Both of my doctors as well as the vets have told me that yogurt and or probiotics are a good way to keep bacteria levels at a more healthy level while on antibiotics.

Our family doctor who is about as traditional as it gets medicine wise recommends yogurt daily for everyone, and extra probiotics for me.

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Both of my doctors as well as the vets have told me that yogurt and or probiotics are a good way to keep bacteria levels at a more healthy level while on antibiotics.

This is what I've always understood, but I'm not a biologist and start to zone out anytime I hear anything related to physiology kinda stuff .

I've only every done routine things with this vet, checkups, etc as Kota's never had any real problems *knock on wood*. With this incompetence I'm starting to doubt all the blood tests we've done through this vet, heartworm tests, etc. Granted this is the vet tech I spoke with today, but still...

I live in a town that houses second best vet school in the country and I cannot find a REAL holistic/raw friendly vet. This vet advertises holistic healing, yet they send me reminders for such minor things like the bordatella vaccine, and recommend me to websites like this: http://www.petdiets.com/ when I tell them I feed my dog a raw diet. ARRRGGG. Phew now that I got that off my chest, I'll be okay

"yogurt question was about keeping good bacteria while on antibiotics... they say no yogurt will not help keep bacteria while you are using an antibiotic."

They are SO wrong about probiotics not being able to help replenish (not exactly "keep") good bacteria while on antibiotics. That is a surprising lack of knowledge for someone in the health profession who is allowed to speak to the patients. JMO.

There are timing protocols, etc., but that statement was simply wrong. And as Jennifer says, this is not information that only holistic doctors and vets know and pass on. This can be found readily in vet manuals published in the last 5 years or so as well as The Internet Journal of Nutrition and Wellness, Science Daily, UPI.com, and uncountable other resources.

The statement that the vet staff made is stunning. My own doctor would be amazed at it.

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They are SO wrong about probiotics not being able to help replenish good bacteria while on antibiotics. That is a surprising lack of knowledge for someone in the health profession who is allowed to speak to the patients.

Good, I thought I was crazy. I thought I remembered being told to eat lots of yogurt when taking antibiotics for a uti. I'm making an appt with the raw-friendly, minimal/no vaccine vet tomorrow and do his bi-annual one month early (not a problem for me). It's just that this place is a good hr away since the rd I take to get up there is getting re-paved. There are at least 20 different clinics in town, and I pick the one with idiots running it .

 Quote: Jennifer Skeldon

Of course a dog who eats actual fat is going to have more fat in their poop. Do you have a copy of this article, this seems interesting?

Well, actually, the relationship is not that simple. For example, as I recall, olive oil in the same quantity did not produce the same fecal lipids. There were six different diets, I think, and meat was the one that made for the most fecal lipids. (Of course, that's the one that applies here, and the vet should have known that.)

So you will get the % lipids in the poop? I know you will be going to a better vet, but meanwhile it would be good to compare the results, because of some (rare) health problems that present with more stool fats.

I will dig that study out tomorrow.

Okay, so I took him to the vet out of town. Fats are 'normal' for a raw-fed dog, she didn't bother with percentages...a dog should have fat in his poop is how she explained it. As far as bacteria. She told me he had an excess of clostridium, which looks like safety pins under the microscope. She also explained there was a lot of other bacteria but it was a healthy mix, not a cause for concern...just the clostridium. The prescription is for metronidazole aka flagyl, 16: 500 mg pills, 2 per day. She explained most dogs always have some in their poop, but Kota has TOO much to be considered an imbalance. She also said this prescription is more specific to clostridium than ammox. Is this true? Or did she just tell me this to go back to her instead of the other place? .


I also spoke with the other vet. The reason she prescribed ammox is "because you learn in vet school to treat bacteria with ammox" yea that gave me confidence in her. She also said that if I wanted to check what type of bacteria I would have needed to ask for a culture. (Sarah Morris pmed me and told me that should have been recommended to me in the first place) I asked her why it wasn't mentioned or just done...she said they NEVER send out for a culture unless the dog is in dire condition, dehydrated, emaciated, etc. I was pretty upset, and everyone in the (tiny) waiting room heard it. I asked why clostridium was not found in the fecal (had the 2nd vet fax over the findings saying YES clostridium is the problem). She gave me the runaround saying there was bacteria...but it had not been written down. She also couldn't give me a range that it was out of normal for either the bacteria OR the fats. *Sigh*. I also asked why a 'holistic' vet would prescribe an antibiotic without looking at all health aspects of my dog, or even questioning them. Then let her know I would not be returning to her practice.


Hopefully all will be well when this round of antibiotics is done...I looked up metronidazole... and its side effects: neurological problems, liver problems. Yippee I love to take these kinds of chances with my dog.

P.S. All of the above is MHO only, and I'm NOT a health professional.

QUOTE: I asked her why it wasn't mentioned or just done...she said they NEVER send out for a culture unless the dog is in dire condition, dehydrated, emaciated, etc. I was pretty upset, and everyone in the (tiny) waiting room heard it. END QUOTE

GOOD.

eta
SHAME ON THEM.

Edited by Connie Sutherland (02/27/2009 11:46 PM)
Edit reason: eta

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All of the above is MHO only,

Well it is a well respected opinion, and I always appreciate your help. Thanks for helping me figure out a tough/annoying situation