Josie's Case History
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Hi Helen, On the osteopenia, there are other factors operating here too. Her hyperparathyroidism seems to be resolved now. However, uncontrolled PPID also causes bone loss. I would increase her pergolide and recheck ACTH until it is well in the normal range. Use APF since her appetite is already poor. Her age is also working against her but light exercise can counteract that once she's able. If the normal vitamin D recheck was while she was being supplemented you should check that again. Two things come to mind that could be influencing her eating. One is gastric ulcers. Try her on GastroGard for 3 days to see if that makes an obvious difference. The other issue may be dental. The osteopenia has weakened the attachment of her teeth to the bones. This can make chewing uncomfortable. She should be checked for obviously loose teeth. She may also have developed gum disease. I would soak her hay before feeding to soften it and bucket meals should also be wet/softened. The Carb Safe, TC Senior and Calf Manna are not necessarily "safe". Work on diluting those meals with BP or ODTBC soaked. She may like those soaked with alfalfa "tea". Put a handful of alfalfa into a large glass jar, will with water and make sun tea or steep in boiled water for 20 minutes then strain. EC Owner 2001 |
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Hi Helen, Thanks for updating your CH. You've spent a lot of time on it. Can you do one more thing, and fill in the date near the top of the form indicating your most recent update? I edited your message to make your CH link in your signature clickable, by hitting Enter immediately after it.
Lorna in Eastern Ontario, Canada |
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Hello, I have uploaded an updated case history for Josie and Cornell's discharge instructions. I could use some advice on how to handle her discomfort with the bone density loss due to the hyperparathyroidism and how to help her increase the density. Also,her appetite for hay is very good, but she's not very good about eating her grain, unless it's something she's not supposed to have. She has access to her grain all day and all night. Most of the time she cleans it up, but lately there have been days when she won't touch it. She would not eat the 1 lb. of flaxseed or rice bran that Cornell recommended I feed her and she cannot tolerate the alfalfa. She's had a couple of mild laminitis issues this past winter, but seems to have recovered from them now that she's off the alfalfa and TC Senior. She's not shedding out well and has lost a little weight since the surgery. She never gained any after the surgery (November 14, 2016), but now that I can no longer feed her TC Senior because of laminitis issues, she is losing weight. The Carb Safe is 6% fat, but she won't eat more than 10 oz./a feeding, if that, so that's not helping her much. She won't eat Stabul 1 or beet pulp. She'll start out eating small amounts of beet pulp, Carb Safe or Stabul 1, but then she stops eating it altogether. The only one she will eat with any regularity is the Carb Safe with a small amount of TC Senior and Calf Manna in it. She will also eat 4 oz. of Omega Horsehine flaxseed and the custom mineral mix with the Carb Safe, TC Senior and Calf Manna. Any suggestions on what she can eat that she will eat would be greatly appreciated. Helen Smart - May, 2016 Brunswick, Vermont Josie,Case History https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Helen%20and%20Josie/Josie |
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