Guest GreytBengalMom Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 Hi everyone, I am new to the forum and to the Greyhound world in general. We adopted our Greyhound boy, Eddie, about two and a half weeks ago. He is two and a half, and was only in foster care for about a week or two before he came to us. I have kept him on the same food (Nature's Domain, grain-free turkey) that he was being fed in his foster home, but he had only been eating that for a short period as it was. Eddie has been having diarrhea issues since he's come to our home. His morning poops are the most solid (but still pretty soft) and they get looser throughout the day. Initially I was mixing in plain yogurt with his food for the first week, and it was helping a bit; however, I think he may have been allergic to the yogurt as his skin was becoming red, flakey and itchy. Since stopping the yogurt, I have taken him to the vet last Wed. Nothing funny turned up in his stool sample, and the vet believes he is still adjusting to life off of the track. He has been on metronidazole for a week, with his last dose being given this evening. I've seen improvement, but it's still not where it should be. I am worried that his tummy troubles will worsen now that his medication is complete. Besides yogurt, what else can I give him to help firm his poops up? Other than this, Eddie is a happy boy who is fitting perfectly into our family. I just want his poop to be better! Thanks in advance! Kerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_daerr Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 IAMS in the green bag! You won't regret it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houndtime Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 Iams in the green bag, cooked oatmeal, and pumpkin. The oatmeal for sensitive stomach and the pumpkin for fiber. It will straighten out. Good luck. Quote Irene Ullmann w/Flying Odin and Mama Mia in Lower Delaware Angels Brandy, John E, American Idol, Paul, Fuzzy and Shine Handcrafted Greyhound and Custom Clocks http://www.houndtime.com Zoom Doggies-Racing Coats for Racing Greyhounds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3vagreys Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 I had one with hookworms who had similar symptoms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GreytBengalMom Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 I'll try the Iams and see what happens, but I have to admit that I am not thrilled with the idea of leaving grain-free. I put a call in to the vet to let them know we're still having poop issues here. The doctor is gone for the day, so he'll call me tomorrow. They did confirm that Eddie's stool sample was tested for all parasites (including hookworm), but I (and they) know he may still have something after all. I don't think I have ever talked about poop so much in my life though. Last night I was following behind Eddie in the dark with my cell phone as a flashlight to confirm how firm his poop was.... I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm nuts, as does my husband and our neighbors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_daerr Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Grain-free is a lot if hype, IMHO. Search any 'diarrhea' thread on here and you'll get the same response. IAMS green bag is magic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest joviemom Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 I think it would depend on what is causing the loose poo and dry/irritated skin. I know I tried IAMS on my girl and it didnt work because she has such a sensitive stomach. I put her on a food for sensitive stomach/skin and she has had great results. Did your vet check for giardia by chance? I know I had to request for them to scan for it and my dog came up positive right when she came home. Once I got that under control I was able to test her with food to see what would work for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walliered Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Iams in the green bag. I also feed raw mixed in. I give raw turkey necks about 2 times a week. I had a grey with IBD (Texas A&M confirmed it), so I would get on top of the diarrhea very soon. Believe me, I have bought the high dollar kibble and think Iams is really worth trying. By the way, welcome to this forum and glad you adopted a grey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby172 Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 I would feed him the same food he has been on and just give him some time to settle in. If you change too many things you will never know what is causing the loose stool. He is really still adjusting, give him a little time to acclimate to so many changes and continue to evaluate his stool. Good luck. Linda, Jack and Keeva Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GreytBengalMom Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 (edited) I appreciate everyone's suggestions. I'll definitely try the Iams. I have a bengal cat as well and the grain-free mentality was drilled into my head to avoid urinary issues/digestive issues that are well-known to bengals. I have had so much success with him being grain-free (less poop, less stinky poop, healthy coat, etc) that I figured grain-free would be best for any pet we brought home. With that being said, I am happy to try recommendations given by experienced greyhound owners. I will ask the vet if he was tested for Giardia. I don't want to jump the gun and over-react to the loose poop, which could be a direct result of stress/environment change/food change/etc. However, I also don't want him suffering. He has never had an accident in our house, and his poop has never been bloody/watery, but I've never had a dog that poops as much as Eddie. Nor have I ever had a dog that's had diarrhea for nearly three weeks straight, the poor guy. Thanks again, appreciate everyone's help! Edited February 7, 2013 by GreytBengalMom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DeniseL Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 We have had this problem with Miami since we adopted him. After 2 rounds of matrodizole and no improvement, our vet finally gave him tylan powder and put him on a hydrolyzed protein food and now his poop is perfect. I will attempt to wean him off this prescription food, however, because its crazy expensive. I'm going to try a sensitive stomach variety and see what happens...iams green bag did nothing for him but give him terrible gas...good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest OPointyDog Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 We had 7 months of the same issues with Zoe, and FINALLY her poop is at least pick-up-able! In her case she did better with the red bag (lamb and rice) of Iams rather than the green. She came with hookworms, and we dewormed her when we got her, and even though her stool was then clear of parasites, after a chat with the vet about how hard it is to get rid of them (and how sneaky they can be), we did another heavy-duty round of dewormer (every other week for 8 weeks). Since then things have been good! Now, of course, we got a second hound at Christmas, and HE has the same issue. I think I'm doomed to just always pick up messy poop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3greytjoys Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 (edited) I would feed him the same food he has been on and just give him some time to settle in. If you change too many things you will never know what is causing the loose stool. He is really still adjusting, give him a little time to acclimate to so many changes and continue to evaluate his stool. Good luck. Agreed. Any abrupt change from track food combined with a haul + two new home environments (+ different water sources) is enough stress for a Greyhound to have loose stools. Some dog food companies recommend a slow one month food transition. (Practically impossible with newly retiring Greyhounds.) Adding some plain cooked rice (white is easiest to digest) to kibble often helps firm up our new hounds' stools, unless they are struggling from giardia or hookworms, etc. If you decide to eventually change foods due to your hound's system not adjusting well to his current Nature's Domain, there are many other healthy alternatives. Personally, I'm not a fan of Iams' ingredients, but before buying Iams, please read the ingredient review in link below (particularly 2nd, 3rd and 4th ingredient details): http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/iams-proactive-health-adult/ Edited February 7, 2013 by 3greytjoys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_daerr Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Yeah, three weeks is a long time to be having diarrhea. Hopefully he starts coming around soon. P.S. How does your bengal feel about the dog? I've heard they're pretty cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RMarie Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Our boy had a lot of tummy problems, too. He was on and off RX food and antibiotics. Tested multiple times for giardia...always negative. We had him on Nature's Domain grain fee (salmon) for his terrible skin, but after a while we realized it just wasn't the food for him. He developed worse skin, awful poops, and terrible farts. After a bad bout of the big D, we transitioned to IAMS green bag. He did ok on that food, but was pooping a lot, so we ended up on a mix of 75% Nutro venison and brown rice (the formula for sensitive skin and stomaches) and 25% IAMS. He's been on this mix for a while now with no problems. Good luck! P.S. James cannot tolerate flagyl, which is often used when dogs have the big D. The last time he had the big D, the vet put him on sulfasalazine (for bowel inflammation) and we saw instant improvement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GreytBengalMom Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Yeah, three weeks is a long time to be having diarrhea. Hopefully he starts coming around soon. P.S. How does your bengal feel about the dog? I've heard they're pretty cool. Our bengal, Bentley, is quite the character. He's been an only child for his whole life (he's two and a half), so he's still adjusting to life with a big brother. But so far, so good! He likes to puff up and charge at Eddie, since that's how he plays with us. He plays fetch, and has been bringing Eddie his toys to throw to him. He wants to play with Eddie, he just hasn't quite figured out how to play with him just yet. I'm sure they'll be best friends with time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GreytBengalMom Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 Just wanted to give everyone an update- I started Eddie on Iams green bag food last Sunday and have been slowly transitioning him over. This morning had his first solid poop! I could have done cartwheels! Thanks for everyone's help and suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4My2Greys Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 That sounds like a great update, glad to hear of the improvement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_daerr Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 Yay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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