Doggy Troubles

[lindsay]

Hi All,
Not sure if anyone out there has any experience treating their pet for thyroid and other problems, but I wanted to ask around and see if I can get some feedback. I had spoken with another knowledgeable person on Peatarian, but the system is down over there, so I am bringing my questions here.
We have an American Cocker Spaniel who is 5 years old. From day one, our dog has had terrible troubles, beginning with itching and skin lesions to now chronic ear infections. He recently had a semi-surgical procedure done where the vet flushed out the middle ear (where his ear infection had spread to) and she told us he has calcification of the ear canal and that this is going to be a perpetual problem if we don't get an ablation done (which will leave him deaf in that one ear). Now, his ear is inflamed again and so I am looking for things I can give him to reduce inflammation.....
We've already changed his diet (no more PUFA!) and his skin has gotten better as a result, but I'm curious what I can give him besides coconut oil and gelatin to reduce inflammation more instantaneously? Also, is there a means by which I can reduce calcification on it's own? I recall RP saying that calcification happens when we don't get enough calcium and it gets pulled from the bones and deposited elsewhere - that getting calcium reverses this. Is this true for a dog? If so, how many mg.'s of calcium does a 30 lb. pup need per day?
Also, has anyone on here treated their pets with thyroid? I have cynoplus and would be willing to try it, but I'm nervous of the dose and getting it right.
Anyhow, if anyone on here has any insight as to what I can do, that would be very much appreciated. I don't want to put him through another surgical procedure, but he's in so much discomfort I just want him to get better.
Thank you for reading! Elliot and I both thank you :)
Sincerely,
Lindsay

 

[charlie]

IIRC, Ray Peat said dogs would generally live longer if they were able to eat more sugar. If I had an dog I would probably try everything Peat with it. Jenn is our local animal expert hopefully she will chime in. She has said that apple cider vinegar in the ear does reverse the calcification.

 

[Mittir]

Charlie, i do remember RP suggesting someone in KMUD Antioxidant audio interview
to add sugar to meat of a dog's diet with wasting disease.
He also talked about a friend's dog on milk diet.

I did a google search with keywords "dog thyroid treatment dose "
There are many websites on treating dog's hypothyroid condition.
They suggest using blood test to monitor thyroid condition.
According to RP TSH Total T4 Total T3 are more reliable than free T3 T4 tests.

This site has more specific advice on dose.

The standard treatment for hypothyroidism is hormone replacement with a synthetic T4 compound, L-thyroxine, often called by the brand name Soloxine. Depending on the dosage, a month’s supply for an average-sized dog costs between $5 and $10. Once diagnosed, Dr. Dodds starts treatment. The standard dose is 0.1 mg per 12-15 lbs of optimum bodyweight twice daily.
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues ... 5723-1.htm

 

[lindsay]

Thank you Charlie and Mittir! I'm trying to apply RP principles to Elliot, although I think dogs require much more saturated fat. I'm kicking myself now because the vets recommended feeding him fish and fish oil when his skin issues arose. They actually subsided when I took him off the fish food and oil (go figure). Now I feed him a ground organ meat with carrots and rice and dates. I also give him some local whole milk occasionally, but I think he needs more calcium, I just don't know how much.
Mittir - I will read the thyroid info. Thank you! I am going to see if the vet can test him in the future, but for now I want him to have a break from the vet.
Many thanks everyone! And I would love to hear more about that apple cider vinegar!

 

[Dewitt]

That's interesting that Peat commented on a high-sugar diet for dogs. I have a german shepherd dog and started feeding him lots of (dried) fruits and less meat months ago, after starting to study biochemistry and realizing that the high-protein, low-carb diet that dogs usually eat would be very harmful. I commented about that quite a while ago over on Peatarian.

 

[lindsay]

Dewitt - It's you! Glad you chimed in :)
Any suggestions for reversing calcification of the ear canal?

 

[Dewitt]

Vitamin K2, thyroid, CO2 and magnesium can reverse calcification. I don't know how safe supplemental K2 is for dogs, but according to most sources, it is generally regarded as quite safe. I think I already recommended thyroid. CO2 - well, I guess your dog won't be into bag breathing that much. Magnesium should definitely be safe.
On the other hand, estrogen can cause soft tissue calcification and so can prolactin and PTH. But in general, it's quite hard to lower estrogen levels. Progesterone opposes estrogen, but it doesn't lower estrogen levels - Thyroid should be able to do it. Prolactin can be lowered with CO2 and calcium, PTH can be lowered with calcium and the avoidance of phosphorus.

 

[lindsay]

Thanks for the suggestions. I forgot how much cynoplus you thought I could give him? He's about 30 lbs.
Regarding magnesium, what form can dogs have.
CO2 - can I give him baking soda?

Also, what do you think about the apple cider vinegar in the ear? It makes sense - you put it in bone broth to draw calcium out of the bones.

I'm hoping I can help his ear, but it's so inflamed I am losing confidence. The ear infection just won't stop and I have no idea how to reduce the yeastiness that grows in his floppy ears. Plus, the eardrum is ruptured, so he's in pain.

Still, thanks for the suggestions! Do you think the ablation is a bad idea? He will be deaf in that ear if we go through with it.

 

[Dewitt]

I think I didn't give any specific recommendations for cynoplus. It's probably best to start with 1/4 grain and see how he reacts to it, then slowly raise the dosage.

I think baking soda can be problematic for dogs. They are more dependent on their concentrated stomach acid than humans are.

In pathological calcification, the calcifications are primarily made of calcium phosphate which reacts with vinegar to calcium acetate and phosphoric acid. Calcium acetate is soluble in water, while calcium phosphate is not. So yes, vinegar might actually works.

By ablations, do you mean a total ear canal ablation (TECA)? I'm not sure - after all, I'm a biochemist, not a doctor. But keep in mind that your dog already seems to be very susceptible to inflammation and infection. So the chance that the wound will infect after surgery is very high.

 

[lindsay]

Thanks for the info.
I'm a bit nervous to give him my cynoplus..... I mean, it hasn't killed me, but my dog is seemingly sensitive to EVERYTHING..... I will do some research and see.

regarding the vinegar, I read a bit about using it for ear infections. the problem we have now is his ear canal is pretty much swollen shut, so it's hard to get anything down in the canal to clean it. If I could reduce the inflammation, it would help.

And yes - the vet wants to do an ablation of the outer ear canal (I think that's what she said). That's a good point about infection - I didn't think of that.

Thanks for the input!

 

[HDD]

Thank you for posting this. My Lhasa has chronic allergies and ear infections. She is 10 now and does not hear well. She received a cortisone shot that helped immensely but it isn't something I would do again. My vet also spoke of operation but it isn't something I could afford even if I wanted it for her. So I am always hoping for a home remedy. I was wondering about the food you give your dog. Do you cook it?

I found a few sites with some ideas that I am going to try. One mentions aspirin for pain. What do you think about it as an ant- inflammatory? I think this vet also uses antihistamine which my vet had recommended and he also recommends topical cortisone cream. In a video, another vet used vinegar and water to clean ears but also talked about using olive oil with vitamin e. I decided to try that except I used Progest-e. I thought Emma had some relief but I wasn't sure. I am going to keep using it in hopes that it might help. Her ear is closed, so I don't know how much gets in. Also, when I was looking to make my own food, I saw where someone was using eggshell powder in the food. Seems like a good option if calcium is part of the problem.

Please keep us updated on Elliot.

 

[lindsay]

Thank you for posting Haagendazendiane! If I come up with anything for us both to help our pets, I will absolutely let you know!

I'm going to contact our vet this week and see about getting more antibiotic for Elliot - he seemed to do well fighting the infection on that. Regarding aspirin, I remember Dewitt saying that it's not good to give a dog more than 325 mg. per day. I think it's worth looking into - I am going to pick up some children's low-dose aspirin for Elliot to see if it helps. Also, the anti-histamines seem to help for overall itching. we have a prescription one, but benadryl also does the trick sometimes.

I don't want to do the surgery - it's expensive, yes. We do have pet insurance that should cover most of it, but I don't want to put elliot through that without trying other things first. Have you talked to your vet about thyroid supplements? I was going to ask our vet if she would be willing to consider a thyroid prescription to see if it helps. I can give him cynoplus, but if the vet will write me a pet prescription, I would feel better with dosage.

Regarding diet, our dog's skin cleared up almost immediately following the change from fish food/oils to grain free obscure meats - we were feeding him a food made of buffalo and potato. Unfortunately, I cannot find a food out their without massive PUFA so I started cooking him food made of ground beef & organ meats, rice, dates, carrots, coconut oil and sugar. He loves it. I also started cooking him eggs with cheese and giving him a little milk. He's happier with good food, regardless. I might try doing the same for your Emma, if you are able :)

If I find any more good info., I will let you know!

 

[HDD]

Thanks, Lindsay. I just read the ingredients on my dog food. Only 6. Chicken fat for omega 3 and 6. I used to babysit a friend's Lhasa that was allergic to beef. They only fed him canned chicken and brown rice. My vet said Emma was allergic to dust mites but I still tried all the dog foods that were made without grains. It never seemed to make a difference. At one point, I was going to only feed my dogs raw meat but I didn't stick with it. This was before Peat. So, I think I will try eliminating pufa.

What do you think about Progest-e internally?

 

[lindsay]

Do you feed Emma coconut oil? Dewitt said that most dogs have high PUFA fat due to diet and that feeding the dog regular coconut oil is a good way to replace that fat content over time. Elliot has done real well with coconut oil and carrots (both of which are anti-microbial). I've also read that apple cider vinegar in the ears works well for mites!

Regarding food, if you can get grass-fed beef or buffalo, it might help (because they are not grain/corn/soy fed). Usually animals are allergic to what the animal eats. The organ meat & ground beef I feed my dog is grass-fed. It's real cheap, but I have to get it shipped from the mid-West. I think if the food you have is okay, maybe just add plenty of coconut oil to it to counteract the PUFA. I think this is really the culprit - Elliot's skin was a MESS when we were feeding him foods with salmon.... covered head to food in inflamed scabs. They went away when we stopped the fish food (which is super high in PUFA). Also, we wash him in an anti-microbial shampoo and leave on conditioner. I don't think it really helps much - diet seemed to do the trick more than anything.

The ears are a mystery to me though - lots of yeast and bacteria. I think boosting the immune system is where it's at (hence thyroid supplementation).

 

[Adnada]

post 31694 The ears are a mystery to me though - lots of yeast and bacteria. I think boosting the immune system is where it's at (hence thyroid supplementation).

Hi Lindsay! I have a hound dog who has recently developed some skin and ear yeast issues. Have you had success healing Elliot's ears? My dogs are already eating homemade dog food and taking aspirin. Would love additional advice!

 

[AmishMechanic]

Hi Lindsay! I have a hound dog who has recently developed some skin and ear yeast issues. Have you had success healing Elliot's ears? My dogs are already eating homemade dog food and taking aspirin. Would love additional advice!

I have been successfully treating yeast infections of "ears-n-rears" infections for years. It is always related to GI issues, even western medicine acknowledges that now. I prescribe a no PUFA diet, organic/grass fed meats, no grain and starch only if tolerated and only IF needed (couch potatoes usually don't need potatoes). I used to suggest fruits based on TCVM food theory (meat source as well) and still do but dates and papaya seem to be well tolerated. I also used to suggest plain greek yogurt and will probably switch to low fat cottage cheese to reduce any additional lactic acid. Grass fed butter is nice for the very active dog in moderation.