Shar Pei Resource / bearposhsharpei Winnipeg Manitoba Canada

My vet thinks that my dog Beau has IBD.Beau has been losing weight since January.He lost 6 lbs and is sleepy most of the time.He has been vomiting off and on for about a year.He is a very finicky eater and now the vet put him on  hypoallergenic food, he loves the canned food but doesn't like the dried food ,we have to add water before he eats it.He has been on antibiotics for about 3 weeks,he has had bloodwork and xrays.Today the vet started him on steroids.He has been eating better and only vomited once in 2 weeks and I was so surprised that he still lost weight today.I would appreaciate any advice.Margaret.

Posh, sorry to say, died from Eosinophilic Bowel Disease. It was not a good time for any of us.

There is more then one form of this disease. Posh had one of the bad ones. She started having the runs really really bad. It started out of the blue. She then would not eat. She started getting skinny. It all happened very fast. From start to finish she was sick about 2.5 months.

I learned plenty I assure you. Posh had 2 surgeries for this.

Steroids will make the dog eat, but in my opinion that is the least of your concerns. I know this from Posh. Your vet needs to determine what form of the disease he has first and foremost. I would try and avoid any and all VET foods. I would opt for something like Wellness Ocean. The foods at the vet are not very good despite the fact they sell them.

Try canned salmon and sardines. Give him ZERO, and I mean ZERO treats of any kind. What PROTEIN have you been feeding all his life??? Lamb? Chicken? Duck? What is the main meat/protein? What ever it is, STOP using that now. You need to change the protein that he has been eatting to something else. If it was NOT fish, go with fish based food. Again, ZERO treats. Just change the protein asap, and feed him nothing else but the new food. Except the added canned salmon and sardines. 1-2 sardines a day. 1/2 can salmon a day mixed with his new fish based food. If he's on a fish based food NOW, try duck and potato and forgo the sardines and salmon suggestion as you only want ONE prtotien source.....Here is the short easy to understand way to go from here on in:

A food trial using hypoallergenic diets is usually one of the first steps in the initial treatment, and is used to verify the diagnosis. The key is to use a protein source and carbohydrate source the animal has never eaten before, such as duck and potato. The pet must eat nothing else, including treats, and the trial should be maintained for two to three months.

If a hypoallergenic diet does not improve the condition, other diets may be tried. When the colon is the major portion of the digestive tract that is involved, diets high in fiber such as Hill's r/d have been beneficial. Oat bran could also be added to the diet to increase the fiber content. When the small intestine is the primary site of involvement, some animals benefit from a highly digestible, low-fiber (low-residue) diet.

Diets low in fat are generally better tolerated in dogs with IBD. Carbohydrates low in gluten may also be helpful; avoid wheat, oats, rye, and barley. Homemade diets are sometimes used, however, they often are not completely balanced and commercial diets are preferred for the long term.

As you can see, multiple diets may have to be tried before one sees improvement in the pet's condition. This takes a lot of patience on the part of the owner.

On my website you will find a page on health. I have information on this there.......

Please let me know what you think about my advise? I may not be on line till the middle of next week so don't worry if I dont reply right away. I will.

Good luck!!!! I will be think about you and your boy!!

Devi

bearposhsharpei at 09:42PM on Mar 21, 2009

Posh, sorry to say, died from Eosinophilic Bowel Disease. It was not a good time for any of us.

There is more then one form of this disease. Posh had one of the bad ones. She started having the runs really really bad. It started out of the blue. She then would not eat. She started getting skinny. It all happened very fast. From start to finish she was sick about 2.5 months.

I learned plenty I assure you. Posh had 2 surgeries for this.

Steroids will make the dog eat, but in my opinion that is the least of your concerns. I know this from Posh. Your vet needs to determine what form of the disease he has first and foremost. I would try and avoid any and all VET foods. I would opt for something like Wellness Ocean. The foods at the vet are not very good despite the fact they sell them.

Try canned salmon and sardines. Give him ZERO, and I mean ZERO treats of any kind. What PROTEIN have you been feeding all his life??? Lamb? Chicken? Duck? What is the main meat/protein? What ever it is, STOP using that now. You need to change the protein that he has been eatting to something else. If it was NOT fish, go with fish based food. Again, ZERO treats. Just change the protein asap, and feed him nothing else but the new food. Except the added canned salmon and sardines. 1-2 sardines a day. 1/2 can salmon a day mixed with his new fish based food. If he's on a fish based food NOW, try duck and potato and forgo the sardines and salmon suggestion as you only want ONE prtotien source.....Here is the short easy to understand way to go from here on in:

A food trial using hypoallergenic diets is usually one of the first steps in the initial treatment, and is used to verify the diagnosis. The key is to use a protein source and carbohydrate source the animal has never eaten before, such as duck and potato. The pet must eat nothing else, including treats, and the trial should be maintained for two to three months.

If a hypoallergenic diet does not improve the condition, other diets may be tried. When the colon is the major portion of the digestive tract that is involved, diets high in fiber such as Hill's r/d have been beneficial. Oat bran could also be added to the diet to increase the fiber content. When the small intestine is the primary site of involvement, some animals benefit from a highly digestible, low-fiber (low-residue) diet.

Diets low in fat are generally better tolerated in dogs with IBD. Carbohydrates low in gluten may also be helpful; avoid wheat, oats, rye, and barley. Homemade diets are sometimes used, however, they often are not completely balanced and commercial diets are preferred for the long term.

As you can see, multiple diets may have to be tried before one sees improvement in the pet's condition. This takes a lot of patience on the part of the owner.

On my website you will find a page on health. I have information on this there.......

Please let me know what you think about my advise? I may not be on line till the middle of next week so don't worry if I dont reply right away. I will.

Good luck!!!! I will be think about you and your boy!!

Devi

Hi, Beau was on salmon and rice up until 11/2 months ago.Then we switched to duck and br.rice.We were giving him sardine and milk bone snacks.Also solid gold meal supplements with his meals.Now we give him Hill's hypoallergenic formula canned and dry food(pheasent and duck with br. rice)He doesn't like the dry food.He doesn't get anymore snacks at all for now.It is frustrating trying to get Beau to eat.What tests did Posh have done to determine the form of IBD that she had.My vet is only going by what i tell him.Sometimes I'm not even sure that he has IBD,at least I don't want to believe it.Our vet checked his stools&they were a little loose and with the vomiting he thought he might have it,and put him on the steroids.The steroids are not making him eat any better.By the way,Beau looks alot like Zepher,how much does Zepher weigh? Beau weighs 50 lbs.He was 56lbs in January.

Zephyr is only 47.5LBS. He is 20 inches tall. He is VERY VERY lanky. Not the norm, it's just him.

As for tests? We did x-rays, then ultra sound, then surgery to look at what was inside. Then we had to take her to Saskatoon to the vet collage and have another surgery after a tube up both ends did not show what was wrong. Posh had a very bad and hard to diagnois form of IBD. It came on suddenly however looking back I remember the fact I could hear a lot of gas and bubble like sounds in her tummy. That was a heads up I missed I think.

Zephyr has never had 100% perfect stools from day one. It's an on again off again thing. About ever 4 weeks we have a bout of bad stools I have worked very hard on a feeding protocol to get this under control. Zephyr however does not vomit at all. Except one time many months ago.

May I suggest calling either Sharon Palmay or Andrea Robins, unless you already have? It's just good to keep a breeder well informed about what is going on with their dogs. The reason for this is because a breeder needs to monitor the health or lack of it in any dogs they breed so they can compare with others sold form the litter. It keeps for healthier lines and better breeding practices if they can keep on top of these things.

Since I went thru the worst case with Posh, I know I can be of help to you. Please keep me up to date. So you know, IBD happens in all dogs including Shar Pei. It's not hereditary, it just happens. A proper and altered feeding protocal can in most cases fix the problem. Don't forget to use only one single protein for the next 2-3 months. They if that works, switch again. Keep swithching between 2 proteins minimun for the rest of his life. I would again NOT use vet sold foods......They are not good,  you can get better. As for treats. Milk bones are as bad as you can get. It's like handing them an oreo cookie. Avoid any store bought treats. Try banana, pea's, carrots, sweet potatoe, blue berries, etc........

If you want a high end food and want to try it, look up N-R-G. It's dehydrated. You just add water. I 110% promise he will love it. I have some information on the product and a link on my FOOD OPTIONS page. Try to get the NO GRAIN formula, but a grain one is fine....

Good luck again and keep me posted please.

Devi