Stool Issues

[Nicole]

Good morning! I have a new 7 1/2 week old labradoodle pup. The labradoodle I lost a few weeks ago had problems all her life with diarrhea/vomiting. She was on prescription dog food but still had many bouts. My new puppy was started on an undesirable dog food. I have been trying some better foods mixing a few kibbles in at a time. The ONLY kind I've found so far that she will eat other than the poor quality she was started on is Evanger's pheasant/brown rice...her stools have been very loose since we got her (pudding/soft serve consistency)...she went to the vet for puppy well check yesterday and vet gave her clean bill of health...did a stool exam and found nothing...last night she started having diarrhea and this morning there was a touch of blood on her behind after going (it was 4:30 a.m. and was dark...I couldn't see the actual deposit)...she has been picking out the Evanger's and not eating her other food which is hampering my attempts to change her over slowly...

Any advice? I'm trying not to panic after last doodle issues that wound up cutting her life span very short (she died at 3 1/2 years old).

[Nicole]

The results are in...she has giardia...classified "few" as they saw 2-4 eggs/protozoa in the sample (although it was a small sample). Put her on meta-something...not by medicine bottle. Said it may take two rounds to clear it up completely but is nothing to be overly worried about :D WHEW!!!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Metronidazole, possibly. If that doesn't help, you might ask for Panacur, it works in three days.
Be sure to wear rubber gloves when cleaning up after she poops, clean her butt with a baby wipe, and spray a solution of 1 part bleach/10 parts water on the area where she went to kill the cysts, so she doesn't get reinfected.
I hope she's better soon!

[Nicole]

Yep...this is what they gave her~thanks for the info...they said nothing about cleaning her behind or spraying the area where she's been...and I will be sure to mention Panacur if the first round of metronidazole doesn't work. You have been such a help! :)

[Kyoko]

Karen, you really are just amazing.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Aw, shucks! :)

[Hunter and Daisy's Doodle Mom]

Oh my gosh, reading your last comment, I am so very sorry about Shadow. I know this sounds so stupid, but as soon as I had seen the name, I started to cry because my first baby's name was Shadow. She passed away a little over a year ago, from old age. It's never easy no matter what anyone says. I also see that the results are in and that is great news...not that she has giardia, but at least something was found. I hope that this works for her and that things get better for you! And I understand about the "favorite dog you've ever had". I had a very tough time after Shadow passed away and when we got Hunter and Daisy, it took over 4 months before I even started to feel any sort of bond. I felt horrible for thinking it, feeling it, etc. I understand and I'm sure a lot of us here do :-) Again, I hope everything clears up soon!

[Kirsy & Jasper]

How can Dogs pick up GIARDIA anyway?
When Jasper had Salmonella, the Vet said he either chewed on a dead infected bird at the beach OR from the raw chicken necks I gave him. Since I stopped giving him raw chicken, he never had that problem again and I also stopped letting him play in the sand dunes. All those restriction to keep our Darlings safe and healthy!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Dogs pick up giardia basically two ways. Either they drink contaminated water outdoors...from puddles, ponds, pools, streams, gutters, etc....I have even seen a dog drink from the concave seat of a molded plastic patio chair, or (and this is the lielihood when it's a puppy) they get it from other dogs at the breeders', when puppies are allowed to walk around in areas where a lot of dogs have done their business, or in outdoor areas where rabbits, raccoons, and other wildlife have access. Water and feces from other animals is how it's spread.

[F, Calla & Luca]

And it's easy to get. Hikers often get it by drinking untreated water from streams.

[F, Calla & Luca]

This really is good news since she has a treatable condition and she should be fine afterwards.

[Nicole]

Thanks everyone for all the support, messages, and advice...sure wish I had known about this site before but am SO GLAD I found it now!!! It is so great to share experiences and knowledge, thoughts, feelings, etc...Have a great weekend!

[Mary Reams]

How sad about your previous doodle! Mia had loose stools when she was younger, but she does well with Natural Balance venison and sweet potato kibble. When she got diarrhea, I would cook sweet potatoes and mix it with lean beef until she got back to normal. Our previous dog was an Airedale who had leaky gut syndrome and I hired a dog nutritionist who counseled that I book sweet potatoes and venison for her and gradually add minerals and supplements. She lived to ten years of age, but the diet gave her at least six months more of a normal life.