PLEASE HELP - diarrhea - I'm stumped, Vet's stumped

• 07-16-2007 3:47 PM

  pbarbato Joined on 04-11-2007 Posts 86 Points 5

  PLEASE HELP - diarrhea - I'm stumped, Vet's stumped Reply Contact Hello all-  (sorry, this is going to be a bit long)   My dog Ollie (2 1/2 YO GSD / Lab mix) has not had a solid bowel movement in almost a month!  It started (I think) when I tried to transition him to new food (went from royal canin to science diet.)  One day during the transition he just started having diarrhea and couldn't hold it (I'm gone for 9-10 hours a day, but come home at lunch).  Once he started having diarrhea, I stopped the transition and went back to his old food, but the diarrhea didn't stop.  I talked to the vet, and he said to fast him for 1 1/2 days and then to put him on a bland diet (rice, boiled ground beef, boiled chicken).  So I followed those instructions.    I fed him the bland diet for over two weeks and his stool got a little firmer, but only sporadically, and never got all that firm.  Although during this time, he wasn't having accidents during the day when I wasn't home.  So I called the vet, he said bring him in.  he gave him an exam, everything was fine.  He tested a stool sample, and sent it off to another lab for more advanced test (I don't know what all he was testing for)...everything came back fine.   The vet gave me a couple of pills to give Ollie to firm up his stool (about 2 days supply).  I gave him those pills, and they worked somewhat, but not entirely, and I kept him on the bland diet.  The vet finally said to get him back on regular food.  So I started transitioning him onto Wellness whitefish and potato.  Everything was going fine until I made the complete switch over between last night and this morning.  And today he's got diarrhea to the point that he can't hold it again.   I just don't know what to do.  He seems fine...his energy level is good, he is otherwise in good health...but I just can't get his digestive system back to normal.  Any advice you can give would be great...I feel like I am out of options, and it's pretty clear my vet has no idea what to do.   Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

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• 07-16-2007 3:58 PM

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  Sham85 Joined on 06-06-2007 Posts 341 Points 0

  RE: PLEASE HELP - diarrhea - I'm stumped, Vet's stumped Reply Contact I used canned pumpkin(plain no sugar or spices) whenever starting a new food.  2tbsp a day for my 40lb puppy avoided diarhea.  It can sometimes take months for stools to completely firm up on a new food.  The digestive tract recovers slowly from changes especially for certain individuals.  I would give it some more time now that your on a better food.  You can continue to give a little boiled rice and chicken as well as the canned pumpkin to help until he gets used to the food.  Most dogs need something mixed with the pumpkin to eat it anyway.  I usually put a couple spoonfuls of canned evo with it.  It's not too expensive that way since when feeding only a few spoonfuls a day a can of dog food, and the pumpkin, lasts nearly a week.  Just make sure to wrap in plastic and refrigerate or it wil mold.

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• 07-16-2007 4:07 PM

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  marynh Joined on 09-10-2007 Gateway to NH White Mtns. Posts 1,493 Points 50	RE: PLEASE HELP - diarrhea - I'm stumped, Vet's stumped Reply Contact Whenever I have switched Molly's food it has taken her WEEKS to get back to normal stools. I also will give plain canned pumpkin. It does help although I find with her it still takes quite awhile for her to have normal stools. With the pumpkin they at least have some consistency to them until her system adjusts.
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• 07-16-2007 4:24 PM

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  Cazzy Joined on 05-04-2006 Posts 874 Points 25

  RE: PLEASE HELP - diarrhea - I'm stumped, Vet's stumped Reply Contact I am using Holistic Solutions made by Eagle Pack and it seems to be helping my dog   [linkhttp://www.eaglepack.com/Pages/HS_Solution.html]http://www.eaglepack.com/Pages/HS_Solution.html[/link]   I had changed her food and has soft stools...I tied the pumpkin but it didn't work for her...Another thing you can try is putting a cup of white rice over her dinner..see if that helps firm her up for a few days...Try the Solutions..you use 1/4 teaspoon for one cup of food..good luck

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• 07-16-2007 4:41 PM

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  tzu_mom Joined on 09-10-2007 midwest Posts 622 Points 0

  RE: PLEASE HELP - diarrhea - I'm stumped, Vet's stumped Reply Contact I don't know, but this sounds like it could be something a bit more serious than a food adjustment.  I know that your vet did a couple of stool samples, however, could this be giardia?  Giardia is very hard to detect, even in an advanced laboratory test.    [linkhttp://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1622&articleid=739]http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1622&articleid=739[/link]   Just a thought.

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• 07-16-2007 5:00 PM

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  pbarbato Joined on 04-11-2007 Posts 86 Points 5

  RE: PLEASE HELP - diarrhea - I'm stumped, Vet's stumped Reply Contact Thanks everyone -- I didn't realize that it took this long, and I may have mucked things up by basically switching him up so many times when things weren't working out.  When I can get him on real food again, I will definitely try the pumpkin and/or the eagle pack holistic stuff. The one thing that concerns me though is that he didn't respond to the bland diet.  I did just white rice for a while, then white rice and boild ground beef...and his stool came in varying degrees of softness, but never what I would describe as firm.  From what people have said, the bland stuff should have at least turned him back to normal (or close to it) for a while. Tzu-  I don't know all of the tests the vet did, but I do know that Giardia was one of them, and he's negative...if the other solutions don't help, I'll see if I can get the vet to do the "serial stool sample".  Thanks. My vet just called and told me to put him on a fast for 2 days again.  he says it's healthy for him, especially if there's something viral going on, but how many fast, bland food, and repeat cycles can I go through?  Then put him back on bland diet for 1 week, and transition him very slowly to some food other than the two that I switched him to (science diet and Wellness)...so I guess I'll be trying something new. Thanks everyone for your help.  If anybody else has thoughts, please continue to give them.

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• 07-16-2007 8:31 PM

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  terrierlover Joined on 09-10-2007 Posts 638 Points 0

  RE: PLEASE HELP - diarrhea - I'm stumped, Vet's stumped Reply Contact Its been awhile since Iv posted....   Boy Im telling ya... Iv been down this road... first and foremost when I finally took my Scottie Max to a specialist to have and endscope done and we waited for the test he still put him on Pancur...Yes Max came back with signs of IBD but he was fine when I adopted him. I think the long bout of Girardia caused alot of his problems.   I would follow this routine to the tee.... I did and it cleared my 5 dogs of Giradia that never showed on an Elsa test. OR any other slide. They all picked it up off a dirty pool cover.   [linkhttp://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/giardia_protozoa_diarrhea_vomiting_weight-loss..htm]Giardia, Protozoa, Loose Stools, Weight Loss, Eating Grass, Diarreha | GREATDA[/link]

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• 07-16-2007 8:54 PM

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  calliecritturs Joined on 09-10-2007 Central Florida Posts 10,857 Points 3,330

  RE: PLEASE HELP - diarrhea - I'm stumped, Vet's stumped Reply Contact I have to say I agree with tzu-mom and Terrierlover -- if the bland diet didn't firm it up, then I'm betting you've got giardia or something else going on.  And it CAN be very very very ... make that MEGA difficult to detect.    You don't list where you are -- but I'd 'add' a vet.  Either go to your state's best vet school (which probably isn't as expensive as it sounds) or try something like an excellent holistic vet (there are lots of holistic vets but they aren't all good -- either get one incredibly well recommended, or I have had superb luck recommending people thru [linkhttp://www.tcvm.com]http://www.tcvm.com[/link]).  Often a holistic vet is simply looking at the dog "differently" -- rather than just looking for numbers in a test they're comparing how their tongue looks with how the coat looks here and there, and how his pulses compare (taking the pulse in different parts of the body can tell the right vet a ton of things).   I'm *not* telling you to leave your vet -- not at all.  Simply -- look for extra help.    Specialty vets can be good .. and some not so good.  So check out the place -- don't just assume they're good.  But going to a vet school can be incredibly helpful -- usually not expensive but you get the best your state has to offer in vets.

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• 07-16-2007 9:54 PM

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  janet_rose Joined on 09-10-2007 DFW area, Texas Posts 3,941 Points 330

  RE: PLEASE HELP - diarrhea - I'm stumped, Vet's stumped Reply Contact Cassy: I am using Holistic Solutions made by Eagle Pack and it seems to be helping my dog Other products to consider are:   Bertes Zyme - full spectrum digestive enzyme tabs http://www.b-naturals.com/product_info.php?products_id=112 Bertes Ultra Probiotic Powder - beneficial bacteria and enzymes http://www.b-naturals.com/product_info.php?products_id=23 Bertes Digestion Blend - beneficial bacteria, pancreatic enzymes, amino acids and medicinal herbs  http://www.b-naturals.com/product_info.php?products_id=142

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• 07-16-2007 10:18 PM

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  janet_rose Joined on 09-10-2007 DFW area, Texas Posts 3,941 Points 330

  RE: PLEASE HELP - diarrhea - I'm stumped, Vet's stumped Reply Contact tzu_mom: Giardia is very hard to detect, even in an advanced laboratory test. Frankly, since Giardia is so hard to detect, I would try a round of Safe-Guard (OTC - exactly the same as vet's Panacur).  It is a very safe de-wormer that is also effective against Giardia.   Add MSM 500 mg - 3 times a day for two weeks, then perhaps continue with 1000 mg a day to help prevent Giardia re-infestation.    I would also use Bertes Digestion Blend and pumpkin routinely while very slowly switching foods.   Please do read the link that terrierlover posted.  It is so hard to find you just need to treat for it. Do this...worm her with Panacur - do it for 3 days, then in 10 days take the same dosage you have for 3 days and divide that into 10 days. This Giardia is IMPOSSIBLE to find.  <snip> In ... research information on MSM, it states the dosage for treating Giardia to be 500 mg - 3 times a day for two weeks, then continue with 1000 mg a day to help prevent Giardia re-infestation.

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• 07-17-2007 10:12 AM

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  pbarbato Joined on 04-11-2007 Posts 86 Points 5

  RE: PLEASE HELP - diarrhea - I'm stumped, Vet's stumped Reply Contact Thank you everyone for your help.  I had no idea that giardia was that hard to detect.  And the more I think about it, the more I think that's right.  All the symptoms are there (including the grazing on grass excessively and the gassiness.)   Plus, that would seem to be the only thing that would account for him not firming up on the bland diet.    I live in madison, wi, so the UW vet school is here in town.  I will definitely follow up with them.   Janet-Rose - do you think it would be safe to jump into the at-home treatment, or should I first get him to the vet school?   Thanks again everyone.

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