Dear Doctor.... I have a 14 year old Basset hound named Floppy. He suffers from chronic back pain, vomits periodically, drinks a large amount of water and has lost his normal appetite. My Vet thinks he is turning diabetic so he performed some tests to find out. What do you think? should I just let it go the way it is? ... Mrs. Shirley.

Dear Mrs. Shirley... can you give me a detailed report of Floppy's day from the time he wakes up to the time he sleeps. Include the food he eats, the treat you give him, the amount of water he drinks (cups), his exercise schedule. Also, please send me a copy of his last blood test (include the diabetic screen test).

Dear Mrs. Shirley... Thanks for sending all the things I requested. Let me break it down to a couple of components. 1. I noticed the the amount of exercise he is getting is quite sufficient. However, may I suggest that you refrain from letting him climb stairs or jump around when he gets excited. You mentioned he gets tired easily (his back probably limits his energy output) 2. The amount of water he is drinking is just a little excessive. 3. He is 18lbs overweight, you have got to address this immediately... enclosed is a detailed calorie planner based on his food.

In terms of treatment for his back problem pain killers should be reserved for extreme situation. I would go with a more holistic approach like acupuncture... my experience with this procedure is enough to convince me that it can work for almost 80% of back cases. I know you are probably skeptical but the worst that could happen is that it won't work. Furthermore, a two times a day dose of 200 mg. of glucosamine and chondroitin would stop the back from deteriorating. Lastly, I would do massages at night to stimulate circulation and make sure his bed is comfortable and warm to make it easy for him to wake up in the morning.

With regard to his blood test.... His blood urea nitrogen(30mg/dl) is on the high normal category. Also his CPK is slightly elevated(600mg/dl)..This enzyme is usually found in skeletal and heart muscle tissue. I believe Floppy might be suffering from mild hypertension which would explain the high BUN and the elevated CPK... please check the salt content of Floppy's food and get back to me. As your Veterinarian stated, Floppy's diabetes test is negative for now but if he does not lose weight he might end up being diabetic. It is important you let your Vet monitor his blood chemistry periodically to keep on top of the situation. As with many illnesses if diagnosed early, simple treatments are usually all that is needed to control them. Also it is crucial to establish a good relationship with a local Vet because Floppy is still very young and the fact that he is having problems now means it is likely he will continue to have problems throughout his life.

Based on what you told me, the vomiting is probably due to food induce pancreatitis. Maintain a constant diet to avoid this, one lower in salt is recommended. Also, feed in small quantities to decrease the work load of the pancreas. It might also benefit Floppy if you supplement with natural enzymes to decrease the pancreatic workload, avoid feeding spicy food or anything to rich enclosed are a few dietary suggestions you might consider.

With regards to his hypertension (high BUN, CPK) dietary control of salt is key. If you want a more holistic approach 200mg of Vit.C and 250iu of Vit.E twice a day would probably result in a 10% decrease in his BP measurement. This should be enough to control his BP...... good luck, keep me up to date with his progress