The Pooping In The House Question..

[Guest dizzyLu72]

With recommendation from the Training and Behavior thread... I wanted to move this here to see if anyone had any insight or helpful feed back. Thanks!!

 

 

I've had Jacob a year.. he adjusted well with minor poop/pee accidents upon arrival. Since then.. no problems.

Well, fast forward to about a month ago.

 

I noticed Jacob's poo was a little "less firm" but his behavior, eating habits were same so I decided not to fret too much because I knew we had his annual exam coming up so I could inquire then if things hadn't cleared up.

I was in and out of town for a couple of weeks but have dependable and consistent pet sitter who said he pooped on floor 2 times in 4 days.

We went to vet and found out he has hookworms.. so he's been on meds and pro-biotic for about 2 weeks to get him cleared up. I Since this, he has pooped in the house about 5 times in 10 days. I chalked it up to medical issues.

 

But this morning, he pooped in the house TWICE!!

I took him out around 7:45am (no poo - which isn't unusual). He led me back in, I fed him and I went back to lay down for a few minutes.. 20 minutes later, I walk downstairs and he had pooped in the house.

 

Then, about an hour later I left the house for about 45 minutes and when I returned - he had pooped AGAIN!!

 

At first, I chalked it up to the new meds/pro-biotic getting his system back in order... but now Im feeling like its behavioral??

 

I never scold him or do any type of discipline about it.. other than appear disappointed that there's a big turd on my carpet and ask him what happened?? He never answers...

 

How do I know and if it is behavioral.. what do I do to stop it?? I don't want him to think it's acceptable to do this.

For the record.. he is not crated.. he was not crated by his previous owner who had him for about 8 months.

 

Thoughts, comments, ideas??

[SkipSailors]

when we see this we assume it's medical until proven otherwise. We'd probably take a stool sample to our vet to see if there was Anything.

Edited August 20, 2011 by SkipSailors

[Guest dizzyLu72]

Yes, they told me to take a sample to the vets office after 2 weeks.. (which will be this Tuesday).

I hope it's medical.. I'm completely understanding if it is..

just hope we can clear it up soon..

 

Thanks

[greyhead]

Just so you know, Skip above is my DH, and we'll be discussing the same dog. We've been through hookworms, SIBO, and IBD with Spencer. It took weeks for me to get the vet to test for SIBO using an actual poop culture.** Before that, they just kept testing for worms and coming up negative. When it turned out he had a vast overgrowth of Clostridium perfringens, they did a sensitivity test too and recommended the anti-b's that would work. Hooks actually can do permanent damage in the intestines, which then sets them up for other problems. Vets don't jump to culture poop because there are so many bacteria that live in the tract naturally anyway. But the lab can tell by counting the number of bacteria whether there's an overgrowth or not. If nothing else pans out, I'd insist on having them check that. (Not many vets have realized how much more common Clostridium has become. Mine rolled their eyes when I requested they test for it along with the other bacteria they normally do. They sure were embarrassed when that's what it turned out to be. )

 

** In case you don't know, SIBO stands for small intestine bacterial overgrowth.

 

Wishing you and Jacob the best of luck with this. ETA: I love love love your siggie!

Edited August 20, 2011 by greyhead

[greyhead]

Just read your thread in T&B. I see he has only been treated for hookworm with Interceptor. As Batmom said, he hasn't been treated for hookworm. All Interceptor is intended to do is keep up with new threats as they occur, not wipe out an original infestation.

[Guest Audeamus]

Hook's are hard to wipe out, it's like a two prong attack : wiping them out in your dog and wiping them out in your yard. If you have a yard. You can get rid of them in Jacob but if you have an infestion in your yard then they'll just re infect Jacob when he goes outside.

If you do a search on GT for hookworms you should be able to find more info and how to effectively de worm your yard too.

Good luck.

I hate hook worms.

[Guest wmlcml6]

Hi, Lucy. I haven't read the other thread on this, but I'm guessing it's both medical (hookworms) and behavioral (your out of town trip). I have seen you two together, and he seems very devoted to you (and you to him), and when you left without him he really missed you and it messed up his routine. Plus, I've learned that hookworms not only hurt the dog inside, they cause a change in behavior.

 

I was just searching my gmail for a hookworm email I sent one of our adopters and found several!

 

"when XXXX pooped in the house a lot, he had hookworms. ALso, he is SUCH a creature of habit -- once I figured out his schedule and resigned myself ot the fact that the needs 3 turnouts in the AM, the inside pooping stopped."

 

"XXXX is doing amazing, btw. those hookworms must have been making him feel horrible because he's settled down a lot now and has been such a good boy! a big goof still, but not freaking out when I'm not here (not that I've heard anyway!). i've switched him to a bit of a raw + kibble diet. I hope that helps his sensitive tummy."

 

"We think that due to the hookworms from which he was suffering, his upset tummy was causing him some anxiety and that was causing the SA-like symptoms."

 

Drontal Plus is our treatment of choice for hookworms. To break the cycle, you will probably have to treat twice to get any eggs that hatched since the first treatment. If you have any questions or concerns, you can pm me your phone number through private message and I'll call you tonight.

[Guest LindsaySF]

Hi, Lucy. I haven't read the other thread on this, but I'm guessing it's both medical (hookworms) and behavioral (your out of town trip).

My thoughts as well.

 

 

Hit the hookworms hard with some of powerful dewormer. (I like 3 days of Panacur). Then repeat the treatment in 3 weeks.

 

In the meantime, don't let him out of your sight. I would recommend crating or gating, so you know where he is, and he can't sneak off to poop in the house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest dizzyLu72]

Hook's are hard to wipe out, it's like a two prong attack : wiping them out in your dog and wiping them out in your yard. If you have a yard. You can get rid of them in Jacob but if you have an infestion in your yard then they'll just re infect Jacob when he goes outside.

If you do a search on GT for hookworms you should be able to find more info and how to effectively de worm your yard too.

Good luck.

I hate hook worms.

 

How do they actually get hookworms? eating grass? licking feet after being outside? I live in a townhouse community so treating the yard is difficult outside of my own little turf.

 

Hi, Lucy. I haven't read the other thread on this, but I'm guessing it's both medical (hookworms) and behavioral (your out of town trip). I have seen you two together, and he seems very devoted to you (and you to him), and when you left without him he really missed you and it messed up his routine. Plus, I've learned that hookworms not only hurt the dog inside, they cause a change in behavior.

 

I was just searching my gmail for a hookworm email I sent one of our adopters and found several!

 

"when XXXX pooped in the house a lot, he had hookworms. ALso, he is SUCH a creature of habit -- once I figured out his schedule and resigned myself ot the fact that the needs 3 turnouts in the AM, the inside pooping stopped."

 

"XXXX is doing amazing, btw. those hookworms must have been making him feel horrible because he's settled down a lot now and has been such a good boy! a big goof still, but not freaking out when I'm not here (not that I've heard anyway!). i've switched him to a bit of a raw + kibble diet. I hope that helps his sensitive tummy."

 

"We think that due to the hookworms from which he was suffering, his upset tummy was causing him some anxiety and that was causing the SA-like symptoms."

 

Drontal Plus is our treatment of choice for hookworms. To break the cycle, you will probably have to treat twice to get any eggs that hatched since the first treatment. If you have any questions or concerns, you can pm me your phone number through private message and I'll call you tonight.

 

Thanks - I'm just now getting this but will PM the info shortly.. feel free to call anytime. Those email comments make me feel a little better. I think he has been feeling a little under the weather, but he his so strong and sweet that he hardly shows any signs. I've been giving him extra snuggles to make up for my out of town trips lately.

 

Hi, Lucy. I haven't read the other thread on this, but I'm guessing it's both medical (hookworms) and behavioral (your out of town trip).

My thoughts as well.

 

 

Hit the hookworms hard with some of powerful dewormer. (I like 3 days of Panacur). Then repeat the treatment in 3 weeks.

 

In the meantime, don't let him out of your sight. I would recommend crating or gating, so you know where he is, and he can't sneak off to poop in the house.

 

He gets a Drontal dose tomorrow and then another one in 2 weeks.. What is Panacur??

He's not "sneaking off" since he typically does it (except for once) when I'm not here.. sometimes it's when I'm gone for work.. or when I'm off running an errand. That's why I think some of it may be behavioral.

 

The words of advice and info are much appreciated.

[Guest LindsaySF]

How do they actually get hookworms? eating grass? licking feet after being outside? I live in a townhouse community so treating the yard is difficult outside of my own little turf.

Hookworm larvae live in the soil, and they penetrate the paws of the dog. Dry heat and freezing can kill them in the soil. In warm, moist parts of the country, the soil is always infected. Monthly heartworm medication prevents some infection. I would deworm routinely as well.

 

 

Panacur is a powdered deworming treatment. Active ingredient fenbendazole. Drontal is fine too, gets the same stuff Panacur does except for whipworms.

Edited August 25, 2011 by LindsaySF

[Guest dizzyLu72]

Decided to add this in H&M as well as T&B since I was getting good feedback from both subject areas...

 

So I took the "sample" to the vet this afternoon and they said it was clear of hookworms.. but to continue him on his pro-biotic and Drontal as scheduled. However, I'm taking all the GT advice and continue to wonder if there may be something more going on. I'm going to see how the Drontal goes for the next 2 weeks. BUT... the pooping in the house issue is getting out of control.

 

 

I came home from work to a fairly stale pooh on the carpet.. meaning that he probably "could" have gone this morning but waited for me to leave to do so.

 

I then went to dinner for about 1.5 hours (took him out, pee but no pooh before I left)came back to another pooh on the carpet.

 

Let me add...I attempted to feed Jacob first, then let him out and he has no interest in eating first.

I also attempted to walk him more this morning.. but he "statued" and pretty much refused to do anything but pee and return to the house. He also statued this afternoon when I tried to walk him more around dinner time.

 

We have had a similar schedule for the year he has been here. I feel like he's getting comfortable with pooping on the carpet these past few weeks. How do I revert him back to poopin' in the yard (where it belongs)??