HELP!! Diarrhea issues x 2 months!
Jake is still having diarrhea issues and it's been almost 2 months now.  This is Jake's 4th time on antibiotics since early June. Each time he's been on Metronidazole, GI Health pack (canned dog food), and FortiFlora packets sprinkled on his food twice daily. Jake does well while on all the meds, but about a week after he's off of everything the diarrhea comes back. Poor Jake lost 8 pounds in June and 2 pounds in July as of 2 weeks ago.I'm calling the vet tomorrow to get him in for bloodwork just to make sure nothing more serious is going on. He's had colitis since he was a puppy but never this much diarrhea or weight loss. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. |
|
|
| Well, antibiotics can cause a softer stool which is probably exasperating your problem. The antibiotic to kill any bad bacteria but it softens stool. I alway use a probiotic when giving an antibiotic. Checked with the vet & it will not negate the antibiotic. As a word of caution....you mentioned metronidazole.... If your vet wants to up that dosage make sure he checks & double checks your dog's weight & gives the proper dosage for his weight. Obviously it has changed (gone down) & you can have serious side effects & reactions from not giving the proper dosage of this drug. Take it from one who almost lost a dog to it. And that was the verdict from Ohio State University, not just my thoughts or guess. |
| it can be so frustrating and heartbreaking to not solve issues like this, for both your own stress and finances and the poor dogs health and stress too. First of all, sounds like the metro just isn't working. If there truly is bacterial infection the vet should do cultures to see what bacteria it is and use something more appropriate. It sounds like the inflammation of the digestive tract is completely out of control and it needs to heal before any food, meds etc are really going to help. I think a course of prednisone would help the immediate problem and provide relief for the dog, in addition to a different antibiotic and pro biotics. The fortiflora is probiotics but maybe its just not working, I'd try the stuff for people, you can buy them at any drug store or health food store. You just break open the capsules and sprinkle it on the food. I'd go with 3 or 4 per day til things settle down. Also I'd stop with dog food for now, once the dog is on prednisone you should just feed rice and a bit of chicken. One carb source and one protien source are easier to digest and the starch can help "bind" things up. Another big thing to consider is parasites. Even if the fecal tests are negative I would insist the vet prescribe panacur to clear up anything lingering in there and give this dog a fresh start. If your vet isn't open to your suggestions I'd get a new vet. Good luck, I really hope you get down to the bottom of this and that your boy is feeling better soon  |
| We went through that with Gertie this past year. The vet sent blood work to a university in Texas to make sure that everything was fine. They wanted to go in and see if there was any obstruction that was causing problems. I apt to change her food one more time. She has always had tummy issues and have changed foods several times do to this. Her last food had millet in it which is a grain. Once we omitted that from her diet ever thing cleared up. Now she only has a grain free food, grain free treats and strawberries. Hope you get to the bottom of it soon. Gertie/Erin |
| Poor Jake. Unfortunately, I have extensive experience with Oscar's tummy troubles, since he came to us an ten weeks old with diarrhea, vomit burping, and severe digestive gurgling. After months of blood tests, fecal tests (he had giardia as a pup), food switches, and scans, we finally did an endoscopy, and he was diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in his small intestine. Oscar immediately went on prednisone, and for the first time in his life, his gut calmed down. In addition to the pred, we did more food switches, as we discovered that he couldn't tolerate chicken (poultry of any kind), beef, fish, lamb, or bison, which left us with rabbit, venison, and kangaroo, the only protein sources he hadn't tried. He has eaten venison and rice ever since. Oscar's type of IBD (lymphocytic/plasmacytic) can only be diagnosed with an endoscopy. There is another type, eosinophilic, that can be diagnosed with bloodwork. As Willowsprite mentioned, Jake might need a course of pred in order to calm the inflammation, if in fact he is dealing with an inflammatory problem. Your vet should be able to help you figure this out, as prednisone, for me, is a drug of last resort. Sometimes it is necessary, like with Oscar, but I try everything else first. It's so hard when our pups don't feel well. Laurie and Oscar |
| We use pprescription Tylan powder from Vet. It is a powder you sprinkle on the food. However, it tastes HORRIBLE so I put it into empy capsules I buy from interent. Maybe ask your Vet about it.... Make sure he is drinking plenty of fluids so as not to dehydrate with all the pooping.... |
| Jake has just been diagnosed with pancreatitis from the stat labs that were ran this morning. Now he is on Prednisone and low fat diet (chicken and rice). What a relief to finally have the correct diagnosis! Thanks everyone for all your help and suggestions. You were all correct about the steroids and low fat diet. I should have posted this in June and Jake would not have been sick so long!  ] |
| Happy to hear that you know what the problem is and how to treat it! Give Jake a big hug from me! |
YAY!!! He'll get better in no time~  |
| Oscar just got over a very bad bout of pancreatitis, which he gets from time to time due to his underlying autoimmune disorder. When he gets pancreatitis, which my vets confirm by looking at his amylase and lipase levels in the blood, he always vomits, in addition to the diarrhea. In addition, he stops eating altogether, which is my first clue that something is very wrong, as Oscar tries to stare me awake at 4 a.m. every morning for breakfast. Oscar always presents classic symptoms of pancreatitis. Oscar also suffers from Inflammatory Bowel Disease caused by his autoimmune disorder, which can present in a similar manner, though it doesn't always include the vomiting. The reason my vet checks the blood for the pancreatic enzyme levels (amylase and lipase) is because he treats the IBD differently from pancreatitis. When Oscar is definitive with pancreatitis, my vet takes him off all food, water and meds (including prednisone) by mouth. He gets fluids via IV, and subcutaneously. Absolutely nothing by mouth for at least 48 hours so the pancreas can settle down. Then we reintroduce food slowly. When Oscar has an IBD flare-up, we increase his prednisone short term to quell the autoimmune reflexes that are causing digestive inflammation. My understanding is that corticosteroids, like prednisone, might cause or contribute to pancreatitis, which is why my vet tries to determine if Oscar has IBD or if there is pancreatic involvement. With all of our experience with Oscar, I just wanted to share what has worked for us. Please watch Jake closely.  Laurie and Oscar |
Didn't find exactly what you're looking for? Search again here:
Custom Search
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|