Olive, poop, and my memories

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

Ollie started with soft formed poo this past Sunday. I added pumpkin and Proviable DC to her Annamaet Salcha kibble daily. It was ok - just soft. Then yesterday I saw a mucous one at 11 and then applesauce consistency at 3:30, so straight to the vet - who convinced me into buying flagyl and w/d food.

I was panicked, what can I say? It is almost exactly a year ago now that sweet young Ripley passed away, and I'm remembering, which is causing me to overreact to poor Ollie's ailments. So when the vet said this was the fastest way to get her better, and offered her the pill with some w/d on a stick and she took it, I let it go. I fed her w/d for dinner. Shortly after she had a soft but shaped poo. I decided not to give her the second 1/2 pill he had recommended. She had no fever and lungs were clear. She is acting normally. Good appetite.

Have you ever tried to catch a dog's poop on a paper plate? DH said Ollie gave him a look like he was a complete pervert! But this morning brought better news with a beautiful poop presented to me on the paper plate by DH! (Yes, we were just using the plates under Ollie to prevent possible yard contamination.) What a sight for sore eyes. :). And then a call with results of negative fecal for giardia! Yay. Feeling much better. Decided to feed her plain boiled chicken and sweet potato mash for both breakfast and lunch.

But now it's 3pm she hasn't pooped since 8am.
And since and since I've (sort-of) calmed, thought I'd share this roller coaster with you. :)

I'm finding it difficult to merge what I've learned here along with trusting (or not trusting) my vet. Having a good plan is key for me so any help, as always, is greatly appreciated! Thanks for listening!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

DK people are really special. XO back atcha. :)

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

WE HAVE AN ANSWER! Our vet left a message that Ollie wasn't suffering from a parasite but something called (Imeria?) -spelling? showed up in the fecal - which causes diarrhea. He said it is due to either contaminated food or hunting or eating feces. I know she hasn't done the latter two, and it so happens that we opened a new bag of Annamaet Salcha recently - right before the first episode of diarrhea. This was in the back of my mind all along. She got better on our bland diet, and then worse again a few days after reintroducing that same kibble. Totally makes sense. It also just so happens that her Littermate brother was having the same trouble, exactly the same story. I called her immediately and we are going to compare lot numbers. She purchased hers from Amazon but I received mine from Chewy. We will contact these stores and Annamaet also. Any advice on this please lmk.
Though I am so happy and relieved to have an answer (I was so frightened and our timing with the cancerversary was horrible for me), it is maddening how contaminated food can hurt dogs, owners, and the pocketbook.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I have the same feelings you do. Happy that we have an answer to Olive's digestive issues, but upset that the food caused all this grief and expense. 

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

Grief is a good word for it! Yes, thank you Karen.

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

Hi again!! What would you do?
So, Ollie once again is having a bit of an issue. After ten days on the HK, she had a couple loose stools. We right away put her back on the bland diet for a couple days, and it worked like a charm. On day three we thought it looked so good that we could re-introduce a couple tbsp of HK back into her 3 meals along with bland diet. Well, maybe not. I got a sausage like mucous casing at the end of her recent poo. Maybe the colitis never fully healed? But those were ten good days... Back on bland diet. My question is, is it her puppy indiscretions in eating a leaf/bark/grass here and there that is causing this, or a matter of finding the right food? I remember you saying a LID might be good, but I'm wondering if nutrition-wise, that works for a six month old? Should I try Canidae or Wellness LID? What would you do?
She lost all her teeth at five months and her growth seems to have very much slowed. She may be full size, which for nutrition requirements, could be good, right? Help is very much appreciated, thx!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I don't want to scare you, but that sausage-like mucous casing on the stool is an indication of inflammation in the large intestine. It's one of the symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease that Jack had early on. It's hard to imagine that a puppy this young would have IBD, but it does happen. If she were mine, I'd ask for an ultrasound to check for thickening of the bowel walls.. 

Regarding the food, I think at this point it wouldn't hurt to try the Wellness Simple Solutions Salmon/Potato formula.