Stomach Growling

[Guest delg]

We are new the the greyhound world,

We just got Emma a month ago, The adoption people said she might have hook worm and was giving medication for it.

so our problem is that every week she starts with stomach growling and passing the worst gas possible lol and poops ok the 1st time then diarrhea,

she doesn't eat until the next morning. We took her to the vet last Saturday and took a stool sample and had it tested and the also did blood work on her and everything came back good. No worms We have her on performatrin ultra grain-free (pet-value) not sure what to do should I take her to another vet?

any advice would be great

Crude Protein

(min.) 37.0%

Crude Fat

(min.) 16.0%

Crude Fiber

(max.) 3.0%

Moisture

(max.) 10.0%

Vitamin E

(min.) 150 IU/kg

Vitamin C*

(min.) 50 mg/kg

Lutein*

(min.) 5 mg/kg

Omega-6 Fatty Acids*

(min.) 2.80%

Omega-3 Fatty Acids*

(min.) 0.60%

Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA)*

(min.) 0.20%

Live Lactic Acid Producing Micro-organisms (L. Acidophilus, L. Casei, S. Faecium)*

(min.) 250 million CFU/kg

kcal/kg

3770

kcal/cup

432

[locket]

To me, this is a very high percentage of proteins. My greys do better around 24-25%.

Also, recheck for worms, it does look like those symptoms and sometimes they are hard to catch.

[Zoomdoggie]

I agree with locket on having a second check for hooks. We adopted Leica just 3 weeks ago, and he had nearly the same symptoms, except for no loss of appetite. His stool had been consistently runny, unless he had a 100% raw meal prior. We just did a worming for hooks, finishing it up last week. No more stomach growling, and today was the first time he had good, firm stool with a kibble meal, and that being TWO poops in the morning!

[Guest delg]

Thanks I will get her test again.

[GeorgeofNE]

There is absolutely no reason to feed such a "rich" food to a pet.

 

I would find out what she is used to eating (from before you adopted her) and switch her back to that.

 

It's actually all too common for newly adopted dogs to have bad stool since we are so intent on getting them "the best" food we can lose sight of the fact that not all dogs actually take to "the best" food.

 

Your post confused me a little. Are you giving her anti worm medication every week, and after she takes it she has these problems??

 

Stress and diet changes both contribute to soft stool. No reason to assume it's still worms.

 

She should be on a monthly heartworm preventative, which will typically also kill other worms.

[greysmom]

Hook worms are notoriously difficult to clear. They can hide in other tissues and re-emerge weeks later, reinfecting the dog you thought was worm free. According to my vet, you need three clear fecal tests, spaced well apart (one week post treatment, then three weeks later, then another three weeks) to be really sure you have them gone. Many times it take multiple treatments of Pancur over the course of several months.

 

Yes, coming off the track, and into an adoption program, and then to their forever home, can be stressful for a new greyhound. Just that anxiety can cause diarrhea and noxious gas. Then you add in a bunch of food changes on top of that and it's a recipe (no pun intended!) for intestinal upset. You can read through the Food section here and everyone has their own opinions regarding what's the best thing to feed their dog. What you need to do for yours is to find something that works and stick to it for a while. Once you have the worm situation under control, her eating and eliminating should get in sync and be good to go.

 

Here's my opinion: Like said above, 37% protein is high unless you are doing performance activities (lure coursing or competitive agility) every day. Excess protein can cause gas and blaoting, and often can cause diarrhea. Most do just fine with a food at 20-25% protein. Many people fed their dogs Iams in the green bag, or the various flavors of Coscto brand dog food (Domain, I think) with great success. Mostly because both of them have a high fiber content with large amounts of beet pulp. Beet pulp is a product that's used for feeding livestock. You can also buy it in bulk and add it to dog food yourself. Another fiber product additive many people swear by are "Olewo carrots." You can google them and find out all about the benefits of feeding this additive.

 

Good luck with your new friend, and welcome to Greytalk!

[Guest delg]

Hook worms are notoriously difficult to clear. They can hide in other tissues and re-emerge weeks later, reinfecting the dog you thought was worm free. According to my vet, you need three clear fecal tests, spaced well apart (one week post treatment, then three weeks later, then another three weeks) to be really sure you have them gone. Many times it take multiple treatments of Pancur over the course of several months.

 

Yes, coming off the track, and into an adoption program, and then to their forever home, can be stressful for a new greyhound. Just that anxiety can cause diarrhea and noxious gas. Then you add in a bunch of food changes on top of that and it's a recipe (no pun intended!) for intestinal upset. You can read through the Food section here and everyone has their own opinions regarding what's the best thing to feed their dog. What you need to do for yours is to find something that works and stick to it for a while. Once you have the worm situation under control, her eating and eliminating should get in sync and be good to go.

 

Here's my opinion: Like said above, 37% protein is high unless you are doing performance activities (lure coursing or competitive agility) every day. Excess protein can cause gas and blaoting, and often can cause diarrhea. Most do just fine with a food at 20-25% protein. Many people fed their dogs Iams in the green bag, or the various flavors of Coscto brand dog food (Domain, I think) with great success. Mostly because both of them have a high fiber content with large amounts of beet pulp. Beet pulp is a product that's used for feeding livestock. You can also buy it in bulk and add it to dog food yourself. Another fiber product additive many people swear by are "Olewo carrots." You can google them and find out all about the benefits of feeding this additive.

 

Good luck with your new friend, and welcome to Greytalk!

Thank you

[Time4ANap]

Just to add to what's already been posted, a negative fecal only means that there were no worms or eggs in that particular stool sample. Detecting and eradicating parasites is more a matter of timing and luck.

 

if I had to guess, I'd think that rich food is causing the gas and diarrhea. I would definitely try a different food in the protein ranges posted above. The right food for your hound is the one that works for them no matter what the popular opinion of the food is. Many people here have had very healthy hounds eating IAMS Green Bag for many years while there is a faction of the dog world that wouldn't be caught dead feeding a food you can buy in a grocery store or Wal-Mart. It's all about what works for the dog.

 

If the diarrhea continues after sufficient time with a food change, I would re-treat for the parasites, or if you see signs of them before that.

 

Good Luck!

[JohnF]

Look for Giardia paraiste and don't let the dog drink from puddles.

 

A food with under 25% protien may suit the dog better but they all have soft poops later in the day.

 

Severe gurgling can be treated with Buscopan.