Please help - loose stools continue in spite of meds!

[Brewster's Mom]

Brewster has had loose stools and some diarrhea for several weeks now. He had/has no other symptoms and seemed just fine other than the poop issue. I took him to the vet who, after some testing, said he most likely had Giardia (slight case, thought he saw a few spores, but not a huge infestation) and gave us some meds. After the first dose things seemed to firm up nicely and were that way through the whole course of medicine. After the meds were gone, though, the loose stool/ diarrhea has come back, and now he is not eating as well as he normally does. He is still eating, just not finishing his meals. Oh, and he only gained 1.2 lbs. this week even though he's been averaging almost 3 lbs./week. He still has no other symptoms and is playful and alert.

I'm curious as to what else it could be. He tested negative for worms (and he takes heartworm prev. med. that kills all other worms, too) and I'm pretty sure it's not the food he's getting (unless too many treats could be the culprit). I asked the vet about weeds (he loves to chew the yard vegetation) and was told that they are most likely not toxic. Also told that true food allergies are quite rare so probably not that. What else could it be? Any thoughts?

If he's not better in a few days, I'm gonna take him in to the vet. Again. /Sigh...

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Too many treats, rawhide chews cause a problem for my dogs.

[Brewster's Mom]

I don't give him rawhide, and the amount of the treats he does get (chicken jerky chips and hard biscuts for training, as well as the occasional frozen yougurt treat and bully stick) is the same as when he didn't have poopy problems.

I'm kinda wondering if it's Colits or some other intestinal (non-organism) problem.

[Bev and WILLY]

Willy had this problem a couple of months ago. My regular vet put him on medication which didn't help. I took him to a holistic vet who put him on "Natures Farmacy DOGZYMES Canine Paste.". Did the trick in a couple of days.You can also buy it online for about $11.00

[Brewster's Mom]

Everything that he could be exposed to (food or other things he's eating) have been the same since before the problem. Nothing has changed, which is why I think it's a medical issue and not an eating the wrong things issue. And the medicine did make it better, at least while he was on it.

I tried to buy some pumpkin yesterday, but the store was out. GGrrrrrr. I'll get some today at a different store. I'm gonna call the vet on monday and make an appt. to take him in.

[Sue & Willy Babe]

Wilson had the same problem when he ate a rawhide bone I am not giving him any more It took a few days I just fed him rice with boiled hamburger through out the day for 48 hours he was back to normal after he the 48 hours

[fergie11]

Only Natural Pet Store - on-line - sells probiotics that I added to Lucy's food when she had loose stools. Did seem to help a lot. You can probably buy probiotics at your local pet shop too. I think they work like yogurt so yogurt might help too.

[Bronwen Watts]

Are you certain it could not be the food you are using? Our doodle Tyson had this problem for about the first year of his life (sometimes he would be fine, but most of the time he had loose stool or diarrhea), and after we finally did an allergy test (which granted is not 100% reliable) found he had a plethora of food allergies. We switched him to a venison & potato food, and he has been doing great since then. We have to really watch what treats are given (especially by other people/places) but it has been working really well since we switched his food. Once in a while, he seems to get something that upsets his stomach, and we give him a few days course of metronidazole which settles his tummy, then he's fine again.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Bronwen, digestive symptoms such as diarrhea are never indicative of food "allergies", but rather, food sensitivity.
This is an important distinction, as true food allergies are widely misunderstood and require a completely different form of management/treatment.
There is no known reliable testing method for food allergies, which are a permanent disease of the immune system, but the symptoms are always the same as those in environmental allergies: primarily itching, skin & ear infections, and in severe cases, neurological symptoms.
Food sensitivities can be responsible for things like vomiting, diarrhea, and other digestive problems. These are much less serious and are much easier to treat, as they are not actually a disease.

[Brewster's Mom]

Well, I asked the vet about allergies, and he said they are actually very rare. I guess it could be a sensitivity, but I don't really think that is it, since he was fine on his food before the problem.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You have an excellent vet, lol. Food allergies are very rare, especially in dogs under a year old.

[Brewster's Mom]

UPDATE-
Went back to the vet. Was told that pups can have a tougher time getting rid of Giardia (about 10% need a longer does of meds). The vet put Brewster on a three week course of meds for the Giardia and also a 3 day wormer just in case he had some little nasty that the heartworm chews weren't taking care of. She said that it was a good sign that his poops got better while on the meds the first time, which is why she gave a longer dose to kill it off for good. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this does the trick! :)

[Cocco's Mom]

When Cocco was about six months old, she to had very loose stools. I thought she would die. I took her to the vet and spent hundreds of dollars on different medications that didn't work.
I finally got in touch with the head of the breeders association. She suggested pumpkin. Just plain can pumpkin. One tablespoon in her meal and in no time her stools cleared up. It seems she has a sensitive digestive system and does not tolerate chicken products.