Diarrhea x 6 weeks

[Jill, Woody & Maxi]

Hello

 

We have a 5 month Goldendoodle, Woody.  He has diarrhea for 6 weeks now.  We have taken him to 2 different vets through the course of these 6 weeks.  The first stool sample showed nothing, but the vet prescribed us 2 antiobiotics and an Iams RX food (which now after reading the forum, I will never do again).  This treatment didn't work, after getting frustrated with no answers, I decided to switch vets, one week later, roundworms and giardia showed up in his stool, the new vet prescribed another round of antibiotics for a period of 10 days and a different food, Natural Balance.  His stools firmed up while on the anitbiotic, but once the pills were done, the stools softened again, so we took him off the nat.balance and started feeing boiled hamburger and rice. We took him back to the vet, he did another stool sample, and bloodwork.  Stool sample came back clear, blood work showed some elevated levels, and the dr is considering doing a ACTH stim test (for Addisons).  The vet reccomended another round of antibiotics and another type of food..Science diet light...which again, after reading the forms, I cant wait to go home to throw it away.  I am at wits end, I feel like I cant get a straight answer, and of course, I feel terrible for Woody.  I cant imagine being sick like that for this long..I appreciate any advice! 

 

Thank you in advance,

Jill

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

When I switched to Embark, for a while that is all they got...no yogurt or treats or supplements of any kind. I did add a little cooked chicken but that was it. That was the only way for me to truly know if it worked.

[Jill, Woody & Maxi]

Also, I am not opposed to chicken necks ( though I would need some instruction on what to do once I get them!) I am open to ANYTHING that will give us an answer

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It does seem to me that he needs more fiber in his diet, but i think I would stick with pumpkin or green beans, plant fiber rather than introducing something he's never had before. Bone is not exactly fiber, but it is indigestible and therefore adds bulk to the stool. I just don't think it sounds like this pup's intestinal health is strong enough to handle raw bones at this point.

[Heather & Jake]

How old is Woody now, 8 months?  He's old enough now that I think you should go to 2 meals; my vet told me that feeding too frequently can cause loose stools but I don't know how much I believe it, but if Woody is 8 months he doesn't need 3 meals/day anyway.  

Also if he's been eating the yogurt though all of this how much do you give him and have you ever tried not feeding it and see if he is better/worse without it?  Just like people not all dogs can handle dairy, especially if given too much.  Might want to cut back on that and just mix it into his food and not as a stand-alone snack. 

And I understand not wantign to mess around with too many things, but it's hard to wait it out at the same time.  I would give it another day and then try the Perfect Form, at this point it can't make it worse right?  It is formulated of very few all natural ingredients for dogs wiht IBS; nothing too harsh in it so I don't see it being a big deal.  You just put it in with the Embark and hydrate it all together.  As for the chicken necks, they are about the size of your thumb so just throw a few in on top!  Supervise at first to make sure Woody chews them and does not try to swallow them whole.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree with switching to two meals a day, and that overfeeding can cause loose stools. The only caveat with going from three meals a day to two is that he'd be getting more food at each meal, i.e. more work for the digestive system. I think some dogs with IBS do better with smaller amounts of food more frequently, but I'm not sure which would be best.

It's also true that some dogs do not do well with dairy. The probiotics in the yogurt are what we want, to restore some good flora to the gut, but you can buy probiotics in capsule form if necessary.

The Perfect Form can't hurt either.

I would wait with the chicken necks, though.

[Jill, Woody & Maxi]

Yes, he is 8 months now..its funny you mentioned your vet said feeding too much can cause loose stools...all of this happened when our dog trainer recommended us to "free feed"...
As far as the yogart goes, I just give one large spoonful...

[Jill, Woody & Maxi]

Where do you buy the probiotics? Also, Karen, you mentioned to stick with the green beans and pumpkin...so should I be adding the beans to the Embark?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You can buy probiotics at any good private pet supply store; I would not go to the big box stores like Patco or Petsmart, you want a privately owned "boutique" type store. I use a capsule called Gentle Digest when JD has diarrhea from antibiotics.

I just mentioned pumpkin and green beans as an example of plant fibers that might help add bulk to the stool as opposed to raw bone at this point. If you use green beans, use either frozen sodium free beans that have been defrosted (I personally would also heat them), or sodium free canned beans. You can also buy fresh beans and lightly cook them. Then you could add them to his meals.

But again, we want to try to keep things as simple as possible for a few days at least. I wouldn't introduce foods he hasn't had before.

[Jill, Woody & Maxi]

Thanks, I will look for that pill. Prior to Embark, I was feeding him orijen 6 fish with sodium free canned green beans..by feeding that, his stools were "ok"..the first one would be firm..then get looser as the stool went on, and also, the stools would get looser throughout the day

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The green beans should be fine, then, if you want to add them.

What you are describing might be partly due to being fed too much/too often. Cutting back on the frequency of food entering the digestive tract may help.

[Jill, Woody & Maxi]

Ok..I will start feeding twice a day...He is 8 months, 50 lbs...how much Embark should I feed? The lady from HK told me 2 to 3.5 cups...what do you think?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I have no personal experience with Embark, so I'd have to look at the feeding recommendations from the manufacturer. Find his age and weight range, and go from there.