Bailey is my 9 year old mixed breed dog. He has had chronic diarrhea for almost three months. I have taken him to the vet multiple times. The last time the vet told me to feed Bailey mashed potatoes and yogurt. I have been doing that for over two weeks. Initially the diarrhea problem seemed to go away, but now it has returned. I don't know what to do.
I successfully use natural healing for our dogs. Some of the things I use may seem weird to you but they work. I know the attitude of some people on this board about "alternative" medicine, but as wonderful as modern medicine is, it doesn't have all the answers. We have an 11 year old dog who has developed a couple of health issues, neither of which the vet was able to successfully clear up. Through trial and error, I was able to heal our dog, and I keep up with his natural healing routine to keep him healthy.
Here are some things to try:
-apple cider vinegar - I put a little bit in some yogurt. This aids with digestion. -as mentioned above, probiotics - make sure it's a good brand. -pascalite clay - helps with a lot of things, including the digestion. -terramin clay - another good healing clay. (note that clays should be used 2 hours before and after other supplements) -an herb mixture of goldenseal, myrrh, and slippery elm. Use a small amount in some yogurt or applesauce -comfrey root powder - it may not heal whatever is causing the diarrhea, but it will firm it up (don't give too much or it may constipate). -I also use herbs for parasites (and our dogs are parasite free)
Vets are like other doctors in that somewhere is the world's worst and someone has an appointment with him/her at 8 o'clock in the morning.
Canines are carnivorous. High protein diets eventually take a toll on the liver. A touch of the runs every now and then is no cause for concern. A continuing problem such as Bailey's begs for further investigation.
Could be parasitic, could be dietary. In any event, it ain't normal. Get a second opinion.
Timothy
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/24/2012 05:49PM by Timothy.
I had a dog with chronic diarrhea like that. It turned out he had irritable bowel syndrome. It took me months of feeding a limited ingredient diet, and several rounds of antibiotics to control it. Dogs can dehydrate with diarrhea very quickly. We also had to put my dog -- permanently -- on a low-grade antibiotic called Tylosin, or Tylan Powder. Had to mix a bit in his food every meal.
It could also be worms, as Timothy said. Could be you're feeding some food that has a lot of corn in it and that makes dogs very sick sometimes. Switch to expensive pet-store dogfood that has limited ingredients (like venison and rice -- Wellness is a decent brand) in case it's a food allergy.
Nobody should have to suffer with diarrhea for weeks on end with no treatment plan. Would you let a human go this long or would you have called a doctor by now? Please take the dog either to a new vet for a second opinion or back to the previous vet with information that the problem has not been resolved.
A good thing to feed dogs with diarrhea is plain cooked white rice with a bit of plain canned pumpkin on top. Make sure you don't get pumpkin pie MIX because that has a bunch of spices in it that could make things way worse. If you can't find pumpkin, canned or frozen squash will work. (There was a pumpkin shortage while I was treating my dog for IBD and I had to resort to frozen squash, which he liked just as well.) for some reason, dogs love pumpkin and it gives them lots of fiber. You can also give him a tiny bit of Metamucil, but call the vet for the correct dosage. I've also given Imodium AD to the dog (about a quarter to half of what you'd give a human), but again. CALL THE VET FOR CORRECT DOSAGE. You can stop things up too much and cause a blockage and make things much, much worse.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/24/2012 04:27PM by dogzilla.
I'm sorry to bring up this possibility, but I had a dog with chronic bowel problems and it turned out he had prostate cancer. He was neutered, too. Hopefully, it's nothing near that serious, but I agree that perhaps another opinion is in order.
I would start there. Then here is what I do for the problem.
Double water rice. Use twice or a little more water than the package calls for. Make sure you are using regular white rice. DO NOT RINSE IT. You want it wet and starchy.
Boiled skinless chicken breast. Shred this very very fine so it mixes with the rice mush.
Pumpkin. Depending on the size of your dog you don't need a whole lot. Figure one Tbs per 10 lbs. You can get the big can, put it in ice cube trays, freeze it and then put it in a ziplock. That way you can keep it fresh and not waste a lot. (Great way to do home made baby food too) A bit of pumpkin every day is good for them even when they are well.
Mix it all together and feed at room temp. If you are SURE your regular food is not a problem you can mix some kibble in too. If your dog bolts their food feed it a little at a time and think about getting a "slow down" bowl.
Disinfect your feed/water bowls very very well. Nothing beats boiling water. Make sure they are not getting water from other sources. If you don't have them get some stainless bowls. Plastic is not your friend.
Any chance of toxic plants in the house or the yard they are nibbling on? Any other toxins they could be getting in to like slug bait? Getting in the trash? Also check the skin head to tail for any rashes. What about ear or eye discharge? These can be signs of imbalances like yeast in the system.
Please see a veterinarian. If you're not sure about you're current veterinarian, have them explain their current plan, or find another to get a second opinion from.
FYI - I ***AM*** A BOARD-CERTIFIED CANINE AND FELINE VETERINARIAN AND I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE DETAILED ADVICE ONLINE WITHOUT SEEING A PATIENT IN REAL LIFE. BUT LET ME CORRECT A FEW POINTS FIRST OFF.
METAMUCIL AND PUMPKIN ARE BOTH PRIMARILY USED FOR CONSTIPATION NOT FOR DIARRHEA. ALTHOUGH BOTH ***OCCASIONALLY*** MAY HELP A CASE OF DIARRHEA, I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THEM ON A ROUTINE BASIS - THEY WILL MUCH MORE OFTEN MAKE THING **MUCH** WORSE. THE COOKED WHITE RICE ROUTE IS SOUND ADVICE HOWEVER. However, more likely than not you're already tried this early on.
Dogs are omnivores, just like people. Cats are obligate carnivores. As a result, dogs have a wider range of dietary options than cats do - and cats have specific amino acid requirements that dogs do not have. Not particularly relevant in this situation...
Just as in humans, diarrhea is one of the most common symptoms of virtually every disease process. There are literally hundreds of causes of diarrhea. The only way to figure out the problem is to work through them logically by starting with common things - fecal tests, blood tests, symptomatic treatments, re-evaluation etc. Sometimes things are easy to figure out, sometimes not.
Fecal examination / floatation Fecal cytology Giardia ELISA Fecal wet mount Complete blood count Chemistry panel Abdominal radiographs Bland food Hypoallergenic food trial Medication Trials Deworming medication Endoscopy Biopsies etc. etc. etc.
exactly the same as in humans. no difference at all. none.
I appreciate the information. On Thursday afternoon I took Bailey to the vet -- the same one I have been using. Back in January when the diarrhea problem first started, they drew his blood and tested it. The result of that test was "normal," which eliminated many possible serious diseases. They also x-rayed his abdomen and the result was normal.
I took a fresh stool sample to the vet and they are sending it out to a laboratory where it will be tested for intestinal parasites. I should have the results back by no later than Saturday.
They gave me 14 tablets of Metronidazole 500mg, and Bailey will get two a day for one week. That is supposed to settle down his digestive tract.
Based on prior vet advice, I have been fasting Bailey for 24 hours after he has major diarrhea. During this visit the vet said that she does not think that the fasting is necessary. Bailey has lost six pounds (from 74 lbs. down to 68 lbs. since January), so fasting him is not something that I want to continue.
The current dietary plan is to feed him mashed boiled potatoes, boiled chicken breast, plain yogurt, and pro-biotic. The theory is that Bailey's intestinal flora has been compromised and it needs to be replenished with good flora. If the fecal test comes back positive for parasite(s) then the vet will prescribe deworming medication to deal with that issue.
I am really hoping that we can fix his digestive tract problems and get Bailey back to normal health. I have had him since he was eight weeks old and he is my constant companion. I would really hate to lose him.
FYI - Fecal floatation for "worm" type parasites - roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, and whipworms are no more than about 33% accurate in a single test due to the fact that the worm eggs are not passed constantly in the stools.
The test is important to determine if you pet is ill from the problem and to determine if you need to "keep looking" for the problem.
However, in chronic diarrhea cases it is usually recommended to deworm the patient multiple time with a broad-spectrum dewormer REGARDLESS of the result (whether it is positive or negative) due to the low accuracy of the test.
In humans, what they will frequently do is make you bring in up to TEN fecal samples. Then if all TEN are negative, they will still deworm you.
There are other types of parasites the fecal examinations are looking for other than worms also...
Given the time span that Bailey has had diarrhea (4 months) and the fact that a bland diet has not cured it, then it sounds to me like using the broad-spectrum dewormer multiple times is a worthwhile approach. I will definitely bring up this idea to the veterinarian who is working with Bailey.
Update: I spoke with the vet and I will use Panacur C (Fenbendazole) as a dewormer. Dosage will be two four-gram packets on each of three successive days.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/25/2012 04:34PM by saviorself.
Panacur X 3days counts as ONCE by the way (just the way the medication works).
:)
You'll want to watch for passage of dead worms in the coming days. If there are any, your veterinarian will want to deworm again multiple times over the coming months because the dewormer will not kill the worm eggs that would already be in the environment and that would easily reinfect your pet. Most worm eggs take about 3 weeks to mature into adult worms that can produce new baby worm eggs (prolific little guys).
That is one reason why all dogs and cats need to be dewormed on a routine basis (at least yearly, and in many parts of the US/world multiple times a year).
And just because people haven't seen worms in the pet's stools doesn't mean your pet doesn't have them. Even intestinal worms are smart enough to **HOLD ON**.
CDC estimates as many as 17% of the US human population has worms. Partially, because roundworms and hookworms are contagious from pets to humans - causing at least 600 cases of blindness mostly in children from ocular larval migrans. Other worms are exclusively passed from human to human (pinworms etc.)
Despite this, over 50% of my clients REFUSE deworming every single day, year after year. Depressing going to work saying the same thing every day - deworm deworm deworm deworm deworm deworm.
One of the most important things you can do for PET HEALTH and HUMAN HEALTH is to routinely deworm your pets guys. And not with narrow spectrum dewormers like pyrantel. Really easy to do, pretty inexpensive, and the medications these days are really effective and virtually never have any side effects.
There are two different types of diatomaceous earth, the type you use in pools, and food grade. That's the one you obviously want to use. I've been researching it and from what I've read it works great for parasites and clearing up diarrhea, among other things. Humans can take it too. I'm starting my cats on it and just gave some to a friend who has cats with severe diarrhea. Can't hurt, but can certainly help.
I know this feed is from a while ago, but how did your dog do on the diatomaceous earth? Did it clear or at least help the diarrhea? I see lots of good info on line but wanted to know if it really helped. Thanks.
I had collies thru the years and what worked for me was cooked rice mixed with very low fat boiled and rinsed hamburger meat or cooked diced chicken meat. A bit costly but worked all the time.
I'm impressed people care enough on this site about helping each other and their dogs Well done people. I see there is more christian on this site than when I was in the church..