Colitis?

[Guest BooBooMama]

After her car accident, Deeni was doing better. The emotional outbursts stopped after we discontinued the Tramadol and everything seemed fine except she started to yelp from time to time (not every time) when she would defecate. The vet attributed this to being bruised from the internal bleeding.

The painful expulsions began to go away until a week ago. I had just given her a knuckle bone for her teeth and the next day her stool was as hard as rocks. The poor thing was in so much pain trying to expel the rock hard matter that she actually screamed. I gave her some kibble (which always makes her stool loose) to combat the hard stools and she went from rocks to water- the diarrhea was bad! Unfortunately, even while expelling the watery stool she continued to scream EVERYTIME she went.

The vet thinks she has colitis so we put her on ID prescription dog food. At first the new food made her stool quite soft but she stopped screaming….. until today. With each day her stools began to get closer to normal texture- not as soft. This morning she had a normal stool sample and let out a yelp. I called my vet and he wants to keep her on the ID food and start her on Metronidazole for the next 10 days.

 

I am worried that the accident may have caused some intestinal damage but the vet thinks she would have been in a lot more pain immediately after the accident and that it would not have gone away and then come back after feeding her the bones. He also feels she should have bloody stool but she hasn’t. We tested for worms and it is negative.

 

Has anyone had this with their dog? Any raw bone feeders that have gone through this? Anyone have a dog with colitis- if so, how did they test to confirm the diagnosis?

[Batmom]

That sounds more like megacolon or something completely different -- doesn't sound like colitis. Has she had an x-ray/ultrasound?

[Guest BooBooMama]

That sounds more like megacolon or something completely different -- doesn't sound like colitis. Has she had an x-ray/ultrasound?

 

She had X-Rays after the accident but not since then. What is megacolon?

[Guest NJgrey]

Ellie has had a couple rounds of colitis, though never from an accident. I don't know that there is a test to confirm it, it's usually based on looking at symptoms and treating it.

 

It sounds like making harder bowl movements right now is causing her discomfort, like she's still not fully healed back there. I would keep her on whatever is allowing her to go comfortably for the time being, even if that means keeping her on that ID stuff that makes her soft for a couple weeks or a month. Definitely do the Metronidazole, that should help sooth her system and ease the inflammation. Go very very slowly transitioning back to another kind of food. I would cut out treats like the knuckle bone.

[Hubcitypam]

The vet said Rex had colitis but I'm not sure there was a test. He did have bloody poop. He was on flagyl a lot.

 

 

[Guest Stripeyfan]

Kelly sometimes cries a bit when his IBD flares because he's straining, but nothing as dramatic as this. Also, if it was colitis she'd likely have diarrhea or mucous in/around her poop (we've had a lot of that unfortunately), and it sounds as if her stools are pretty good. Perhaps an ultrasound would be a good idea to check what's going on inside?

[Guest BooBooMama]

Ellie has had a couple rounds of colitis, though never from an accident. I don't know that there is a test to confirm it, it's usually based on looking at symptoms and treating it.

 

It sounds like making harder bowl movements right now is causing her discomfort, like she's still not fully healed back there. I would keep her on whatever is allowing her to go comfortably for the time being, even if that means keeping her on that ID stuff that makes her soft for a couple weeks or a month. Definitely do the Metronidazole, that should help sooth her system and ease the inflammation. Go very very slowly transitioning back to another kind of food. I would cut out treats like the knuckle bone.

 

The knuckle bones are no more! The vet thinks that she was sore after the accident so that is what started the pain. Once that healed she was fine but now the hard stool (with the sharp bone fragments) from the knuckle bones have irritated the inside of her colon so the pain is back but not related. The next step will be an ultrasound.

 

That sounds more like megacolon or something completely different -- doesn't sound like colitis. Has she had an x-ray/ultrasound?

 

She had X-Rays after the accident but not since then. What is megacolon?

 

I looked up megacolon- her symptoms are not that extreme.

[tbhounds]

Some of this could be emotional too-- I'm sure she hasn't forgotten her recent trama-- I know I wouldn't. I/D is actually a good food (one of Hills that isn't full of yuk). It's a low fat easy to digest food. If that's not enough to regulate her bowels ask your vet about using Miralax. The dose can be titrated up or down depending on her symptoms. It doesn't have a flavor and does not cause cramping, very user friendly-just sprinkle on the food once or twice daily.. Hopefully, the flagyl with reduce the iinflamation. Ouchy poops are no fun!

[Guest BiancasMom]

Maybe she is sore somewhere else that just hurts when she gets in the squatting position? Maybe her back or abdomen? I hope she feels better soon!

[Guest BooBooMama]

Maybe she is sore somewhere else that just hurts when she gets in the squatting position? Maybe her back or abdomen? I hope she feels better soon!

 

We have palpitated her abdomen and checked her hips and lower back, etc over and over- no pain. She can squat to urinate and hold that posture with no signs (or sounds!) of pain at all. It only happens when she defecates. Her anal glands are clean so we are perplexed. Since we started the ID food her stools look great- no more diarrhea so I was shocked when she yelped yesterday morning after 5 days of pain-free bowel movements. The vet thinks that it is because the stool is now firm again that she feels the pain again.

[Guest BooBooMama]

Some of this could be emotional too-- I'm sure she hasn't forgotten her recent trama-- I know I wouldn't. I/D is actually a good food (one of Hills that isn't full of yuk). It's a low fat easy to digest food. If that's not enough to regulate her bowels ask your vet about using Miralax. The dose can be titrated up or down depending on her symptoms. It doesn't have a flavor and does not cause cramping, very user friendly-just sprinkle on the food once or twice daily.. Hopefully, the flagyl with reduce the iinflamation. Ouchy poops are no fun!

 

That is the theory my vet is leaning towards. He thinks that immediately after the accident she was very sore from the internal bruising and the act of ‘pushing’ was painful. As the bruising healed the pain went away so she stopped yelping. But then I fed her the knuckle bone and all of the cartilage created sharp and hard stool which injured the inside of her intestines. Now when she feels the discomfort she ‘remembers’ the level of the former pain and yelps in anticipation. At the E-Vet after the accident she would yelp before they even touched her- she screamed out of anticipation of pain. The vet thinks this could be a factor- it hurts and she becomes fearful and yelps. But, we can’t confirm that she is over reacting to the pain so we must treat whatever could be acerbating the pain. Our only guess is that she could have inflammation so we are trying the Metronidazole for the next 7 days.

Of course my mind is full of my own fears so I keep thinking the worst. My poor little girl, as if she has not been through enough!

[duncan41]

No wonder she has been on my mind lately! Poor baby! Anything is possible, but I would be inclined to get her stools softened up and see how she does. But I think the anticipation of pain can't be ruled out as a contributing factor, either. Hugs and prayers for beautiful Deeni!

[Guest ChasesMum]

anticipation of pain was going to be my suggestion too... if nothing else it may be contributing to the overall issue.

 

Chase could never handle knucklebones or any beef bones. she was a bison girl, far far leaner and we stopped getting the knuckle ends and just got the leg bone segments that are like a tube with the marrow showing on both ends (shank??) , they didnt splinter and she couldnt really get any bone apart but they cleaned her teeth pretty well.

[Guest BooBooMama]

anticipation of pain was going to be my suggestion too... if nothing else it may be contributing to the overall issue.

 

Chase could never handle knucklebones or any beef bones. she was a bison girl, far far leaner and we stopped getting the knuckle ends and just got the leg bone segments that are like a tube with the marrow showing on both ends (shank??) , they didnt splinter and she couldnt really get any bone apart but they cleaned her teeth pretty well.

 

I will keep that in mind but I probably will be too afraid to give her any raw bones anymore- not after this condition. She lost all of her premolars so I won't risk turkey necks since she is a gulper to begin with. I guess brushing is our only recourse for the teeth.

[Guest Honeysmom]

Anne from Downtown Houndz has a boy grey who has or had a poop problem and would scream when he pooped a firm bowel movement. I know he had at least one surgery to correct it.

Here is her website with email contact: Downtown Houndz

[Guest LindsaySF]

WAG had a foster dog that would cry out when pooping. He also pooped very frequently, he would keep straining when there wasn't much left. We dewormed him and I think he got Flagyl too, but he didn't get better until he was switched to a grain-free kibble. Our theory is that the other kibble was irritating his intestines and causing issues.

 

If this recent crying only started after the knuckle bone, I'd assume that was the cause, and she might be sore for a while until the intestines are no longer sore and inflamed. Flagyl might help with that. Good luck!

 

 

 

~Lindsay~

 

 

[Guest BooBooMama]

WAG had a foster dog that would cry out when pooping. He also pooped very frequently, he would keep straining when there wasn't much left. We dewormed him and I think he got Flagyl too, but he didn't get better until he was switched to a grain-free kibble. Our theory is that the other kibble was irritating his intestines and causing issues.

 

If this recent crying only started after the knuckle bone, I'd assume that was the cause, and she might be sore for a while until the intestines are no longer sore and inflamed. Flagyl might help with that. Good luck!

 

 

 

~Lindsay~

 

She first started crying after the accident but only once and a while and then it went away. It started again after she ate the knuckle bone. My vet thinks each experience made going painful- first the bruises, then the hard, sharp fecal matter. His hope is that the new diet and meds for inflammation will heal her and it will stop, so both of you are telling me the same thing which makes me feel better. I must say that Monday was the last time she cried. She has not had any discomfort since then. Here is hoping that we are on the road to recovery!

[Guest BleuDog]

Poor Baby.........sounds like the Healing is doing well.....

[GeorgeofNE]

Has anyone checked her anal glands?

 

If they're impacted or infected, a hard post-bone poop would hurt like heck.

[Guest BooBooMama]

Has anyone checked her anal glands?

 

If they're impacted or infected, a hard post-bone poop would hurt like heck.

 

That was the first thing we did when she started yelping after the accident- clean her anal glands. The vet did it again last week when I brought her in. This time one was perfectly clean and the other had a VERY tiny amount of matter so it is not the anal glands.