the antibiotic he's on will kill it.

Natalie

[debbie]

Re: Buster has diabetes and IBD

Spoke to vet and she check for horners syndrome. That is why he brought him back the second time. She thinks this all from the infection. She wants me to continue on the antibotics. She also gave me the number to an eye doc. I have an appt for friday. She said it wont hurt to go. So we are going. Hopefully, i will have to cancel it cause his eye is better. I bought nasal spray and we put that up his nose too. We are to put it up 3x's a day. I am also putting warm compresses on his yet. Pray for us.

[k9diabetes]

Re: Buster has diabetes and IBD

I think an appointment with an ophthalmologist is a wonderful thing to do. They are worth the extra time and money.

Natalie

[debbie]

Re: Buster has diabetes and IBD

Good morning
Hope everyone is doing well. Buster is getting better with the horner syndrome thank god. But this is my new problem. His arthritis is bothering him. We have tried a couple of anti-inflamatory meds. The first one (I cant remember its name made him pant). Then we tried the previcox. It took away his appetitite. Now I am on the liquid Metacam. He still is not eating well. He has been like this for 2 months now. He eats most of his food and then stops. It is not like him. I have been giving him the metacam for a couple of days now. I think he tummy is bothering him. I give him tagament but it really doesnt do anything. Any suggestions.

[k9diabetes]

Re: Buster has diabetes and IBD

Because of Buster's sensitive stomach, you might consider Adequan injections to help ease his arthritis. That way you could avoid having to go through the stomach to treat it.

With our kitty Gus, who passed away in April, he was impossible to give any oral medication for his significant arthritis in his hips and he had Adequan injections regularly for a year or so. They seemed to help him tremendously. He was "loaded" with a weekly injection for four weeks I think it was and then we did a maintenance injection every two or three weeks for the rest of that year.

Rarely a dog has a reaction to Adequan - less often I believe than dogs have reactions to the oral NSAID meds like Metacam.

Acupuncture might also help - it helps some dogs and not others.

There are also some herbal type products that have worked for some people. DGP is one that some folks I knew online used some years ago before Metacam was approved in the U.S. Any herbal product could also cause stomach problems though.

It's going to be a tough balancing act with a dog with a sensitive stomach.

Natalie

[debbie]

Re: Buster has diabetes and IBD

Thank you natalie. I am praying that I can use this metacam. If not i am going to ask the vet about the shots.

[debbie]

Re: Buster has diabetes and IBD

Good morning
Well buster is not eating for me. With his arthritis i tried many nsaids and they effected his appetite so we stopped them. Last one was metacam liquid. OK on top of this he was having trouble with fleas. So I put frontline on him and still got fleas. I called vet and they said they had other things I could use. Now my usual vet was not there so I had another one who told me about comfortis. Gave him 1/2 thurs nite on full stomach and friday morning he wasnt eating good but I did get food down him and gave him the other. Friday nite he was eating horribly. I had to hand feed him and coax him to eat so I could give him his insulin. Yesterday morning was worse. Took him to vet. I had one of the two I usual have and of course he said buster does puzzle them. With his ibd, diabetes and sensitive stomach he said he probably wouldnt have given him the comfortis. Anyway now it is to late. So back to buster not eating. He took blood to check is liver function. I usually give buster the blue buffalo. While there the vet gave him some hills i/d treates and buster ate them. He said buster seems to be pickey. He gave me a bunch in a baggie. Last nite again buster gave me a hard time.
Didnt want his blue buffalo. Then I had to cook up some chicken to put in it and he ate some. I hand feed him some buffalo and he ate it. Gave him the treats from the vet and he had no trouble eating those. So over and hour of coax and me crying I got him to eat enough so I could give him insulin. This morning was worse. I had chicken broth in the blue buffalo and he turned his nose up. Then I had to put more chicken pieces in and he ate some. Gave him some cheese he ate that. Tried the treaties from vet no problem. Now in december buster was on w/d and his ibd started and we had to switch foods. Blue buffalo was doing great for him cause it is has no grains and stuff. I cannot get the i/d today (a little bag) cause you need a prescription. I have i/d in can soft and have used it on and off and he turns his nose up to that too. I always keep that on hand because of his belly. I hope you understand this cause i am probably all over the map. Has anyones dog turned their nose up all of a sudden to certain food? Buster never, ever had a problem with eating. Do you think he associates these foods with his belly hurting from the nsaids. Do you think their is a liver problem. My vet felt around and said he didnt feel anything but of course that means nothing, that is why he took blood. Suggestions please. He does seems to be picking and choosing what he wants to eat but why? HELP

[farrwf]

Re: Buster has diabetes and IBD

Occasionally Otis will turn up his nose at food.

Didn't used to bother me much until after his diagnosis. When Otis doesn't want to eat, nothing will entice him until he's ready. I used to be in panic mode when this happened because of his diabetes, but now know how to handle it. Doesn't happaen very often any more.

I'll leave the food down for about 15 minutes, then remove it. I give him 1/3 of his normal dose, and will "force feed" him a small amont of cheese. I'll continue to FF him a small amount of cheese or chicken every few hours until he's ready to eat again.

Fortunately, Otis has always been ready to eat by his next scheduled meal.

[debbie]

Re: Buster has diabetes and IBD

Thank you for answering me. I have been on here all day waiting.
I worry cause of the diabetes too. See he will eat the treats the vet gave us. I was think of changing food. He never turned his nose up to food until now. I force fed buster to but he does the same thing for the next meal. I am doing the cheese and chicken and the treats too. I am at a loss. I dont know if it is the medicine's side effects, something with his liver, or he just dont like the food anymore.
Did you ever hear of a dog not like his food anymore?

[farrwf]

Re: Buster has diabetes and IBD

Did you ever hear of a dog not like his food anymore?

Oh yes, when Otis was first diagnosed he was fed WD canned while they had him on the IV's to get rid of the ketones and bring his sugar level down.

He seemed to really like it. He was never fed canned food before that, and had been on OM dry for about 10 years prior to.

Guess the "novelty" wore off after a couple of months and one day he decided he didn't like the WD canned any longer. In fact, he decided he didn't like any canned food. I started with the WD dry and he's been on that ever since. Seems to really like it. Of course it's always mixed with his brown rice / ground chuck concoction.

Like I said, he still has his "days", but they are few and far between, ... and, he gets a reduced dose of insulin until he eats a good meal.

[debbie]

Re: Buster has diabetes and IBD

That is like buster when he had changed foods when he first was diagnosed he was on w/d. Then he had his bout with ibd and my vet gave him i/d canned. He loved that. Then I changed him to blue buffalo and kept the i/d canned incase of emergencies. Now the i/d can isnt doing it for him either. So I dont even have that to fall back on.

[k9diabetes]

Re: Buster has diabetes and IBD

You can give Buster anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 of his insulin dose if he eats nothing at all. Sometimes skipping a meal and just giving less insulin will ramp up the appetite enough by dinner time that they will eat. Plus skipping food can help settle the stomach.

It's hard to say why Buster is refusing food but in a dog who is not picky, it tells me that he's likely either not feeling well or, as you said, associates the food with not feeling well in the past.

If it's because he doesn't feel well now, he may go back to it when he feels better.

If he associates it with feeling bad, he'll probably never eat it again.

You can give him a few bland meals with the same number of calories if he will eat those - the chicken, baby food, lowfat on nonfat cottage cheese, and some rice. If you get some Metamucil, you can put a couple of teaspoons of that in to add some fiber.

But I would actually skip at least one meal, maybe two, just to let his stomach rest in case he is feeling ill right now. So don't try to force feed him. Just forget about food for 24 hours and give him the reduced dose of insulin.

I think you did this before once... ? If not, start with 1/4 of his usual dose and see how his blood sugar does. You can go up to as much as 1/2 but need to monitor the blood sugar at first to see how it responds to the insulin.

Let us know how his test results come out.

Natalie