Doggie Diarrhea

[Captain_Happy]

The wife and I have been dealing with this problen now for well over a month now. Been to the Vet many times, and have yet to come up with a treatment will stop this problem. Our little girt (toy poodle) is now 12 years old.

I figured this the place to find some answers to our problem.

[doxiemom11]

Any update on how the dog is doing?

[xteacher]

Code2High wrote:
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is good advice when it ain't broke, but if the dog is having ongoing diarhhea, something clearly IS broken here. Food can be a real irritant and the dog having eaten a given food "for years" is not evidence that the food isn't the problem. Many food allergies develop after years of exposure. Also, we know that manufacturers change recipes or ingredient sources and don't say a word to anyone. So the same brand and variety is not necessarily the same food that it was two months ago. It only takes ONE ingredient that disagrees to cause complete GI chaos.

If other issues (giardia and other parasites, organ issues and so on) do not explain the situation, then if a food change hasn't been tried, it is certainly appropriate to try that. Moving to a protein the dog hasn't had before and a carb source that's also different (such as sweet potato) is not only practical these days, it's easy to do. Dog foods.... really really tasty dog foods... made with novel/limited (fewer ingredients means fewer opportunities for allergic reactions)ingredients abound in every pet store. I'm not saying make fifteen food changes, but the OP's reply seems to indicate that hasn't been tried and if it hasn't, it's time to look at that.

Agreed!

[Code2High]

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is good advice when it ain't broke, but if the dog is having ongoing diarhhea, something clearly IS broken here. Food can be a real irritant and the dog having eaten a given food "for years" is not evidence that the food isn't the problem. Many food allergies develop after years of exposure. Also, we know that manufacturers change recipes or ingredient sources and don't say a word to anyone. So the same brand and variety is not necessarily the same food that it was two months ago. It only takes ONE ingredient that disagrees to cause complete GI chaos.

If other issues (giardia and other parasites, organ issues and so on) do not explain the situation, then if a food change hasn't been tried, it is certainly appropriate to try that. Moving to a protein the dog hasn't had before and a carb source that's also different (such as sweet potato) is not only practical these days, it's easy to do. Dog foods.... really really tasty dog foods... made with novel/limited (fewer ingredients means fewer opportunities for allergic reactions)ingredients abound in every pet store. I'm not saying make fifteen food changes, but the OP's reply seems to indicate that hasn't been tried and if it hasn't, it's time to look at that.

[sher9570]

I had a diabetic dog for five years, I would not hesitate to ever get a second opinion.
There is always very good advice on this site but much of it may not be helpful for your pup.
I had on occasion done the chicken/rice or burger/rice boiled but I never gave my diabetic dog white rice, way to high in carbs for him, I always used brown rice as it's a complex carb. He tolerated it very well and it did help with his diarrhea but that does not mean it will help you dog.
Twelve is not necessarily an end of life time either but how long has your pup been diabetic?
I wish I could offer more but you need to work more with a vet than with online sources no matter how much we all would love to be able to help you.
Good luck and please keep us updated.

Sher

[scarpi]

If regular meds have not helped your dog, and the diarrhea has been going on for a while, you might seek the help of a specialist. They might do specialized tests to rule out more serious issues like IBD (inflammatory bowel disease). They might do a colonoscopy and specialized imaging to look for other issues. Then they can prescribe a special diet and medications specifically for the problem. We did this with one of our dogs once that had constant loose stools. That way you know exactly what is causing the constant diarrhea. Hope this helps you.

[raindove]

The only thing worse than a dog with an on-going diarrhea issue is multiple dogs with diarrhea. It gets old real fast.

I too, would seek a second opinion to try to pinpoint the cause.

Dr. Doug gave excellent advice on things to check related to the diabetes issue.

As far as diet, I think you have to find what works for your dog and stick with it. I was never a fan of changing foods. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

As far as the hamburger versus chicken -- I was doing the hamburger for my old boy and he wasn't tolerating it. Chicken worked for him. Every dog is different - just like people.

OP: How is your girly doing? Since the original post was July 4, I'm assuming you havent' had her back to the vet yet. I would be interested to hear what the solution is when the vet figures out what is going on.

[Jerrybo66]

FWIW....I see a lot of folks suggesting chicken. A few weeks ago I posted a problem with our 10-11 year old Pit Bull losing weight, had diarrhea and rumbling gas. The Vet thought maybe a chicken allergy. It seemed too simple of a remedy for the problem but I made the change. I was feeding Blue Buffalo,(chicken) with a little boiled chicken mixed in. The Vet gave him a ten day medication for the diarrhea and I switched to Basic Balanced Diet, sweet potato & bison and stopped all chicken. So far he's gaining back the weight and no more diarrhea. I hope it continues. The stomach rumblings in the Rottweiler had also stopped. Will take him back next week for a check up.........
.......For what it's worth.... Good luck..

[Captain_Happy]

I've read all the replys and they all make sense. There is no one answer to this problem without knowing all the facts and test resultes.

Thanks to everyone for the information you've given us.

[Code2High]

Definitely need more info on what has been checked and what changes, medications or other things have been tried. Food can certainly be a part of the problem or the solution, but you need a complete picture to even discuss that.

[dturm]

Folks, the suggestions for rice, chicken, cottage cheese, pumpkin, no kibble, no grain yada, yada, yada ... (fill in the blank) may be good for a simple diarrhea. This problem has been going on for over a month while under the care of a veterinarian and is obviously NOT a simple problem easily treated with diet change.

We're doing a disservice to this dog suggesting things without knowing complete history including previous labs and treatments.

What worked for you with your dog with a simple diarrhea isn't necessarily applicable.

I think WandaLust2's suggestion about a second opinion is a valid one. Chronic problems are really frustrating for you (and your vet too). Keep the communications open and going, this is the fastest way to reach a solution.

Doug, DVM

[GloriaB]

YC 1 wrote:
Ditto the white rice and chicken or rice and cottage cheese. Works every time for our dogs.

X2 (or is it 3 now?)

[Mfar1234]

Captain_Happy wrote:
The wife and I have been dealing with this problen now for well over a month now. Been to the Vet many times, and have yet to come up with a treatment will stop this problem. Our little girt (toy poodle) is now 12 years old.

I figured this the place to find some answers to our problem.

PEPTO BISMO (TABLETS) - problem solved on mine

[doxiemom11]

I would assume the vet has checked for parasites as that can cause the problem. The food may be an issue, maybe with age she can not tolerate that food anymore. Try changing to something else - but-- I would give her boiled rice and unseasoned chicken chunks for awhile. That is easy to digest and recommended by many vets when a dog has this problem. Another option given is boiled burger and rice (drop small pieces of burger in boiling water to cook). I would NOT do pumpkin as that is many times used for constipation to loosen the stools. I would also switch from dry kibble to a moist canned food after things ease up. Mix small amounts with the kibble she is used to and gradually increase the amount of wet food until you have switched over. There are many nutritious brands available at the pet stores. You could try the different flavors to see what she likes best. Good luck with this. Hoping it's not the diabetes causing the digestive problems. In people high sugar can cause this exact problem.

[WandaLust2]

Captain_Happy wrote:
The wife and I have been dealing with this problen now for well over a month now. Been to the Vet many times, and have yet to come up with a treatment will stop this problem. Our little girt (toy poodle) is now 12 years old.

I figured this the place to find some answers to our problem.

Have you considered getting a second opinion at another vet? I'm assuming all kinds of tests were done including running fecals to see if she has some kind of internal parasites.