I just saw this 11 year-old FS min pin with a 2 month history of chronic intermittent diarrhea occasionally accompanied by vomiting. This was our first visit and she has had some diagnostics done recently at other hospitals. Ultimately, her diarrhea resolves while on metronidazole or kaopectate per o but returns when medications are stopped. She recently had blood work and she has chronically high ALT (most recently 346), spec CPL normal, TLI normal, no CBC run. Her fecal test revealed an overgrowth of giardia +/-other parasites? and rods (I don't have records for that) and she did one dose of pyrantel in addition to the metron for that.
She recently had an abdominal ultrasound (looks like just of the stomach and liver) with minimal findings other than slightly mottled hepatic parenchyma and some mild sludge in GB.
She has always been on grain free food, but mostly merrik kibble. Now she is on a mixture of Merrik/before grain canned and home-cooked chicken or turkey with rice and pumpkin.
She is a bright and happy dog with a pink, moist tongue (no coating) and wiry firm/slapping pulses (pretty fast). She has a history of lumbar spinal pain/spasms (which it sounds like have been treated previously using acupuncture and tramadol). She apparently seeks warmth but not in an extreme way.
She is not currently on any antibiotics or other pharmaceuticals. She is on a probiotic (by Dr. Mercola) that has a ton of organisms but I have never heard of it.
She also has a history of seizures for which the owner uses an herbal formula called VSF Nuroplex Formula. She receives 3 capsules 2x/day. The ingredients are listed as containing the following- 1000mg T. Wt. Per 2 capsules.
Bupleurum,Ginseng, Peony,Atactylodes, Cinnimon Twig,
Licorice,Tang-Kuei,Scorpion, Fu-Shen, silkworm, Pinellia,
Lapis, Chih-Shih, Arisaema,Scute.
I am wondering about how ideas regarding food changes and adding herbs in for this patient. The owners do not plan on getting any more diagnositcs at this time and would like to try to get her stabilized off western meds. She did not react well to the famotidine that the previous vet prescribed and has received cimetadine and metoclopramide in the past, both of which caused abdominal cramping. They live a couple hours away, so they would prefer not to come down for acupuncture and focus on food/supplements mainly.
I am mostly worried about adding in herbs given that she is already on this other herbal formula. I am not knowledgeable enough regarding the herbs to know what is safe or would be helpful to combine with this other formula. The o really feels it is helping with her seizures and doesn't want to stop it.
Any suggestions or advice would be wonderful. Thank you as always for your time and help!
Kelly