Bowie Has Big D Induced By Antibiotics, Suggestions?

[seeh2o]

Bowie ripped off a rear toe nail on our way back from Solvang, very bloody and painful. I went of the rails, that's what ultimately killed my beloved Carl, he had a bite on the top of head and ripped off toenail while I was away on vacation. Long story short, the vet never cleaned or tended to his toenail and 5 months later an infection appeared in his bone. So, you can imagine my freak out. Took her to the vet where they cleaned and wrapped it. I insisted on antibiotics to head off infection. She didn't do well on the Clavimox, felt awful and had liquid puddles of poop. We switched her to Amoxicillin, same thing, liquid poop. She was on antibiotics for 7 days, then I took her off. Over the weekend she lost a pronounced visually amount of weight (2-3 lbs?), for her. I've been feeding her boiled chicken and rice, she's on a probiotic and another supplement, Cholacol ll. I was hopeful last night, it went from liquid to pudding, but this morning it's back to liquid. No blood in it. This has been going on for a week+. I broke down this morning and gave her 2 Imodium (each pill is 2mg).

 

She was just fine before the antibiotics, hasn't been anywhere where she could pick up worms. Her companion, 13 year old Doodles is perfectly fine, normal poops.

 

Thoughts, advice?

 

ETA: She does not appear to be dehydrated.

Edited March 3, 2016 by seeh2o

[Houndtime]

Oatmeal, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, slippery elm bark or pumpkin Pasta or over cooked rice. Maybe fast her for one day. She can have Immodium. there area bunch of things. Some work for one dog but don't work for the next. I have been successful with potatoes and a single protein.

[XTRAWLD]

I'd start with fasting, I know it's the last thing you want to do when it looks like she's lost weight but the system needs to settle. Then start in 24 hours with some broth and rice. That is it. Add in some slippery elm the next broth/rice meal if that goes along well. Continue this for a couple days and then transition to regular food while keeping with the Elm. Note though that if you are still using antibiotics, you'd have to space out the dosage when giving slippery elm as it coats the stomach, therefore meds aren't as easily absorbed.

 

Forti Flora can also work, especially useful when on meds - and also encourages eating (but you mentioned a probiotic so I think you are good).

 

I use Pepto in a pinch but that is really a bandaid solution.

 

The Big D is AWFUL, and I feel for you, and for her. Gentle scritches.

[seeh2o]

Thank you both! She's off the antibiotics, mercifully. Normally, I do fast them when they get diarrhea, but you guessed it, I didn't this time because she lost so much weigh to quickly. I've got slippery elm, I thought that was only for upset GI issues, I'll make some for her tonight.

[krissn333]

I'm a giant fan of ProBIOS tablets. I keep them on hand and anyone on antibiotics goes on probiotics too.

[3greytjoys]

One of our 13 year old hounds had a similar reaction to Clavamox (tolerated okay during earlier years). Lack of appetite occurred halfway through the treatment period. Then one tablet was administered without enough food (he suddenly refused all foods). That sent his body into a downward spiral with severe lack of appetite and diarrhea. Several days later, vet recommended Pepcid, which dramatically worsened his condition + more severe liquid diarrhea for 5 more days. We halted all medications to allow his body to recover. He improved on a bland diet (overcooked rice, potato, scrambled eggs, lean ground turkey, plain chicken, small amount of plain yogurt, etc.) The following week, we gradually reintroduced tiny amounts of soaked kibble until his appetite and stools improved enough to handle regular meals.

 

Hounds in previous years improved with Flagyl (to control diarrhea caused by bacteria or parasites).

 

Positive thoughts for Bowie's speedy recovery.

[XTRAWLD]

When Kasey was undergoing chemo he had terrible bouts of D and I felt awful for him, not to mention the mess (in my house too). My suggestions above that I gave didnt always work. I took him to the vet and I got Tylosin (100mg, 2 capsules every 12 hours). They were a life saver. I'm just mentioning this in case the D is still around after to try slippery elm, etc, that you can get something to help if you can't resolve it on your own.

[XTRAWLD]

Any improvement?

[seeh2o]

Thanks for checking! She's at my friend's house with Doodles as I'm out of town for a week. When I dropped them off yesterday (family vacation planned for months), she was bright and sassy, but hadn't pooped yet because of the Imodium I have her Thursday. I've asked my friend via text, I may not know how her poop is until tomorrow, but earlier today she said they were both fine. I'll post when I hear something.

[seeh2o]

I heard from my friend, Bowie still has soft serve, ugh. She's considering adding psyllium or dehydrated beet pulp. I suggested slippery elm. I fasted her before I took her to my friend's house.

[XTRAWLD]

If she's able to give her rice, and hasn't done so yet, might be a helpful option. Her guts are just really upset and slippery elm should help.

[a_daerr]

The Olewo Carrots are really awesome for diarrhea too. My Wolf has been getting weekly dewormer that gives him the big D everytime, without fail. I just anticipate it now and give him Olewo Carrots with the meds and for a few days afterwards. Works like a charm!

[seeh2o]

If she's able to give her rice, and hasn't done so yet, might be a helpful option. Her guts are just really upset and slippery elm should help.

She's been on rice for a week, but she was going to get the slippery elm today. I was going to try it and tried something else instead, which of course didn't work.

The Olewo Carrots are really awesome for diarrhea too. My Wolf has been getting weekly dewormer that gives him the big D everytime, without fail. I just anticipate it now and give him Olewo Carrots with the meds and for a few days afterwards. Works like a charm!

 

Where do you get these and how do you feed them? Unlike Doodles, Bowie is picky about what she eats. If I put peanut butter on a shoe, Doodles would eat it!

[a_daerr]

I get the Olewo Carrots on Amazon. From what I can tell, most dogs have no problem eating them. You can mix them with chicken broth or a small amount of kibble and still get good results. They also make dehydrated red beets too.

[XTRAWLD]

The Olewo Beets are also available on Amazon, but to be truthful I find it doesn't do a thing other than making dark stool! LOL I think I do it more for my benefit than for Ryder's!

Edited March 7, 2016 by XTRAWLD

[seeh2o]

I just ordered some of the carrots to be delivered to my friend's house tomorrow. She's getting Slippery Elm today. Something has to make my girl's poop bind.

[seeh2o]

Well I'm back. After two different probiotics and 3 1/2 days of Flagyl, she still has diarrhea. It's not explosive, not with urgency and not with frequency, just her two normal times to poop a day, but it is a puddle of pudding. We are going to do a fecal tomorrow (vet is closed today). She still eats well, on the Flagyl I've actually seen two formed soft poops, but that's it, the rest of it is pudding.

 

I bought Oleow carrots, but my vet who feeds raw and includes homeopathic treatment said no, because there is too much sugar in them. Aside from that, I doubt I could get them into her as she HATES veggies.

 

She's been fasted, was on chicken and rice for almost a week. She has lost 3lbs, but her weight seems to have stabilized, she has either gained a lb or not lost anymore weight.

 

This was brought on by antibiotics to prevent infection in her your when her toenail waa ripped off on 2.20, the diarrhea began a couple of days later, so she's been like this for almost a month. Initially she was on Clavimox, which is when her get diarrhea started, then switched to Amoxicillin in hours that the diarrhea would stop and it would still prevent infection in her toe, but the diarrhea continued/continues.

 

I'm so worried about her, I know she doesn't feel good, she's usually very bright and bouncy, but since this began she has been very muted with few hours of her happy self. When I came home last night she seemed almost back to her normal self, but this morning, muted. Her stomach was making gassy gurgling sounds, so I gave her some Gas Ex, which seemed to put an end to it.

 

Does anyone have any thoughts, suggestions, advice?

Edited March 18, 2016 by seeh2o

[Batmom]

Have you tried Tylosin (aka Tylan)? If the dog acts like she doesn't feel well, I'd start there.

 

If/when she seems to feel well but still has runny poop, there are quite a few options. If other folks have had success with the Olewo carrots (I've never tried them), can't see how it would hurt to try. We have sometimes used Metamucil wafers (not powder) for dogs who can benefit from a little more fiber. We have sometimes also used Endosorb to firm up stool temporarily.

P.S. If you haven't done a fecal, I'd do it anyways. Can't hurt, might help.

[FiveRoooooers]

Have you tried Tylosin (aka Tylan)? If the dog acts like she doesn't feel well, I'd start there.

 

P.S. If you haven't done a fecal, I'd do it anyways. Can't hurt, might help.

We have had very good results using Tylan. Lately, though, I've been giving them slippery elm instead and it works well and quickly. I buy the Slippery Elm capsules at our health food store vs. having to buy and fill empty capsules with Tylan which is disgustingly beyond bitter. Slippery elm capsules I can just drop into their food bowl and they eat them right up.

[seeh2o]

Thanks, I'm dropping the fecal off tomorrow. I'll ask about Tylan when I go in tomorrow. I have Slippery Elm, I'll give it to her tonight.

Is Tylan by prescription?

Edited March 19, 2016 by seeh2o

[Batmom]

Tylan is by prescription; gut-active antibiotic, different from flagyl etc. It's a powder. Some people buy empty capsules to put it in. I put it in a little meatball or mini peanutbutter sandwich. One of my girls says it doesn't taste anywhere near as bad as people say -- if a little spills, she'll lick it up. Gotta love a hungry girl, eh?

[XTRAWLD]

I agree with Batmom to get Tylosin, as I mentioned a while back. Get some to get her back on track. You need it prescribed.

 

Also dont give SE with it, as it inhibits meds from being absorbed. You can give it to her hours before or after but not at the same time. But if you havent been trying SE, then just go right to Tylosin.

Edited March 19, 2016 by XTRAWLD

[seeh2o]

I agree with Batmom to get Tylosin, as I mentioned a while back. Get some to get her back on track. You need it prescribed.

 

Also dont give SE with it, as it inhibits meds from being absorbed. You can give it to her hours before or after but not at the same time. But if you havent been trying SE, then just go right to Tylosin.

I don't think my friend gave her the SE at all while I was gone. My vet wanted her off of all supplements when she saw her Monday (which I had already done that morning).

 

FYI, there was a 10 day lag here because I went to Hawaii, so I wasn't home watching her like a HAWK.

Edited March 19, 2016 by seeh2o

[FiveRoooooers]

Tylan is by prescription; gut-active antibiotic, different from flagyl etc. It's a powder. Some people buy empty capsules to put it in. I put it in a little meatball or mini peanutbutter sandwich. One of my girls says it doesn't taste anywhere near as bad as people say -- if a little spills, she'll lick it up. Gotta love a hungry girl, eh?

 

I've been buying this Tylan from Amazon, no 'script Capsules are ordered from Nowfoods dot com

[Batmom]

Ha! After I posted I thought you might be able to get it with no prescript. Thanks for posting that. My vet will sell me a bottle reasonably but others might not be so lucky.