# Snorkels is puny; I think it might be the Fortiflora



## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

She took an antibiotic after the gummy bear incident and her wheezing started, and the vet said she should take probiotics and sold me fortiflora.

So the last three days she's not been sick but not her normal self, and I took her in to the vet. Her heart is fine, her arthritis isn't bothering her, and her bloodwork was great. 

The only thing I've been doing different is the fortiflora. The first ingredient is animal digest. It also has salt in it (WHY???). And a bunch of minerals like zinc, copper, calcium, and sodium selenite.

And THEN i read that it's for diarrhea. I know probiotics are supposed to help the overall digestive process, and antibiotics are supposed to cause diarrhea. Of course that never happens with snorkels. She's been struggling to poop lately, so maybe it's causing her to feel bad.

It says it's manufactured by Nestle Purina PetCare in Missouri but it doesn't say where the animal digest comes from. I think tomorrow I'll call and ask. I need a better probiotic.

I should never listen to vets when it comes to stuff like this. I know better. The vet tells me she should take it all the time because he thinks it boosts immunity. But she doesn't have an immune problem that I know of.

but on a good note,, her senior blood panel turned out fine - no sign of any kidney, liver, etc. problems.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

I've had so much trouble in the last 4-5 years with stuff that the vets have given me that I just have automatically started refusing anything they want me to take for the dogs. If they wanted her on probiotics for the antibiotics, I'd have just gotten some Stonyfield Farm yogurt or something like that. My dogs have had no problems eating that the few times they've had antibiotics. For immune boosting, I had Chelsy on a senior plus vitamin once a day and that was it. She got extra liver, too, but that was to help her poop!

The one vet was determined to put Rocky on Metro every time the dog had the least little bit of runs, the other vet thinks dogs need to be dewormed every 6 months on a regular basis, another one thinks they need vaccines up the wazzoo, another one wants round the clock Frontline on them........ it's a wonder the dogs aren't walking toxic waste sites.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

chowder said:


> I've had so much trouble in the last 4-5 years with stuff that the vets have given me that I just have automatically started refusing anything they want me to take for the dogs. If they wanted her on probiotics for the antibiotics, I'd have just gotten some Stonyfield Farm yogurt or something like that. My dogs have had no problems eating that the few times they've had antibiotics. For immune boosting, I had Chelsy on a senior plus vitamin once a day and that was it. She got extra liver, too, but that was to help her poop!
> 
> The one vet was determined to put Rocky on Metro every time the dog had the least little bit of runs, the other vet thinks dogs need to be dewormed every 6 months on a regular basis, another one thinks they need vaccines up the wazzoo, another one wants round the clock Frontline on them........ it's a wonder the dogs aren't walking toxic waste sites.


yes, dang it. I am wondering if I picked the right vet. I felt stressed when I left today, and I never felt that way with my vet in Indiana. I also let him give her a shot of Metacam when I shouldn't have. Because her anal glands were full and there might have been some irritation. I am kicking myself over that one.

I DID refuse another round of antibiotics (for what??? beats me) and a suggestion to put her on Rimadyl for some reason I still can't figure out.

Man, I have to grow some cojones.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

i think vets, like doctors for humans, can be intimidating....

i don't know that you don't cojones...it's just that maybe it's your beloved dog on the table and you get tongue tied...

when i go to my doctors....i write it down first when i'm not working myself up into a blank or onto the ledge, depending on the day.

that way, i just hand them a piece of paper with my questions or thoughts and then i can just stare off into space.

i will say that fortiflora is crap...there are better probiotics........since i don't feed dairy, i don't use yoghurt but there are better products out there.

think of vets and doctors as a tool...like a hammer or a screw driver. they have their uses but when done, put them back into the box.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

yes and I was all ready to argue about raw food! Dang it. He came at me from another direction and I wasn't prepared. 

Never said a word about the raw food - in fact, he even said about the BUN thing on the blood test (it was a little high) that was normal for a dog fed raw food.

No more fortiflora, for sure. She's just not herself and that's the only thing I am giving her that I haven't been giving her for months.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

xellil said:


> Man, I have to grow some cojones.


Don't beat yourself up! I had to lose two dogs in one month to vet errors before I started realizing that they didn't know what they were doing and really started questioning them. Even then, I let them fill Rocky with all the puppy vaccines and neuter him too young. I think I've finally grown my 'cojones' now! :biggrin: I didn't let them do too much to Chelsy in the end and I don't let Rocky and Shade near them except for the yearly heartworm check. If they ever get sick, I will do tons of research before any kind of medicine is given to either of them or any surgery is done. 

My husband was just given a human medicine for back pain that made him horrendously sick ...... the doctor didn't give him any warning that it could happen but when I looked it up on line, it was a well known side effect. We flushed the prescription pills and he took aspirin. "Trust no one" :biggrin:


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

chowder said:


> "Trust no one" :biggrin:


Good motto. I will either have to get another vet or accept the fact that he's a pill pusher and learn to say no.


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