Diet

Intolerance

Diet is probably the most significant factor influencing Dalmatian health: human health too of course. Getting the right amounts of vitamins and minerals, and building the capacity to utilise them once they're in the stomach, are vital to sustaining a good quality of life. With that in mind there are some “foods” which don't deserve the name.

Rolf was in kennels for a fortnight recently, which is longer than usual. Rolf loves the kennel where he stays, they are lovely people and they treat him well. However, for at least a day after he comes home, his bowels are a mess. His stools are yellow and sloppy, and he's into the emetic qualities of grass in a big way (you know what I mean). It's happened at most of the kennels he stays at so we've put it down to the stress of the car journey.

Two days before we could pick him up we got a call from the kennels suggesting Rolf needed to see a vet. His front shoulder, elbow and wrist joints had ballooned. He was in pain, and not particularly mobile. The kennel's vet said he'd never seen the like and gave him painkillers and an anti-inflammatory injection. Our own vet added antibiotics to the mix because by the time we got him back Rolf's temperature was 104°F (normally 101°F) and he couldn't stand up without help. She suggested that the fluid on Rolf's joints could be an autoimmune reaction kicked off by an underlying infection.

After ten days Rolf hadn't responded to the antibiotics as well as he should have. The symptoms were not as gross or upsetting to see, but he still had symptoms and a temperature. The Vet was anxious about what would happen to him when the antibiotics wore off. She suggested steroids to treat rheumatoid arthritis. I've met humans medicated with steroids, and wouldn't wish it on anyone. Again, absurdly optimistic about the benefits of dietary supplements, we refused the steroids and decided that if he wasn't significantly better after a week on a supplemented diet, euthanasia would be the kindest goodbye. I dosed him up with Glucosamine Sulphate, EPA rich concentrated fish oil, vitamin C, and provitamin A (beta carotene), and sardines which I'd previously removed from his diet because of worries about purines. In two days he was looking bright and pain free. After a week, he is hugely better. Though still not quiet his old self, he runs up and down the garden comfortably, and is improving by the day.

I don't know what is making Rolf well. I don't have a right to use him as a guinea pig to discover what makes him sick, but intuitively I feel that his dips in health are associated with changes in his diet. The main factor, I believe, is wheat cereal which I stopped giving him at home when it seemed there was an association with bouts of joint stiffness. I suspect that the kennels may be using a cheaper kibble than they need to. However, it may be that he is really, really sick, and all we are witnessing is a period of remission, but if I am to discover if there are dietary triggers for his bouts of rheumatism I will need to be methodical in my observations. If anyone else can share their experience of a similar condition, or food intolerances, in their Dals I would greatly appreciate their information.

Sardines

Previously I've mentioned sardines as part of Rolf's diet. I'll explain why they're in there. WARNING: Sardines are extremely bad for some Dalmatians. Read more on the risk of Kidney Stone on our Health page.

Over 6 months ago Rolf, was suffering distress relating to contact and movement of his jaw and front legs. After a blood test my vet said there were indications that it could be Eosinophilic Myositis and that Rolf's condition could be controlled by drugs but would, never the less, deteriorate. We didn't go for the drugs. Call me naively optimistic, but sardines help with arthritis in some humans, and I understand arthritis and EM are autoimmune dysfunctions, so based on that paper thin connection I gave him a tinned sardine in his feed that night, and every day since.

The indications that he was uncomfortable had lasted nearly a week before I settled on the sardines. He was back to his cheery self within two days. Last week (six months later) the vet complemented us on Rolf's unfeasibly youthful appearance and bounce.

Coincidence, probably, but I've kept the sardines as part of his diet and mine.

Hmmm...

What we feed Rolf and what he eats are not the same thing.

we feed him

Fish and Rice Kibble
Weetabix (no longer)
a Sardine (WARNING: Sardines are high in purines, read about Kidney Stones)
Live Yoghurt
Various raw fruit and veg

he eats

All of the above and ...

Chocolate, fish food, acorns, pine cones, sweet wrappers, anything on a plate, cigarette butts, anything that falls on the floor, anything with sugar coating (pills are kept well out of reach), material stuck to the bottom of the trash can, and [worst of all so far]: anything that's come out a cat's bottom.

Dalmatians are scavengers, and this characteristic is the one that creates the most frustration and outright embarrassment.