[Dailydrool] Food and medicine for colitis

[Val Brewer]

We have been struggling with major ulcerative colitis in one of our hounds, Bo, for a year now. He has flare-ups for no reason that we can decipher (nor can the vet), and in fact nearly died in December (plus causing two perineal hernias straining to poop, both of which have now been surgically repaired. That being said, we've done a LOT of experimenting with diet and medications.

At the moment Bo is stable although he is not on what will be his eventual longterm medication regimen (which we are to discuss with the vet when Bo gets his latest round of staples out in another week).

Bo's diet is about 3/4 boiled, skinless, chicken breasts and sticky white rice, blended together in a blender. The other 1/4 is Iam's "Low residue" kibble. I just checked the ingredients and there are "corn grits" in the Iams.

Additionally Bo takes Metronidazole (probably longterm), and in the short-term recovery from the surgery he is also currently on Prednisone, antibiotics, and stool softeners but those will be discontinued. The vet says there is a different medication he wants to try longterm as well--don't know what that is. Things which have not worked were Trilon powder, packets of vet-prescribed probiotics (not yogurt).

Bo seems to be on the mend now--knock on wood. No colitis events in two months (of course he's had two surgeries in those same two months) and he has begun putting on weight again after losing a whopping 13 pounds since the start of the colitis illness. So there is hope. I do not mean to scare any of the posters in the last Drool asking about colitis--Bo has a very bad case of ongoing illness; usually that is not the case for dogs. But even here there is treatment. 

P.S. While I am dog tending, I am sewing up very cute padded, quilted sunglass cases (with velcro enclosures at the top so your glasses don't fall out of them), each appliqued with a basset hound and a charm, 100% of price going to Chris Bly's Western Missouri Basset Rescue. I also have cat fabric and fabric with adorable other breeds--the English bulldog is a scream--which I can applique onto the cases. There's a picture on Ebay and also Hound's bay, or write to Chris. Her e-mail is in the Drool before this one. Let's help out those hounds in Missouri that all have the doggie flu at the same time.

Aloha, Val, Bo, and Harley


      
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