Guest lauri Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 We haven't had an 'episode' in over a week now. Miles will still be on his Flagyl for about 2 more weeks, plus the ZD kibble. He will not eat the canned anymore and will only eat the kibble if mixed with the beef and potato. The diarrhea has thickened up to heavier liquid and pudding puddles, but still no poops. He has been on one Immodium in the morning and one at night. One vet said two twice a day and one said one twice a day. The one works with the instructions with weight so I've been giving one at a time. Would anyone reccommend two at a time? And the REAL question is: Have any of you had a pup with chronic diarrhea and that dog did just fine with it? I figure if I get Miles on food he can tolerate that's the main thing. But how BAD is it to not ever have formed stools? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burpdog Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 I've not had one of my younger ones with chronic D. I do give fiber caps (inexpensive) if they have an ongoing problem. Tootsie now gets 4 a day (2 x 2). Have you tried any fiber? Jodie could not tolerate any kibble with her IBD. She had to have home cooked only. Quote Diane & The Senior Gang Burpdog Biscuits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFullHouse Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 I've tried 1 twice a day for bad episodes but I haven't given 2 twice a day. I hope you get him straightened out soon. Quote Judy, mom to Darth Vader, Bandita, And Angel Forever in our hearts, DeeYoGee, Dani, Emmy, Andy, Heart, Saint, Valentino, Arrow, Gee, Bebe, Jilly Bean, Bullitt, Pistol, Junior, Sammie, Joey, Gizmo, Do Bee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remolacha Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 I second the fiber. Fletcher gets a spoonful of canned pumpkin with each meal for his IBD. Hope you can get this figured out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lauri Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Miles actually went off of the pumpkin right before his last 'episode'. It was weird...he loves pumpkin! It's almost as if he's refusing things that may hurt his belly. What kind of fiber caps? Oh...and I just got him a pre/probiotic for dogs at the health food store, so we'll see how that goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 For fiber, I use metamucil (or walgreen's store brand) wafers. Half to one wafer twice a day. You can also use plain old metamucil, but for some reason the wafers seem to work better for us. Might be worth eliminating the potato for a couple days -- just use beef -- and see if you get any improvement that way. Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stlgrey Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 (edited) Sierra has had chronic diarrhea for 3 months until we got on the right meds. Of course every hound is different as is their medical condition. She didn't respond to Flagyl even after 2 rounds or Panacur. She is almost done with Sulphasulzine and within 24hrs of taking this med, her diarrhea stopped. I slowly introduced her onto ProPlan Sensititve Stomach with some rice mixed in. She gets three small meals per day and seems to be bouncing back very well. Her stools are solid and normal looking finally. No diarrhea in 10 days! She has IBS and colitis. I also tried several foods and she seems to do very well on this on. I got a lot of good information on GT about how to approach the big D for Sierra. Good luck and hope everything is back to normal for Miles soon. Edited September 2, 2008 by stlgrey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest koolaidnconner Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Conner has IBD. He has sometimes gotten into Koolaid and Orandas food, I am talking a few bites here and there and ending up with the BIG D but screaming because of it. He is on Z/D not sure if we will ever get him off. I wish we could. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MAXNAV Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Just a thought........... My brother in TX who has 6 (last count) small Shi's I think, had a major D problem with I believe 4 of them. They found out that the kibble they were feeding them had wheat in them. The wheat was definitely the culprit. Once they switched to a kibble without wheat, the big D went away. They have not had to be on meds at all. My collie had the big D when I fed him California Natural. I'm not sure whether it was the sunflower oil that he had the problem with, but when we switched to IAMS Lamb and Rice, he never had a problem again, and was off all meds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lauri Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 He's been off of wheat for quite a while, so unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the problem. Not eating again and what seems like liquidy projectile poop. BUT he's not in pain. Left a message to chat it up with the vet AGAIN! I just found some info that Flagyl can actually CAUSE diarrhea. Also upset stomach, lack of appetite etc... I'm almost at the point of wanting to pull him off of all meds and start some foods that have been recommended by some GTers. I'm sure after three weeks of the Flagyl that the 'bugs' are dead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burpdog Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Are you giving him acidolphillus pills to replace good bugs? Quote Diane & The Senior Gang Burpdog Biscuits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LindsaySF Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Teagan had chronic diarrhea which led to his anal glands getting impacted and infected, he almost needed surgery. (The old threads are here on GT somewhere). Here is what worked for us: 1. Deworming. (Even with negative fecal exam results!!) Flagyl did little, and pyrantel pamoate (treats roundworms and hookworms) did not help. Two rounds of Panacur, and we saw some improvement. 2. Changing his food. Teagan ate Kirkland (dry and canned) for over a year before he starting having diarrhea, and all my other dogs were fine on it. We switched from the Chicken to the Lamb, and he liked the kibble shape of the Lamb better, but still no solid poops. We tried a few different foods and settled on one with more meat and less grain (Blue Buffalo Wilderness Blend). He still eats canned Kirkland without a problem, so whatever ingredient it is that he doesn't like must not be in the canned. And what didn't work: 1. Canned pumpkin. He refused to eat it, so obviously it didn't help. 2. Benefiber capsules or powder. He ate it fine (capsule in wet food, powder mixed with water then added to food), but there was absolutely no change in his poop. And I also read online that fiber is iffy, too much and you make diarrhea worse. As for how bad it is to have loose stools: Teagan always acted fine, the diarrhea didn't seem to bother him that I could tell. He may have been more lethargic for a while there, but it is hard to say because he is also lazier in the summer months (not heat tolerant). From a medical perspective, chronic loose stools are concerning because of the concern of dehydration. The majority of the water we absorb comes from the fecal matter (undigested food) in the large intestine. When we have diarrhea or loose stools, that water is coming out in the feces instead of being absorbed. The dog has to drink more water to remain hydrated. For a younger dog this might not be a huge problem, but for an older dog this is one more stress on the system that they don't need. ~Lindsay~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest taylorsmom Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 How about a food that has beet pulp in it? Lucy is on a hypoallergenic food that is often used for IBD dogs and that is creating lovely firm little stoolies for her, and I am sure that it is related to the beet pulp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MAXNAV Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 He's been off of wheat for quite a while, so unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the problem. Not eating again and what seems like liquidy projectile poop. BUT he's not in pain. Left a message to chat it up with the vet AGAIN! I just found some info that Flagyl can actually CAUSE diarrhea. Also upset stomach, lack of appetite etc... I'm almost at the point of wanting to pull him off of all meds and start some foods that have been recommended by some GTers. I'm sure after three weeks of the Flagyl that the 'bugs' are dead. The poor baby. His butt must be sore! Don't remember if you posted this info or not, but have they checked his colon for anything abnormal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozgirl2 Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Cody had intestinal problems all her life... NOT fun! I finally found out she was allergic to RICE!! (And soy & a few other things...) Fiber should help... Good luck! Quote Jeannine with Merlin, the crazed tabby cat and his sister, Jasmine, the brat-cat With Angel Cody(Roving Gemini), and Weenie the tortie waiting at the Bridge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Re the flagyl causing diarrhea etc. -- If it's helped him earlier, it isn't terribly likely that it's causing problems now. Could happen, but usually the few dogs who react badly to flagyl react badly to it right away. It's also a somewhat unique med in that it doesn't just kill bugs -- it has anti-inflammatory properties as well. Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lauri Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 It really never did anything. His poops got a bit thicker when I gave him the potatoes and beef for a few times then that's it. I think I'm done for now dealing with vets. Now they want me to buy some more of thier food. NOPE I'M DONE!!! I'm NOT having my dog cut open for exploratory surgery to take a chance there's nothing in there. We have one more option the vet told me yesterday of some other bloodwork to check for certain enzymes and stuff to see if he may have digestive issues. DUH!!! If I'VE thought of that, and some of YOU thought of that, why in the hell did the vet not bring it up in the first place if it's just bloodwork? Effing golddiggers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burpdog Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 What color is his poop? Have you tried any otc enzymes? Quote Diane & The Senior Gang Burpdog Biscuits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest EmilyAnne Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Is it diarrhea just that in stools are soft, or does Miles get so bad he goes excessively and often can't even make it to the backyard before he lets loose? How many stools a day does he have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lauri Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Brown or greenish brown. What are otc enzymes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LindsaySF Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 It really never did anything. I thought you said in your last thread that the Flagyl was helping, and when he was off it the diarrhea came back? You were talking about keeping him on the Flagyl long-term in another thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lauri Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 It really never did anything. I thought you said in your last thread that the Flagyl was helping, and when he was off it the diarrhea came back? You were talking about keeping him on the Flagyl long-term in another thread. I guess I thought it did. I realize that he goes between water poop and pudding but not anything better. If anything it has probably gotten rid of any bacterial stuff in his system, so I'm sure it's done some good, but I don't see keeping on any meds that aren't showing improvement. It has been three weeks and now the water poop has come back with no pudding poop in between. He's been on Immodium with little change - thought the 'pudding' was him firming up, but like I said, back to watery. The vet had said to back off when I see improvement and then he'd maybe be on the Flagyl for long term. Yesterday in our conversation, the vet I chatted with was basically into more testing and no prednisone. The other vet - the owner of the clinic - was going to try prednisone if the flagyl didn't work. WHat;s with the conflict of interests with these vets at the same clinic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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