He's on his way!

Max doesn't like the camera and Zeetz loves the snuggle.

I worked out the cost for feeding our two last month. It was $95.00. It will be less once Max and Zeetie go back to what they should be eating, Max at a 1 lb a day and Zeetie at 1.5 lbs. I upped both to 2 lbs a day to get some weight on them. Of course, it will cost me more this month but so worth it.

She loves crunching the chicken backs.

Slowly but surely, Mackey is gaining weight. He has stopped dancing on his hind legs as I walk towards his food dish with his food and just hops quickly now. He initiates play with Zeetz more and more and plays for longer on some occasions. So much so that management has complained about the state of the lawn. However, management didn't stop them from playing.

I'll get a better photo but you can see how he is filling in here and on his way to better health.

Max will always be faster than Zeetie. Need I mention his ears!!

Max is still thin in this photo from two weeks ago.

Correction

In fact, Max didn't have diarrhoea from me feeding him too much at once (although, I'm sure it didn't help) but rather from the meat bone I gave him the afternoon before. I thought the enzymes I had given him on his food would be enough to carry him through but sadly, no. I read afterwards that the enzymes must touch all of his food for it to be effective.

I have to ask, did I tell you how excited I am about feeding raw? I think of the years of trying to get my dogs to eat kibble. Clara would lie in front of her bowl when we sat down to eat and just look at it before she would take a kibble and chew on it. It took her ages to eat it. I would mix it with a stimulant such as cheese or gravy. This gave her diarrhoea.

Zeetie sniffed it, too, and walked away. Why did it take until they were starving to eat it? It just doesn't make sense. They, too, like us, should enjoy their food. The dog food industry really has us thinking their products are wonderful but that is because it's a huge money maker. It is far from natural no matter how much they make us think it is. Don't get me wrong. Some dogs do well on it. However, I'm so happy for my dogs.

Zeetie seems very content to be fed once a day and doesn't come looking for her evening feed. Max, on the other hand, is always looking for food so until he gets back to a good weight, he'll continue to look for more.

Working it Out

I had posted yesterday on the great progress Max was making and then, I got the news. Max had diarrhoea on the recently reupholstered couch. I pulled the post down.

Why he poops there, I don't know. If Zeetie has diarrhoea, she poops on a throw rug and then covers it up with the rug.

Feeding EPI dogs is a learning curve. I know what I should do and then I don't do it. I push the envelope by feeding him more in one feed and then this happens. I need to feed Max 4 small meals a day. I must mix the enzymes well into room temperature raw along with warm water and let it incubate at room temperature for a least half an hour.

I've joined the EPI Yahoo Group. What a great source of information. These are all people who have EPI dogs and share what works and doesn't work for them.

I'm amazed by raw. It just makes so much sense. The human and animal make ups were never meant to process artificial ingredients so why do we keep putting it into our dog's bodies (as for our bodies, we know better)? Convenience and less expensive if your dog does well on it. However, for dogs who are having health issues, in the long run, you'll save money on vet bills.

Let me say here that as far as convenience, all I do for raw for Zeetie is take it out the night before to thaw, weigh it out in the morning and then simply watch her relish it and look at me in disbelief that she didn't have to steal this off the counter.

There is so little output compared to a big input. Zeetie and Max each get about 1.5 pounds a day and so far, have only pooped once a day and it's three smallish formations (compared to what is was with kibble at twice a day in large amounts) of a lovely texture and absolutely no soft stuff until the setback yesterday. I was pretty excited because Max kept having a solid stool followed by very soft stool and in large amounts over a three week period while on a grain-free kibble with the enzymes. His body wasn't retaining enough from the food.

Eric Wadge has been great and very helpful. He certainly does his research and takes the time to talk to me. He finds out where the dogs are at and makes suggestions. I can't see ever going back to kibble.

Gone Raw

Max put on some noticeable weight (due to added enzymes to a grain-free kibble) while we were gone but still pooped too much. Started solid but ended soft. I started them both on raw. They both had some liquid diarrhoea for a day, of course. It was never urgent but just pooped during our walks as usual. I didn't feed them the following morning to give their guts a break and started them on it again. It might take a little bit to have their bodies adjust to this huge change.

Max' poop was lovely except for the usual softness near the end the next day. I'm told that this can be normal until his body adjusts to a new diet and to try him on a proprebiotic. If not, I'll have his B12 checked.

Zeetie also had a perfect poop and half the amount. Her scratching has also begun to dissipate especially in her ears. Apparently, it can happen that fast but takes a little longer with more serious allergies as the kibble ingredients work their way out of their systems. I'm so happy to have them on raw, finally.

As for our hiking and camping travels, Zeetie was a star. She didn't even get seasick on the six hour ferry.

She slept like a log every night between us on the air mattress and was an attraction everywhere we went. A lot of people who were touring dogless couldn't get enough of her as they missed their companions left at home. At one visitor's centre, the staff ladies just fawned over her and Zeetz soaked it all in.

Ms. Zeetz was a trooper on the trails but her feet took a beating on the rocky terrain sections. She enjoyed her travels but was also happy to get home.

Mackey was happy to see us but had also bonded with his caregiver, which I was happy to see. I know he was well-looked after and loved. We have a dog-sitter for him, now. We just need someone for Zeetie.

They makes these benches too high.

What a trip!

How is he doing?

Max is doing better. There is so much information out there. One site I like is this one: epidogs

I've joined an EPI (Endocrine Pancreatic Insufficieny) yahoo group to learn more about what is happening to Max and what I need to do to get him on track. This group is comprised of people who have EPI dogs, who have found vets who have worked with EPI dogs before and who are willing to learn from people with EPI dogs.

Some dogs on the group have a reading of cTLI 1.5. Max was just below 5 probably, had I fasted him correctly so he is better than a lot of dogs.

I've learned that the Pancrease V enzymes he takes must be 'incubated' and mixed in with hot water before being eaten for at least 30 minutes. Otherwise, you have a dog with a mouthful of sores. And no, the enzymes do not eat the food as was told to me.

Max should also have a SIBO test (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth is treated with 30 days of antibiotics) as well as a B12 and folate depletion test (treated with B12 injections). On our return when he is to be tested again for EPI.

It's better to feed 3 and 4 times a day but that isn't going to happen at the moment. I'll see how he does. It should also be a grain-free diet. I've upped him to two cups a meal so double the enzymes.

Clara was always fine on kibble and she lived to a ripe age of 13 but she was my perfect Pyr. Now, I have rescues who had very poor starts in life. A raw diet will give them the help they need. The freezer is full and waiting until we get back. I'm counting on Zeetie's itching going away, as well.

I'm also looking to find a better deal on enzymes through this group.

This update won't pertain to most of you so it won't hold much interest.