From:
lindaknights@earthlink.net
Date: 2002-11-18 07:06:20 UTC
Subject: Feeding - help needed fast
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <18447570.1037603180343.JavaMail.root@scandium>
Hi all,
You might remember I wrote before about Herc (5 year old male) with IBD. We've been treating this for about a month. He's currently on Carafate (for 3 weeks) and Pred (about 4 mg/day in two doses). He had a 2 week run with Amoxicillin which he finished about a week ago. He had black tarry stools but those cleared up on carafate.
His "diet" has been baby food and/or a pediasure/baby food broth since this started. As far as I know he hasn't eaten a single kibble in 4 weeks.
His diarrhea had stopped and he was doing better - although he had a poor appetite and wasn't gaining weight. Then suddenly two days ago he started with green, slimey diarrhea again and has ZERO appetite. I ended up having to give him SQ fluids (60cc total in 2 divided doses) last night.
His stools are now at the yellow seedy stage with some liquid in them but I've been able to force enough fluids into him that I haven't had to give him SQ fluids again. (He had two very tarry stools in the midst of this but only two.)
However... he has VERY bad muscle tone and I am physically forcing him to eat anything. And I mean forcing. He clamps his jaw and turns his head away when I offer him anything.
We've tried all the online "soups" and nothing works, he refuses them all. The only thing I could get down him was an old favorite of his - a raw egg. I'm not even sure if this is good for him but at this point if he'll eat it, I'll supply it. Over a 2 hr period he took most of a whole egg (beaten up) which is 35cc.
Questions:
1 - Would yogurt hurt him? I was thinking the acidopholis in it would help. He did like it in the past when he sampled it.
2 - Would alfalfa hurt? I have given that to dogs with bad bellies - it soothes the gut and is supposed to help prevent ulcers.
3 - Is the raw egg (served fresh, I don't leave it sitting around) bad for him in any fashion?
4 - Does anyone have ANY ideas? Is this normal for IBD (ie getting bad again) or is this a really bad sign?
5 - Is 4mg/per day on Pred about what others have used long term for IBD?
I'm really getting desperate. After thinking we were on the mend with this (although I knew we had a long road ahead of us), I now fear I will lose him. And I hate myself every time I feed him as he so clearly does not want to eat.
In tears - Linda K