ForestRiverTeac
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Re: Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Dogs
dturm wrote: I too would recommend not to do too much switching of foods. Without a vomiting component to the symptoms, stick with the limited ingredient foods without frequent changes unless symptoms recur. Probiotics would be the only thing I would add to the mix. There are dog specific products, but human variety or an active culture yogurt would be reasonable. Doug Dr. Doug, the only consistent symptom he's had is the vomiting for extended periods. And he's only had maybe 4 episodes since last June. Then when I started reading about IBS, poor coat quality was mentioned, which he's had since last summer. Again, we're just treating the symptoms. I'm simply not willing to put him through invasive, stressful tests, only to be told that what's going on is terminal. He gets to enjoy life and live it on his terms. For a treat in his Kong in the morning he's getting nonfat, plain Greek yogurt. I figured (and the vet agreed) that it won't hurt him, and could help with the good stuff in his gut. Thanks so much for everyone's input. I really appreciate it.572Views0likes0CommentsRe: Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Dogs
DownTheAvenue wrote: Metronidazole is usually well tolerated in dogs. Rarely, it can cause liver failure, and long term dosage can cause neurological problems that usually go away after the medication is stopped. Have you tired a very bland diet from noncommercial sources? Boiled chicken and rice with real pumpkin puree is a good choice during an episode. Sometimes, irritable bowel can be abated with a bland diet. Also, if you can get the irritable bowel under control and allow the bowel to "rest", then sometimes the symptoms do not reappear. You may have to experiment to find what "triggers" the irritation. If I were you, I would seriously consider a second opinion. Exploratory surgery for irritable bowel seems very aggressive to me, especially in an older dog, whose symptoms only appear every 4 to 6 weeks. Please consider Solid Gold SeaMeal nutritional supplement- I have had very good results even though I feed a quality commercial food. You may also consider taking your dog off commercially prepared food altogether and use only home prepared food. If you choose this option, be sure to find a recipe from a reliable source so that all of your dog's nutritional needs are met. Thanks for the suggestions. The exploratory surgery was suggested by a very junior vet in the middle of one of Jed's episodes. Needless to say, I had a conversation with the senior vet who is very agreeable to simply treating the symptoms. We feed high-quality commercial food that my vet likes, in addition to some prescription bland food when he's having trouble. But I'll check out the Solid Gold as a supplement. We've gone the chicken/rice route several times, but it doesn't seem to agree with him as much as the prescription stuff. We're certainly watching what he gets into, as he's a virtual canine vacuum. Hard to keep totally everything out of his mouth, but hyper-vigilance is becoming part of our routine. Should have named him Hoover ... ;)571Views0likes0CommentsIrritable Bowel Syndrome in Dogs
Greetings -- My 11 year-old Lab, Jed, has been diagnosed with IBS. At least that's what we're going to treat, as I'm not willing for him to undergo exploratory surgery and anything else invasive at this point in his life. He's been through strychnine poisoning, herniated discs in his neck, and a malignant melanoma in his eye. I'd say that's enough trauma for one dog. His only symptoms are that his coat has been a mess since last summer and every 4-6 weeks he goes through about 36 hours where he can't keep anything down, even though he wants to eat. We're treating him with Prevacid, metronidazole, and bland limited-ingredient food. His appetite has never wavered, and his disposition is as sunny as the day I brought him home as a tiny puppy. From what I've been told and have read, IBS can only be controlled, not cured. My question for those of you who deal with more wholistic solutions to your dog's health is whether or not there's something I might be adding to his regimen that might help improve his digestive system and strengthen it. And for Dr. Doug in particular, is keeping Jed on the metronidazole likely to make him develop a resistance to it? My vet said that if/when it quits working then prednisone would be the next step. I really hope we don't get there, as he has a pretty strong reaction to it. Thanks for your collective insight.4.1KViews0likes10CommentsRe: 30 ft- one roof air sufficient?
We have a 31' Class A with one air conditioner and it does fine for us. I think it depends on how it's vented. We've got vents in the bedroom, so it keeps things plenty cool. Using a fan if you feel like the air isn't getting moved around enough would help. If the trip to look at the rig isn't going to break the bank, I'd go look at it. Heck, if the rig's in Arizona, you'll know pretty quick how it does! Good luck!104Views0likes0CommentsRe: The Veterinary Industrial Complex
Dr. Doug, I appreciate your thoughtful words. Thanks for taking the time to share them. I used a vet for many years that was small -- it still is a relatively small practice. What changed for me wasn't the care I received, but the way the office was run. For some reason the front office became impersonal and pretty unwilling to talk with me, especially when I was traveling & needed support. Used to be I could call, talk things through with some of the techs, and they would in turn talk with the vet and get back to me. That changed, and after close to 15 years I moved my pets to another practice. Veterinary care is definitely an art. And I like being able to have a thoughtful dialogue with the vet when it comes to working out what's best for my pets. When a practice's front office prevents that from happening I feel like I have no other choice but to find a practice that will give me the kind of support I want. Laura340Views0likes0CommentsRe: Thor ACE 30.2 vs Forest River 31B3
As the owner of a Thor A.C.E. 30.1 (no bunks), I have to say that one of the biggest selling points for us was how easy it was to work with their customer service. And they've been very responsive for us. We'd previously owned trailers from different manufacturers, and none of them were as easy to work with as Thor has been. If you've never owned an RV, one of the truest statements I ever heard was that any RV is essentially like dealing with an "abode" that experiences a non-stop earthquake every time it's on the road. Things will get shaken. And over time, they come loose -- even on the most solidly-made rigs. It's the nature of the beast. So, for us, knowing that we can call Thor's customer service gave us the confidence we needed to purchase our A.C.E. Enjoy the journey!679Views0likes0CommentsRe: Remorse?
Don't know what your tax "stuff" is like in CO, but here in California some of the sales tax can even be deducted. Had my taxes done professionally this year for the first time, and the accountant wanted to know about the sales tax I paid on our new A.C.E. (I know ... it's not a DP). While it's only a one-time deduction, an additional $1700 in my refund is nothing to sneeze at!149Views0likes0CommentsRe: surge protectors
It's not all about a surge. It's also about low voltage -- low enough that, over time, it could ruin your AC unit. I wouldn't have an RV without an EMS system. It's saved us from unknowingly running our AC on low power -- actually shut us down. Weighing the cost of an EMS system against the cost of repairing/replacing the everything electrical in my rig is a no-brainer. And for what most of us pay for our motorhomes, another $300 shouldn't be an issue.416Views0likes0CommentsRe: Thor Vegas Seiki TV set???
I don't know if this will help or not ... I have a Thor with 2 TVs -- one in the living area and a Seiki in the bedroom. When we took possession of the rig we made sure the dealer knew that we wanted to run each TV separately on its own cable box. Initially they looked a little puzzled at the request, stating that whatever the front TV showed was what the back TV would show. Well, we said that we didn't want that and to please do whatever it took to make it so we could watch different programs on each TV. What we've ended up with are TWO coaxial inputs on the outside of our rig -- one for the front TV and one for the back. The original coaxial cable that went into the Seiki is now worthless (I can see it disappear into the top of the cupboard behind the TV), or maybe just useful if running on the antenna. I've disconnected it, and now use a coaxial cable plugged into a wall receptacle. Depending on whether I'm using my satellite receiver or park cable determines where I hook up the coaxial. If I'm on park cable, then the "source" is TV, and I have to use a splitter on the outside of the rig to get to both TVs. My satellite receiver's source is "AV", and because I have 2 outputs on my Winegard, I just use 2 cables on the 2 outside inputs. Works like a charm, and I can watch different programs on the 2 TVs. Hope this makes sense. If I could get to the rig & take some pictures I would. But my guess is that you're going to have to add another coaxial connection somewhere in order to get what you want.396Views0likes0Comments
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