Can Gastriplex and Immugen be used together to control IBD in a 10lb dog? What will be the dosage? My dog is been having excess burping, gas, stomach gurgling noises and orangy stool.
I started her 2 weeks ago on Wellness Simple Solutions duck and rice canned formula; and I add some cooked oatmeal to it. so not sure if she might not be tolerating the new food.
Also, my dog is currently on prednisone daily; her last IBD episode was 3 weeks ago when we tried tapering the prednisone too fast. Can the Gastriplex and Immugen be used with Prednisone? Thanks for your time.
Hello,
Gastriplex and Immugen can both be used together, they have completely different actions on the body. Immugen is an immune modulating supplement, which helps the system normalize. It should not be an issue while your dog is on Prednisone. Gastriplex has the proper probiotics to help limit inflammation and irritation in the gastrointestinal system.
You can offer 1 capsule twice daily of Gastriplex and ½ capsule daily of Immugen. While your dog is on Prednisone I would also recommend Hepagen-C with milk thistle. Long-term prednisone can cause liver values to increase and milk thistle is an excellent supplement to maintain liver health. Best of luck.
Regards,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA
Followup Question:
Dear Dr. Smith:
Thank you for your prompt response. I was told last time that I could give 1/2 capsule twice daily for gastriplex for my 10lb yorkie; is that too low? Should it be 1 capsule twice daily? Would the bacon flavoring affect her GI at all? Can I still give her the probiotic she’s currently on?
She’s on prednisolone which is the metabolite for prednisone; so I don’t think I would need Hepagen-C unless the vet is planning to keep her on pred for a long time.
I am giving her Gentle Digest probiotic and Nordic Omega 3; so i am trying not to give her too many things.
Hello again,
Gastriplex can be given for a small dog from ½ capsule up to 1 capsule, it may depend on the ease of dosing the dog for you. The bacon flavor should not be an issue, but start the Gastriplex at a lower dose and increase to the full capsule over a few weeks. Gastriplex does contain probiotics, so depending on what your other probiotic contains, it should not be a problem.
It doesn’t matter if prednisone is taken or the metabolite prednisolone, they both have the same detrimental effects on the liver. Milk thistle is commonly recommended to be taken with steroids no matter how long the duration of the steroid.
Regards,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA