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Steadywag
Theo

Diet history

A full diet history is one of the first things a liver specialist asks for, and most families can't answer it from memory. Use this form to build one for your own dog: fill in what you know, mark what you don't remember, then print it or send it to your vet.

Researchers are studying whether dietary copper contributes to liver copper buildup, which is why the diet before diagnosis matters most.

Everything you type stays in this browser. Nothing is sent to a server or saved in the cloud, so on a shared computer, use Erase my answers when you finish. Skip any question you can't answer, or tick I don't remember. The export keeps those two apart, because "not answered yet" and "couldn't recall" mean different things.

This is Theo's example, not your dog's history. His answers are filled in and nothing here is saved. The ones from his records are marked From his records, and the questions his records can't answer say Not in his records. Using this for your own dog? Start with a blank form.

Start a blank history for my dog

10 answered · 0 marked don't remember · 8 not in his records · 14 still blank (of 32)

1. About the dog

Optional. It stays on this device.

Where your dog came from

2. Puppy diet

Brand, exact product name and flavor (beef, chicken, salmon and rice), and the type: canned, kibble, freeze-dried or raw.

In months or years.

3. Adult diets, in order

One row per diet, oldest first. Medical records usually start at diagnosis, so earlier diets need your memory, an online order history, or photos of old bags and cans.

Where Theo's rows come from

  • Diet row 1: family recall, as the family told the nutrition service (written into the Aug 2, 2023 consult). Not a medical finding, and not checked against receipts or labels.
  • Diet row 2: family recall, as the family told the nutrition service (written into the Aug 2, 2023 consult). Not a medical finding, and not checked against receipts or labels.
  • Diet row 3: from a medical record (the Aug 2, 2023 nutrition consult).
  • Treats and human foods: family recall from the same consult. Not a medical finding.
  • Supplements: from his medical records (his medication lists and the nutrition consult).

His puppy diet and anything before June 2021 are not recorded anywhere.

4. Treats

Brand and product name if you can. If you can't recall one, look in your pet-store order history, or photograph the package.

5. Chews and specific products

Has your dog been fed: desiccated meat or tendon products?Not in his records
Has your dog been fed: desiccated liver used as a training reward?Not in his records
Has your dog been fed: bully sticks?Not in his records
Has your dog been fed: hooves?Not in his records
Has your dog been fed: rawhides?Not in his records

6. Before the biopsy

What led to the liver biopsy?From his records
Was the raised liver enzyme result a surprise?

For example, found at a routine check, or before anesthesia for dental work or a spay or neuter.

A short summary is fine.

7. Water and home

Are there copper pipes in your home?
Where does your drinking water come from?

Researchers can look up local groundwater analyses with this.

Have you had a water analysis done?
Do you have a water filter system?
Electronic scent dispensers at dog level in your home?

8. Medications and supplements

If copper was 600 ppm or higher: has your dog had copper-binding (chelation) treatment and a change to a lifelong copper-restricted diet?From his records

Dietary, vitamin, joint and herbal supplements, and holistic remedies. Include what, for how long, and where you get it.

Your history: Theodore

About the dog

Dog's name
Theodore
Your name
Not answered
Dog's age on the biopsy date
About 4 to 5 years old (born 2018; biopsy on March 10, 2023)
Year you got your dog
Not answered
Dog's age when you got them
Not answered
Where your dog came from
Not answered
State where your dog has lived for the last 6 years
Not answered
County
Not answered

Puppy diet

Food fed as a puppy
Not in his records
How many months was puppy food fed?
Not in his records
Age when you switched to adult food
Not in his records

Adult diets, in order

Each diet, with brand, formula and how long it was fed
1. Prepared formulas (type not stated in his records) · The Farmer's Dog, plus Solid Gold SeaMeal Kelp-Based Daily Supplement · Beef, Chicken and Pork recipes · June 2021 · November 2022 2. Home-cooked, batch-prepared by the family · The Farmer's Dog Do-It-Yourself Nutrient Mix for Dogs (1 packet per batch) · Boiled chicken breast, rotated every 3 days with sauteed 93% lean ground turkey (turkey since March 2023); 12 oz cooked vegetable mix of white rice, sweet potato, kale, spinach, green beans and/or zucchini · November 2022 · August 2023, when the nutrition service recipe replaced it 3. Home-cooked · Recipe from a university veterinary nutrition service · Chicken breast, egg, white rice, fish oil, multivitamin · August 2023 · Current

Treats

Specific treats
1. Freeze-dried chicken treats (Simply Nourish Source High Protein Grain Free Freeze Dried 100% Real Chicken) · 3 treats every 2 to 3 days · From December 2022 to Not recorded. The consult classed it as a raw animal product and advised avoiding it. 2. Low-fat cheese stick (brand unknown) · From January 2020 to December 2022 3. Eggs · From December 2022 to March 2023, the end of the period the consult covers 4. Cottage cheese, 2% milk fat · From December 2022 to March 2023, the end of the period the consult covers 5. Various other human foods (not listed) · From January 2020 to March 2023

Chews and specific products

Desiccated meat or tendon products
Not in his records
Desiccated liver used as a training reward
Not in his records
Bully sticks
Not in his records
Hooves
Not in his records
Rawhides
Not in his records

Before the biopsy

What led to the liver biopsy?
Raised liver enzymes
If liver enzymes were raised, did your dog have symptoms?
No symptoms (January 2023 specialist report).
Was the raised liver enzyme result a surprise?
Not answered
Medical history before the biopsy
ALT was 366 in November 2022, 863 in December 2022 and above 1000 on January 13, 2023, with no symptoms. A liver supplement (Denamarin) was started in November 2022. After imaging and tests, a laparoscopic liver biopsy on March 10, 2023 showed mild chronic hepatitis with copper accumulating in liver cells (959 micrograms per gram, dry weight): copper storage disease.

Water and home

Are there copper pipes in your home?
Not answered
Where does your drinking water come from?
Not answered
If municipal: city, county and state
Not answered
Have you had a water analysis done?
Not answered
Do you have a water filter system?
Not answered
Filter type
Not answered
Electronic scent dispensers at dog level in your home?
Not answered

Medications and supplements

If copper was 600 ppm or higher: has your dog had copper-binding (chelation) treatment and a change to a lifelong copper-restricted diet?
Yes
Heartworm prevention (product, and for how long)
Not answered
Flea, tick and parasite prevention (product, and for how long)
Not answered
Other medications
Current medications in his records: Cerenia, Atopica (cyclosporine), Penicillamine, Prednisone, Fenofibrate. Heartworm, flea and tick prevention are not in his records.
Dietary, vitamin, joint or herbal supplements, and holistic remedies
1. Denamarin (liver support) · Started November 2022. Not on his list after early 2023. · From the history in the first specialist consult. 2. Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) · Started January 2023. Injections in early 2023, then daily by mouth. Not listed after 2023. · From the February 2023 report and later notes. 3. Zinc (part of the original home-cooked recipe) · Started August 2023. September 29, 2023. Stopped on the specialist's advice. · Zinc was removed from his diet on the specialist's advice while he takes penicillamine. 4. Multivitamin and fish oil (part of the home-cooked recipe) · Started August 2023. Current. · From the nutrition service recipe.