Granny_Weatherwax Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 I guess this could be a sort of PSA. My SIL put her dog on Blue Bufflo dog food. Within days he had more energy and was acting like a puppy. She recommended it to us for our dog and we switched. After 6 weeks, both dogs are sick. Her dog: hair loss, weight loss, hives on nose, loose stool. Our dog: hair loss, weight loss, loose stool, lethargy. 😞 She discontinued the dog food and within a week her is getting better. I will go buy new food tomorrow and throw the other dog food out. I Googled the dog food and there are 1000's of complaints about animals (dogs and cats) becoming ill within weeks of being fed BB. I also found that the dog food is not certified by the USDA or AAFCO. I just hope that we caught it in time and that nothing of what our dog is experiencing is irreversible. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 Yikes. I hope you both file a complaint: https://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/safetyhealth/reportaproblem/ucm182403.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 Porr doggies! :(. I'm glad you both made changes quickly. We've seen examples of kitties getting sick after their people buy them cases of a certain cat food online. The food in the store is high quality and there aren't problems, but through an online retailer it seems to be contaminated somehow. It's scary that this can be so. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 (edited) 12 hours ago, The Accidental Coach said: I also found that the dog food is not certified by the USDA or AAFCO. I'm no fan of BB (huge under statement), but the above caught my attention and piqued my curiosity. Are you saying that on the packages of food you and your SIL were feeding there is no statement regarding either food trials having been done or the food being formulated to meet AAFCO nutrient requirements? For example, on BB's website for their Life Protection Adult chicken and rice kibble there is this statement: "BLUE Life Protection Formula Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe Food for Adult Dogs is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for maintenance." And you're saying there is nothing like that???? The semi-pet food geek in me would really like to know what formula it is. Although neither the USDA nor AAFCO certifies or approves any pet food, I've never seen a food that didn't state it was either formulated to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles (like the above) or state that food trials have been done per AAFCO standards. You'll see the food trial language on the bigger manufacturers like Purina, Pedigree, Science Diet, etc. Food trials are expensive and the smaller manufacturers can't afford to do them or don't have the facilities. The trial requirements are pretty much a joke (my memory is foggy, but the basic requirement is something like X number of dogs/cats out of X number have to be alive at the end of the trial). AAFCO is nothing but an industry policing itself, so . . . consumer beware and don't rely on them. So I don't put any faith in either food trials or AAFCO nutrient profiles meeting anything but the barest of minimal standards, but it boggles my mind a food would do neither. I'm sorry about your dog and your SIL's dog. Edited January 12, 2019 by Pawz4me 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 When I was a vet tech we had more patients get diarrhea from blue buffalo that any other food. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 Now I won’t feel guilty anymore about not trying their food after watching their dog food commercials! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storygirl Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 That's horrible! We don't use BB food, but I do have a couple kinds of their treats, and my puppy likes them. They don't seem to cause her any issues, but now I'm going to rethink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintinative Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 Thanks for sharing so other dog owners would know, OP. I hope your doggies will fully return to normal. I am so sorry that happened to you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 We use BB grain-free for our cat with no issue, but won't be afraid to try something else if we have issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted January 12, 2019 Author Share Posted January 12, 2019 (edited) 7 hours ago, Pawz4me said: I'm no fan of BB (huge under statement), but the above caught my attention and piqued my curiosity. Are you saying that on the packages of food you and your SIL were feeding there is no statement regarding either food trials having been done or the food being formulated to meet AAFCO nutrient requirements? For example, on BB's website for their Life Protection Adult chicken and rice kibble there is this statement: "BLUE Life Protection Formula Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe Food for Adult Dogs is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for maintenance." And you're saying there is nothing like that???? The semi-pet food geek in me would really like to know what formula it is. Although neither the USDA nor AAFCO certifies or approves any pet food, I've never seen a food that didn't state it was either formulated to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles (like the above) or state that food trials have been done per AAFCO standards. You'll see the food trial language on the bigger manufacturers like Purina, Pedigree, Science Diet, etc. Food trials are expensive and the smaller manufacturers can't afford to do them or don't have the facilities. The trial requirements are pretty much a joke (my memory is foggy, but the basic requirement is something like X number of dogs/cats out of X number have to be alive at the end of the trial). AAFCO is nothing but an industry policing itself, so . . . consumer beware and don't rely on them. So I don't put any faith in either food trials or AAFCO nutrient profiles meeting anything but the barest of minimal standards, but it boggles my mind a food would do neither. I'm sorry about your dog and your SIL's dog. I don't have the bag so I can't look at it. When we buy dog food, we immediately transfer it to a bin and dispose of the bag. My SIL's vet gave her the info and she related his concerns and advice to me. Evidently BB has had issues with Vitamin D, lead, and protein levels in the past. I do not have proof that it isn't FDA or AAFCO approved and I should apologize for sharing that statement. Our dog was vomiting bile this morning so I called our vet and was also told that many local dogs have issues with BB and he recommends not feeding it. We immediately threw the remaining food away and went to buy different food. Our guy is down a few pounds and, while I was brushing him last night, I could feel his bones. When I walked him yesterday he struggled to keep up and lagged behind at the end of the leash's length. Not like him at all - he usually prances (like Belgian's do). He also didn't move much yesterday and both DH and I went over to check his breathing a few times. Since he's a senior dog we attributed some of the changes to possible end-of-life behavior but to see the dramatic shift in so short a time is heartbreaking. We switched his food again today (back to Iams) and all we can do is hope that we caught it in time. I have been too passive, I guess, in selecting our dog food. We used Iams for many years with no problem but then were told that Iams isn't a good brand (based on nutritional values) and that BB was much better. Those commercials certainly yank at a dog owner's heart strings. I have Googled BB a bit this week (I don't know how much more I'll do since our decision to switch foods has already been made) and there are multiple websites (kennel clubs, general pet sites, dog food comparison sites, etc) where hundreds of complaints about BB have been made. All of these complaints seem to have a few commonalities: diarrhea, weight loss, hair loss. Many others discuss seizures and kidney failure. No one food is going to be good for every dog. Every brand will have its cheerleaders and its naysayers. I guess what it comes down to is this: do your best for your pets and if you see any physical or behavioral changes, contact your vet immediately. Edited January 12, 2019 by The Accidental Coach 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted January 12, 2019 Author Share Posted January 12, 2019 1 hour ago, Jean in Newcastle said: Now I won’t feel guilty anymore about not trying their food after watching their dog food commercials! I know, right? Their advertising staff does their job well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted January 12, 2019 Author Share Posted January 12, 2019 15 hours ago, Arctic Mama said: Does it have some quality control issues or contamination? That’s so weird! I don't know what's wrong with it. We bought an 8 pound bagto mix with our dog's old food so his transition would be easier. Right before Christmas we purchased a 20 pound bag and made the full transition. The diarrhea began during the transition. The weight loss, hair loss, and lethargy all started after going BB 100%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 It's not a badly reviewed dog food. But there are some controversial ingredients within the dog food community. And there have been some recalls. https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/blue-buffalo-dog-food-wilderness-dry/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 8 hours ago, MEmama said: Porr doggies! :(. I'm glad you both made changes quickly. We've seen examples of kitties getting sick after their people buy them cases of a certain cat food online. The food in the store is high quality and there aren't problems, but through an online retailer it seems to be contaminated somehow. It's scary that this can be so. What food is that, do you mind saying? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 There have been anecdotal reports of issues with BB foods for years. Many years. The first concern I remember hearing was that the “life bits” in their foods seemed to vary a lot (in their coloring and size) from bag to bag. But there were lots of problems people on various message boards reported over the years. They were never really fully accepted as a “good” food amongst the true dog food geeks. And then a few years ago Purina sued BB over deceptive advertising. Then BB filed a counter suit against Purina. This article gives a pretty good summary of the lawsuits: https://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/6113-purina-and-blue-buffalo-settle-lawsuits-after-two-years BB then sued one of its suppliers. The supplier, Wilbur-Ellis, was eventually charged with eight criminal counts involving adulterated and misbranded foods, etc. This article summarizes that suit: https://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/6334-blue-buffalo-supplier-charged-with-8-criminal-counts The whole thing was pretty darn ugly I have now forgotten many of the jucier details, but people in the dog food world lost any respect they had for BB by the time the dust settled. They were pretty vicious about the whole thing, not very forthcoming with info to consumers, etc. I wish I could remember more of the specific details, but my memory for this stuff isn’t what it used to be (sigh).. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 11 minutes ago, Tanaqui said: What food is that, do you mind saying? Nulo on Amazon. Very highly rated if purchased in stores. I can't imagine how or why it would be so different if ordered another way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted January 31, 2019 Author Share Posted January 31, 2019 Update: we were at the vet today. My furbaby is still losing hair (at abnormally high rates) and isn't himself. His skin looks healthy and there is no visible reason for the hairloss. He has gained two pounds (yay!) and stool is now normal. The vet did a comprehensive blood panel to make sure she isn't missing anything (thyroid/kidney/liver). We scheduled a deep teeth cleaning for him and the vet's on site groomer will take a go at the undercoat to see if there is anything we are missing due to coat thickness. The vet told us it can 8 weeks before we see changes due to the diet. Changes might be slow due to his age. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted February 1, 2019 Author Share Posted February 1, 2019 The blood work is complete and my sweet baby has problems with his liver. This is one of the biggest complaints noted with the dog food. We're putting him on medication beginning today. The teeth cleaning has been put on hold due to his compromised liver. I feel guilty. I realize the guilt is somewhat misplaced as I couldn't have known he would react to the food in this manner. But, not taking proper care of his teeth, yeah, that's on me. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 Please don't feel guilty. It sounds to me like you're a wonderful pet owner. The liver has an amazing ability to heal itself, and I sure hope his does it quickly. Then you can get the teeth taken care of. Hugs. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 2 minutes ago, The Accidental Coach said: The blood work is complete and my sweet baby has problems with his liver. This is one of the biggest complaints noted with the dog food. We're putting him on medication beginning today. The teeth cleaning has been put on hold due to his compromised liver. I feel guilty. I realize the guilt is somewhat misplaced as I couldn't have known he would react to the food in this manner. But, not taking proper care of his teeth, yeah, that's on me. Do you give him marrow bones to chew on? I have found bones and sinews to be 100% better than vet cleaning of the teeth. The teeth are cleaned without having to put the dog to sleep and is so much cheaper. (Don't do this if it is contraindicated by his liver issues.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted February 1, 2019 Author Share Posted February 1, 2019 Jean - yes, I give him marrow bones and those dental cleaning chews from the pet store. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. He has some gum loss and his teeth are coated in plaque. I think the vet mentioned his teeth either at the last checkup or the year before but, with life's expenses, it wasn't something we could afford. THe vet said yesterday that he doesn't have visibly loose teeth but there are three with extensive root exposure. Those three may have to be pulled. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 1 minute ago, Jean in Newcastle said: Do you give him marrow bones to chew on? I have found bones and sinews to be 100% better than vet cleaning of the teeth. The teeth are cleaned without having to put the dog to sleep and is so much cheaper. (Don't do this if it is contraindicated by his liver issues.) As a raw feeder, I give my dog soft-edible bones to eat nearly every day. His teeth sparkle. I would, however, caution against marrow bones. All the load-bearing bones from cattle are very hard. That makes giving them to dogs as recreational chews very risky to their teeth. A cracked or broken tooth is not improbable and can be very (very) expensive to deal with. I do not risk it. Bill 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 Bacteria from periodontal disease can affect the liver, so the dental cleaning may help his liver heal. Hope he is doing better soon! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 Throwing the two cans of BB I have out right now. Thanks for the advice. Just an aside: when my dog has had tummy problems that need to mellow . . . the vet has put him on chicken and rice. It calms his troubles down quickly. Alley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 39 minutes ago, myblessings4 said: Which soft-edible bones are okay to give? I mainly feed raw bone-in chicken pieces. Never cooked bones. If one simply wants occasional chews then once can give things like beef or pork rib bones or pork neck bones or chicken feet, turkey necks, etc. These latter bones are far less risky to teeth damage than the sort of marrow bones/femur bones or knuckle bones that are typically sold as "dog bones." I consider marrow bones (et al) very high risk. While flat (non-weighing bearing) bones are far less risk to teeth, one still needs to make sure one doesn't have a gulper who will swallow bones whole as there are risks like "impaction" from swallowing large pieces of bone. I am very risk averse when it comes to bones. Much more cautious than most raw feeders. But it would be my head if something happened to our beloved Vizsla (as raw feeding was my idea). Raw feeding has gone even better than my highest expectations. My nearly 5-year-old dog is lean, well-muscled, and has sparkling white teeth. I personally stick mainly with bone-in chicken pieces, fish, or other soft-edible bones. Very occasionally a rib, etc. Never (ever) a weight-bearing bone of a large ruminant like cattle. They are very high risk in my estimation. I've read of too many cracked and broken teeth to think it is wise. And the steamed and disinfected bones available in pet food stores are even harder than raw bones. Tooth breakers! Soft-edible bone keeps the great dental benefits (spectacularly clean teeth) while virtually eliminating the risks. Bill 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 On 2/1/2019 at 1:10 PM, Indigo Blue said: I'm sorry, OP, and I hope he gets better soon. I have a thread about my cat having allergies. I've mostly fed her BB because there are very few foods she will actually eat. BB is one. I've never felt good about it. When I switched her to prescription, her coat actually did greatly improve. Then I switched her from the prescription to a BB limited ingredient as she didn't like the prescription very much. I thought since her allergies were under control, I could try a novel protein in BB and maybe she'd be okay. She's scratching again. To confound things, she had gotten a shot of steroids as she went on the prescription. So I can't even be certain the prescription food actually cleared her up. I can't be certain it's just a case of crappy food, because it could be environmental. I'm still trying to figure it out. Anyway, it makes me wonder about the BB. I'm trying the prescription again to see what happens. If she clears, she'll stay on it. If not, it must be something in the air or house. But I never thought she looked good on BB, for sure. I don't trust any of them, really, but some have got to be better than others. Also,....about teeth.....my small chihuahua has bad teeth. He's always gotten cleanings but they get bad quickly after. He is very old now, and the vet is hesitant to do any more dentals on him. So his teeth got REALLY bad. He had, for years, eaten organic can food with two whole soft bones inside. So recently he got an infection in his intestines that spread to his liver. The vet said it was most likely caused by bacteria on his bad teeth. He was really sick, but he pulled through. I'm just saying this to say that sometimes their bad teeth can cause problems in other parts of their body. This isn't the case with your dog, but I just wanted to mention it in case you weren't aware. If your dog is having liver problems because of dog food, how scary that is! I do hope he feels better! Oh, just saw Selkie's post...I agree. FYI, when I was a vet tech in Palm Beach area with lots of little dogs we often saw this. Those tiny ones could live forever, and their teeth were so squished in those little mouths that we sometimes ended up with an elderly dog that couldn't have anesthesia for whatever reason, but had bad teeth. We did the rinses you can buy, or wipes, but for a few we did pulsed antibiotic therapy. So on antibiotics for one week a month or some other routine schedule. It helped keep the bacterial load down a bit and the dog much more comfortable. It's something you might want to mention to your veterinarian. It's not EXACTLY best practice....but real life doesn't fit the medical school textbooks, you know? And it did really seem to help. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 36 minutes ago, Indigo Blue said: Yes, my vet has already mentioned this!. My dog has an appointment on Monday. It has been one month since he finished his antibiotics. One of them was flagyl I was amazed that his bad breath completely vanished when he was on the flagyl. It killed all the bacteria causing his bad breath, and a month later, it still isn't nearly as bad as it was before he was sick. We'll talk about it giving antibiotics periodically....although it's really hard to give him medicine. (He's 19!) American cheese is my favorite for hiding meds...it smooshes nicely but isn't sticky on your hands. otherwise, peanut butter and squish it to the roof of their mouth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 17 minutes ago, Ktgrok said: American cheese is my favorite for hiding meds...it smooshes nicely but isn't sticky on your hands. otherwise, peanut butter and squish it to the roof of their mouth. I've had the best luck using cream cheese, which works with even my most finicky dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted February 7, 2019 Author Share Posted February 7, 2019 The vet decided to go through with the tooth cleaning anyway since his teeth were so bad. He had to have 4 extractions, all in the back. I feel guilty for not taking care of this sooner. He was not happy when I dropped him off and even less happy when I picked him up. He wouldn't let me pet him or love on him but instead chose to go to DH for comfort. I had to give him the pain meds (oral liquid), which he did not like, and that put me even lower on his Love List. I sat on the floor last night, turned on the small portable heater, and he came to lie down next to me and I rubbed his ears a bit. He didn't eat for two days but appears to be feeling a bit better this morning. Tooth extraction day was a bit anxiety provoking as there was a chance he would react to the anesthesia. My brain was so discombobulated, I left my glasses at the vet and misplaced my wallet. Since he's still losing patches of fur, he'll be going to the vet to be groomed and shaved. His undercoat is thick and, despite using a fur rake and the Furminator and removing enough hair to make at least two other dogs, I cannot keep up with it. What we think happened, and this is all supposition, is that his system may have been compromised due to his teeth and the high protein and Vitamin D levels in the BB were too much for him and overwhelmed his body. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 I was just told yesterday that a bunch of dogs have died from vitamin d overdose in their food. It was Science Diet brand, mot BB in this case, but illustrated the dangers of too much vitamin d. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 4 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said: I was just told yesterday that a bunch of dogs have died from vitamin d overdose in their food. It was Science Diet brand, mot BB in this case, but illustrated the dangers of too much vitamin d. Just jumping off this as an FYI for anyone reading -- There have been many brands of dog foods recalled due to the Vitamin D problem. The recalls started in November, IIRC. I detest Dog Food Advisor with a fiery hot passion, but I will admit that their page on recalls is worthwhile. You can also sign up to receive an email alert whenever there is a pet food recall. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted March 8, 2019 Author Share Posted March 8, 2019 Update (mostly for my mental health): my dog had his 5 week follow up appt and blood work yesterday. During this past 5 weeks we went back to his original dog food, he had his teeth cleaned and 4 teeth removed, and he was on medication to promote liver function. We had him groomed to help remove the excessive undercoat and to determine if there were underlying skin ailments. No skin conditions were found and he looks beautiful. Unfortunately, the lab results indicate decreased liver function. His panels went from 140 to 183 (10-120 are normal). It appears his liver is failing. At least we know that the original numbers were not due to the teeth or any underlying issue. Since we have eliminated all other possibilities, the vet believes it was the dog food and the amount of protein he was ingesting. He will remain on the liver medication and we'll go back in 7 weeks for follow up blood work. The vet said he could maintain like this for months or pass quickly since the numbers went up so much despite the medication. Loving an aging pet is difficult. I have to lift him into the truck since he can no longer jump up and he fell down the stairs the other day. We have wooden floors and I know it was painful for him. Last night, when I was experiencing insomnia, he stayed by my side. I have that back of throat pain associated with sadness. I am thankful for his companionship for DS, DGD, and me. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted August 6, 2019 Share Posted August 6, 2019 2 hours ago, SammySommers said: I am quite new dog owner. I have a 10 week American bully (not one of those hippo/inbreed down syndrome dogs) but a nice healthy pup. I'm also in the market for the best food pitbull puppies . I was considering getting blue Buffalo but having read your story, I am not sure now. Has anyone tested it on their pets? Also read these taste of the wild dog food reviews. Anyone feeds their dogs with TOTW? TOTW is made by Diamond Pet Foods. Therefore it isn't something I'd ever use. They have an incredibly long history of recalls and pet deaths. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JessieC Posted August 6, 2019 Share Posted August 6, 2019 Here is a link to the FDA report that came out very recently. Blue Buffalo, Taste of the Wild, Acana, Orijen, and more are all on the list of dog foods connected to nutrition-related DCM in dogs. They simply don't have the long-term trials and veterinary nutritionists on their staffs that bigger name brands have. For now, I would stay away from all of them. The only currently recommended foods are Purina, Iam's, Hill's/Science Diet, Eukanaba, and Royal Canin. I would strongly encourage everyone to switch to one of these until more is known. There is a FB group that gives a lot more information. Many, many people have lost their beloved pets due to these "BEG" foods (Boutique, Exotic ingredients, Grain-Free). Many more are seeing their dogs' health improve after switching to a tried and true brand. Here is a link. https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaurineDCM/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted April 30, 2020 Author Share Posted April 30, 2020 (edited) Resurrecting for an update: It has taken 15 months but my pup finally has normal liver panels. During this health crisis, he lost 12 pounds; he went from 60 to 48. He was on multiple medications and there were three or four times we discussed euthanasia with the vet. Out of frustration and not wanting to continue administering meds he wasn't consuming, we stopped all but one med. I thought I was doing a good job about making certain he swallowed the meds but happened to find a cache under the couch. The little stinker was holding them in his mouth and hiding them from me. That day, I decided to stop the med and put him on a raw food diet. A friend had given me a book with recipes designed esp. for dogs with liver issues and I figured it couldn't hurt. After a couple of months on the raw diet his liver panels stabilized. Yay! During his December appt, both his weight and his liver panels had seen no change from the previous exam. I was thrilled he was holding his own. We missed his March appt due to SIP. Last week I went ahead and took him in (well, I sat in the parking lot while the vet tech took him in). The vet made a special trip out to my car to inform me of the results; as soon as I saw the vet come out of the building my heart dropped and I think I muttered a curseword. The vet said he had to tell me the good news himself: his weight is up to 55 pounds and liver panels are NORMAL. Normal!! Okay, low normal but normal. I cannot tell you how many nights I slept on the floor next to him so I could feel his breathing or how often I gave him little bites of food out of my hand just so he would have something in his stomach. (Dog people will understand.) For now, all we have to worry about is typical age related ailments like deafness and cataracts. We can handle those. I'm including a pic of my 13yo pup on his celebratory "I'm healthy!" hike. Edited April 30, 2020 by The Accidental Coach 12 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 Aww, such happy news! He is beautiful and you are a great dog mom! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 Wonderful, wonderful!!! Thank you for the update! Great job. Celebrating with you. 🥳 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 What wonderful news! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted April 30, 2020 Author Share Posted April 30, 2020 1 hour ago, myblessings4 said: That is wonderful news! What book did you read? https://www.secondsale.com/i/raw-and-natural-nutrition-for-dogs-revised-edition-the-definitive-guide-to-homemade-meals/9781583949474?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIu6eg3L2Q6QIVWP_jBx11MQfaEAQYAyABEgIaRPD_BwE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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