Dawg Business: It's Your Dog's Health!: Feeling As Though Running Out Of Options: Billy's Story (Part XII)

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Feeling As Though Running Out Of Options: Billy's Story (Part XII)

by Dr. Jonathon Mitelman and Barbara Kelly

Continued from part XI

When we last left Billy, the results of the endoscopy had shown a diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Dr. Mitelman: So, now we were getting somewhere. We had proven diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and atopic dermatitis, presented concurrently. In Billy's case, this meant more than one sore spot to manage.

Billy’s reactions to medications that were used so well in many patients were unpredictable and at times over the top. So easy to take for granted.

Why wasn't he responding favorably to familiar cocktails?

The diarrhea seemed incessant, the trips outside to evacuate too frequent, and loud and painful flatulence was often present.

Barbara: I look back on this time and think about dog food. Billy has the typical food lust that comes with being a dachshund. He will happily eat anything and everything offered to him.

I felt terrible knowing that he was feeling discomfort from the very food he so enjoyed to eat.

The veterinary diet that Billy was doing so well on had not yet returned to production, so we tried everything. Or at least that is what it felt like to me.

I still have the empty bags of each food as a reminder of what Billy cannot tolerate.

Dr. Mitelman: With help from internal medicine consultants who trained and worked through yesteryear, we came up with a combination that we felt made sense.

To help manage Billy's colitis and tame his diarrhea, we resorted to a drug called salazopyrin, an anti-inflammatory medication used specifically for stubborn cases of colitis.

A novel protein diet trial would provide a different fuel for his body with hope there would be a favorable response, and his skin would become less itchy.

With each discovery stage of Billy's problems, like peeling the layers of an onion, we gave ourselves renewed sense of hope.

Barbara: With the introduction of each new food, and thus novel protein source, we would see a temporary improvement in Billy's battle with ongoing diarrhea.

Sometimes it took weeks to return, in other cases a matter of only days.

Home-cooked fish and potato, veterinary diets of duck, vegetarian, hypoallergenic formulas, dry kibble and/or canned were all tried. We were checking off what Billy could not tolerate, one after another.

And feeling as though we were running out of options.

Dr. Mitelman: It was necessary to stay the course treating Billy's medical problems. We were also aware that Billy's compulsive behaviors could be playing a role. On what level did they contribute to his stress and agitation?

Barbara: Billy has always been exuberant and full of uncontrollable energy at times. He likes to line up the family shoes, in pairs, on the living room floor.

We have never been able to train out of him the love to shred comforters and polar fleece (so he can't have these items, for his own safety). We tell people not to leave their winter gloves anywhere that Billy can find them, or he will shake them silly.

I was willing to buy that his licking and chewing could be heightened by stress.

But, I think that given the diagnosis, to use this as a reason to stop our search for answers, would be most unfair to Billy.

I could never provide Billy with a stress-free, dust free home. Every family has both of these.

We do give Billy a very good life, he is well cared for and makes us very happy. Despite all of his issues he brings us great pleasure and joy.

We needed to find answers and provide him with some long term relief from his discomfort.

***

The Kingston Road Animal Hospital, and its founder Dr. Morris Samson, are celebrating the clinic's 25th anniversary this year. VETSToronto, the veterinary emergency trauma service, is housed in this location in the Beach area of Toronto.

The hospital is a full service emergency/after hours/critical care facility that provides around the clock care. There is a doctor on site 24/7/365. Owners Dr. Samson and Dr. Mitelman oversee all cases, providing continuity of care.

Referrals from other hospitals are examined, stabilized and treated, then returned to their regular clinic. Follow ups are done with both the referring veterinarians and the pet's owners.

As a full service hospital we have the following:

on site ultrasound
on site endoscopy
laser and orthopedic surgery
emergency/critical care specialists, internal medicine specialists, and surgeons on call

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Feeling As Though Running Out Of Options: Billy's Story (Part XII)

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