why does Kiwi have diarrhea???

What are you feeding him?  Is his kidney function OK?
 
It is possible that his food just doesn't agree with him and that his digestive tract got inflammed enough to start showing symptoms this week.
 
Have you tried just plain chicken and rice?  Are you giving him some plain (not spiced), canned pumpkin with his meals?
 
What wormer did you use?  Panacur/Safe-Guard will also kill Giardia ("bug" from bad water), but not all of the wormers will do that.

This same thing happened to my parents dachshund.  He had diarrhea when he first came to the house.  He just has a sensitive stomach, and I think the stress in getting used to a new household was a little too much for his tummy to handle.  But it went away and now he's fine.  Still has a sensitive stomach though.  We've given him many a butt baths in the last 6 years (he's a long haired dachshund)

Do you use panacur as a preventative? If so how often?  Just curious.
 

ORIGINAL: janet_rose

What are you feeding him?  Is his kidney function OK?
 
It is possible that his food just doesn't agree with him and that his digestive tract got inflammed enough to start showing symptoms this week.
 
Have you tried just plain chicken and rice?  Are you giving him some plain (not spiced), canned pumpkin with his meals?
 
What wormer did you use?  Panacur/Safe-Guard will also kill Giardia ("bug" from bad water), but not all of the wormers will do that.

did the vet recomend imodium - it should not be given to animals without vet supervision - human meds do not always do well in animals
 
I thinl like others here - how long has he been on his current diet - it takes time for dogs to adjust if changed abruptly or often - make sure he is drinking water

Do you use panacur as a preventative?

No, but some people do.  The breeder below uses it every other month.  Actually she uses Safe-Guard which is the same thing.
 
It comes in liquid, paste, and granules.  You could pick the one that gives you the lowest price per dose without buying a volume that is ridiculous for your circumstances. 
 
I like to dose as close to what is required for the dog's weight as possible.  That can be hard to do with the way that granules are packaged, but most folks use the granules because that is easiest for them (they don't have to measure). 
 
[link>http://www.beaglesunlimited.com/beaglehealth_canineintestinalworms.htm]http://www.beaglesunlimited.com/beaglehealth_canineintestinalworms.htm[/link][/size]
[size=2](Toward the bottom)[/size]
"Every Vet I have ever talked to says the correct dosage is 100 mg of active ingredient per 5 lbs of body weight given for 3 consecutive days."
 
[linkhttp://tinyurl.com/earbk]http://tinyurl.com/earbk[/link]
Safe-Guard comes in 1, 2, and 4 gram package of granules.  Each package has 3 containers of granules (e.g. three 1gm packages).  Half a gram has 100 mg of Fenbendazole.  See the dosage chart.
 
amt needed for each of 3 days = (weight in lbs)/5 * 0.5 grams of granules
 
A 70lb dog needs (70/5) * 0.5 = 7 grams, so one buys 3 packages for about $33.00 (1gm pkg + 2gm pkg + 4gm pkg).
A 5lb dog needs (5/5) * 0.5 = 0.5 grams which is half of the smallest package.

My fiance just called me..now he's got streaks of blood in his diarrhea..ugh.

What are you feeding him?  Is his kidney function OK?

He was on chicken soup for the soul and I have slowly been making the switch to Canidae..which I fee all my dogs.

Have you tried just plain chicken and rice?  Are you giving him some plain (not spiced), canned pumpkin with his meals?

He is currently on hamburg and rice now..since Monday (so today is day 5). I'm getting more vigilent about no little bit of treats. He seems to find hidden rawhide around..which won't help I know...ANd I was giving him pumkin with his kibble before I switched to the hamburg and rice.

I'm not sure of the name of the dewormer at the moment. I really didn't pay attention to that...

The vet said that blood is normal for dogs that have been having diarrhea for a few days though. Their bowels are irritated...poor kiwi...the vet will call me tomorrow. She said to call early in the AM and make an appt if he's not better and I think he should be seen.

Maybe Coccidia?
[linkhttp://www.marvistavet.com/html/coccidia.html]http://www.marvistavet.com/html/coccidia.html[/link]

Maybe Coccidia? 

How old is Kiwi?  Coccidia is usually only a problem with pups/kittens with immature immune systems.

It can also be common for young dogs with suppressed immune systems that have been housed in shelter type environments. It will sometimes rear its ugly head in times of  stress (such as a new home).
 
If I remember correctly, Kiwi is from a shelter where he had been since he was a young pup----I don't think he's yet a year old.

HI! Kiwi is almost 11 months now..he was in a shelter since he was 4 months old. He has chipped teeth which the vet said could be due to exposure to canine distemper[] or just chewing at the gate. I never knew chipped teeth was a sign??
 
I called the vet again today. He's diarrhea hasn't improved and has blood in it. She said it's quite common for dogs to get diarrhea from being in a shelter. Dogs that live in close proximety to each other pass worms and whatnot easily. Some parasites do not show up on stool samples because they do not lay eggs, therefore are not shed out through the stool. She suspects he has worms and put him on a different dewormer. As well as something to help with the diarrhea. I don't have the names off hand atm.
 
She also said that some dogs do not digest hamburg well and to try a comercial bland diet. So I bought some eukanuba low residue (not the best food out there but if it works...). And she said to keep him on the bland food for 3 days after the diarrhea has cleared up.
 
Hopefully this will work! Poor Kiwi!

I hope he feels better soon.
 
I have just been exposed to this breed this weekend.  I've got a new pet sitting client I'm watching.  His name is Sammy.  He's looks like a mini Lassie and I am in love with everything about him.