Diarrhea, Teething, Traveling and Heartworm Pill...
 

Buddy just turned 6 months old has been struggling with diarrhea near constantly - it seems we FINALLY get him normal, and then I have to subject him to something else that makes him sick again...

He has his Rabies shot on Saturday, but still was mostly OK - then on Wednesday I gave him the heartworm pill recommended by my vet because we were traveling to New York from California on Friday.

After the heartworm pill he's had near-constant diarrhea, very mucus-y, sometimes with a solid mass in it - earlier today a little blood.

At the same time, he is teething/losing teeth - it seems to have accelerated after the plane trip Friday (he flew with me in the cabin)

In general he's been happy, playful, and hungry! But he's definitely feeling some level of stress I think - either from the pain of the teething, the traveling, the new environment (we're visitng my parents)

I've been keeping him to chicken broth, a little boiled chicken and nutrical. He's *really* hungry and I feel awful. Unfortunately we have discovered (by elimination diet) that he does not tolerate rice, potatoes, pumpkin (which did work for a while) or pretty much any carbohydrates. I had gotten him on Natures Variety "Raw Instinct" which worked well, until the Heartworm pill. I'm still not totally sure about cottage cheese, but am worried about introducing dairy at this point. Maybe I should try to get some BeneBac or similar?

He's been tested and tested for worms and parasites and everything - he's had giardia before so I know the signs of that and there aren't any. He got a clean bill of health as of last Saturday.

I am just so worried about the constant diarrhea. Tonight we gave him some Kaopectate (just about 1cc mixed with water) but still more diarrhea, and he seems kind of out of it right now. I don't have a thermometer - I have to get one in the morning...but he is sleeping in this little bed my parents got for him - not seeming to care if he sleeps in bed with us or not...

But, he has been active and adorable, peeing and pooping on his pads (even with the diarrhea!) but I am still kind of worried - does this seem familiar to anyone? Luckily my vet is in on Sundays so I can call for a consult but it's 2:30am in California and I can't call for a long time...

I feel like maybe I have just stressed him out to the limit and then with the heartworm pill, the traveling and the teething - should I give him something for pain maybe? I just don't know. I'm so stressed out myself I can't sleep. Probably not making it better on the baby....:(

Did the Vet rule out Coccidia? When Joey was a puppy, I had to take him to the emergency Vet because of the symptoms you describe. I told them my Vet checked him for everything, but didn't find anything. The Emergency Vet said that you can check for Coccidia and it may not show up the first few tests. They said it does show up in most tests right away, but that it had been documented not to show up until a 5th or 6th test was done. Hope your baby gets better real soon.

He could have colitis. I hope he feels better soon.

I had to travel to Florida from Illinois by car with my Yorkie gracie and it was a stressful trip. We get to my Inlaws and she has bloody diahrrea all over their new white carpet. So I took her to an er vet and they gave her meds for colitis and it cleared her right up. I was so stressed I had to go to the er myself for a panic attack!!! So traveling combined with the other things going on could definately make her sick. I would try and get her in to a vet there. Good luck!

Sounds suspicious for coccidia to me as well. Jolene had it when we first got her and it was "hit and miss" for a while. She was treated for colitis for the longest and never got any better. Coccidia will flare when stressed, ie a trip to the vet, travelling, shots, change in food/environment and by keeping a record of what we did and what her poop response was, we took her in after a stressful situation and she was infected. he vet said she probably had it for quite sometime and no one picked up on it. She had so many fecals to rule out parasites and it just wasn't caught, probably becasue it wasn't there at that particular time. She was treated for two weeks, and knock on wood, she hasn't had even a soft stool since!! She eats Innova EVO and now Innova canned. Before I couldn't feed her anything different for fear of an attack, but now she eats ANYTHING. Good luck with his treatment, I know how frustrating it can be.

Thank you so much for the responses - can you bring diarrhea in as a sample to be tested for coccidia? And what is the treatment for colitis?

He's already been on a round of antibiotics for the Giardia and then Panacur for possible recurrence of Giardia...but I know that coccidia can live on and recur.

He seems a bit better, and the Xanax is kicking in for me so I am remaining hopeful. I spoke to the vets office and they said that I *could* give him a teeny tiny bit of baby aspirin which might help him if he seems like he was in pain.

I feel terrible - he's lost 4 teeth in the last 24 hours - both his bottom canines and a molar! We froze one of his special "teething" toys but he's not so interested...

I sometimes wonder if I'm in over my head.

Fiber is what causes stools be be more firm. You might try adding more fiber to his diet.

An easy way to do this (if your dog likes these - mine love them) is to buy the Grapenut cereal (very high in fiber) -- it's the cereal that comes in the little round things. They have honey flavored ones that my dogs really like.

Try getting him to eat a small handful of these during the day.... for treats, mixed with food - whatever.

If they work (and really should help) great - if they don't, they're a healthy food anyway.

Good luck! Carol Jean

You could try to add a bit of plain powder metamucil to the food as well that is what my doctor reccomends

Hi,
I hope your baby feels better soon. Preston is going through something similar. He's lost about 6 teeth this last week, has been running a SLIGHT fever, and last night started with diarrhea. I took him to the vet and they gave him something to stop the diarrhea but couldn't take a poop sample because he was "all dried up". I have to take him back in the morning but he gave me something for stomach parasites called Albon...

Please let me know what your vet says and how you're baby is...

Good Luck!

I think it could be coccidia, but I also think it could very well be that he just needs some bulk in his diet. Why are you not giving him any dry puppy food? Giving chicken alone could definitely be the cause of the diarrhea. If you want to put him on a homemade diet it's a lot more involved than just giving chicken.

Hi just wanted to post an update:
We ended up taking Buddy to a wonderful Vet in NY (upstate in Putnam County) - we went over all the symptoms, tried to do a fecal test, but it was inconclusive. She said his intestines felt "thick" so she put him on the Metronidazole and VOILA! He was perfect literally 12 hours later. Able to eat his solid Natures Variety "Raw Instinct" along with some chicken, no problem at all! Totally solid poops! Me and my mom and the rest of the family celebrated each new firm poop. It was ridiculous.

The trip back from NY was perfect. If you're traveling with your puppy, try the baby changing rooms to let them go potty on their pad! It was a great resource for us - there is a lot of room and a sink to wash your hands after you clean up the pad.

He just went in to be neutered today, so hopefully there won't be another new "emergency" for us - wish us luck!! :-)

SO glad to hear you're baby is better! I see that you're from CA and traveled to NYC... I'm traveling for the first time on a plane with Preston this thursday... Did you use a soft carrier on the plane or a hard one... I have two carriers I can take, one is all leather and sturdy but not as comfortable for him, the other is all canvas and not as sturdy... Any pointers? Did they let you put him on your lap?