02-29-2016, 01:55 PM
Good afternoon. My name is Leah, and I have been searching everywhere for information on CIL and how to help my dog, Taji. I am a doctor at a university (unfortunately, not a vet MD), and I have two dogs one of which was diagnosed with CIL this past year. Taji is my 10 year old female Jack Russell Terrier. I originally took her in for tests when she was diagnosed with chronic rhinitis. I counted my blessings it was not a tumor, but then, low albumin levels were found, and the CIL has kicked into full gear. She has lost weight, became more lethargic, and has not had hard stool in about a month. I have a great vet, but after reading these threads, realize that I may need to do more to help improve Taji's quality of life because it seems to vary significantly for each dog.
Please feel free to comment on my summary below. I am so welcoming of suggestions for Taji. Anything helps:
Last week I brought Taji in to my vet because her condition is worsening. The vet put her on Atopica. She could not be on Prednisone because of the adverse affects we saw when she was on it for her chronic rhinitis. She also received a B12 shot on this visit. My vet has advised I bring her in for a weekly B12 shot and for them to do a check-up and monitor for fluid build up. Before last week's visit, she has been on Hill's ID Low Fat dog food and egg whites, but I was also still giving her milkbone and other similar treats. I learned that fat in these treats can set off this disease, so I have thrown away the treats and now give her boiled pieces of turkey breasts instead. She is starting to refuse the Hill's ID food, so I have started giving her more egg whites and turkey. As I have read on this site, I may need to start investigating other ways to get her what she needs. I plan on asking my vet more about that this week.
I have wondered about fat soluble vitamins, and if anyone else on this thread has found a use for those?
I am also wondering if a cup of eggs whites, a little dog food, and some turkey is enough for my dog to get the nutrients she needs? She originally weighed 16lbs but is now at 14.9lbs.
I am most concerned about how much time she has left and if her symptoms that I have described sound very bad or only somewhat bad compared to what others have experienced. I hate that she is not having normal stool, and do not want her to have continued discomfort.
Thank yall for allowing me to introduce myself and Taji. I am sure I will be on the site a lot. Take care.
Please feel free to comment on my summary below. I am so welcoming of suggestions for Taji. Anything helps:
Last week I brought Taji in to my vet because her condition is worsening. The vet put her on Atopica. She could not be on Prednisone because of the adverse affects we saw when she was on it for her chronic rhinitis. She also received a B12 shot on this visit. My vet has advised I bring her in for a weekly B12 shot and for them to do a check-up and monitor for fluid build up. Before last week's visit, she has been on Hill's ID Low Fat dog food and egg whites, but I was also still giving her milkbone and other similar treats. I learned that fat in these treats can set off this disease, so I have thrown away the treats and now give her boiled pieces of turkey breasts instead. She is starting to refuse the Hill's ID food, so I have started giving her more egg whites and turkey. As I have read on this site, I may need to start investigating other ways to get her what she needs. I plan on asking my vet more about that this week.
I have wondered about fat soluble vitamins, and if anyone else on this thread has found a use for those?
I am also wondering if a cup of eggs whites, a little dog food, and some turkey is enough for my dog to get the nutrients she needs? She originally weighed 16lbs but is now at 14.9lbs.
I am most concerned about how much time she has left and if her symptoms that I have described sound very bad or only somewhat bad compared to what others have experienced. I hate that she is not having normal stool, and do not want her to have continued discomfort.
Thank yall for allowing me to introduce myself and Taji. I am sure I will be on the site a lot. Take care.