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I think our B is sick

Basenji Health Issues & Questions

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  • S

    Senior B who is not eating at all

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
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    S
    Unfortunately for us Maia has never done well with chicken, she loves it and eats it but it gives her diarrhea and seems to mess up her over all health. We did blood work again and her liver enzymes decreased by 30% which is great! Her actual health though is not so good so that is bad. We can get her to eat which is good, but the food control is not great salmon, ham(boiled a few times to remove the salt), breaded cauliflower, Mac and cheese. Whatever we can get her to eat. It’s crazy! We have her booked with a chiropractor to check her nerve function and we are ready to get prednisone going if it is ibd. We are working closely with our vet daily, she currently is on metronidazole and amoxicillin and gabapentin. Thursday I thought we were going to lose her and she has rallied. I hate optimism as I don’t do well with a broken heart but I am hoping for the best right now. She is on 2 billion probiotic per day as well. Every bite of food I can get into her I think, ok 1 more day at least. If I have to spend all day hand feeding her, I will. She is finally sleeping and twitching a little less! She is going up and down stairs ok, not great but ok and she is no longer falling over. We are far from out of the woods but I have seen some small improvements. Thank you all for your words, encouragement, advice and stories of what you have gone through. It is tremendous to me how kind you are. Thank you for taking some time out of your day and trying to help! We so appreciate it. Mai Mai means the entire world to us and every word, suggestion, or story we take into account and thank you so much for being such a loving wonderful community. With lock down and a sick pup we feel quite overwhelmed, so thank you!
  • R

    Sick Basenji :(

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
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    P
    I too am sorry for not seeing this thread sooner and hopefully the poster will return. My Basenji had some teeth removed and the vet prescribed Carprofen as the follow up antibiotic. My Basenji turned out to be allergic to Carprofen which caused her liver to fail. I went through the same scenario you are describing. She gradually quit eating over the course of several days and then her water consumption started to go down. The eating had me worried since she had an excellent appetite upon return from the vet and the final purging of the anesthesia from her system. Nevertheless, her condition started to degrade. I followed her outside and watched her urinate. Her urine was a very bright yellow. I suspected then a liver issue. Once back inside she was shivering - off to the vet we went. LIver panel blood work up showed very high on specific indicators for failing liver. Vet prescribed Denamarin (containing SAM-e and silybin). SAM-e helps protect liver cells from cell death and aids in cell repair and regeneration. The Vet also started fluid injections. Fluid injections were everyday for two weeks. My Basenji showed a remarkable response to the fluid injections becoming much more her normal self even after the first day. She hated the injections and I could hear her cry when receiving them at the vet (believe me that will tear you up). But she was doing better and she (me) were going to have to tuff this out. Also a different antibiotic was prescribed to prevent liver infection during recovery. The Denamarin comes in dosages based on weight (medium for us). It is the size of a large human like solid oblong vitamin pill. Instructions want you to give it on an empty stomach and preferably not to cut it or place in something similar to a pill pocket however you can if necessary. My Basenji would not take that size (can't blame her). Cutting and disguising it did not work either. I was frantic and got the SAM-e in powder form. I couldn't slip her that either. All though some folks had success with peanut butter and liverwurst. I finally after three days had to have the vet pill her along with her fluid treatments. A week later another blood sample and her liver panel indicators were coming down. The pilling would last for a month and it took two people to get the pill down her. The important part is - she fully recovered from the liver failure. She is 13 1/2 yrs old. My experience after having 5 Basenjis is that the breed is sensitive to medications (anesthesia also). Many of the medications work just fine in most other breeds and mixes. The vet, if not that experienced with the Basenji, must be cautioned. Mine was not. Before accepting any medication have the vet go over any contraindications with you and to double check their resources for potential side effects when dealing with Basenjis. They may switch to something else if a medication has a bad track history with Basenjis. Know what to watch for should your Basenji start to react in a non-positive manner. The poster did not indicate if there were medications in play when the dog started showing degenerating conditions. I sincerely hopes this helps in some way and helps other Basenji owners
  • N

    Sick puppy

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
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    DebraDownSouthD
    If you don't trust the vets you are seeing, please get her to a university vet for a second opinion. Have you talked to any of the other owners of the litter, or is she a rescue? When kennel cough is really bad, it can take months to clear up and the cough go away. She could also have allergies affecting her at night.. where does she sleep? Can you change where she sleeps to see if it's better?
  • P

    Sick Basenji

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
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    O
    Yes, Spencer is much better now, but he is still very thin. He lost six pounds. Even strong antibiotics cannot fight a severe abscess. I'm sure your vet found and resolved the problem under anesthesia, so that should put Egyn over the hump. SubQs and a few weeks of antiobiotics will hopefully get him back on the road to health. I had to feed Spencer critical care dog food through a syringe for several days after the surgery, then make him special soft food– the aforementioned meatballs-- for weeks after that. Good luck to you-- and positive thoughts to Egyn!
  • B

    Sick Basenji

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
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    B
    An update on Ben's condition. He had his teeth cleaned this morning and the vet had to remove several teeth. A large tooth in the back of the mouth had a cavity that went all the way to the root. He never lost his appetite during the whole ordeal or seemed to have any sensetivity of his mouth. I hope this is the end of the suffering he was going through. He was a rescue dog so we don't have the previous owners records as to dental care he had in the past. You can be sure he will be monitored from here on out for any sign of tooth decay or tarter build up. Thanks to everyone who replyed to my inquiry on Basenji health.
  • E

    Bathing your B

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
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    DukeD
    Gosh - Hope the vet helps Senji feel better. Duke gets a bath whenever he gets dirty - in summer, once a month. He's 1 yr. old. Right now, being winter - he doesn't get dirty because the ground is frozen. I don't know what would be a normal bath schedule for Basenjis. Sending a big wish to Senji for healing health.