brookcove
Posted : 1/31/2009 12:10:28 AM
The ivermectin thing is a problem in the brain. It causes vertigo, drooling, loss of muscle control, seizure activity, heart palpations, ataxia, muscle twitches, but no problems that I've ever seen recorded with the intestines. It's just a different system.
Still, with a Sheltie I'd stay away from ivermectin - but you need to test for the MDR-1delta gene anyway because some of the things prescribed commonly for Sheltie-type problems (IBS, heart problems, pain meds) will also cause a Sheltie with this gene to react. It's important, y'all with these breeds - get your dogs tested!!!!!! You don't want to find out in the emergency vet that your dog has this gene and pain meds will cause uncontrollable seizures. 
What you describe sounds like one of two possible things. One is overfeeding, which can happen with the grain frees very easily. Even a few ounces can make a difference. If you have a kitchen scale, try weighing the food instead of scooping it, for a few days, then reduce the amount by a third and see what happens. If you can't weigh it, try eyeballing it, but when you are feeding a smallish dog it's far better to weigh.
The second possible thing is irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS. This is not to be confused with the similar acronym but very different condition, IBD, which is inflammatory bowel disease or disorder, usually caused by trauma or infection.
Irritable bowel syndrome's causes are not known, but every sufferer has sure fire triggers for it. It's where the bowels don't contract properly - either they cramp irregularly and hold waste in so long that constipation occurs, or they move things along too fast in arhythmic contractions that don't allow for proper water absorption. So you can see where the uneven st00l consistency comes from (I have to hide that word from the filter or it bleeps it and it looks like I used a word I NEVER use - LOL!).
If you suspect IBS, your best friend is a journal. Either way, start journaling now. Note date, time, amount eaten, food type, any possible external stressors like moving, visitors, training. And of course record bowel movements.
I guarantee you that if you feel that you haven't been taken seriously in the past, your vet will sit up and take notice when you present him or her with a couple weeks or a month's worth of actual data. This is what they are trained to do - they can't help it. Unless they are looking at numbers and symptoms most vets feel vaguely like a cross between an astrologer and a psychological therapist, trying to read people's minds.
Managing IBS is all about identifying the major triggers and then calming down the GI. It takes three weeks for things to really settle down, though removing the trigger often improves things immediately. Each time you trigger you have to start again at three weeks. But then you write down the stressor. It can be food, or environment, cleaning chemicals, laundry soap, inhaled allergens, or even mental pressure and EVEN happy events - excitement can trigger IBS, even if it's good excitement!
Good luck!