Allergy/inflammation

[Sofie Elvestedt]

Dear Patty. As we have not been able to take away the cortison, could you please let me know where I can find out more about natural products that can replace cortison? Now we are at a state where we can't lessen the dose from 1/4 pill per day and the vet is just happy to let her keep eating this forever and ever. Many thanks/Sofie

[DebraDownSouth]

Sofie, there are natural foods that contain some cortisone. The issue is that it is still cortisone and to get enough to help you are still giving it. Finding what the problem is may be the only way off the meds. Please do try an elimination diet.

This one has pretty clear basic instructions:
http://www.best-dog-food-guide.com/elimination-diet.html

My concern is that at 14 mos, I wonder if food allergies is the issue. PLEASE check out the basenji related disorders others above suggested as such severe allergies typically take longer to develop.

[Sofie Elvestedt]

Dear Debra. The symptoms have not disappeared, as she is not symptom free without the medication. So the elimination diet is not possible to follow, as the step 1 (only eating hypoallergenic food) has not worked out. Otherwise, I would gladly go ahead with step 2.

The vet sticks to the story that it is the inflammation in the stomach, in combination with the allergy, who caused her problems.

At the same time, I've been reading up on dog nutrition, and I believe going over to the raw diet she had when she was little could eliminate the problem. At the same time, I am super worried I would be wrong and that it would throw her back all those steps we've been through, making her have to eat even more cortison again.

One thing that I did not mention was that Della got too much food during her early stages. I was informed to feed her 5% of her body weight, from the raw diet, but i did not know this should decrease to 2% after her turning 6 months. From what I understand, over-feeding might push a vaguely sensitive stomach into developing allergies and a very sensitive stomach. So I am worried we are treating something that really would not be a problem, if she just came back to the raw diet and ate the proper amount of this.

What are the full length names of ISPID, IBD and EPI. We do not seem to have the same short names for these problems as you do, and I do not find the full length names online.

Phew, this is hard. Sorry for all the questions.

[tanza]

It is IPSID = Immunoproliferative Small Intestinal Disease, here is a link http://www.basenjicompanions.org/health/ipsid.html

IBD = Inflammatory Bowel Disease

EPI = Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency

[deschroedter]

@Sofie:

Dear Patty. As we have not been able to take away the cortison, could you please let me know where I can find out more about natural products that can replace cortison? Now we are at a state where we can't lessen the dose from 1/4 pill per day and the vet is just happy to let her keep eating this forever and ever. Many thanks/Sofie

This product has cleared up Kell's red tummy. The website is www.greengirlsmarket.com, it is made from all organic ingredients. maybe it could help. Cortison did not help Kell one bit. this is a topical, not an internal medicine. Dawn so sorry missed early posts about it being a tummy issue. We use Call of the Wild, Salmon and it has really helped with allergies and itchy and sometimes sensitive tums. good luck.

[Sofie Elvestedt]

Once again - great thanks from Sweden for valuable input. All the best/Sofie and Della (who is lying here exhausted after 3 hours in the sunny woods…)

[dcmclcm4]

There is a blood test for EPI and I would definitely test for it.

Jennifer

[Sofie Elvestedt]

We are going to talk to the vet again Thursday, and I will discuss all various suggestions with him. When reading on EPI, IPSID and IBD, all include symptoms as weight loss and diarrea. She does not suffer from any of these 2 symptoms. Her only symptom is vomiting on an empty stomach, and the stomach empties in no time at all which makes her vomit without the cortison. I will still go through the various conditions with the vet and take necessary tests to see if any of the mentioned diseases might apply anyway. IBD should have been tested during the Gastroschopy, only that it is called something different in Swedish. I will ask the vet.

But more and more, I believe the problems were caused by myself giving her too big a variety of proteins, and too much food, when she was little. I am hoping to be able to go around this through finding the right food for Della, and cure her with a good nutritional balance rather than with medicine. Fingers crossed for Thursday/Sofie