Chronic diarrhea

[Vcolsen]

Help! My 8 year old grey started to have diarrhea out of nowhere in the beginning of March. She’s been on the same kibble (Kirkland chicken and rice) for over 6 months. She’s never had the best stool it’s often a little mushy, but later it’s been piles of orange liquid on/off.
She’s been to the vet to rule out giardia and I think worms too. (Worms is unlikely because she’s been off the track a long time). They put her on an antibiotic for 2 weeks but that didn’t help. Took her back and got full bloodwork and it came back fine. Then they put her on antibiotics again for about 2 weeks (Flagyl) and that seemed to help. She has also been doing Purina FortiFlora daily for almost a month.
 

I’ve been doing bland food for almost 2 months (boiled chicken and rice, eggs) and then trying to reintroduce food. She kept getting diarrhea when I introduced kibble so I switched to Hills sensitive stomach. the vet suggested I give her a couple kibble bits at a time to help the transition. (I did a couple bits for a few days then slowly increased) I got her back to almost 1 cup mixed with bland food and diarrhea again. I’m wondering if I should just try this food again and make the transition to the kibble longer.

Can anyone suggest anything to help? She’s about 57 pounds right now but I’m afraid of her losing any more weight. 

thanks! 

[MaryJane]

Don't use chicken/eggs in the bland diet - use lean cooked hamburger instead - many dogs are allergic to chicken.  Or, you can use a fish like tilapia (white fish) with white potatoes - this is sometimes recommended for dogs with IBD.  I give my dogs cooked oatmeal and it usually helps to firm up the poop after a few days (has fiber).

I used to do elimination diets for greyhounds having GI issues and it was typical that at the 1 cup mark of kibble mixed in - they would get the diarrhea again. I was sometimes able to transition them to the Natural Balance Venison and sweet potato LTD (limited ingredient).

 

[sarabz]

Our girl had a similar experience and it turned out to be pancreatitis. Not sure if you've tested for that. 

 

She refused to eat the Hills I/D food so we mixed it half and half with a "diet" dog food and she'd eat that. Became a balancing act in terms of keeping weight on her versus triggering her pancreatitis but she was also 14. 

[tbhounds]

Try either a low residual diet (For example raw) or just the opposite-higher fiber.  Also try to feed lower fat...fat is hard to digest and often the culprit of soft stools.  Your vet should be recommending a script food at this point.  Honestly I would ask to try Hills W/D...comes canned and dry.  Feed it solely..no treats or snacks until you can constantly see normal stools for a few feeds then, slowly transition to an otc food.  Keep in mind if the w/d helped you may need to find a lower fat, higher fiber otc food.  Personally I like the Purina line.

[greysmom]

PLease make sure she was tested for hookworms.  Being off the track doesn't have anything to do with companion pets getting hooks.  They are acquired by walking through an environment where they are in the soil, up through the pads of the feet.

Also double check about pancreatitis, as mentioned above.

If both of those are normal/negative then you are likely dealing with a food intolerance, which can develop over time or even as they age.  If your original dry food was chicken-based, switch up to a home made food using a completely different protein - ground beef, or bland white fish as mentioned above.  And use overcooked rice or pasta, or peeled-and-mashed white or sweet potatoes, or whole oats for the carb source.  You can use the potatoes for a while, but don't stick with them for the long term in a commercial food due to the risk of DCM.

If her poops get better on the alternate protein then try and find a food with that as the protein base.  You *may* be looking at a prescription diet, but there are a ton of commercial foods available now.  They may/may not be cheaper than a prescription so shop around.

We have been using Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach Salmon and Rice for over a year now and have been very pleased with the results.  We feed less food per day to maintain weight and energy levels, and their poops smaller and firmer.  It's a richer food so there was an extended transition time for us, but we've never looked back after that.

[cleptogrey]

VET! It can be pancreatitis or colitis. A professional will diagnose it and treat it. Your dog may need a low fat diet or meds.

[GreytMom]

Have you tried Olewo carrots? They are a wonder supplement for my dogs. 

[Vcolsen]

Thank you all for your responses! I replied a while ago but something must have gone wrong.
Update: I have switched her food to Wellness and giving her Natural Balance limited ingredient wet food (which she loves). And giving her a scoop of Owelo carrots in her food (they’re awesome!) 

I called the vet but they're extremely busy so he hasn't gotten back to me, but she seems to be doing much better on the new diet (and has even gained a few pounds!) 

Now we’re on to tackle her latest issue: wanting to be awake at 4am  silly greys!