# Over-sensitive stomach and diarrhea - is there a major underlying cause?



## Harleysmum (Aug 19, 2014)

He has probably inherited his father's sensitive tummy. Remember there are children like this too. I think you just have to be really, really strict. It is always that "one time" that you think something will be ok and it never is. My husband has food intolerances and whenever he is feeling good he tests the waters and it always ends in tears (well not literally!). You are a good mum Momo but you must be strict!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

There may be something there... but, I think I read before in the comments of one of your previous posts that it can take the stomach a full month to recover from diarrhea. My suggestion would be to only give Sunny his regular diet (no additional treats of any kind) for one month. And then maybe try to introduce new things (one at a time and slowly), and see how he handles it. This is very similar to what we did after Rundle's week long bout of diarrhea. We were super strict about what went in her mouth... only giving her kibble as treats. Then after a month or so we slowly relaxed and introduced new things gradually. Now her stomach is quite hearty, and can be introduced to new things easily. But, as I said, we rested it appropriately. 

I also think you might still be giving him too much food. 3 cups of food should already be more than enough food for Sunny at 8 months. Then to give him a generous amount homecooked chicken, rice, mashed sweet potato, sometimes beef mince and peas, bit of coconut oil, probiotic powder, that is a lot of food!! If you're not careful you are going to end up with an overweight golden, in addition to one having bowel issues. I know that the TOTW bag calls for an obscene amount of food to be given to dogs. But, as we discussed in your previous post that is not at all the norm for most dry dog foods. 

I hope you find this helpful. I'm sure others will chime in too!


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

Coccidia, giardia, recurrence of the Clostridium? Maybe the coconut oil, as I have heard it can cause diarrhea, even in small amounts.

Why is he being given so much different food? He could be getting too much food, which can also cause diarrhea. I would stick with his kibble, even using that for the treats, and the probiotic powder. Once he's gone for a few months with no diarrhea, you could try adding some treats back in.


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## momo_ (Dec 15, 2014)

Harleysmum said:


> He has probably inherited his father's sensitive tummy. Remember there are children like this too. I think you just have to be really, really strict. It is always that "one time" that you think something will be ok and it never is. My husband has food intolerances and whenever he is feeling good he tests the waters and it always ends in tears (well not literally!). You are a good mum Momo but you must be strict!


I do know that his father gets treats and he can tolerate them just fine, it was just the food. But then again, his father is 5 years old. By that time, I hope Sunny can handle some treats too! None of Sunny's littermates have this issue. I seem to have gotten the one with an annoying permanent health problem, but he's such a good boy it's all worth it!
You're right about testing the waters.:uhoh: Before I was doing it every few days (bad mum), then once a week, but now it's once every few weeks. I will have to be strict then, but I wonder if there's some kind of medication that could help his gut to be temporarily stronger? 
How is he going to eat his 1st birthday pupcake?!


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## momo_ (Dec 15, 2014)

3Pebs3 said:


> There may be something there... but, I think I read before in the comments of one of your previous posts that it can take the stomach a full month to recover from diarrhea. My suggestion would be to only give Sunny his regular diet (no additional treats of any kind) for one month. And then maybe try to introduce new things (one at a time and slowly), and see how he handles it. This is very similar to what we did after Rundle's week long bout of diarrhea. We were super strict about what went in her mouth... only giving her kibble as treats. Then after a month or so we slowly relaxed and introduced new things gradually. Now her stomach is quite hearty, and can be introduced to new things easily. But, as I said, we rested it appropriately.
> 
> I also think you might still be giving him too much food. 3 cups of food should already be more than enough food for Sunny at 8 months. Then to give him a generous amount homecooked chicken, rice, mashed sweet potato, sometimes beef mince and peas, bit of coconut oil, probiotic powder, that is a lot of food!! If you're not careful you are going to end up with an overweight golden, in addition to one having bowel issues. I know that the TOTW bag calls for an obscene amount of food to be given to dogs. But, as we discussed in your previous post that is not at all the norm for most dry dog foods.
> 
> I hope you find this helpful. I'm sure others will chime in too!



For the past month, for the most part, he does only get his food and no other treats besides dehydrated chicken and beef. He's been doing so well, and that's why I thought I could give him a new treat! 
So it will take a month for his system to reset again? 

As for how much I'm feeding, I read that at 8 months, they should get around 1100-1300 calories. How many calories does Rundle get?
3 cups of TOTW is approximately 1000 calories, and additional chicken/rice etc. is approximately 100calories per meal, adding up to ~1300 calories per day. Since he barely gets treats, I don't account for them. 
On days we do lots of training with lots of plain chicken bits, I feed him less homecooked and kibble.
The bag recommends 5-6 cups, I'm feeding only 2.5-3 and making up for extra calories with the homecooked. He still looks an ideal weight, if not slightly underweight..


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

I agree your still feeding to much. If you give him that much kibble then don't give him the home cooked. Cut the kibble down to two cups or less if you want to continue the home cooked.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

I have also seen your pictures on Instagram. He doesn't look underweight at all. He actually looks just right or a little overweight. You should see how lean Chloe is. She gets two to three cups a day. No table scraps and barely any treats.


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## momo_ (Dec 15, 2014)

Tahnee GR said:


> Coccidia, giardia, recurrence of the Clostridium? Maybe the coconut oil, as I have heard it can cause diarrhea, even in small amounts.
> 
> Why is he being given so much different food? He could be getting too much food, which can also cause diarrhea. I would stick with his kibble, even using that for the treats, and the probiotic powder. Once he's gone for a few months with no diarrhea, you could try adding some treats back in.


On a strict diet, he doesn't get diarrhea. Is it possible to have solid stools for weeks if he has coccidia, giardia or clostridium?

I didn't think he was getting many different foods, just rice, most of the time 1 protein source (chicken). 1-2 vegetables, and coconut oil. A month ago, Sunny came 3rd in a competition and won homecooked food for a week which consisted of 50% homecooked plus 50% kibble. I guess now I'm following a similar diet plan.
Note he has been doing wonderfully with this plan for weeks, it's only just last night that things got bad when I added a treat. 

Does it take a few months to reset an upset stomach? :uhoh:


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## momo_ (Dec 15, 2014)

I will cut down on food, but that doesn't explain why he's been producing great poops for weeks on this diet plan, maintaining weight (hardly gaining anymore), and then suddenly crazy explosive diarrhea after a treat... :S

The vet doesn't think he's overweight, and compared to his littermates, he's probably the leanest! There are approx. 30-40 goldens around 6-9 months old from the same breeder, we share our pictures on a Facebook group. Sunny looks like he may still be the smallest/leanest. Perhaps some English goldens' build are bulkier which might make him look tubby. I'll try to find a recent pic.


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## Harleysmum (Aug 19, 2014)

momo_ said:


> On a strict diet, he doesn't get diarrhea. :uhoh:


Eureka! LOL


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## momo_ (Dec 15, 2014)

Harleysmum said:


> Eureka! LOL


HAHA! 

But WHY is he getting diarrhea from a single treat? I'm wondering if he has some kind of condition that makes him intolerant of everything OTHER than his food?


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

momo_ said:


> For the past month, for the most part, he does only get his food and no other treats besides dehydrated chicken and beef. He's been doing so well, and that's why I thought I could give him a new treat!
> So it will take a month for his system to reset again?
> 
> As for how much I'm feeding, I read that at 8 months, they should get around 1100-1300 calories. How many calories does Rundle get?
> ...


Rundle gets 1140 calories in kibble... plus a few extra treats (maybe 50 calories worth) of dehydrated chicken and dehydrated cheese most days. So, if you are giving him 100 calories per meal extra... they would not be that far off. See to me a generous portion does not equate to 100 calories. That would essentially be two small finger size pieces of chicken a couple of spoonfuls of rice at each meal. Once you start accounting for oil and other things your serving size is less than that. 
And yes, if you have (and be honest with yourself) been strict about what you give Sunny for a whole month, and he is still having trouble... yes, he probably needs even longer to reset. He has been battling this for a long time...which, means he probably won't get to be 100% overnight.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

momo_ said:


> I will cut down on food, but that doesn't explain why he's been producing great poops for weeks on this diet plan, maintaining weight (hardly gaining anymore), and then suddenly crazy explosive diarrhea after a treat... :S
> 
> The vet doesn't think he's overweight, and compared to his littermates, he's probably the leanest! There are approx. 30-40 goldens around 6-9 months old from the same breeder, we share our pictures on a Facebook group. Sunny looks like he may still be the smallest/leanest. Perhaps some English goldens' build are bulkier which might make him look tubby. I'll try to find a recent pic.


I think A LOT of people overfeed their dogs. Which may be why he seems small relative to the pack. Seeing your pics on instragram I think he looks good, but I wouldn't want him gaining much more.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

momo_ said:


> HAHA!
> 
> But WHY is he getting diarrhea from a single treat? I'm wondering if he has some kind of condition that makes him intolerant of everything OTHER than his food?


I really really think he just needs time. When we first started reintroducing things, Rundle reacted a little bit too, so then we went strict again, and retried again about a month later. Now all the things that were causing her loose stool during recovery she can eat now with no trouble at all.


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## momo_ (Dec 15, 2014)

Wow, dehydrated cheese?! I've never heard of that before. It is just plain cheese dehydrated? Is it less rich? 

Yes, he gets a few spoons of rice, plus a handful of chicken, 1/2 tablespoon of potato, 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil. 

What's your instagram Pebs and cp?



> I really really think he just needs time. When we first started reintroducing things, Rundle reacted a little bit too, so then we went strict again, and retried again about a month later. Now all the things that were causing her loose stool during recovery she can eat now with no trouble at all.


This is reassuring to know. I'll put him on a very strict diet again, no treats for a month, then try again!


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Chloes instagram is chloe6124. I dont really have any great pictures yet. Your pictures of sunny are very cute. He looks like a happy boy.


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## dmg1983 (Jun 13, 2015)

Lucy gets apple slices or blueberries as treats and she loves them both, just an option if sunny is very food orientated during training like Lucy. Maybe you could also look into making your own treats so at least you know what's going into them. There are some good recipes online and you can always make substitutions for the ingredients.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

momo_ said:


> Wow, dehydrated cheese?! I've never heard of that before. It is just plain cheese dehydrated? Is it less rich?
> 
> Yes, he gets a few spoons of rice, plus a handful of chicken, 1/2 tablespoon of potato, 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil.
> 
> ...



Sorry its actually freeze dried LOL. We give her the chicken and cheese treats of this brand PureBites® Pet Treats | Purebites.com I doubt its really any less rich, but its good for carrying around and it won't get mouldy as quick etc. Oh and Rundle goes crazy for em!! 
I actually don't have an instagram account LOL.


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## momo_ (Dec 15, 2014)

dmg1983, the only treats he's been getting for the past month are dehydrated chicken and beef jerky treats I make myself, containing only meat and sometimes a little sprinkle of herbs (dog-friendly of course!) 
I haven't thought to make other dog treats myself but I'll definitely look into it. Thank you! 



Sunny's poops haven't improved since a small fast and chicken and rice. If it's just a food issue, it clears up within 24 hours. I think he's gotten into something, or.. it could be from a block of wood I gave him 2 nights ago. On the breeder's group on FB, they were talking about treats for teething teens and someone mentioned blocks of wood. I happened to have a block of pine wood and gave it to him without even researching about treated and untreated pine wood. I'm not sure what type of wood it is. He had only chewed at it for 2 minutes before I took it away, but this could possibly be the cause or contribute to his already bad tummy. 
If we have to see the vet, I'll ask about Royal Canin's GI diet for situations like these, because chicken and rice seems really unnutritious for prolonged periods. :/


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Big fan of Royan Canin GI food. It definitely helped get Rundle's tummy in order... better than the chicken in rice as far as I'm concerned.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

If Sunny likes wood you got to get him one of these Home | Petstages - Products with purpose 
Rundle goes crazy for hers and does not have any problems with blockages or diarrhea from it
Lasts a long time too.


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## momo_ (Dec 15, 2014)

I called the vet and asked if I could give him anything without going through a $200 fecal test, so they gave me a week's course of Peptosil and Metrogyl antibiotics. After 3 days of chicken and rice, it's still not clearing up which is really concerning so I'm glad I got the medication. Perhaps he has a virus. :/ Really hoping it helps him. If not, I was told to bring him in on Monday. 

I've had to spend so much money on him. Fingers crossed this 2nd round of job interview goes well so I can start making money because I've used all my savings on this! 

I also asked the vet about RC's GI food, and he also recommends it in place of chicken and rice! I should've bought some while I was there but I wanted to see if he'd get well from antibiotics and just leave the GI food for next time. Also because the meds cost $80 already. 
In Australia, we only have the low fat formula of GI :/ 


Funny you mention the Petstages dogwood sticks, I got Sunny a new one today before seeing your comment! A really big one. He's not so interested in it yet because it hasn't been worn down enough, but soon! He liked the small one I got him months ago.


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## rooroch (Nov 7, 2012)

Grit, who is now 3.5 years old still has a very sensitive stomach. He only has his kibble (Acana Pacifica) and no treats at all. If he has one dog bone treat he is ill. He has probiotics and a herbal supplement for his digestion from the UK. I do not know if you can get this in Australia. Hilton Herbs Gastrix. He cannot have extra oil as this upsets him. He has apple cider vinager (teaspoon) in each of his two meals.
We have lots of apple trees so he eats apples off the ground and they come straight out in his poo undigested, but at least do not seem to cause any problems!!


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

momo_ said:


> HAHA!
> 
> But WHY is he getting diarrhea from a single treat? I'm wondering if he has some kind of condition that makes him intolerant of everything OTHER than his food?


I would stop worrying so much about an underlying cause. And stop giving him ANYTHING other than his kibble. You say he has no diarrhea if you keep him on a strict diet of just kibble. Then keep him on a strict diet of just kibble. Seems very simple. It makes no difference what his dad can handle, or what my dog can handle. This is Sunny. The poor little thing's tummy has no chance to calm down before he gets something different. Just give him one kibble that he does well on. No treats, nothing. Kibble and probiotic powder. Lose the coconut oil, lose the potato, etc. It can take months for their insides to recover. I don't at all mean to sound harsh, but you have to give him a chance to recover fully. There is no need to give all the extras if he is eating a balanced kibble. You aren't doing him any favours.


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## momo_ (Dec 15, 2014)

rooroch said:


> Grit, who is now 3.5 years old still has a very sensitive stomach. He only has his kibble (Acana Pacifica) and no treats at all. If he has one dog bone treat he is ill. He has probiotics and a herbal supplement for his digestion from the UK. I do not know if you can get this in Australia. Hilton Herbs Gastrix. He cannot have extra oil as this upsets him. He has apple cider vinager (teaspoon) in each of his two meals.
> We have lots of apple trees so he eats apples off the ground and they come straight out in his poo undigested, but at least do not seem to cause any problems!!


Aww Grit  Sounds like Sunny's sensitive stomach will carry on into older age, too. Even apple would give him diarrhea, I think. 
Has your vet said anything about Grit's sensitive stomach? Or is it just that, a sensitive stomach and nothing more?


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

momo_ said:


> I called the vet and asked if I could give him anything without going through a $200 fecal test, so they gave me a week's course of Peptosil and Metrogyl antibiotics. After 3 days of chicken and rice, it's still not clearing up which is really concerning so I'm glad I got the medication. Perhaps he has a virus. :/ Really hoping it helps him. If not, I was told to bring him in on Monday.
> 
> I've had to spend so much money on him. Fingers crossed this 2nd round of job interview goes well so I can start making money because I've used all my savings on this!
> 
> ...


Great about the medication! Hope it does the trick. I wouldn't stress about the low fat GI food. It's not like chicken and rice has a substantial amount of fats in it. I'm sure Sunny would do just fine for a short period of time on it. 

We got Rundle the big one too. She finished almost 3/4 of it in a couple of weeks. She really likes to chew and enjoys a good stick! 

Good luck with your job interview! I had a second interview with a company yesterday as well. Hoping that I get it!


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## momo_ (Dec 15, 2014)

Sweet Girl said:


> I would stop worrying so much about an underlying cause. And stop giving him ANYTHING other than his kibble. You say he has no diarrhea if you keep him on a strict diet of just kibble. Then keep him on a strict diet of just kibble. Seems very simple. It makes no difference what his dad can handle, or what my dog can handle. This is Sunny. The poor little thing's tummy has no chance to calm down before he gets something different. Just give him one kibble that he does well on. No treats, nothing. Kibble and probiotic powder. Lose the coconut oil, lose the potato, etc. It can take months for their insides to recover. I don't at all mean to sound harsh, but you have to give him a chance to recover fully. There is no need to give all the extras if he is eating a balanced kibble. You aren't doing him any favours.


To be fair, I have kept him on a strict diet of kibble + some chicken/rice/potato/probiotic for the past month before giving him that treat. He's had a tiny piece of something to "test the waters" once a week, like half a strawberry one week, or 1/2 a teaspoon of yoghurt another week. Sometimes, all is well, and sometimes he gets diarrhea which clears up within 24 hours. Through a process of elimination, I've been able to pinpoint what is okay to feed and what isn't. Up until this thread, I wasn't aware that it takes a whole month or more for a dog's system to recover. If I'd known, of course I would've done whatever it took to get him back to a healthy state. I didn't know, I just wanted to give a dog a treat once in a while other than the same boring food, day in, day out. 


I gave him his first round of meds tonight at 6:30pm. At 12:30am, a small amount of mucousy diarrhea. From what I remember, metro acts pretty fast, the next bowel movement solified things already. A bit concerned about tonight, hoping things get better tomorrow. :/


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## momo_ (Dec 15, 2014)

3Pebs3 said:


> Great about the medication! Hope it does the trick. I wouldn't stress about the low fat GI food. It's not like chicken and rice has a substantial amount of fats in it. I'm sure Sunny would do just fine for a short period of time on it.
> 
> We got Rundle the big one too. She finished almost 3/4 of it in a couple of weeks. She really likes to chew and enjoys a good stick!
> 
> Good luck with your job interview! I had a second interview with a company yesterday as well. Hoping that I get it!


That's what I thought too, chicken and rice isn't really fatty enough either. I'll definitely give it a shot next time. 

Wow, that's so cool that you got a second interview, and at a similar time to mine! It'd be amazing if we both got the job. I'm not getting my hopes up for this. At the very least, if I don't get it, I can say I gained valuable interview experience and be more prepared for the next one. 
How did your interview go? I've got my fingers crossed for you. Let us know of the outcome!!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

momo_ said:


> That's what I thought too, chicken and rice isn't really fatty enough either. I'll definitely give it a shot next time.
> 
> Wow, that's so cool that you got a second interview, and at a similar time to mine! It'd be amazing if we both got the job. I'm not getting my hopes up for this. At the very least, if I don't get it, I can say I gained valuable interview experience and be more prepared for the next one.
> How did your interview go? I've got my fingers crossed for you. Let us know of the outcome!!


I didn't have high hopes for getting this job either as I didn't have near the amount of experience they were asking for in their job ad. However, both my first and second interviews I'd say went pretty well. They said that although I was the least qualified person that they interviewed, they thought I brought something interesting to the table. Yesterday I met with 6 people, including the CEO of the company. The last thing he said is that I should hear back in the next couple of days with a big smile on his face. I'm fairly certain I might get an offer. If not, I have another job interview this Friday, so not all is lost.


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## momo_ (Dec 15, 2014)

3Pebs3 said:


> I didn't have high hopes for getting this job either as I didn't have near the amount of experience they were asking for in their job ad. However, both my first and second interviews I'd say went pretty well. They said that although I was the least qualified person that they interviewed, they thought I brought something interesting to the table. Yesterday I met with 6 people, including the CEO of the company. The last thing he said is that I should hear back in the next couple of days with a big smile on his face. I'm fairly certain I might get an offer. If not, I have another job interview this Friday, so not all is lost.


Hmm, sounds very promising to me! If you don't mind me asking, what's the job? 
And that's great you have another interview, hope that one goes well too! :crossfing :crossfing :crossfing


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

It's a Clinical Research Manager for a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company in Vancouver.
Thanks! What is your job interview for?


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

Sweet Girl said:


> I would stop worrying so much about an underlying cause. And stop giving him ANYTHING other than his kibble. You say he has no diarrhea if you keep him on a strict diet of just kibble. Then keep him on a strict diet of just kibble. Seems very simple. It makes no difference what his dad can handle, or what my dog can handle. This is Sunny. The poor little thing's tummy has no chance to calm down before he gets something different. Just give him one kibble that he does well on. No treats, nothing. Kibble and probiotic powder. Lose the coconut oil, lose the potato, etc. It can take months for their insides to recover. I don't at all mean to sound harsh, but you have to give him a chance to recover fully. There is no need to give all the extras if he is eating a balanced kibble. You aren't doing him any favours.


I agree with this, he doesn't need all the extra things you're giving him and honestly the first thought I had when I read what he gets was that he's being over-fed. The diarrhea can be a sign of being over fed or getting too much rich food. Feed him his kibble for training treats at home and save the cooked chicken for high value treats at a class. Lose the rest of it and give his system a chance to rest. Not sure how much daily hard exercise he gets but he should have a waist line and be lean, he's still growing at that age and it's better to be a little to lean than a little too heavy.


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## Themmen (Mar 5, 2015)

the 3 week antibiotic course could have something to do with it as well. the antibiotics also kill the good bacteria. so if he had a week stomach to begin with a 3 week course of antibiotics is only going to make it weaker. keep up with the probiotic and i agree you still may be giving him to much food. cut down the kibble and feed some chicken. you dont need to add all those things into it like the sweet potato and peas and beef. stick with kibble and little chicken for a while and cut out all treats and anything extra. use the kibble as treats during training and subtract what oyu use for training from what you would feed him at meal time. let the guys stomach settle down and re coop all the good bacteria he needs.


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## momo_ (Dec 15, 2014)

His diarrhea as of late has been mucousy with a tiny amount of blood in it - I don't believe it's a sign of overfeeding. A month ago, I was trying to hit the target of approx. 5 cups per day as recommended on the bag which I've been told is too much. It caused him to have 5-6 large bowel movements per day, solid in the mornings and gradually getting softer throughout the day.
I cut down to 3 cups per day with some extras and like I said, he's been maintaining a good weight, and only goes about 2-3 times per day now, fairly small and solid. 
Once everything clears up, I will cut down on the extras, but I'm fairly certain the sudden diarrhea is not from overfeeding this time 'round as he's been doing so well with this diet plan for weeks. 
The main reason for given extras is because 3 cups of kibble alone is approx 1000 calories. He doesn't often get treats, so I make up for lack of calories with extra chicken, beef, rice etc. 
He gets an average amount of exercise, around 2-3x 20 minute plays in the backyard everyday, plus 30 minute walk + 15 minutes off leash running or an hour at the dog park. 

He's still being fed chicken and rice for now, and today, 22 hours after the first dose of medication, a bowel movement that wasn't diarrhea! It was a single small formed, but soft black stool. I don't think it's unusual with metro though. Hoping things will continue to improve!


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## momo_ (Dec 15, 2014)

3Pebs3 said:


> It's a Clinical Research Manager for a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company in Vancouver.
> Thanks! What is your job interview for?


That sounds like a big and exciting job role! 
Mine is for a receptionist/administrative associate/marketing assistant/various duties at an international college. The first interview went well, but today, I was so nervous speaking to founder of the institution. Pretty sure I dun goof'd and ruined my chances. Ah well.


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## momo_ (Dec 15, 2014)

Themmen said:


> the 3 week antibiotic course could have something to do with it as well. the antibiotics also kill the good bacteria. so if he had a week stomach to begin with a 3 week course of antibiotics is only going to make it weaker. keep up with the probiotic and i agree you still may be giving him to much food. cut down the kibble and feed some chicken. you dont need to add all those things into it like the sweet potato and peas and beef. stick with kibble and little chicken for a while and cut out all treats and anything extra. use the kibble as treats during training and subtract what oyu use for training from what you would feed him at meal time. let the guys stomach settle down and re coop all the good bacteria he needs.


The 3 week course of antibiotics was completed around 2 months ago, since then he's been getting probiotic powder daily. He's been getting probiotic for around 4 months now.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Sunny*



Sweet Girl said:


> I would stop worrying so much about an underlying cause. And stop giving him ANYTHING other than his kibble. You say he has no diarrhea if you keep him on a strict diet of just kibble. Then keep him on a strict diet of just kibble. Seems very simple. It makes no difference what his dad can handle, or what my dog can handle. This is Sunny. The poor little thing's tummy has no chance to calm down before he gets something different. Just give him one kibble that he does well on. No treats, nothing. Kibble and probiotic powder. Lose the coconut oil, lose the potato, etc. It can take months for their insides to recover. I don't at all mean to sound harsh, but you have to give him a chance to recover fully. There is no need to give all the extras if he is eating a balanced kibble. You aren't doing him any favours.


I agree completely with what Sweet Girl said. Try this-don't give him anything, but his food.
How can vet know what is wrong with Sunny, without doing a fecal test?


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

momo_ said:


> That sounds like a big and exciting job role!
> Mine is for a receptionist/administrative associate/marketing assistant/various duties at an international college. The first interview went well, but today, I was so nervous speaking to founder of the institution. Pretty sure I dun goof'd and ruined my chances. Ah well.


It is a pretty exciting role! I am really hoping that I get it! 
Sounds like you would gain a lot of experience from that position too! Interviews are hard though. I have said some very funny things in some of the previous interviews I've had, so I wouldn't be too hard on yourself. I think a lot of people understand that it can be nerve-wracking, so don't count yourself out yet!


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## rooroch (Nov 7, 2012)

momo_ said:


> Aww Grit  Sounds like Sunny's sensitive stomach will carry on into older age, too. Even apple would give him diarrhea, I think.
> Has your vet said anything about Grit's sensitive stomach? Or is it just that, a sensitive stomach and nothing more?


The vet does not know what is the matter. He has no parasites. He does have ichtyosis which, after talking (on here) with lots of people with GRs who have this problem, seems to include sensitive stomach as well as the skin problem.
I agree with Sweet Girl. Kibble + probiotics and nothing else. He is not human, he does not realise he is not having different treats. Much better that his tummy is calm and not irritated.
Good luck with your job hunt.


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## momo_ (Dec 15, 2014)

I asked the vet myself if they could prescribe him something without doing a fecal test first, in case it's not something serious that may be cleared up with generic medication. Peptosyl is not a prescription drug, just a liquid that helps treat diarrhea due to diet-related issues, irritated from things other than viruses, parasites etc. Metronidazole should help clear any small infections and whatnot? I have spent a lot of money on him lately, the fecal test is nearly 200 dollars, so that's why I wanted try this first. If he's not improving by Monday then he'll be going to the vet on Monday. 

Today, 24 hours after his last bowel movement, he went and it was a large amount, mushy and dark, was able to pick it up without leaving much of a trace, so it's definitely better than diarrhea but was expecting things to be significantly better. Even last time when he was diagnosed with Clostridium, antibiotics cleared things up immediately.


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## GoldenOwner12 (Jun 18, 2008)

Its a battle to find the right kibble that agrees with them. My 22 week old male golden retriever Axel had ear infections and food allergies on optimum puppy and on black hawk puppy australian made kibble. I switched all my dogs back on raw diet and I haven't had a problem with Axels ears or allergies so far. 

Momo Have you thought about trying a raw diet eith your dog it may help him in the long run. My guys get those big dog barf patties,bones,pet mince,sardines,mackeral.


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## momo_ (Dec 15, 2014)

GoldenOwner12 said:


> Its a battle to find the right kibble that agrees with them. My 22 week old male golden retriever Axel had ear infections and food allergies on optimum puppy and on black hawk puppy australian made kibble. I switched all my dogs back on raw diet and I haven't had a problem with Axels ears or allergies so far.
> 
> Momo Have you thought about trying a raw diet eith your dog it may help him in the long run. My guys get those big dog barf patties,bones,pet mince,sardines,mackeral.


He's been on Taste of the Wild for about 3 months now, and besides these bouts of diarrhea caused by other factors, he's been doing very well on it! He was on Royal Canin when he came home, he was itching a lot and his ears would get dirty so fast, I had to clean them every 2 days. I really trust TOTW is a good food for him, it's just treats that are causing issues. But yes, I have considered a raw diet, but I'm not sure if he'll be able to handle it. I know some dogs just can't, and considering he gets explosive diarrhea from little things like 1/2 teaspoon of yoghurt or 1/2 a strawberry, I don't think he can even take a raw bone. Otherwise, I would probably switch to raw. Perhaps once he goes months and months without poopy problems, I will consider it in the future. For now, I will let his stomach settle!


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## momo_ (Dec 15, 2014)

Pebs, Royal Canin's GI food states that it is used to treat chronic diarrhea, does that mean it's safe to simply give it to him in place of chicken and rice without a gradual transition? 
I've ordered it online, but hopefully things clear up before it arrives anyway. It's been 6 days.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Hi momo,
We always give it to Rundle without transition, but in the past we've transitioned her back after being on it for a few days to make sure she can handle regular kibble again.


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## momo_ (Dec 15, 2014)

Update: 

Day 6 on metronidazole and peptosyl, going once or twice a day, each time dark, black and tarry. 2 days ago it was quite firm and dark green, which looks like an improvement, but back to black again. I've read that it's normal for them to get black tarry stools on metro, but it shouldn't last this long, right? :/


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## Harleysmum (Aug 19, 2014)

I would think it would last the whole time you are giving the metronidazole if is a known side effect.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

momo_ said:


> Update:
> 
> Day 6 on metronidazole and peptosyl, going once or twice a day, each time dark, black and tarry. 2 days ago it was quite firm and dark green, which looks like an improvement, but back to black again. I've read that it's normal for them to get black tarry stools on metro, but it shouldn't last this long, right? :/


Maybe call and ask the vet if its normal? I'm not sure :uhoh:


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## momo_ (Dec 15, 2014)

Large volume of formed, but kinda soft dark stool at obedience class today. I was expecting things to improve. Hmm. Tomorrow is the last day of medication, i'll see how things go for the rest of the week.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*MoMo*

I would call the vet and ask.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

We got an instagram account now!! We are bundle.of.rundle


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## momo_ (Dec 15, 2014)

3Pebs3 said:


> We got an instagram account now!! We are bundle.of.rundle


That is a perfect name! I just added you. So many photos already. I'm going to look through each and every one of them. 

Poop update - Sunny's poops started to look normal just one day before the end of medication. I was concerned I'd have to take him to the vet again. 
But now they're solid and brown. YAY! It's only been 3 days since the last dose, so I'll see how he goes for the next week.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

momo_ said:


> That is a perfect name! I just added you. So many photos already. I'm going to look through each and every one of them.
> 
> Poop update - Sunny's poops started to look normal just one day before the end of medication. I was concerned I'd have to take him to the vet again.
> But now they're solid and brown. YAY! It's only been 3 days since the last dose, so I'll see how he goes for the next week.


Ya I just added a bunch that I had taken on my phone. Thanks! I think I have looked at every one of Sunny's too 
Thats great! I was worried you were going to have to go back to the vet too. But, its great that it's all worked out. Hope he stays "solid" for awhile. Pun intended.

P.S. any news about the job? I think I will be accepting a different one than the one I told you about today/next week.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

I followed rindless.


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## momo_ (Dec 15, 2014)

Diarrhoea is back. He has been kept on a strict diet. Either it's from: 
1. Eating some toy stuffing - hosed down his diarrhoea to find whisps of it. 
2. Eating dried leaves and grass - also found in his poop
3. Possibly what he had 3 weeks ago is back, course of metro only worked for 9 days 

Can eating some toy stuffing actually cause diarrhoea though? He'd only gotten into a small amount before I found the tear in Mr. Bear.

Currently feeding the Royal Canin gastrointestinal food with a bit of chicken and rice, plus adding Pepto-bismol, but if there's no improvement, I should do a 24-hour fast first, which is more painful for me than it is for him, ha.   

As for the job, I didn't get it. I wasn't expecting to after that failure of a follow-up interview, so I'm not too disappointed. Have you accepted an offer for another job Pebs? Everyone wants you! Hehe


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

momo_ said:


> Diarrhoea is back. He has been kept on a strict diet. Either it's from:
> 1. Eating some toy stuffing - hosed down his diarrhoea to find whisps of it.
> 2. Eating dried leaves and grass - also found in his poop
> 3. Possibly what he had 3 weeks ago is back, course of metro only worked for 9 days
> ...


I did accept an offer and I'm moving to Calgary, Alberta this weekend. Rundle will be staying with her Daddy/my DH for the next month. I'm going to miss her so much!! She will join me in Calgary after that, and hopefully DH will find a job there fast, so both he and the cat get there too. 

I'm not sure if those things he ate could have caused diarrhea. Its entirely possible if he has a sensitive tummy for anything to upset it really. Getting better is hard, especially when they eat everything in sight!


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Rundle*

I would take away the stuffed toys. We had to stop giving ours stuffed toys, as they destroy them. We buy them the Kong Toys now.


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## momo_ (Dec 15, 2014)

3Pebs3 said:


> I did accept an offer and I'm moving to Calgary, Alberta this weekend. Rundle will be staying with her Daddy/my DH for the next month. I'm going to miss her so much!! She will join me in Calgary after that, and hopefully DH will find a job there fast, so both he and the cat get there too.
> 
> I'm not sure if those things he ate could have caused diarrhea. Its entirely possible if he has a sensitive tummy for anything to upset it really. Getting better is hard, especially when they eat everything in sight!


That is so awesome!!! Congratulations!!! How lovely of DH to be so cooperative, moving and changing jobs with you. I'm not sure how far away moving to Calgary is from where you currently live, but I bet a change in locations will be an exciting new start to life. A month isn't a long time but I bet it'll feel like a long time for you! Didn't know you had a cat. How does he/she get along with Rundle?  

Hmm, I have a question regarding Royal Canin's foods, which I will ask the vet but would like opinions here too.
They have three vet diets that are quite similar - gastrointestinal, hypoallergenic and sensitivity control. All 3 claim they can be used for the treatment of diarrhoea, pancreatitis etc. All are quite brand. 
The vet has recommended the sensitivity control formula, and when I mentioned gastrointestinal as a substitute for chicken and rice, he said it was fine too. I'm actually considering keeping him on a RC vet diet for about a month to really settle his stomach. Unsure if the gastrointestinal one is suitable for him for a month-long course as it's low fat and very very bland. 

Today I've been feeding RC with a bit of chicken and rice, no poops for the past 12 hours so fingers crossed things are firming up. 



As for no soft toys, he usually isn't a destructive chewer, it's very rare that he'll kill them!


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## momo_ (Dec 15, 2014)

Btw thank you Pebs for suggesting RC GI food! I'll be feeding him this for a good month to settle his stomach.

I'm also going to take him to the vet in a few days. On a strict diet of RC GI food with a bit of chicken and rice, he gets small solid poops but a large pile of sloppy poop/borderline diarrhoea about once a day. It's unusual. It's possibly Clostridium again, or coccidia that will probably not show up on the test. 
Whatever it is, I'm going to ask my vet for a prolonged course of treatment, possibly one week on, one week off for a while? 

Feeling like I'm at my wits end.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Hi Monique, 
Thank you. Calgary is about a 10 hour drive from where I was currently living. The reason I was applying for jobs there was BECAUSE thats where DH and I wanted to live. He is very happy that I found employment there and is eager to join me. Thankfully, both he and Rundle are coming to visit next weekend. I miss them both so much!! A month seems too long to be apart from her/him, but too short to my final exam. I have such mixed feelings, but soon it will all be over. Yes, in addition to Rundle, I also have a 12 yr old, domestic short hair, black cat with a white tuff of fur on her chest and green eyes. She does not particularly like Rundle, but usually tolerates her pretty well. We still hear her hiss and growl at Rundle about once a day. But, she knows that she is boss, so she is not at all afraid of Rundle. Rundle on the other hand frequently brings Joie toys and wants to play with her and kiss her. Its almost sad actually because Rundle tries so hard and Joie just has no interest in playing tug or chase me. :doh:

As per the gastro food that is the one we gave Rundle when she had stomach problems. I believe I remember you saying that only the low/moderate calorie one is available in your area. At the time that was all that was available for Rundle too. So, what we did was we increased the amount of food we gave her, so that the calories would match what we would feed her with normal kibble. That way she wouldn't lose weight on her special diet. 

Sunny certainly does have a difficult tummy. I think getting another course of meds sounds like a good idea. And then being super strict with his diet. Nothing other than kibble/chicken/rice... and for a long time... think 1-2 months. At this point I would border on 2 months because you have been battling with this far too long. And even after that SLOW introductions to things. No more than 1 new treat at a time. No more than 20 min chewing a new bone, until you know its okay. You certainly have reason to be at your wits end. Its time to nip this in the bud. 

Best of luck!!


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## momo_ (Dec 15, 2014)

3Pebs3 said:


> Hi Monique,
> Thank you. Calgary is about a 10 hour drive from where I was currently living. The reason I was applying for jobs there was BECAUSE thats where DH and I wanted to live. He is very happy that I found employment there and is eager to join me. Thankfully, both he and Rundle are coming to visit next weekend. I miss them both so much!! A month seems too long to be apart from her/him, but too short to my final exam. I have such mixed feelings, but soon it will all be over. Yes, in addition to Rundle, I also have a 12 yr old, domestic short hair, black cat with a white tuff of fur on her chest and green eyes. She does not particularly like Rundle, but usually tolerates her pretty well. We still hear her hiss and growl at Rundle about once a day. But, she knows that she is boss, so she is not at all afraid of Rundle. Rundle on the other hand frequently brings Joie toys and wants to play with her and kiss her. Its almost sad actually because Rundle tries so hard and Joie just has no interest in playing tug or chase me. :doh:


Your life sounds so perfect! Now all that's missing is... a baby brother/sister for Rundle? (I mean a dog, but human too perhaps?!) 
Joie sounds like such a pretty cat. Can I please see a picture? 

I'm changing vets. I've never felt completely satisfied with the current vet I go to, especially since months ago I asked her to help with pet insurance matters and she said "If I were to deal with insurance mattters, I'd be sitting here all day... (quickly added "they're a pain in the butt" so she didn't sound rude). 

The new vet has a 12-month membership program that allows free unlimited consultations + lots of free extras like different tests 1-2 times per year as well as small discounts on treatment and medication. It's $450 p/a which is a lot on top of pet insurance especially since I'm still unemployed (!!!!), but in the long run it will pay off in no time since we're at the vet like twice a month. 

I will consult them if RC low fat gastro is okay for 2 months, or if they'd recommend something like the hypoallergenic or sensitivity formulas. 
He's been on gastro already for 2 weeks but obviously this doesn't count while he's not okay. 

On Thursday night, he had diarrhoea all night but I didn't collect samples. Friday night I waited for the same thing to happen so I could collect for Saturday vet. Nothing. Then Saturday night (last night), he had it really bad. Unfortunately Sunday vet is closed. I'm starting to see he's losing weight - it is both a conjunction of me feeding him less because he seemed tubby a few weeks ago, and then once he was at an ideal weight, whatever he has is attacking at full force. 
I hosed down the diarrhoea just then and found a long white, almost translucent stringy thing. The pressure of the hose dissolves it into the ground, so I don't think it's something he ate (which wouldn't disintegrate like that) but maybe... *a worm*?!?!?!? I'm not sure what they're supposed to look like. Didn't inspect closer because I'm scared of them. He received an allwormer treatment just 2 days ago, and I've read that it takes 3-5 days for it to be expelled from the body. He wasn't due for a treatment for another month so I'm not sure if it would be worms. Assuming it is, diarrhoea should stop now? Unlikely, I still think it's something worse, so fecal float tomorrow, hoping he gives me something to collect tonight. 

When you say a bone for no longer than 20 minutes, do you mean a raw bone? I wouldn't even bother with that for at least 4 months tbh.


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