Hey guys, I've been lurking around on the forum for some time and decided to see what you think about my dog's problem.
My 3.5 yr old white GSD on Taste of the Wild bison flavor got super sick on November 30th, 2016 out of the blue after eating 7/8 of the 33lb bag. (I now suspect some type of mold, but not sure.) Vomiting, lethargy, loss of appetite, diarrhea (looked like BBQ sauce) in that order of appearance chronologically. Went to the vet several times - he got better when off the dry food and immediately worse when given more TotW food. Vet tried to give me Hill's Science Diet - of course I will not feed that and did not offer it... He lost about 8lb in two weeks but has since gained at least 6lb back.
No fever, no blood in stool/vomit; tested negative for giardia and parasites; did two abdominal X rays, both normal; metronidazole and sufulcrate did not really help as far as I could tell; Idexx "total health" blood tests showed extremely low lipase levels (27 when the lowest normal is 138) and very slightly low protein levels (could be from not eating for a week?) otherwise normal; did Spec cPL and TLI and Cobalamin and Folate blood tests, all results were normal.
In short, vet could not find anything medically wrong with him and was not concerned about lipase levels. I switched him to Fromm Adult Gold which has oats/barley/rice and is causing minor itching due to the grain, but he got better slowly and was eating it and seemed to do fine. Gave him a bully stick which plunged him back into stomach upset and he vomited 7 times in one day. Recovered from that, then was feeling ill after a long car ride; got better, then I saw him licking what was probably road salt or worse, off his paws, and now he has vomited and lost his appetite and is lethargic again.
During this time I have been feeding (or offering) things like sweet potato, boiled white rice, boiled chicken, scrambled egg, yogurt, pumpkin, cottage cheese, regular cheese, the list goes on... Some of which he would eat, some not (yogurt, pumpkin).
My question to you is: should I continue to look for different blood tests or diagnostic procedures, or should I cautiously assume that this is lingering effects and sensitivity from having a severely compromised digestive system after being sick from the Taste of the Wild food? I did run into a gentleman the other day whose older German shepherd also got sick from TotW and was sick for 3 months. Can anyone weigh in with their own experiences or advice? I would appreciate any kind of moral support or peace of mind! I have been in a state of constant worry for 5 weeks now although much of that time he has been his normal self with ups and downs. Thank you!
My 3.5 yr old white GSD on Taste of the Wild bison flavor got super sick on November 30th, 2016 out of the blue after eating 7/8 of the 33lb bag. (I now suspect some type of mold, but not sure.) Vomiting, lethargy, loss of appetite, diarrhea (looked like BBQ sauce) in that order of appearance chronologically. Went to the vet several times - he got better when off the dry food and immediately worse when given more TotW food. Vet tried to give me Hill's Science Diet - of course I will not feed that and did not offer it... He lost about 8lb in two weeks but has since gained at least 6lb back.
No fever, no blood in stool/vomit; tested negative for giardia and parasites; did two abdominal X rays, both normal; metronidazole and sufulcrate did not really help as far as I could tell; Idexx "total health" blood tests showed extremely low lipase levels (27 when the lowest normal is 138) and very slightly low protein levels (could be from not eating for a week?) otherwise normal; did Spec cPL and TLI and Cobalamin and Folate blood tests, all results were normal.
In short, vet could not find anything medically wrong with him and was not concerned about lipase levels. I switched him to Fromm Adult Gold which has oats/barley/rice and is causing minor itching due to the grain, but he got better slowly and was eating it and seemed to do fine. Gave him a bully stick which plunged him back into stomach upset and he vomited 7 times in one day. Recovered from that, then was feeling ill after a long car ride; got better, then I saw him licking what was probably road salt or worse, off his paws, and now he has vomited and lost his appetite and is lethargic again.
During this time I have been feeding (or offering) things like sweet potato, boiled white rice, boiled chicken, scrambled egg, yogurt, pumpkin, cottage cheese, regular cheese, the list goes on... Some of which he would eat, some not (yogurt, pumpkin).
My question to you is: should I continue to look for different blood tests or diagnostic procedures, or should I cautiously assume that this is lingering effects and sensitivity from having a severely compromised digestive system after being sick from the Taste of the Wild food? I did run into a gentleman the other day whose older German shepherd also got sick from TotW and was sick for 3 months. Can anyone weigh in with their own experiences or advice? I would appreciate any kind of moral support or peace of mind! I have been in a state of constant worry for 5 weeks now although much of that time he has been his normal self with ups and downs. Thank you!