Monthly bouts of Diarreah, etc... Please help...

[jenkshipley]

Dal was from a diary farm in Pa and he had clostridium P. It tends to show up when he's stressed. I might try 5 days of safeguard to rule out Giardia just in case since it wont hurt anything.

 

 

If you are going to treat for Giardia, make sure to repeat after three weeks!!!!!!

 

Jen

[Jimmyd65]

I'm with the brand or abbreviations. What is it exactly?

 

 

Proviable®-KP for Dogs & Cats Paste contains billions of beneficial microorganisms per daily administration, prebiotics, and additional ingredients to help firm stool

Helps normalize intestinal function and firm stools

Available in two tube sizes: Cats & Small Dogs and Medium & Large Dogs

Palatable paste is easily administered in a graduated tube packaged with Proviable-DC capsules in convenient kits

 

http://nutramaxanimalhealth.com/Products/Proviable-kp.aspx

[MrRipley]

I would try switching her kibble. I had Lok on Canidae, which most will agree is a good quality food, but he had loose stools or diarrhea every couple weeks and would occasionally have accidents in his crate. We switched to a grain-free food (Wellness Core, and now Orijen) and all of his stool issues cleared right up!

 

Same here! Rip's been eating Orijen, with a spoonful of canned pumpkin and a couple of chunks of cooked sweet potato. He had diarrhea ever since he came to me in February and went through all kinds of tests and treatments. Also, I add Prozyme and Total-Biotics. My other dogs eat raw, and I plan on switching him, but I'm scared... he's doing so well right now.

[Jimmyd65]

Layla update: We had her on California Natural for a while and she was getting weekly bouts. Pulled off and started on Orijen (6 Fish).. What a difference. She's been for the most part regular and firm. We're keeping our fingers crossed that we finally found something for her to enjoy. She really enjoys being fed now. Before she would just sniff around her bowl and pick here and there. Now she eats from beginning to end and has an extra bounce in her step...

 

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

[Sue R]

I have found for some dogs (I had a very picky eater who also had digestive problems) that finding a good food that the dog would (and could) eat well can be a challenge. I'm glad you seem to be on the right track.

 

As much as I love the ingredients in CA Natural, my dogs tended to be a bit loose on it - maybe too rich, maybe too much brown rice, who knows?

[jenkshipley]

[Layla (11 mos) has had monthly sometimes 2x per month bouts of diarreah. We've tried to narrow this down to either HW meds (interceptor) or Frontline. Vet insists it's neither.

Please comment as we're struggling to get her regular on a monthly basis.

 

 

 

Treat her with Panacur or Safeguard for five days and repeat for five days in three weeks. This will eliminate any parasite that your vet may have missed and quite a few are easy to miss.

 

Add a probiotic and an enzyme supplement or a vitamin supplement that contains both.

 

Bert's Zyme is reasonably priced and a good enzyme supplement.

Primal Defense is a good probiotic.

 

There is also Prozyme, Totalzyme and Total Biotic.

 

I have my dogs on a viatmin supplement now that contains both - Wholistic Pet Canine Complete.

 

Best,

Jen

[Jimmyd65]

Well the colitis is back... We've just added a new BC (Gus) to the family and I think this is causing Layla to have the loose stools. She's been on Orijen 6 Fish since the Summer. She's was fine for the most part. Loose stools now and thenm but now since Gus has come home she's having issues more frequently. She's playing hard with Gus and I believe this may be causing the problem. This morning her poop was fine (firm & perfect) at 6:30am. 7:30am loose w/mucus. This afternoon she had another BM with a bit of blood. Needless to say we're beside ourselves with worry. She's going back to the vet for the umteenth time on Friday morning. This time I'm insisting on a FULL blood panel. Please send some MOJO and any further suggestions for Layla.

[WildFlower]

Hi. I am sorry to hear that Layla is not well again.

 

Assuming that the stool sample from the vet comes back negative for worms and coccidia, I would ask about treating for giardia with Flagyl. It is extremely difficult to test for giardia but can cause on and off diarrehea.

 

Stress could be a contributing factor too.

 

Good luck!

[Lenajo]

You'd eliminate a lot of options with this if you just did the 5 day panacur treatment with a repeat in 21 days. The chances of this being undiagnosed parasites is quite high. And if it isn't, the likelihood of the panacur hurting her is very slim.

[luv2napp]

I've had the same problem with Lacee forever! I get her stomach under control and it starts again. Now, she's been on prescription E/N from he vet and Metronidazole, which has always worked in the past. It's not working this time. They tested for both types of parasites, negative. She's due for her annual this week, so I'll have them do a full blood panel on her. But I was going to ask about the Panacur. Is this something I can get without a vet? Also, I figure I should have her on some sort of vitamin supplement. Any suggestions? Wholistic Pet Canine Complete Jenkshipley mentioned. Is this a complete vitamin that I can give all the time? Also, I'm thinking, once I get through with the vet and ruling out everything, I'll try a different kibble. Lacee is 10 and I want her around for a LONG time!!

Sorry to hijack this thread. I was going to write something and saw that Layla was having the same issues.

[Alchemist]

My pup (8 months old) has had some of the same issues. He did have coccidia (twice), as well as a GI infection at age 8 weeks (we almost lost him then; IV for a day or two) but has since (multiple times) tested negative for coccidia. Giardia negative (one test), a more invasive (rectal probe - he really hated that) screen for parasites also negative. Some thought that his intestinal balance might have been disrupted by the antibiotics for the GI infection plus the Albon treatments for coccidosis, so we've twice now put him on Fortiflora supplements (which did seem to help). Pumpkin added to his kibble seemed to help but not to completely resolve things. His stools tend to be firm first thing in the morning, sometimes looser later in the day. Occasionally very loose indeed. And once in a while he has loose stools with mucus. He's been eating Innova ("large bites") since he was four months old, though when he develops diarrhea, we give him chicken and white rice or ground turkey (boiled) plus white rice. Or canned prescription "EN" food plus prescription "EN" kibble. The vet seems to think that he has stress diarrhea. I'm not as certain, as sometimes it doesn't show up until two days after we've taken him somewhere. We've eliminated all treats except grilled chicken breast from his diet.

 

Metronidazole (which we tried) make him vomit profusely, for many hours after administration. Won't go there again. Next time we're definitely going to ask about Panacur.

[bc4ever]

The vet seems to think that he has stress diarrhea. I'm not as certain, as sometimes it doesn't show up until two days after we've taken him somewhere. We've eliminated all treats except grilled chicken breast from his diet.

It's possible your vet is right. We had a terrible time with Scooter for a while--diarrhea, vomiting, etc. They could never find anything wrong. We came to the conclusion that his was stress induced. The year my father was dying, Scooter was frequently sick. Everyone was on edge and I think it affected him. We've had no late night visits to the Animal ER since my father died two years ago. Maybe something's going on in your life that you don't realize he's picking up on, or maybe "taking him somewhere" upsets him. They're very in tune with our moods.

[luv2napp]

I took Lacee in for her yearly check up last night. Also, to talk about her diarrhea issues. Well, as always, I came out confused. First, she test positive for Lyme disease, which surprised me, as I take all the precautions needed. So we're working on that issue. As for the diarrhea, he did blood work, etc to rule out any bad stuff and I talked him into giving her panacur just in case, even though her fecal was negative. Then he gave suggested Royal Canin for food. The digestive low fat brand. I was wondering if anyone could give me opinions on this. Dog food really confuses me, esp. with Lacee's issues. What do you feed a dog who has diarrhea issues? The vet said high protein. I know we need to stay away from grain. But there's so many dog foods out there! Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated.

[Anda]

Diane - Lacee and Ouzo have shared a lot of stomach issues throughout the years, on this board They were both on California Natural and I remember how neither of them would actually eat their food or enjoy it in any way. Ever since I switched to Taste of the Wild - we're now on the Alaskan Salmon one - he hasn't had issues - unless I feed him any pork or beef bones - I should stop it, I know! I even discovered recently that though I thought he was alergic to chicken, he tolerates raw turkey (wings or backs) really well. I tried it with chicken, too - but the results were so-an-so.

 

In other words - we're very happy with the TOTW salmon variety - no grain, high protein, and he really seems to like it. Of course now he's used to having topings, but a bit of shredded cheese does the trick and he licks his bowl clean.

[luv2napp]

Diane - Lacee and Ouzo have shared a lot of stomach issues throughout the years, on this board They were both on California Natural and I remember how neither of them would actually eat their food or enjoy it in any way. Ever since I switched to Taste of the Wild - we're now on the Alaskan Salmon one - he hasn't had issues - unless I feed him any pork or beef bones - I should stop it, I know! I even discovered recently that though I thought he was alergic to chicken, he tolerates raw turkey (wings or backs) really well. I tried it with chicken, too - but the results were so-an-so.

 

In other words - we're very happy with the TOTW salmon variety - no grain, high protein, and he really seems to like it. Of course now he's used to having topings, but a bit of shredded cheese does the trick and he licks his bowl clean.

 

Anda, thanks for responding. I remember now about Ouzo having issues also. It's been so long with Lacee that my head spins because I just can't remember when it started, what she's been on, etc. I do remember Ouzo liking cheese because that's Lacee's absolute favorite!! Maybe I'll get a small bag of TOTW salmon. BTW, does the fish make his breath stink? I HATE seafood, so giving salmon to Lacee might be hard for me to do. But it if works, I'll do it!!

[ZoZo]

Our female always seemed to have a sensitive stomach. She never acted sick, just had bad diarrhea. Blood work and tests for parasites always came back negative too. It was becoming expensive and frustrating while our vet didn't really have anything to offer except antibiotics. I started putting a small amount of food grade diatomaceous earth in both our dogs kibble everyday (which I read about on this board) and she's been fine for six months, which is a record for her. It is great stuff.

[debp]

luv2napp - I see that you are in Ashburn,VA. If you want to try holistic, I HIGHLY recommend Dr. Pam Grasso at Ashburn Farm Animal Hospital. She combines Western and Holistic treatments. I go to her with one of my dogs that has a few issues - one thing she recommended was a food allergy test. While a little pricey, it may be something that would be beneficial for your dog.

[Anda]

Anda, thanks for responding. I remember now about Ouzo having issues also. It's been so long with Lacee that my head spins because I just can't remember when it started, what she's been on, etc. I do remember Ouzo liking cheese because that's Lacee's absolute favorite!! Maybe I'll get a small bag of TOTW salmon. BTW, does the fish make his breath stink? I HATE seafood, so giving salmon to Lacee might be hard for me to do. But it if works, I'll do it!!

 

 

There's a bison variety (high prarie) as well - he liked it and did good for 6 months on it, but I think he does better and totally prefers the salmon kind which we started about 2 months ago - but since I still have bison kibble left, I combine them now. Try a small bag or sample, if they have.

 

And no, I haven't noticed his breath stinking The kibble is not very smelly - at least not for my nose

[luv2napp]

Thanks for the info, Deb. I think I have heard of this vet. I just might consider it if Lacee's issues don't clear up. I think I know I need to switch her kibble to no grain, but the protein and fiber have me confused. My vet says that since she's older, she needs lower protein. And the more fiber, the firmer her stools will be. I thought more fiber meant looser stools.

[Sue R]

Ah, the old fiber-and-stools debate! Fiber is often called the "regulator" because both a lack of fiber or a real overabundance of fiber (especially for a person/animal that is not accustomed to it) can cause looseness. But an abundant amount of fiber in the diet will tend to make stools bulkier rather than small and hard as in constipation, but also firmer than in the case of loose stools. As in all diet changes, take it easy and do it in stages to prevent digestive upset.

 

That is one reason why a bland diet like poached skinless, boneless chicken breast and white rice is often supplemented with cooked pumpkin, squash, or sweet potato for an animal getting over a bout of diarrhea. Bland and easily digested, combined with fiber, often does the trick.

[luv2napp]

Thanks, Sue.

[angel09]

I think that Frontline shouldn't cause diarrhea. In seven years of being a vet tech I have never heard of it. My dogs are on Nature's Logic and doing great on it. There are probiotics in the food and digestive enzymes also montmorillonite. My maltese used to eat her stool and she doesn't now, they have nice bm's and don't have gas. I know that there are ton's of dog foods out there it can be so confusing, just do your research.

 

The bland diet idea is great. I always recommend it to clients. You can try that if it clears up slowly switch her back to her kibble.

Have you thought about trying a raw diet with her?

[Alchemist]

My vet also suggested we add some fiber to Duncan's diet the last time he was in for diarrhea. Specifically, she recommended a teaspoon or so of Metamucil (the unflavored variety). I've found "plain" but it does have sugar in it. I'm thinking of switching to canned pumpkin (it's helped in the past, though it hasn't totally eliminated the diarrhea). And I'm definitely going to ask about Panacur next time he's in at the vet.

 

This week Duncan took the initiative of seeking out some fiber to add to his diet: he consumed a corner of a towel that I'd foolishly left on top of his crate. But I don't think this was the type of "fiber" that our vet had in mind.

[luv2napp]

I think that Frontline shouldn't cause diarrhea. In seven years of being a vet tech I have never heard of it. My dogs are on Nature's Logic and doing great on it. There are probiotics in the food and digestive enzymes also montmorillonite. My maltese used to eat her stool and she doesn't now, they have nice bm's and don't have gas. I know that there are ton's of dog foods out there it can be so confusing, just do your research.

 

The bland diet idea is great. I always recommend it to clients. You can try that if it clears up slowly switch her back to her kibble.

Have you thought about trying a raw diet with her?

 

A friend of mine has her two goldens on raw, so she gave me a sample to give Lacee. Funniest thing ever. Lacee looked at the food, looked back at me, looked at her food again, then gave me a look as if to say "what, you want me to eat that?!" So needless to say, it didn't work out.

 

She seems to be doing good on the Royal Canine for now. Of course, she's also on three weeks of antibiotics for Lyme Disease, which they found while doing blood work this past week. The good thing is, it's in the active stage, so we caught it in time to be able to treat it.

[IPSY]

Layla (11 mos) has had monthly sometimes 2x per month bouts of diarreah. We've tried to narrow this down to either HW meds (interceptor) or Frontline. Vet insists it's neither. She was back to his office yet again last week and he diagnosed her as having bouts of Colitis. Have to admit we were giving her some table scraps and we're totally off anthing from the table. Everything cleared up since last Thursday only to have her sick again this afternoon. (Frontline administered at 7:00am today). She also had a lesson with Sheep on Saturday afternoon and did eat some Sheep poo. Would this trigger her diarreah?

 

Also we had her spayed in February and moved her to adult kibble at the recommendation of the Vet. We have her on the Iams adult chunks. I don't believe this is the right food for her and we're currently researching other alternatives such as California Natural, Orijen and other natural brands.

 

Please comment as we're struggling to get her regular on a monthly basis.

 

Thanks,

 

I would try changing the kibble to a better quality one , but always do this slowly as not to upset her belly even more.

Try something with no grains , wheat gluten , or other fillers that are well known to cause stomach upset in dogs.

You can add some plain yogurt to her food, to help bring her stomach back to normal...

Some good kibble IMO are: Natures Variety , Ivo ...I also feed raw from time to time..This is a topic that needs plenty of research ...there is much controversy on this , but it does seem to work well for some dogs once the right formulation is found.

Also be aware of what treats you feed. These can be culprits as well...Omit them for a while , see if there is a change.

BTW , did you mention if you had a cat or if your dog can get to cat feces ? Dogs just LOVE to eat cat poop, and if they have internal parasites , your dog will too unfortunately.

Another idea , try changing from Frontline to Advantix , just to see if it is the Frontline. These topicals are by no way as safe as the manufacturer claims them to be. There are many side affects from these products. Diarreah is just one of them. I use Advantix on my guys , and had no problems .

I would also have some blood pulled for a comprehensive panel. I know some people may choose to run just a baseline , but I would do a full panel on her . This way you can have a full health report on her and have peace of mind if nothing else. IMO , it's worth the extra money.

If your vet doesn't seem to want to work WITH you , change vets . Don't take the "wait and see" approach .

 

Good luck...