Friend’s sick pooch - any ideas?

[Lisa]

Many of you might remember my friend’s dog Biscuit, who escaped from a another person’s yard last January when it was -40C and miraculously was found some days later.
Poor Biscuit has been sick on and off ever since. He picked up some nasty bugs while eating in the wild (at one point he was seen with a rabbit in his mouth) and he just can’t seem to shake them, despite numerous vet visits, tests, pills, etc. He has clostridium which I guess comes from eating raw meat.
At any rate the vet is trying a different med and a special diet but just wondering if anyone here has any suggestions or tips.

 

[snowbunny]

Poor Biscuit

I have no advice or experience. A friend of mine has an elderly GR who was poisoned many years ago, and since then, she has been intolerant to protein, so has a very low protein diet with no animal-derived protein whatsoever. I'm not suggesting it's anything like the same, but sometimes things happen to disrupt what they're able to tolerate.

I hope the vet finds the answer for your friend and Biscuit.

 

[Lisa]

Poor Biscuit

I have no advice or experience. A friend of mine has an elderly GR who was poisoned many years ago, and since then, she has been intolerant to protein, so has a very low protein diet with no animal-derived protein whatsoever. I'm not suggesting it's anything like the same, but sometimes things happen to disrupt what they're able to tolerate.

I hope the vet finds the answer for your friend and Biscuit.

His whole system is definitely out of whack...he picks up while on ABs but once they’re done it’s back with a vengeance.

 

[Jacqui-S]

That's sad Lisa.
I don't really have any suggestions.
If the vet had ruled out nasties is it worthwhile considering a homeopathic approach? Rebalancing gut flora and all that?

 

[Cath]

Poor dog. Sorry I have no experience of this, but hope they can find some help for him.

 

[Lisa]

That's sad Lisa.
I don't really have any suggestions.
If the vet had ruled out nasties is it worthwhile considering a homeopathic approach? Rebalancing gut flora and all that?

I think she’s pretty much open to anything at this point. It’s likely something that’s come up, but I’ll ask her about it. The dog does have a bad bug in his gut, they just can’t seem to get rid of it.

 

[Anne123]

My oh asks if he is being de-wormed? It could be that has some parasites, heart worm or anything else?

 

[Stacia]

One of my Labs had an overgrowth of bacteria in the lower bowel and had to take antibiotics continually for about 6 weeks and that cured it. Maybe they should give the dog a prolonged dose of the same antibiotic? Or maybe they have already done that? Just a thought.

 

[Jacqui-S]

If c diff is involved then more antibiotics can worsen it.
There is some development in the "poo transplant" direction for humans with persistent diarrhoea post infection.......

 

[Lisa]

“Poo transplant”? The mind boggles...

I‘m not entirely sure exactly what treatments the pooch has had, but he’s been under the care of two different vets over the past 4 months. I’ll see if I can get more info.

 

[Jacqui-S]

“Poo transplant”? The mind boggles

Indeed. It is however a bona fide treatment....

 

[snowbunny]

I read about that some time ago and it was incredible some of the things they had done. Who came up with it in the first place must have been a little...peculiar

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

My father's partner Donna had C-Diff a couple months ago. This treatment was discussed. However "If it gets worse we'll do a fecal transplant" is something NO ONE ever wants to hear.

@Lisa where did the pup come from? Is there any chance he has some rare thing related to his origin that the vets may not have tested for? Your post just made me think of dogs here who are brought in from Spain and treated for symptoms but never tested for Leishmaniasis. It can cause all sorts of trouble...

 

[Natalie]

If c diff is involved then more antibiotics can worsen it.

Yes, my dad was told this. He had been on a long course of antibiotics for treating an infection in his toe, in an attempt to save it, (so far, fingers crossed) and had taken another course earlier in the year too, but then when he ended up in hospital with C Diff last week, they said this was an issue, and they would have to be careful giving him any more.

 

[Natalie]

Hopefully they've tested for this, but could it possibly be giardia? We struggled to rid Monty of it when he was really little, you think you are over it and then it comes back with a vengeance. It really sapped his energy, runny poos, struggled to gain weight consistently - a good week, then a bad week.

 

[Lisa]

I’m sure they have tested for giardia. I will ask my friend about underlying issues. She’s had him for about a year before this escapade, so I’m not sure if he had issues before that.