# Coccidia in 1 year old



## goldentemperment (May 16, 2012)

Our 13 month old pup had been having off-and-on loose stools and diarrhea since we moved in December, and gradually the off-and-on was becoming more on than off

My wife was skeptical of the raw diet I had her on (70% raw, 30% kibble). I didn't want to admit it, but as time went on, I got less and less confident about the benefits of raw.

So we switched to exclusive kibble, and the problems continued, which made me suspect giardia, but the tests came back positive for coccidia, so we got some metr...whatever that stuff is, and all is well

But I thought coccidiosis was less of a problem once dogs get older. Am I incorrect about this?


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## Tuco (Jan 3, 2013)

From what you've said chances are your pup got it when he was much younger, Ive heard that most puppies get it from their mothers through their feces and they get sick Afew months later. It's very common and highly treatable, your pups immune system is probably far from fully developed and chances are its been slowly developing for months. The treatment should fix his daihreah quickly and as for the food switch, raw I doubt contributed nor assisted in the development of the disorder, in fact I wouldn't be surprised if it helped. I've heard of some post coccidia dogs keeping some of the GI sensitivity, so you may want to go back to raw.


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## goldhaven (Sep 3, 2009)

I believe that it can lay dormant in some dogs and puppies until a time of stress. The vets office sees lots of cases of this in pups when they go to their new homes. It is my understanding that it is much more common in puppies but can affect dogs with a weakened immune system. The move that you made in December may have been a stress trigger that caused the symptoms to surface. I have been told that dogs do get it but normally you wouldn't know it because after the age of about 12 weeks, their bodies are able to handle it.


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## goldentemperment (May 16, 2012)

goldhaven said:


> I believe that it can lay dormant in some dogs and puppies until a time of stress. The vets office sees lots of cases of this in pups when they go to their new homes. It is my understanding that it is much more common in puppies but can affect dogs with a weakened immune system. The move that you made in December may have been a stress trigger that caused the symptoms to surface. I have been told that dogs do get it but normally you wouldn't know it because after the age of about 12 weeks, their bodies are able to handle it.


It makes sense that the move triggered the problem. I feel so bad that she wasn't feeling good for months, and it didn't even occur to us that something might be wrong. It seemed really odd to me that coccidia would have been the root cause, because it just seems like such a baby puppy problem. 

She seemed to handle the move really well, but I guess she might have been stressed and we didn't notice.


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## Millie'sMom (Sep 7, 2012)

I don't know if it is available for off label use in the United States, but in Canada we have Baycox (toltrazuril) and it kills coccidia in one dose, rather than just suppressing it. We give it to puppies just before they go home. If the metro pills don't do their job, you could ask your vet if it is available.


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## Tuco (Jan 3, 2013)

goldentemperment said:


> It makes sense that the move triggered the problem. I feel so bad that she wasn't feeling good for months, and it didn't even occur to us that something might be wrong. It seemed really odd to me that coccidia would have been the root cause, because it just seems like such a baby puppy problem.
> 
> She seemed to handle the move really well, but I guess she might have been stressed and we didn't notice.


I don't think
A food change would trigger the coccidia or even help it apear, I'm pretty sure that the immune system suppresses it, so either your dogs immune system wasnt fully developed enough when the bacteria started to thrive or there was some underlying slightly immunocompromising issue during the period they arose


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## goldentemperment (May 16, 2012)

Grr. She's got loose stools again. She was fine for a couple weeks, when she was on the metronidazole, which is really frustrating...

I took her out for a walk this morning, and I noticed it. She's got a fenced-in area in our back yard that's probably playing a role, because I haven't been able to really get it well-cleaned because this stupid winter never seems to end.

I suppose it might just be a few isolated incidents of loose stools...I'll have to keep an eye on it. Or maybe I'll ask the vet about toltrazuril.

I also wonder if the vet misdiagnosed (or missed the more appropriate diagnosis). If pups get coccidia from their mom, and coccidia is as common as it seems, it would seem like most dogs (even adults) would test positive for it.


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## Tuco (Jan 3, 2013)

goldentemperment said:


> Grr. She's got loose stools again. She was fine for a couple weeks, when she was on the metronidazole, which is really frustrating...
> 
> I took her out for a walk this morning, and I noticed it. She's got a fenced-in area in our back yard that's probably playing a role, because I haven't been able to really get it well-cleaned because this stupid winter never seems to end.
> 
> ...


Misdiagnosis is not common from what I've heard, if your dog is shedding it in its stools it's still probably sick with it. It could be remaining digestive sensitivity from after the illness as I indicated in a previous post. Visit your vet but if that is so you will want to
Stick with a SINGLE food rather than doing a half half mix, I feel like that may increase GI stress. I would say go all raw cause its not as rich and digests slower but if you can't find a single kibble


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## Millie'sMom (Sep 7, 2012)

Coccidia is very hard to kill on surfaces. Steam cleaning and washing dishes and bowls in boiling water or the sanitize cycle of a dishwasher are effective. Bedding and blankets should be washed in hot water with bleach. Floors can be washed with a 10% ammonia solution and outside areas can be soaked with bleach (1 part bleach to 16 parts water) for 20 min then rinsed. Bleach loses its disinfectant properties after 20 min, so if you can repeat the soak with a new bleach solution if you wish. 

Besides Baycox (toltrazuril), sulfa drugs can be used to treat coccidia as well. The sulfa drugs interfere with the reproduction of the coccidia spores and decreases the load but doesn't eliminate them. Baycox kills them.


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## OnMyWay2MyDreams (Feb 13, 2011)

Read this site..Coccidia | CAPC Vet

You actually need to treat with a drug called Albon, not metronidazole. Coccidia can be picked up from the enviroment not from their mother, other parasites come that way. If your dog went to a kennel, groomer or simply from your new yard. Good luck hope your pup feels better soon!


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## Tuco (Jan 3, 2013)

OnMyWay2MyDreams said:


> Read this site..Coccidia | CAPC Vet
> 
> You actually need to treat with a drug called Albon, not metronidazole. Coccidia can be picked up from the enviroment not from their mother, other parasites come that way. If your dog went to a kennel, groomer or simply from your new yard. Good luck hope your pup feels better soon!


It can be picked up environmentally but picking it up from their mothers is most common. 


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## OnMyWay2MyDreams (Feb 13, 2011)

The only route is fecal oral so in theory if the mother has it then yes they can get it from her but it is not transmitted via placenta or milking like other worms.


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## goldentemperment (May 16, 2012)

Tuco said:


> It can be picked up environmentally but picking it up from their mothers is most common.
> 
> 
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The curve ball in the scenario is that we just moved in December, and there is a fenced-in area for dogs in the back yard. The previous owner owned a tiny terrier - maybe a yorkie, or something. Prior to that, they had 2 labs (that's my understanding, anyway).

The yard looked clean when we moved in, so I didn't take time to do any cleaning out there. There's also a 3-season room that leads out to the fenced in area, and the floor is a hard, holey plastic type product, which I suppose coccidia could have been living on for a long time...


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## OnMyWay2MyDreams (Feb 13, 2011)

Coccidia is very hardy in the environment. It can live for up to a year. If your dog was fine before the move and hadnt been anywhere then I would say it may have come from your new yard.


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## goldentemperment (May 16, 2012)

OnMyWay2MyDreams said:


> Coccidia is very hardy in the environment. It can live for up to a year. If your dog was fine before the move and hadnt been anywhere then I would say it may have come from your new yard.


Any ideas on how to get coccidia out of the yard? I try to remove her poop frequently, but it's been hard with all the snow and cold weather...


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## OnMyWay2MyDreams (Feb 13, 2011)

Just doing that is your bestbet unfortunately and doing frequent stool checks for now.


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## Millie'sMom (Sep 7, 2012)

Bleach and water mixture on the grass for 20 min then rinse. I would repeat it a couple of times. Probably not great for the grass but it will grow back. I have never had coccidia problems with my puppies, but I always treat the grass where their outdoor pen has been.


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## CITIgolden (Mar 9, 2013)

Limit her interaction with other dogs for a while and going into areas where dog feces may be present. Food has really nothing to do with coccidia, most likely is feces - now some other wild animals can carry the parasite as well. 

Cleaning helps, but careful with bleach and ammonia and harsh chemicals, those can cause as much damage to dogs' health and immunity. 


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## Tuco (Jan 3, 2013)

Umm DO NOT USE ANY HARSH CHEMICALS, first of all many municipalities forbid the environment drainage of anything with a pH higher than 7.5, ie ammonia or lower than 6, and also there is a very prevalent risk of you missing something and poisoning your dog. I would be more comfortable spraying an insecticide on my lawn then that stuff diluted or not. I'm afraid coccidia is very resilient stuff, if I were you I might just resoil the top 4" of the lawn


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## Millie'sMom (Sep 7, 2012)

Tuco said:


> Umm DO NOT USE ANY HARSH CHEMICALS, first of all many municipalities forbid the environment drainage of anything with a pH higher than 7.5, ie ammonia or lower than 6, and also there is a very prevalent risk of you missing something and poisoning your dog. I would be more comfortable spraying an insecticide on my lawn then that stuff diluted or not. I'm afraid coccidia is very resilient stuff, if I were you I might just resoil the top 4" of the lawn
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Household bleach does not leave toxic residues. It is perfectly safe at the proper dilution to use around a dog. The vet recommends that the whelping box be disinfected daily with that solution, if it is safe for newborns it is ok for a older dog. 

From the CDC

Chlorine and Chlorine Compounds
Overview. Hypochlorites, the most widely used of the chlorine disinfectants, are available as liquid (e.g., sodium hypochlorite) or solid (e.g., calcium hypochlorite). The most prevalent chlorine products in the United States are aqueous solutions of 5.25%–6.15% sodium hypochlorite (see glossary), usually called household bleach. They have a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity, do not leave toxic residues, are unaffected by water hardness, are inexpensive and fast acting 328, remove dried or fixed organisms and biofilms from surfaces 465, and have a low incidence of serious toxicity.

My dogs swim in a chlorinated pool 3 times a week without issues.


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## CITIgolden (Mar 9, 2013)

Millie'sMom said:


> Household bleach does not leave toxic residues. It is perfectly safe at the proper dilution to use around a dog. The vet recommends that the whelping box be disinfected daily with that solution, if it is safe for newborns it is ok for a older dog.
> 
> From the CDC
> 
> ...


Pure bleach can be toxic if ingested or inhaled, as long as you follow the warning label you should be ok. Chlorine in water is a bit more controversial, but in most cases a necessity in pools or you end up with a Petri dish...

The bigger issue are other chemicals added to products with bleach...often times these chemicals when applied to different surfaces literally produce fumes (in smaller quantities) used in chemical warfare. For example bleach and ammonia used together will release heavily toxic chlorine gas used in WWI - and both are often found in "complementary" bathroom cleaning products - labels often say don't mix them together but most of us can't keep track of it as they come as diluted and mixed solutions..


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## goldentemperment (May 16, 2012)

*Another Update*
Evidently, in the game of telephone between the vet and the receptionist, the real diagnosis (clostridium) got switched to coccidia.

So, evidently, Ella didn't have coccidia. She had clostridium. In a way I'm relieved that I don't have to worry as much about parasites, and just have to worry about bacteria, but now I have to figure out how to go forward, because I don't want to have to have her on an antibiotic the rest of her life.

The vet suggested probiotics, a more bland, high-fiber diet, scrub down of bowls and surfaces, etc.

Anyone else have experience with clostridium?


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## Millie'sMom (Sep 7, 2012)

Metro should be effective against clostridium. If not a course of Tylan (tylosin) is very effective in dogs with diarrhea. I would ask the vet if you can try a course of Tylan. I have used it very successfully in even very young puppies.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

Coming in late to this discussion-poor Ella and poor you! I have not had any personal experience with this, but found this article from The Great Dane Lady:

Seasonal Diarrhea in Dogs - Giardia, Coccidia | GREATDANELADY.COM

and these

Clostridium Perfringens

Diarrhea Due to Clostridium perfringens in Dogs | petMD


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## Tuco (Jan 3, 2013)

Clostridium often appears during times of digestive stress, however many
Times will infect a perfectly healthy dog. Metro is generally the preferred and most effective treatment. There are so many sources and opportunities for a dog to contract the disease speculation isn't sensible.


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## goldentemperment (May 16, 2012)

Tahnee GR said:


> Coming in late to this discussion-poor Ella and poor you! I have not had any personal experience with this, but found this article from The Great Dane Lady:
> 
> Seasonal Diarrhea in Dogs - Giardia, Coccidia | GREATDANELADY.COM
> 
> ...


Thanks Linda! I'll take a look at those articles.

She definitely improved when she was on the metro pills, but I'd much rather find alternatives to limit that bacteria growth. The vet gave us a few go-forward options, including more antibiotics. But given that it's a naturally occurring bacteria in dogs' stomachs, we'll try the surface and bowl scrubdown, along with pumpkin, yogurt, probiotics, more fiber, and chicken and rice for a few days. If the diahrrea continues after that, we'll do another round of antibiotics, and hopefully we'll be able to get it under better control.


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## CITIgolden (Mar 9, 2013)

Ok, first thing you may consider doing is changing your vet. Honestly, if s/he's done that to a human it would be a textbook example of medical malpractice. Your vet should call you not receptionists, especially if the receptionists aren't vet techs (as in some hospitals). You have wasted time and potentially hurt your dog's health while giving wrong treatment. The fact the two sound similar doesnt make it better.

Did they tell you what strain your dog has?

If I remember correctly, you've had your pup on metro and it's come back? That could indicate Clostridium Difficile, and in the event there is no response to metro, vancomycin is usually prescribed. You may give a shot to tylosin as well. Avoid tetracycline - it's ineffective.

You should really be careful with this and make sure to give plenty probiotics,including low or non-fat yogurt. 

Good luck and wish your pup a speedy recovery!


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## Tuco (Jan 3, 2013)

There are quite Afew natural methods to help eliminate bacteria of the genus clostridium. 
-garlic (obviously don't overdo it)
-catnip
-turmeric
-chamomile 
-cayenne

You also want to overload them with a VARIETY of digestive enzymes. Lots of one type isn't nearly as effective as a huge variety. Green tripe and kefir are a must. Green tripe is so full of digestive enzymes, pre and pro biotics I would definately give a huge chunk of his diet in green tripe, remember its probably one of the wholest foods of an animal, dogs thrive on diets of 80% green tripe so don't go light. 
Kefir is just a mega vitamin and nutrient packed yogurt, I call it yogurt on steroids, it's great too


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## goldentemperment (May 16, 2012)

CITIgolden said:


> Ok, first thing you may consider doing is changing your vet. Honestly, if s/he's done that to a human it would be a textbook example of medical malpractice. Your vet should call you not receptionists, especially if the receptionists aren't vet techs (as in some hospitals). You have wasted time and potentially hurt your dog's health while giving wrong treatment. The fact the two sound similar doesnt make it better.
> 
> Did they tell you what strain your dog has?
> 
> ...


I hadn't given much thought to the irk factor of the situation, but now that I'm thinking about it, I'm a bit annoyed, because I had a discussion with people there about coccidia, when I went to pick up the metro pills...I can't believe that it didn't occur to anyone "hey, we don't treat coccidia with metranidizole." 

I even mentioned in an earlier message on this thread that I wonder if they missed the appropriate diagnosis, because things didn't seem to add up.

The vet didn't tell me if it was the difficile strain, or not, so I'm not sure...I had assumed that was the strain, but now that you mention that, I wonder...

I think there are lots of opportunities to get it under control, not only with probiotics, fiber/prebiotics, enzymes, etc, but also with better cleanliness of her food and water dishes, and surfaces. I'm sure the move in December probably triggered a lot of the stress, as well.


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## Tuco (Jan 3, 2013)

goldentemperment said:


> I hadn't given much thought to the irk factor of the situation, but now that I'm thinking about it, I'm a bit annoyed, because I had a discussion with people there about coccidia, when I went to pick up the metro pills...I can't believe that it didn't occur to anyone "hey, we don't treat coccidia with metranidizole."
> 
> I even mentioned in an earlier message on this thread that I wonder if they missed the appropriate diagnosis, because things didn't seem to add up.
> 
> ...


The vet I used to coop at would usually only say the genus of the bacteria too, I think it's pretty typical. Look at leptospirosis or bordatella or the numerous other bacterial infections, because their may be dozens of strains and still quite Afew common ones, but the treatment for most is similar or exactly the same they simply refer to it by its genus


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## CITIgolden (Mar 9, 2013)

goldentemperment said:


> I hadn't given much thought to the irk factor of the situation, but now that I'm thinking about it, I'm a bit annoyed, because I had a discussion with people there about coccidia, when I went to pick up the metro pills...I can't believe that it didn't occur to anyone "hey, we don't treat coccidia with metranidizole."
> 
> I even mentioned in an earlier message on this thread that I wonder if they missed the appropriate diagnosis, because things didn't seem to add up.
> 
> ...


Metronidazole is prescribed for almost every suspected parasitic/bacterial condition for dogs these days. It's a quite potent broad spectrum antibiotic (and if I may add one of the stronger when it comes to side-ffects), so I wouldn't be shocked if the vet prescribed it for coccodia...its given for giardia as well, although it's been proven that fenbendazole is much more effective and requires a shorter treatment. 

But you may have a case of a slightly careless vet and I'd look elsewhere. Maybe it's just my impatience, but I've changed vets for not calling when they promised they would call...I believe in fairness, you pay whatever they ask you to pay (which is usually not insignificant) and they sell you a service, which includes xyz... 

Many vets have become arrogant these days. In any event, the common sense approach is that if your dog isn't responding to one medication to change it to another. Natural treatments as recommended by Tuco and others on here usually help too.

How is she now? Is she feeling better? Are you done with Metro?


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## CITIgolden (Mar 9, 2013)

Tuco said:


> The vet I used to coop at would usually only say the genus of the bacteria too, I think it's pretty typical. Look at leptospirosis or bordatella or the numerous other bacterial infections, because their may be dozens of strains and still quite Afew common ones, but the treatment for most is similar or exactly the same they simply refer to it by its genus
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I agree with you Tuco, but as we learn more and more about different strains and their resistance to particular treatment, vets should be more specific. It's also partly on the owner to ask what if that treatment doesn't work...but it's hard to remember to do that when you are usually frightened in the office waiting to hear that your dog is going to be ok.

For example, in urban environment some strains of many common diseases have become so resistant to commonly prescribed meds that you may as well let your dog fight the infection itself. Luckily most vets know that and act accordingly.


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## goldentemperment (May 16, 2012)

CITIgolden said:


> Metronidazole is prescribed for almost every suspected parasitic/bacterial condition for dogs these days. It's a quite potent broad spectrum antibiotic (and if I may add one of the stronger when it comes to side-ffects), so I wouldn't be shocked if the vet prescribed it for coccodia...its given for giardia as well, although it's been proven that fenbendazole is much more effective and requires a shorter treatment.
> 
> But you may have a case of a slightly careless vet and I'd look elsewhere. Maybe it's just my impatience, but I've changed vets for not calling when they promised they would call...I believe in fairness, you pay whatever they ask you to pay (which is usually not insignificant) and they sell you a service, which includes xyz...
> 
> ...


She seems to be doing better, but it's still early yet. She was her normal, sassy, 13-month-old self this morning. There were days before we realized what was wrong when we could tell she wasn't feeling well, but there weren't any signs this morning of that. I guess we'll see over the next few days...


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## CITIgolden (Mar 9, 2013)

goldentemperment said:


> She seems to be doing better, but it's still early yet. She was her normal, sassy, 13-month-old self this morning. There were days before we realized what was wrong when we could tell she wasn't feeling well, but there weren't any signs this morning of that. I guess we'll see over the next few days...


Great news! Dog's behavior is usually a good indicator! Just continue with adding natural probiotics and stuff to help her heal and keep her immunity strong and you'll be done with this soon I hope!

Best wishes and keep us posted!


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## ILoveMyGolden (Oct 19, 2006)

Our Fin spent lots of time from 14 months to 20 months on metro, we still have tummy issues, and will probably not ever really know what is wrong. Both giardia and cocc were thrown around, we near lived at the vet through some of the tougher times! Our guy is high stress (though very mellow seeming!) and we know he's in trouble when the tummy goes!

Have you heard of/tried fortiflora? Our vet recco'd it, and now it's become a life safer once off anti-biotics. We've tried to get him off of it and stools always go loose again. Currently he gets one packet a day of it, am meal gets his bison based kibble (only thing we could get him solid on) plus gastro wet food. PM he gets soaked kibble. Tummy troubles have been our biggest issue with him and we try not to deviate too far from what works, and we know the fortiflora and gastro help! Good luck 

Not sure if anything I posted will help, but I know tummy stuff is no fun, good luck


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## goldentemperment (May 16, 2012)

CITIgolden said:


> Great news! Dog's behavior is usually a good indicator! Just continue with adding natural probiotics and stuff to help her heal and keep her immunity strong and you'll be done with this soon I hope!
> 
> Best wishes and keep us posted!


Thanks. Starting last night, I've been giving her pumpkin and Naturvet enzymes/probiotics (I already had it because I give it to my cats...it's for dogs, too). It has Alpha Amylase, Lipase, Cellulase, Protease, and Lactobacillus Acidophilus. 

Not sure if I'll explore a different product or not, but I'm taking a wait-and-see approach. The vet tried to sell me a chewable probiotic made by Iams...it annoys me when I feel like I'm being upsold, but I digress.

I'll probably add yogurt into her meals for the timebeing, as well. If it gets worse, we'll switch to cooked chicken and rice for a few days, and then reevaluate.


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## goldentemperment (May 16, 2012)

ILoveMyGolden said:


> Our Fin spent lots of time from 14 months to 20 months on metro, we still have tummy issues, and will probably not ever really know what is wrong. Both giardia and cocc were thrown around, we near lived at the vet through some of the tougher times! Our guy is high stress (though very mellow seeming!) and we know he's in trouble when the tummy goes!
> 
> Have you heard of/tried fortiflora? Our vet recco'd it, and now it's become a life safer once off anti-biotics. We've tried to get him off of it and stools always go loose again. Currently he gets one packet a day of it, am meal gets his bison based kibble (only thing we could get him solid on) plus gastro wet food. PM he gets soaked kibble. Tummy troubles have been our biggest issue with him and we try not to deviate too far from what works, and we know the fortiflora and gastro help! Good luck
> 
> Not sure if anything I posted will help, but I know tummy stuff is no fun, good luck


I am familiar with fortiflora, though have never given it. I researched it a bit when looking for a good product to give my cats (who are exclusively raw fed). I think it cost a little more than I wanted to spend, and I don't think it had enzymes, which I wanted for the cats, because they've got their own digestion issues.

I'll definitely reconsider Fortiflora if my current path doesn't work out, because I know it has a very good reputation, and LOTS of people have had good success with it...


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## CITIgolden (Mar 9, 2013)

goldentemperment said:


> I am familiar with fortiflora, though have never given it. I researched it a bit when looking for a good product to give my cats (who are exclusively raw fed). I think it cost a little more than I wanted to spend, and I don't think it had enzymes, which I wanted for the cats, because they've got their own digestion issues.
> 
> I'll definitely reconsider Fortiflora if my current path doesn't work out, because I know it has a very good reputation, and LOTS of people have had good success with it...


Don't buy it at your vet's office, although Purina claims it's only available there it's not. I've used it before, I just don't like Purina as a company (personal bias) so I stopped but you can get it on Amazon:

Amazon.com: Purina Veterinary Diets Fortiflora Canine, 30 Sachets Per Box: Pet Supplies

And Purina offers a$5 rebate

http://www.purinaveterinarydiets.com/SpecialOffers/getresource.axd?category=content&id=1406


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## Tuco (Jan 3, 2013)

Just use natural enzymes, they are more sustainable and often work better, and try kefir instead of yogurt


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## goldentemperment (May 16, 2012)

It's been a few days since we've seen diahrrea, and Ella's stools are getting more formed. She has also been acting happier and more energetic the last couple days, too, and she doesn't have to go outside every hour or two anymore.

I'm hopeful that this trend will continue and we won't have to do another round of antibiotics.

I've been feeding exclusively kibble (Nutrisource Chicken), along with yogurt, pumpkin, and Naturvet probiotics and enzymes.

I'll probably keep doing more of the same for the next week or so before reintroducing raw...to be honest, I'm not 100% sure I'll go back to raw. I think there's a fairly good chance that I haven't been as cleanly as I ought to be when feeding a raw diet - both bowl and surfaces, and that probably contributed to her digestion woes.

I do believe in raw feeding, and think many dogs will thrive on it, but I also believe that it might not be for every dog (or owner)...


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## goldhaven (Sep 3, 2009)

goldentemperment said:


> It's been a few days since we've seen diahrrea, and Ella's stools are getting more formed. She has also been acting happier and more energetic the last couple days, too, and she doesn't have to go outside every hour or two anymore.
> 
> I'm hopeful that this trend will continue and we won't have to do another round of antibiotics.
> 
> ...


I completely agree. 
I do know some people that feed half kibble and half raw but I don't think that it is optimal based on what I know about raw feeding. I think that dogs that eat half and half may be more susceptible to bacterial infections.

This quote comes from my go to site for raw feeding. 
The Many Myths of Raw Feeding

Myths About Raw: Will the bacteria in raw meat hurt my dog?



> I put forth that it is the kibble, not the raw meat, that causes bacterial problems. Kibble in the intestine not only irritates the lining of the bowels but also provides the perfect warm, wet environment with plenty of undigested sugars and starches as food for bacteria. This is why thousands of processed food-fed animals suffer from from a condition called Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth, or SIBO (Lonsdale, T. 2001. Raw Meaty Bones. pg 85). Raw meaty bones, however, create a very inhospitable environment for bacteria, as RMBs are easily digestible and have no carbohydrates, starches, or sugars to feed the bacteria.


Whatever you decide to do, I am happy to hear that your girl is feeling better and I hope it continues.


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## CITIgolden (Mar 9, 2013)

goldentemperment said:


> It's been a few days since we've seen diahrrea, and Ella's stools are getting more formed. She has also been acting happier and more energetic the last couple days, too, and she doesn't have to go outside every hour or two anymore.
> 
> I'm hopeful that this trend will continue and we won't have to do another round of antibiotics.
> 
> ...


Yay! Glad the problem seems to be going away!!!


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## Tuco (Jan 3, 2013)

goldentemperment said:


> It's been a few days since we've seen diahrrea, and Ella's stools are getting more formed. She has also been acting happier and more energetic the last couple days, too, and she doesn't have to go outside every hour or two anymore.
> 
> I'm hopeful that this trend will continue and we won't have to do another round of antibiotics.
> 
> ...


I can't imagine why bowls from a raw diet would contribute at all whatsoever to the clostridium. 


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## Tuco (Jan 3, 2013)

And also for raw it's like kibbles where your dog may not do well on one but on another, a dog may not do well on a diet of too much chicken so instead feed turkey, also prey model vs barf etc. I think the only thing that would've contributed with it is the half and half, I have yet to see anyone on the raw forums or diet forums to recommend half and half, the digestive properties and nutrient differences just make it more stressful


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## puppydogs (Dec 6, 2010)

Unexplained diarrhea and mushy (mucus) poops has been a mystery for us. The vet had mentioned some "C" which I can never remember. Coccidia, camplobacter, clostridium...

She thinks my pup is sensitive to the environment (stress, excitement) which can throw the internal gut out of whack. To control it we have used Tylan. Supposedly no side effects for long term use. It helps because it is also an anti inflammatory, which helps calm the gut down and ease the pain. Metronidazole and Flagyl all work but always came back - plus they are stronger medications not good for long term use.

Good luck, I feel your pain!


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## goldentemperment (May 16, 2012)

puppydogs said:


> Unexplained diarrhea and mushy (mucus) poops has been a mystery for us. The vet had mentioned some "C" which I can never remember. Coccidia, camplobacter, clostridium...
> 
> She thinks my pup is sensitive to the environment (stress, excitement) which can throw the internal gut out of whack. To control it we have used Tylan. Supposedly no side effects for long term use. It helps because it is also an anti inflammatory, which helps calm the gut down and ease the pain. Metronidazole and Flagyl all work but always came back - plus they are stronger medications not good for long term use.
> 
> Good luck, I feel your pain!


We've had good luck with plain yogurt and pumpkin, but ultimately, I think that mixing kibble and raw was not a good combination for our dog. 

My goal was to limit the need for antibiotics or other medications, and I feel I've succeeded, because she really hasn't had diahrrea since we went to exclusive kibble.

I'll revisit raw again someday, in some alternative to how I've done it during Ella's first year, but for now, we're going to stick with Nutrisource.


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