[lalabug]

I have done this blood work on my dog....the EPI was negative. Her b12 was the lowest number possible in the still normal range if that makes sense. She is on b12 injections now.

Does the vet do her injections or do you give them? Are the injections going to be long term thing for you both now or just until her condition improves?

 

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@Thecowboysgirl thank you <3

 

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@Liffey thank you for the test and cost info.

Ghost is 4 1/2 months old and she has had these same recurring symptoms ever since we brought her home, which include:
- diarrhea that consistently returns every 2-4 days
- poop is of "pudding" or "cowpie" consistency and is yellowish and foul-smelling(though what poop doesn't smell foul :rofl
- poop sometimes appears greasy or oily or sometimes appears to have a bit of mucous/slime
- possible PICA - sticks, dirt/mud/clumps of grass, pinecones, pine needles, chew toys/Nyla bones, cloth/bedding(we no longer leave her alone with clothor stuffed toys)
- flatulence/gassy
- coprophagia - thought this might just be a 'puppy' phase thing but she will try to eat it every time if we aren't quick to pick it up out of the yard

Vet feels she is "thriving" and she is not actively losing weight - which I feel is a good sign for it NOT being EPI. But peace of mind simply won't let me rule it out because of that.

 

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@GypsyGhost she has been tested for giardia twice, both negative. I believe they are testing her a third time today, so we will see. I agree the symptoms seem very similar, which is why in the beginning, we kept assuming it was most likely just a bad bug, giardia, coccidia, etc etc... however nothing has significantly changed with or without de-worming/antibiotics/probiotics. So I'm literally just going down my list of things to eliminate and EPI and SIBO still haven't been ruled out.

I presented my vet earlier today with 2 pages of notes and brainstorming thoughts, including the Fecal Scoring system "poop picture" with some notes on that page. When he called me earlier, we laughed together about it and I told him I wasn't trying to "VetMD" internet diagnose my dog - but that by reading and researching several sites I just keep coming back to the things I had on the list for us to continue to check off, one by one if necessary. He said he was proud that I was taking a true interest and not just dropping her off and picking her up without any thought process to it or questions. So I am heading there now to discuss more with him. Fingers crossed we can get this tackled.

 

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@Liffey I have a "poop journal" on my phone also. LOL
How are you easing your dog's GI issues now that you had negatives on the blood work?

 

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@Emoore I understand. We have already spent a pretty penny trying to figure out what's going on and I know there's more to come. What enzymes do you give?
@selzer we are starting her fast at 10pm. She goes in tomorrow morning. And as far as switching her food again, I feel like I might wait until we get the blood tests back - and I've decided on a good quality LID food someone from this forum suggested. Her giardia was negative again today for the third time. Sigh....

 

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@Liffey I remember all of that from following your other post last month - I really hope we can both get some answers soon!! Ghost is at the vet again today. Started her fast last night and she is having the blood work done this morning. I decided to go with the bundle and do the panel for both the EPI and the SIBO, figured might as well knock it out since she's already there and we are already spending the money. I am really hoping that everything is negative and maybe then we can just focus 100% on diet being the culprit next. There's got to be a light at the end of this poop tunnel!
I would love to hear how you and your boy end up liking THK and if Perfect form works out for you. I have been wanting to try it also, just focusing on these other things first. And I'm right there with ya... it's all I think about too.

 

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@GypsyGhost thank you so much for the suggestions! I feel like anyone else would think I'm a little too OCD about trying to figure it out or just plain weird. I can't imagine how I would be reacting to all this if she was actively losing a bunch of weight or lethargic or worse... The fact that she still seems happy, playful, and fairly healthy in all other aspects other than this constant diarrhea is the thing that I keep holding onto!! I love this dog and I am determined to get to the bottom of this.

 

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Just updating this thread in case anyone else may have same issues and reads this.
Had the bloodwork done today and sent off for EPI/SIBO. Vet says we should get results by Monday or Tuesday at the latest.
Did another direct float - this is the third one and again, was negative for giardia and the rest. Whatever that "rare" tapeworm was had also cleared up.
Vet sent us home with Panacur - said that whipworm can be hard to detect on fecals. And though her diarrhea has never been bloody... since we are working on crossing things off our "list", that it couldn't hurt just to be sure.
We are going to continue the probiotics for now, and talk enzymes and whatever else after seeing the blood panel results.

 

[lalabug]

Also just to add... when I picked her up yesterday vet tech said she did have a slightly formed poop but very soft. Then when I picked her up today she told me she had the pudding poop diarrhea twice. So at least they have witnessed it too... hoping we can figure this out soon.

 

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@Emoore thanks!! When I was searching and reading all the different poop threads there was one way back where someone mentioned Enzyme Diane and I bookmarked it! Keeping that in mind.