Squirt - my Queen has crossed The Bridge

[addy]

So Taste of the Wild is manufactured by Diamond and is on Whole Dog Journals approved list of food. They only listed the Wild Sierra Mountain as an example which contained 25% protein 12% fat and is lamb based food.

So I did not get very far with WDJ for you Most of the sample foods listed for each manufacturer averaged about 24% protein and 12% fat, even the Blue Buffalo Basic Turkey and Potato was 22% protein and 12% fat. I'm not sure how low in fat you need to go.

But what is crazy to me is the Canidae Salmon and potato has 40% protein and 20% fat

[goldengirl88]

Leslie:
You could be right about the weather. Tipper seems miserable on this dosage though. I just wish tomorrow was over with already. I went to bed crying and woke up crying. I am trying not to get overwhelmed by all of this, I just break down at times. I could sure use my dad right now. He was a tremendous help to me. I can't help but worry about my girl, but I am holding it together, and will continue the fight for her. Even when my dad was sick, he could at least talk and tell me what was going on, Tipper can't and that is so much harder to take. I hope Squirt and all the babies are feeling better in the cooler weather, or don't you have any of that yet? How is the dry food going? Have you decided on one yet? Blessings
Patti

[labblab]

Leslie, with all your nutritional knowledge, you undoubtedly know this already, but this is a quote from a Dogaware article by Mary Strauss that talks about fat content:

As a general rule, veterinarians consider diets with less than 10 percent fat on a dry matter basis (less than 17 percent of calories from fat) to be low fat, while diets with 10 to 15 percent fat (17 to 23 percent of calories) are considered moderate fat. Foods with more than 20 percent fat are considered high-fat. A few dogs may need a very low-fat diet, especially if they have hyperlipidemia, or if they react to foods with higher levels of fat.

The "dry matter" analysis will reflect fat content that is even higher than what is typically listed on the package because it involves calculating the fat percentage once the moisture content is subtracted. I just took a quick look at TOTW's website, and I saw kibble fat content that varied between 15-18%, depending on the variety (including 15% for the Wild Sierra kibble). I didn't see the moisture content listed, but usually it's around 10% for kibble. So if you recalculate on the basis of "dry matter," those fat contents increase to approx. 17-20%. So that is verging on high protein content per Mary Strauss.

The figures listed for fat content isn't the whole story, because the calorie content also factors in as far as comparing one food to another. Mary talks about all this calculation in greater detail here:

http://www.dogaware.com/articles/wdjlowfatdiets.html

So once again, I don't know how careful you want (or need) to be about fat content. But if lower fat content is something you're looking for, Mary's article lists some commercial foods that you may want to consider.

Marianne

[Squirt's Mom]

Thanks, Marianne! You reminded me to get the nutrient analysis from her home cooked to compare to. The turkey recipe worked out to this -

Distribution of calories:
Protein: 29.6 %
Fat: 15.3 %
Carbohydrate: 55.1 %


The chicken recipe worked out to this -

Distribution of calories:
Protein: 38.3 %
Fat: 26.8 %
Carbohydrate: 35 %


I think I'm gonna stick closer to the turkey nutrient analysis than the chicken in my searching. Lower fats and lower proteins...but not crazy about the carbs that high with her level of activity. hummmmmm....

[Squirt's Mom]

We had a very bad night and all I could think of was Annie and Tipper, and the thought of a Pheo or other adrenal tumor came to mind. Squirt has been having what I've called the "sun downer syndrome" - getting restless around sunset and for several hours after. She pants a bit more, can't get settled or seem to get comfortable; she wants on the bed then moves from spot to spot and then wants down. She gets down, walks down the hall, back to the bedroom, around the bedroom, bathroom and closet, then starts bouncing on her front feet wanting back in the bed...where she starts all over. This goes on for 6-10 hours every night and has been for several months now. She is hyper-alert during this time, her ears pulled up as tight as she can get them, constantly moving as if she is hearing things, looking around as if she sees things. It reminds me of my mom after she developed Alzheimer's and at 15 1/2, Squirt certainly is eligible for such issues.

Last nite was really bad. She started the usual restlessness and on-off the bed routine but she got more and more and more anxious until she was shaking all over, panting very hard and loudly, drooling like mad, eyes bulging, startling at nothing I could hear or see. I took her out thinking maybe the diarrhea was coming back and she just felt really bad again. She acted absolutely terrified when we went out, did not want on the ground at all, and would not leave my feet. She would turn her head and look behind her around the yard then act as if she saw a monster coming for her, scrambling to get back up the ramp, tail tucked, mouth wide open, raspy, frantic panting, eyes huge and bugged out, little whimpering sounds escaping her, her little body racked with tremors. She actually peed all over my feet because she was so afraid to get out in the yard. Squirt was acting like she does when we have bad storms but there wasn't even a cloud in the sky, no wind, no rain, no thunder or fireworks - nothing that I could determine might be causing her such distress. At 2am I gave in and gave her half of one of the Diazepams, which was a fight because she refused all foods offered (and hadn't been overly interested in her supper), meaning I had to force the pills down her throat (btw, the pill pusher was useless ); after an hour she was no better so I gave her the other half along with 1/2ml of Skullcap via syringe. About an hour or so later, she was calming and able to settle down and sleep. She's still asleep, chasing rabbits in her dreams.

We have an appt. this morning to get everyone's nails trimmed and I'm gonna talk to Doc about this. I would hate to have to give her sedatives every night but I don't know that that would be any harder on her than episodes like this one last nite are. I was scared witless she was going to have a heart attack last nite.

She's starting to stretch so she will be waking soon to start our day. I'll let ya'll know what Doc has to say and what he offers as a solution, if anything.

Hugs,
a tired Mom and drowsy Queen

[Bo's Mom]

Leslie,
I do hope you get some answers to what was causing Squirt's distress. It is so hard watching our fur babies go through rough times and we are only there to comfort them when we can through it all. (((HUGS))) sent your way and let us know what doc says.

[addy]

Zoe had a similar episode yesterday though not as extreme. We would turn down the air so it was cold in the house and give her a wee bit of snacks and then she would finally settle down. She was panting so and she does not usually pant unless her IBD is bothering her and if she was not sure where I was- she cant hear or see well- her ears go back and she has a frantic look in her eye.

I was slowly putting her back on her full Vetoryl dose since her stool issue last week.Finallylast night the evening dose kicked in and about 9pm she seemd more her self.


I'm sorry Leslie, I know how hard it is when we dont really know for sure what is wrong and bothering them.

Love and hugs

[goldengirl88]

Leslie:
The behaviors you are describing about the shaking etc. I believe were things that Annie did. How long has it been since Squirt had an Ultra Sound? Tipper does some of the behavior you were describing, especially about thinking something is going to get her and hearing things. She does get the tremors, but has had them all along. I have never seen her shake, but she gets the rippling of skin over her ribs a lot. She had it last nite. Her only symptoms are the change in breathing pattern, the rippling and the muscle contractions. If I hold her leg in my hand I can feel the pulsing of running thru her legs that makes them jump. It is uncontrollable whatever is causing it. If I wake her it stops immediately. She still does a lot of pacing, and is restless at nite sometimes getting up a lot and moving around. Are you thinking that Squirt could have a pheo?? I pray to God that is not the case. When Tipper first started with this Vetoryl several people told me the muscle contractions were a side effect of it. I am hoping that is the case and not the adrenal tumor. As I think about it now if it is not the Vetoryl then she has had the adrenal tumor since this started because she had the jumpy legs etc. when she started on the Vetoryl over a year ago. I also get scared now since Tipper had this tumor that she could have a heart attack. It is a daily agony like I have never known. I hope your precious Squirt was just having a bad nite and nothing else, I don't know how much more Tipper can take of all this. Blessings
Patti

[Harley PoMMom]

Oh Leslie, so sorry to hear that you both had such a restless night. Will be waiting anxiously with the others to hear what the Doc has to say.

Tons of loving and soothing hugs being sent, Lori

[Squirt's Mom]

Based on the description of her behavior and the timing, he feels this is cognitive, probably CCD. He said he has used the Selegiline with some success but has results just as good with fewer side effects from the Valium given at nite. So that is what we are going to try first.

She BIT him when he trimmed her nails! She's never done that! They had to muzzle my Sweet Bebe.