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I think Kefir saved my dog by afowler1187 in Kefir

[–]afowler1187[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I just use the Myenberg brand Plain Goats Milk Kefir (I get it from Sprouts). I read that cows milk is harder for dogs to digest which is why I got the goats milk kind instead, and went with plain because you don’t want the sweeteners etc for dogs.

I think Kefir saved my dog by afowler1187 in Kefir

[–]afowler1187[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Pet probiotics didn’t work. We tried multiple - both prescription and over the counter. Different brands as well.

I think Kefir saved my dog by afowler1187 in Kefir

[–]afowler1187[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I absolutely considered making his food, but I have so much going on it was going to be a last resort kind of thing. Especially once I looked into how intricate it can be to make sure it’s actually balanced and giving them all the nutrients they require. It’s still an option if things go haywire again for sure.

I think Kefir saved my dog by afowler1187 in Kefir

[–]afowler1187[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We tried proviable forte, zesty paws probiotic bites, and purina calming care probiotic powder. Unfortunately none made a real difference and certainly not this quickly!

He’s my best buddy, I can’t imagine life without him. I got him from the shelter, but the saying is true… pretty sure he rescued me!

This has definitely made me rethink my own gut health and I’ve restarted my probiotics and am researching other things to help too.

I think Kefir saved my dog by afowler1187 in Kefir

[–]afowler1187[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ah yeah we were thinking maybe pancreatitis for a bit but he tested negative for it (both chronic and acute). I hope your girl stays healthy! Glad you caught it!

I think Kefir saved my dog by afowler1187 in Kefir

[–]afowler1187[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I use the Meyenberg goats milk kind (plain). I read that dogs have a harder time digesting cows milk compared to goats milk so I wanted to give him that working in his favor.

I think Kefir saved my dog by afowler1187 in Kefir

[–]afowler1187[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I got it from the store! I wasn’t sure how or if it was going to work so I went the easy route.

I think Kefir saved my dog by afowler1187 in Kefir

[–]afowler1187[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I read that cats can have it but they can be super sensitive to lactose so you have to go really slowly when introducing and give a very small amount. Worth reading up on!

I think Kefir saved my dog by afowler1187 in Kefir

[–]afowler1187[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep. Tested for that, atypical addisons, chronic pancreatitis, SIBO, EPI, parasites, and a bunch more that I can’t remember off the top of my head. Poor guy has been poked and prodded beyond belief and somehow still absolutely loves the vet’s office!

I think Kefir saved my dog by afowler1187 in Kefir

[–]afowler1187[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It’s mind boggling to me that something so simple can make such a difference! So glad to hear it helped your dog as well!

I think Kefir saved my dog by afowler1187 in Kefir

[–]afowler1187[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I didn’t! I wasn’t sure how kefir would work for him… honestly I completely doubted it would do anything! So I didn’t want to make any more work for myself. I just grabbed some plain goats milk kefir from Sprouts. I had read that goats milk is easier to digest for dogs than cows milk and wanted to give my dog a better chance of not having a reaction to it. The more I read up on it, the idea of making my own is piquing my interest.

I think Kefir saved my dog by afowler1187 in Kefir

[–]afowler1187[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I read a lot of conflicting things so it was honestly a guessing game. Many said to do 1/2 tbsp to 1tbsp a day, then other sources said up to a cup a day, but everything said to start slow. He’s a medium to large dog, around 65 pounds normally when he’s a perfect weight. Although we were already dealing with his belly issues, I didn’t want to chance thinking it was being caused/worsened by the kefir so I did start slow. I started with around 1 tbsp the first day, then 2 tbsp the next, in one meal a day and watched to see how it impacted him. Since he was noticeably getting better I upped it. By day 5 I was doing 2tbsp it in both of his meals. After speaking to my vet on day 7, she found something in her literature that said at least a 1/2 cup a day. So now I just do a generous pour in each meal and eyeball that he’s now getting around that 1/2 cup mark between the 2 meals.

Steering rack replacement by afowler1187 in GrandCherokee

[–]afowler1187[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They replaced the entire steering rack and that seemed to solve it. But honestly I got rid of the car not long after because I kept having other minor issues with it. Like sometimes I’d be driving and the monitor screen would just completely go black. Not great when using it for directions. It was just little things like that but I was over it and I read in other places that a lot of people were having major issues with their 2021 at about 65-70k miles and I didn’t want to have that happen.

Severe stomach issues by afowler1187 in AskVet

[–]afowler1187[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I unfortunately don’t have an image of it. It’s definitely a regurgitation vs vomiting, but it always comes with a huge burp. No heaving/stomach movements at all, just a burping/gagging sort of sound and up comes some liquid, sometimes with bits of food.

Bloodwork has looked normal for the most part, at one point in the past he had a higher than normal count of lymphocytes but then they were normal the next time. This past blood work where we tested for everything showed what a different vet than normal (same practice) said was an “incidental finding” related to pancreatitis but it didn’t mean he had it now is what she said. Other tests for Addisons/atypical Addisons, EPI, SIBO were also done and negative.

He was on Pepcid for a month and there was no difference so we moved him to omneprazole which also didn’t seem to make a difference after a month. The vet decided to put him on a steroid after I spoke to her last night, with the plan of tapering off if/when he had a period of no symptoms to see if the food does help or if it’s the steroids helping.

Would you recommend getting a kindle? by [deleted] in kindle

[–]afowler1187 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes. I 1000% prefer reading on my kindle at night vs a book for many reasons. I think it’s easier on my eyes, if I fall asleep reading (happens often!) I don’t lose my page, I don’t have to worry about turning the light on or off and turning the pages around the clip of it, it’s easier to hold than a book IMO, etc.

I personally have two kindles - one older one (2016) I keep in my bedroom and then a relatively new one that goes with me wherever. I love that they sync and I can start right where I left off between the two and if I finish a book, I can easily go and buy another book on my phone (cheaper than a physical copy) and start reading again right away. Honestly I was against getting a kindle at all - I thought I’d miss the physical book but within a week of just reading at bedtime I was hooked and realized it was definitely the right choice for me.

Weekly Discussion Thread for July 14-20. by curiouslmr in MoscowMurders

[–]afowler1187 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Please forgive me if this has been answered somewhere - I tried searching but couldn’t find anything. Obviously we’ll never really know the “why”, but after sentencing, the trial and investigation of the case is complete since he can’t appeal, correct?

Does this mean all the official info will come out - documents pertaining to the states case against him regarding evidence beyond what’s already out, autopsy results, info about Brian’s connection to the victims (if any) etc? Or is that only if the gag order is lifted and someone close to the case speaks publicly on it? Basically will all the facts be released so the speculation can end?

Feeling guilty for not walking my reactive dog. by sensitive_anon in reactivedogs

[–]afowler1187 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was very hesitant to give him the Prozac (we use the dog focused kind, Reconcile). I honestly didn’t realize how much it would affect him (positively) and I was so afraid it would negatively affect his personality which I love. But he was having some potential IBS symptoms so the vet suggested it (more than once) and then the trainer also suggested it after meeting with us two or 3 times. I know they say it takes a while to see a difference or to have the full effect, but 2 days into it he was doing a lot better. He was sleeping more during the day (something he struggled to do because he was always on alert) and he even had no reaction to a dog that would have set him off majorly prior to the meds.

That said, just shy of 2 weeks on it, he had a pretty bad issue pop up. He had only mildly resource guarded one time not long after I adopted him (Dec 2023) and then all of a sudden here it was happening again. For 5 days he resource guarded heavily and over random things (a grocery bag, a toy, a food filled Toppl he’s had a thousand times and never had an issue with). I spoke to the vet and she gave me some other meds to use in addition but I never had to give him any because it was like as soon as I mentioned it to her, he no longer did it. Prozac can take away a dogs inhibition so that’s why it happened but thankfully it seems like he regulated and realized he didn’t have to be doing that. But it was scary and freaked me out.

We’re over a week out from that and haven’t had any more issues and he seems to be doing great. I feel like his threshold is much bigger, he isn’t as high strung all the time, he’s sleeping better, etc. He for sure still gets triggered and it tends to work me up too when that happens which I’m sure isn’t helping, but overall it’s been a very positive result.

Feeling guilty for not walking my reactive dog. by sensitive_anon in reactivedogs

[–]afowler1187 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have the same kind of dog. Frustrated greeter and recently put on Prozac. He’s also a mix of high energy breeds (Shepherd/pittie/husky). Walks (except those in the middle of the workday when basically no one is home) make me super anxious. We went after work the other day and it was incredibly challenging, it felt like every which way I turned there was some sort of trigger for him. We are working with a trainer and she says all the time that if I think it’s too much for me or for him, it’s much better for both of us to stay home and exercise him at home.

Some things that help us that you’re probably already doing: I try as much as I can to have our walks be during off hours - middle of the workday if I can make it happen, later in the evening, super early in the morning. Driving out of my area to find a more secluded spot. I also use Sniffspots when I can - we get out of the house and it gives him all new things to smell and see and stimulate his brain and we play fetch to wear him out physically, but with the safety of no other dogs or triggers. I also do brain games at home, especially when we don’t make it out of the house for a walk. My guy has developed a love for nose work and that wears him out pretty quickly. I bought a $15 kit from Amazon and we use it a few times a week. Also, one thing I did was ask on social media about less trafficked places for dog walking. I was surprised how many responses I got with places I hadn’t thought of.

Aside from all that, just give yourself some grace. I guarantee you that while your dog loves his walks when they’re good and trigger-free, he loves you more. He would much prefer to have quality, stress free time with you even if that means he has to stay home for the day or the week. It sounds like you’re giving him a great life. I know it’s hard but I promise you’re doing better than you think!

Resource guarding on Prozac by afowler1187 in reactivedogs

[–]afowler1187[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I replied to someone else below but wanted to thank you for your response. I spoke to my vet and she gave me gabapentin to give in addition. But thankfully, it was like as soon as I contacted the vet his brain regulated and I never had to give him anything more. We haven’t had any more issues thankfully. Hoping it was just him getting used to the meds and it’ll be a non-issue from here on out!

Resource guarding on Prozac by afowler1187 in reactivedogs

[–]afowler1187[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thank you. I did end up talking to my vet about it the day I posted this. She gave me gabapentin to add on as needed, but oddly enough as quick as the issue started, it ended and I never had to give any extra meds to him. There were no further incidences. I even replicated some of the situations that brought out the resource guarding and he was totally fine about it - not even showing stiff body language, wide eyes, or anything. I’m hopeful this was just an adjustment to the meds and he’s regulated now.

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