Please help I am at a loss

[Patrick Windsor II]

Hello, I have a 6 month male Golden Doddle that has had a chronic problem with diarrhea. When he was about 3 months he had bought with Giardia and our vet gave him some pills and a powder I put on his food. Ever since then there is maybe one day a week where his stool is semi firm, but then we cycle back to liquid stool for the remaining 5-6 days. I have brought him back to the vet at least two times a month since then with a sample of his stool and they say they do not see anything, but they go ahead and give me the powder and pills again. I have tried pumpkin (which the vet says does not really help as there is not that much fiber in it to make a difference) and a probiotic and nothing seems to work. What is odd is that it is very cyclical, specifically on Tuesday's and Wednesdays its worse. Last night he woke me up at 3:30 am then again at 4:00 am then again at 4:30. We go outside and he has gas with the liquid stool. It will continue like this for a few days and by friday it will be back to a semi hard stool (similar in substance to  soft serve ice cream).

He has been eating the Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food and I mix in a spoon of the Blue Buffalo Wilderness canned food. Out of desperation, yesterday I switched his food to Castor & Pollux Organix Chicken, Brown Rice & Flaxseed Puppy Dry Dog Food supplemented with a spoon full of their canned dog food. His first meal with that was dinner last night and at 3:30 we started with the diarrhea again. He did eat it again this morning, but I did NOT supplement it with the canned food. I know I should have eased into the new food, but I am so desperate to help him I just did an immediate switch.

Anyone who can provide any insight? It would be much appreciated.

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

Post this in health and medical issues group and Karen (and JD) will hopefully see it and help you. She is so knowledgeable!! Best of luck!

[Toni Clayton]

Do you still give him the probiotic? Especially after repeated rounds of meds, he would need the probiotics to help his gut. I have also heard of some doodles being sensitive to chicken.

[Gail and Bailey]

Patrick...I am so sorry you are having this issue with your pup!  

Please join the Food Group and put this same post in that group and you will get excellent help!  

[Gretchen Nastrom]

I was having similar issues with Preston and got a lot of useful advice from the food group.  Karen was so helpful!  I ended up changing Preston's food, and things are finally clearing up. 

[Stephanie W & Charlie]

I'm so sorry you are going through this with your pup. My two suggestions are look for a new food without chicken (our vet and others warned us that lots of dogs have trouble with chicken) and consider the herb Slippery Elm. I was told by someone in a natural food store that this herb works on people and dogs as a "stoplight." As in, if you need to go, it will help you go, and if you need to stop, it will help you stop. I don't completely understand it but I bought capsules and mixed the powder inside them with a bit of plain yogurt for Charlie the two times he has had diarrhea. Worked like a charm.

Good luck!