Dr Hive: What's wrong with our dog? (tmi maybe)

[MariannNOVA]

Guidry (blue tic hound) does have a sensitive stomach and has bouts of diarrhea frequently. We do a liquid fast when it happens, and go through the plain rice, then rice with white meat chicken protocol until he is back on his regular food (good quality -- Origen).

 

But, on Saturday he had diarrhea so we did the liquid fast for 24 hours. Sunday night, I gave him plain boiled rice. Yesterday afternoon he was 'soft' but not runny. He drank water at about 4pm and then went to sleep (in his new bed that he ADORES :drool5:) and slept straight through till 8am today -- which didn't really surprise me because he was out with me and the kids yesterday and spent HOURS standing in the truck while we drove all over the place, and then he spent a couple of hours outside while we were visiting and it was ALOT of activity for him.

 

This morning he peed, and went back to sleep....totally ignored his water bowl, and I didn't give him food as I wanted to start him on rice, some good quality canned food, chicken broth, and slippery elm (I was reading about it and I want to see if it improves his bowel issues).

 

He loved the food (he ate at about 1pm) but still wouldn't drink and I was getting worried as it would soon be 24 hours since he had anything to drink.

 

The kids and I gave him about 60ml of chicken broth and water via syringe (which he loved) and then put chicken broth (low sodium) and water in his bowl and he drank every bit of it -- probably 2-3 cups of liquid.

 

He seems fine now - he is back in his bed sleeping.

 

Do you think he has had enough to drink? Should we be doing this on sone kind of schedule even though he drank so much from his bowl? I guess if he doesn't start drinking from his bowl again, we should go in to see the vet? HELP!:confused:

[astrid]

Sorry Guidry is having bowel issues! Those can be tough to deal with, but it does sound as though you're on the right track.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about him not being interested in drinking. If his gums look wet (not dry or tacky) and you can pinch his skin on his shoulder above his elbow and it springs back to normal quickly, his hydration is fine. He's holding out to be bottle fed the broth! :001_smile:

 

Hugs to you all-- I am in love with Bluetick Coonhounds! We spent a lot of time with one named "Mike" at Westminster. I swear I would have snapped him up and taken him home if I could have! :-)

 

astrid

[MariannNOVA]

Sorry Guidry is having bowel issues! Those can be tough to deal with, but it does sound as though you're on the right track.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about him not being interested in drinking. If his gums look wet (not dry or tacky) and you can pinch his skin on his shoulder above his elbow and it springs back to normal quickly, his hydration is fine. He's holding out to be bottle fed the broth! :001_smile:

 

Hugs to you all-- I am in love with Bluetick Coonhounds! We spent a lot of time with one named "Mike" at Westminster. I swear I would have snapped him up and taken him home if I could have! :-)

 

astrid

 

OH! Thank you so much! I will check his gums and the skin on his shoulder -- right now the kids have him out in the yard and he seems fine -- but, you know what it's like: he looks at me with those 'soulful eyes' and I have to try and figure out what is wrong with him.

 

They do have good dispositions -- and I always meet people who love blueticks. thanks! --:)

[astrid]

Oh, I definitely know what it's like! I swear I watch my dogs' condition and behavior more closely than I watch my daughter's! SHE can tell me what's wrong; they can't. And yeah-- the eyes get me EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. And in the case of our Corgi, it's the ears that get me.

 

You're a great dog-mama!

 

astrid

[MariannNOVA]

Oh, I definitely know what it's like! I swear I watch my dogs' condition and behavior more closely than I watch my daughter's! SHE can tell me what's wrong; they can't. And yeah-- the eyes get me EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. And in the case of our Corgi, it's the ears that get me.

 

You're a great dog-mama!

 

astrid

 

thank you -- I know that you certainly are! You are so right -- if he could just TELL me where it hurt, it would make life much easier. Poor pooch!

[blessed3x]

Guidry (blue tic hound) does have a sensitive stomach and has bouts of diarrhea frequently.

 

 

We have a 2yo lab with a super sensitive stomach, so I understand what you are going through. ;)

I believe you are doing well with him, but wanted to add that I read a lot about the causes and found that switching the type of protein in the dog food can help, and it did. Our lab was on a Pinnacle Chicken dog food, so we switched to their 'sensitive stomach' type of Trout and Sweet Potato and it has helped immensely. He still cannot eat anything other than his food and an occasional treat or we have problems, but chewing raw hides daily are ok. Thankfully!!

After you are through this, I would think about trying a different protein in his food to see if there is a difference.

HTH!

:grouphug:

[astrid]

Yes I agree. Also, I was just looking up the kind of probiotic powder we give our dogs-- can't recall the name (I'm at work so I can't look) but it might be worth a try. You can buy probiotic chewable tablets, or there is a powder that you can sprinkle on their food. It ALWAYS tightens up bowels here when we have a problem. With so much traveling to shows, etc. it's something I keep close at hand. Hmmm.....I wish I could remember the name! I can see the packets plain as day.....

 

No matter. Really any good probiotic should do the trick. After a bout of the runs, the probiotics will help replace the flora in his gut.

 

astrid

[MariannNOVA]

We have a 2yo lab with a super sensitive stomach, so I understand what you are going through. ;)

I believe you are doing well with him, but wanted to add that I read a lot about the causes and found that switching the type of protein in the dog food can help, and it did. Our lab was on a Pinnacle Chicken dog food, so we switched to their 'sensitive stomach' type of Trout and Sweet Potato and it has helped immensely. He still cannot eat anything other than his food and an occasional treat or we have problems, but chewing raw hides daily are ok. Thankfully!!

After you are through this, I would think about trying a different protein in his food to see if there is a difference.

HTH!

:grouphug:

 

Thank you -- this is most helpful -- I've wondered every time he has issues if we shouldn't switch his food but I have been at a loss as to what to try. I am going to start researching so that when this flare settles down, we can try something else for him Thanks :)

 

Yes I agree. Also, I was just looking up the kind of probiotic powder we give our dogs-- can't recall the name (I'm at work so I can't look) but it might be worth a try. You can buy probiotic chewable tablets, or there is a powder that you can sprinkle on their food. It ALWAYS tightens up bowels here when we have a problem. With so much traveling to shows, etc. it's something I keep close at hand. Hmmm.....I wish I could remember the name! I can see the packets plain as day.....

 

No matter. Really any good probiotic should do the trick. After a bout of the runs, the probiotics will help replace the flora in his gut.

 

astrid

 

I actually have an excellent pro-biotic powder that is buried someplace b/c I am always the only one who remembers to give it to him. I will go and dig it out. Thanks -- I am so good about pro-biotics for the kids and dh but poor pooch falls between the cracks.:001_huh:

[astrid]

OH! I'm with you there--- at our house, I'm always asking, "Did the dogs get their gut-bugs today?"

 

one thing I'm going to try is the chewable tablets I found at Whole Foods last time I was there. They're banana flavored, and the dogs ADORE bananas, so I'm hoping it'll be easy to just stand in my kitchen and hand out "communion" (no disrespect intended; it's more of a visual) to the three waiting faces looking up at me. I'm thinking it might be easier than measuring out powder and mixing in food.

 

astrid

[MariannNOVA]

OH! I'm with you there--- at our house, I'm always asking, "Did the dogs get their gut-bugs today?"

 

one thing I'm going to try is the chewable tablets I found at Whole Foods last time I was there. They're banana flavored, and the dogs ADORE bananas, so I'm hoping it'll be easy to just stand in my kitchen and hand out "communion" (no disrespect intended; it's more of a visual) to the three waiting faces looking up at me. I'm thinking it might be easier than measuring out powder and mixing in food.

 

astrid

 

:lol: :lol:I get the visual - that's funny. I was at WF today for the slippery elm and I know that our WF has nothing banana flavored for dogs -- tablets would be SO much easier than powder.

 

I'm reading about different dog food brands and I am going to select a different brand -- it doesn't matter how good quality the Orijen is if it disagrees with Guidry -- thanks again for all your help.

[astrid]

:lol: :lol:I get the visual - that's funny. I was at WF today for the slippery elm and I know that our WF has nothing banana flavored for dogs -- tablets would be SO much easier than powder.

 

I'm reading about different dog food brands and I am going to select a different brand -- it doesn't matter how good quality the Orijen is if it disagrees with Guidry -- thanks again for all your help.

 

Sorry, I wasn't clear-- the banana chewable probiotics are a human thing-- not a dog supplement. Like THIS kind...not sure this is the exact brand (mine are downstairs in the fridge and I"m headed to bed now) but it's just about the same thing.

 

Hope that helps!

astrid

[MariannNOVA]

Sorry, I wasn't clear-- the banana chewable probiotics are a human thing-- not a dog supplement. Like THIS kind...not sure this is the exact brand (mine are downstairs in the fridge and I"m headed to bed now) but it's just about the same thing.

 

Hope that helps!

astrid

 

Yes -- thanks for clearing that up -- now the link you sent, I know I have seen those in Wegman's and in WF. Tonight I gave him the powder stuff and boiled rice. He's been peeing for the ages and I did that fur pinch thing and he is fine.

 

He's fast asleep in his new bed, and I just realized that he hasn't been gassing me out -- usually it is so bad that we cannot be in the same room with him -- I am going to try a small bag of different food when he comes off the rice, and I am going to keep up the slippery elm/pro-b powder w/the rice. I'll try one new thing at a time so I know just what he is reacting to if anything.

 

Thanks again -- I really appreciate it.

[LynnG in Arizona]

Hi Mariann,

 

We went through *heck* with our collie and his digestive problems. We had him on a top quality food (Wellness) that he loved . . . and every week or two, for no apparent reason, he would have 2-3 days of nasty diarrhea.

 

We had him on supplemental probiotics. We went through loads of tests at the vet's office. The vets couldn't find anything. They were just as frustrated as we were. Finally, our vet told us that she suspected he had an overgrowth of bacteria in his intestine. She put him on a small amount of Tylan antibiotic powder every day in pure desperation . . . and darn if that didn't clear the problem right up. We tried it for 3 months and he never had diarrhea. We ran out of the antibiotics and two weeks later, boom, more diarrhea.

 

Now he's been on Tylan for a good 18 months or so and is healthy as a horse. You can talk to your vet about it, or you can look up Tylan powder on Amazon and read the reviews on it. Many dog owners have to use it for the same thing.

 

We personally use 1/4th teaspoon sprinkled over his food once a day. He is 50 pounds.

 

I hope you find some answers. I never thought my young dog would be on antibiotics for the rest of his life, but it is worth it to be to not have to go through the horrible diarrhea again! Good luck and best wishes!! :)

[Maria from IN]

We went through the same thing with our dog several years ago until we found the right food. He's now on Prescription Diet DD-Potato and Duck or Potato and Venison. It seemed like he just couldn't handle any wheat, corn, or beef at all.