# Holly has diarrhea again....



## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

OK I am at my wits end. Holly just got off the medication...metronitazole 5 days and albom 9 days ( I think thats what its called) on Monday and now she has diarrhea again...I took a sample to the vet and am waiting for the results. She has had round worms, whip worms, and coccidia and been treated for each.I just dont know why she keeps getting diarrhea...any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated..
 I also want to let you all know that if I get the lack of response like I have in the past you will not have to see anymore new threads from me. I will continue to post on others threads because I love goldens and I get excited or sad for those pups that I read about, but I wont bother with any of my own....
 I cant seem to figure out why some posts get soooo many suggestions and answers and oos and ahhhs and others get 1 or 2. We all love our puppies and we all think that what is going on with our pup is important...I just dont understand why that happens..and I dont think Im the only person who has brought this up...
thanks in advance to anyone who has any information or advice for me...


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## GoldenSummer (Mar 26, 2010)

I'm a real newbie (I just joined today). I'm sorry to hear your dog is being sick, is there any way shes eating or chewing things that could cause it? You didn't mention her age and to be honest the only thing that comes to mind with a dog having diarrhea is Parvo which I hope with all my heart isn't even a possibility of your dog having. My best tip would be watching her, maybe shes getting into something she shouldn't? (my moms dog eats gravel/sand if your not watching to tell her no). I hope your puppy gets better! *hugs*


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## HiTideGoldens (Dec 29, 2009)

I know it's frustrating when you just want answers or suggestions! I hear ya! 

As for Holly's issue...I can't recall if you've tried a new food? What is she eating? Jack had consistently loose/soft stools when he was on his puppy food but has firmed up 100% since switching to Acana. I also stopped giving him most treats since they seemed to upset his stomach.

I don't know much about coccidia, but I recall that it doesn't just go away. Have you thought about getting a second opinion from a new vet?


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## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

Thanks you two! Holly is 13 weeks old..sheis on NUtro Puppy lamb and rice. I have stopped giving her the puppy treats and have recent;y started just giving her pieces of her food for treats.
She has seen 2 different vets at the practice plus the emergency vet for blood in her stool one Sunday. 
Its not parvo she has no other symptoms....and they were great after she got off the meds on MOnday and now the diarrhea has started again.
Thank you two for your answers..yes it does get frustrating waiting to hear something that may help and getting no answers....I appreciate your posts! Thank you.


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## knog (Jan 12, 2008)

Amy, it's so frustrating to have a sick puppy. All I can offer is that sometimes it takes several treatments to get rid of those mean gastrointestinal bugs. We battled diarrhea with Z from the time we got him at 3 months of age until a couple of weeks ago - he turns one next week. Yep,8 1/2 months of drizzly poops and fecal samples and lab work and meds. Because he was a rescue and was malnourished when we got him, it probably took him a bit longer to overcome his distress than it will take a well bred, well tended pup.

I finally found a food that works well for him (Blue Basics) and I use Optigest (I get it at Vitamin Cottage) at each meal to help him digest his food. But it could be that his little innards finally matured enough to fight out the bad stuff. I don't know.

At any rate, I wish you the best of luck and I'll keep my fingers crossed for you and Holly.


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## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

Thank you knog. I amy look into changing her food after this fecal comes back.
I am sorry that you had to deal with this for that long...wow....but all is well now so thats great!
Do you have any pictures of your dogs?? We would love to see them!!


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

Coccidia can be very very hard to get rid of-actually, you don't get rid of it, unless you use Marquis paste or Baycox (neither approved for dogs in the US yet, but used by catteries and some shelters, as well as some dog breeders). Instead, you try to keep the organism under control until the dog's immune system is strong enough to handle it.

A lot of breeders have noted that Albon doesn't seem to be working like it did in the paste. Some have had success with Primor but some have moved on to either Marquis Paste or Baycox, both off label use for the US. Marquis Paste is expensive but for only 1 puppy, probably not all that bad. 

See what your vet has to say about the sample you dropped off-whipwoms and coccidia are difficult to detect and to get rid of. If the sample is clear but the diarrhea is back, I would re-treat for the coccidia-first, a longer treatment with the albon, if it seemed to help while she was on it. Or, ask your vet for an alternative treatment.

And note that coccidia recurs under times of stress too-so if she has recently had shots, heartworm pills, etc., this could stress her enough to cause a recurrence.

I recently had a 3-year old break out with the coccidia she had had as a puppy, due to the stress of being spayed and going to a new home. It happens.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

Also, I wouldn't change foods for a while after her stools return to normal, and then do it very very slowly.

You may want to try a probiotic like FortiFlora, too.


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

I have been struggling with Tess in the same way basically from the day I got her in December until the moment she got Panacur (double treatment). After that her stools have been normal. I tried everything, from the medications you describe to cutting her back to only her kibble three times a day (try training without any treats for weeks...on the positive side: she came to love the hugs and kisses!). In puppy class nobody could give her anything, because I was terrified of the consequences. No kongs (and I only put yoghurt and ice cubes in it!), nothing! Very frustrating. But after the Panacur, combined with the strict kibble regime, she was fine and has been since four weeks now. I'm still a little careful, but so far I've introduced a little orange juice, Fromm puppy (mixed with her original Eukanuba, for weeks), a little scrambled egg, a little salmon, Honest Kitchen Embark (as a topping from time to time and I bake it to take to class, then I have treats and food at the same time, as it starts at 6...), and just yesterday I've given her a piece of Vital (Fish). Believe me, I'm still looking at every stool she has, to see if things go wrong again. 
I don't know if you've tried the back to the basics thing? I was in the proces to start another bland diet, when my breeder suggested it, plus the Panacur. It took two more weeks, but after a week I could see things get better.


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## Bender (Dec 30, 2008)

I would look at doing either grain free, or a raw diet with her. Bender had the same sort of problem when she was a pup so I know how annoying it can get. When I took her off kibble and put her on raw, she didn't have an issue again and has been good for almost 10 years now of eating raw. 

Nutro has a lot of fillers, so it may just be she can't digest those ingredients and they go right through her system, so if you try something grain free it may work for her better. Raw would be my first suggestion but if you can't do that then try something without grains (rice seems to be a huge part of the food you're feeding now). 

You can also get digestive enzymes and probiotics at a health food store and mix those in, or check with a holistic vet/ pet store to see if they have a product that might help support her digestive system. I have a product that is made locally that I have on hand for issues and it works great, but I'm fairly sure they just sell it locally. I can get the info though if you want and you can try to see if they'll ship it to the states, can't hurt!

Lana


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## MyJaxson (Jan 5, 2010)

inge said:


> I have been struggling with Tess in the same way basically from the day I got her in December until the moment she got Panacur (double treatment). After that her stools have been normal. I tried everything, from the medications you describe to cutting her back to only her kibble three times a day (try training without any treats for weeks...on the positive side: she came to love the hugs and kisses!). In puppy class nobody could give her anything, because I was terrified of the consequences. No kongs (and I only put yoghurt and ice cubes in it!), nothing! Very frustrating. But after the Panacur, combined with the strict kibble regime, she was fine and has been since four weeks now. I'm still a little careful, but so far I've introduced a little orange juice, Fromm puppy (mixed with her original Eukanuba, for weeks), a little scrambled egg, a little salmon, Honest Kitchen Embark (as a topping from time to time and I bake it to take to class, then I have treats and food at the same time, as it starts at 6...), and just yesterday I've given her a piece of Vital (Fish). Believe me, I'm still looking at every stool she has, to see if things go wrong again.
> I don't know if you've tried the back to the basics thing? I was in the proces to start another bland diet, when my breeder suggested it, plus the Panacur. It took two more weeks, but after a week I could see things get better.


 
I agree with the panacur, jaxson has had three sets of it so far, as well as two or three other meds. Much like "inge", Jaxson came home at 8weeks and had loose, bloody stool. He tested pos for giardia. He still has the ocassional loose stool, but mostly after being bad... the vet says that it could be IBS or just sensative, and he may grow out of it. The vet also said she has known goldens that have it till their one and it kinda goes away because they have to grow into a full immune system. So far I can see a lot of progression in Jaxson and he is 5 months now.

I hope you get your little one better, I know it stinks watching them suffer.


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## kaysy (Jan 9, 2010)

I guess I'd be looking at switching foods SLOWLY, maybe less ingredients? non-lamb-based? Hope you figure it out.


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## janine (Aug 8, 2009)

Did I miss it somewhere...what is she eating? Murphy had terrible problems with diarrhea when we switched him from what the breeder was feeding him to Cal. Naturals puppy. The vet then put him on this really bland food from his office (can't remember off hand the name) and now he is on Science Diet puppy (not my first choice). He still gets diarrhea if he eats most people food. ( I use only boiled chicken breasts or boiled/dried chicken hot dogs for training. One day he got into Chesters dog food like maybe two mouths fulls and got diarrhea again. Is it just some dogs have a problem with this? I want to switch him to a better adult food but the vet said to wait until closer to 9 months or so...I almost hate to change it he hasn't had diarrhea or even soft poop for weeks. Hope you figure this out. And don't get to upset when people don't post...
I looked back to see what she is eating...maybe the food?


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## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

Thank you all, it helps to get some advice and to know I not alone....its just so frustrating....poor Holly.
Holly was treated with Marquis Paste first and the diarrhea cleared up..but then came back. Then she was treated with 9 days of Albon..even though her fecal didnt show any coccidia. She last showed positive for whip worms and was treated for that and on 4/4 I have to give her the second dose of the dewormer for that.
I was thinking that she should be on a different dog food, but the vet wants to wait. I have stopped giving her any treats at all...but I did give her two small pieces yesterday so maybe thats whats going on...I guess the fecal will tell..
I appreciate your answers..thank you.


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## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

oh and she eats Nutro puppy think its lamb and rice...dont have the bag now.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

Given her history, I would suspect worms, coccidia or giardia before I would suspect the food. The Marquis paste should have taken care of the coccidia for good. It is possible that the worms are back. Whipworms are awful-hard to get rid of, and since they live in the soil, very hard to get rid of. I had to treat one of my dogs for persistent whipworms several years ago. I treated her and then switched to Interceptor for heart worm control, since it works on whips as well.

What treats did you give her? I would steer clear of treats until she goes at least a week with no diarrhea. Same thing with switching food-I wouldn't even consider it right now. The fact that she was on the food and fine while being treated, tells me that it is unllikely the food is the culprit.


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## Our3dogs (Apr 3, 2008)

I seem to remember when one of our's had Coccidia - which we did treatment on for several weeks, the vet told me to be sure and pick up the poop right away and to also spray a light bleach solution around the area she poops in to help keep from re-transmitting it back to the dog.


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## jmamom (Dec 3, 2009)

I'm sorry for poor Holly, diarrhea is sooo frustrating. Josie had it for a couple of days (tried to change her food), and the bland diet worked for her. I fed her hamburger and rice until it was completely cleared up, and then slowly added kibble. I was so sick of boiling hamburger, but it did the job and I haven't had trouble since.
I know my solution is probably over simplistic for Holly's issues - I knew what was causing Josie's tummy troubles so it was easy for me to solve. 
Please don't be upset at the lack of responses sometimes. I know I often read a thread, but feel I have no advice to offer, being a newbie at this puppy stuff. 
Feel better Holly!!!


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## Goldenmomma (Oct 15, 2009)

I'm sorry that you have to go through this. Scotty had coccidia when I got him and the breeder tried to deny it. Hard to when I took him to the vet within three days of bringing him home. I was using Nutro large breed puppy (lamb and rice) with occasional bouts of diaherria (every six months). Now I have both of my Goldens on Nutro Sensitive Stomach and cross your fingers both have been okay lately. I also use Sensitive Stomach cookies. Expensive, but worth not worrying. Good luck!


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## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

Thanks you all....Linda, The treats are just the Petsmart brand puppy biscuts. Holly just started Sentinal on the 15th. I wonder if that works on whip worms... The coccidia did not show up in the last fecal but they treated her for it again with a different medication anyway. Last fecal was the first time whip worms showed up before that was round worms..I have not taken her out of our yard and my other dog is fine..she was treated for coccidia just in case..she is on heartguard plus
I always pick up the poop..but with it being soft or really runny its hard to get it all. I have been taking her to a different ares of the yard..because I have put down grass seed in the front main part. I really appreciate your suggestions and advice.
Goldenmomma thanks for the suggestion of the sensitive stomach food...Im waiting on changing it till the vet says I should.
Thank you all!


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

I just wonder if an ingredient in the puppy treats are not helping. A lot of treats are made with wheat flour, which is a common allergen.

Honestly, it sounds like your vet is doing a great job and is on top of everything so far.

One thing I have noticed is that roundworms are getting harder to get rid of, too. I used to always use Nemex ll for rounds but with my last 2 litters, it just did not seem to work as well. I am going to move to Panacur/Safeguard from now on.

Keep us posted on the results of the most recent fecal. It will be interesting to see what, if anything, shows up.


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

Are you in the same house you were in when Misty had giardia?


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## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

No Kim...I was in CA when Misty had giardia...im in GA now. 
Linda thank you so much...maybe her fecal will be negative and it was the treats...I hope thats it..Ill let you know thank you!


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## Blondie (Oct 10, 2009)

I'm sorry your having a tough time of it. I don't have any advice to offer, just a hug and a prayer. I'll light a candle for you and your Holly at church. I believe in divine intervention along with good nutrition and the proper medical care.


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## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

Thank you so much Blondie..I appreciate it.


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## Mighty Casey and Samson's Mom (Jul 16, 2008)

You have got lots of good suggestions. Coccidia is a real pain to deal with! It doesn't always show up in every fecal sample either. Holly's little digestive tract might just be rebelling from the paracites and the treatments. Casey had a very sensitive tummy as a puppy, including bouts with coccidia. Adding canned pumpkin to her food will help to firm up the stools (plain pumpkin). I still keep a can on hand for when needed. For some reason the dogs really seem to love it. Plain yogurt helps too, as does a mixture of boiled hamburger and white rice. I ended up getting Casey right off of any food with grain in it (including many doggie treats) and that helped lots in the long run.
Good luck with Holly. They do seem to develop a resistance against these things as they get older. (Be sure to pick up the poops quickly so she doesn't get reinfected--the spoors from coccidia are supposed to be able to live for years in the soil, so the bleach suggestion was a good one.)


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## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

Gosh..I may have to spray the whole side yard.. I pick up the poop quick..unless its raining...thank you all for your information..
I am for sure going to stay away from the treats...her dog food only for a long time..


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## momtoMax (Apr 21, 2009)

Max had diarhea very badly once - I think it was pasta sauce that did him in. I know when I changed from puppy food to grown up food, even with the slow change it took a long time to settle into regular poops again. I hope that whatever it is, it clears up soon! Most important thing with diarhea, as I'm thinking was already stated, is to keep her hydrated. Get better soon Holly!


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## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

Thanks Jenn....I should get the fecal results back tomorrow or Monday. Its so frustrating...one thing I know is I am not giving her any more treats..only her dog food.
Thank you all for your advice, suggestions, and warm words.


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## iamswiss (Aug 6, 2009)

When Bailey was 8 weeks old she had whip worms, coccidia and giardia. After 2 weeks of treatment she got over it. We were lucky that we caught it early on and she didn't develop diarreah. 
She had then a few months back again diarreah and we checked her stool and all was negative. So we tried Golden Seal drops, Grapefruit See Extract Tablets and Pumpkin and it helped. We did this another time too when she had diarreah and it was gone again after 1-2 days. Maybe you want to try this.


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## maggie1951 (Apr 20, 2007)

Poor little Holly Daisy and Charlie get bouts of diarrhea as well they go weeks and there fine then they have a couple of bad weeks  and i don't switch there food but i do give them food with probiotics in i swear this does help them.
Blarney is ok its just the girls i think also Goldens seem to have a delicate stomach's !


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## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

Thanks everyone...I really appreciate your advice and sugestions. Well I got a call from the vet and Hollys fecal was negative for anything...sooo she told me not to give her any of the treats and see how it goes. She got one by accident when Misty dropped hers but thats it today. So hopefully this is the end..her stools were just a little loose, Im thinking they may become really loose from the treat she was able to get....we will see. 
I am going to talk to the vet at her next appointment about probiotics. Hopefully she just has a sensetive tummy and as long as she doesnt get those treats she will be ok..Thanks again...it really helped to hear stories of your pups and that everything turned out ok...I just feel like my poor baby has been sick with something or other since I got her...hopefully shes on the road to recovery now. Thanks again


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## GoldenSummer (Mar 26, 2010)

kaysy said:


> I guess I'd be looking at switching foods SLOWLY, maybe less ingredients? non-lamb-based? Hope you figure it out.



I definitely agree with the non-lamb based food! I remember my Golden I grew up with had a lot of health issues when he was put on lamb and rice dog food, he got better after we took him off it and I have never gone near any lamb based treats, foods or wet foods since. Maybe it was a one time thing, but I'm pretty sure I have heard other owners say their dogs had issues with lamb food too.

:crossfing that her results come back clear! Give her a hug from us


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## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

Thanks! The fecal was negative!! I am NOT giving her those Petsmart treats and she has been diarrhea FREE!! YAY!!!! 
Thank you all!!!!


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## jmamom (Dec 3, 2009)

Good news! I know what its like, Josie has a pretty sensitive tummy. Anything new usually upsets her tummy, especially when I tried dairy type treats - string cheese, yogurt, cream cheese - they all gave her trouble. And those are supposed to be good for them! She also had a bit of diarrhea when she was teething, so watch out for that too when the time comes.


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## dmello (Mar 30, 2010)

what is it with these doggies and gross poo?! We went through a six week stint of diarrhea with our little Miles and nothing seemed to fix it. We tried the probiotics/prescription dog food/deworming medication/etc. Someone suggested Blue Buffalo Wilderness food for him because it has no rice/corn in it- and so far (knock on wood!) it has worked A-MAZINGLY for him! Good luck!


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## Stircrazy (Nov 30, 2009)

I almost think that frequent loose stools is normal for a puppy. I had one bout of Kona with explosive diahrea, throwing up and not eating, took him to the vet who siad to not feed him for 24 hours then start feeding at 1/2 of normal and build it back up over a day or two (suspected a partial blockage) and told me what to watchfor and bring him back in if I saw any of it. Anyways it worked great and he was back to his normal self after a couple days. but once a week for the next 2 months he would get loos stools and the next day they would be fine. I stuck it out with the foodI was using as I had been feeding it for 2 months with no problems and eventualy it cleared up. I have also noticed as he gets older/bigger his stools are getting more compact and less stinky, so I am wondering if the digestive system is still developing over the first few months which would make it more sensitive to things also.

Steve


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## gmchugh9978 (Sep 12, 2010)

*Sidney has the same problem*

Hi everybody. I am brand new to this forum and already I feel welcome. Our girl Sidney has had chronic off again on again diarreah since she was 8 weeks old. She is 7 months old and as long as we give her only Nutro dog food and rice and chicken, she is fine. We also use lightly frosted mini-wheats as treats and pumpkin for a snack.. Even rawhide bones that are flavored in any way can set her off....Always looking for other ways to stop this cycle......Gail


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

Stircrazy said:


> I almost think that frequent loose stools is normal for a puppy. I had one bout of Kona with explosive diahrea, throwing up and not eating, took him to the vet who siad to not feed him for 24 hours then start feeding at 1/2 of normal and build it back up over a day or two (suspected a partial blockage) and told me what to watchfor and bring him back in if I saw any of it. Anyways it worked great and he was back to his normal self after a couple days. but once a week for the next 2 months he would get loos stools and the next day they would be fine. I stuck it out with the foodI was using as I had been feeding it for 2 months with no problems and eventualy it cleared up. I have also noticed as he gets older/bigger his stools are getting more compact and less stinky, so I am wondering if the digestive system is still developing over the first few months which would make it more sensitive to things also.
> 
> Steve


I am convinced in cases like this, it is actually something like coccidia which is the underlying problem. Dogs "outgrow" it, as their immune systems become stronger and thus, the diarrhea and soft stools go away as the dog gets older. Coccidia is one where you never really get rid of it (at least not with the drugs that are approved in the US)-you try to knock it back until the pup's immune system can handle it on it's own.


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

gmchugh9978 said:


> Hi everybody. I am brand new to this forum and already I feel welcome. Our girl Sidney has had chronic off again on again diarreah since she was 8 weeks old. She is 7 months old and as long as we give her only Nutro dog food and rice and chicken, she is fine. We also use lightly frosted mini-wheats as treats and pumpkin for a snack.. Even rawhide bones that are flavored in any way can set her off....Always looking for other ways to stop this cycle......Gail


Gail,

Welcome to the forum. Have you considered adding probiotics to her food? Alot of people use the Natures Farmacy digestive enhancer with great results to help get rid of the bad bacteria in the system 
Nature's Farmacy - Store - Results

Hopefully it will be something that she will grow out of. Have you had her tested to make sure she doesnt have coccidia or any type of parasite causing it?


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## gmchugh9978 (Sep 12, 2010)

*Thanks*

Thanks for all your responses. Sidney has been tested and was negative for giardia..I don't think it is a parasite since I can almost always link it to some new treat I tried or even a flavored rawhide bone. If she only eats Nutro puppy food for large breeds, rice, and chicken, she is fine.... I guess Sidney will stick with the frosted mini wheats for her treats...


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