Mustard Colored Poo!

[Guest arlosmom]

I have had Ressie since April 30, she came to me with great poo. Had no trouble switching to our food. All five of my greys eat the same food. We went to Mountain Hounds June 1, about two weeks after getting back I noticed her poo was pudding light brown. A week later took a specimen in after the color got even lighter and she had hook worms. The vet gave us two pills last Saturday so next Saturday she gets two more. Today her poo was a puddle of mustard yellow. She has a great appetite and her energy level is fine. I am going to take her in for some blood work. Monday. Would this be a liver problem? I never had poo this yellow from hooks and it usually clears up right away. Is her intestinal tract just irritated? Thoughts please.

[Time4ANap]

What were the pills?

 

It can take several treatments to get rid of the worms because of their life / hatching cycle. Could just be more worms / eggs coming out, or maybe some bile in the stool?

 

I would only attack one problem at a time. Get the worms cleared up and go from there if it's still an issue.

[greyhead]

When we had bright yellow poop, it was related to SIBO (small-intestine bacterial overgrowth). Here's a really helpful link to what various stool colors and other characteristics tend to indicate: http://beingstray.com/dogs/canine-stools-diarrhea/

[Guest arlosmom]

When we had bright yellow poop, it was related to SIBO (small-intestine bacterial overgrowth). Here's a really helpful link to what various stool colors and other characteristics tend to indicate: http://beingstray.co...tools-diarrhea/

 

That is what I was thinking but they did not mention any particular excess of bacteria last Sat when we took in the stool sample. May need some metronidozole.

 

Worm medicine is verbantil.

[greyhead]

They'd need to do a poop culture at a lab in order to see if there's a weird bacterium or an overgrowth of a bacterium that's supposed to be there but not in such large numbers. I had to totally lean on my vet to do it, but it was worth it. They can do a sensitivity test if they do find such a problem, to see what antibiotic(s) will best bring it under control.

 

ETA: I'm not familiar with Verbantil. We've used Panacur and Drontal for hookworm, along with monthly Interceptor.

Edited June 24, 2012 by greyhead

[Guest arlosmom]

They'd need to do a poop culture at a lab in order to see if there's a weird bacterium or an overgrowth of a bacterium that's supposed to be there but not in such large numbers. I had to totally lean on my vet to do it, but it was worth it. They can do a sensitivity test if they do find such a problem, to see what antibiotic(s) will best bring it under control.

 

ETA: I'm not familiar with Verbantil. We've used Panacur and Drontal for hookworm, along with monthly Interceptor.

I was not familiar with it either. In the past we have used Panacur as well. It is been a long time since we had a case of hookworms. Also with Interceptor hard to get right now we have been using Heartguard + and I am not sure it has the same worming effect.

[greyhead]

The reason we didn't get a poop culture for months on Spencer, who turned out to have a dangerous Clostridium perfringens overgrowth, was because every time I asked the vet to check the poop, they checked for worms! I thought I was being clear in asking them to check for bacteria. Well, I was, but they were shining me on. I can explain why if it comes to that and you need me to, because it will help you to know how many/most vets think about this. For now just know that although you're dealing with hookworm, there may also be another problem; and if the mustard-yellow diarrhea or soft-serve continues, that other problem will need to be found. Good luck, and keep us posted.

[Guest arlosmom]

The reason we didn't get a poop culture for months on Spencer, who turned out to have a dangerous Clostridium perfringens overgrowth, was because every time I asked the vet to check the poop, they checked for worms! I thought I was being clear in asking them to check for bacteria. Well, I was, but they were shining me on. I can explain why if it comes to that and you need me to, because it will help you to know how many/most vets think about this. For now just know that although you're dealing with hookworm, there may also be another problem; and if the mustard-yellow diarrhea or soft-serve continues, that other problem will need to be found. Good luck, and keep us posted.

 

My vet will check for bacteria if we ask them too, We had trouble in the past with my first two dogs with bacteria growths and then the antibiotics would kill off the good stuff and we would then have to follow up with probiotics. I am also thinking of getting a blood test as well. We have the best dirt and bunny poo around ( he he) I have her on a cup muzzle now every time she goes outside so I know she is not eating anything else nasty.

[kudzu]

Have you tried tylosin yet? If it did turn out to be SIBO, a brief round of metronidazole may not (tempted to say rarely is) enough to resolve it. SIBO frequently requires longer treatment. We used tylosin (Tylan) with injectable B12. As Greyhead says, diagnosis requires a fecal culture & my guy had serum folate & B12 checked at the same time as those can help with differential diagnosis.

 

FYI My guy's primary symptom of SIBO was bloating. However, chronic or recurrent loose stools are another common symptom.

 

ETA: You mentioned running blood work. That would be a very good idea.

Edited June 25, 2012 by kudzu