Sid - Ongoing Problems

[silverfish]

Sid developed the most horrible diarrhoea (blood, mucus, screaming) after his little incisor was removed. This was about three weeks ago, and the only way he has semi-solid stools now is on ID diet food plus probiotics. If the probiotic is missed one day, the Big D begins to come back.

 

Now I've looked up the Antirobe info (why did I not do this before?? I'm not up to date on all the antibiotic brand names) and I find it is a lincosamide antibiotic and carries a fairly high risk of causing an pathogenic overgrowth of clostridium difficile in dogs who carry this particular bug in their gut. I am fairly fuming, I have to say. One tiny incisor extraction in a healthy, clean mouth, and they give me a sledgehammer antibiotic? If I find he does have clostridium difficile, he won't be able to function as a therapy dog because no sane old folks home or hospital will let him visit, and that alone almost makes me weep - he's so perfect for PAT work!

 

So, this morning I'm going to go talk to the vet and see if I can find out if it is this that he has, and if they don't know, can we find out, and how do we treat it, other than with large doses of good bugs in the probiotic.

 

Meanwhile, does anyone have any experience with this? How did you/do you treat it? Any tips and information most gratefully received.

 

Thanks ...

 

GRRR.

[Batmom]

C. diff standard treatment is metronidazole (flagyl) and/or vancomycin, because they allow some gut bacteria to grow but suppress C. diff. IIRC there are also some specific probiotics that are helpful. Some vets do use Antirobe after mouth surgery and I've not heard of it causing a problem before but who knows. Hope whatever it is can be resolved quickly!

[DaisyDoodle]

Are human and canine cDiff the same, and/or are dogs a vector for humans contracting cDiff? There is a clostridium canis. Is that transmissible?

 

I'm so sorry this has happened.

[ozgirl2]

Poor Sid! Poor you! Hope you can get it sorted out & that Sid can do therapy work - he WOULD be perfect for it!!

 

Hugs to you, DH and Sid!! I miss you!

[silverfish]

Jey - Thanks, Flagyl seems like a possibility - the vet is going to ring me back later today and I'll ask her. She wasn't there when I picked up the new supply of probiotic. Meanwhile I'm going to double his dose of that, and split it, twice a day. Can't hurt, might help.

 

I have heard of Antirobe being used after a dental, and I can understand it if the mouth is dirty or if there's an abcess, but Sid's mouth is pretty darned good, and the tooth wasn't abcessed, just broken.

 

Thanks for the info!

 

DaisyDoodle - Thanks. Yes, C. diff in dogs and people is the same. Dogs potentially carry several types of clostridia, but if it's C. diff it's the same bug. However, the link between dogs visiting/being owned by people who then develop symptoms is not proven, NOR is the link between dogs visiting sick people, who then develop it themselves. The advice from the PAT people is not to let patients give the dog treats, because he may pick it up from licking their hands. I'm pretty sure no health/residential facility is going to risk letting a dog known to have symptoms from it visit, due to strict health and safety rules, and I can't blame them.

 

Jeannine - Thanks. Yeah, me too! And yes, he is.

 

We miss you too! You are coming over this year, aren't you?

[silverfish]

Does anyone have any thoughts about diet? Does he really have to stick to one diet food, canned or dry of the same type and same flavour? I'd normally be giving him chicken and rice and things like that. He's getting quite confused and depressed because he can't understand why he has no variety any more, and no treats either.

 

I know many dogs do just eat the one type of kibble 52 weeks in the year, but this is a dog who has never, ever had that type of diet. Even when he was a racer, he was used to variety and treats - his trainer has a big pressure cooker for the dogs and they get veggies and different types of meat mixed into their kibble.

[Batmom]

Unless you/your vet are suspecting IBD or food allergy, I can't see any reason to stick to one food. It might be worth sticking to one protein/one carb for awhile just in case, but that still leaves room for a nice variety of veggie/fruit add-ins and treats. Scritchies to your handsome boy and hopes you can get to the bottom of things for him.

[EllenEveBaz]

Sorry, Sid honey. Hope you feel better soon.

 

I don't know about c. diff in dogs, but in humans the standard diet recommendation is bland, soft food that's not too high in insoluable (spelling?) fiber. So, no cayenne pepper or watermelon seeds. I don't know anything about how many protein sources are best, but again, in humans, I don't think that's a common restriction. Some nice lean boiled chicken sounds fine. Oat fiber is supposed to be more easily digested than that in rice, I think. Chicken and oatmeal? Bananas? Applesauce or stewed apples without the peel?

 

Some people who have had antibiotics have a temporary lactose intolerance.

[silverfish]

Thanks for the advice! I didn't get to talk to the vet today, she was supposed to call back but I guess she was busy. When I talk with her I'll check the diet with her again and tell her I want to introduce some boiled chicken.

 

We won't be feeding him cayenne or watermelon and we'll avoid anything containing lactose for the time being, but it will be nice if we can add in some extras. Chicken would be great for training treats. I think he'd kill for some right now, so jumping through a few hoops should be easy.

[Guest Stripeyfan]

SO sorry you're going through this. We have had all sorts of fun with IBD/suspected SIBO this year, with no end in sight yet. Kelly can have boiled chicken (he's been on chicken and rice plus vitamins/probiotics for months now) and also banana. SIBO basically causes malabsorption in the small intestine, so I looked up what was suitable for people with that problem and adapted bits of it - like EllenEveBaz said, easy-to-digest, low-fiber foods. We find low fat is better, too.

 

Hope you can get this sorted soon!

[silverfish]

I'm really hoping we can get Sid past this. So sorry to read about your ongoing problems with Kelly. SIBO hasn't been mentioned with Sid, so I can only hope it's not that, but something a little more easily treatable. At the moment his poop is soft, but formed, while he's having probiotics and the diet food. A little mucus, but no blood.

 

*Sigh*

[crazygang]

Aaaww poor Sid....no advice just wanted to say I hope you get it sorted for him.