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Lola / update

Started by gschellinger, August 08, 2012, 05:54:16 PM

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gschellinger

On Aug. 1, I started Lola on a chicken and rice diet. Her nasal congestion, combined with the ataxia was very bad. Mucus was bubbling from her nose all day long for about a month. When your dog is choking on that stuff it makes you think that it needs to end. So even though the vets all tell me that her diet could not be the source of this gunk, especially w/o GI problems or itchy skin, watery eyes etc. I did it anyway. Since then she has improved. She still has nasal sounds coming from her head, but the mucus has almost stopped. Ironically her cough has returned, as has the reverse sneezing. So I can't say yet what is going on.

Another problem is that the chicken and rice is causing runny stool. That seems strange since it is always what I put her on when she had GI problems in the past. So I have started weaning her to Hills z/d ultra. I know why they call it ultra after paying for it, holy smokes! This is the longest she has gone with significant improvement in her nasal congestion since it started last November.

My goal is to get her on this diet as long as she keeps improving or is at least better, like she is now. Then to work with Monica again on adding fresh foods again and come up with a new home cooked diet. If she stays better like this, I will suspect that beef is the culprit. Keeping my digits all crossed and hoping that we may continue to see her improve. I can keep her with the ataxia for a while yet, it's the congestion which is so hard to watch, with nothing that helps.

I hope all your dogs are doing well today.
gail.
gail and Lola (SLE, hereditary cerebellar ataxia, chronic undiagnosed nasal congestion) usa

Shannon

You are such a good mum to Lola. I'm so glad the chicken and rice seems to have helped with her congestion, she must have developed a hypersensitivity to the previous diet. The Hills Z/D is frighteningly expensive but I think it is the most hypoallergenic diet on the market at the moment so they pretty much have a monopoly on it. I hope her congestion continues to improve and that the cough clears up. She really couldn't have asked for a more dedicated, loving mum. Cooper sends cocker wags to her and you :)


gschellinger

Of course I am now thinking I should have tried a diet change long ago. Lola has had so much GI trouble in her life. Changing a diet which was working, being advised that it wasn't diet related, all led me to keep her on her regular food. I'm still not convinced things are really better yet. But thank you for thinking of Lola. I will update in a while with how she is doing. If she is going to relapse I would think it won't be that long in coming. If it's diet, then things will continue to get better. Now to figure out the GI issue too.
gail.
gail and Lola (SLE, hereditary cerebellar ataxia, chronic undiagnosed nasal congestion) usa

Angela

Good luck Gail, it does sound like a dietary problem may be a factor, at the very least.  I wonder if the reverse sneezing and coughing is because the mucus is drying up?

Hugs and keeping you all in my thoughts
Angela (AIHA & Addison's)
NSW Australia

Penel CIMDA moderator

My setter has major dietary issues Gail so I totally get where you are coming from.    My Lola can't tolerate any form of grain or rice or oats - nothing like that at all or she gets v poorly v quickly.
Have you tried adding slippery elm powder to her food, Lola has this every single day - and if she doesn't then we have tummy problems.  The other thing that helps if she has an upset, is Manuka honey, I roll this into a little ball with the slippery elm powder and feed it to her.
There's a new allergy test developed by Jean Dodds - they test saliva, and it is supposedly v accurate.  Might be worth a go.
http://webcanine.com/2011/nutri-scan-saliva-test-patented-by-dr-jean-dodds/
Penel
(SLE, Surrey - UK)
Forum Owner
CIMDA

Jo CIMDA

Hi Gail

It make sense Gail and you are brave enough to try something new.  Long may the improvement last.  Penel's suggestion of slippery elm is worth a try.

Good luck.
Jo

gschellinger

My Lola has been taking slippery elm for a long time too. I think it is a miracle product. But since she started on the rice and chicken it isn't helping. But maybe things would be much worse w/o. At any rate I am going to have her totally on Hills z/d in about three days.  She shouldn't even need slippery elm then. I'm again working with Monica if Lola can hold her own for two more weeks. Then we will try one new food at a time to build her a new fresh food diet. I also have given Manuka honey for a while. But since Monica wants to start from scratch with her, we are eliminating all her add ons, including the quercetin and dyphenhydramine, as long as she stays relatively stable with the congestion. When we started this I felt like I had suddenly put on a blind-fold and was asked to walk the plank. But we are out of other options so as long as she is holding I am going forward with the complete switch. Monica has a good understanding of hydolyzed diets so I trust she can figure it out if anyone can. Ironically she is also doing the same with her Tori right now. Tori survived her AIHA two years ago, barely, then relapsed this last spring, not as bad. She is another miracle dog.
gail.
gail and Lola (SLE, hereditary cerebellar ataxia, chronic undiagnosed nasal congestion) usa

Jo CIMDA

Quote from: gschellinger on August 09, 2012, 10:08:26 PM
When we started this I felt like I had suddenly put on a blind-fold and was asked to walk the plank.


***Well that just about puts it in a nutshell Gail!

Tori survived her AIHA two years ago, barely, then relapsed this last spring, not as bad. She is another miracle dog.
gail.

So between Lola and Tori they know how to keep you on your toes!

Good luck with the new diet.

Jo

Sandy W

Hi Gail..... just come up from air - busy time @ work as I approach retirement... more to do than ever !
Haven't been keeping up.... but pleased to see you're now seeing improvement with Lola - and hope you can get to the bottom of the cough.
I will be keeping you both in my thoughts, you know how very special Lola is to me  :)
Sending hugs
Sandy, Bronte & Blanche x
Sandy, Bronte (hypoT) & Blanche
Irish Setters, Surrey, UK

gschellinger

Hi Sandy,
Nice to see you back. I have Lola completely weaned from her old diet onto Hills Z/D. The cough is better. Some mucus has returned, but really her head still sounded full when she improved, so I am not too concerned. It is still much improved. In the past if she improved and then got worse it was an all of a sudden much worse kind of thing. But the other morning there was quite bright red blood which came from her nose when she sneezed. Nothing since then, and it wasn't an actual nose bleed. It was in the mucus. So, we are going forward hoping that she will continue to be better. Time will tell. This is the longest respite she has had in nine months!

Happy retirement! You will love it I bet.
gail.
gail and Lola (SLE, hereditary cerebellar ataxia, chronic undiagnosed nasal congestion) usa

gschellinger

Today has not been a good day for Lola. She had a hard time breathing during the night. She's been congested all day today. Not as bad as in the past, but the worst day since we changed her diet two weeks ago. Trying to not think this is a total relapse. She has been ever so gradually getting more congested again. I had so hoped that this was going to be a turning point for her. Not so sure now. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.
gail and Lola, the Lovely One.
gail and Lola (SLE, hereditary cerebellar ataxia, chronic undiagnosed nasal congestion) usa

Shannon

Poor Lola. I really hope the increase in the congestion is just a temporary blip and that she continues her improvement on her new diet. Fingers crossed today is a better day!

Jo CIMDA

Hi Gail

I'm sorry for poor Lola and you!  Does the weather make a difference?  Is it very hot and stuffy where you live?

I do hope it is just a blip and not anthing worse.

Thinking of Lola and you.

Jo

gschellinger

I don't think it is related to the weather. We have had every sort of weather here in Wisconsin since she started. It's crazy living here. Heating, airconditioning, open windows, humidity, no humidity, nothing seems to make a difference. Now on top of her congestion returning, the Hills z/d is not working to keep her digestion good. At first if fixed the loose stool from the chicken and rice. Now it is going in the other direction. I put her back on slippery elm yesterday. The hypoallergenic diet should not be affecting her like that. Nothing about Lola usually makes sense.

Thank you...
gail
gail and Lola (SLE, hereditary cerebellar ataxia, chronic undiagnosed nasal congestion) usa

shawkyelisabeth

Gail, i have read all your posts since i have been away, think a lot of you and lola and all that you are going through wish you from my heart you have a good day and see an improvement with the diet and lolas congestion. Keep your spirits high up, hugs from elisabeth and stella