diarrhea UPDATE

If it's explosive then it's a small intestine thing, NOT a large intestine thing.  Chinese herbs often do way more for this than anything pharmaceutical (particularly if you have to do it long term)>

If you want a book that contains recommendations for the treatment of the problem from a holistic vet it is called Natural health for dogs and cats by Dr Pitcairn In the book it says it is the lower colin you are dealing with. It says it is usually eating the wrong kind of food or spoiled food , overeating or parasites in very young animals. The recommendation is liquid fast for 24 to 48 house it gives the intestinal tract time to rest and heal. The biggest worry is dehydration so you need to provide plenty of fresh water and broth from veggies and rice you can add a bone when making broth you can also add naturally brewed soy sauce to provide easily assimilated amino acids and sodium. use only the broth part of the soup. Serving it several times a day during the fast period. This book had been a life saver for my pets. It helped me get my puppy through distemper. Many dogs through diarrhea and one with giardia. My cat with seizures. This is a book you will use over and over. This in no way takes the place of that holistic vet but can help in many ways

I'm going to look into that book....seems like a good one to have!

He won't be on medication for long....he has 10 days of Flagyl...and of course the Panacur.  I will get him an appt with the holistic vet before he comes down with something else.  Actually...think I do have a few things saved by Dr. Pitcairn also.   Everytime I read FAST for any time at all it scares me......Gibby is soooooo wanting to eat all the time.  I actually almost always give him just plain rice while I am putting together meat and rice and bland things like that..............just because he wants to eat.  And he is really not much for drinking water..so I can add it to rice....looks gross....like rice soup.......no flavor....no nutrients.....just something to fill him up and get water in him.    I have been cooking the white rice in low sodium broth though...........gives it a little flavor....and the sodium might make him want to drink water.

Well the update on Gibby is................He had this horrible explosive diarrhea from Wed. afternoon until yesterday Friday morning..... after he got up in the middle of the night again....then still exploded in the morning after breafast and I saw rice in it......knew he wasn't keeping too much food in  him for long...so took him to the vet when they opened at 9.   He hasn't gone since.   NONE!   I guess it took a while for the Immodium to kick in....... he got his last yesterday morning also.   Diarrhea probably would have stopped by itself.......probably didnt' need to take him in, but it was just awful him asking to go out every few hours most of the two days........      NOW...I want  him to go so I can see how firm or soft it will be....not to mention he has to go sometime or another. Although eating chicken and rice isn't going to make him go too much.

this a good site to get that book if you are interested great prices and a good cause http://www.betterworldbooks.com/Dr-Pitcairns-New-Complete-Guide-to-Natural-Health-for-Dogs-and-Cats-id-157954973X.aspx

I hope Gibby is feeling better.  This is just a thought but have you tried not giving rice.  Willow just cannot have rice.  The same thing that happens to Gibby happens to her if she does.  And, for that matter chicken too. 

willowchow

I hope Gibby is feeling better.  This is just a thought but have you tried not giving rice.  Willow just cannot have rice.  The same thing that happens to Gibby happens to her if she does.  And, for that matter chicken too. 

Gibby hasn't had diarrhea OR a BM since early Friday morning......he never did act sick but I believe it was wearing him down because he was laying around and sleeping more...even yesterday morning I said to him " Gibby...why is it you go from worrying me to being a pain in the butt! "  Because that is just about right.....when he is feeling great he just wants to play and be a pain.

Lori.... I may be wrong but I don't think any particular food is bothersome to Gibby.  Not sure what you mean when you said the same thing happens to Willow......do you mean NOT having a BM?     I think Gibby is NOT having one now because of the Immodium.  I have never taken it, but the first thing I really ever heard about it was from one of the vets at work..she was on the phone with a client and I heard her say " The thing I don't like about Immodium is because it works too well."  Since then people have told me the same thing....that after just one they get stopped up and bloated and all......     A couple of weeks ago when Gibby had diarrhea I gave him 2 doses and he didn't go for days.  THIS time he got more than than 2.     But Gibby has had tons of chicken or beef with rice over time and has never been a problem.  Only after the Immodium.

No, Dyan, I mean rice and chicken give Willow the runs.  And, yes, the Immodium does work really well like you were saying. . .almost too well. 

willowchow

No, Dyan, I mean rice and chicken give Willow the runs.  And, yes, the Immodium does work really well like you were saying. . .almost too well. 

Oh...............I see.   No...actually when Gibby eats chicken and rice....he does very well.  It straightens him right up when he has problems.

Finally today Gibby DID go again after all of the Immodium he had......the last time he had diarrhea was Friday at 7....hadn't gone at all since...but finally this afternoon he went and it was soft for him......but not runny like it was. So things are looking up for gibson!!!

YAY!!

Hi.....so I see this was started May 23.

Gibby did his 10 days of Flagyl and his first round of Panacur to make sure if the whipworms came back it would take care of it, even though his results were negative.

I am just getting him back into kibble slowly.....Taste of the Wild - High Prairie.     Yesterday he did 3/4 kibble to 1/4 chicken/rice.  His stool remained on the softer side thru out....but I figured on Flagyl..you never know if that would cause that.   He is fine and happy.   Today he had two BMS...first early AM was what he has been doing. However when he went the second time late this afternoon...it started out the same..and the last of it was really mucus.  EEKS.......

Now........do I figure we need to keep him on bland longer........or do we figure the kibble he is eating is causing problems.   That said.....he went thru a whole 30 pound bag and almost a whole second before he had problems ( THATS  a couple months worth )...so its hard to figure its the food.   Tonight I went back to half and half.... maybe that was too much kibble but I wasn't prepared with enough home cooked.....figured he was doing so well that I had just enough to get him back on total kibble.

Dyan -- at the risk of sounding like a broken record -- I do NOT think it is "food" generally.  I think it is a weak area in Gibby that is either triggered by stress or even weather changes, but I honestly think you *Must* get him to a good TCVM vet so they can **examine** him and hear what his body is saying.  You've chased all sorts of things ... but every time they have to resort to Flagyl that, TOO, is hard on the liver.  It just changes what part of the body is stressed now.

It's gonna take you a couple of weeks to get IN to a good TCVM vet -- I'd try for one that is strong in herbology or at least has several years of experience.  Don't wait for there to be a problem again -- let them examin him and go from there.  You won't get IN to a good TCVM vet "fast" and you'll wind up just treating him with drugs over and over. 

There ARE really good, gentle herbs that will handle these problems minimally.  And then treat what's actually causing the small intestine to wreck havoc over and over.  Explosive runny diarreha is small intestine.  But something is triggering the gut to react that way.

Callie...I understand what you are saying.  I AM going to take him to that holistic doctor that I contacted.  If he were sick I would run up another bill...but  he is not sick.  AND I charged his last $200 bill that I have to still pay this month.  Along with a ton of other bills, and I am not working. Yes...I would make a bill if he were sick...for sure. 

Please note...he had that explosive diarrhea in May for the FIRST TIME in his life. ( since I have him )  He was put on Flagyl  for the first time in his life then.....and just finished it a few days ago.

His problems were NEVER diarrhea. His problems were the swallowing issues-eating grass  and seeming to have upset stomach.  HE had diarrhea in fall when he had worms including whip worms. THAT is the first time that we had problems with diarrhea and there was a reason. 

He got diarrhea in Apryl one day after being at the dog park running his head off and guzzling water...... Immodium stopped it, in fact he didn't go at all for days after 2 times of Immodium. THEN this thing started end of May.

I want to take him to the holistic vet I found.... for all around health and issues.  And I will......I am hoping though...to get past this month if when things will open up a little......hahahahh so I thought until now our garage door broke....   always something.

The good thing is that today when I took him for his walk his BM was the way it has been the past couple of weeks....a little on the soft side and NO mucus,  Maybe we fed him a little too much yesterday.....or the fact that we gave him a little water melon...and a blue berry or two.

Gibby stool was firmer this morning than it has been in weeks...... glad of it...hope THAT continues.   In fact....might just add a little kibble back in, maybe that one day he just had a bad day. Actully....Gibby is one of those doggies that you have to really watch....no telling what he eats that he shouldn't....have to watch him every second.