Two Weeks Later

Friday we gave Miles his last dose of Metronidazole, so we thought. He was doing well until Sunday. He started getting a little sick, so we ended up giving him a half of a pill. He did have some diarrhea & threw up once, but it was the first time in 2 weeks. Miles has gained 4 pounds in the last 2 weeks. That is fantastic! His litter mate is up to 43 pounds & Miles is up to 38 now. He's catching up! I'm hoping if we have to keep him on the pills, he may only need half of a pill every other day, which is not bad at all. He does seem to still be doing paw chewing every now & then. I do remember our Vet saying the allergy symptoms can take about a month to subside though. 

At the end of last week Miles did have some leg pain/weakness. He was playing hard with Riley & their pal, Vena when I noticed he started limping. He slammed into the patio table & wouldn't put any weight on his back left leg. I carried him in the house & rubbed his leg for a minute (which he liked & seemed to help). He limped around the rest of the night but has seemed fine since then. 

We have been working with him on his fear of people non stop. It's going well, just slowly. I take him everywhere I go. When I picked up my son & his friend from the movie theater I brought Miles with & he sat in between the boys with no issues. Glen & I took him over to our friend's house where there were other adults & kids. Miles was shy but seemed to warm up to everyone. He explored their house & ended up falling asleep on their couch. My parents came over with their 4 young kids & Miles did hide in the corner most of their visit. He seemed to get comfortable with my youngest sister, who is 4, and my step mom. He has a long way to go but is making improvements every time he is around new people. We are very proud of his progress.

One Week Later

I am happy to report that only one week after starting Miles on Royal Canin Hypoallergenic HP dog food Miles is feeling much better! No more vomiting, no more diarrhea. I haven't seen him limp or seem weak in several days. We suspect he wasn't holding his food in long enough to absorb any of the nutrients to help him grow & develop. Over the last week he has gained 2.6 pounds & his back legs look like they've doubled in size! Miles seems healthy, strong & happy! The only issue I've noticed (and it just started back up the other day) is paw chewing. I hope he's not having a delayed reaction to this new food.
In one week we will be taking him off the Metronidazole. He is currently taking 1/2 a pill once a day. Hopefully nothing will change when we do this. If Miles starts to have issues again, he will remain on a low dose of this medicine for a while, maybe permanently.
I am so thankful that Miles is able to take daily walks again, play with his brother Riley & is no longer having rough days. This weekend Miles even had a doggie friend over to play. It had been about a month since the Vet quaranteened him from other dogs since we didn't know if he had something bacterial (contagious). I'm so happy to be able to have him around other dogs again!

Miles' Diagnosis

We have a diagnosis! This IS food allergies. Blood work & urinalysis came back pretty good, except for the white blood cells were elevated. Usually this is a sign of parasites or food allergies. Since we've tested for every possible parasite, this has to be allergies. Miles still has the issues with his back legs where he seems weak, he limps & sometimes they just buckle & he can't walk for a minute or two. The Vet is hopeful that he will grow out of this since he is only 7 months old. The Vet is also very hopeful that he will grow out of the food allergy. In 2 weeks when he is used to his new food we will try to take him off the medication (antibiotic that curbs the diarrhea & inflammation). If his symptoms go away he will stay on his new prescription food (Royal Canin Hypoallergenic HP). If he is still having issues he may need to stay on a low dose of the antibiotic for a bit longer. This new food is $82 for 25 pounds!

The Vet did have a talk with me about Miles' behavior they observed. They are concerned that being quaranteened from other dogs set him back on the socialization that puppies need so badly. He was very fearful & nippy with them. The nipping is not a behavior I've seen before. He does seem to cling to us & be shy or fearful with others. So, the Vet gave the all clear today & Miles can be around everybody! We took Miles to the Dog Park today without his doggie brother, Riley. We wanted to see how he would handle the situation on his own. Miles did wonderfully. He ran & played. He did not stay close to us. He roamed & visited people as well as dogs. So, we will be taking him everywhere to get him used to people, as well as dogs. He has displayed no issues with other dogs at all. So, I will be asking my family & friends for lots of help on this one. We may need to stop over to different houses & get him used to all sorts of people.