# Impending diet change..HELP (sorry it's a bit long)



## Carraig (Jan 4, 2008)

There is a protozoan flagellate (?) called trichomonads, which in cats appears as trichomonas foetus, and causes just what you describe. The treatment is Flagyl or Metronidazole. It can be hard to identify as well. I'm not sure what the corresponding trichomonad would be in dogs, but you might ask the vet about it.

If it were allergies, the Flagyl would not help.


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## Sivin (Nov 23, 2006)

Hi,

Our first golden developed colitis at about six months. She was thriving but had periodic bouts of diarrhea and there were also frequent ear infections at this time. We tried the various food changes and medications the vet administered. After a certain time the vet said he would bet it was a food allergy and suggested a specialist, but we kept fooling with the food, hoping we could make things better by ourselves.

By the time she was about 18 months we decided a visit to the specialist was in order. An endoscopy was done and a food allergy was found by examination of her cells. Our vet put her on Eukenuba fish and potatoes and the colitis went on its way for good.

Jodie went on to have a good and healthy life. Her coat was lovely, she never had hotspots and she was happy and active. The ear infections disappeared. 

During the time we were going through the colitis with Jodie I asked her breeder whether she knew of this occurring in the line and she said she didn't. I believed her. I had several friends with goldens and none of their dogs had this problem. Now, so many years later, I have read about it often on this board. You are not alone. This can be controlled!

Regards,
Helaine


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## Dogrunner (Feb 24, 2008)

What they said. But I wanted to add that I had something very similiar in a german shepard puppy. It turned out to be hook worms, which the vet missed the first 2 or 3 times she was tested for worms and parasites.

And yes, I'd go ahead and switch her food. If the Euk doesn't help, you might want to try Canidae or California Natural (I have friends who feed those to their sensitive tummied puppies successfully).

And definitely find a new vet. I'm on my 4th one (and this one appears to be a keeper ). Good luck. I hope you find out what's wrong soon, so Holly can be well.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

How old is the pup? The frequent changes in meds and diet are likely the continuing cause of the situation. 

You need to get the dogs digestive system to settle down and begin to rebuild the desired environment in the digestive tract. The antibiotics and frequent bouts of explosive loose stools have likely flushed many of the essential "good bacteria" (needed for proper digestion) from the digestive tract. Thus everything the pup eats comes out in squirts.

I would suggest starting the pup on a bland diet of boiled hamburger and rice or boiled chicken and rice to settle the digestive system down and firm things up. The last thing you want to be giving the pup is another new brand of kibble. 

Get things settled down and firmed up, then begin to slowly add kibble back into the mix over the course of a couple of weeks.


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## LibbysMom (Jan 15, 2008)

WE had the exact same problem with Libby for about 2.5 months when she was a pup and they kept her on the Metronidazole for longer periods of time because that was the only thing helping her. What worked for us was putting her on a really bland allergy free food. We used Wellness Simple Solutions Duck and it solved the problem. Once we were confident that her stomach was calm (after another 2 months or so) we switched her back to a puppy food and have been fine since. I don't know if it's a problem she just grew out of or what but it worked for us. We talked to our vet about it first and while he didn't reccomend putting her on an adult food at 3.5 months old, he also said it wasn't great to keep her on the medicine so if we wanted to try it, it was our choice. Again, for us it worked but we don't know if it was because of the bland/simple diet or if it was because seh simply grew out of it. Good Luck!


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## TiffanyK (Mar 3, 2008)

Swampcollie said:


> How old is the pup? The frequent changes in meds and diet are likely the continuing cause of the situation.
> ...
> I would suggest starting the pup on a bland diet of boiled hamburger and rice or boiled chicken and rice to settle the digestive system down and firm things up. The last thing you want to be giving the pup is another new brand of kibble.
> ...


I have no qualifications or much experience even on this topic, but if it were me, this sounds like excellent advice. I am currently just phasing my 10 week old GR off Puppy chow and on to Purina ProPlan Large breed. I hesitate posting that I even had my baby on puppy chow at all. I owrry about his little digestive system since he was on Science diet, then I picked up puppy chow and mixed the PC with the Science diet my breeder sent me home with and now am changing him to a new food altogether. He doesn't seem to be having any problems with it at all so far. I'm not recommending a brand, btw...but don't knock yourself on the puppy chow. I do agree that there are a lot of changes in his diet with your obvious desire to do the best for your furbaby and meds on top of that. Glad you have this forum as a resource - it will help so much in getting evrything straightened out.

Posting this as a question to the experts and more experienced folks here - what about pumpkin? I've read a lot of people that helped their GRs get straight with the addition of a couple TBS of pumpkin (not pie filler, but canned pumpkin) with each meal???

Tiffany


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## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

When my goldens were on antibiotics for a prolonged period, this would cause diarrhea because it killed the good bacteria in the bowels. We put them plain yogurt with live active cultures to replenish the good bacteria. Ask your Vet if this might help


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Both Swampcollie and Paula are correct. I would do the bland diet - boile dburger and rice - and do not rinse the rice as it is the starch that is helpful in tightening the stool - and add either an active live-culture yogurt (plain) and/or a probiotic like Fastrak or Digestive Enhancer from Nature's Farmacy. 
As to the other suggestion about hookworms, you didn't state if she'd actually been dewormed or not. A fecal can actually be run one day and be negative, but positive the next - it depends on it the parasites shed eggs at that time or not. You might ask your vet about Panacur - it is a very safe broad spectrum anthelmintic which also seems to help "reorganize" the intestinal flora and migh be helpful.

Good luck! I know this is NO fun...


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## Dogrunner (Feb 24, 2008)

Pointgold said:


> As to the other suggestion about hookworms, you didn't state if she'd actually been dewormed or not. A fecal can actually be run one day and be negative, but positive the next - it depends on it the parasites shed eggs at that time or not. You might ask your vet about Panacur - it is a very safe broad spectrum anthelmintic which also seems to help "reorganize" the intestinal flora and migh be helpful.
> 
> Good luck! I know this is NO fun...


Just a "so you know", Meagan had actually been wormed (including for hookworms) before she came home with me. It either didn't work or she got reinfected right afterwards.


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## Memphis & Holly's Mom (Feb 16, 2008)

Thanks for the info and help. I did forget to say she has been dewormed by the breeder, then about 6 weeks ago, and the vet then gave me dontral (sp?) I gave her one pill that day, the next dose is on the 18th of this month. So we should be good there. I am getting the bland diet ready...like I say we have firm stools now on the metro...but now we only have 2 days left, I am going to be prepared. I do know I'm adding the yogurt, I found that on here. Mentioned it to the vet, and he said "it can't hurt, but probably won't help". Like I say not lots of faith in him. He gave me an estimate for spaying her, and had Rimadyl for pain!! I looked that up online, and saw all kinds of horror stories. So if he's not more up to date than that...it's time to find a new vet. Am going to call Mon. a vet recommended very highly by a friend of mine. Holly isn't due for anything, but I would like to just meet her, and have my info in the system, just in case. My friend said she wouldn't mind us stopping by close to closing time just to meet...which is something I like, my old vet would be ticked I'm sure..LOL 

Anyway I thank you all for your help. I do know when I had talked to idiot vet (my petname for him) he said really the food didn't matter, even though he had had me switch!! He said all food is basically the same, so glad to have a place to get quality help. I never knew they made special foods until I came here. I mean the ones with duck, venision...I just went on what I had seen at WalMart and places like that. I thank you all kindly, and Holly gives you all a big WOOF WOOF. Hope when this is all said and done and her system is good, her gas will be helped too...WHEW...not a good thing when she's sleeping right next to me at night. ACCCKKKKKKKKKKK Although the fart that made my hubby wake up and ask if I was ok was kind of funny...he just wanted to make sure I hadn't been overcome by fart fumes...LMAO My sweet girl didn't even move, just kept snoozing along...gotta love our dogs!!!!!!!


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## Lisa (Sep 25, 2007)

I agree with the folks about bland diet (rice and boiled chicken) and add some plain canned pumpkin. That should settle the digestive track and help the stool issue.

I've been through this with two of our Goldens. It got better when we found the right food. We are on Pinnacle Trout & Sweet Potato now - which is good for their allergies. 

I would efienitley try a home-cooked bland diet for a few weeks, get things settled down, then very gradually phase to a kibble you think may work.

Good luck!

p.s. Kaopectate can help too! It's OK to give dogs and all it does is take some of the water out of the poo and helps it firm up.


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## Goldilocks (Jun 3, 2007)

It does sound like you need a new vet! I hope the vet your friend is suggesting can solve this issue. This is a very frustrating situation to be in. 

You should put off spay surgery until this gets resolved as you want your dog to be in good health going into the surgery. 

When my dog has had an upset tummy (once with Giardia and second time a couple of weeks ago when she ate something she shouldn't have) I made cooked hamburger meat and well cooked rice and it seemed to help her tummy. Once I put her back on her kibble, I added a spoonful of canned pumpkin to each meal for a couple of days. I hope this works for your pup.


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## Memphis & Holly's Mom (Feb 16, 2008)

Going to get Van Patton's food, I think, still not sure what varities I have to choose from in my area, may have to do it online. Holly is now digestive normal, stools are very firm now (no constipation), and the gas is AWFUL..bad enough my 2 yr old smells it and goes 'poop..poop' and looks at the dog :yuck::yuck:. I did go back to puppy chow just to make sure her system was good. Now it's time to get my little sweetie on a good quality food for life...plus the non stinky farts would be a pleasant surprise.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

I would also suggest a probiotic. It will contain more "good bacteria" than yogurt. Pointgold mentioned several... another good one is put out by ultra pet. This is their site and may provide you with some good reading too. http://www.petenzymes.com/index.html


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## Memphis & Holly's Mom (Feb 16, 2008)

I forgot to mention I have ordered the enzymes and they are on the way. You know everyone, us humans too could use help keeping our system healthy. Been reading about digestion and watching Holly poo, never realized one person could spend so much time learning about bowels...LOL Every day I'm on patrol....and I thought being a grown up was boring..LMAO When you have kids and pets the things you talk about and do...


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