Max WITH LIVER DAMAGE & YEAST INFECTION TROUBLES

August 9, 2006 - Story Submittal:

Begin Chronological History
For the last several years, Max has been showing elevated liver enzyme levels in blood tests, indicating liver problems. General care through our vet in Pleasant Valley, NY first brought this condition to light. A biopsy of his liver was suggested, but declined. The Vet explained it could be hepatitis, a common problem in older dogs of the black lab breed.

In July of 2005, a large "carbuncle" type growth on the back of Max's rear left leg became large enough to cause concern. It was oozing pus and appeared infected. An office visit to the Vet confirmed this. He was prescribed antibiotics and scheduled for surgery to remove the carbuncle growth at the end of his antibiotic treatment. In a few weeks in early August 2005 the carbuncle growth was surgically removed.

August 2005: Two weeks after surgery, Max was experiencing skin problems with infected pustules breaking out on his belly. His belly was itching and Max was scratching constantly. He began to smell bad. Max was again taken to the same Vet where he was again prescribed antibiotics and Prednisone, a dangerous glucocorticoid class hormone that can affect his liver. His itching subsided, and the infections appeared to be clearing.

Mid September 2005: A few more weeks went by, (now September) and the problem returned. This time he was taken to a Pet Hospital in the Town of Poughkeepsie. Blood was drawn for testing, and skin scrapping were taken to look for mange and parasites, with none found. More antibiotics and prednisone were prescribed. This new vet called a few days later and stated that Max's liver enzymes were high. They had jumped from an average 300 prior to the previous surgery to now in the 500-600 range. (Prednisone liver damage was suspected).

October 2005: Several weeks went by with Max in what seemed like a remission from his itching skin infection problems. Then he started itching and scratching again, with copious amounts of hair falling out. The skin on his belly was bare and peeling like when a human has a bad sunburn. His ears were nearly bald. I found a spot on his back where loose hair was sticking out in a clump. I gave the hair a small tug, and a large patch of his fur and skin easily came off about 3 inches in diameter, leaving a large circular hole on his back covered in yellow pus. It smelled bad too. This shocked me and I thought maybe he had a ringworm infection. Max was again taken back to the pet hospital where a ringworm test was done and this proved negative. The area of the infection on his back between his front shoulders was clipped, and topically treated with hydrogen peroxide. The vet said his immune system appeared impaired due to his high liver enzymes indicating liver problems. More blood tests were ordered in a search to rule out cancerous tumors in the lymphatic system, and an ultra sound was scheduled to look for any mass on his kidneys or liver. All turned out to be negative. So, more antibiotics and prednisone were prescribed again.

I questioned the vet about the safety of this line of treatment and was told this was how it was done in these cases. It was suggested by the vet that maybe he was having allergic reactions to his environment or food. I dismissed this suggestion because Max had been on the same IAMS dog food for years and his environment had not changed either. In addition they prescribed Marin and Denosyl, food supplements with vitamins and antioxidants to aid the liver.

It was discovered at this point in a blood test that Max had a low thyroid problem and the hormones that are usually produced were flat (missing). He was prescribed Soloxine to help. The vet bills were mounting and my finances were feeling the pinch. We had spent over $2,000 from August to October, and Max was still sick. Tests done by the vet came back from the lab and the vet ruled out many other possible complications causing his liver problems and suggested Max had acute Hepatitis C (non contagious).

Max was taken home and given medicated baths, topical treatment with peroxide, oral antibiotics, prednisone, Marin, and Denosyl as prescribed daily, until these medications were gone. I had also clipped the fur on his throat, as another infection was found there. In the ensuing month, Max made a remarkable turnaround. The itching stopped, and the hair grew back on his ears. His belly seemed to be healing nicely too. We thought it was finally over but, this was short lived optimism.

December 2005: The itching came back, the smell came back, and the infections came back. I was skeptical about going back to the vet clinic again, as all the money we had thrown at this problem had not helped. I began treating Max with once a week medicated baths and topical treatments of hydrogen peroxide, and various anti-fungal medications sold over the counter for athlete's foot, ringworm, and jock itch. He had been chewing his legs to the point where they went bald and bloody. We had no choice but to put a large plastic cone over his head and onto his neck. The cone covers his head and prevents him from chewing on his body. He seemed to be responding to these topical treatments in that it kept the smell down, and when pustules broke out, they were healed quickly.

Mid January 2006: Max did not recover. He seemed to be getting worse and going down hill with his health. The topical treatments were no longer helping. Max was suffering with itch and odor. In desperation, he was taken back to the vet at Pet Hospital. More blood tests were done. More antibiotics and prednisone were ordered. I protested, but again was told, there was not other way to treat this. The vet said Max was fading fast and that we might consider his future and his suffering. To me this was a veiled suggestion of putting Max down. So, we put max back on the medications along with Soloxine, Marin, and Denosyl, and continued with the baths to keep his condition in check, but he was not improving nor worsening, as time went on. He is lethargic and lays around all day sleeping between fits of attempted scratching.

Late February 2006: A follow up visit to the vet and further consultations revealed Max was diagnosed with chronic liver hepatitis. It was explained that this was why Max had recurring infections, and that it was due to his compromised liver functions, and immune system. I was told he had to stay on Soloxine and Prednisone for the remainder of his life, and his life expectancy was not good. Max was taken home and his medications were continued. He started to look worse and his suffering had not subsided.

Late March 2006: I started to research his problem on the internet, and came across a site called NZYMES.COM. They had a great amount of information about Systemic Yeast Infections in dogs, what causes it, and a program they've developed to help clear the body of the yeast & toxins that produce the symptoms. They showed how antibiotics can hinder the repair process and become the major culprit that kills off the friendly bacteria flora in the intestines, giving rise to a runaway overproduction of yeast growth, a type of fungus that antibiotics do not kill. The friendly bacteria found in the intestines of animals and humans help to keep the yeast growth in check, or in balance. Once the overgrowth of yeast penetrates the intestines and enters the blood stream (leaky gut syndrome), skin infections in dogs occur where excessive biting and chewing goes on, scratching, hair loss, pustules, horrific odor, etc. They warned that vets often prescribe prednisone for the itch and inflammation and that this often contributed to a further breakdown of the GI tract. They also pointed out that prednisone has been shown to cause liver damage that worsens the condition.

They described a multitude of symptoms and many matched exactly what Max was going through. They offered products and detailed a Healthy-Skin Program that (also) required a change in food. They listed many foods that had to be eliminated because they were high in starchy carbohydrates which can feed the yeast growth. They recommended a high multi-protein meat-based diet from within the recommended foods list.

The customer testimonials at their site, and there were many, seemed remarkable. I read everything and then printed it out and read it again a few more times. I then ordered the Large Healthy-Skin Kit which included a combination of their high protein, vitamin enriched NZYMES® Antioxidant Treats and NZYMES® Granules, OX-E-DROPS, Tincture of Black-Leaf(a black walnut olive leaf herbal solution) plus the BacPak Plus pro-biotic supplement powder for regeneration of friendly flora in the intestine, all to add to Max's food.

Mid April 2006: I took Max back to the vet for a general exam and discussion with the vet about the NZYMES.COM print outs. The results of his last blood test for liver enzymes indicated that they had climbed over 1,200. Max was holding his own, but not getting better. He smelled bad and would still break out with open sore infections that were immediately treated with peroxide and antiseptic ointments which healed the sores quickly. His legs were bald in places. His ears had patches of fur missing. (see photos below)

They said I would receive the yeast kit products in a few days. I announced to my vet I was going to try this holistic approach to Max's problems and that I believed he had the "leaky gut syndrome" as described on the internet site. I also informed the doctor that I had taken Max off of all antibiotics and prednisone, as I believed it was doing more harm than good. I would continue Max on Soloxine to assist his thyroid condition as well as Marin and Denosyl to help his liver. The vet seemed genuinely interested and asked that I keep records of Max's progress. I left the NZYMES.COM print outs with this vet, and he indicated he would read up on it, while explaining to me that veterinary schools do not teach about food and holistic approaches to this kind of skin disorder, they teach only medicine.

April 20, 2006: Max was started on the NZYMES® Health-Skin Kit supplements today according to the strict instructions that came with the kit. He is given 4 NZYMES® treats per day, 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening. He is given Ox-E-Drops in his food and water as recommended. He is also given the NZYMES® Granules in his food. We were instructed to wait 2 weeks before giving him the Bac-Pak Plus pro-biotic supplements to promote healthy flora. These first two weeks are described as system cleaning time. We are warned by the instructions that his condition will worsen before he shows signs of improvement, and that it could take 3 to 7 months for complete healing.

This is a photo of Max after 1 month into his new NZYMES YEAST PROGRAM. His condition is at its worst, as predicted. Note the hair loss on his rump, legs, and belly. His head and ears are also bald. (Click Photo for Large Image)

This photo was taken on June 5, 2006. Note some new hair growth on his ears and legs. (Click Photo for Large Image)

We continued Max on his Iams dog food diet because the nutritional content statement on the bag appear to be similar to that given for the more expensive foods recommended by the NZYMES.COM site, and instructions that came with the kit. Little did we know this was a mistake.

Mid May 2006: Max's condition has gotten much worse, as the instructions predicted it would. Though it does not happen to all dogs Max experienced diarrhea the first week as part of his internal cleansing. Most of his belly hair was now gone. His ears, head, face, and neck are bald with the skin blackening. He has patches of fur missing from his hind quarters and legs (see photo). The smell is horrific and his weekly baths have not seemed to help for more than a day. There is dried yellow crusty pus all over his back beneath his fur, but surprisingly, no open sores. It's as if the yeast infection throughout his body is oozing from every hair follicle of his skin. We continue to spray him with an Ox-E-Drops 2% solution in all the infected areas multiple times per day. We expected this condition to happen, but not this bad. It scares us and we wonder how long it will take.

Late May 2006: No improvement whatsoever. We have decided to get the food recommended by NZYMES.COM. We located the second listed brand (recommended foods) stocked locally by an animal feed store. Max took to it right away and seems to love it. We continue his daily care as instructed.

June 5, 2006: After about 3 months, Max is finally starting to show small signs of improvement! Hope at last. His hair is starting to grow back on his ears, and the ear skin color has changed from deep black to gray. His baths continue once a week and are controlling the smell now for 3 days before it comes back. Some hair growth is noticeable on his belly (see photo).

June 18, 2006: The re-growth of hair is definitely happening. We removed his cone from his head for awhile today. An hour went by before he started biting his hind legs again. The cone went back on. Still an improvement, though. A few weeks ago, it took only minutes with the cone off before he started biting and chewing his legs. The odor hasn't stopped except for a few days after a bath. I now mix several medicated dog shampoos together to increase the benefits of each into one solution. The shampoos that are mixed together are: Sulfadene Shampoo (contains sulfur and coal tar), Malaseb Shampoo (anti-fungal), Chlorhexiderm 4% Shampoo (antiseptic), and Johnson's Baby Shampoo. To this blend, I add an ounce of Tincture of Black-Leaf solution, and an ounce of Ox-E-Drops (2%) solution. After lathering Max over his entire body, getting it all down to his skin, I leave it on him for 25 minutes before rinsing. (NOTE: This is NOT the Nzymes.com RECOMMENDED PROCEDURE for shampooing). This is proving to be an excellent method and he stays clean now for a week before the smell comes back. The occurrence of the pustule outbreaks have thinned to only a few on his back between baths.