Around Thanksgiving week Buford looked thin to me. Now this is a basset hound who once topped the scales at 84 lbs. Specific diet got him down to a healthy 56-60 lbs where he has been stable for over 5 years. Suddenly he looked thin....
Off to the vet who said, "I never thought I would see the day that I said Buford looked skinny. Too skinny." And yes, he was down to just barely 50 lbs.
For the last 2 months we have tried to put weight on him--he has been eating more food and treats than he has ever eaten before....and gained 1.5 lbs. Not good.
Full CBC panel revealed---nothing! EVERY SINGLE THING IS RIGHT DOWN THE CENTER OF NORMAL FOR HIM. He was ravenous, drinking tons / peeing tons, and had chronic diarrhea. And his energy level? THROUGH THE ROOF!!!
Nothing made sense....so more tests....
4 comments:
This is so odd; I'm going through the EXACT same thing with my basset hound Shubert. He's had chronic diarrhea for what seems like an eternity and he's lost a bunch of weight (he was also a meaty basset, once topping out the scales at nearly 80 pounds ... and he's down to 62 pounds now). Same thing, though; his energy level is fine and he doesn't seem sick at all. He's been on two courses of flagyl with no results. Next we tried prednisone. Again, not the solution. Tomorrow he goes for the pancreatic enzyme test. I don't hold much hope, but we're grasping at straws.
Not sure if you'll check this but I hope you do (your comment did not come through with any contact information).
Sounds very similar indeed! And I know right now you're scared and frustrated too. Buford never seemed sick either--energy level was great! the only signs were rapid weight loss, excessive thirst and hunger, chronic diarrhea, and excessive urination.
Good to hear they're doing a pancreatic enzyme test! I had to rule out EVERYTHING (see some of the other posts in February 2007) before we were left with what was wrong. And even that (SIBO: small intestinal bacteria overgrowth) is usually a secondary problem to something bigger. But the ultrasound ruled all that out and in the end SIBO was the primary cause.
We ended up having to try different antibiotics until we found the one that worked. It was Tylan powder which gets sprinkled on his food 2x a day---still. And it stabalizes everything for the pup.
Good luck with everything--ask questions!! Yes you feel like you're grasping at straws but you have to go step by step (they have to rule out pancreatitis and a few forms diabetes) or you'll miss something and that's when you get in trouble. Buford was down to almost 48 lbs before we got it all under control.
Let me know what you find out--and give Shubert a good scratch behind the ears from us.
I just joined Google/Blogger so hopefully you'll get my e-mail address.
The similarities here are even greater than I thought. We saw that Buford had been on a diet previous to this happening. Shubert had been on a diet, too. He had only been back on "regular" food for about a month before this started happening.
Took him in for the ($200!) blood test this morning. Vet started him on the enzymes without waiting for the results. We've had nothing but disaster today. Gave him some food with the enzyme powder when we returned from the vet. Came right out the other end, and he hasn't wanted to eat anything else all day.
I think it might be interesting if we could get our vets communicating with each other. I'm actually pretty close to you (south Jersey). The cases just seem so similar, maybe the two of them could figure something out together.
Hmmm...it didn't come through, but, here are my thoughts:
I have a friend who is a vet tech in Massachusetts who gave me advice I ended up not following ONLY because Buford finally responded to treatment. She said to find a veterinary internist. I was about to call UPENN Animal Hospital to make an appointment when Buford responded to a new med.
With that said, my vet is Laura Richardson at the Pike Creek Animal Hospital in Newark, DE. Office number is (302) 454-7780. (she is the wife of Dean Richardson who was the surgeon for Barbaro the horse who shattered his leg in the Preakness).
I have to tell you, I spent well over $1000 on Buford, so I know how you feel.
the other thing: his diet change did not have anything to do with his problem. He was at 85 lbs and didn't have the body structure to support such a weight. The weight loss was a good thing for him--it was deliberate. The illness happened a few years AFTER I got his weight down. it was also on the cusp of the food recall but fortunately his illness had nothing to do with that.
also, there is one big difference as of your last post: Buford NEVER lost his appetite! He was ravenous and was getting food aggressive. So something is a bit different here.
I have to stop by my vet tomorrow to get a few things so I will mention that you might call.
Are you on the Daily Drool????
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