A Few Questions

[Guest Al747]

My greyhound has diarrhea... And a bald butt...

 

Good way to start a thread, huh? Anyway, my grey has been eating kibble and raw meat mixed with a little bit of water for about 3 weeks now. Any ideas on why he still has the big D?

 

And what's that stuff that you can give them for bald butt? I think it's vitamin D but I'm not sure.

 

Thanks!

[Guest Lovey_Hounds]

some greyhounds naturally have bald bums and other bald parts... chest, neck, thighs etc. try adding fish oil with dinner or flax anything with omega 3's and fatty acids, it may or may not grow back i have 3 hounds and only one has a bald bum/chest/thighs/neck my girls are fuzzy as ever.

with the big D try giving just boiled oatmeal and boiled hamburger and that should help or metamucil will help firm up the poop.

If the the D keeps up for too long i would go to the vet and see if there is an under lying cause.

 

good luck and enjoy your hound!

Edited January 7, 2010 by Lovey_Hounds

[PrairieProf]

These are very common issues ... try a search and you will find umpty-gazillion threads addressing all aspects of these issues. The bald butt is not necessarily a sign of a problem, some greyhounds are just that way. Some people use fish oil to help (or not). Diarrhea can be from countless things, including food that's not agreeing with him. Did you just get him? Has he been wormed? What was he eating before? People will be able to give you more advice if they know more about your situation.

 

And welcome to GT!

[seeh2o]

Carl was bald when I got him, he was hypothyroid (I did not have his thyroid checked because of baldness, but for other reasons). We started him on medication for being hypothyroid and some of his fur grew in, but not tons. I started him on Melatonin around the beginning of this year and he is now a fluffy fur ball! His fur on his neck is so thick that his tag collar actually had to be let out a bit! He is getting a fuzzy chest and the fur on his butt is really filling in and fluffy. Carl weighs 72lbs and gets 3mg of Melatonin. My vet is good with it, she suggested starting to pull back on it just to see if he has the same result with a lower dosage.

[Guest seanpgoodwin]

also using 3mg melatonin and he is getting fuzzier everyday

 

we were using metamucil, but instead bought a can of psyllium husk fiber from whole foods and mix it in his food. Stool is still soft but is not able to be picked up off the grass rather than washed.

[Guest GreyFan09]

The Melatonin really does work (at least for us). Out Comet had a bald butt and belly, but after giving his 3mg. Melatonin a day for the past 3 weeks of, he has a nice coat of fur now on his butt and belly!

[Batmom]

Diarrhea: Has he had a fecal and been wormed recently (even if the fecal is negative)? 3 rounds of Panacur is usually a good start.

 

If that doesn't help, fecal culture might be a good idea.

 

Last, some foods and some dogs just don't mix. Might consider a food change. The culprits in loose poop can be anything from protein source to type and amount of fat/fiber. The latter is more commonly the problem in my experience.

 

 

Bald butt: I'd just ignore it. Can't see giving meds when there isn't a pathology. It's a common trait of short-haired sighthounds. Sometimes they'll grow hair in seasonally, sometimes after being home 6 months or so, sometimes never.

[seeh2o]

I started using psyllium, it really helped with soft poo. Pumpkin didn't do much for the soft poo.