Need some advice Please...

[cheryl & oliver]

Karen, I hope u read this...We have been having stomach issues with Oliver for about 2 mo. now. He has had days with loose stools and diarrhea on and off.  We have tried changing his food to several different brands, and gone slowly with all.  He does ok with brown rice and white meat chicken with some pumpkin on it, or some green beans, and I have started adding back the dog food very gradually.  He is now on orijen with poultry and fish, and he seems to love it, I haven't been able to give him that alone without the above, because as soon as I increase the orijen, his stools get loose again.  He was given Metronidazole 500 mg. one tab. twice daily.  When he is on that he gets better, but I do not want him on that forever either.  I was wondering if some kind of probotics might be needed to get his stomache back to normal.  He is acting fine, playing, running, eating fine, just perfectly happy...But I am worrried.  they have tested the stool, and there is no giardia, or anything else, the vet thought maybe it was a stomache virus, so I started with the rice and chicken and pumpkin, now I can't seem to get him back to eating just reg. dog food.  He gobbles down the food I give him twice a day no problem with that.  Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.  I am going to call the vet in the am, and see if I can get an app't. for him tomorrow or Wed. I just don't know what to do at this point...Thanks everyone for reading....Cheryl, Olivers Mom

[cheryl & oliver]

Abby, we hasve tried Arcana, same problem.  We tried Fromms, Arcana, and several oithers, but to no avail.  He is just so bouncy and happy and eats so well, it is hard to beleive there is something wrong...Heres hoping we can get him back on track again...Thanks for your kind thoughts...

[Jill, Woody & Maxi]

We used to have the same problems..and we switched to Embark, and it really helped clear things up. Its a bit pricey, but cheaper than going to the vet every week. We made the Embark last longer by adding our own mean (baked chicken, turkey, and/or vegetables) Good luck!!

[cheryl & oliver]

Jill, I found the embark online, will get it if he can't tolerate the other food.  Is it a wet food or dry? and I see they have so many other foods made by them, but I guess u and Karen say the embark, so it will be that if I can't find it near me.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Oliver may never be able to eat just kibble....neither of mine can.  I can control the diarrhea with their diet, but straight kibble (any kind) brings it right back.  They were on my "home cooked recipe" for several months after severe episodes and now they're on a combination.  Guinness gets half home cooking (chicken and rice, whole wheat pasta or sweet potato) and the other half Honest Kitchen Embark.  Murph gets half Petcurean grain free kibble and half of the home cooking mixture.  Murph prefers the consistency of the kibble in his food where Guinness likes the Honest Kitchen the best.  If I stick with this and control their treats (I give home cooked white meat chicken pieces) they do fine.  It doesn't take much to set them off though and then it's a real process to get their tummies back on track.  As Karen mentioned, I also give them fat free plain yogurt...that's dessert for them.

[cheryl & oliver]

Jane, thanks for the info.  I buy the solid white chicken in the can, and then cook it over with fat free chicken broth, and low sodium, he loves that, and I don't think that is what is doing it, but i am going to do what everyone here is telling me with the gentle digest and the yogurt first and then try the honest kitchen if I need too.  I will try the sweet potato instead of the rice.  Not sure how much to give of the sweet potato and yogurt,asnd if I give yogurt with every meal? with the gentle digest, just left message for Ksren, or maybe u can tell me..Thanks Jane

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I only give yogurt once a day...one tbsp for Guinness and two for Murphy.   If you're mixing the sweet potato with the chicken, I do about 60% chicken and 40% of the sweet potato (or whatever starch I'm using).

[cheryl & oliver]

thanks Jane, appreciate the quick reply

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Cheryl, No advice, but I hope this gets cleared up soon and Oliver feels better.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Ditto... so sorry you are going through this with Oliver!  I agree he may never be able to eat normal kibble. Tacky can't...for reasons other than digestion...but it's something you learn to deal with!

[cheryl & oliver]

I will deal with anything I have to for him, he is the light of my life, and we just adore this guy, so what ever we have to do we will do...Thanks Ally for your kind thoughts. Hope awll is well with you and yours, and baby Charlotte is just adorable.  Enjoy her, time goes by so quickly, before u know it she will be all grown up.   know that is hard to believe, but just ask some of us old timers, lol...

[cheryl & oliver]

thanks Laurie, this is so frustrating.  This was a dog that could eat anything, with no problems...Even my eyeglasses when he was a puppy, lol...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Sadly, digestive diseases in dogs usually develop in middle age. JD never had digestive issues until just before his 7th birthday. :-(