Upset tummy

[BoulderCody]

My poor guy seems to have a sensitive stomach and a couple times a month gets diarrhea. As a result, he sometimes poops in his crate while we're at work during the day.

 

Any idea as to what might be the cause and things we can try to make his tummy happier in general?

 

He likes to eat things he finds in the yard so my theory is that he chews things that make him sick... could stick eating do it?

[Guest maya's mom]

Boiled chicken or beef mixed with rice is what I feed Maya if she has been sick. Do 2-3 parts rice to 1 part meat. And be sure to boil the meat, and this will get the fat/grease out of it. I feed this until we have had 2 straight days of solid stools and/or no vomiting. You may need to feed a little more than normal, as this isn't as filling or nutrient rich as food. Once you are back on food, you could also start mixing pure canned pumpkin in with it if you notice stools getting soft again.

[Alchemist]

My pup had diarrhea off and on pretty much from a few days after I brought him home from the time he was close to a year old. The initial fecal sample was negative. But a day or two later he had the roaring runs (and even though I called the vet to say "can I bring him in", they said "wait until tomorrow" - the result being we almost lost him and only saved him through an IV and a couple days' hospitalization, to the tune of $1K). At that time the vet said "GI bug". A few weeks later (after firm stools after the hospitalization that subsequently loosened up again) the fecal analysis was positive for coccidia, so we gave him a course of Albon. I think they tested positive for coccidia another time, so again a course of Albon.

 

From that point onwards, he had diarrhea a couple of times a month. We gave him boiled rice and boiled ground beef or chicken each time, along with a bit of pumpkin in his kibble when his stomach could handle it again. Seemed to work for a while but then he'd have another round of diarrhea for no apparent reason. (Except for the fact that he LOVED to snatch up anything he could when he was outdoors, including - but not limited to - rabbit, deer, and fox poop). Every time he had a loose stool I'd call the vet, and they said "bring in a sample", and the results were always negative. We even paid for a more expensive (and more invasive) rectal probe (which temporarily instilled a fear of vets). We tried probiotics (in case his native intestinal flora had been disrupted by the antibiotics given after the GI upset or the two rounds of Albon he had as a small puppy).

 

Then I followed this thread on the BC Boards: http://www.bordercollie.org/boards/index.php?showtopic=24640 . I can't remember if it was Lenajo or Journey who recommended a course of Panacur - apparently there is a high probability of false negatives when conducting fecal analyses. Panacur is relatively inexpensive and is so safe you don't even need a prescription; just go ahead and order it from 1-800 PetMeds. The thread gives the duration (5 days), the dosage (also available from PetMeds) and the "repeat time" (an important part).

 

I did this and have seen a HUGE improvement. I did have to fight with my vet; they thought a 3-day course was fine (and the diarrhea came back). But I've seen a world of improvement since the very first time I gave him Panacur. (I've now given it to him a second time, as the first time I went with the vet's recommendation of a 3-day course. My bad).

 

My dog would have done far better, and my wallet would be fatter, if I'd listened to the experts on the BC Boards from the beginning instead of my vet. (I have since changed vets...).

[njnovice]

Boiled chicken or beef mixed with rice is what I feed Maya if she has been sick. Do 2-3 parts rice to 1 part meat. And be sure to boil the meat, and this will get the fat/grease out of it. I feed this until we have had 2 straight days of solid stools and/or no vomiting. You may need to feed a little more than normal, as this isn't as filling or nutrient rich as food. Once you are back on food, you could also start mixing pure canned pumpkin in with it if you notice stools getting soft again.

 

This is what I do. And my dog's LOVE it, so it's like a treat meal for them.

 

Also, I used to give my sensitive tummy dog some plain yogurt.

[BoulderCody]

This is what I do. And my dog's LOVE it, so it's like a treat meal for them.

 

Also, I used to give my sensitive tummy dog some plain yogurt.

 

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! He has had a giardia in the past and 2 times his stool sample indicated a high level of bateria. So he's been on antibiotics quite a few times. But it seems to always come back. It costs a lot to take him to the vet for a stool sample and he's usually better by the next day... it just comes back a week or 2 later. I'm going to try some of the suggestions here and see if we can kick this!

[juliepoudrier]

If it's giardia or coccidia then just changing his diet isn't going to fix the problem. He needs to be treated long enough for whatever the problem is to actually knock it out.

 

The bland diet will soothe an uspet GI tract, but it will not fix the underlying cause unless the underlying cause is a sensitivity to certain foods. In other words, the bland diet might seem to work in the short term, though you said he's usually better the next day anyway, but it's not going to fix what's causing the diarrhea in the first place. And if it's bacterial or protozoal in origin and he has an accident in his crate, then he's very likely just re-exposing himself to whatever caused the problem in the first place.

 

J.

[BoulderCody]

If it's giardia or coccidia then just changing his diet isn't going to fix the problem. He needs to be treated long enough for whatever the problem is to actually knock it out.

 

The bland diet will soothe an uspet GI tract, but it will not fix the underlying cause unless the underlying cause is a sensitivity to certain foods. In other words, the bland diet might seem to work in the short term, though you said he's usually better the next day anyway, but it's not going to fix what's causing the diarrhea in the first place. And if it's bacterial or protozoal in origin and he has an accident in his crate, then he's very likely just re-exposing himself to whatever caused the problem in the first place.

 

J.

 

If it were bacterial, wouldn't he stay sick for several days; not get better for a week or two and then get sick again? That's what makes me think it's something he's eating.

[BoulderCody]

If it were bacterial, wouldn't he stay sick for several days; not get better for a week or two and then get sick again? That's what makes me think it's something he's eating.

 

After reading the thread linked earlier I guess not necessarily! There was some GREAT information in that other thread for symptoms that should very much like what poor Cody has.

[Alchemist]

If you decide to go with the Panacur treatment, my more recent vet recommended that I not start my dog on it while he actually has roaring diarrhea. Wait until things settle down a bit first. (The boiled chicken/rice mixture helps in that regard). If the diarrhea is really bad (roaring runs), you might even consider fasting him for a day before you give him the chicken and rice. As long as he's not a tiny puppy this shouldn't hurt him. Re-introduce regular food gradually, over the course of several days, by mixing progressively more in with the chicken/rice.

 

Also, giving him some form of probiotic after a round of Panacur would probably help in re-establishing his intestinal microflora.

 

Many vets will suggest metronidazole for treating (parasites that may be causing) diarrhea. It makes my pup vomit profusely (and for hours after administration) - only thing that works more spectacularly is hydrogen peroxide (administered when the puppy snagged up a wild mushroom). But I don't think vomiting is a common side effect from metronidazole.

 

(=> disclaimer: I am not a vet)

[BoulderCody]

If you decide to go with the Panacur treatment, my more recent vet recommended that I not start my dog on it while he actually has roaring diarrhea. Wait until things settle down a bit first. (The boiled chicken/rice mixture helps in that regard). If the diarrhea is really bad (roaring runs), you might even consider fasting him for a day before you give him the chicken and rice. As long as he's not a tiny puppy this shouldn't hurt him. Re-introduce regular food gradually, over the course of several days, by mixing progressively more in with the chicken/rice.

 

Also, giving him some form of probiotic after a round of Panacur would probably help in re-establishing his intestinal microflora.

 

Many vets will suggest metronidazole for treating (parasites that may be causing) diarrhea. It makes my pup vomit profusely (and for hours after administration) - only thing that works more spectacularly is hydrogen peroxide (administered when the puppy snagged up a wild mushroom). But I don't think vomiting is a common side effect from metronidazole.

 

(=> disclaimer: I am not a vet)

 

A good friend of mine's little sister starts Vet school in the fall, can't wait for her to finish so I can just ask her things!

[Jacks_Mom]

A good friend of mine's little sister starts Vet school in the fall, can't wait for her to finish so I can just ask her things!

 

I can't wait for mine to graduate from High School she is going to be a Vet only one more year to go... Every time I take the dog or cats to the Vet I just look at her and tell her to hurry up and graduate already

[Little Bo Boop]

Coconut :-) I know I sound like a broken record LOL but I'm telling you coconut will/should fix your dog right up. If you look in an earlier post of mine, in a medical study Coconut(actually the Lauric acid in coconut) was found to be more effective in the treatement of giardia than both Metro. and Fenbend. (panacur) I've used it with great success on both my dogs and horses...It's cheap, it's natural, can in no way harm them...try it :-)

 

Betty

[gcv-border]

Coconut :-) I know I sound like a broken record LOL but I'm telling you coconut will/should fix your dog right up. If you look in an earlier post of mine, in a medical study Coconut(actually the Lauric acid in coconut) was found to be more effective in the treatement of giardia than both Metro. and Fenbend. (panacur) I've used it with great success on both my dogs and horses...It's cheap, it's natural, can in no way harm them...try it :-)

 

Betty

 

Betty,

I would love to learn more information about coconut/lauric acid for treatment of giardia. Can you please point me to your previous post (can someone else)?

 

I often use the normal pharmaceuticals required for various symptoms, but if possible, I substitute alternative treatments that I consider more "natural" -- so my ears always perk up when I hear or see a new treatment.

 

Here is my treatment for diarrhea:

Note: this is for diarrhea where the animal is otherwise normal. i.e. the animal is bright-eyed, normal temp and activity. I would try something different/stronger if the diarrhea was concurrent with poor attitude, high temp or other signs indicative of a more serious problem.

 

Use BioSponge from Platinum Performance. (Google it to get the website) I like it because it is not what I consider a "drug". It is described as an adsorbant clay that non-specifically adsorbs, thus removing, toxins, etc. in the intestine. I believe that they also claim it helps remove Clostridial sp. (Don't quote me on that. It has been a while since I re-read the website.) It reminds me of the activated charcoal that my large animal vet gives me for upset tummy/diarrhea symptoms in my alpacas. I have used it with great success in alpacas and my dogs. I also know several fellow livestock owners that swear by it. I would also consider taking it myself if necessary.

 

N.B. I have no financial interest in Platinum Performance, nor do I know anyone connected to the company. I just think that BioSponge is a great product.

 

Jovi

[BoulderCody]

So, another day another round of diarrhea. We left him out of his crate today because yesterday he messed in it and had to sit in it for several hours. So today I came home to a mess on the wood floor and a pillow he de-stuffed, several ruined books, and a couple ruined DVDs. Oh, and both Wii remotes.

 

I made a vet appointment for tomorrow. I hope we can get his tummy healthy again, it makes me so sad and frustrated.

 

Some of his poop was just mucousy... is that "normal"?

[BoulderCody]

Back from the vet. We're going to do 3 rounds of panacur 10 days apart to see if we can get this thing. Also probiotics.

 

He doesn't yet suspect the food as he's been on the same food the whole time and hasn't been constantly ill.

[Laurae]

Sophie had similar symptoms a few years ago. The vets had no answers, blaming it on things she may have eaten during our hiking trips

After I did some research online, I found that gastrointestinal upset is an uncommon symptom of hypothyroidism. I tested her (full panel thyroid blood test) and sent the results to Dr. Jean Dodds. Sure enough, she was hypothyroid. Dr. Dodds called me and told me to switch to a diet with novel proteins (no chicken or beef). I went one step further and started feeding her a raw diet. This new diet, along with inexpensive medication, completely changed her life. She never gets diarrhea for no reason anymore, and a side effect was that her reactivity seemed to lessen (though this may have simply been because she was getting older). It is rare to exhibit these symptoms as a result of hypothyroidism, but that diagnosis/treatment saved Sophie. The test is relatively cheap. It might be worth a shot for Cody.

[BoulderCody]

Sophie had similar symptoms a few years ago. The vets had no answers, blaming it on things she may have eaten during our hiking trips

After I did some research online, I found that gastrointestinal upset is an uncommon symptom of hypothyroidism. I tested her (full panel thyroid blood test) and sent the results to Dr. Jean Dodds. Sure enough, she was hypothyroid. Dr. Dodds called me and told me to switch to a diet with novel proteins (no chicken or beef). I went one step further and started feeding her a raw diet. This new diet, along with inexpensive medication, completely changed her life. She never gets diarrhea for no reason anymore, and a side effect was that her reactivity seemed to lessen (though this may have simply been because she was getting older). It is rare to exhibit these symptoms as a result of hypothyroidism, but that diagnosis/treatment saved Sophie. The test is relatively cheap. It might be worth a shot for Cody.

 

I'll definitely keep that in mind if this doesn't work!

[Alchemist]

Some of his poop was just mucousy... is that "normal"?

 

Duncan sometimes had mucousy poop. Scared me to death the first time I saw it. The (former) vet told me that he must have irritable bowel syndrome, or perhaps that I was subjecting him to something that stressed him.

 

Funny. Since the Panacur treatment, our normal regime seems to stress him less, because I haven't seen that mucousy poop.

[BoulderCody]

Just thought I'd post an update on this since I think we got it figured out (finally).

 

After several more bouts of on again, off again diarrhea, the vet gave him prescription food (Royal canin). He did very well on that until it ran out. We then went back to his normal food, Iams. Within 2 days he was back to diarrhea. A pretty clear indication his food was the cause!

 

We are now on Science Diet for upset tummys and he's doing very well on it.

 

Thanks everyone here for all the suggestions!

[diane allen]

OP mentioned a giardiasis (Giardia being the organism...) diagnosis at one point. Here's my two-cents-worth-I-am-not-a-vet opinion on this one.....

 

Based on past experience (not current dogs, thank goodness) - once a dog has had giardiasis, s/he may always have it. Yeah, it can be treated; yeah, it can be knocked way way down. But I think some little critter hides out until circumstances call it to come out and play (havoc). I had one dog who definitely had it; was treated with pretty much all above-mentioned treatments (except coconut oil - hadn't discovered that one yet!). Her diarrhea would clear up temporarily, and generally for a long time; but any number of things could set it off again:

** traveling (of which she wasn't terribly fond...)

** any other major stress

** change in food

** change in water

** change in pretty much anything else!

 

Because it wasn't debilitating (she didn't get dehydrated, lose weight, or otherwise seem in distress), I just dealt with it (granted, I didn't have any Wii controls! and for the most part, hers was reasonably controllable (by her - she almost always managed to get outside).

 

So, try everything; the food connection may well be the main reason, and so easily solved. But keep an eye on any sort of stressors that might bring it on. (Sometimes mine took a day for the stress to "travel" to her gut....)

 

Best of luck to you.

 

diane

[Sue R]

Just thought I'd post an update on this since I think we got it figured out (finally).

 

After several more bouts of on again, off again diarrhea, the vet gave him prescription food (Royal canin). He did very well on that until it ran out. We then went back to his normal food, Iams. Within 2 days he was back to diarrhea. A pretty clear indication his food was the cause!

 

We are now on Science Diet for upset tummys and he's doing very well on it.

 

Thanks everyone here for all the suggestions!

The food that provides the right nutrition and that he does well on, is the right food. Of course, many people here would never consider any form of Iams to be good nutrition.

 

One question - why have you chosen the Science Diet over getting more Royal Canin? Price, availability, results? Just curious.

 

Really grateful he's doing well - best wishes!

[BoulderCody]

The food that provides the right nutrition and that he does well on, is the right food. Of course, many people here would never consider any form of Iams to be good nutrition.

 

One question - why have you chosen the Science Diet over getting more Royal Canin? Price, availability, results? Just curious.

 

Really grateful he's doing well - best wishes!

 

I chose the Science Diet over Royal Canin due to a combination of price and availability. The stuff he was on from the vet was prescription only and was very costly. Asking the vet what his recommendation was after it became obvious that food was the main culprit, he said that either Science Diet or Royal Canin that were intended for dogs with sensitive digestive tracts were good options. My local pet store doesn't carry Royal Canin, and he does well on Science Diet... at least so far!

[Jimmyd65]

My poor guy seems to have a sensitive stomach and a couple times a month gets diarrhea. As a result, he sometimes poops in his crate while we're at work during the day.

 

Any idea as to what might be the cause and things we can try to make his tummy happier in general?

 

He likes to eat things he finds in the yard so my theory is that he chews things that make him sick... could stick eating do it?

 

 

Try a fish based food, such as Orijen 6 Fish or Blue Buffalo fish/sweet potatoe. We've had great success with the fish. I guess I'm responsible for the "Monthly Bouts of Diarreah" thread but it's full of great information/suggestions and glad folks are referring to the thread.

[luv2napp]

Try a fish based food, such as Orijen 6 Fish or Blue Buffalo fish/sweet potatoe. We've had great success with the fish. I guess I'm responsible for the "Monthly Bouts of Diarreah" thread but it's full of great information/suggestions and glad folks are referring to the thread.

 

Lacee has always had problems with her tummy. We solve the problem, then it's back. Right now, we're going through a rough patch. I can't seem to get it under control. Everytime I put her back on kibble (Royal Canine), her stools get loose again. I would like to try the fish based food, but I HATE the smell of fish. Does it give the dog fish breath?

[luv2napp]

Coconut :-) I know I sound like a broken record LOL but I'm telling you coconut will/should fix your dog right up. If you look in an earlier post of mine, in a medical study Coconut(actually the Lauric acid in coconut) was found to be more effective in the treatement of giardia than both Metro. and Fenbend. (panacur) I've used it with great success on both my dogs and horses...It's cheap, it's natural, can in no way harm them...try it :-)

 

Betty

 

 

Can you tell me the details on the coconut? I would love to give it a try. Is it real coconut you would put on the food or coconut oil? How much do you suggest?

 

Thanks for your help!