Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Hello, I will share my/Mochi’s story/experience and managing IBD advice here for dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) involves chronic inflammation of all or part of your digestive tract. Usually involve severe diarrhea, pain, fatigue and weight loss. IBD can be debilitating and sometimes leads to life-threatening complications.
Some signs to spot are :-
- Soft/ loose stools
- Stools half soft, half solid. (this is one of the clear signs as it shows the intestines only worked partly)
- Blood in stool.
- Weight loss.
- Diarrhea
After much research, I find that this is a good page that explains IBD in detail.
When Mochi was 2 year and 9 months old, he started to have bad diarrhea. From soft stool to watery stool within 1 week. He was having soft stool for the past maybe approx. 6 months ?
The problem is that his stool slowly got softer, and worst of all, part of his one piece poop would be soft and the other half would be more solid. I thought it was silly to go to the doctor just because his stool got softer and softer but also partly hard. Stools in the garden left there since morning would have harden up by the sun by the time I got home from work. To be honest, we don’t really take note during the weekends too because sometimes it’s normal and sometimes it gets softer. We thought there was nothing to worry about. At times, certain of his poop contained red blood, before bringing him to the doctor, the next set of poop seemed normal. So we didn’t. This happened probably 3 times as well.
So when he suddenly had diarrhea and when his diarrhea got bad (it was watery and at the darkest shade of brown), we brought him to the vet. He was given a charcoal medication. After taking it for 2 days, it didn’t work, we brought him back to the vet. We were visiting the vet every 2-4 days, trying all sorts of ways to stop the diarhea. Boiled chicken breast and rice didn’t help, his diarrhea continued. Boiled chicken + ID can Gastro Intestinal for 4 days didn’t help either.
We were getting quite worried as his weight was starting to dropping as well. (He is already under weight because of his hip dysplasia). We brought his stool in a bag for the doctor. Surpringly, the doctor asked me to sniff the poop. I was reluctant, but he made me do it. I was surprised, there was NO smell.
He said “that’s right, it’s because the body isn’t digesting the food at all, it’s going in and straight out. Nothing is absorbing, basicly, it’s the same as him not consuming anything.”
Next, we were given Antibiotics Metrogyl for 5 days, twice a day. The purpose is to kill off bacteria and fungi in the gut lumen. Hopefully that this is the reason for his diarrhea. At this point, doctor did not confirm his problem to be IBD yet, but he suspects it. I had already researched on this earlier because during the last few visits, the doctor did mention that he hopes this is not IBD.
I asked the doctor if there were other patient who had this problem and how they manage it. FYI, this disease is incurable according to all the websites I searched. I still wanted to clarify with the doctor. Sadly he answered the same thing. It is incurable. Sometimes it’s manageable, sometimes it’s not. He has one patient that is on the last resort of terrible Steroids. (Steroid suppresses the immune system, so that the stomach doesn’t fight off the food, this also means the body immune system is down and easily anything can kill your dog). He has another patient which goes one the expensive ID food because it’s the only food the body accepts. There was another patient, a golden retriever at 22kg, who’s body could not accept all food and medication. He lost weight until he was 10kg and died.
With the Antibiotics Metrogyl, we continued him with boiled chicken breast and rice. His stool continue to look like a melted chocolate ice cream. Bloodtest is taken but nothing exceptional is found. Switched him to ID can Gastro Intestinal (royal canin) for 4 days. He slowly adjusted to it within a week, but it was wayyyy too costly to keep him on for long term. It would cost an average employee’s whole month salary just to feed him.
Mochi was then given samples of royal canin Hypoallergenic kibbles to try out for 2 days.
Then Mochi was put on ID canine low fat 1.5kg. and gentle digest probiotics for 5 days.
We switched him to Hill's Prescription Diet i/d Canine kibbles. His body slowly accepted.
When I mean accept, I mean that his diarrhea stop but his stool is still super soft. 10% solid.
His feeding was also separated throughout the day. The lesser the feeding at one time the better as this helps the stomach to absorb the food.
We give him one cup x 4 a day.
We tried the amount in 2 feedings (approx. 10% solid poop) the stool was bad.
We tried with 3 feedings, his stool was a little better, (approx. 15% solid poop)
And of cos it was best with 4. (poop 15-20% solid).
(each of the test was 2-3 days to check the consistency)
During his walks, even a very short one, he would normally poop 3 times.
Always the 1st batch of poop would be the best, followed by the the next batch much softer and finally the 3rd, normally stains his butt. The first batch, even though the best, would come out in 1 piece but in 2 different texture. Half much softer than the other.
We continued Hill's Prescription Diet i/d Canine kibbles for 1 year. I keep a journal on his poop daily, writing down texture, solidness etc.
At this point, doctor confirmed that Mochi has IBD. We continue the vet visits frequently, as we tried different things, like adding yogurt (prebiotic) to his everyday meals, on top of the probiotic pill. Enzymes, suppliments, etc.
In our country, the medical for animals is not so advance. Test I’ve read online for example, intestinal biopsy is not available here.
What we learn from the doctor about IBD.
It happens and sometimes no one knows why it happens. The stomach may slowly reject certain food without us knowing. The more it rejects, and withour you knowing it, the more you give it, the more irritated it becomes, and the more it reacts. Causing inflammation, rejecting of food. Sometimes it could just be because the body’s changing. For example. like how sometimes human didn’t use to be allergic to sweat/milk/cheese/”nameafood”/etc, but but as they grow older, they suddenly have an allergic reaction to sweat/milk/cheese/”nameafood”/etc”.
We also learnt from the doctor at undigested food causes growth of bacteria, that would upset the stomach.
Side note on Mochi’s history. (Which I want to explain regarding the growth of bacteria in stomach.)
Ever since he was a puppy, he was fine. I used to give him carrots because that’s his favorite. Other than carrots, he loves apples, any type of vegetables and fruits. Of course I give in small amount because too much of fruits and vegetables can’t be good for dogs. From my observation, carrots don’t digest well with dogs. I asked many pet owners who fed carrots to their pets, you’ll see the carrot pieces in their poop. I thought it was nothing. It could be a minor thing, but also a contributing factor / reasons that encouraged the IBD. Too often, pet owners only realize it when it’s too late.
(If you’re wondering what I previously fed him, He takes Nutriedge Salmon ever since he was a puppy. (back then, I did not know it was only a 3 star rating kibble, however when he started it for a year till 2 years, he was fine) I also recently found this article, that we should actually switch our dog food. “feeding a wide variety of different foods, preferably from a young age, can help to avoid the development of allergies in the first place. See - http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/how-often-should-i-change-foods.html I am unsure if this is true but it does make sense.
So ever since a month after his bad bloody diarrhea and after trying what we can, we started him on Hill's Prescription Diet i/d Canine. This lasted for 6 months.
Along the way, whenever his poop reaches 50% solid, I try to switch him to other healthier food, as little as adding 3 food pettet, but failed as his poop got worst and drops to 15% solid, I had to go back to Hills ID. It takes about 1-3 months to stabalize, but his poop could never reach 50% solid again, the highest I estimated was 40%.
Reason I try to change is because I find the ingredients in the Hill's Prescription Diet i/d Canine kibbles given isn’t good. Here is the analysis of the ingredients (http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/hills-prescription-diet-id-canine-dry/)
I find other than the chicken meal, everything else doesn’t benefit. Corn as the 1st main ingredient is terrible too.
At the 6 month of Hill's Prescription Diet i/d Canine kibbles, a friend who’s dog also had diarrhea problem for a long time, told me she manage to switch him to Golden Eagle Hypo-allergenic. (http://www.goldeneaglepetfoods.com/Dog%20Sensitive%20range.html).
The ingredients are better than Hills ID and since it worked for my friend’s dog (whom we found out was Mochi’s niece much later) we decided to give it a try.
I added 5 kibble pieces into his meal each serving.
Week 1 - 1 cup Hills ID + 5 kibble Golden Eagle Hypo-allergenic lamb (x 4 times a day).
Week 2 - 1 cup Hills ID + 10 kibble Golden Eagle Hypo-allergenic lamb (x 4 times a day).
Week 3 - 1 cup Hills ID + 15 kibble Golden Eagle Hypo-allergenic lamb (x 4 times a day).
I did this until approx. week 5 and got greedy, I tried to add additional 10 kibbles. His stool got really soft again. And I had to slowly stabilize it which took a few weeks.
And So I continued with this, very slowly switching his food and it took 10 months to finally switch him out of Hill's Prescription Diet i/d Canine kibbles. His stools range about 40-50% solid now. He isn’t allowed to take anything else unless in REALLY small amount. For example, no more carrots. Apples in triangle pieces cannot be digested as well. However, if you cut apple 1mm thin, he is able to digest it. I tried 2mm thin, the apple appears in his poop as it was given to him. (as usual, malamutes, they don’t fully chew on their food. Mochi always gobbles them down). I find that watery fruits like pear or jambu fruit are better. They are easier to digest than the apple.
I juice for him as well, I feel he needs the nutrient. (I give him half cup of fruit juice a day max sometimes). Sadly I only started the juicing after finding out that he got the cataracts (see last paragraph).
We think Mochi’s stomach doesn’t tolerate potato and salmon after experimenting too.
Mochi : Why can't i eat so many things ? Can I eat this? NO.
Mochi : How about this ?
I know it’s a long write up and I had so much to say/document.
From this whole IBD experience, there were some other possible different treatments available for him should we need them. But as the list of treatment goes lower, the worst it gets. More side effects and the more drugs you put your pet on. Also it gets more costly, like REALLY costly, example paying a bomb for enzymes to assist your pet in digesting food. In conclusion, doctor will always try the non drug usage first.
We generally try to figure out what works for your pet, to figure a way to manage and to figure out (if possible), what causes the IBD.
Below are some of the different treatments performed on Mochi.
- Boiled chicken breast and rice.
- Modifying pet’s diet
- Antibiotics Metrogyl (to kill off bacteria and fungi in the gut lumen that might cause stomach problem, no effect on Mochi)
- Medication to kill Intestinal parasites (no effect on Mochi)
- I/D diet / Gastro Intestinal (can and kibbles)
- LYPEX, a pancreatic enzyme.
(The pancreas produces enzymes which helps break down the food and assist in absorption. Digestive enzymes may not be enough and causes undigested food particles to remain, which will then accumulate and prevent proper food absorption, causing digestive discomfort and leak back into the blood steam from colon and cause intoxicity.)
So we gave mochi Lypex pancreatic enzyme. If it works, it means that the reason for the whole IBD is because of his pancreas not producing enough enzyme.(2 strips, no effect on Mochi) The pancreas is not the problem.
- Slippery Elm Solaray Brand
(2 bottles, worked for one of the patient at the vet, so we gave it a try, no effect on Mochi
- Gentle digest probiotics (2 bottles, no effect on Mochi)
- Kefir (1 month, contains beneficial yeast as well as friendly ‘probiotic’ bacteria, no effect on Mochi)
- Yogurt (1 month, for prebiotic, no effect on Mochi)
Treatment we didn’t perform because it’s not advisable as it is dangerous / not needed
- Steroids (effective in decreasing inflammation. It brings down the immune system, hence the stomach doesn’t fight off and accepts the food. This however is dangerous for your dog because his immune system is shut down and proned to diseases and can also be fatal. This option is normally not considered unless it is the last option and when it absolutely necessary, and in as small amount as possible.)
Treatments we didn’t perform because it’s not available here
- Liver and pancreatic tests – “Dogs with underlying liver or pancreatic disease can have signs similar to IBD”
- Stool test
- X-ray and abdominal ultrasound
- Intestinal biopsy
Treatment not mention in my article (others)
Along the way while switching the food (about 1 year after he started on Hill's Prescription Diet i/d Canine), Mochi started to develop cataract.
I can’t say it’s because of the hills ID food, but upon some research, there were some mentions that Nutritional deficiencies may lead to cataract (http://www.holisticpetinfo.com/Cataracts-in-Dogs-and-Cats_ep_111.html ).
His cataract developed very quickly. Very very quickly. It was very visible and matured within only 3 months, the doctor confirmed that it was cataracts and it developed within 3 months as the last time he saw Mochi, there was no signs of cataract.
Part 3 – Cataract writeup (https://itscheryl3.wixsite.com/mochi/single-post/2017/02/25/Cataract )
Part 1 – Mochi’s Hip Dysplasia write up here (https://www.facebook.com/notes/cheryl-leong/hip-dysplasia-in-dogs/10154568108332388 )
*In conclusion, Mochi tried numerous treatment, but the Hill's Prescription Diet i/d Canine kibbles worked in managing his IBD. However, I strongly believe this particular food has insufficient nutrient. After many tries, I successfully switched him to Golden Eagle - Hypoallergenic in a 9 month duration period. (This expensive dog food can be found at Petsmore in Malaysia, they raised the price for a 10kg bag from RM210 straight to RM305 when the USD exchange rate went up.) But this particular dog food works for me and my friend. (few months later, it raised to RM330 sigh !)
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*Update* 23/9/2020
(couple of years later Golden Eagle - Hypoallergenic discontinued, he manage to take Acana Lamb after a slow change, and then to raw food. (Raw food for supper, kibbles on the other feeding time.
Mochi has gastric problem, so his feeding time is 6am, 12 noon, 6pm , 1130pm (raw food), 3am
At 8 years old, August 2019, Mochi developed Liver failure and he was so critical we were so worried that we might lose him. His body rejected any sort of food intake , so he had to be on drips. after a few months he finally settled on Royal Canin Hepatic.
Took us a few months to slowly add in cooked food.
His current feeding time is 6am, 12 noon, 6pm (alternate days cooked food / kibbles) , 1030pm (cooked food), 3am
Mochi is 9 years and 1 month now (at 23/9/20)
2 months ago we discovered the Diarex Himalaya was super effective for him !
For 7 years he had chronic runny poop, but after taking these herbal tablets, his poop improved a great deal.
I learnt from the vet that it helped many dogs who had chronic diarrhea too, if you ran out of options, you may like to give this a try.
Philos Vet – Dr Liong - TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine)
925, Jalan 17/38, Seksyen 17, 46400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
(please make appointment as they do not take walk in)
