Pan update and a food recommendation... Well kinda

[PeterPanAndWendy]

So I got Pan's culture tests back today.
He has Proteus Mirabilis, Staph, and Enterococcus.
So we had to change Pan's meds because the enterococcus is resistant to the original meds.
The vet wasn't available when I got there to pick up his meds, and the vet tech said that it is commonly found in the intestinal tract, but his numbers are to high....yeah. So we are on a treating for that. If we don't see a change by next week, we'll switch again... Blah!

Well, I wanted to know more, so I went to work to ask one of the Vet Tech instructors at work if they had ever heard of it. I told her we think it started because of his old food, but he's now on TOTW. When I said that she cringed up her nose. I figured it had something to do with recall, so I told her that we checked his bag and we're okay.

She said, I don't know anything about the recall, but I wouldn't feed my dog that. I'm in the vet world, so we recommend Eukanuba, Hills, or Iams.


OOHH... That's great, but it's only a 2 star food, I'm trying to get Pan feeling better. The ingredients just aren't as quality as some other foods. (when I mentioned Fromm, she said she hadn't even heard of it)
We agreed to disagree. Note to self, maybe I shouldn't get bully advise from her in the future.

 

[JAKEISGREAT]

Poor Pan...good thing he has a smart family! is right. You'll find people in the "vet world" only know what the sales reps tell them when it comes to dog food. Some day you should print out the reticle for her about "Understanding Dog Food Labels/Ingredients"!!! It's an eye opener...the reason these people don't know about Fromm or maybe Earthborn is because they don't spend millions on advertising and sample and commissions to vets. They aren't mass manufacturers who import their ingredients fom China ..sometimes you can't get through to them..and you just do what's right for your guy!

If you'd like some great help picking a food..[MENTION=2291]cowsmom[/MENTION] is awesome!

 

[Davidh]

Well we hope he is on the road to recovery and hope he doesn't have to change meds again. As far as the food goes you are on the right track.

 

[RiiSi]

Can you imagine how many dogs all around the world have to eat that crap that the vets suggest? It just infuriates me to think that those people have taken an oath to protect our pets health! Good thingt that you're more educated than them in this matter.

 

[Vicaroo1000]

I hope Pan is feeling better soon.

 

[Saalwi]

Why is it that vet's dont understand nutrition? I recently asked my vet if she had any textbooks on animal nutrition that I could borrow and she said there isn't such a thing....that's completely insane. Hope Pan feels better soon....

 

[ccurran]

Good lord that is scary. I am super lucky with both my breeder and my vet. My breeder started Seamus on TOTW and when I told my vet that was the food he was on she was all enthusiastic and said it was a great food! Scary to think there are vets out there that would recommend the crappy food!

 

[PeterPanAndWendy]

Poor Pan...good thing he has a smart family! is right. You'll find people in the "vet world" only know what the sales reps tell them when it comes to dog food. Some day you should print out the reticle for her about "Understanding Dog Food Labels/Ingredients"!!! It's an eye opener...the reason these people don't know about Fromm or maybe Earthborn is because they don't spend millions on advertising and sample and commissions to vets. They aren't mass manufacturers who import their ingredients fom China ..sometimes you can't get through to them..and you just do what's right for your guy!

If you'd like some great help picking a food..@cowsmom is awesome!

I owe my knowledge to everyone on this forum! Before I started reading the articles and getting advise we fed him Dog Chow, believing all of the advertisements, thinking it was a good food. Boy I couldn't have been more wrong.

You guys are truly god sent! How many people would have itchy, allergy ridden bullies without you? I can tell you - I was one, and I'm glad those days are behind me!

 

[bullmama]

Oooooooooh vets infuriate me!!! When my vet told me Beneful was like eating ice cream everyday for dogs I knew I found a good vet! He also has a Taste of the Wild display to show patients who come in.




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[sweetpeasmom2008]

The vet I took Lola too looks like a little pet store when you walk in and they have nutritional supplies, healthy snacks, a whole rack of kong brand stuff, they also have their own brand of different products like tear remover ear cleaner ect, and they carry merrick, california natural, blue buffilo but their biggest selection was science diet. They also had harnesses and leashes. They prices were pretty good also which is a surprise from a vets office. I should have asked my vet who has two bulldogs and breeds them what he feeds his bulldogs but just spaced it. My bestie @jessport who just joined this site 3 days ago or so told me about this vet because she takes her bully there and so glad she did!

 

[cowsmom]

oh i so hope pan gets better soon and doesnt have to change meds to much. oh when i used to go to my cats vet i would see them with the hills and one other vet here gave me hills for sarah before i knew better. well sarah knew better and refused to eat it im not thrilled with totw with the recalls but if you ok with it and its working for your bully ok. if you need some help with food apparently im the one to see. according to my title anyway

 

[PeterPanAndWendy]

So far it seems to be working, but it's only been one full week since we've been totally changed over and he's been on different meds for all of it.

The only real difference that we're seeing is an increase in aggression and he's turned into a destructive beast

He normally just mouths all of his toys, but since the steroids have started he's tearing them apart. Toys that he's had for years are now in the trash. Random socks, shredded. Trash, well trashed (presumably so he could get stated toys and socks). I actually just bought him a new one yesterday and he's already pulled all the stuffing out of it.

The meds make him have to potty more, so when we got back from seeing batman today, I found lovely presents waiting for me when I went upstairs to my room. Even though we let him out right before we left. So I gave him the teacher finger wiggle and told him bad dog. (My normal punishment when he does something I don't appreciate, which normally works because he normally is so eager to please.)

That makes four messes in the last week and a half. So I'm thinking it's time to pull his crate out of storage. It's been over a year since we have needed it (he use to have severe separation anxiety, which we've been able to work through).

Sigh. Four weeks can't go by fast enough. I can't wait to have my lovey back, not this roid monster jacked up on juice!

 

[Texas Carol]

[MENTION=2879]PeterPanAndWendy[/MENTION]...Not sure if crating would be helpful as he'll probably have
the accidents in there, where he's also, not supposed to...and feel bad! Maybe
pee pads in a gated off area for the 4 weeks and much more frequent bathroom
breaks, he just can't help going and going and going

Steroids are what I have to take in a very bad flare of my Lupus.

They are horrible!

I stay in the bathroom and I'm a BITCH x 1000...you really can't help it!

My sympathies are with all of you and hoping the time flies by

 

[PeterPanAndWendy]

[MENTION=5315]Texas Carol[/MENTION] we've never used pee pads before, we didn't want to encourage pottying in the house.

We take him out every two hours during the day and I get up with him once in the middle of the night. But we left for a couple of hours, so he did what he had too...

Most of the accidents were happening at night... So now my alarm is set. He tries so hard, most of the accidents were right in front of the back door... So my fault! We have hard woods down stairs, so it's not that big of a deal. Except when you step in the puddle that he leaves behind... Lol

I tell the kids the some thing, it's not him, it's the meds. So when he potties on the floor, it's our fault, we let him down.

So I think we'll just keep the bedroom doors shut when we leave, so no more carpet clean ups

I hate crating him, but I also hate having my bedroom smell of pee...

Its such a good thing I only need to go to the office two days a week and the kids are home for the summer.

 

[Texas Carol]

[MENTION=2879]PeterPanAndWendy[/MENTION]...I've never used pee pads before either, same reason.

I only meant to suggest (by putting him in crate) that he might start associating
being in it w/peeing/pooping and avoiding it altogether for other purposes (after
meds are done).

I overslept a couple of days ago due to sleep meds and poor Mr Brutie had finally
had to do # 2 right in front of bathroom door. I stepped in it when I finally got up
to go, myself... Poor baby was abjectedly hanging his head low.