Hi guys!
I have been reading posts here for quite some time, and it really got me thinking about the health of my dogs and what I want out of their vet care. I have 2 dogs; one GSD puppy, and one GSD mix who's had a ton of health issues. I am a busy teacher, and this time of year is awful, but I have somethings on my mind that I would like to share and open up to this group of masterminds. My hope is that by the time school is out in 2 weeks I will have a clear direction of where I am going to go with my dogs health. Here goes...Steele seems very healthy but about a month ago he started getting greenish **** in his eyes, mostly in the am but during the day too. I started using my air purifier thinking it was allergies, but when he sleeps he makes a snoring noise. I was worried and asked Joe, his human dad to ask at the vet. They claim nothing wrong and just use Benadryl. They also have advised us since we got him to feed him as much, and whatever he wants (not free feeding in the sense that we don't know how much he gets per day, but multiple feedings throughout the day until he is full). hum. Not my favorite answer as Lily has stomach issues and I am very (or at least thought I was until I started reading here) conscious about what I feed. Lily is on TOTW Salmon due to allergies and Steele is on the puppy version of that; hope was that they both will be on the same food one day. I also top with various goodies; homemade bone broth, boiled chicken, raw egg, and Instinct Raw Lamb or Rabbit medallions. I know it is not as good as it could be, but I am trying to do what I can until I can really wrap my head around the whole raw diet. I don't want to damage a puppy or sick dog. So Steele is putting on weight quick; averages 3 lbs per week, but last week it was 5! He is huge. He turned 16 weeks on the 18th and was 45 lbs a week ago. I am worried. Also, they told me to start giving him 2 benadryl twice daily due to his itching. But his has become a little stinker; really trying to herd the whole family more etc. I expect behavior changes due to age, but I am concerned about the benadryl. I feel awful and grumpy after I have taken it and wonder if he does too. My trainer said no puppy should be on antihistamines. I have been tapering him down and the yuck in the eyes and grumbling sound when he sleeps is back. I have video and will upload it later from my phone. I started introducing ACV and coconut oil this week. My daughter also reported he regurgitated his food yesterday. Could it be something like mega-e or am I just being overly concerned? Also, they roped Joe into making a castration appointment for the day of his 6 month birthday. I have NO intention of breeding him but am concerned about what I have read about health/castration. My vet does not have a whole bunch of time for me questioning their ideas. Lily had severe ITP when she was 2 and they told me she could never have vaccines again. She had all puppy shots/1 and 2 year up dates and said she should been fine but we could run titers if we ever wanted to. Fast forward 2 years and I found myself in a heated discussion with them about why I refused to fall into the vaccine discussion they were having with me. Essentially, they were acting as though they would remove her as a patient if I didn't do vaccines. I happened to be in there for a blood draw just to check her numbers and they were low. Not low enough to start pred again, but not where we wanted them. Lilys' other health issues; 100 mg of pred to stop ITP, tapered off and 1 week after taper platelet count was great and she was bit by what had to be a brown recluse (we have none is MI but just bought a car from out west and determination was made that it was BR because of the severity of the necrosis on her abdomen), a few back injuries from playing with her older and bigger brother, elevated pancreas and liver numbers, and most recently a serious bout of Vestibular Disease. It makes my stomach hurt just to think of all she's been through and all the medication she's had. She's also had a colicy (sp?) stomach forever. She started to vomit bile in the mornings years ago and the vet advised to give her a rice cake or two before bed, and some Pepcid. The vomiting is under control using those methods but then I read in here about how awful rice and meds are. I want to detox her and take them both to a holistic vet, but am so afraid of something going wrong with her. The nearest holistic vet (according to a link I found on this website) is nearly 2 hours away. The local emergency vet LOVES my vets office. I am worried that if I go non-traditional and something goes wrong, the ER vet would blame my choices. However, I know if I told my vet I was treating allergies with ACV and wanted to detox/find a rice cake alternative they would think I am crazy. I am also confident they would not approve at all if I cancel Steele's castration appointment. I am just looking for some advice about making the switch to holistic, any ideas about their current health issues, and additions/changes to current food. I am quite positive I could not be as amazing as you all are with supplements etc, but I want a good place to start. I know this is a lot, and I want you all to know that I have read so many of your posts to to other members about the same kind of questions. I just feel like I need clarity about my dogs in particular before I start anything so new. Thank you in advance!
I have been reading posts here for quite some time, and it really got me thinking about the health of my dogs and what I want out of their vet care. I have 2 dogs; one GSD puppy, and one GSD mix who's had a ton of health issues. I am a busy teacher, and this time of year is awful, but I have somethings on my mind that I would like to share and open up to this group of masterminds. My hope is that by the time school is out in 2 weeks I will have a clear direction of where I am going to go with my dogs health. Here goes...Steele seems very healthy but about a month ago he started getting greenish **** in his eyes, mostly in the am but during the day too. I started using my air purifier thinking it was allergies, but when he sleeps he makes a snoring noise. I was worried and asked Joe, his human dad to ask at the vet. They claim nothing wrong and just use Benadryl. They also have advised us since we got him to feed him as much, and whatever he wants (not free feeding in the sense that we don't know how much he gets per day, but multiple feedings throughout the day until he is full). hum. Not my favorite answer as Lily has stomach issues and I am very (or at least thought I was until I started reading here) conscious about what I feed. Lily is on TOTW Salmon due to allergies and Steele is on the puppy version of that; hope was that they both will be on the same food one day. I also top with various goodies; homemade bone broth, boiled chicken, raw egg, and Instinct Raw Lamb or Rabbit medallions. I know it is not as good as it could be, but I am trying to do what I can until I can really wrap my head around the whole raw diet. I don't want to damage a puppy or sick dog. So Steele is putting on weight quick; averages 3 lbs per week, but last week it was 5! He is huge. He turned 16 weeks on the 18th and was 45 lbs a week ago. I am worried. Also, they told me to start giving him 2 benadryl twice daily due to his itching. But his has become a little stinker; really trying to herd the whole family more etc. I expect behavior changes due to age, but I am concerned about the benadryl. I feel awful and grumpy after I have taken it and wonder if he does too. My trainer said no puppy should be on antihistamines. I have been tapering him down and the yuck in the eyes and grumbling sound when he sleeps is back. I have video and will upload it later from my phone. I started introducing ACV and coconut oil this week. My daughter also reported he regurgitated his food yesterday. Could it be something like mega-e or am I just being overly concerned? Also, they roped Joe into making a castration appointment for the day of his 6 month birthday. I have NO intention of breeding him but am concerned about what I have read about health/castration. My vet does not have a whole bunch of time for me questioning their ideas. Lily had severe ITP when she was 2 and they told me she could never have vaccines again. She had all puppy shots/1 and 2 year up dates and said she should been fine but we could run titers if we ever wanted to. Fast forward 2 years and I found myself in a heated discussion with them about why I refused to fall into the vaccine discussion they were having with me. Essentially, they were acting as though they would remove her as a patient if I didn't do vaccines. I happened to be in there for a blood draw just to check her numbers and they were low. Not low enough to start pred again, but not where we wanted them. Lilys' other health issues; 100 mg of pred to stop ITP, tapered off and 1 week after taper platelet count was great and she was bit by what had to be a brown recluse (we have none is MI but just bought a car from out west and determination was made that it was BR because of the severity of the necrosis on her abdomen), a few back injuries from playing with her older and bigger brother, elevated pancreas and liver numbers, and most recently a serious bout of Vestibular Disease. It makes my stomach hurt just to think of all she's been through and all the medication she's had. She's also had a colicy (sp?) stomach forever. She started to vomit bile in the mornings years ago and the vet advised to give her a rice cake or two before bed, and some Pepcid. The vomiting is under control using those methods but then I read in here about how awful rice and meds are. I want to detox her and take them both to a holistic vet, but am so afraid of something going wrong with her. The nearest holistic vet (according to a link I found on this website) is nearly 2 hours away. The local emergency vet LOVES my vets office. I am worried that if I go non-traditional and something goes wrong, the ER vet would blame my choices. However, I know if I told my vet I was treating allergies with ACV and wanted to detox/find a rice cake alternative they would think I am crazy. I am also confident they would not approve at all if I cancel Steele's castration appointment. I am just looking for some advice about making the switch to holistic, any ideas about their current health issues, and additions/changes to current food. I am quite positive I could not be as amazing as you all are with supplements etc, but I want a good place to start. I know this is a lot, and I want you all to know that I have read so many of your posts to to other members about the same kind of questions. I just feel like I need clarity about my dogs in particular before I start anything so new. Thank you in advance!