Needing All The Advice I Can Get, Please

[corgipower]

There are things other than Ivermectin that can be used for demodectic mange. I always used goodwinol ointment. There also are some natural treatments that might work, but I don't have any first hand knowledge regarding their effectiveness - apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, lemon juice mixed with witch hazel - are some of the ones I've heard suggested. Also, boosting his immune system will help.

As for acorns, I had a dog that loved eating them and she got sick with diarrhea and vomiting from that. Raking them up and keeping her away from any parts of the yard where there were too many went a long way in helping that problem.

When I had a dog who wouldn't eat, after she went 4 days hardly eating anything at all and was beginning to lose weight, what I did was mixed things into her food -- but I didn't pick up her unwanted food, make it tastier and return it. I would offer something tastier later in the day in order to prevent her from associating it with having refused her food.

I'm glad Jack is eating again.

 

[snorzzz]

There are things other than Ivermectin that can be used for demodectic mange. I always used goodwinol ointment. There also are some natural treatments that might work, but I don't have any first hand knowledge regarding their effectiveness - apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, lemon juice mixed with witch hazel - are some of the ones I've heard suggested. Also, boosting his immune system will help.

As for acorns, I had a dog that loved eating them and she got sick with diarrhea and vomiting from that. Raking them up and keeping her away from any parts of the yard where there were too many went a long way in helping that problem.

When I had a dog who wouldn't eat, after she went 4 days hardly eating anything at all and was beginning to lose weight, what I did was mixed things into her food -- but I didn't pick up her unwanted food, make it tastier and return it. I would offer something tastier later in the day in order to prevent her from associating it with having refused her food.

I'm glad Jack is eating again.

Good advice, corgi, thank you. I have been trying to think everyday about building Jack's immune system, I think that's key.

 

[snorzzz]

UPDATE:

Very Very good news. Jack went to the vet today. No blockage, no tumor. Just a ton of "junk" in his intestines. All that crap he's been eating out in the backyard. Surprisingly, it appears, no mange. Which pisses me off that he took those heavy duty meds for so long.

But I am happy, no more Ivermectin, no more hydroxyzine. Jack is now on Prednizone for his itchies and allergies, and that's all.

He got a medicated bath, and nails clipped, and eyes washed out.
Here's hoping my baby Jack will be good as new real soon.

Oh and we way over estimated his weight. He's only 69 lbs. In Sept., he weighed 63 lbs. So he has not lost weight, but has not gained nearly what he should have.

My priority at this time is to keep him from grazing in the backyard. I'm not sure how to do that, short of being a helecopter mom, hovering over him, keeping him on a tight leash, etc. I need to figure out a way to stop him from eating the junk that is making him sick.

 

[Doberluv]

I'm glad he's okay. That was a bad time. I know what you mean about being a helecopter mom....I've been that way a lot lately, with the coyotes so prevelent this time of year. It's very hard.....all that hovering. Hope he continues to improve.

 

[snorzzz]

I'm glad he's okay. That was a bad time. I know what you mean about being a helecopter mom....I've been that way a lot lately, with the coyotes so prevelent this time of year. It's very hard.....all that hovering. Hope he continues to improve.

Hiya Doberluv, yes, things have been really bad, but I was trying to take everything in stride, and didn't realize how bad things had gotten.

But now Jack is doing GREAT!!! He is back to normal, eatting like a horse, showing enthusiasm for life. It's like he has "awakened" to himself! He has gone from barely eatting a cup of food a day, to almost 6 cups a day. I am trying to pace him, give him a cup and see if he begs for more. He is chowing down 2 cups in the morning, 2 at noon, and 2 at night. It's like he is starving. His poo looks very good, no more junk in it. These are facts only a momma could love, haha!:lol-sign:

I suspect he will grow like a weed the next month or two. He is much more playful and has a lot more energy. He has even gone back to "counter surfing", haha, which is a big no no, but just the fact that he has regained interest in "what's for dinner" is a HUGE change for the better.

I hired a girl to rake the backyard of all the acorns, pine cones and pine needles, sticks, twigs, etc. She couldn't get it all, but she got most of it, and I'm going to have her back in a few days to work on it some more.

So we are making progress. I'm still watching him like a hawk when he goes outside, fussing at him when he puts that nose to the ground smelling for something good to munch on. I caught him today with an acorn in his mouth, and I yelled "Jack No!" at him, and he spit it out, haha....so I think he is beginning to understand "momma doesn't want him to eat stuff off the ground".

 

[lizzybeth727]

What food are you feeding him? Sometimes when they eat junk outside it's because they're not getting enough of some nutrient in their food.

 

[snorzzz]

What food are you feeding him? Sometimes when they eat junk outside it's because they're not getting enough of some nutrient in their food.

That was my thinking too, so I have made some changes in his food. He was on Purina One Puppy Formula for all his life (since we had him). But now he is on Blue Buffalo, the fish and sweet potato formula. He seems to like it, but it's still new to him. I also feed him cooked meat twice a day, either pork or beef usually. He also gets a vitamin tablet everyday, and 2 fish oil capsules everyday. And he chews on rawhides, and gets Milkbone dog biscuits everyday. That seems like a lot.

But I am still in the "learning stages" as far as figuring out what is best to feed him. He is a large breed, so I am trying to keep that in mind when deciding on his nutrition. This is all new to me, so it has been trial and error so far. I decided on the Blue Buffalo because of his itchy skin, just trying to stay away from chicken and corn until I could get him past all the itchiness.

 

[lizzybeth727]

It sounds to me like he needs more fiber.... You could try supplimenting with carrots, apples, etc. (sorry, I'm tired and can't think of any other examples). Pork and beef don't have a lot of nutritional value really (that's why there aren't any foods that I know of that have pork as a main ingredient, and very few with beef), so unless they're raw meaty bones you could probably cut those out.

 

[AllieMackie]

That was my thinking too, so I have made some changes in his food. He was on Purina One Puppy Formula for all his life (since we had him). But now he is on Blue Buffalo, the fish and sweet potato formula. He seems to like it, but it's still new to him. I also feed him cooked meat twice a day, either pork or beef usually. He also gets a vitamin tablet everyday, and 2 fish oil capsules everyday. And he chews on rawhides, and gets Milkbone dog biscuits everyday. That seems like a lot.

But I am still in the "learning stages" as far as figuring out what is best to feed him. He is a large breed, so I am trying to keep that in mind when deciding on his nutrition. This is all new to me, so it has been trial and error so far. I decided on the Blue Buffalo because of his itchy skin, just trying to stay away from chicken and corn until I could get him past all the itchiness.

Blue Buffalo is a good food. Not great, but good. Check out Dog Food Analysis to get an idea of where various foods stand, it's a great resource and it may surprise you. The best foods usually can only be found in smaller specialty stores and not Petsmart/Petco.

I would also avoid feeding rawhides and Milkbones. Rawhides are usually made from slaughterhouse by-products and are notorious for choking, and intestinal issues like your pup had. Milkbones are literally cookies. They're junk food with no nutritional value. I know it goes against what ads and big stores say, but well... lots of the big-store pet products are actually quite bad.

For chews, I prefer bully sticks and Nylabones, as well as a raw lamb shank bone, given to him in phases over the course of a day or two. Much better for his stomach, and cleans teeth, too! Finn also gets frozen Kongs packed with kibble, peanut butter, and canned food as treats.

 

[snorzzz]

Thanks guys. I will try to reply tomorrow when I'm not so sleepy.

 

[Lizmo]

I hope you realize what Karma has done to you here... :rofl1:

ZOMG. *facepalm*

:lol-sign:

Snorzzz, were you able to get into some training classes with that trainer?

 

[FoxyWench]

i realy hope things can work out for you.

something you may not have thought of yet...
the training would help a huge amount...as would a puppy socilization class (he didnt have his mother and littermates to give him a good hard nip when he played too rough...and as much as im sure your little guy tried to raise him right, having someone his own size to wrestle with in terms of a playmate (mabe someone local has a dog frinedly dog you could have playdates with) could be a huge help.

something im also going to put forward to you...
hes a lab (be it a mix or not) they are eager to please and very inteligent but they need a job...
why not give him one.
you said your disabled, and jack seems extreemly attatched to you...why not teach him to help you.
get him his basic training first, sit stay down, leash manners, the usual...
but once hes got some of that under his belt teach him new tricks like how to unload the washing machine fetching things for you. make it a game of putting his toys away.

they may seem like "silly" tricks, but 1: if they would help you out around the house, whats a little extra helping paw?! and 2: while they may seem silly these little tricks are actually mental stimulation, remember these dogs were bred to work...so giving him this job, something he can focus on could do him a world of good!

you coudl train him many things to help directly with your disability.

right now hes a rambunctious energetic puppy who missed some crutial development stages with his mother and littermates, but i think with the right socilization, a kind but firm hand, and some training you could see a model citizen.

it does mean theres oging to be work on you and your hubbies end...
but if you truly love this dog it would definatly eb worth the effort.
and a well trained dog is much easier to rehome than a ramdunctious crazy dog.

good luck!