I caught the vet at 6.30pm yesterday to discuss Paddy's test results from his gastroscopy and colonoscopy.
His colitis doesn't have a bacterial or parasitic cause, and is consistent with an "irritable bowel syndrome" type of colitis. I asked what the options are now - basically, as expected, diet management and control, but luckily, he thinks steroids would be inappropriate.
So: lots of inconsistencies and a few scary stories from the vet.
Food suggestions - he wants me to put Paddy onto the Royal Canin sensitivity dry food.
This is a bit of a "to and fro" exchange from here on in.
I explained that (i) the vet's partner had first told me that dry food was less digestible than wet and that dry food was the most likely cause of Paddy's problem - a tendency to problems exacerbated by eating dry food he couldn't digest; and (ii) if this was the case, how was going back to a dry food (albeit a "sensitivity" version) going to help? He said that it was equally as digestible as the wet canned Royal Canin sensitivity food I've been buying from him at £2 per can. I asked if that was the case, why didn't he put Paddy on it from the start and save me the money? No answer.
I also told him that Paddy just won't eat dry food willingly and I'm unhappy at the thought of making him miserable, unless it's truly the best/only realistic way to sort out his condition.
His follow up suggestion? Feed Paddy on "Chappie" - lots of dogs with stomach problems thrive on it for some (unknown) reason.
I asked about Aloe Vera juice - didn't mind but had no positive experiences and no research to his knowledge.
I asked about Nzyme powder from NatureDiet - he said it was a waste of money - would only help dogs with impaired pancreas function and the pre- and pro-biotics would all be killed in stomach acid before getting to "populate" the gut.
I asked about (deep breath....) BARF and raw feeding: he went very slightly potty, said it wasn't possible to get the balance of nutrients right and he'd had several dogs in with campylobacter poisoning who were fed raw, one of which suffered a lifelong problem as a result. When I reappeared from my bunker, I asked if he could be certain that (given the multiple possible sources of CB) it was raw meat that was the problem - he said "99% sure".
I explained about the many experienced owners on here who feed BARF and have reported extraordinary improvements in their dogs and he didn't want to discuss it - no evidence, too hard to digest....
I have to say that, while I can't fault my vet's thoroughness, I've never felt any kind of empathy with him and I feel as if there are valid points in what he's said but also some glaring holes - and this fact makes me question the other points which seem valid. I am so confused and just don't know what to do for my lovely little dog - who has put on 200g in a week and grown half an inch taller and an inch longer while on this tinned food after five weeks of nothing doing!
As a "holding pattern" to buy some thinking time, I've bought another dozen of the tinned sensitivity food. Anyone got a magic wand to wave the problems away???
So what the hell do I do now? I feel frozen - scared to go forward in case I trigger another episode, but I can't stay where I am....