Diarrhea
 

Hi everyone. Im confused and worried and know I'll receive great advice here.
This is a graphic description so please BE WARNED.

So my baby got diagnosed with ulcerative colitis a few months back (i was a terrible doggy mommy and used to feed him whatever he wanted out of guilt) but since then hes been on NOTHING but Hills I/D- Hes on month 3 out of the total 6 that the vet recommended he should be on it and was doing amazing this whole time. However, starting sunday night he had diarrhea that I could not figure out for the life of me. The next day (monday) it turned into a jelly-like yellow poo that smelled horrid and remained this way until Tuesday evening (no blood whatsoever thank god). I of course called the vet and he said this was a normal flare-up case of IBS and to give him lomotil and imodium for a week and hed be fine. Since wednesday, his poop has been forming better each day and is finally a normal consistency today, but it still smells terrible. Also, hes very lethargic and eats once a day if that. Basically any advice, opinions, anything is more than appreciated. I'm thinking of changing his vet as I'm always left with more questions than answers but until then, I would appreciate any advice. Thanks everyone!

If your vet is not responsive to your questions or unable to answer them to your satisfaction, I would definitely seek the advice of another vet. Go with your gut, same as if it was your own skinbaby. You need answers and appropriate treatment, not more questions and generic treatments.

Yes I deff will be researching and switching this week! Hes a great vet but i just feel like I'm always wondering more!

Is he dehydrated? Maybe pedialyte if he can have some will help. If not maybe just sitting and licking an ice cube..hope he's ok..

Hes drinking normally thankfully! Thanks so much =)

Just because a dog is drinking, does not mean he cannot be dehydrated. You don't mention how he was diagnosed; but if tests were not run, I would strongly suggest that you see an internal med specialist and have a work up done.

By any chance did they do a fecal check on him? I ask this because my Luci just had bout of what is called SIBO.

It is Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth. She is now on antibiotics and also I have to add Forti Flora to her food. Forti Floria is a Probiotic.

They can check fecal sample to see if there is a bacteria over growth.

I hope your baby is feeling better soon.

they did an internal workup, blood tests, fecal tests the whole 9 and did scans which showed the ulcers.. and as far as dehydration his gums and nose are moist and look well. Does that rule out dehydration?

dont mean to be a pain in the neck guys but just now i tried picking him up (from behind his front legs) twice and both times he yelped. Does this have anything to do with stomach issues? will deff get this checked out just want to hear your thoughts! TIA

Man, oh, man, I would be getting a second or third opinion. Lethargic and abnormal poops!?!?! You have to keep pushing for them sometimes when you current vet is not working out for you. You have to find out what is going on with this baby whatever it takes. It may just be from his medication but frankly, you can't afford to assume that and have to find out what's really going on and if he's lethargic from weakness from losing fluid or he could be in pain. Dogs often hide anything but sudden or acute pain. Time could be against you. Please read these links to see if you can find some guidance:

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/eme...-drinking.html

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/eme...-articles.html

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/eme...-dog-pain.html

I think he needs to be seen by a specialist and sooner rather than later. This has been dragging on and if he is having pain, that is a problem. The liver and gall bladder are up in that region.

Agree, wholeheartedly. Another vet and a specialist at that.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Everything I am finding on line about these symptoms points to an infection in the colon. You said your vet changed his food, but did he place him on any antibiotics such as Flagyl? If he is having pain when you pick him up, he may have an infection that has gotten worse or even may have a perforation in his colon from the colitis. That would be a medical emergency, so I would get him to a vet this morning and have him rechecked. Diarrhea is a symptom, not a disease. It does no good to treat the diarrheamwith something like immodium if the cause of the diarrhea is unknown. Post updates when you can. Good luck!

Did you feed him anything other than Hill's I/D?
Dogs w/Colitis (inflammation of the colon or lower intestines) needs to be on a very strict LOW FAT/ HIGH FIBER diet.
I agree w/everyone, he needs to be seen by a vet. Sometimes when a flare up happens, bacterial overgrowth (usually stinky smelly poop indicates bacterial infection) can make things worse if left untreated. A good probiotic added to the strict low fat/ high fiber (preferably not from grains but veggies) diet will keep the stomach's good & bad bacterias balanced, esp if he's been on antibiotics b4.
Stress related problems should also be addressed. No household cleaning products & no pesticides to stress out their sensitive system. No grooming or boarding if they get stressed out being away from home.
My Princess had recurring colitis & she does very well on Honest Kitchen, Weruva (low fat content for canned food, also low in phosphorous) & Canine Caviar.
Hope he'll feel better soon!

Thank you everyone for your replies!! I took him to the vets (even though he is much better) and its a bout from stress apparently as everything the vet tested for came out negative thankfully. Poopies are forming WAY better and are smelling better (sorry). His vet says its because his movements weren't absorbing well that it smelled so bad. He is not dehydrated, but vet recommended diluted pedialyte to be on the safe side. Either way, although he is doing much better, we are getting a second opinion on Monday.

Re his colitis, I give him nothing but that and it breaks my heart because I know he hates it. I would love to buy, cook, bake him any treats that work for his condition but am too worried to try. The vet said anything (veggie/fruit) that is high fiber is okay- but I would love to hear your guys' suggestions!


Thank you all again for all the wonderful advice! We really appreciate being able to come here for help, prayers, and advice! :) :)

Thanks for the advice and well wishes! Was princess on Hills ID at all? Also, what probiotics would you recommend? I deff want to look into getting him one. Thanks so much!

Princess was never put on prescription food for her colitis. Just a bland diet of plain boiled chicken breast or tilapia w/white rice & carrots or green beans. Only for a couple of days (since I didn't add any supplements/vitamins) & she was back on her reg food. Of course, vet ok'ed the bland diet 1st & she was also put on antibiotics.

Awhile back, someone here recommended this for ulcerative colitis, also for IBS: VSL#3 - The probiotic medical food for the dietary management of ulcerative colitis or an ileal pouch.
It needs to be refrigerated & it's pricey. But if you've tried everything else & nothing worked, I think this is worth a try. The unflavored powder form would be best & only 1/4 of a teaspoon a day can be mixed in w/their food.

I got benebac plus from amazon. Mine all get soft poopies whenever I give them probiotcs...not sure why, I don't give them a lot of it either. So I only give it to them if they're on antibiotics. If you do a search here, you'll find many threads on probiotics.

Having just had one pup out of the Animal Hospital for a bout of Hemorrahgic Gastritis and the other one having a very similar condition which the Vet has deemed as food sensitivity I feel I can readily answer a few of your concerns

Diarrhea with these little guys can get out of hand really fast so always be on the look out for dehydration or bleeding in their stools
If they are not eating with diarrhea or especially if they don't want to drink .... the Vet must know immediately

As far as the chronic intestinal condition ..... you're going to get to know your pup in and out ....
I know when my Mike refuses food a bout of it is going to happen ... I give him a low dose Pepcid .... you can get it at the Pharmacy
Most of the time this nips it right in the bud