Bad Diarhea Problems - Help Please!!!

[Peggy Jensen]

My 3 yr. old mini-schnauzer has been having problems with diarhea for about a month now, he has been to the vet several times, has had all kinds of tests, blood work, X-rays, stool samples checked, spent two nights in the doggie hospital on IV's, has pretty much been on Hill's prescription ID canned food since then. As soon as I started him back to normal eating he started with the diarhea again, the vet gave him some medicine to take (pills) at home again which helped while he was taking them. as soon as I started him on normal eating again, with treats and all, maybe too much too soon he started again. It started to clear up a little, but he won't eat, so I tried putting a little cooked chicken in with his prescription food, which he ate some maybe 1/4 cup of food with maybe a tsp. of finley chopped up chicken, the diarhea is back worse and a little bloody, which scares me to death, the vet said the blood is from the bowels being irritated.
I am very upset about what to do, I am so worried about his not eating, how long can a dog go without eating? I'm thinking of trying to get him to eat a little cooked ground turkey or lamb mixed with some cooked rice.
Can anyone out there give me some advice.
I really can't afford any more vet bills, but I really need some advice.

[Krysta Smith]

Lola had the same problem after she got spayed. After about two weeks of diarrhea, having been on pills and a low residue food, I put her strictly on hamburger and rice which helped a lot. Then I slowly added her food back and she was okay, but when I gave her a kong with cream cheese she got diarrhea again. Then my mom suggested that maybe she was lactose intolerant, which didn't make much sense to me because before she got spayed she could eat pretty much anything and she was fine. I stopped giving her milk products and she's been fine since. Maybe it could be something along those lines? A food intolerance of some sort?

[Maria Juliano]

My 3 yr. old mini-schnauzer has been having problems with diarhea for about a month now, he has been to the vet several times, has had all kinds of tests, blood work, X-rays, stool samples checked, spent two nights in the doggie hospital on IV's, has pretty much been on Hill's prescription ID canned food since then. soonAs as I started him back to normal eating he started with the diarhea again, the vet gave him some medicine to take (pills) at home again which helped while he was taking them. as soon as I started him on normal eating again, with treats and all, maybe too much too soon he started again. It started to clear up a little, but he won't eat, so I tried putting a little cooked chicken in with his prescription food, which he ate some maybe 1/4 cup of food with maybe a tsp. of finley chopped up chicken, the diarhea is back worse and a little bloody, which scares me to death, the vet said the blood is from the bowels being irritated.
I am very upset about what to do, I am so worried about his not eating, how long can a dog go without eating? I'm thinking of trying to get him to eat a little cooked ground turkey or lamb mixed with some cooked rice.
Can anyone out there give me some advice.
I really can't afford any more vet bills, but I really need some advice.

Peggy,

I'm so sorry your pooch is having this problem.

As soon as I started him back to normal eating he started with the diarhea again,

What is his "normal" food?

as soon as I started him on normal eating again, with treats and all,

The treats could be the culprit of his diarrhea...mine were allergic to wheat in their treats.

If I were in your shoes, this is what I would do:

Stop all the food ( including treats ), medicine the vet prescribed.

Give only: boiled chicken breast with white rice for 2 days, NOTHING ELSE!! If the diarrhea continues. I would get another vet's opinion.

If the diarrhea subsides, I would continue giving him the boiled chicken and rice until the stools are firm again. Meanwhile, I would look for a Super premium food that contains NO corn, wheat, glutten, fillers, rye. An all human grade Dog food. Begin giving him the "new" food, mixed with the boiled chicken in small amounts. I would also use the "new" kibble as treats until he's having normal stools. Make sure he has plenty of filter or bottle water available at all times.

I hope your doggie feels better soon. Please, keep us posted.

[Peggy Jensen]

He had been on California Natural food, because he was having allergy problems and we thought it might be chicken, and the fact that the diarhea came back after putting a litlle chicke in his food to get him to eat, so I am wondering if ground beef or lamb and rice would be better to give him

[heathea]

In that case I would do exactly what the lady above you suggested but with boiled ground beef instead of chicken. You need to eliminate all of the toxins in his system with this elimination diet. no treats no kibble and only the beef and rice for a minimum of 2 days (I would tend towards 2 weeks) and then begin giving a high quality food as treats only and see how his poop continues, if okay, start adding it in SLOWLY increasing amounts.
Offering filtered water is also a good idea.
For occasional problems (after you get his diet under control) you can give a tsp or so of canned pumpkin (not pie mix) which is great for constipation or diarhea.
Good luck,
Heather

[Maria Juliano]

Peggy,

The chicken must be BOILED. What kind of treats were you giving him?

[Peggy Jensen]

Would I boil the ground beef also? Should it be like half and half or what?
As far as treats, he had a chicken basted rawhide chew, which must have been made from chopped and pressed rawhide, because he devoured the whole thing and left crumbs. Other than that, he as been getting home made treats made from soy flour, cornmeal and a little strained turkey baby food, also some carrots.

[Melissa Irr]

We had a pup with some stomach problems and boiled ground beef and rice was a cure all.

You do need to boil the ground beef - just crumble it up into the boiling water until it turns brown and then strain the water out of it. It makes it less fatty and easier to digest.

Our vet said to use more rice than ground beef 1/3 to 2/3...and don't give him a lot. and NO treats or any thing other than the ground beef and rice. He'll probably love it.

[Peggy Jensen]

Thank you, I will try that tonight!!

[Maria Juliano]

Would I boil the ground beef also? Should it be like half and half or what?
As far as treats, he had a chicken basted rawhide chew, which must have been made from chopped and pressed rawhide, because he devoured the whole thing and left crumbs. Other than that, he as been getting home made treats made from soy flour, cornmeal and a little strained turkey baby food, also some carrots.

Bingo!! Rawhide is not a good thing and neither is the soy flour, cornmeal. I would look ( when he is well again ) for NATURAL chicken strips w/no salt nor additives, 100% pure. I buy mine at Trader Joe's, some members in here buy theirs at Cotsco. Also you could try 100% frozen liver treats.

Melissa gave you another good option.

Good luck! I hope he gets well soon!! Keep us posted.

[heathea]

yeah, rawhide prob. didn't help. I would stay off all chicken until you rule that out as a problem. Keep it real simple with the boiled beef and white rice until everything stops coming out wrong. :)
Good luck and I hope it all works out okay.
-Heather

[Grace Erick]

Peggy all dogs are different. My dog got the runs from chop meat.

Why would your vet give your prescription food? What kind of prescription food would help the runs? On a side note: Science Diet is not a great food, so the sooner you stop feeding that the better. When you switch to another hard food, you have to mix the old with the new to not give your dogs the runs. The dog may have the runs from the new food. Even good foods can cause diarreah.

I'll just tell you what I've read. Give the dog plain chicken and rice. People also give their dog a small amount of canned pumkin (plain, not the pie mix) and it regulates diarreah and constipation. Home cooked food can cause diarreah too as it is a change of food, not necessarily because of what kind of food it is, so that is why the chicken and rice or chopmeat may not help.

A vet said I could give my dog Immodium AD and only that since other brands will harm your dog, but you have to know how much to give. I don't know if this would be the way to go if your dog does not have diarreah related to some food he ate that didn't agree with his stomach. Giving a dog something to stop diarreah can mask problems if it's not food related.

When my dog first got diarreah due to food, my vet gave me antibiotics for some reason and it cleared up immediately the same day at a cost of $80, ouch!!! It happened again, but I went to another vet that recommended immodium, and charged me $75. I understand you worry about vet bills. They have charged you quite enough for not coming up with any answers.

Blood in the stool does worry me, even though you vet explained it away and maybe he is right since he has done so many tests and probably too many and should not have kept your dog overnight either. If your dog is not drinking enough or needs hydration, you can give him water with a syringe or eye dropper which is good for a small dog like my chi.


I do have a question. What preceeded your dog getting diarreah? Did you recently change his food? Did he possibly eat something in the yard that was poisonous?

Bye, Grace

[Peggy Jensen]

We never did figure out for sure what started it, he is always trying to eat weeds and grass outside, but I'm not sure. The vet said the presc. food was easy to digest and had no preservatives or anything, so he should have that for awhile after the diarrhea stopped.
He was on California Natural not Science Diet, but never did very well on that either, so I'm not sure if he is allergic to Lamb also. I am going to try him on the gr. beef and rice for awhile and see if that helps, and then gradually start adding in some dry food - maybe Innova or Eagle Pack or Wellness, which I'm sure are really good foods I'm just worried about not being able to find out what he is allergic to if that is the problem. Will allergies cause diarrhea?
I'm also worried that he won't eat the gr. beef and rice, then what do I do?
I know I am getting ahead of myself a little, but I am really worried about him.

[heathea]

oh yeah, if your dog is allergic to an item in the dog food whether it be lamb or chicken or even wheat or corn, diarhea is a HUGE sign of that. I have seen some dogs respond well to the prescription diet, but some not so much. It is all dependent on your dog. That is why I suggested using the elimination diet of just beef and white rice with your dog for a little longer than 2 days, it allows all of the toxins to be eliminated in your dog. This includes allergies. The best thing to do is find a protein source your dog has never had (chicken, lamb, beef, venison ($$$), turkey, fish, whatever) and mix that with plain white rice for a while and allow your dogs stomach to settle, it is true that your dog may have some problems for the first day, but it will eventually settle out. Then you add things like kibble in slowly, if the diarhea returns then that kibble is not a good choice for your dog. A lot of sensitive dogs do very well on Wellness kibble. It is pricey, but nothing compared to vet bills and cleaning up diarhea.
Good luck!
-Heather

[Grace Erick]

Hi,

I think I would try to transition him on to regular food and not bother with the cooked food which can also cause diarreah. Innova is good, but some dogs do have the runs on it. I wonder if it would be best to try something like Natural Balance hard food which has all very digestible ingredients. I've never seen that it has caused diarreah, but it may take a few days for your dog to get used to it. If you go with homemade food, it may cause diarreah again when you put him back on hard food.

I think the site is: www.naturalbalancein c. com. The bag food is on the top left hand side of the page and I think it's called Natural Balance Ultra or something like that.

I can't see why eating weeds or grass would cause this problem. It really is perplexing me since your vet did all those tests and came up with no answer. Some dogs will just do soft stools sometimes for no apparent reason or have diarreah for vomit from something they ate, but it goes away quickly.

I would try the canned pumpkin and perhaps Natural Balance. I'm not sure how much pumpkin people use. I think there was a thread about diarreah where it says how much to give your dog which depends on the dogs size. It's about a few tablespoons with their food.

I don't know that I have seen diarreah being caused by allergies. They usually scratch and lick their paws if they have allergies to food or dust etc.

I'm just guessing here at ideas for your dog. I'm totally baffled, but since you have been feeding homecooked and changing to different hard foods, this can all keep giving him diarreah too.

Bye, Grace

[heathea]

There is no reason other than figuring out what your dog is allergic to to go on the elimination diet. If you believe allergies is the cause I would go with the boiled protein and rice, if you think it is just a kibble problem, switching and staying with something for a while so that the initial switching doesn't cause more problems is a way to go. No matter what you do, please remember that bouncing back and forth can cause more problems than solutions, so take some time to think about what you want to do and then go with it. It wouldn't hurt to phone your vet and mention what you are thinking of doing (whether cooking the elimination or kibble switching) and see what they say. I believe the dose for plain canned pumpkin is 1 Tbsp with food. You have a small dog, so don't be upset if he can't eat it all. Also, remember to feed as many small meals per day as you can as a large meal can upset small tummies.
If you are just going to switch kibble make sure you do so slowly by mixing it with the other kibble.
Take care and good luck,
Heather

[Peggy Jensen]

I think what i need to do is get his system healed, so that is why I was thinking of the boiled meat and rice, something very easy to digest, am I thinking right there?

[heathea]

In my humble opinion and if this were my dog this is what I would do, however I am not an expert by any means.

1. Start feeding the elimination diet for a minimum of 2 weeks in small amounts a minimum of 3 times per day.

2. Call my vet and tell them that the diarhea is still a problem, mention that is has been over 1 month and that you are going to feed a plain diet to help her system heal.

3. Look for a different vet to get a second opinion on the bloodwork. I would have records transferred and see what the new vet has to say regarding old tests. This will cost you 1 office visit ($30-$40) but just having someone knowledgable to review the old results can be both reassuring and enlightening. One person did this and found out the other vet completely missed a severe kidney problem.

4. I would give a tbsp. of plain canned pumpkin to see if that helped at all once I started the new diet.

5. I would wait it out and be patient. Once the new vet rules out any other problems I would buy (a very small bag) some really good food and start giving some of the kibble as treats. If there are any problems, I would back track and stay on the elimination diet. Then I would try another type of kibble and see how that works. etc. etc.

Like I said, this would be my plan of attack. I am by no means an expert. I know vets are expensive, but I really think a 2nd opinion may very well be critical at this stage. Also, make sure your dog is not dehydrated due to all the fluid loss (diarhea).
Good luck.
-Heather

[Peggy Jensen]

Just wanted to let everyone know how Mickey was doing.
I started the boiled gr. beef & rice last night, he scarfed it right down, I only gave him maybe 1/3 cup of the mixture 3 times about 2 hours apart (although he is a "Mini-Schnauzer" he is 34 lbs., so he is a big one) He had eaten very little since Friday. After his second serving we went for a little walk and he went potty - it was not too bad, not at all solid, but much better. He had another serving this morning before I left for work, and I took him out for about 1/2 hour and he did not have any poops, I am hoping and praying that when I get home at noon his crate is clean.
I really appreciate everyone's advice and what I think I am going to do is continue on the boiled meat and rice for a week or so and see if he continues to get better, if so then I will start giving him a little dry kibble, I'm thinking Innova, Eagle Pack or Wellness mixed in with the rice mixture and maybe as treats (very few).
If that doesn't clear things up I will try another vet, I take him to a clinic where they have three vet's they are very reputable in my area and he has seen two of them for the same problem, so I'm hoping they know what they are talking about.
I don't want anyone to think that I am asking for advice and then not taking it, but to my way of thinking if the problem clears up on the elimination diet and he does well on a new kibble, then maybe he is allergic to chicken and/or lamb, I guess it is possible that he can be allergic to more than one thing so I have a feeling it is going to be a long process, but in the long run it will be well worth it.
Thank you all so much, I will keep you posted.

[Maria Juliano]

We never did figure out for sure what started it, he is always trying to eat weeds and grass outside, but I'm not sure. The vet said the presc. food was easy to digest and had no preservatives or anything, so he should have that for awhile after the diarrhea stopped.
He was on California Natural not Science Diet, but never did very well on that either, so I'm not sure if he is allergic to Lamb also. I am going to try him on the gr. beef and rice for awhile and see if that helps, and then gradually start adding in some dry food - maybe Innova or Eagle Pack or Wellness, which I'm sure are really good foods I'm just worried about not being able to find out what he is allergic to if that is the problem. Will allergies cause diarrhea?
I'm also worried that he won't eat the gr. beef and rice, then what do I do?
I know I am getting ahead of myself a little, but I am really worried about him.

Peggy,

From what you described, it seems like he had a reaction/allergy to the treats you were giving him. I would not give him any rawhide, cornmeal, wheat, etc. Just give him the boiled gb and rice until his poop is firm again.

My dogs have been on Innova since they were 10 weeks old, they are doing very well on it. Because I wanted to give them a variety, I bought them a bag of Wellness food, they don't care much for it. So we are back on the Innova Adult kibble food which I now mixed it with a bit of low fat, natural yogurt in the morning and 2 tablespoons of Innova can food at dinner. OMG! they love this combination. I have 2 spoiled dogs.:oops: :rolleyes:

[heathea]

Sounds like everything is already going much better. I am so happy for you. I completely understand not wanting to spend the $ at the vet right away, it is so expensive and I certainly wish I had extra money to run to the vet, but there isn't even extra money for luxeries like electricity or gas these days. :)
It certainly sounds like your baby is allergic to something in those other foods. I have had many friends that have had good luck with Wellness foods for allergic dogs.
Sounds like things are great, and (although this sounds a little wierd to share and say) I can't wait to hear how your babies poops are when you get home! :)

Just one question...do you only feed at night? If so you might want to give him some food 1st thing in the morning, when you get home from work, and then at night. It might help.
Good luck!
Heather

[Peggy Jensen]

Hurrah!!!! his crate was clean at lunctime. He did go potty on our walk, it was still very soupy and a little mucous, but didn't look bloody at all and had a little substance to it. Of course now I am thinking he didn't go before or it was really watery because there wasn't any food to give it some bulk.
I did give him a 1/2 Tbl. of canned pumpkin, we will see how he is when I get home.
I got three servings of the gr.b/rice yesterday, and two so far today, I plan on two more tonight. He acts like he would just keep eating, but I am afraid to give him too much at a time. I wonder if I should gradually increase the amount and how much is the max I should gvie him a day.

[heathea]

I am so happy for you! Yeah, clean crate!
let me know how the pumpkin works for you...
The one thing I have absolutely no idea about is how much g.b and rice to give your dog. Wait, I think I do, I would give him as much of that (cup wise) as you would give kibble per day (a bit less, as it is heavier, I am just thinking as a guideline). I might be horribly wrong on this, but that is what I have done with my 100lb dog when she was having some stomach trouble.
Go with your instincts and I am glad it is slowling getting better.
-Heather

[Peggy Jensen]

Well we got through another day and night with noting really bad, he went last night and it looked almost normal except for some mucous, then this morning it was a little runny again, but not bad. He has been eating the beef & rice really well.
Doesanyone know how long I should try the canned pumpkin mixed in before I decide it is not doing anything?

[Betty Underdahl]

I am so happy to have found this site . But I do not know how to post :confused: can't find the post button just the reply, At any rate I know how you feel . I have two Japanese Chins . One is 8 years old the other is 6 and Princess started on Monday , The vet gave her med. it got worse then after so many nights of no sleep being up with her and giving med.she got better Then last night Snickers filled her cage all over and had dripped all over white carpet. She felt so bad . .Lord I was so tired and worried about my other one then she got worse about 3 AM and now Snickers so I called my husband at work and told him to get home and help me out and talk to that vet get different med. Now they are on two . It seems to have let up but then he took them off all food for 24 hours so I guess they have nothing left , but it does get bad about 3 AM so I am praying it will not start back I need sleep and they need to get well. I am so upset for I have never had a dog with this before. NEVER. Princess has asthma but that is it. I do not know what it is . I do not know what brought it on. I am at my wits end. I need sleep I can't even type tonight so forgive me for a mess I have made here... The vet said maybe they got into poison if someone sprayed their yard, but no that is not it , Princess was sick for almost a week before Snicker got it . They are going to run test on Monday if they are not better. So we will see. I am going to go and try to learn how to post maybe someone can tell me . I hope your little one will be much better by the time you see this. By then maybe I will have found out how to post or found the post button. I AM SO HAPPY TO MEET YOU ALL . :p
Betty

[Betty Underdahl]

My 3 yr. old mini-schnauzer has been having problems with diarhea for about a month now, he has been to the vet several times, has had all kinds of tests, blood work, X-rays, stool samples checked, spent two nights in the doggie hospital on IV's, has pretty much been on Hill's prescription ID canned food since then. As soon as I started him back to normal eating he started with the diarhea again, the vet gave him some medicine to take (pills) at home again which helped while he was taking them. as soon as I started him on normal eating again, with treats and all, maybe too much too soon he started again. It started to clear up a little, but he won't eat, so I tried putting a little cooked chicken in with his prescription food, which he ate some maybe 1/4 cup of food with maybe a tsp. of finley chopped up chicken, the diarhea is back worse and a little bloody, which scares me to death, the vet said the blood is from the bowels being irritated.
I am very upset about what to do, I am so worried about his not eating, how long can a dog go without eating? I'm thinking of trying to get him to eat a little cooked ground turkey or lamb mixed with some cooked rice.
Can anyone out there give me some advice.
I really can't afford any more vet bills, but I really need some advice.
I tried to reply to you and it ended up someplace else anyway I do not know how to use this so I am doing it this way. I will see how this works . I only did one reply so you can read it. I am so glad to find this place of dog lovers. I just need to learn how to use this The others I use don't work like this one. If you can go read my post or reply to you as I am having same trouble as you . I need to know how and how much rice and chicken to give and when to start. My reply to you is on this board someplace someplace
Betty
PS after I posted it I see my first reply is there so hope you see it. I must go and read rest of things I love this little group :p

[Jenna Johnson]

Just a thought... what kind of pills did the vet give you? If there's still mucous in the stool it's a sign of irritation in the bowel. On the occassions my dogs have had bad diahhrea (once my grandfather's Pom got into the garbage sack he'd left out and I thought one of her anal glands had burst there was so much blood... looked like she was pooping raspberry/blackberry jam!) the vets have given metronidozole and it cleared up the problem in a matter of a day or two. I think what you've been doing is great but if you haven't tried the metro yet you might- just to give him a little extra help. On a side note, I wouldn't use the Hill's prescription diet... my vet gave me that when Buster had his kidney stone removed, said that was all I was supposed to feed him, and I couldn't get Buster to give me a solid poop the whole time we were on it. We tried mixing the UD with other prescription diets, RD or WD, and finally I decided to heck with it and figured we'd take our chances on another kidney stone. Switched him to a great lower protein senior mix and haven't had any more problems with stones and it's been 3 or 4 years now. I'm not a big fan of the Hills Rx diets....


Good Luck!
Jenna
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