Hello,
 
I really need help here.  My vet has given up on my poor, baby Paleface; I
have not.  To be brief: Last July, Paleface had an ulcer.  It was treated
and apparently healed.  Off and on throughout the winter, his symptoms
returned.  We treated as needed, with varying success.  During this process,
it became evident that Paleface had an enlarged spleen.  Finally, after many
failed attempts at diagnosis and treatment, the vet suggested removal of the
enlarged spleen.  The spleen was removed, and when she was operating on him,
she discovered a blockage which she also removed.
 
Despite the operation, Paleface continues to be ill.  His stools are
sometimes dark.  Sometimes they are grainy.  Nearly always they are small in
volume.  Sometimes they appear constipated and segmented.  Other times they
are mucuousy.  He is very lethargic.  Sometimes he grinds his teeth a
little.  His appetite comes and goes.
 
Since the operation, he has been treated with enough Amoxy to cure the
plague (for nearly two months with a week or two break in between).  He was
also on Metronidizole for one week a few weeks after we stopped the amoxy.
He recently underwent a battery of tests: all bloodwork was normal.  The
x-rays and barium studies did not show anything amiss, and he even had an
ultrasound (normal).
 
Please, please help me.  I love my boy, and I don't want to see him sick.  I
suspect that he has some sort of gastrointestinal disorder, but I don't know
what it might be or how it should be treated.  Can you suggest any
additional tests or treatments?  I would rather not subject him to surgery
again; he is five and one half years old.
 
Thank you.  You can e-mail me at [log in to unmask] and/or respond on the FML.
 
Gina and the Three Muskyteers
[Posted in FML issue 1632]