# Diarrhea again, probable food intolerance.



## Pammie (Jan 22, 2011)

Bryley is 4 1/2 months old and came to me at 8 weeks eating Eukanumba Pure (grain free). He had firm stools and no problems for several weeks and then one night had very loose stools, puddles of poo, 4 times during the night. 

Vet visit, rice/cottage cheese diet and then a slow introduction of the Eukanuba back in. After we got to _almost_ all Eukanuba... loose stool puddle of poo night again. Vet, rice/rice cottage cheese with addition of FortiFlora (sp?) and sulfasalazine-- and then after good pooping again the introduction of Eukanuba again. Again at close to being at full Eukanuba, poo puddles at night.
Why is it always at night?! :no::yuck: 

Vet, rice/cottage cheese, FortiFlora, tests for blood and motility or cells or something, sulfasalazine...only this time the reintroduction of food is Hills ID Gastro Health. All looks good, we are at full transition for 2 weeks on the ID and all is right with the world. Now, we start the transition to a new food- ProPlan. All is good and we are finally 2 days at full transition with the ProPlan and HELLO! loose poo puddles stools at night! Frustrating and disappointing. 

Now vet says she wants him to go back to Hills ID for a couple months because he does tolerate it and rice cottage cheese is not nutritionally enough for a pup. Her hope is that he grows out of this, if not we will again experiment with other foods at that later date.

During this whole time, no treats- nothing but the kibble of the day, he is always supervised and has not eaten anything he should not have. He has never shown any sign of not feeling well and has never lost his appetite or zeal for life.

Do you agree with my vet that he might grow out of this? Do you have a food suggestion? Is there a test you think he should have?
I am looking for any and all input and thoughts. 
Thank you for reading this far of my pups diarrhea diaries!


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## hubbub (Jun 28, 2011)

My sympathies go out to you guys. We've been dealing with very loose stools since before Memorial Day. It came out of nowhere...no change in food/treats/etc. She's had a fecal and been tested for giardia.

At least your vet is taking some action. My vet seems not too concerned. I've tried new bags of the food (in case it was a bad batch), she's been on metronidazole since it began (she improved for 3 days - formed, but not firm). 

We've just started a pumpkin/psyllium husk to see if that helps. Thankfully we've been getting a bit of rain every day which is helping "clean up" what I can't pick up from our walks.

A friend went through a similar situation with her puppy last year. Ultimately it was determined that he could not tolerate anything with red dye in it....food/treats/chewies. 

Here's hoping that things firm up in both our homes


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## crazy daisy (Jul 3, 2011)

I would suggest something with probiotics in the ingedient list.

iirc, wellness does use probiotics in their formulations, including puppy formulas. 

though my daisy gets mail order food.... that has it.


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## Blondie (Oct 10, 2009)

Did your vet test for parasites? I'm not sure if this is fact or fiction, but I did read some time ago that grain free should be fed to dogs over 18 months. Perhaps the food is too rich for your pups system because it's grain free? Just a thought. Do you have your heart set on Eukanumba for some reason? There are so many food options and wondering if it's just not meant to be. Definitely adding pumpking(organic pumpkin, not the pumpkin pie canned style.


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## Pammie (Jan 22, 2011)

Thanks for the responses guys! keep 'em coming...

Blondie~ he is clear of parasites and I am not set on the Eukanuba Pure, we tried ProPlan with the same results.

The weird thing is, after the late night loosey gooseys and he starts rice/cottage cheese- there is no more diarrhea, so no need for pumpkin. It is always just the one session of diarrhea and then the next poo, which usually takes 12 to 18 hours cause he is so cleaned out, is nicely firm. 

crazy daisy~ he is getting probiotics in the FortiFlora- but thank you for the suggestion!

hubbub~ so sorry you and your pup are having troubles, too.  Maybe it's time to consult with another vet? Continual diarrhea in a pup is not a good thing.
.


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## desi.n.nutro (Mar 18, 2011)

Dairy firms things up usually so that kinda makes some sense. 

I also believe that GF is reserved for adult dogs but that mostly is because puppies don't have intolerances or allergies yet. 

It sounds to me like my sisters IBS? Do dogs get IBS? I don’t know why they wouldn’t. She is really affected by fat and since GF has more meat usually, i.e., more fat?

Keep us posted for sure. I am very perplexed and curious now.


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## hubbub (Jun 28, 2011)

Thanks Pammie! 
We've actually had the tests at two vets (the regular one and by the oncologist at the university teaching hospital - my girl's been there for c-surgery and they couldn't find anything especially suspicious). Regular vet suggested we try a dewormer if things don't improve in a week. 

Posting about my friend's dog yesterday jogged my memory, so I went through everything Hannah puts in her mouth. I've had help watching her during surgical recovery and found out she's been getting 1-2 popsicles/day from the sitter when I'm at work - they have aspartame in them and the ASPCA site says it can cause gastro problems. :doh: 

Things were formed but VERY soft this am, so I hope we're on a better path. We'll see. :crossfing

We've also had fasting sessions of 12-24 hours....have you tried that? It can give the gi track a chance to rest.


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## Sophie_Mom (Jan 21, 2009)

We had this problem with Sawyer last summer, when he was a puppy. He came to us on Fromm Puppy Gold (which is a great food), but he had loose stools from the get-go. We took him to the vet, and he did have coccidia, so he was treated for that. After treatment, he still had loose stools. We did the rice/boiled meat thing and tried to transfer back over, only to get loose stools again. And we also did have Sawyer fast a few times (poor baby!!).

My vet did have us feed him the canned Hill's ID to get things firmed back up, and it worked. When we'd try to transition him back, he'd go loose again. My vet also suggested staying on the ID for a while, but I did not want to. The ingredients in that stuff are awful and I didn't want him on it for any amount of time. That is just my personal opinion, because obviously, you have to balance curing the diarrhea and nutrition. 

My vet was supportive and understood (and agreed about the ingredients) that I didn't want him on the ID. He did feel that it was a food intolerance, and we'd have to try to figure out what he didn't tolerate. We did keep some of the ID on hand, just to get him back on track each time a food transition would fail - and there were several of them.

The good news is, we found a food that worked great for him. He did GREAT on Fromm 4 Star Line (it's an all life stages food, so suitable for a puppy) Whitefish and Potato. The fish protein must have worked for his system, while duck, chicken, lamb, etc. did not. We also used this supplement in his food: 
Pet Nutrition Supplement | Pet Digestive Track Support | Perfect Form | The Honest Kitchen
The Honest Kitchen is a VERY reputable company, and the ingredients in this are all natural. The combination of the food and the supplement worked WONDERS for Sawyer. He had good, firm, regular poops. I never thought I'd be so excited over poop. My husband and I had a whole rating scale for poop! I have many threads from last summer on here describing all of our attempts. It was a hard time, and I sympathize with you.

The good news is - Sawyer outgrew whatever intolerance he had. We still feed him the Fromm Whitefish, because it is a great food (great company) and he has done well on it. I am of the belief, "If it's not broke, don't fix it." He also can have bones from the butcher (in moderation), treats, and even share some of our stuff without having any problems. We still have to be mindful of what and how much different stuff he is getting, because he does occasionally get a little loose, but he is a NORMAL dog now! We took him off of the supplement when he was about 5-6 months with no problem. 

Good luck and feel free to ask if you have any other questions, I know how frustrating it is!


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## Pammie (Jan 22, 2011)

Loved your post Sophie_Mom, thanks! Great to hear the Sawyer did grow out of the situation!

Your statement below is what I thought, too. I am concerned that he is not getting what he needs nutrotionally to be all that he can be!! 
What puzzles me is that even though the ingredients are not stellar, why do the pups do well on it diarrhea-wise?

Since Bryley tolerated the ProPlan really well in smaller quantities when it was mixed with the ID, in a week or so I think I will reintroduce it slowly and build til we are at half ID and half ProPlan. That way he is getting a little more of a bit better quality food. I think.  LOL!



> My vet also suggested staying on the ID for a while, but I did not want to. The ingredients in that stuff are awful and I didn't want him on it for any amount of time. That is just my personal opinion, because obviously, you have to balance curing the diarrhea and nutrition.


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## winniekid (Mar 27, 2011)

I'm curious which of the Proplan foods you are talking about? We use Proplan Sensitive Skin and stomach. It is salmon and rice. I've seen a few people on here suggest not giving the shredded blend variety. 
I hope you have better luck with your new plan of half and half.


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## Pammie (Jan 22, 2011)

Hi winniekid,
its the puppy chicken and rice, not the dreaded shredded!!!

maybe a sensitive stomach variety like that would be more to his bellies liking...hmmm... :scratchch


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## winniekid (Mar 27, 2011)

Pammie said:


> Hi winniekid,
> its the puppy chicken and rice, not the dreaded shredded!!!
> 
> maybe a sensitive stomach variety like that would be more to his bellies liking...hmmm... :scratchch


Dreaded shredded that is funny.


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## oakleysmommy (Feb 20, 2011)

How is Bryley doing today???


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## Pammie (Jan 22, 2011)

Hey! thanks for asking oakleysmommy! 
He is doing just fine and has been ever since we put him back on the Hill ID. But....I am not happy at all with the nutritional content of the ID and am not sure what to do about it. I am afraid he is not getting all the nutrients and vitamins he needs and its not a puppy formula. 
Plan on talking with the vet soon.
I need to look if there are other types of food specifically for gastro problems.
Here is a photo of him this past weekend with his lab girlfriend Aurora!


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## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

Cosmo had loose stools for half a year. Probably because of a combination of puppy tummy and cryposporidium he got from swimming. Vet thought he'd outgrow it. Tried every type of food - didn't matter grain or no grain. Went on hill's z/d which caused him to be quite constipated and gave him quite bad coat and ear infections (apparently common) but at least no diarrhea. From there we slowly introduced raw and taste of the wild bison. No he's on those two without the hills. No more diarrhea at all, just if he gets into something. 

I do not believe that grain free is no good for puppies or that food intolerances are widespread, except to certain ingredients - I tend to think that dogs get messed up digestive tracks and don't have enough self defense to get back on track, so I think a medicated food and probiotics can help the system get back on track.

I would look into going raw. Good luck!


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## oakleysmommy (Feb 20, 2011)

Pammie said:


> Hey! thanks for asking oakleysmommy!
> He is doing just fine and has been ever since we put him back on the Hill ID. But....I am not happy at all with the nutritional content of the ID and am not sure what to do about it. I am afraid he is not getting all the nutrients and vitamins he needs and its not a puppy formula.
> Plan on talking with the vet soon.
> I need to look if there are other types of food specifically for gastro problems.
> Here is a photo of him this past weekend with his lab girlfriend Aurora!


OH MY GOSH i need to put pics of Oakley up! They look identical!I know your not keen on the Hills ID but if its going to help him get thru this for now...I had Oakley on a chicken base kibble since i got him well Fromm's had many proteins then Wellness which was chicken. He is now on ProPlan Selects Turkey/Barley adult and it is amazing how firm his poops are i didnt even transition i switched cold turkey Again i think Bryley and Oakley are brothers


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## Pammie (Jan 22, 2011)

Jackie, Thank you for your thoughts on this! I am taking in everything everyone says and trying to make good decisions for my pup!



oakleysmommy said:


> Again i think Bryley and Oakley are brothers


brothers from another mother!!!

post a pic of him, I want to see!


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## Bella's Mama (Jun 12, 2011)

Pumpkin and yogurt helps our dog a TON! We mix some pumpkin in her food and she loves it and has normal stool.


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## oakleysmommy (Feb 20, 2011)

Pammie said:


> Jackie, Thank you for your thoughts on this! I am taking in everything everyone says and trying to make good decisions for my pup!
> 
> 
> brothers from another mother!!!
> ...


 i will definately post some pics next few days of him i need to get some good close ups


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