GENERAL
CALCIUM
OXALATE KIDNEY STONES
SKIN
PROBLEMS IN DOGS
FINDING
A DOG DIET THAT WORKS
HOW
TO WORK WITH VETERINARIANS
TRAINING
PAGE
COMMENTS|
|
GENERAL
CALCIUM
OXALATE KIDNEY STONES
SKIN
PROBLEMS IN DOGS
FINDING
A DOG DIET THAT WORKS
HOW
TO WORK WITH VETERINARIANS
TRAINING
PAGE
COMMENTSI was told to read these with an open mind, "Talking with the Animals" by Patty Summers and the other is "Communicating with Animals, the spiritual connection between people and animals" by Arthur Myers. I always thought my dogs were trying to tell me things, and often took on board what I thought they had told me. These books affirmed a lot of things and are great references for bonding with your animal. Dougal's' Mom 7-13-00
There are many very successful cures for arthritis in dogs. Have your read Diane Stein's books on healing animals? She has a wealth of information. I bought "Natural Healing for Dogs and Cats". Laudesque 12-11-99
Thank you for taking the time to share Amie's experiences and the suffering you both have endured. I learned last night that my sister's miniature schnauzer, Caesar, has been diagnosed with renal failure and the vet said it is a matter of days before she will have to have him put down. I am so sad; you see, I have Caesar's son, my beloved Beauregard. I will watch him more closely, give him more exercise, and pay more attention to his diet thanks to your information. I am so grateful for your devotion to the issue of kidney problems in dogs. Thanks again. Rhonda 11-5-99
Your web sight on Amie is great; very informative... I feel for you what you are going thru with Amie, but she sure seems to be in good hands, cause if anyone can lick her problem you can. Your research is incredible and I am sure it will help a lot of people with the same type problem. Marylynn Bouwens, Jan 22, 1998
The system is so limited in the way it
treats animals. Vets seem to know either drugs or surgery. Food is adulterated.
I hope there are more people out there looking for these relatively simple,
natural solutions. The food recipe was simple, but finding it was complex.
Because we were responsible, we couldn't give up. And I can't help myself
- I love the little furball. I suspect a lot of people are going through
this. I hope our experience can be an assist for others to find a solution
that is right for their pet. Amie's pack member, Jeff Wilcox, Jan 12, 1998
My vet says dogs can have bladder stones for years and not be life threatening, but kidney stones can travel. Make sure a stone is in danger of blocking any duct.
The cause of stones? The acupuncture vet said that because Amie had skin problems by age 4 months, she probably had a genetic condition. Stress? Amie grieved so hard for at least 9 months after my mom, her first master, died when Amie was one year old.
Too much calcium will cause panting and
a high temperature. Deficiency causes cramping and tetanis-like spasms.
What Others Have Said
I am experiencing similar problems with
my 6 year old male Corgi. Max just had surgery for bladder stones. The
vet wants him on Hill's U/D forever, and I do not like the idea. Max always
ate Eukanuba dry food. The Hill's food is making him extremely unhappy.
Max's Mom 10-24-00
Rosie my 4 year old Cocker Spaniel was diagnosed with cystitis about 2 months ago and was given antibiotics and also a change to Hills C/D diet. She does not like the diet but I am fearful she will again come down with cystitis. Since starting the C/D diet her allergies have returned. I was feeding Eukanuba, which she liked and did not scratch. I, like you, did speak with the Hills representative and he was cold and almost rude. It seems to me I am maybe curing one problem and getting another back. My vet said Hills is coming out with a new formula of food that might address both problems. At this time I feel somewhat helpless. Rosie's Dad 10-24-00
You are not the only one having to deal with this. I have a schnauzer and she will be 8 years old this December. She just had her second surgery removing 12 stones. She has been on u/d for 2 years and after surgery they have added potassium citrate granules to her diet. I have had Brittany to 4 vets and they all tell me the same thing - there is nothing that will help and keep her from getting stones. Brittany's Dad 10-24-00
I was reading your advice on calcium supplementation for dogs. I was surprised when I read "make sure you don't get a calcium supplement with any other mineral, especially magnesium." Dogs must handle these minerals very differently from the way humans do, because this would be extremely bad advice for humans. Why do you say "Do not use kelp?" Carol 10-24-00
My replyto Carol S 10-24-00: I agree that recommending calcium without magnesium or other minerals seems to be dangerous. I was told by one of Amie's specialists that dogs need a different ratio because they do handle minerals differently and most human supplements would throw the dog's body chemistry out of whack. Instead I was told to feed bone meal. Kelp - Has to do with the form that the salt is in. Not all salts are equal since rock salt, kelp, sea salt, and various table salts have different chemical compositions. I think part of the problem is iodine since Dr Adams said to get plain salt, no iodine. Also think it has to do with the other minerals in the kelp. Since I went to Purdue, I have read a lot that says the problem isn't the calcium or the other minerals, but a generalized immune problem - borne out by Amie's allergies. I question the advice about the same issues you raise. I used to follow it all slavishly but I supplement with vitamins and fresh food because I don't think a diet of turkey and buckwheat groats provides enough nutrients.
Brand-new research has suggested that enzyme therapy may be important in preventing new stones. In '98 the National Institute of Health granted researchers at the U of Florida to evaluate enzyme therapy for preventing calcium oxalate kidney stones. A professor at Iowa State University discovered that a certain beneficial bacterium, oxalobacter formigenes, is deficient and often missing in the intestines of calcium oxalate kidney stone patients. This bacterium breaks down oxalate, also called oxalic acid (an abundant compound in many foods and a byproduct of digestion) before it can bind with calcium to form crystals that turn into kidney stones. Working with lab animals a professor at the University of Florida College of Medicine attempted to recolonize the friendly bacterium in test animals, but the organism didn't grow property. However, enzyme supplementation allowed the bacterium to grow back well. The researchers suggest that daily enzyme treatment may prevent kidney stone formation. In addition they found that giving lab animals a pill containing enzymes before and after meals successfully reduces oxalate levels. Pat 10-3-00
There is something newer and better than rimadyl (pain killer). Irene 8-27-00
I have a 19 year old Schnauzer who had to have kidney stone surgery this spring. Have been trying to get him to eat the u/d food but he really does not like it at all. Neither does my Sheltie (vet said it was a good choice for her, too). Scooter's Mom 8-27-00
Our 9 yr old male Schnauzer had just had his 2nd surgery for stones. He had parvo as a small puppy and I am wondering if the treatment changed his system thus causing stones. Also thinking about flea prevention treatments - Program, etc, as a cause, although I have avoided these the past 3 years - since first surgery. Have you thought about stress as a cause? We are using Hills preventative diet now - post surgery but I am not convinced ot its use for the long term. Chris 8-24-00
I have a 9 yr old dachshund that has undissolvable struvite stones and is on Hills WD diet. I was told by my specialist that he would not accept a patient unless they were in renal failure. About every 3-4 months we go through a bout of vomiting, and then bloody diarrhea. It usually clears up with reglan or tagamet and a round of antibiotics. Its very coincidental that Brandi has some sort of urinary tract infection at the same time. Brandi's Mom 7-19-00
Other than bladder vs kidney stone, both dogs have similar problems including severe skin problems. My dog is also now on a 1.25 mg dose of prednisolone. She has been put on Hill canned S/D but after throwing it up for one day, now will have nothing to do with it. She is currently on clavamox for urinary infection that zeniquin did not resolve. Ken 7-15-00
Janine is a 5 year old miniature schnauzer. After horrible kidney crises and failures, we found out that she also had 2 oxalate stones, one in each kidney. They were so big (over 1", one of them) that we had no option but removing them surgically. Fortunately Janine likes the u/d food, (even though now, after reading your comments on the ingredients, I feel a bit unsure) and it seems to be doing what it is supposed to do. Her appetite has been completely abnormal. She is constantly scavenging for food. She is rapidly gaining weight and is almost at a pre-obese state. I believe something is not quite balanced in her diet. I believe she must be craving something she cannot find in the u/d diet. Janine's Mom 6-16-00
Recently I adopted Spencer from Maltese Rescue. He will be 13 next August. He has had 5 surgeries to remove stones from his urethra - an average of one every 18 months.. He also has had bladder surgery. In reading about Amie I noticed some of the symptoms I am noticing in Spencer. He has beautiful pearly white teeth but also fish breath. His paws have black scabs and he chews his back paws. I just changed him to the U/D diet. He doesn't like it. He ate it the first few days but now he smells it and it is not appetizing to him at all. It makes his stools soft. He was on H/D plus Urocit-K 5. He is currently taking antibiotics. A culture is being made on his paws. I am hoping that if I put Spencer on the proper diet he will not need further surgery. I started preparing the homemade version of the U/D diet - cooked rice, 1 large egg, 1 oz vegetable oil, vitamin supplement, calcium carbonate and potassium citrate. I have been modifying this diet using some of Amie's recipe. I prepare a broth using a large turkey breast and a little bit of garlic and other herbs for flavor. I use this broth to cook the rice. I also let him have 1/2 cup of turkey with it (instead of the 1 oz of oil) plus the egg. Lately I have been adding some oats to the rice. I also give him some non-oxalic vegetables. He gets a little carrot a day, which he loves. He loves the broth, so he is drinking a lot more liquids. I hope to send the latest test results to UC Davis and obtain a good balanced homemade diet for him. He needs to boost his immune system. They haven't quite determined if his system metabolizes stones or is it the diet. I don't understand. I have always thought that diet can alter metabolism. I am cautious with ready made vitamins. They contain more calcium and C than is recommended for him. I hoped I could get all the vitamins from actual food. It has been 6 months since his last surgery and Spencer has not symptoms of stones. If he reaches the one year milestone I think that it will be a good sign, 18 months would be great. The doctors are not too optimistic about his stone prognosis but after learning from Amie I think we can beat the odds. Spencer's Mom 6-9-00
Spencer Update: Spencer has been tested and diagnosed by several specialists for all his ailments. His main problem is his calcium oxalate stones, but I am now convinced that is also related to his immune deficiency problems. He tested normal in his immune deficiency panel, but he has skin breakouts that are a result of his immune system. He was under a lot of stress after he was abandoned and he had a huge outbreak on his paws, blisters and ulcerated plaques. It also attacked his cornea, he had an ulcer outbreak. He is alert and peppy. And most of all, he seems happy and free of stress. The U/D diet may be easy on the pet owner but it is certainly not a good diet! Too much preservatives and additives. Spencer's diet is: 3 cups of rice, 1/4 oats, 1 cup protein. The protein is 3/4 turkey breast, no fat and 2 eggs and a spoon of vegetable oil. I give him no vitamin supplement, I add 1 cup of vegetables: broccoli, asparagus, carrots, a little garlic, a bit of salt. I am next going to add a little cauliflower, mushroom and alfalfa. He gets a small piece of apple, carrot or banana as snacks during the day. He takes his urocit-k prescription and in the last 3 weeks he is also taking glucosamine. So far, he is doing so well, he is almost like a new dog. 8-13-00
Dougal has been sick for a week but has been going downhill for a couple of months. We have had a super hot summer so he has been really slow and drinking up to 6 litres of water a day. Sudden weight loss and loss of appetite sent us spinning of to the vet. Douglas, one of the biggest boxers around has lost 7 kg and was disoriented, his back legs wobbled, he heaved and his eyes looked like he was peering out of dirty glassed. The vet those it was diabetes or renal failure (common in boxers). The blood results came back 4x the usual calcium level and he also has high enzyme levels in his muscles. I gave him cranberry capsules and he also had flurisid to lower the calcium level. Dougal shook and shuddered so much I slept with him. Four days letter Dougal was quiet but perky. He was still drinking heaps and was bed wetting and peeing constantly. The vet had booked Douglas for an exploratory. Having read your web site I asked the vet that we be referred to a soft tissue specialist. The vet was obliging in a "fine if you want to waste all your money" way. Dougal was scheduled for an ultrasound and a scan. Douglas also has had very bad skin probelms, particularly around his mouth and groin. These were first treated with steroids, but after 41000 and no recovery I went to an animal naturopathy. She put Douglas on a diet of brown rice and chicken for a month - with a couple of potions and drops. no more skin problems!! Dougal has "fish breath" especially in the morning. Dougals' Mom 3-31-00
Dougal Update: After exhaustive tests the specialist could still not locate what he was sure was a tumor. Douglas did not like the Prednisone one bit and got very agitated with his drugs. Dougal told his healer that he was dying. We had a lovely couple of weeks whereby I thought he was actually getting better. He was booked for more blood tests but a day before going back he walked off into the bush and fell asleep forever. 7-13-00
I recently had surgery on my 18 month old bichon/maltese mix dog. They found a stone in her bladder which was classified as calcium oxalate. She has always had premium dog food with small amounts of leftovers. She eats a lot of romaine lettuce stalks, probably averaging 6-7 stalks a day. I am hoping all the lettuce she has eaten in her short life has caused this and all I have to do is omit. She hasn't had anything but the UD diet since. Darlene 5-1-00
I have a cocker spaniel and he has hot paws, is growly and eats papers. I can see that his flow is not full, sometimes as if it is impeded by something. In a book I have on herbs, the author mentioned that dogs, when free in nature, always search for the couch grass, which has a long history against kidney stones as a detoxifier. I can't find the fresh one yet but I bought the root and boiled 1/2 in a cup of water for 15-20 minutes. I refrigerate it and give him a teaspoon or two with his meals. I also read that kombusha is good against kidney stones but I haven't heard anyone using it on animals. Another famous author (Juliette de Beraclay Levy) talks about giving the dog barley as cereal with a bit of honey and parsley. If you grab her skin on the back of her neck and it doesn't return fast enough, she needs liquid. I give my dog carrot juice. I give Picco antioxidants such as vitamin E, DMG, alpha lipoic acid, and pignogenal. I am researching coenzyme Q10. I also give him flax seed and fish oil. according to Cheryl Schwartz' book 4 Paws, 5 Directions, Picco is very Yang. I picked the chinese herb Liu Wei Di Huang Wan. A Colorado holistic vet helped a dog with Rehmanni extract which softens the yang. I don't give Picco any grains now and he seems to be doing much better. Their pancreas and liver can't handle that type of carb properly. I give Picco only chicken bones, some turkey meat and vegetables and fresh oils. Picco's Mom 3-16-00
My 6 year old male Lhasa has just had surgery for these stones. Surgery was imperative as he had a large stone blocking the urethra and it was past the point of doing lithotripsy as this cannot be done in a male dog after the stones have migrated to the urethra. I had no idea that the dog had a problem until he could barely urinate. He has a history of accidents but I've always been told that Lhasas are very hard to train. Wanda 2-28-00
Wanda's update: We have not received the stone analysis yet however the vet says that they look like calcium oxalate stones but that they might even be a combination stone. I feel that the prepared diets affect my dogs' skin because of the chemicals. I have a feeling that the diet is connected to the skin problems as well as the stone formation. All I know is that I now have 2 very itchy little dogs. The male, recent surgery patient, had a puppy cut before surgery because we know there would be lots of blood etc to contend with. This did not help with the itch. He will need an oatmeal bath as soon as it is safe. He usually gets at least one a week. He now has an ostemy site and is able to urinate but the whole procedure was very upsetting. He seems somewhat better but the diet business is driving me nuts. He is itchy and unhappy and I don't know what to co for him. 3-1-00
I have Lhasa Apsos and have had 2 with bladder stones, one with struvite, the other with calcium oxalate. Fortunately, allergies were not a problem and I had the luxury of using prepared diets. I don't know if you've ever contacted Marina Zacharias who publishes the Natural Rearing Newsletter for dog owners. She has helped me a great deal with one of my dogs. He has been strictly on herbal supplements to keep his bladder free of infection and stones. She has a web site and email address. Denise 2-3-00
My dog was diagnosed before Christmas. Mine doesn't have the allergy problems, but I am having problems deciding what she needs, and am finding it difficult to give her what she needs in something she'll actually eat. The vet recommended against the homemade diet. He said lower protein, lower vitamin C (my dog LOVES calcium rich veggies, especially cabbage family and loves oranges and grapefruit! She said not to bother with filtered water and to continue giving a vitamin supplement. My dog drinks a lot of water. Brenda 1-24-00
Brenda's Update: Her follow-up urine test results were good. Her pH went from 5.0 to 6.0 (ideal is 6.5, so big improvement), her specific gravity is lower (not concentrating urine as much) and the best news is there are no visible signs of crystals. 2-23-00
I have a 4 year old miniature schnauzer who developed a calcium oxalate bladder stone (calcium oxalate monohydrate 95%, calcium oxalate dihydrate 5%). Unfortunately the vet we chose didn't give us any alternatives and performed surgery to remove the stone. Dillon is fine and has recovered wonderfully. The vet claims that there is no real way to prevent recurring stones, which I know to be not true! I talked with the vet about diet change. He showed me the book he was going by and it said diet would not help. It was published in 1992! He recommended a drug hydrochlorothiozide to be taken for the rest of Dillon's life and said it may or may not help. His pH was 6.5 before surgery. Dillon's Mom 1-12-00
Had been using Dr Pitcairn's diet for kidney failure, unfortunately my Sparky has oxalate stones. He's already had one surgery about 5 years ago to clean them out of his bladder. Recent bladder infection and antibiotics with blood in urine led me to believe that was stone recurrence. Sure enough, x-rays revealed a rather large stone lodged in his urethra - wondering about options now. Leery of surgery because he's 16 years old, yet I can't just let this go untreated. Lithotripsy, I'm not sure about either. Sparky's Mom 11-28-99
My dog was diagnosed with a golf ball size stone today. We are giving her antibiotics for her bladder infection with bloody urine. She will be 11 on New Year's Eve. I hope she will pull through. Sandi 11-19-99
Thank you for your most informative web site. I am the proud owner of a 6 year old toy poodle who has been diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease. She is not interested in eating the prescription dog food and I am in search of homemade recipes for her condition. Thanks again for your informative web site. Robin 11-9-99
I was so happy to find your article. I have a yorkshire terrier who has suffered a lot from these stones. I have tried to Hill's UD diet but it makes him sick (vomiting and diarrhea). He is now on a regular senior dog food (Eukanuba and urocite medicine) however his urine still is not at the 7 pH level the vet would like. I have not been able to get any help on this problem. Thanks so much. Georgene 11-3-99
Our cairn terrier, Gertie, has calcium oxalate kidney stones. Three years ago, a very large stone was removed surgically. Now, she has three small ones forming once again. At age 12, I am hesitant to subject her to more surgery. I thought I had read somewhere about lithotripsy for dogs, but my vet had never heard of it. In doing my Internet search tonight, I found you! Gertie was on Hill's U/D, but it made her sick, so she has been on K/D for almost 3 years. She is constantly hungry and continues to gain weight. I worry about her. My veterinarians here are wonderful, but they are not used to owners who would go to extreme lengths to save their dogs. We are researching this problem together. I need some contacts! Thank you very much, Connie 10-13-99
I just wanted you to know how informative I found your web site. Last month, my 8 year old Italian Greyhound had a calcium oxalate stone removed from her bladder. She also has a small stone in each of her kidneys. She had always been in perfect health, going to the vet once a year for her shots. Because she is also paper-trained, when I noticed a small red tinged spot in her urine, I took her into the vet right away. I thought it was an UTI. I used to be a vet assistant for many years. I brought a urine sample with me, which showed blood. My vet did an x-ray and that's when we saw the stones very clearly. He was 100% sure they were calcium oxalate. Before doing surgery, he sent in a urine sample for culture just to be sure. No bacteria was present, which confirmed the type of stone. Her urine PH is too low and acidity too high. The stone was removed and sent to for analysis. Dr. Osborne did the analysis. During the month we waited on the analysis I started to do my own research on the internet. I found that diet (as you did, and my vet had mentioned) was the main culprit. Dog food diets today are mainly animal protein with little or no vegetable. My dog, Star, had always been on a dry/moist diet. I tried U/D and had to give my dog the Heimlich maneuver when she started to choke on it. How could I sentence her to a life on this gelatinous mess. Besides, it has animal fat, chicken and liver, everything your not supposed to feed to a dog who forms this type of stone. The only thing going for it was that it had potassium citrate in it. From what I've read, U/D doesn't really prevent new stone formation anyway. Even my vet confirmed high reoccurrence even with dogs on the diet. Because I tend to lean towards alternative treatments in general, I headed for my local nutrition store. What diet to feed Star. Well, I decided on Pet Guards canned vegetarian diet. Yes, it has a few peas, potatoes, and soy, but it's low in protein and fat, and she loves it. I even mashed in a small amount of banana, thinking it would raise her alkalinity. I also add l/2 teaspoon of "The Missing Link" by Designing Health, Inc. (www.designinghealth.com) as a dietary supplement with essential fatty acids, fiber and phytonutrients. It said it is good for pets on a very low protein diet. I looked into cooking for her but, like you, am afraid of not meeting her nutritional needs. Since Stars surgery, she is back to normal, she has been doing something strange. She doesn't do this all the time, but she'll get on the paper, squat, check it out, nothings there, get off the paper, then go back and try again. She'll do this about three times then finally go. Her urine output has been good and she goes a lot during the day. Like Amie, she is not big on drinking water. I brought a urine sample in yesterday which showed no raise in the PH. Her urine is still concentrated and acidic, so the vet put her on Urocit-K 5meq - 1 tab twice daily. She weighs 12 pounds. He wants her urine rechecked in a week. It really scared me when I read what you said happened to Amie when she was on the med. I've put in a call to make sure she is stared on the lowest possible dose. I will not keep her on a med that makes her sick, stones or no stones. Quality of life is more important. I've noticed that they sell potassium citrate at the nutrition store. It only comes in 99mg tabs. I wonder it this could be used as an alternative. This problem has really preoccupied my time. I love this dog. I spent all day yesterday printing out info on your site. It's been very helpful. All the information I could want is on one site....thank-you. I've been with my vet for 15 years. He knows me well and seems to appreciate my input (then again, maybe he doesn't). I've read so much how potassium citrate is the way to go on these stones. I just hope she doesn't get sick. I will also be asking the vet about the potassium citrate at the nutrition store, just in case the Urocit-K doesn't work for her. As far as the kidney stones go, they'll just stay there as my vet says that surgery would be way too risky. I wouldn't do it to her anyway. Even if she formed another bladder stone, I wouldn't put her through another surgery. I've thought of giving everything you mentioned, but am leery of guessing on dosages, and maybe doing more harm than good. Star's Mom 9-29-99
Star's Update: Star did have surgery in which a calcium oxalate stone was removed. It wasn't that big. My vet wanted me to give Star 1 tablet of Urocit-k, 5 meq (she's 12 lbs) twice daily with food. I suggested that we start at 1/2 tab twice daily, check the urine, then make adjustments. Before the med, Star's pH was 5.5 and the concentration was 1.041. After 2 weeks on lower dose the pH was 6.0 and the concentration was 1.029. At that time I started giving her 12.5 mg B6 twice daily mixed with the food. I read it could help inhibit stone formation. I watered down the canned food a lot. She would normally only drink a couple of teaspoons of water a day. My vet said he wanted to see the pH higher so I went to 3/4 tab of U-K in the morning, then 1/2 tab in the evening. I switched the food to Halo's Spots Stews (phone 813-854-2214, www.halopets.com). You can order it from any store that sells vitamins and natural products. There is a company in Florida that makes homemade dog food. It has macaroni, carrots, free range chicken, celery, squash, zucchini, peas, green beans, rolled oats, garlic powder, soy and barley. It has a lot of a gravy base, which adds liquid to her diet. I was impressed with the protein - 3.5% and fat - 1.5%. It is comparable with u/d (which Star hated). She loves Spots Stew. She is fed a can twice a day. Her pH went up to 8.0 and the concentration went down to 1.021. My vet and I were very happy with the results. I know some ingredients in the food can be oxalate producing, like the green beans. But there are only about 2 beans per can. She has not had any reaction to the med and she is urinating more than she had been. The food is very wet. I've even tasted it - not bad. If she gets another stone I don't know if I would go through the surgery again. Star's Mom 11-17-99
I've just been looking through Amie's pages, and wanted to write to you. I got the url from someone on the bulldog forum, a list for bulldog owners and breeders to discuss bulldogs. Although I have a 47 pound bulldog and you have a 7 pound poodle, I can totally relate to your experiences. My dog Malibu has skin problems and kidney/stone problems. A kidney vet told us that from her tests, she has the beginning of kidney failure and she also has two kidney stones, one in each. He doesn't know what type of stones they are, but suspects by the x-ray that they are struvite. The problem, as you probably already know, is that the diet to help break up the stones is the opposite of the diet that would help keep her kidneys from deteriorating. I'm not sure what our next step will be. We are waiting for more test results. I just wanted to share with someone who has been through this. We love Malibu dearly. We adopted her at 6 years of age. We've had her almost a year. Thanks for listening. I wish you luck with Amie's continued health. I'm glad for any advice you have. I'm on two e-mail lists for bulldogs, and the whole purpose is to share advice (we all understand to look to the vet too). The vet said that to find out for sure what kind of stones she has, he would have to get to one (there are no pieces coming out in her urine). To do this, he would have to open a kidney, and he explained that that would do permanent damage to the kidney, from which it would never recover. It would speed the decline of the kidney. So he is making his best guess based on the shape of the stone in the x-ray, and based on her health and symptoms. He did tell us that the struvites can be caused by infection. Malibu is on an antibiotic now to see what it can do for her bladder infection (which may be caused by the stones, or may be separate). Unfortunately, he says that the antibiotic may kill the bacteria on the surface of the stones, but not inside them. We could get into a circular pattern. That's why he's thinking of trying to break the stones to get rid of them once and for all. If we go this route, then we have to have her kidney values checked regularly to make sure they're not getting worse because of the diet. Any way you look at it, she doesn't have good options. We're even considering doing nothing, so as not to make either problem worse (but not better either). I've had long time bulldoggers I'll let you know how things are going. Chris 9-8-99
Thought I would give you a brief update on Simon, my Westie with calcium oxalate stones. He has been on Uracit K for a while now. I also test his urine with PH strips that I get in the Aquarium supply area of the pet store. I am able to adjust his medication when the PH levels change enough to warrant doing so. I have had to make only one change so far. The strips are a bit awkward to use but are most helpful. Linda and Simon 7-4-99
Simon's Update: Simon seems to be doing well. I no longer test his urine and he does still take the Urocit K. I have not noticed any change. He drinks a lot and goes a lot, but so far no infections and no sign of blood. I have read that the calcium oxalate stones almost always come back and he does still have the kidney stones which were never removed so I guess there will be some future problems. He will be 12 on Feb 1. He is very alert and frisky. He has had major skin issues. The latest was a bad case of "breakthrough" yeast which caused some fur loss and major itching and smell - in his ears as well big time! He is a lot better. 12-11-99
Simon's Update: Simon became blind almost overnight. He has SARDS Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome. Very sudden and very traumatic for both of us. He walks with his face tilted toward the walls so his whiskers tell him where to turn. 9-21-00
I'm going through a hard time with my 7
year old 12 lb cairn terrier. In August '98 she passed blood in her urine.
A bladder x-ray showed a small kidney stone and some bladder stones. She
had surgery to remove 25 struvite bladder stones. Her urine pH was higher
than 7. Struvite stones are also called infectious stones, and are supposed
to be caused from chronic cystitis, but as far as I know, Sally never had
cystitis. We started her on a dog food (not Hill's) for dogs with struvite
stones. Five months later, another stone showed on x-ray. Assuming it was
another struvite, we started her on Hill's canine s/d to try and dissolve
the stone. The stone became slightly enlarged so she had surgery again
and this time the stone was calcium oxalate. She will start on Hill's canine
ud diet. My veterinarian called Dr. Gerald Ling at Davis, to get more information
about the oxalate stones. She also asked about the kidney stone. Dr. Ling
said, at Davis, they're very conservative about going after the kidney
stone unless it is blocking a duct or is causing renal failure. I just
hope that won't happen. Sally doesn't like the UD diet, and since it has
BHA and other bad ingredients, I don't like to give it to her. I don't
understand why Hill's - a leading manufacturer of pet food - puts BHA and
ethoxyquin in their foods. I have been very discouraged about this, as
I love Sally very much, and I'm worried about her. Your web site helped
me greatly, not only for information, but just knowing someone else is
going through this and having some good results. Sally's Mom 6-26-99
I developed a monster rash that nothing would cure. Finally went to a naturopath who did a blood test that tested 100 foods for allergies. There is a lab that will analyze a dog's blood but I can't find it now. The dog has to be off pred for something like 3 months. What worked for me was rotating 4 different diets over 4 days. Took a while but the 4 year persistent rash is gone. For an allergic dog I'd try turkey and alternate with fish. I don't think I'd have the energy to also add in a day of venison or chicken but that would be even better.
Amie's diet helped immensely but her skin
gets thick and black or it gets huge orange flakes and an infection about
the same time I'm, reacting to grass and mold. We gave into giving her
pred. She had no reaction in 2000 - probably due to the long-term pred
use.
What Others Have Said
Both my Lhasas (litter mates, male and
female) have skin allergies which I feel is exacerbated by their diets.
I have tried the commercial diets and either they won't eat the stuff or
they itch, much worse in the warmer moths. I have been getting them haircuts
in the summer as it is very hot in Alabama. Some have said that the long
thick hair acts as an insulator against the heat. Others say it's the same
principle as a person wearing a winter coat all summer. The vet is noncommittal
and said I should please myself since the dogs stay inside all the time.
Wanda 2-24-00
I am a groomer. I see so much of the same thing. I dare say, every dog I groom has some sort of allergy problem. The first thing I recommend is not to feed ANYTHING for a dog. Suzanne, 2-17-00
A week ago we added an 8 year old Shih Tzu to our assortment of dogs. Jake came to us from a stressful home life that included a jealous boyfriend, life on an apartment patio and far too much alone time. His condition right now is quite sad. He has most of his hair chewed out, has lost his front teeth, has a terrible odor and is blind in one eye from cataracts. His pleasant nature has encouraged us to try and help him have a more comfortable life with us. You have given me a plan of action with a vet. I have been reluctant to start the "trial and error" methods knowing that Jake would suffer considerably. Your information of requesting skin scraping sounds "non-invasive". We know from previous vet visits that it isn't fleas, mites or fungus, but he has had prednisone treatments in the past because nothing else worked for him. I will also investigate the possibility of kidney disorders. He has a very strong odor that shampooing merely masks for a few hours. Jake's Mom, 1-11-00
Cricket has always been a picky eater since I got her as a puppy. I struggled to keep her weight up and to maintain a nutritionally balanced diet at the same time. She began to show signs of stomach upset off and on around the age of one or so. The Vets who thought maybe she had just eaten something outside to upset her stomach. She put her on an antibiotic and sent her home. She had bouts of nausea periodically and I thought she was just one of those dogs that were "sensitive" to stuff she ate. Around September of this year she went into a full blown episode of vomiting and nausea. She would awake me up in the middle of the night and want to go out to eat grass. The Vets put her on Cimetindine for the nausea and an antibiotic. She didn't respond and we ended back up in the office a few days later. My Vet ran liver and kidney function blood tests which were okay. She also did an x-ray of her stomach and intestinal tract to look for foreign objects. This turned out fine also. She switched her antibiotic to something stronger. Since then Cricket has gone through several more bouts of nausea and skin hives. My Vet put her on Hill's ID canned diet in hopes that it would be easy for her to digest and continually just prescribes more medicine. I don't think that this kind of care is aggressive enough. The last reaction Cricket had included nausea, weakness, hives and swelling of her ears and feet. When I spoke my concern that maybe she was having a reaction to the Hill's food because of the ingredients in it, she suggested that maybe she was getting insect bites from ants or getting into the houseplants. That was the last straw. I had already informed her that we had gotten rid of all the plants, plastic toys, raw hides and rinsed all her bedding and certainly wasn't getting insect bites that would do that to her. I have started Cricket on the elimination diet of venison and potatoes. She has only been on the diet for 5 days and holding. So far she is keeping down all of the food with no adverse effects. I am concerned about weight loss though because the volume of food that needs to be fed on the elimination diet can be a bit much for Cricket. I have spread her feedings out to many smaller serving sizes because she gets full easily. Linda, 12/15/99
Cricket update: I found a Vet that seemed to know a lot about allergies. He felt fairly confident that she was having some sort of allergic reaction to something and told me to stay with the elimination diet and to be patient to give her intestinal tract time to heal from her previous hives on Thanksgiving. Three days later I took Cricket in on an emergency visit because she had been pacing for 2 days straight, weak, off balance, and nauseous. The vet took some x-rays, put her on new medication. For the next whole week she was up and down and unable to sleep. She was trying to eat everything she could get her mouth on including clothes and wires. I spoke to 4 different vets. They ran some blood work and told me that Cricket's liver enzymes were elevated but the medication could be responsible for that. A week later she started pacing again and showed signs of nausea. She chewed some wires. The vets said to give her more time to heal. When I came home that day from work she had gone downhill fast. She was somewhat dazed. I took her to a trauma center where she was diagnosed with a portosystemic liver shunt. The wires in her stomach were just a complication compared to the condition of her liver. I lost my little girl to a very damaged liver on December 28. She was having neurological signs all along. Her nausea, pacing, swelling and hives were all because of liver damage. The shunt in her liver did not properly close at birth and the liver was unable to filter her blood. I am told it is very hard to diagnose until the signs worsen. Linda 1-5-00
My Boykin spaniel has allergic dermatitis (my own diagnosis) and I am exploring alternatives to antihistamines. I believe his condition is food related and may also be seasonal, which complicates treatment." Hunter's Moon, 12-13-99
I have been 2 years following a somewhat less disciplined course for my 8 year old Schnauzer. His ailment is constant itching.. all over. My results are "back to square one" after allergy tests, food restrictions, vitamins, oils - you name it. Resorts to Prednisone and antibiotics have been required 3 or 4 times a year when the intense scratching has caused raw skin lesions. Max' Dad, 12-3-99
I found your page while searching for information on pseudomonis. My Bouvier De Flanders has just been diagnosed with this in her ear. What did you do when Amie had this? Our vet seemed grim when he called with the test results. They're suggesting some new medicine, as the other stuff we've had her on doesn't touch it. On top of all this (much like you experienced), she has a staph infection on her belly. Thanks - JandK 10-22-99
Right now, the skin problems are bad. She
is allergic to about 13 things and is taking a shot once a month. She is
prone to yeast on her paws. The only thing that eases the itching right
now, while we're waiting for the shots to take effect (up to one year,
and she's only at month 5), is prednisone (in Medrol), which of course,
no one wants to keep their dog on. As far as the allergies, we took her
to a vet dermatologist, and he did the skin testing. She's allergic to
dust mites, various types of molds and grasses, some trees, etc. If the
shot doesn't take effect in a year, I may think about food allergy testing.
Chris 9-8-99
What Others Have Said:
I'm concerned my 8 year old doberman has
some kind of kidney problem as he has been in excruciating, yelping pain
starting a week ago. I thought that based on the fact that he is a doberman,
he must have wobbler's disease (it affects mobility as a result of pressure
on the spinal cord and is obviously extremely painful). Dobermans, as well
as danes, are pre-disposed to wobblers. I had a hunch that he was having
some sort of kidney flare-up. I have another dobie that responded remarkably
to Pat McKay's raw recipe. "Dogs weren't born with lighters in their pockets."
Her books are also a great, educational read. Toby 10-18-00
I have an 8 year old Shih Tzu. He had an operation last year due to an obstruction in his urethra. We were told he only had urate stones in his bladder and urethra, which were apparently all removed. We put him on u/d canned food from Science Diet and allopurinol to prevent urate stones from forming. However 3 months ago, he was diagnosed with multiple kidney stones in both of his kidneys, ureters and bladder. He is currently on allopurinol, homemade food and difloxicine (antibiotic to prevent infection in his bladder) and subcutaneous fluid. We thought about putting him through an operation but there are so many stones in his kidneys that an operation will only damage his kidneys more and operating on his ureters will make them decrease in diameter which will cause more problems if and when the stones in his kidneys pass through. And even though stones are just removed from his bladder eventually the stones in his kidneys will pass through the ureters into the bladder again. Lithotripsy sounds encouraging. Maybe they can at least treat the stones in his ureters. Ryan's Mom 8-7-00
I was wondering if may be you have read "Give your Dog a Bone" by Ian Billinghurst. I believe this to be the canine gospel. However I do alter the diet a bit because of the fear of allergies. I feed absolutely NO dairy and no grain. It's a "raw food and bone" diet, species-specific. I swear by it. I presently own 6 dogs. Some were switched to the raw food from cooked, mixed with dog food and my last 2 puppies have eaten this from day one. I have not had one bad experience. Suzanne, 2-17-00
I had read that only RAW onion and garlic were to be avoided and a lot of diets formulated by vets include garlic. When searching for a kibble with low protein, I was surprised to discover that senior's food had the highest protein levels (25-26%), regular food had 20%, and lite food was anywhere from 9-22% depending on brand. While the vet suggested senior's food, we wanted low protein so I got some lite stuff. Brenda 1-24-00
Suggested reading: "The Nature of Animal Healing" by Martin Goldstein, DVM. Dr. Goldstein has a testing procedure that determines nutrient deficiencies. Have not - as yet - utilized Dr.Goldstein's services, however, was very impressed with the book and information therein. We have 9 dogs and 5 cats (we can't pass by a stray in need of help) and just in search of alternative methods of treatments. We have an 11 year old black lab mix who has several of Amie's "problems"; have found several of Dr. Goldstein's recommendations helpful and thought you might, too. Good Luck. B. J. Shannon 7-24-99
Sally (cairn terrier) doesn't like the UD diet, and since it has BHA and other bad ingredients, I don't like to give it to her. I don't understand why Hill's - a leading manufacturer of pet food - puts BHA and Ethoxyquin in their foods. I am very interested in the home diet you fix for Amie. I return often to your web page to read about the diet. I'm hoping that in a larger town, I can find turkey that hasn't been fed antibiotics, steroids and hormones, to fix for Sally's diet. Betty 6-29-99
I have a 14 year old cat, Bartholomew, who every vet I met with thought had cancer in his kidney. I couldn't understand why because through the years I have tried to place on high grade commercial diet i.e. Pet Guard, Nature's Recipe and Nutro. I later found out that Nutro used ethoxoquin (carcinogen) as a preservative. One of my cats died after 8 months of misdiagnosis because of false test results. You have great courage to tell health professionals to not contact as they have direct links and can suffer financial damages if they do not promote specific health options. I have made dramatic changes these last years in trying to give my cats as natural a diet as possible. Both of my cats are now on an all natural diet. They both get a special diet of free range/no growth/anti-biotic chicken with lightly steamed organic carrots, broccoli. I mix cat multivitamin in mashed food that I use food grinder. I warm all natural chicken broth with mixture and give to my cat. I also add a little ground shrimp when needed. My vet told me to include some brown rice since Bart is not in renal failure. Bart is doing very well after the cancer scare. I've used as natural diet as possible and both my cats are doing extremely well. Again, the quality of protein is most important as well as the organic vegetables. Cancer cells adhere to carbohydrate cells as food sources. If you suspect cancer do 1 part carbohydrate (vegetables) to 5 part protein. If kidney malfunction use organ meats, some brown rice and some steamed vegetables with broth. Use multivitamins etc. Also network with vets with commitment to holistic health concerns etc. Protein in diet should only be approx. 25% in that case. No steroids/cortisones please and let your vet know. J Carlo 6-27-99
I wish I was Amie. Carol Thomley, Jan, 1998.
My sister, who gave me the training manual for working dogs writes:
"But you should know this -- and it probably doesn't pertain in full to small dogs -- the trainers for that dog place where we got Raleigh and the trainer we had come to the house do not believe in hurting the dogs or yelling. In fact, they stress that hurting and yelling are counterproductive. At least in worker dogs (like labs and German shepherds) their neck muscles are the thickest and strongest in their bodies. A yank on the leash or a chin bop or nose bop are intended to surprise and get their attention. These training procedures are not to be done with force but with seriousness. During the training, rewards and "good dog's should be so exaggerated (they even said we should do a dance, hop up and down with delight and give many kisses) that they will want to please and not a quiet no." Joyce Stack, Jan 20, 1998
HOW TO WORK WITH VETERINARIANS
I just wanted to say thank you for your web page. I only wished that I'd found it before the vet killed my little yorkie. Kathy 4-18-00
I am struggling with anger towards all of the vets that treated Cricket within the past 4 months. I have spoken to my original vet and the one I saw last to tell them both in hopes to save someone else's baby in the future. I am trying not to torture myself with thoughts that I could have done something else to help her. Linda, 1-5-00
I can add something to your statement about Vets services. I made a change after the original vet retired and sold his practice to a conglomerate with several offices. They operate with an "on duty roster" and I never got the same vet twice to provide any continuity of treatment. Max' Dad 12-3-99
I read quite a bit of your web and am so impressed with all your attention to detail. I must say I understand the reason why you were so skeptical with "the professionals" they seem to answer questions from us layman as if we didn't have a brain to think with. (Especially if we can put two and two together and their answer didn't make sense.) Kristi Nagelkirk, January 23, 1998
"Your website is truly incredible! Kudos!" Toby 10-18-00
"Thank you for taking the time to document your experience with Amie. I refer to Amie's site each time I need a quick reference. Truly, it has made my experience with Spencer a lot more hopeful. If I had to listen just to vets diagnosis I would have given up!" Spencer's Mom 6-9-00
"I just had to write to say thanks so much for your site.. I spent hours pouring through information and sites getting more and more baffled - then bingo! Your persistence is inspirational." Dougal's Mom 3-31-00
I wanted to commend you on your diligence in Amie's care. She is a very lucky dog to have such a loving and caring owner." Denise Olejniczak, editor, The Lhasa Apso Reporter 2-3-00
"The night I found your article I actually cried when I began reading about Amie and all of the stuff she had been through. I could relate so well. Thank you again for all of the information you have put out there. it has given me a real hope that there is an answer and a way to help my little girl. God bless. The best to you and Amie." Linda 12-15-99
"Thank you so much for sharing the information you have gathered through your extensive research. I have bookmarked your site and plan to return often to benefit further from your experience. Please keep up the good work." Hunter's Mom. 12-13-99
"I am encouraged by your approach to try harder. I appreciate your work and the enormity of the effort as well as the excellent quality of your summations." Max' Dad, 12-3-99
I have enjoyed browsing your site. We have a site for the local Austin area, devoted to educating pet owners, helping lost pets return home and finding homes for homeless animals. PetLynx, the nonprofit corporation, sponsors, develops and maintains the site and offers these services free of charge. We would like to add a link to your site. www.AustinLostPets.com. Elaine Repella 11-7-99
"I just wanted you to know how informative I found your web site. I spent all day yesterday printing out info on your site. It's been very helpful. All the information I could want is on one site. Thank you." Star's Mom 9-29-99
I appreciate your web page more than I can express. Finding it in the midst of Sally's ordeal was truly a blessing. Sally's Mom 6-29-99
"What a wonderful job! I have not read all of the info but what I did read was very thoughtful and very well done." Kristi Nagelkirk, Jan 27, 1998
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