Proviable - DC

[Katie]

I got my Proviable DC in the mail today.

Is this 1x daily and should it be given with food?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There should be dosage instructions on the package or bottle.

It must not be given with antibiotics, and I wouldn't give it with other meds either. It doesn't matter if it's given with food or not, it's just beneficial gut bacteria. 

[Katie]

Thanks Karen.  I appreciate all your help.  Sure hope this helps my Luna. 

The dosage is 1 capsule daily per the package.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The website says one capsule per day: http://www.nutramaxlabs.com/dog/dog-digestive-health/proviable-dc-f...

[Katie]

Tomorrow will be day 7 of our probiotic.

Luna is still having loose stools.  How long do you think it will take before I notice a difference.  I do notice in the morning that her poo has a tootsie roll formish.  Her evening poo and late even are very soft - like pudding very soft pudding. Her poo schedule also seems to be off???  I was gone all day and my husband gave her a pig ear today!  :(

I'm thinking if this doesn't help her soon I'm going to try the bland diet and change to a good food with grains. Thoughts?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Well, it's only been 5 days, today is the 20th and you started this post on the 15th, lol, and then we have the pig ear, which really doesn't help. Not many things harder on the stomach than that. Why not hide them somewhere or throw them away so it doesn't happen again? 

[Katie]

Not going to split hairs here but I did say "Tomorrow will be day 7 of our probiotic."  I gave her a pill the day I started this thread.

I tossed the ears in the garbage - I guess I continue the wait.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Tell me everything she gets to eat every day. How much food, how many meals, any treats, chews, everything. And her age and weight again. 

[Katie]

Luna is 21 weeks old - she was born 4/26/15.  Just jumped on the scale and she is 27.5 lbs.

She is eating Orijen puppy food.  We've been on this 100% since about 8/7/15.  She eats 2x/daily, morning and evening.  She is given 1/2 c in the morning and 1/2 c + 1/4 c in the evening.   I also give her 1 tbsp of pumpkin with each meal.  I add the proviable probiotic to her evening meal (I just drop the pill in with her food). 

Started the proviable on 9/15

I use the tricky trainers for her daily training treats.  I think they are by cloud star.  

I use beef trachea for a chew toy when needed.  She usually gets one a week, maybe two.

She is a counter surfer.  Sometimes she is successful but for the most part she doesnt eat any human food.

When outside she is always on leash as we don't have a fenced yard. She loves the moths and is always playing with them. She is always supervised outside.

Scheduled for spay end of October - really wanting to get this poo thing firmed up (ha!).

The store I buy the food from suggested getting another fecal test to rule out coccidia and trying "perfect form herbal supplement" from the honest kitchen.  Just talked with them Saturday at puppy class, so I have not done either of these. 

I was gone alout this weekend any my hubby got her a bag of pigs ears at meijer.  She she two this weekend. He said she went through an ear in about 15 minutes.  I'm certain this is whats causing her soft stools right now. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Okay, so no more pig ears and do whatever you have to do to get your DH to stop buying/giving her any kind of treats or chews, lol. 

Honest Kitchen is a good company, but I don't think the digestive supplement is going to make a difference. It's plant enzymes, which have not been shown to be of much use in dogs. 

Their dehydrated raw food, on the other hand, has worked really well for a lot of dogs here with chronic soft stool. But it makes Orijen look cheap, lol.

I really do think that the soft poop is due to a bacterial imbalance in the gut, and it's going to take time for the probiotics to rectify that. If there's no improvement in another week, and no pig ears or anything else that could cause a problem, we'll rethink the food.

But I am absolutely certain that grains are not the answer, in any case. 

[Katie]

Thanks Karen.  I'll update again later.   I think I'll go ahead with a fecal, can't hurt anything. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I have another idea, which is to add a bit more fiber to her diet. There's a pure psyllium powder called Konsyl, and some drugstores have a generic version, which is cheaper. I buy the CVS brand. You have to make sure you get one that's 100% psyllium, with no sugar or flavorings. You can mix a quarter of a teaspoon into her pumpkin (I use mashed sweet potatoes, cheaper and just as much fiber). This was recommended to me by JD's internal medicine specialist, for his IBD. 

[Katie]

Isn't psyllium a laxative?  

I'll do a little research.............