Bloating, Vet still unsure

[Enjoimangos]

Hello everyone,

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, but I wanted to reach out to see if anyone else has experienced similar issues with their EBD. Our boy Boris just turned 11, and lately he’s been struggling with a number of health problems. We’ve been to multiple vet appointments and run several tests, but so far we haven’t gotten many answers—just trial-and-error solutions that don’t seem to help. At this point, I’m really hoping to get some insight from other owners. Unfortunately, we may be facing some tough decisions in the coming weeks or months, and my SO isn’t quite ready for that conversation yet.

Current issues:

1. Bloating:
   Almost every evening, Boris bloats noticeably on his left side. We’ve rushed him to the ER a couple of times worried about GDV, but the vets weren’t overly concerned since he’s still eating and not showing the typical signs beyond the swelling. Eventually, he passes a lot of gas and returns to normal, which is reassuring—but we still don’t know what’s causing it.
   He’s now on a HA diet and takes Metoclopramide 3x a day per our vet’s recommendation, but unfortunately we haven’t seen any real improvement.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Incontinence:
   He’s also started occasionally urinating in his sleep, about twice a week. We use male dog diapers and I take him out multiple times at night, but the frequent baths are starting to irritate his skin and coat. The vet mentioned medications that could help, but they don’t want to add anything new until his GI issues are sorted out.

We’ve also noticed that when he’s bloated, he drinks an extreme amount of water. If we try to limit or slow him down, he either barks nonstop or finds “creative” ways to sneak water—even from the toilet, despite his bad hips.

Our vet now wants to test him for Addison’s disease, since his bloodwork shows some possible indicators (though they noted it can be hard to confirm at his age). We’ve agreed and will be running those tests next week, but after that we're really unsure.

Any insight anyone can provide would be appreciated, just want to give Boris the best life we can.

 

[helsonwheels]

Poor little guy…….

If everything was ruled out, look into his diet. The HA diet is Hydrolyzed Vegetarian dog food. Why is a dog on a vegetarian diet beats me. But hey, you know me, it’s my opinion. A dog needs real protein like meat. Thats why your baby is drinking a lot and has a lot of gas. I personally would feed him raw or cook for him. Semi cook ground beef and top with warm organic bone broth which is loaded with minerals which he needs. Make sure not to feed in elevated bowls. Put the bowls on the floor.

What was his previous food before you switched?

 

[Enjoimangos]

Poor little guy…….

The HA diet is Hydrolyzed Vegetarian dog food. Why is a dog on a vegetarian diet beats me. But hey, you know me, it’s my opinion. A dog needs real protein like meat. Thats why your baby is drinking a lot and has a lot of gas. I personally would feed him raw or cook for him. Semi cook ground beef and top with warm organic bone broth which is loaded with minerals which he needs. Make sure not to feed in elevated bowls. Put the bowls on the floor.

What was his previous food before you switched?

He had previously been eating Fromm Dog food (Adult Gold) for the last 6ish years. After the recent blood test the Vet said it appeared he may be having a difficulty breaking down proteins and recommended the HA diet. we've been using it for about 3 weeks now.

Next week he's going to get the tests done to see if he has Addisons disease, I'm doubtful this is it as looking at symptoms it does not line up with what my lil man is experiencing, but we'd just like to cover all the bases recommended by the Vet.

I've attached some photos of his blood work as well.

 

[helsonwheels]

@2BullyMama the expert in blood tests. She’s been through all that for years. I’ll leave her answer you on that test. I can answer for humans but not 100% for dogs.

Main ingredient for HA diet is Soy and Cornstarch as protein replacement. Cornstarch? Just that speaks volumes. Addisons disease has nothing to do with bloating on one side of a body. Can you get a second opinion? Holistic vet?

I still would start him on home cooked meals.

Was his spleen, located on the left side of the abdomen checked out? Cause that may enlarge.