[Fee]

Anyone with a GSD with motility disorder? Unfortunately our GSD was diagnosed with one - cause unknown as all tests came back normal. Lactulose (laxative) was prescribed, unfortunately it had stopped working after a while. So far we tried herbal stuff (described by the vet) for the past couple weeks but as with the Lactulose it stops working after a while and back to enemas it is (no choice) which we all don't like.


I'd like to try the drug CISAPRIDE but vet is reluctant although he hasn't told me the reason yet. I know it can cause deadly arrythmias in humans and was taken off the market because of it but is still available at vet pharmacies and I can't find any info that it causes the same in animals. Anone out there who uses Cisapride for their dogs? Are there any other new drugs?
thanks.

 

[mcavan]

Hi Fee,

Sadly we just lost our Oeska a few weeks ago though she was on Cisipride for well over a year and a half with NO side effects or problems at all and was a total lifesaver to her...she was on the Cisipride, lactulose, health food metamucil, and miralax along with home-cooked (we feed raw but since with Oeska sometimes food stayed in her far longer than a "normal" dog we switched to home cooked) and did wonderfully until the last few days and we lost her to something totally unrelated to the motility issues. I learned SOOOOO Much when I joined the IBD yahoo list as there are some very experienced people that are not only dealing with IBD issues with their dogs but motility issues as well and were just a great source of information (many through their years of dealing with these issues with their dogs often knew more than many vets did)
Please PM or email me at [email protected] if you want to chat about this off-line..I had never experienced anything like this before and was blessed to have a vet that figured it out quickly and designed a treatment plan that really worked well...

 

[ldpeterson]

I've used both reglan and Cisapride. Erythromycin can also be used as a pro-motility drug as well, but I have not tried it.

I have had no issues with either of the drugs. While arrythmias have been found in humans due to Cisapride, they have not been found in the dog. Of course if the dog had heart disease I would avoid it.

Have you tried the Reglan (metoclopramide)? Vets are usually a little more eager to prescribe that before the cisapride and for us it has worked just as well.

 

[Fee]

Thank you so much!!

Mcavan, I am so sorry for the loss of your girl!

Like you, we fed raw and switched to a home cooked diet as per instruction of the interenist. However, our dog did not do well with that at all and started to loose lots of weight (despite a balanced diet and tons of calories and prozyme etc.) We ran TL1, folate tests etc. and all came back normal. The internist was not very helpful what to do - at this point my dog was 10 pounds underweight (and she had never had an issue before).

We went back to our 'normal' vet who is much more holistic and he agreed that in her case the dog should be put back on a raw diet Obviously, I had to cut out the bones and use egg shell powder for calcium instead. The weight all came back and she is as healthy looking as always. She also receives accupuncture which seems to help (the accupuncturist also agreed that raw would be better for her).

Unfortunately all remedies seem to work for a some time and then back to enemas it is. I think the problem lies that our dog is given a singular medicine/remedy and I guess she needs more than one item like the psyllium, lactulose etc. combined.

Mcavan, I'd like to e-mail you in a couple of days (have to sort out some human emergencies). I am very glad you answered - this problem had us terribly upset since we felt all alone.

Mamagoose - thank you for input. Metoclopromide wouldn't be a good option for her as she has a colonic motility disorder. Cisapride seems to work better for that. Thankfully, aside from having difficulties eliminating by herself, she has no other digestive issues. She also doesn't have heart issues so the Cisapride should be O.K.
I hope your dog is doing well!

 

[LisaT]

Have you tried fresh ground flaxseed? I believe that it works better than things like psyllium, metamucil, etc.

I read somewhere that zantac (the anti-acid over the counter med) had some effect on regulating motility -- it was a report at some vet conference, but that's the extent of my knowledge on that.

 

[Fee]

Thanks, Lisa. Yes, we have tried ground flaxseed. We have now exhausted all natural remedies - all of them stop to work after a while and then nothing helps but enemas every 2nd day which is not a good thing.

Zantac is a possiblity - I found this on the internet:
"Ranitidine is in a class of drugs called H2 receptor antagonists. It is used to decrease the amount of stomach acid produced. This aids in the treatment of ulcers that are present and helps prevent ulcer formation. It is also used in the treatment of gastritis (inflammation of the stomach), esophagitis (inflammation of the esophagus), and gastric or esophageal reflux. It may also stimulate movement of food through the stomach and intestine. Side effects are rare. Contact your veterinarian if your pet experiences vomiting, diarrhea, irregular heartbeat, muscle tremors, or rapid breathing while being treated with ranitidine."

I do think thought that Cisapride is the better drug for her condition as she has soley a colonic motility problem. I'll give it another week till after I speak to the herbalist but it can't go on like this anymore - we always end up with enemas.

We have been very patient, I can't feed her any better than she already is and we really gave her any chance to heal (whatever caused the problem in the first place) The enemas are unpleasant for all of us and time consuming as the stools don't necessarily come out right away. I think it's time for drugs now to give us all some freedom.

 

[LisaT]

Have you thought about whether a magnesium deficiency is contributing to her problems?

If you get this figured out, please make sure to let us know. My Max has some issues that aren't as severe, but I know he's "not right".

 

[Fee]

No, that's not the case. Thanks for trying to help though. Often the cause is idiopathic. Severe constipation is more common in cats and rarer in dogs. In our case it has most likely to do with the accident/trauma our dog has received. Having said that, it really doesn't matter much what the cause is, as treatment is always the same: laxatives, fiber, enemas.

Right now I am following mcavan suggestions and mixing several laxatives and fiber and (knock-on-wood) she is moving along again. If that doesn't help longterm the vet will put her on Cisapride. I am hoping though the set-back really just had to do with ther weather change, meaning she was picking up grass etc. We will continue with acupuncture as it greatly helps and support her digestive tract. She sure looks healthy as always and thankfully the problem doesn't bother her too much...

I am also giving her now warm water as this can stimulate the bowlels and a heating pad as well (you have to be careful obviously) as was suggested my the vet.

I am sorry that your Max isn't feeling well. If it's digestive issues acupuncture greatly helps. If you like you can pm me, I can tell you all the natural remedies we have tried so far. They should work

- for whatever reason our dog is just a complicated case but that's O.K. we will get through this and figure it out.

 

[LJsMom]

Have you thought about whether a magnesium deficiency is contributing to her problems?

Lisa, Can you tell me more about magnesium defiency?

 

[LisaT]

Magnesium is one of those substances that affect just about everything, since it affects the nervous system.

We all worry about the calcium and phosphorous balance, but almost never hear about also balancing the magnesium, which also has to be balanced with the calcium.

Magnesium can help muscle tightness and soreness, and too much of it will have a laxative effect (thus Milk of Magnesia), but not enough of it will have a constipating effect.

Here's an overview: http://www.ctds.info/5_13_magnesium.html

I get magnesium in capsules and sprinkle a bit each night in the dogs' food.

 

[LJsMom]

Thank you Lisa! LJ's magnesium level was low on her August '07 blood work. I'll have to get a copy of her most recent tests on Monday to compare - but this could be the cause of her icky skin - and anxiety.

 

[LisaT]

Oh wow, our labs don't test magnesium.

If you end up trying the magnesium, let us know how it goes!

 

[Qyn]

This may seem really out there but have you thought of adding grated apple to her food plus black tea to her water supply. This will add fibre and fluid to fecal matter and the tea will stimulate the bowel. Neither should have a negative effect on the dog so it is worth a try. All the best.

 

[Fee]

Thanks Qyn! Intersting! I have added grated apple but not black tea. How much black tea and how strong is the tea, do you know?

We have certainly used black tea in the enemas (as healing agent) and they worked fine - depending how impacted she was as it could take numerous ones.
The suggestion came out of the book The Natural Remedy Book for Dogs and Cats by Diane Stein. She has many helpful hints for constipation... Vet thought black tea enemas are a good idea (mixed with warm water). Some humans use probiotics in enemas as healing agents, I have read. Other cultures use them as part of detoxifying - like coffee enemas in India (for humans).

I have read about a women who had a child whose bowel wouldn't work at all when she was born. The little one was on Senna for two years (as per doctor) and one day her bowel started to work! The girl is now 7 and has no problems whatsoever. So I am hoping we can get into a remission too. Anyways, it's been 4 days without enemas but I think stools are getting smaller so I am pretty sure we will put her on Cisapride by tomorrow at the latest. We all neeed a break.

Thankfully our dog has such a good temperament (and a high pain treshold) and only looks for the positive but we just can't do it anymore... I read about one case (I think a Cocker Spaniel) who ended up on enemas daily (the dog had a mega colon). I want to avoid that at all costs!

 

[Qyn]

Fee, I am sorry, <span style="color: #FF0000"> I think I must have got my wires crossed when I posted the black tea recommendation and I retract that totally. In fact as caffiene based products are diuretics (at least for humans) they may actually cause less fluid to be available in the bowel and worsen constipation. I apologise for that wrong advice - I will have to work out why I have mixed up this advice and try to find something more helpful.</span>

Again sorry to mislead you - it was unintentional.

 

[Fee]

Thanks Qyn for clarifying!! No harm done

We just came from acupuncture and she got SQ fluids as well to see if that helps. Often cats are treated that way. We will know later if it worked. If not Cisapride will be started tomorrow.

 

[Qyn]

Best wishes, I'm sending positive thoughts to both you and your dog.

 

[Fee]

Thank you. She was quite impacted today (4 enemas) so the fluids didn't help either. Cisapride will be started tonight. Hope it starts working asap.
Most likely the natural remedies will start working again - right now her colon is just so irriated from all the enemas that nothing else works. We will continue the acupuncture.

 

[Qyn]

I'll be watching this thread

 

[Heidigsd]

Quote:Anyone with a GSD with motility disorder?

I don't know any dog with this disorder but when I read this post I remembered a story about a dog with IBS.

http://www.helpforibs.com/news/newsletter/chabchic111004.html

He did really well on this "tummy fiber" and I take it myself. It has no taste and doesn't get thick like Metamucil.

http://www.helpforibs.com/shop/suplmts/acacia.asp

Good luck and I hope she feels better soon

Michaela