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Originally Posted by cally930  We got Beckham when he was 5 months old. He is almost 9 months old now. Since we have had him he has had loose stools. First we thought it was due to testing positive for Giardia. He was on Panacur for a week and still had loose stools. He was then put on another medicine for another week - still loose stools. He was put on chicken, rice and yogurt - still loose stools. The vet recommended prescription dog food -but I chose to try and find other dog foods on my own instead of having to do this. We changed dog foods from Holistic Healthcare to Acana Grasslands and we are now on Orijen Red. Still loose stools. He has been tested twice after this for Giardia - and it was negative. I give up.
What else can I do? Do I go with the prescription dog food my vet is recommending?
Please help. Its been real hard housebreaking him when he can't have a hard stool.
Thank you for any recommendations. |
Just reading your original post, I am seeing quite an unheavel for a little puppy. Basically in 4 months time, he has had giardia, spent a week on one antibiotic (which can give loose stools themselves!), then switched to another medicine, AND had at least 3 food changes!! No wonder the little guy has loose stools.
I would not go through costly allergy testing at this point -- there are just so many other reasons for the loose stools at this time, it seems like overkill. I would follow what the vet wanted to do in the first place, that is the prescription dog food -- probably I/D. I would also add a teaspoon of plain pumpkin each feeding. Then no other changes for a while. Just changing dog food can give loose stools. I would not even say to change now to the I/D except for recent Giardia, they usually suggest being on a prescription diet. I am sure that is so the GI system can rest. Prescription diets require little action to digest -- they are pretty much usable food without a lot of extra enzyme work required. Even if the tests are negative, his little GI system has had a major trauma so it is good to give prescription food to let him heal without having to work hard.