Greetings from Montreal.
Our 7 1/2 yr. BMD, Mick, had a bad holiday season: gas, lip smacking,
frequent (& difficult?) swallowing, occasional cough, excessive saliva,
slow eating (Kibble) and a slowly progressing lethargy. All the symptoms,
except the lethargy, seemed to be episodic though, and he looked fine "in
between". No diarrhea, no vomiting -- but we thought that the symptoms
might be due reflux or heartburn.
Just after New Year's he started coughing and gagging in the middle of
his morning meal. He calmed down quicky, but wanted to go outside, so we
let him out thinking he was going to perform his usual morning toilet.
Instead he ran into the middle of the backyard and starting eating
mouthfuls of snow, and when that didn't satisfy him he bounded over to the
cedar hedge and started pulling at leaves and small branches, swallowing
some before we could run out and stop him.
From there his symptoms became more frequent, his appetite did
decrease and he started looking more sick than well. We were thinking
foreign body (gloves, plush toy pieces, cedar bits!), but at this point he
needed serious vet. attention. We went to a vet. internist who examined
him (he was feeling good that morning!) and then did a "pan-oscopy" looking
at his esophagus, stomach, pharyx, larynx, trachea and bronchi.
She found diffuse esophagitis, areas of gastritis and a clear
respiratory system. She also pulled out about 15 2 - 3 inch cedar twigs,
the end of a glove finger, and some fabric from toys? All in all enough to
bother him, but what about the esophagitis, gastritis. It took a while for
him to recover (mouth, etc. sore already) but about five days later he
started another round of couging, gagging, choking, etc. and we were beside
ourselves. The vet. had done some stomach biopsies and the pathology came
back the evening he started his symptoms again and... eosinophilic
gastroenteritis.
He's on antacids, Prednisone (burst, for the pathological diagnosis)
and we will start "de-worming" tomorrow. After the first steroid dose, his
symptoms are much better, though if anything his energy level is down as
well (maybe relieved that his symptoms/pain are better?) We have also
started an elimination diet (fish and potato), and in retrospect we do
recall a gradual increase in paw and leg "chewing" over the last six or so
months. His diet has been steady though for at least two years: Wysong
Synergon kibble and Missing Link supplement. We are hoping that he's on
the mend now.
Please excuse the length of this first post. I was wondering if
anyone has any experience with eosinophilic gastroenteritis in their
Berner, or with the diet mentioned? Although the pathology says
"eosinophilic gastroenteritis", my own limited reading leads me to believe
that the esophagus is not usually the primary site of inflammation,
although bad "heartburn" will make it go red, for sure. We'd appreciate
any comments/opinion/advice. Thanks.
Fred. Salevsky
Helen Macgregor
Mick
Montreal, Quebec.
