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Thread: Sam is Sick

  1. #31
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    Sam update!

    Finally got the meds in this week and worked with my vet on a getting a proper dosage on the Tylosan antibiotic. It has been a process. The Tylosan comes in powder form so I have to put it into capsules. They did not tell me that until the day the meds were available, so I had to find some capsules locally. They are quite large so I am putting them in canned pumpkin sometimes and sometimes in large marshmallows to counteract the TERRIBLE bitterness that you can taste even when you touch the outside of the capsule. If this ends up being long-term, I'll have a compounding pharmacy do this for me in the future. Just being around the stuff, you can taste the bitterness, even while wearing gloves. It's awful. So far, he seems OK though.

    I gave him a B12 shot and by the next morning he was feeling pretty good! I'm wondering if he'll pep up quite a bit once things are under control. I contributed his mellowness to getting older, but that may not have been the case. I mean, he's not lethargic or anything, but definitely quiet. I'll be interesting to see how he responds in the next few weeks.

    The food, he likes, and OMG it is so expensive! $80 for a 23 lb bag. I got it through Chewy, which was cheaper than the vet. I need to find out of my insurance covers it. I have blown through my deductible for the year already, so this is my first claim. I'm interested in seeing how easy it is to work with Embrace through this illness. When I get my reimbursement, I still won't be at break-even (have had insurance since Fall of 2016), but close. If they will pay for the food and I have to keep him on it long-term, I'll break even by mid-year.

    So, I'll get him weighed in two weeks to see if he gains. If not, we'll have to adjust our current plan. The food is moderate calorie and low-fat. No corn, rice instead, so he is eating about double what he was eating, about 4.5 cups per day. I did get him some prescription treats as well. The meds are twice a day for 30 days, then a re-check and we'll re-evaluate at that time. He could be on them for an additional two weeks or longer. B12 is weekly for six weeks then one more shot a month later. If all goes well, then we see how he does on the food alone. If that keeps him healthy, I'll talk to a holistic vet to see what I can do about a better food (home made, for example). If not, we're back to square one and looking for a diagnosis since we will know by that point that the SIBO was not a one-off.

  2. #32
    Senior Dog smartrock's Avatar
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    Interesting about the Tylan powder. Lark got it when she was a youngster but the vet gave it to us already in capsules. While it comes in powder form, if it tastes so bad, I'm not sure why it's not put into capsules like any other medication. Maybe because it's off label use for dogs.

    The changes you've seen already sound promising. I hope things go well and this is a curable condition.

  3. #33
    Senior Dog bmathers's Avatar
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    Sounds promising! And I bet he’s not complaining about the extra food!


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  4. #34
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    Hopefully this works!

  5. #35
    Senior Dog Jollymolly's Avatar
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    I hope this works too. I await an update. More mojo heading your way

  6. #36
    Senior Dog POPTOP's Avatar
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    Hoping this helps. So happy to hear he is feeling better. More prayers being sent.
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  7. #37
    Senior Dog windycanyon's Avatar
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    agree. I have given it to my very young puppies via syringe (in water by mouth) and via kibble. No issues here. It's great stuff.



    Quote Originally Posted by smartrock View Post
    Interesting about the Tylan powder. Lark got it when she was a youngster but the vet gave it to us already in capsules. While it comes in powder form, if it tastes so bad, I'm not sure why it's not put into capsules like any other medication. Maybe because it's off label use for dogs.

    The changes you've seen already sound promising. I hope things go well and this is a curable condition.
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  8. #38
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    Sounds very promising....continued good thoughts and prayers for your sweet boy.

  9. #39
    Senior Dog Blackboy98's Avatar
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    Sounds like things are improving. Hoping for continued success and a final resolution.

    Did the vet talk to you about pre and probiotics to be given either at the same time as the Tylan or after the course is done? Just thinking to myself that is a very strong antibiotic(I think) and Sam will need to replenish the "GOOD" bacteria as soon as possible.

    Sending more MOJO and prayers.
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  10. #40
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    We are less than a week in and things seem to be looking up. Sam's increased energy has not gone away. The boys play more, especially in the morning, and he is just more active in general. We won't know if we are out of the woods until we know if he is gaining weight and his blood tests are run again to see what's going on with his white blood cells. I'm guessing that we'll have to do an endoscopy at some point regardless of whether or not he starts to show improvement so we can see what's going on in his stomach.

    The Tylan powder is off-label (says it's for chickens, ducks, honey bees and maybe another farm animal or two on the package). I know that you can get it in the capsule form from a compounding pharmacy and maybe some vets keep a fully stocked pharmacy in their clinic and have some, I don't know. If I end up having to give it to him long-term, there are pill trays and other tools to help make it easier. I'm happy to taste a little of the awful stuff (though I'm getting better at not having to!) for him if it means he doesn't have to and I don't have to shove anything down his throat. And, if this is a long-term thing, I'd rather keep it from being an issue or even just having it be unpleasant for both of us twice a day.

    Embrace was pretty awesome with my claim. I did bad math though. The first claim was a little over $700 (I used the total of the entire vet visit - which included maintenance items) and after my deductible $450 -- actually $500 but I had a $50 credit for never having used the insurance -- healthy pet bonus or something like that), they reimbursed me $174 (equal to four months of premiums - I pay a little over $40 a month). The meds are being sent in a separate claim. I'm interested in seeing if they cover the prescription food. The vet sent it in on a Wednesday and they sent me a check on Friday.

 



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