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]

Thanks for the advice! Sweet potatoes must work wondrers :) Turns out our new little one had Giardia (twice) but has been great for weeks now...solid stools all the time (hope I didn't just jinx myself). Our other doodle just was ill her whole life...have never heard the term leaky gut syndrome...is it like pancreatitis? That's what our vet said our previous doodle had. Isn't it hard when they have issues...I don't know about you but our doodles are a member of the family...not a dog...it's just they can't tell you what's wrong. I figure it was the bout of sickness combined with annual shots, surgery for two bowel obstructions, parasites, and us being gone (she always had to be put on probiotics when we boarded her due to her nervous stomach) that was just all too much for her in a 2 week time. Still miss her greatly....she was an awesome dog...but new puppy is now showing signs of her personality and have started really bonding with her especially this past few weeks. (In the beginning she was just a tasmanian devil furball lol....whirling, energetic, biting, or sound asleep...no inbetween :D) So glad you were able to find something that worked for your Airedale. And glad Mia has come out of it :) It's hard not to panic when you've suffered thru things like that previously.

[Mary Reams]

Yes, our dogs are family members too. Our Airedale was a wonderful, gentle soul and it took two years for us to get another dog after she died. Mia was a definitely ADD and Oppositional as a puppy but has become a sweet, loving dog too. It takes lots of patience and positive reinforcement to train a puppy into a wonderful addition to the family. Glad that your puppy recovered and is doing well.