Hi Fred,
I'm not a vet but everything you've described sounds very much like a severe
case of "the gulps". You'll find lots of information on this in the Berner-L
archives, just do a search on "Gulps".
I haven't done the diagnostics that you have, but I have an 11 y.o. bitch
who's prone to allergies and has had Gulps since she was a youngster. They
got worse over time and got better and worse seasonally along with her foot
licking. There were periods when I was up with her all night long for weeks
on end. :(
I was able to address her seasonal allergies with some basic supplements and
get her off the pred regime during her worst periods, spring & fall. That
process reduced the frequency and severity of her Gulps a great deal.
With that success as a springboard, I finally took the plunge and switched
her to a totally BARF diet so I could control ALL ingredients. (We realized
early on that specific foods would set off the Gulps in a flash, and it only
took a morsel!)
In the course of refining her diet, I discovered that she is so sensitive to
soy that most brands of Vit E (which is typically derived from soy) will
trigger an attack. Beef, buffalo, wheat, most cruciferous veggies, and a few
other things will as well. BTW~ Food allergies often develop over time so
the food a dog has been fine on previously can suddenly become problematic.
Also, food manufacturers tend to change their ingredients over time so the
food can change without you knowing it. I found this by reading the label on
the super premium kibble I'd used for years.
The good news is that with her seasonal allergies under control and her diet
under control, my old girl's virtually gulp free! The only exception is if
she's put on some medications, such as antibiotics.
If she does have to be on a medication that's a trigger, I give a Pepcid AC
COMPLETE once a day (Berry flavored chewable, be sure to crumble it up before
giving). The "Complete" contains a conventional antacid for quick knockdown
AND a drug that reduces the production of stomach acid. It's VERY effective.
For longer term use such as the presence of an inoperable mast cell tumor,
the regular Pepcid AC is usually given daily.
FWIW~ Based on the resports of many owners, there appears to be a connection
between allergies and gulps. "Gulpy" dogs often have other outward symptoms
of allergy (foot licking, hot spots, yucky ears, etc). Also, when the
allergies are worse, the gulps are also worse, in frequency and severity.
My *inexpert* theory is this:
In an allergic reaction histamines are released (known). The histamine
triggers an increase in production of stomach acid (known). This excess
acid (and possibly reflux) results in what we see as "the Gulps" (theory).
(BTW~In terms of your workups, the level of eosinophils circulating in the
blood also increases as part of an allergic response (known).)
The pred will give you quick knock down of an allergic reaction and the fish
& potato diet should address a food allergy. If you use pred down the road,
do keep in mind that it's very hard on the stomach so it can be a juggle
between the benefit of the steroid and the possible aggravation of the
irritated stomach problem.
Assuming that there isn't some acid trigger going on (excessive stress and
mast cell tumor are possibilities), I'd expect that Mick will be doing very
well in no time. Once he's gulp free, go VERY slowly at reintroducing food
items, treats, and supplements if you use any.
Keep an eye on his footlicking, if it continues while he's on the fish &
potato diet, there's a good chance it's due to an environmental allergen
which you may not be able to eliminate. In that case, there are some very
benign supplements that can be very effective in dealing with the allergy.
If you're interested, I can share the protocol that's been successful for my
girl for several years now. I have no financial interest in any of it and
was quite the skeptic...trying the supplemental route as a long shot to avoid
routine pred. Wasn't I surprised to find that it actually worked!
-Sherri Venditti
