This is a story shared by someone who had a consultation with me recently:
Here is the real complete update from my phone consult with Dr Judy Morgan. Collin, who is having trouble with severe intestinal malabsorbtion, is now on a diet of raw fermented goat's milk. When he won't eat anything else, he will lap at the milk. We kept the white potatoes & Cod. We added the milk & have other food goals within a month. She really helped me to organize my thoughts & plan. First, I made a complete spreadsheet/timeline of his medical history. And, like a slap in the face, a realization hit me.
These are NOT Dr Judy's words, she gave me tools & I used them. But, I truly think this all stems from a build-up of Nexgard. (I don't want Dr Judy to be accused of finger pointing). The first 26 months we had Collin, he was a pretty normal dog. Then, about 5 months (5 doses) into his Nexgard, everything went to pot. He started Nexgard May 1, 2015. By October, he was in the ER, choked & passed out. Diagnosis was Laryngeal Paralysis & Gastroesophageal Reflux. (not at all common for a 2yo or a CKCS) What has followed, for the last 2 years, is a roller coaster of vomiting, diarrhea, radiographs, CBC, blood panels, Cerenia-injections & pills, B12 injections, Omeprazole w every meal, ultrasounds, GI endoscopy, urinalysis, thorax rad(or some such thing), barium swallow tests, and he is sooooo skinny now. It is breaking my heart. Then, when allergies kicked in this year, the vet put him on Apoquel. All new series of vomiting & diarrhea (of which we have never recovered). And I only gave the Apoquel for about 6 weeks. (6 weeks too long).
The last 3mo have been awful, having been prescribed 2 different kibbles- Hill's ZD & Purina HA (for a dog that had never eaten kibble in his life). Since he refused to eat it pretty quickly, that didn't last. But I was too afraid to not listen to the numerous doctors, who I was paying a lot of money to help us. Doctors that don't even agree with each other. And I think the doctors are truly giving their best effort & knowledge. My gut told me that we were not gaining ground. So I turned to Dr Judy. I asked for her knowledge, and she graciously gave me that plus confidence. Confidence to not take the vet/ doctor/ hospital advice/diagnosis without question. For me to listen to my dog & common sense. We haven't turned the corner yet; but I truly feel that if he is meant to heal, this is the right path.
I thought Nexgard was worth the risk. He didn't have an immediate reaction to it, so I thought he was immune to its poison. After all, we live in the Ozarks- fleas, ticks, & mosquitoes carry terrible diseases. I had to protect my babies! I went about it the wrong way, and Collin is paying a terrible price. I only hope I can reverse most of the damage & have Collin in my life for many many years. I hope this post saves some lives & gives confidence to some of you trying to make the best decisions for your best friends. Don't use chemicals!! It is NOT worth the health risks!
Note from me: While we cannot make a direct link between drugs, chemicals, and chronic illness, the only way to determine whether the chemicals are causing the disease symptoms is to eliminate the chemicals. Cleanse the body and see what happens. You never know until you try.
