Diarrhea!!

[Nala and Cooper]

Nala has never had bowel related issues. Last night she had the loosest stool, it was practically liquid! It took me by surprise, because her diet has been consistent and I don't feed her scraps. I went to the vet this morning because her vaccines were due (parvo/distemper, lepto, kennel cough) and I told him about the diarrhea issue and he gave me a probiotic nutritional supplement: FortiFlora by Purina. 5 little packets with powder in each, and I'm directed to mix in one of these packets with her food once daily. I already mixed in one today and she ate everything. But I'm just so scared, she has had the same loose liquidy stool about 5 more times in the past 8 hours. And it may sound silly but she seems so bummed afterwards, almost as if shes trying to cope with a terrible bellyache :-(

I had no choice but to resort to DK. I need advice ASAP on how I can fix this in addition to just waiting to see if the supplement works. The vet did mention plain white rice and boiled chicken. Any advice is welcome!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Did the vet do a fecal test? 

Probiotics can be beneficial when there are gastrointestinal issues, or when a dog is on antibiotics, but they won't cure a parasite or bacterial infection. (And Fortiflora is not your best choice of probiotics, it's made by Purina and contains some undesirable flavoring ingredients, but that's beside the point.) 

[Nala and Cooper]

No, a fecal test was performed a month ago with negative results. I'm planning to get another in 3 weeks at the next appointment

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

But a negative test 3 months ago wouldn't mean there isn't a parasite or an infection now. And having one 3 weeks from now isn't going to help. It's like having a strep test for a sore throat. The one you had months ago is meaningless if your throat is red and sore today, and you wouldn;t wait 3 weeks to treat it. In order to treat the diarrhea, you need to know what's causing it. Giardia is most common in spring and summer. Did the vet even give an opinion as to why she suddenly has diarrhea?

[Nala and Cooper]

He suspects its her food. But still its really strange because shes been on this food for a while now with no diarrhea. But after hearing that Nalas always been quite gassy he came to the conclusion that her diet must be the culprit. Either that, or (God forbid) parasites, because really she eats nothing else other than the occasional rawhide bone or training treats. I'm just going to have to wait it out for a week and see what happens.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

No way would she suddenly have diarrhea from a food she's been eating for months. The probiotics do help with gassiness, as long as there's no infection.

You might try giving her a couple of tablespoons of pure canned pumpkin (not pie filling) a couple of times a day. And I'd stop the rawhides, they can cause all kinds of issues, even bowel obstructions. 

I personally would have a fecal done if the stool isn't much better tomorrow. If it's giardia, you need to know that now, because you need to be disinfecting everything and anything the poop touches, both indoors and out. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Fortiflora is not a "supplement", it's a probiotic. That won't treat anything. Probiotics are good bacteria that help with proper stool formation, but not if the underlying cause of the diarrhea is an infection. . 

[Nala and Cooper]

I'm new to all this, and I'm still hoping for the best. I'll have an update in the next few days and see how things take off

[Nala and Cooper]

Oh, and, thank you Karen :-) I think discussing the matter made me ease up a bit.

[F, Calla & Luca]

It could also be a viral infection and they usually clear up in a few days with chicken and rice. I have also given my dog Imodium but I would check with the vet.