BODIDOGG Posted August 8, 2002 Report Share Posted August 8, 2002 Hi, I was wondering if anyone had info on this topic. I had been feeding my dog Lucy Science Diet up until the age of 2 yrs where all of the sudden she developed severe bouts diarrhea when given processed dog food. I have tried everything from organic dry & canned food to even giving her boiled ground turkey, rice and boiled yams. Her stool is a weird yellow color, smells bad, and sometimes contains a reddish-brown oily residue(not blood). I have spent close to $1500 on vet bills visiting various vets who have ran many tests but cannot seem to figure out whats wrong. My mischevious fuzzy puppy went from 65 lbs to 45 lbs and is just skin & bones. If any recommend ANYTHING I will be forever in your debt. Thank you bodi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rendylredo Posted August 8, 2002 Report Share Posted August 8, 2002 If it was recent I would recommend chamomile or peppermint tea. I give them to the dog, the cats, and the kid when they have an upset stomach. Since yours has been going on for quite a while maybe you try another direction. RDM (Mr Snappy) and a few others feed what is called the BARF diet. I don't know much about it but several people on the board would. It is a diet of raw food (meat-bones-etc) and those that do use it say it makes for very healthy dogs. You would want to check with the vet and also find out exactly how it works. (I think it is described on RDM's rescue site) It is more work than the typical dog food but it probably is not anymore work than cleaning up after a sick dog. (and likely much more pleasent) Good luck and let us know how she is doing. Ren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PrairieFire Posted August 8, 2002 Report Share Posted August 8, 2002 The description you give of the stool sounds like coccidia - one would assume the vets checked for that, but it sometimes escapes "urban" vet's diagnosis... Otherwise, get the dog to a "major medical" facility like a major University's Vet Hospital... ------------------ Bill Gary Kensmuir, Working Stockdog Center River Falls, WI 715.426.9877 www.kensmuir.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PrairieFire Posted August 8, 2002 Report Share Posted August 8, 2002 By the way, before you do the RAW or BARF diet thing - check it out really well - there are a lot of pros and cons to it...like most "non-traditional" things...and you need to commit to doing it perfectly, all the time, so make sure you are ready fot that. ------------------ Bill Gary Kensmuir, Working Stockdog Center River Falls, WI 715.426.9877 www.kensmuir.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UpNatEm Posted August 8, 2002 Report Share Posted August 8, 2002 You said you spent $1500 and as stupid as this seems I'm going to ask-did they draw blood and check a chem profile for liver functions? Did they suggest a colonoscopy? When you said the stools were a weird yellow color are you still feeding yams?-Canned pumpkin and yogurt help for upset tummies but just temporary.And yams shouldn't be given daily or regularly.Also for coccidia and giarddhia even if not detected the vets will still see spirochetes of any small number and try treatment even if not obvious.I do the BARF diet but for your problem this would not be good unless you researched thoroughly,fasted a good day or two and start out simple and slowly.I wold also investigate searching for a natural health/holistic vet for options.Or go to yahoo egroups and join k9nutrition group and talk to Dr.Lew Olson.She is even great answering emails. Sue Barta www.bartasborders.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted August 9, 2002 Report Share Posted August 9, 2002 Like Bill G., my first guess would be coccidiosis or giardiasis. Both are caused by free-swimming protozoans that infest the GI tract. Both can cause the nasty stools that you're describing. While I'd assume that somewhere in those $1500 that you've spent there was at least one $15 fecal sample, it is possible for either or both of these conditions to be missed -- the protozoans aren't always shedding eggs at the time of examination. Having been through a bout of giardiasis myself, I can tell you that it will knock the wind out of your sails pretty good. I had no appetite, was badly dehydrated, and couldn't sleep because of the churning in my stomach. A healthy digestive system will simply digest these parasites, but at times the load is too great or the digestion is out of whack and they get established and start to multiply exponentially. Even if the fecals were clear, you might want to talk to a vet about treating for coccidia first, and then for giardia. I'm not sure about the medication for coccidia, but the medication for giardia is a potent liver toxin, so you want to avoid using it too often, and you should provide supportive therapy for the liver after treatment. ------------------ Bill Fosher Surry, NH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cholla1 Posted August 9, 2002 Report Share Posted August 9, 2002 The standard medication for coccidiosis is Albon, (sulfadimethazine), a sulfa that by the addition of that "di" keeps it from cristallizing in the kidneys as the first one used tended to, so it is relatively safe and only has the lesser of any sulfa's side effects. For giardia in dogs, Flagil is the standard medication and it is not as toxic in dogs as it may be in people. Both, coccidiosis and giardiasis can reocurr one or more times so we need to watch that dog closely for a time afterwards. Coccidiosis is normally very self limiting once it runs it's curse and most adults tend to not have any clinical symptoms when infected. The ooccist will stay in the ground for up to six months and can infect other young and succeptible dogs that ingest them. It would be rare that an older, healthy dog would have that. Giardia is limited to the waters it is trainsmited thru and is fairly fragil in the environment. Sorry that you had to go thru that, Bill. It really could be anything and your vet should keep investigating or refer you to a teaching veterinary hospital where they have the specialists that may help you in such cases better than a regular vet can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PrairieFire Posted August 9, 2002 Report Share Posted August 9, 2002 "It would be rare that an older, healthy dog would have that." Well, the 10 or so dogs that all seemed to contract it at a certain dog trial a few years ago would certainly be interested to know that... Bodi, see if fecal's were done, and even if they were, take 'em a new, particularly smelly one, a LARGE sample - it shouldn't cost all that much ($15-25)and specifially ask them to check for protozoans - and name coccidiosis and giardia... If the tests are still negative, contact a "major medical" center... ------------------ Bill Gary Kensmuir, Working Stockdog Center River Falls, WI 715.426.9877 www.kensmuir.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cholla1 Posted August 9, 2002 Report Share Posted August 9, 2002 Those "ten or so dogs that contacted that" had coccidiosis? Here the vets know when puppies come from certain breeders that some will have coccidiosis but the adults at those places don't. I am surprised that so may adults would have been symptomatic, but I guess that "never say never". Giardia, on the other hand, will cause an infection every time enough has been ingested. It is more serious and takes longer to get well from it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PrairieFire Posted August 9, 2002 Report Share Posted August 9, 2002 Yep. Folks think there may simply have been a virulent strain in either the creek, stocktank, or perhaps water buckets on this particular farm. I'm guessing the "stress and strain" of running a dog trial contributed to the "massive" outbreak as well...but it was too coincidental for that many dogs, from many different places, to get it from that particular source. Easy to cure, once all and sundry figured it out... ------------------ Bill Gary Kensmuir, Working Stockdog Center River Falls, WI 715.426.9877 www.kensmuir.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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