This is off-topic. It is for dog owners only.
Those who have read this blog for a long while know that I have a dog and a cat, and I take very good care of them.
Ever since I got my big mutt named Mitzi, she has had a tendency towards diarrhea. As a puppy, she had giardia, which is a fancy way to say that her intestines are prone to diarrhea.
For a year or so, I took her to the vet and almost always got a prescription for a pill called metronidazole. That always works for her.
Then the woman who boards her when I travel told me a secret. Metronidazole is sold over the counter and online as Fish Zole. It is used to cure bacteria in fish (i.e., the kind in aquariums). I have since ordered it online, saving huge amounts of money in vet bills and prescriptions. And it works. Although Mitzi hates taking pills, I wrap them in roast beef or cheese or bologna. No problem.
I don’t have many helpful hints, but this one is a winner.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
LOL! Maybe your bologna and cheese wraps are the problem…just kidding! I love my babies too, and they get the occasional “human” treat!
LikeLike
She has the diarrhea before she gets the pills. Her favorite wrap is sliced turkey. The point of the post is that a very expensive prescription drug prescribed by vets is available at low cost as a generic.
LikeLike
No longer a dog or cat owner but I plan to share this with a friend who is a great vet who thinks it probably OK if “it works.”
Her own dog is fading fast, in spite of chemo and other extraordicnary care. The food her dog loves, and is now getting twice a day: McDonald’s hamburgers, plain on a bun.
LikeLike
When our furry companions (really, family members) are elderly and ill, I’m all for giving them what they like and will eat.
Our last cat got lymphoma. Between the coordination with and frequent visits to his excellent veterinarian, he lived three years (he was on varying schedules of a chemotherapy drug and cortisone). All he would eat his last two years was chopped raw calves liver, and chopped cooked shrimp. But he was comfortable, and the vet said “Hey, it’s working, and he’s obviously doing as well as can be expected, so keep it up. He’s already way surpassed the average life expectancy of a cat with this type of lymphoma.”
Fortunately, unlike a lot of cats, he was easy to pill. He was a very mellow cat. Even my friends who normally don’t like cats, loved him.
When his quality of life eventually took a nosedive, and I had to have him put to sleep (really, difficult as this is, it is the last gift we can give our fur-children), several vet techs came up to me, with tears in their eyes, and said “He was the nicest cat we have ever dealt with.” Everybody loved him, and he loved everybody.
LikeLike
Zorba,
I lost a very beloved dog to lymphoma. It is a terrible, insidious disease. We tried everything to save her. We too kept her going for three years but it was a terrible ordeal for all of us. We kept saying we would fight as long as she could enjoy her quality of life. Sadly, it happened so slowly that we refused to see it. When we finally let go, the poor beloved dog had long ago lost her quality of life.
LikeLike
Diane, I know what you are talking about. Our cat had a very decent quality of life, and I like to think, at least, that he did not suffer, at least until he did, and then I had him put to sleep. In my lap, petting him, while the veterinarian administered the drugs.
I have had to do this for so many pets over the years.
And it always seems to be me that it falls to. Not that I object- I don’t like it, but it seems to be more difficult for Mr. Zorba than it is for me, despite the fact that he’s a scientist.
Ah, well, that’s the way it is. I cannot stand to see our companions suffer, and I believe that we do them a favor to end their suffering when it’s time. But I also like to think that I have a pretty good idea of when that time has come.
LikeLike
FINALLY… a delightful, helpful post that isn’t political. You should have more of these. Your CONSTANT Trump-trashing posts are frequently unprofessional and getting boring. They are often so vicious and biased that the credibility of your periodic outstanding educational posts is unfortunately diminished for many of your readers.
LikeLike
Joanne,
I am sorry that my posts about Trump annoy you.
I am suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome. The thought of this bully, braggart, and liar becoming president of the United States sends me into alternating states of rage and depression.
The fact that he wants to abandon public education—the subject of this blog—is further illustration of his ignorance and his disconnect from the lives of most Americans.
I can’t wait for this degrading election to be over.
LikeLike
Diane, just ignore the nay-sayers, especially the pro-Trumpians.
It’s not you that is suffering from “Trump Derangement Symdrome,” it’s them. And Trump himself, the biggest “deranged one” that there is.
And if they can’t see this, too bad for them.
LikeLike
Frankly, Joanne Y., I would call Trump himself “vicious and biased.”
And if you cannot see that, I feel sorry for you.
In any case, I think that Diane does a great job, and if you don’t like some of what she posts (after all, it’s her blog), either start your own blog, or go elsewhere.
Namaste.
LikeLike
dianeravitch & Zorba: since “frequently” doesn’t necessarily mean “always/all the time/habitually” I would appreciate an example or two of your postings about Donald Trump that are not (in the commenter’s opinion) “unprofessional” and “boring” and “vicious” and “biased.”
Links, please.
😎
LikeLike
Clarification: that is, I would like the commenter to provide the links.
My bad. Apologies to all.
😎
LikeLike
If you want to meet Mitzi, our beautiful 100% Muttheimer, I posted two pictures of her on Twitter. Of course, it doesn’t really show how gorgeous she is.
LikeLike
My dog was prone to diarrhea because he had Inflammatory Bowel Disease, IBD from the time he was a puppy. The main symptom was diarrhea. Part of the problem was too much of the wrong kind of vet care. Too many antibiotics. And too many foods with preservatives in them. I read an article in “Whole Dog Journal” called “Turning Down the Flame” by the owner of Animal Essentials Greg Telford. I began giving him photomucil, now called Colon Defense and I switched him to a raw diet and avoided all antibiotics and preservatives and he slowly became a completely normal dog. He did have relapses from time to time. Heartworm meds, and topical flea/tick meds would bring back symptoms. And I convinced my husband to give him pumpkin as a treat instead of stuff like chips which would bring on diarrhea. Anyway he was a normal dog for the last 10 of his 13 years when he died of mainly IBD. So I’m heartbroken but I did the best I could for him. During the last year he had difficulty starting with a procedure to remove a couple old dog skin growths and an epulis in his mouth. After the surgery he had antibiotics and later a drug to combat “inflammation” metronidazole. Later I learned this drug was an antibiotic and I figured it might be a problem because he wasn’t getting better and the drug kept being renewed. And he got an anal gland infection, one of the side effects of IBD and the chronic diarrhea. So when they were going to anesthetize him to put antibiotics directly into his anal glands, I also asked my vet to do a fecal transplant. Naturally his hair was on fire as I also insisted on discontinuing metronidazole. And after that he has weekly checks of his anal glands until they were fine. And several months later they were OK and I thought my dog was OK until very rapidly he went downhill and over a day he died. So I’m heartbroken.
So why am I telling you this story? Because I’m wondering if the cause of your dog’s diarrhea is IBD and modern veterinary medicine based on antibiotics and chemical preservatives.
Actually I think these dogs are rare and usually end up in a shelter or in a backyard by themselves because they are difficult to live with. You have to get up in the middle of the night every night to take them out to potty so the owner has sleep disruption. And they can’t be left in a crate while the owner goes to work because…diarrhea. And they get other problems like anal gland infections, hot spots, ear infections and compulsive eating behaviors which entirely disappear after the cause is found and the sources of sensitivity are eliminated. He had a relapse of IBD after a rabies shot once that lasted for a couple months. After that I insisted he get no more rabies shots and he got annual waivers from vaccination from my vet. I contributed to the Rabies Challenge Fund to extend the legal Duration of Immunity for the shot. Again my vet’s hair was on fire.
In many ways these dogs are a labor of love and advocacy for them. Question. Love. Advocate.
Take care, Patricia Herrmann
Sent from my iPad
>
LikeLike
Patricia,
It is amazing how much we love our animal friends.
I have often thought that if every child had the same love and devotion, it would be a far better world.
LikeLike
While I think that it’s great that we love and care for our furry friends so much (with some exceptions), you are absolutely correct about our children.
LikeLike
My last dog was named Mitzi too! Give her a kiss on the nose for me.
Giardia, btw, is an a parasite, an infectious protozoan (not a bacteria). Many animals carry it with minor or no symptoms, but giardia can cause serious and long-lasting problems for humans. That is why hikers are advised not to drink out of even clean-looking streams, because if beavers or other animals have pooped in the stream, there could be giardia in the water. Just adding this comment in case there are hikers on this list. Hope your cure for Mitzi works.
LikeLike
Thanks, Gayle, the giardia comes unexpectedly and is cured–temporarily–by fish zole. She can go months without it, then suddenly it recurs. I never feed her table scraps. Just dog food. Her diet is very regular. But as you said, it is a parasite, and we have learned to deal with it.
LikeLike
Dog food is of course not the mainstay of a healthy body. Dogs like humans need real food.
LikeLike
A little secret for those whose dogs spit the pill out while savoring the baloney.
Drop the pill in his mouth and blow on his/her nose stimulates a swallowing reaction.
Bringing it back on topic, this EPI post tells us what we already know about how to destroy American Public education.
http://www.epi.org/publication/teacher-employment-and-the-number-of-jobs-needed-to-keep-up-with-enrollment-2003-2016/?mc_cid=06c9263629&mc_eid=a20f783394
LikeLike
Have you tried “Pill Pockets” Diane? They have them at most pet supply places and are made just for dogs and cats who need daily medication – they work great.
LikeLike
Thanks, Gary.
LikeLike
I have another helpful hint for pet owners. I have 2 cats and a dog. A friend told me that she adopted a much older dog from the Humane Society who could barely walk. She took the dog to an acupuncturist and the dog walked with ease following the treatment. My cat has arthritis (confirmed by our vet). Glucosamine offers little relief and our cat barely moved. My cat has always been grouchy and I thought the chances were slim that he would tolerate acupuncture. Well he squawked when the initial needle was inserted and then totally relaxed. This week he has actually been able to jump up on his chair. The vet recommends 6 treatments and the price is reasonable.
LikeLike
Diane, your posts on education provide some hope when the news internationally and nationally is disheartening. I will vote for Hillary, I hope she does not continue Obama’s policy of supporting Charters and privatizing education. Your posts keep the spotlight on education with facts. Thank you
LikeLike
Reblogged this on NANMYKEL.COM and commented:
Very valuable post, as all yours are!
LikeLike
A good tip! I’ll use it. But remember, metronidazole is an antibiotic. Improper use boosts bacteria in the environment by increasing their ability to resist treatment. So it’s critical that dog owners continue the course long enough (probably 10 days, I’m not a vet) to kill the bacteria. Also important is that metronidazole is much to strong and allopathic a treatment for most diarrhea.
LikeLike
David,
I am not a vet so I’m not licensed to give medical advice. My tip was based on the fact that vets prescribe this for diarrhea at a high price (last time it was a trip to a vet emergency room that cost over $200). I have a professional dog walker who boards Mitzi when I travel who told me I can buy the generic online. So far, great results. Works for her. Her stool is back to normal in only 1-3 days. I never do a 10-day course. Not necessary. By the way, when I had a dog with lymphoma–a deadly disease–nothing worked.
LikeLike
Diane,
We have the same issue around drugs for humans. What is often most needed, antibiotics like Ampicillin for bacterial infections, is least available to humans, because of the cost of the drug and the need for a prescription –another cost factor, since it requires a visit to a doctor.
Long ago, the poor amongst you, like me, who could not afford health coverage, a doctor’s visit or a prescription, figured out we could take Fish Mox instead, which is the very same antibiotic, buy the same producer, but very low cost and for fish. I buy it online for a fraction of what the same drug costs humans!
Just shows how warped our market-based health care system for humans in the US really is.
LikeLike
Homeless educator,
I totally agree. Many years ago, I urged that governments make prescription drugs available as inexpensive generics. I wish I could remember where I wrote that. The response was that cutting the cost of drugs would kill R&D. That’s a good place for government to invest–and the Gates Foundation–so that all people have access to inexpensive drugs
LikeLike
Thanks for going to bat for us, Diane, but the process is rigged in favor of big Pharma.
Not long ago, I saw an economist say (I believe on Moyers & Company) that the horrible irony about R&D in the pharmaceutical industry is it’s actually the government that primarily pays for R&D, but the company then gets to own the product and patent and the government gets no cut from the sale of that product when it goes to market.
“most original research is done at universities and government agencies such as the National Institutes of Health.” The process of drug companies profiting from publicly funded medical research and how the system has been rigged to keep US citizens paying more than the rest of the world for drugs are described here:
“The Lobbyist Who Made You Pay More at the Drugstore”
http://billmoyers.com/story/the-man-who-made-you-pay-more-at-the-drugstore/
LikeLike
Homeless Educator, Mr. Zorba is a scientist who receives federal grant money, as do most of his colleagues. He has been saying this for years about the original R&D that Big Pharma gets for free because of the federally funded research. Yes, the drug companies have to pay for the clinical trials when they test their drugs on humans, but they get all the original research for free.
The United States is also basically subsidizing the cheaper drugs that most Western nations provide to their citizens. Those nations negotiate with the pharmaceutical companies. Our government is, by law, not allowed to. So they pay less for drugs, and we pay more. This hardly seems fair, but the drug companies have powerful lobbyists here, as you noted. So we are scr*wed.
LikeLike
My wonderful dog, Trowser, who passed away 4 years ago, also had chronic diarrhea when we got him as a puppy. The vet recommended W-D Canine dog food. A little costly, but worked like a charm. He stayed with that dog food for 11 years, no diarrhea.
LikeLike
Thanks, Carol. We too use the WD dry food, but with giardiasis that is not sufficient. Amazing how we love these animals.
LikeLike
A pill mixed with peanut butter on the end of a finger works as well as or better than almost anything else. And is cheaper besides.
Remember the wisdom of Groucho. ”Outside of a dog, books are mankind’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read,”
LikeLike
j1mcrawford, you are right about the peanut butter for pilling dogs. I have used that with our dogs in the past.
Didn’t work with the cats, though, at least, not our cats. 😉
LikeLike
Ive worked in veterinary medicine for more than 10 years (before becoming a teacher) and realized that you have to be careful of over the counter medication with veterinary medicine. Dogs and cats have vastly different reactions to medications than humans. Always give medications with the direction of a vet, and for giardia, make sure that a fecal float is done to confirm diagnosis. Vets are prone to just hand out metronidazole for diarrhea, but it could be something more serious than giardia. if its reoccurring diarrhea, you should press for further diagnostics to rule out diseases like cancer or irritable bowel disease.
LikeLike
Vet Tech,
You are right and I demur to your superior knowledge.
I paid top dollar for metronidazole when it was prescribed by a vet.
I was pleased to learn that I could buy the generic online at a fraction of the cost.
LikeLike
glad to hear it! Im all for saving a few pennies with generics, as long as there arent any surprises in the medication…
Like i give my cat half of a zyrtec every day for allergies…
LikeLike