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Bath today with Duoxo in evening because he was breaking out between his legs and licking a lot.

Back on BalanceIt supplement and Tufts diet.

Food Added- 3 frozen green beans.  Loved them.
Itchy and started coughing again.  Gave 1 diphenhydramine at 8pm.

Bath today- first time with Natures Specialties Almond Crisp shampoo.

Plucked ears and sores and wiped inside flap with Douxo pad. 

Itchy... swam in the kiddy pool, dried legs off.  Still a little minor funk... maybe due to chewing?  Not sores like before.

Holding off on bath... coat is crisp.  Maybe do it once a week?  Or not... not sure what to do.

Sores are minor for now... but they are still sores.
1. Top of right hind foot.
2. Sore on prepuce- right side.
3. Sore inside right hind thigh.
4. Collerettes on chest behind front legs.
5. Sore on prepuce- left side.
6. Stuff around left back nipple.
7. Sore on left side just behind left front leg.

Changes made 1 week ago-
Dog biscuits, pork, veggies, ostrich bones (smoked/raw ), boosted protein from 1:5 to 1:1.  Eliminated safflower oil and supplements.  Recheck thyroid on Thursday- full profile through MSU.

 
But he's happy.

2 pounds of ostrich to 2 pounds of potato.  Not eating all of it.

Ostrich has 440 calories per pound according to the Black Wing Company.

VERY ITCHY... neck, shoulders... chewed butt again.  So is it due to the biscuits or due to the same old stuff.  Sprayed with witch hazel.

Call from Dr. J... yes, on a Sunday!  Blood work was totally normal.  Thyroid level through this lab was 2.8.

Was going to skip the snack at 9pm. He was standing at the Dutch door after I finished drying Kobuck.  Let them all out, he went right to his room and stood there waiting. So I gave him 50% boiled potatoes and 50% cooked ostrich... about 1 1/2 cups.  Ate it all and cleaned the bowl. 

Back to 50% ostrich and 50% potato... holding off on supplements until I know what to give him.

Ostrich bone

 
Inside right front leg near chest.  Had licked it yesterday.

Gave him 1/2 a Canidae biscuit and ate it immediately.

Looked at BalanceIt site and diets.  Instead going to contact Tufts.  They have 2 board certified nutritionists. Pick up bloodwork and thyroid tests since January and will schedule an telephone consultation. This is just nuts. 

At 11am, gave him is regular potato ostrich meal... ate maybe 1/4 to 1/3.  Cooked up a potato, cooked pork loin and ostrich with more water.  (Peeing but not as much as usual).  Ate part, hand fed the rest.

Cooked up  1/4 pound pork, 3/4 pound ostrich (added at end, stirred and immediately turned off).  3/4 pound of potatoes + asparagus and zucchini.  Will feed last two times to today.

3 SORES/RASH
Update:   Bath today with Duoxo. Looks like a rash inside front right leg near chest.  Definite sore on prepuce.  Spot on back of right hock... possible pustule or maybe wound.  Shaved belly.

Much better tonight after bath.  Ate well.  1/4 pork, 3/4 ostrich, 1/4 asparagus, zucchini, 3/4 potato.  Thinly slice potatoes, cut other veggies into chunks and add diced pork.  Boil until potatoes are soft.  Turn off, stir in ostrich.

Smoked Large Ostrich Femur Bone- Naturally smoked 6-9inches long & perfect for a larger dog who needs a healthier natural way to be active and keep their teeth clean.Non allergenic ostrich meat & bones are recommended by many Allergy Veterinarians.No hormones, no antibiotics ever.

Ostrich place said protein level in balanced diet is too low.

Not eating well.  Turning away from his food.  Gave water at night to hydrate.  Poop was small and hard, then more normal at the end.  1 small Wellness fish/sweetpotato biscuit.

DAY 1- Pre-Mix added to meal.  Added 1/4 cup freeze dried mix to water and gave to him at lunch.  Added the same to his later meal along with more water.  Seldom drinks water... peed little.  Gums felt drier than they should be.

Bumped up amount of ostrich on August 13th.

Foods- Raspberries, blueberries.  AFTER the damage to the top of his head, we tried a teaspoon of plain no fat yogurt.

Found a reference that stated iodine deficiency could cause high TSH...
"...In response to decreased blood levels of T₄, the pituitary gland increases its output of TSH..."
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/minerals/iodine/

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Introduction

Cruciferous or Brassica vegetables are so named because they come from plants in the family known to botanists as Cruciferae or alternately, Brassicaceae. Many commonly consumed cruciferous vegetables come from the Brassica genus, including broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, rutabaga, turnips, bok choy, and Chinese cabbage (1). Arugula, horse radish, radish, wasabi, and watercress are also cruciferous vegetables.

Iodine and Thyroid Function

Very high intakes of cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage and turnips, have been found to cause hypothyroidism (insufficient thyroid hormone) in animals (68). There has been one case report of an 88-year-old woman developing severe hypothyroidism and coma following consumption of an estimated 1.0 to 1.5 kg/day of raw bok choy for several months (69). Two mechanisms have been identified to explain this effect. The hydrolysis of some glucosinolates found in cruciferous vegetables (e.g., progoitrin) may yield a compound known as goitrin, which has been found to interfere with thyroid hormone synthesis. The hydrolysis of another class of glucosinolates, known as indole glucosinolates, results in the release of thiocyanate ions, which can compete with iodine for uptake by the thyroid gland. Increased exposure to thiocyanate ions from cruciferous vegetable consumption or, more commonly, from cigarette smoking, does not appear to increase the risk of hypothyroidism unless accompanied by iodine deficiency. One study in humans found that the consumption of 150 g/day (5 oz/day) of cooked Brussels sprouts for four weeks had no adverse effects on thyroid function (70).

68.  Fenwick GR, Heaney RK, Mullin WJ. Glucosinolates and their breakdown products in food and food plants. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 1983;18(2):123-201.  (PubMed)

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/foods/cruciferous/

Hypothyroidism and food allergy might explain his pyoderma while on the food trial.

Environmental and seasonal allergies could still play a roll in it too.

Coat is feeling kind of funky... Dr. J thought it felt greasy.  But bath is late because I wanted her to "experience" his coat condition without a bath.   Bath today with Duoxo.

Food:  2 3/4 pounds red skin golden yukon potatoes and 3/4 pound ostrich.

Question:  So does cooking rutabagas destroy or inactivate the compound making it totally harmless?

Wasn't spotted on June 20th so it looks like his low thyroid was
preventing normal hair growth in the areas where there had been sores. 

2 1/2 lbs potatos to 1/2 pound ostrich for the past 4 days... plus supplements.

Starting 100% redskin potatoes.  1/4 ostrich to 3/4 potato.
First day of 1/2 soloxine.  3 more every other day then done.
More staining on back right hock.  Sniffing all over the ground where he hadn't done that before.  Eating "stuff" where he hadn't before.  Had he lost his sense of smell?

Are russet potatoes high in starch which could lead to yeast issues?  Picking up red skin potatoes and swapping out.

http://www.thecookingdish.com/the-brown-russet-potato-vs-the-red-potato/

Red potatoes have less starch and more sugars than the russet potatoes (and are therefore stickier).

But the MSU elimination diet from February mentions white or red so we'll mix them.

Switching from rutabaga and introducing potato (russet).

Having to tape sock on his foot.

Bump where there are sores. More sores.  Licking inside of left leg- the dude's been coned @ 11:15pm.

Gouge on nose filling in.

Today's allergy levels:
Friday - 6/Medium
Grass and Sorrel/Dock.

Thyroid recheck done at vet's office.  Level was just slightly high at 5.8?? something.  Dropping Soloxine dosage from 0.9mg to 0.8mg twice daily.  Retest in 3 weeks.

Spoke with Dr. Jossens after reading Darby's perscription and looking at the Heska dosage sheet for Hydroxyzine. Going to 50mg 3x daily when needed (instead of 2x daily). 
 

BALANCED HOME-MADE ELIMINATION DIET FOR DOGS

5 pounds cooked potatoes, sweet potatoes, or rutabagas

1 pound cooked venison, ostrich, emu, rabbit, or duck

1 teaspoon Dicalcium phosphate (www.arcatapet.com, Item 13230)

5 tablespoons Safflower Oil (Hollywood Brand only)

1 teaspoon salt substitute (potassium chloride).

1½ tablets of Nature Made® Multi Max – Complete Multi Vitamin/Mineral Supplement with Iron

Feeding Guidelines:

Small Breeds – 12-20 pounds                         2/3 – 1 pound of food/day

Large Breeds – 50-80 pounds                         2 – 3 pounds of food/day

Antihistamines or steroids until September or October.  Told to try diphenhydramine 100mg.  Had already switched over earlier today.  Check to see if we can give Hydroxyzine TID instead of BID.  See Darby's prescription... same dosage for 65 pound dog and 92 pound dog but she gets 2-3 times daily.

Ordered part of the ingredients required for the diet.

Shave down tomorrow.

Neighbors Black Locus in bloom along back of yard. 

Today's allergy levels:
Thursday - 6.2/Medium
Mulberry, Oak and Grass.

Bath with Espree Oatmeal & Baking Soda Shampoo.  VERY ITCHY TODAY. Went after Panda.  Called, emailed MSU.

Showed Dr. Rosser this growth on May 19th (found May 13th).  Told to watch and remove if it changes.  Making an appointment... I want it off now.

Wipeout!