# 9 month old puppy; Reoccuring Diarrhea Issues



## Avalanche 4 (Oct 19, 2017)

We have had the same thing with Cooper ... He is now 15 months old ... Just got over another round of the scoots ... When he was a puppy we had him on Royal Canin puppy gastro ... Prescrip food, and had a long stretch of hood times ... Came time to switch to adult food we also went with Pro Plan ... That went OK for a little while, and then back they came ... Our current food try is Royal Canin Adult sensitive digestion from Chewy ... Our fingers are crossed ... It’s very frustrating holding your breath every time they poop


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## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

You might be interested in this thread if you haven't already seen it:

https://www.goldenretrieverforum.co...otic-responsive-gastroenteritis-diarrhea.html

siandvm is a veterinarian who has her dog on the tylosin


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## Murphy0206 (Oct 30, 2018)

Thanks Avalanche. Sorry to hear Cooper is going through the same thing. It's so frustrating and also worrisome. I haven't gone to bed at night KNOWING I won't be woken up in the middle of the night in quite awhile. Fingers crossed for your pup!

Thanks cwag. I had actually come across that before and it made me feel much better about the amount of tylosin Murphy has already had. I feel comfortable continuing the meds if that's what it takes.


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## megthechamp (Jun 14, 2018)

Have you tried flushing his system from all those meds? Our vet tried very hard to get rid of our pup's diarrhea without any meds first, as puppies sometimes can have a worse response when it comes to those.

She suggested a bland diet and PUMPKIN (seriously pumpkin is magic when it come to diarrhea). I'd maybe try giving the little guy a break from all of that and just use boiled chicken/plain white rice, and a tablespoon of pumpkin. For at least a week or two. Let his stomach settle, build up the natural bacteria in his stomach (the good bacteria). Sometimes antibiotics can cause even more inflammation, especially if it's not actually treating any bad bacteria.

Definitely run all this by your vet, but that's my suggestion. Even humans can get an upset tummy if they're on antibiotics/meds too long!

I'd also make sure he isn't eating stuff that you're not catching - Apollo went through about 2 months of on/off diarrhea. We eventually found that he was not reacting well to his original food, but we think his consumption of mulch kickstarted the upset belly. Switched to a lamb blend kibble after a couple weeks of bland diet and he's been (knock on wood) better ever since! Oh, and never once did we have Apollo on any medications for his diarrhea. Pumpkin firmed it up pretty quick.


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## Murphy0206 (Oct 30, 2018)

Thanks so much megthechamp! We go to the vet next week to get his second round of de-wormer (figure we might as finish the treatment since we started). But, I'll definitely be asking about taking him off all meds and just trying very bland + pumpkin diet if/when it returns (likely "WHEN" it returns haha). I agree, he's been on meds basically since he was 5.5 months old with a few weeks off here and there so perhaps just nothing for awhile would be best.

Thanks!


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## Martiz74 (Aug 15, 2018)

I am going through the same issues with my 6 months old Frank. 
We changed food (he's now on Purina EN Gastroenteric) and he is not getting any treats if not kibble, apple or banana but he's still having issues the moment we take him off Metronidazole. 

We run new blood tests again a month after the previous one and the vet noticed his albumin had declined. So we are now going to run some more tests to see if it might be Addison disease.

Quite a journey emotionally and financially but he's such a great boy that hopefully we'll find an answer soon.


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## Murphy0206 (Oct 30, 2018)

Sorry to hear that Martiz! It really is such a tough journey. 

Murphy has now been off meds for 4 days. It got soft at first, but then I took megthechamp's recommendation and started adding a tablespoon or two of pumpkin to his food and things hardened up pretty quickly. Fingers crossed things stay this way for now. 

Martiz: keep me updated on the Addison's disease diagnosis and what that means in terms of the future (i.e. medications, diet, etc). Thanks!


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## Martiz74 (Aug 15, 2018)

Will do!
We are doing the tests on Monday.

Further update: 
This week we switched to Purina EN Gastroenteric Wet Food and things got so much better. 
In between I gave him a Kong that I had in the freezer that contained kibble and fresh (cooked) chicken and the diarrhea immediately came back, lasted for 12 hours and then went away.

The wet food is not great from a nutritional point of view because it has very low calcium and phosphorous levels, so I started mixing it with 50% kibble, and I also noticed that stools got softer again. So I am now starting to think he might be allergic to chicken, as the kibble contains a higher percentage of it. We'll continue the exploration and I'll keep you posted!


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## vrmueller (Jun 14, 2008)

There is a designated blood test for EPI. I highly doubt this is it unless he has symptoms of extreme hunger, weight loss and eating poop. I'm curious as to why the dewormer? Did he have worms? Have you researched t a holistic vet who will find the root of the problem instead of hoping one of the meds will stop the consistent runs?


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## daisy1234 (Jun 17, 2018)

Blah! Sorry I know it's not fun. My Beagle had many issues with this from time to time. Have they mentioned Giardia?
Giardia in Dogs: Learn About Symptoms and Treatment

It's very hard to get rid of but can be done. 

Do you remember anything specific that happened at 5.5 months when he first got it? Did you take him to a park or did he drink from a stream or eat something outside that he shouldn't have? The meds seem to be working when he gets them. Hmmmm it's tricky I know. I was at my wits end with my Beagle, thankfully I had a vet who understood and helped me with tests and treatments. I don't remember all the meds we tried I would have to go back and look at Vet records. Keep working with your Vet to try to figure it out. In the mean time try keeping him on a bland diet until it's cleared up. Good luck and keep us posted.


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## Martiz74 (Aug 15, 2018)

Hi Murphy0206,

I finally got the diagnose for Frank.
He suffers from IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease):
https://pets.webmd.com/dogs/inflammatory-bowel-disease-ibd-dogs

They got there by elimination considering the blood test results, the weight loss and the results of the Addison Disease and EPI which both turned out negative.

He's now going to go on a special diet with Purina HA Vegetarian + Purina Fortiflora for a few months. Plus we are doing antibiotics for 2 weeks. This is to stop the inflammation. And then we'll take it from there.

I stopped feeding him chicken ten days ago, and his poop has already gotten so much better. Same for his energy level.

I am still learning about this condition but unfortunately there isn't really a cure for IBD. I understand that with the right nutrition plan and some medications when needed if should be manageable... fingers crossed!

Hope your pup is feeling better!


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## Avalanche 4 (Oct 19, 2017)

It’s way early in the game, but we are fully transitioned to the Royal Canin Adult Sensitive Digestion from Chewy ... We continue to put a couple plops of pumpkin in with it, bacause he likes it ... Going well and fingers crossed


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## Murphy0206 (Oct 30, 2018)

Thanks for the update Martiz! Happy to hear you have a diagnosis and plan of moving forward. We've kept Murphy on his PPP SSS food with a tablespoon of pumpkin at each feeding and it seems to be doing great for him right now. We've not giving him any treats or letting him chew on any bones that are "flavored" (per Vet recommendations) but he is allowed to chew on antlers, I suppose because they're natural. All has gone very well the last week and stools look great. Fingers crossed it stays this way.

That said, yesterday he got into our christmas decorations (yes, we're early with that haha), and ate a few pieces of ornament. Luckily they weren't glass. Haven't seen any negative effects of it yet and it was about 24 hours ago, so I think we're in the clear on that. 

Avalanche: Thanks for your reply. Seems we're basically on the same plan, just slightly different food (although same idea). Fingers crossed for you!


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## Avalanche 4 (Oct 19, 2017)

Thanks ... And you’re not early, we got Christmas out yesterday as well ... Lol ... Fortunately, all Cooper did was hump the big stuffed Santa ... That got him on the naughty list ... He loses his boys the first of the month, so hopefully that will reduce his urges ...


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## tlc (Jun 2, 2019)

Martiz74 said:


> I am going through the same issues with my 6 months old Frank.
> We changed food (he's now on Purina EN Gastroenteric) and he is not getting any treats if not kibble, apple or banana but he's still having issues the moment we take him off Metronidazole.
> 
> We run new blood tests again a month after the previous one and the vet noticed his albumin had declined. So we are now going to run some more tests to see if it might be Addison disease.
> ...


I would be curious for an update. My 4 month golden has had same issues, same treatments and her extensive blood work came back and with Sodium/Potassium Ratio and Cortisol Levels being low, she had an ACTH Stimulation Test yesterday. Today is day 2 off Metro and she had normal poop yesterday and 2 normal this morning but 3rd one was consistency of yogurt. Frustrated and scared at this point. Anxiously awaiting the results.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

tlc said:


> I would be curious for an update. My 4 month golden has had same issues, same treatments and her extensive blood work came back and with Sodium/Potassium Ratio and Cortisol Levels being low, she had an ACTH Stimulation Test yesterday. Today is day 2 off Metro and she had normal poop yesterday and 2 normal this morning but 3rd one was consistency of yogurt. Frustrated and scared at this point. Anxiously awaiting the results.



Welcome, sorry your pup is having some problems. 

The member you quoted-Martiz74 has not been on the board since 12/2018. 

You may want to start a thread of your own. 

Also, if you use the "Search" feature, there will be several threads about this that will come up you can read through. You may want to do a search for puppy with soft stools or puppy with diarrhea.

Hope your pup will be doing better soon.


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## tlc (Jun 2, 2019)

Thanks! I didn't even notice the date on the side! Good Grief!


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## Martiz74 (Aug 15, 2018)

Hi all,
Wanted to provide everyone with an update. (I have been reading the forum regularly, but had issues with my login).

Frank is now a healthy 65 pounds, 15 months old Golden Retriever. 
It's been a journey and to be honest it's not completely over.
I have been working with my vet (who is a friend) who has been in touch with a nutritionist).

He has been on Purina HA (vegan) for 7+ months now. And for 4+ months he has been on Tylosin, slowly reducing the dosage over time until we finally eliminated it. The goal was to eliminate his GI inflammation completely and make sure that his blood work went back to normal.
After this has been accomplished and he has not had any diarrhea for a few weeks, I started introducing new proteins to figure out which foods he's allergic to. The plan is to feed him for 3 days, then wait to see if he had diarrhea for the following 3-6 days. I didn't even try to give him chicken or beef, I started with salmon.

I first gave him a can of Purina Pro Plan Salmon and Rice and it did not go well. Back to diarrhea. My mistake not giving him the pure protein (so cooked salmon) as there might be other things in the canned food that bother him.

I have now tried twice to give him white fish (rockfish first and then dover sole, whatever was cheaper at the grocery store) and he has not had any problem! 

Overall, it took a lot of patience both from me and from my vet. And obviously it has not been cheap. Now the next step is to find a new kibble (not vegan) that works for him. It's not going to be simple as so many foods contain chicken in some shape or form and I definitely don't want to go down the path of grain free given all the latest updates on this front.

If you have more questions let me know!

Martina


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## jeffscott947 (Jun 9, 2019)

Here's another thought. An old breeder that hated the harsh de-wormers told me to get FOOD GRADE Diatomaceous Earth and put it in their food. (Aussie Breeder)..My vet was amazed and never had to use the chemicals, and the pup was clean of all worms. (I also use it in the veggie garden for pests).


My new Golden arrived with worms and was treated with Nemex2..The Hookworms did not die and they needed to put her on Panacure (3 doses over 3 days). So far, the symptoms (Loose stools) are gone and hopefully her next fecal will be clear. I will put her on a maintenance dose of DE once a month like my others. I also have Drontal Plus in the house..just in case.



A member here told me about Kefir (people food, like yogurt) for enhancing the good bacteria while she is on an Antibiotic (Amoxy. for a uti) ..she loves it on her food (1 teaspoon per day) and it seems to settle her down stomach wise.


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## pawsnpaca (Nov 11, 2014)

I'll contribute a few thoughts here...

1) I had a Golden on a low dose of Tylosin her whole life, and she was, to date, my longest-lived girl (we lost her at 13). The vet put her on it because she tended to "bloat" (abdomen filled with gas) immediately after eating (as in, before she even stepped away from the bowl). I'm not sure what, if anything, the Tylosin did, but she didn't seem to bloat as long as she was on it.

2) HemoPet has some blood tests ("NutriScan") you can order that may "cut to the chase" in terms of identifying food allergies. It might be worth giving it a try (it's faster, easier, and probably more accurate than an elimination trial). The owner of the company is a highly-respected vet who may also be able to consult with you and/or your vet based on the results.

3) It might be worth giving colostrum a try: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/colostrum (I think there may be a good Whole Dog Journal article on it too if you want to Google it). I don't personally know anyone who has tried it for their dogs, but I used to own alpacas and know of several animals with recurrent or chronic diarrhea which was resolved or greatly improved after a round of colostrum treatment.


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