IBS - Maybe...Maybe Not

[Nikkiey]

So, like many, we've had issues with our dogs bowels. We've done the food switching - treat eliminating - pumpkin adding - vet taking - cycle and nothing has helped.

I'm hoping (very much hoping) that maybe someone out there knows what I'm talking about and has some suggestions for me to try. Before I get started in the explanation, know that we are in contact with our vet regularly and that we are seeking professional opinion/help with this issue, it's just that we're hoping we might be able to speed the 'diagnosis' along a little for Juneau's sake.

To make a long story short (as Juneau is now 15 months old and this has been happening since we has been about 3 months) Juneau has a super sensitive stomach. He also has acid reflux so he needs to eat at regular intervals so his stomach doesn't stay empty too long other wise he pukes up bile. He is on a grain-free diet and any (if at all) treats he gets are 100% natural or home made so I know exactly what is in there.
Even though we are careful with what we are feeding Juneau his body goes through what seems to be a cycle: He's fine, no diarrhea, no puking, happy-go-lucky boy for about 4 to 5 weeks and then BAM, he’s got diarrhea, he’s tired, and he seems really restless.

In the beginning, this was okay, we dealt with it. We would help him get his body back in ‘normal’ working condition and then we would carry on as normal. But now, things have changed a bit. For about the last 3-4 months when he’s had his bought of diarrhea there’s been blood in it. Now I’m not talking copious amounts, but just enough that we can notice it. Sometimes it’s dark blood and sometimes it’s lighter blood.

And now we’re at a loss. We had switched to a bland gastrointestinal food from the vet for a while, but that didn’t seem to help (and since there was still oats in it we chose to switch back) and he’s been given enzymes and meds that help build up the good bacteria in his belly, but nothing seems to help. Right now, we’re running some tests at the vet (again) hoping to be able to find some kind of answer for all of this, but we’re beginning to lose hope.

Right now, he’s in one of his funks, it’s been about 4 weeks since his last issue and we were SO careful (even to the point of writing down what he eats/drinks and when he does it) that we were sure we would be able to prevent anything, but no such luck. We've even stopped going to off leash play groups outside because we need to insure he doesn't eat anything he's not supposed to.

I guess I'm just wondering if anyone out there has heard or known someone who may have gone through something like this, or even something similar. I've tried doing some research myself and I've come up with some 'maybes' but perhaps there's other suggestions I (and my vet) haven't considered yet.

Thanks.

[deepnite10]

there are different reasons why a dog would get an upset stomach..we ve discussed it at our local dog park cuz most of us have experienced it at one point or another..

of course the severity of the ailments will vary..but, i ve also found that
boil d white rice has help d in many cases..

IMO..if a home remedy does nt show improvements after a couple days then id recommend the vet route..

[Ace's Place]

Have you considered internal parasites? The pattern/timing and the flecks of blood sound familiar. Once Ace was treated with three cycles of panacur it stopped. The vet said it wasn't that because its not common where we live (?CT?), and the test results were negative (internet research says its not uncommon to have negative test results) ...so we insisted on the panacur and that problem ended.

You may have been down this road already....good luck - I"m in the middle of trying to ferret out a food allergy and it is a little draining!!

[Nikkiey]

Thanks for the suggestions

We have tried plain boiled rice, plain boiled rice with tripe, plain boiled rice with plain chicken...all of which didn't work. I guess I shouldn't say it didn't work, cause it was probably nice on his belly, easier to digest and process, but it didn't help get him back to regular poos and there was still blood present.

It's been 4 days since he started have issues again and we got some more meds from the vet to help control the bleeding and his bowels. I just wish we didn't have to go the medication route so often, it really can't be good for him....

Ace's Place:
We're actually running some tests for internal parasites right now (again). The test came back negative last time, but we're running it again and testing for a few more "rare" parasites that aren't found in our area. I'm secretly hoping that we are going to find something, get a course of medication, and all will be well.

We're also switching his food over from Acana to Taste of the Wild (very slowly), though the two foods are similar, maybe being from two different manufacturers and made in different ways will be the change needed for his body, though we have switched between Acana flavors before and nothing worked, we'll just have to wait and see.

Thanks for the input though! I appreciate anything and everything!

[Ace's Place]

Just wanted to share the article that convinced me to have Ace de-wormed...
Dog Diarreha, Vomiting and Weight Loss | Giardia Protozoa in your Dog | GREATDANELADY.COM
...but you sound like you are definitely on the hunt for the culprit!!

[Daisy'sMom]

Just an FYI - Daisy has been on the Panacur before as well for exactly what you are describing. I don't recall the exact increments but it was 3 rounds of the powder/granules for 5 days each cycle, and spaced out over a period of time, it's way longer than just a few weeks. It has to follow the egg cycle of a possible parasite which can occur over a few months time I believe. I recall it was long enough that I had to mark my calendar of when to start it again so I wouldn't forget. We never officially had any diagnosis for Daisy at the time, but the vet decided to go ahead and prescribe it. I was just fed up with the runny poos and diarrhea. Honestly, (knock on wood!) we've have no issues since she was on the Panacur and it's been quite some time. Oh I take that back, we had a small incident a few months ago but that's because I introduced treats again that were waaaaaay too rich for her. Totally my fault. So anyway, she didn't technically have a parasite that we knew of but the Panacur did the trick for us, so clearly something was going on with her.

Good luck, I really and truly feel for you and what you're going thru. We went thru a lot of digestive issues with Daisy her first year or so, it's beyond frustrating for you AND your dog! Just when I think it's safe for us to invest in new carpeting for our home Daisy starts to get sick again No new carpet for us for awhile!

[Nikkiey]

I am currently smiling from ear to ear. First, Ace's Place, that article was super informative and second, Daisy's Mom, there's hope.

I am going to ask my vet about Panacur once we get the results back, even if they come back negative. I feel we've exhausted all options and other than it being something chronic and uncureable, we haven't been able to come up with a solution. Maybe the panacur might or might not work, either way, for Juneau's sake, I certainly think it's worth a try.

Thank you.

[Daisy'sMom]

If you end up going the panacur route, just an FYI - my friend's dog ate his just fine sprinkled over his dog food. Daisy wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. Therefore, we mixed it with baby food (sweet potatoes) and then mixed that in with her dry dog food. She did well with that but by day 5 she was over it and wasn't excited to eat. But, we got it down her and it worked. Yes, there is hope, no guarantees for you but if I'm crossing my fingers for you no matter what!

[browndog]

Have you tried a low protein food? Our girl who is now almost 11 months old had diarrhea for quite awhile and we tried so many different foods. After trying a few foods like Acana and Orijen, we soon discovered that she cannot digest foods that are high in protein. The higher the protein the worse the diarrhea. (she also sometimes had blood in stoole) As soon as she was put on a lower protein food (18.5%), her symptoms cleared up. When she is at dog daycare, we can always tell if they gave her some high protein treats as right away she gets diarrhea. Not sure if you have explored lower protein foods yet but it may be worth a shot. Our girl can't eat anything above 20% protein.

[Daisy'sMom]

@ browndog - can I ask what you feed your dog? I have read lots about protein levels not being tolerated by doodles so I've been aware and keeping this in mind as we try foods (we've switched a few times). Daisy is doing well on her new food but you never know, so I'm curious what you are feeding for my future shopping Thanks!

[Nikkiey]

We have started looking into a low protein diet, but I haven't had any luck finding a brand of dog food with a lower protein content that is still grain free.

Right now we're slowly switching him to ToTW - Wilderness which is still 32%, but ToTW - Sierra Mountain is only 25%, so if Wilderness doesn't work out, we'll switch to the lower protein 'flavor' next.

@ Daisy's Mom
(Dick Van Patten's) Natural Balance has some with lower proteins.
One is their Duck and Potato with only 21% and this one is grain free. Or Sweet Potato and Vension with 20% (also grain free)
They also have one called Reduced Calorie Formula with only 18% but the first few ingredients are brown rice, chicken, chicken meal, potato fiber, rice bran... Just not too sure how I feel about those, plus it's reduced calorie which for any growing or higher energy dog, might not be a good thing.

[browndog]

The vet said that with some dogs the higher protein foods are too rich for them and they just can't process it properly and so they always have diarrhea and other digestive problems. The two foods that have worked so far for us are:

1. (Dick Van Patten's) Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Vension (which is grain free)

2. Royal Canin - Medi Cal - Hypoallergenic (orange bag, contains duck) We have to purchase this one from our vet, but it works really, really well for her.

[Ace's Place]

I have a question about the high /low protein thing. Is there any thing you can cut the high protein food serving with to make it lower in protein and less rich?

[Nikkiey]

Originally Posted by Ace's Place

I have a question about the high /low protein thing. Is there any thing you can cut the high protein food serving with to make it lower in protein and less rich?

Other than mixing it with a low protein food, I don't know how you would be able to cut down on the protein.

[lindamarie]

Why not treat it like a human problem?
My IBS is under control for now, but I still have a few meds on hand just in case. One that worked well on me was Lomotil. Another was Librax, but this one can make you drowsy.
Perhaps call your pharmacist and ask which meds are potentially good (like Librax or Lomotil) and can be taken by dogs.......then get the vet to give you a script.