Doodle and Her New Medication

Doodle is my baby.  I never thought I would be “one of those people…” but I am.  I hold her like a baby, I dress her up (well, not so much any more…she hates it) and I sleep with her.  I’ve poured so much love into this dog it just breaks my heart that I have to keep my distance from her.

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My little Doodle is a very special dog.  She was rescued from a horrible situation but I fear she is going to suffer the consequences of poor care and malnutrition for the remainder of her life.  She was a mother at a puppy mill, abused and neglected.  It has taken us years (almost 4) to reverse some of the negative effects that “life” had on her psyche, emotions, and body.  Some of the effects I fear are irreversible.  With that said, she is the sweetest, most neurotic dog you will ever meet but we love her just the same, same, same.

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As most of you know, Doodle has had reoccurring struggles with incontinence.  We finally realized the food from the “Miracle Vet” was a huge issue.  It was FULL of corn and corn derivatives.  We switched her food however I think 4 1/2 years of poor care coupled with years of us giving her corn laden food was just too much for her system to bear.  Her little body reached it’s breaking point.  The Vet thought it a good idea to put her on an incontinence medication, to be taken twice a day, indefinitely.  We started the medication and thought things were getting better, the only odd occurrence was Doodle now made me itch.  Unfortunately, the Yipiyuk and I have been experiencing increased rashes, severe itching to the point of bleeding and a decrease in the quality of our sleep (I’ve also had insomnia and nausea).  I reexamined our food and drink.  Nothing has changed.  No new food or drink.  I was stumped and getting worse by the day.

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Luckily (?), Doodle had a little accident one morning which triggered a rash, nausea, and the severe itching.  I never thought her medicine could affect me.  I wasn’t handling it and I wasn’t ingesting it.  I was already noticing increased itching and nausea when I tried to hold her or when she would breathe into my face (she get’s VERY close to me…).  Last night I tried to let her sleep with me but within 5 minutes I was digging a new hole in my scalp and temple.  It has taken a while but the pieces of this puzzle are finally starting to come together.

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I went to the DailyMed’s website to research her medication.  The site did not have the inactive ingredients listed so I went to Google.  I found the inactive ingredients on this site.

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The inactive ingredients include: gelatin, ethylcellulose, pharmaceutical glaze, povidone, starch, sucrose, talc, wax and other ingredients.

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I don’t know what the “other ingredients” are and I don’t need to know, I already see corn derivatives.  So, I’m still poisoning my dog.  I’ve called the Vet and spoken with the receptionist, I’m awaiting a return phone call from the Veterinarian.  I realize it will be more expensive to get her medication compounded but it’s the best thing for Doodle, Yipi and me.

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Doodle and Me 2008

Quick Post: Additional Grain Free or Lite Dog Food Options

The hubby and I are still researching the best option for grain free dog food for Doodle.  She’s currently eating K9 Natural brand but we are not sure if this is the best fit.  We are watching her closely but she is still having some incontinence issues.  We really liked the Beef food from The Honest Kitchen however, it was honestly a bit too expensive.  We may have to go back to it if the K9 and this other brand prove to not be options.

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Someone recommended another brand on the forum.  The recommendation was actually for canned cat food but I decided to see if they also had a dog food option.  They do.  It is by Nature’s Variety and is their Instinct line.  I think we are going to try this out.  It would be nice to have something like this when we make our trip to Florida.

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Why are we going to Florida?  We think we’ve found someone who might be able to help with some of my issues (abdominal swelling, pain, intestinal distress, pain…etc).  I’m allowing myself a small glimmer of hope.  More on that later.

Grain Free or Lite Dog Food

Doodle is sick again.  We’ve been using the dog food prescribed by her “miracle” vet since Winter/Spring 2010.  She was so sick for 6 months and this was the only food that seemed to not make matters worse.  Well, she’s recently been becoming sicker and sicker.  She now has incontinence again and just finished antibiotics for a UTI.  Poor thing…  I just checked her dog food bag and of course it has corn ALL in it!  I never checked before and I’m feeling really guilty, I’ve been making my dog sick for almost two years.  This is what she currently eats.  If you remember…my poor dog is allergic to corn.

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Here are the ingredients for the Purina DCO:

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Whole grain corn, dried beet pulp**, poultry by-product meal, corn gluten meal, pearled barley, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), pea fiber, animal digest, calcium phosphate, dried whey, potassium chloride, fish oil, salt, calcium carbonate, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, choline chloride, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, niacin, manganese sulfate, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite.

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I think I’ve found some dog foods to possibly try.  The vitamins might be corny but I’m hoping it is better than what she currently has.  She is so lethargic and she’s been refusing her food more and more lately.  I honestly think she always has a digestive issues and pain.  Some of you might be saying, “Erica, she’s just a dog.”  Which is your opinion, but she’s my baby and I really need to figure this food thing out for her just like I’ve figured it out for us.  That and the smell of her current food makes me extremely dizzy and nauseated, and touching it makes me itch.  I think I’ve found one local store that carries the two products.  I’m going to give the owner a call this morning to make sure.  If not, I’ll just order it from online.

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Here is some information about The Honest Kitchens Product, Force.  It’s about as expensive as what we currently buy from the “miracle” vet.

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About

Our original grain free dog food, we designed Force for dogs with sensitive stomachs and chronic ailments related to the consumption of glutinous grains. Force, like all of our diets, is a wheat-free dog food. It is also a gluten-free dog food. Suitable for adult maintenance; sensitive dogs; moderate activity levels.

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Ingredients:

Dehydrated free-range chicken, organic flaxseed, potatoes, celery, sweet potatoes, apples, alfalfa, organic kelp, honey, zucchini, green beans, cabbage, bananas, papayas, basil, garlic, rosemary, tricalcium phosphate, choline chloride, zinc amino acid chelate, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, potassium iodide, potassium chloride, iron amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate.

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Here is some information about The Honest Kitchens Product, Thrive.  It is less expensive than what we currently buy from the “miracle” vet.

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About

Thrive is our gluten-free, low carbohydrate dog food. This diet was designed to cater to dogs of all life stages including adults, puppies, pregnancy and nursing. Thrive is ideal for sensitive dogs who need gluten-free dog food but with a little grain, to help maintain a healthy body weight.

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Thrive is a very minimalist, nourishing diet which is also recommended for dogs with sensitivities: It contains NO fruits, potatoes or flax. Suitable for all life stages; puppies, pregnancy, lactation, active adult dogs & healthy seniors. Thrive is naturally low-carb, with just 37% carbohydrates. Low carb diets are often indicated as part of a holistic approach to cancer recovery.

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Ingredients

Dehydrated free-range chicken, organic fair-trade quinoa, sweet potatoes, spinach, parsley, organic kelp, rosemary, tricalcium phosphate, choline chloride, zinc amino acid chelate, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, potassium iodide, potassium chloride, iron amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate.