Case History & Update.

At 6mths old Freya was a normal, healthy pup, at her year-old check-up she’d only put on 2kilo’s, was thin and weighed in at 25k. She was fit, healthy and very active but had started having very loose stools, flatulence and going to the toilet more frequently. She was tested for Epi, which came back 1.8 (the cut off point is 2.0) she was borderline, but she also came into her first season at the same time confirming that stress can bring on an Epi problem. We suspect she was Epi for a while but had managed to control it until then. She was very hard to stabilise, her weigh hovered between 25-27k and it seemed like every day we found something else she couldn’t eat. Things were bleak very bleak but we went ahead and had her spayed at the beginning of March.  It was a gamble but it paid off.  We also had her retested, the results were very discouraging as she was 1.0, seriously Epi. Once her hormones had settled and we changed her medication from the pills to powder form she started picking up.  Whether or not it was the hormones or powders that turned her around we can’t be sure but I think having her spayed was the main factor although it must be said that she never slowed down, always hyper and she just didn’t act like an ill dog. She has now been stable for well over 2 years, she can have her fruit and veg treats, she can even have a little chicken on a daily basis.  She’s your normal, healthy dog.  Her toilet is solid and she’s going 3 times a day, no flatulence and certainly no discomfort. My aim when she was diagnosed was to get her stabilised as quick as possible but it took 4 months before she even thought of levelling out. My next goal for her was to have a “normal amount of solid motions” she does. Next was to getting her up to her ideal weight 30k, she’s now 38.7.  She’s all muscle with not an inch of fat to be found, I technically have an over-weight dog and it’s brilliant. My aim was to creep her up to 35k, then should she have a backward slide, she’ll be able to afford to loose some weight. The future, well I think it’s looking very good as I don’t have a sick or ill dog, I am proud mum to a normal, happy, healthy pup with a medical condition.  Sure there’s bound to be a few lapses along the way but now I am sure that’s all they’ll be, lapses.

      Enjoy your dogs. Liz & Freya.

      There’s no such thing as a problem dog
      Only a dog with a problem

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