Vet visit for Zena with her irritable bowel

After ongoing problems for the past 3 years, with intermittent sickness lasting for days/weeks, and then finding a new vet who diagnosed irritable bowel and started new medication, 6 weeks down the line we went for a check up today.

She has been on one Metronidazole a DAY for 5 weeks now, and I have to say, since ending the first week's medication of Zitac, Zantac and Tetrocycline ab's which did absolutely nothing for her condition, the metronidazole treatment seems to be doing a great job on her.

She is a different dog, never sloping off to her bed feeling sick or having acid stomach problems, she never refuses food, she can drink water by the gallon if she wants, whereas previously, one mouthful could have caused her to have quite violent purges, it was horrendous to watch her sometimes, feeling so helpless

Anyway, this new vet seems to have been right with his diagnosis, because this treatment works and suits her fine. He spent a long, long time feeling her insides, squashing and squeazing her with his hands, and she didn't mind at all. Then he checked her heart and breathing, she stood still as a rock, then he put on a pair of gloves OMG he's going in I thought and he did! Now this girl of mine has been known to scream the house down when having a thermometer inserted into her back passage, but this man was allowed to put his hand in, and bring out a stool sample and tell me it was absolutely perfect, just what he wanted to see and Zena did not flinch or squeal or turn to snap at him once, what a little star she was, and I cannot quite get over just how accommodating she is for him, even though of course, I do muzzle her for the poor man!

Muzzle came off whilst I chatted to him. She has put on 2 kgs I told him I couldn't understand this when for 3 years I had been force feeding her to keep a bit of weight on her. He explained that with irritable bowel, the intestines lose their coating and are unable to utilise the food passing through. Hence the yellow diarrhea we would sometimes get, because all the bile would be pushed straight through along with the food. It all made such perfect sense to me to stand there and listen to him (and no, I never once interrupted!). The metronidazole works a lot, lot better than steroids which he could use as an alternative anti inflammatory, so he suggests she stays on one a day for life if she can tolerate them which she seems to be for the moment.

He doesn't want to see her again, he wants me to ring him in a couple of weeks or so, or even better, he loved my idea of writing it all down and dropping it into the surgery for him to read at his leisure, because he said this could go into her notes like the last one I did for him has. I did mention the hiatus hernia that I have Googled about, but he says he's never seen one case, and IF we have problems again, then we should definitely do the barium x-rays just to check what might be going on, but he's almost 100% certain that she has irritable bowel. So, it would appear after having spent 3 years at an RCVS hospital without a diagnoses, we now have one for Zena along with the correct treatment, fingers and paws crossed of course.

We have another 6 weeks of this ab, plus a half hour consultation and instead of £200 bill which I would have come away with at the other hospital, my bill totalled £27!!!!! Can you belieeeeeve it?!!! I can't!

Lovely, lovely vet, not many would agree with me around here, because he has no bedside manner, BUT, he sure knows about dogs and that's all I care about really for my prescious girlie.

I forgot to tell him to look at her carpal pads but I got carried away with how good she was for him Hey ho, I'm dealing with them nicely without his help anyway.

Great News you have solved the mystery at last, not only that at less than half the price you were expecting - success indeed

That is just fabulous! Zena obviously is not feeling discomfort when he palpitates her, it must be a relief for her too!

That was an exceedingly cheap bill.

Excellent news. At last you seemed to of found a vet who has been able to sort Zena out quickly and a lot cheaper.
Long may it continue.

Glad she's much better and enjoying her food again Helena

IBS is usually (but not always) attributed to candida (yeast) infections, and that would also explain the mucous'y stools. Might be worth looking into that if things start playing up again.

Fantastic news Nechda - he sounds to be the perfect Vet for Zena! xx

Thanks all, it's great news isn't it, and it's been such a long time coming, after what I've had to witness with her vomiting episodes, poor, poor girl.

I didn't know about the candida there Azz, so I'll be looking into that, but, of course, having a daily dose of this Metronidazole ab would probably keep that at bay perhaps if it was? Along with giardia of course, I did say to the vet, I'm obsessessed with worms here especially giardia, and giardia do not like metronidazole, and he just laughed and said it is definitely not worms of any description!

Yes grandma, I have never, ever known this dog to be so very calm and relaxed with a vet, especially a MALE version, it's quite unheard of for her not to lunge at one if they go to approach her, but he has a "way" about him, he must know shepherds and know to do things very calmly and slowly to get the job done.

To think this guy has a reputation of over charging Although they agree, he's a brilliant vet, but he sure hasn't overcharged me has he. The last consultation there without my dog for half an hour cost me nothing either! He won't make any money out of us will he

This is such heart warming news old bean, and I really am so very pleased that you seem to have got to the bottom of things, as it were

Sometimes a change of vet is all that is needed to get a different perspective on things, and that all important correct diagnosis. Zena must be thrilled too!!

That's great news Helena and hoping Zena continues to progress as she is doing at the moment

Excellent news, sounds like a "proper dog" vet, worth their weight in gold. Hopefully this will be sorted now, with no more sickness and nasty poo's. Although, I do bet, you will always have a looksee to see what it is like...

What a really good girlie Zena was too, made her mum so proud.

Hugs to a good girl xx