FTGH

Meet Mauve, the Golden Dog

This stupid diarrhea has GOT to stop. Lets backtrack a bit, shall we?

Jordan's dad had a stroke on Tuesday, September 15. Mauve and the squirts started the subsequent weekend. That means we've been battling diarrhea on & off for almost 2 months now. We go to the vet. We get some meds. The squirts subside temporarily. The squirts come back. We go back to the vet. We get different meds. The squirts subside temporarily. Do you see the pattern here?

So just prior to our trip back to Augusta, we made a trip to the vet, got some meds and took it upon ourselves to start Mauvey on dog food made for sensitive systems. I dont know if it technically qualifies as hypoallergenic food, but we figured it was worth a shot.

(and as a side note: the sensitive systems dog food is made with salmon as the primary source of protein. Salmon. Which makes the kibble smell like meow mix. And makes my house and my dog's breath smell like dead fish. What smell is only marginally worse than dead fish? Doggy Diarrhea.)

So she finishes off the meds and the bag of sensitive dog food and not knowing whether it was the food or medicine that caused her blowouts, we switched her back to the old food. Within hours, the diarrhea was back. We figured immediately that it had been the food all along! All the while we were complaining, it was the food that she wasnt tolerating! We were so relieved and went out immediately and bought a new bag of sensitive systems food. The next day her diarrhea had dried up.

(here's another side note: it just so happens, we had to open a new bag of her old food when we switched back. One serving later, the bag was rolled closed for good. So if anyone nearby has a dog that eats Purina One, we have the 44lb Sam's size bag in our garage. FTGH.)

So then comes Wednesday morning. Once again, Mauve has had diarrhea in her kennel. No new foods, no table scraps, nothing crazy or out of the ordinary. She proceeds to have diarrhea at least 3 times Wednesday and then poops all night long too. So it's back to the vet we go. It's determined that she has a very sensitive stomach and Dr. Harrell thinks she's formed an intolerance to her doggy treats. So it's no more treats for Mauvey. Dr. Harrell says if the diarrhea doesnt clear up after eliminating the treats, she will change Mauve to a very restricted diet. I'm thinking... the dog eats sensitive dog food, no treats, and no table scraps-- how much more restricted does it get? Also, while being seen, Dr. Harrell notices she's been biting at several small places on her legs & belly. After doing some skin testing, it is determined that she doesnt have mites or fleas or something icky, but rather she is allergic to something in her environment. Perfect.

So, Jordan heads home from the vet with a bottle of medicated dog shampoo, a prescription for Flagyl (for the diarrhea), an antihistamine, and a much lighter wallet. She is to be shampooed twice a week and be fed yogurt with each meal. She is to have no treats, but only dog food, yogurt and water.

I've had human patients that aren't this needy.

PS. Mauvey's not really for sale. She's too cute to stay mad at.