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Diarrhoea

Jack-Russell-Lover

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Hi,
Just wondering if anyone knows about reasons for seemingly random bouts of diarrhoea/very soft stools. Roxy is on Harrington's hypoallergenic for a while now which she seems to be okay on. This diarrhoea is not a recent thing, she gets it every now and then (maybe once every couple of months), and has done for a few years.
Today she has a very bad stomach, just watery, she had messed in the kitchen when I went down this morning. She's had no breakfast and planning on giving her chicken and rice for dinner, as a Google search suggested starving for 6-12 hours first of all. She's had a couple of dog diarrhoea tablets. She's acting her normal self, playing with her toys and of course wondering why she hasn't been fed, looking at me with those please feed me eyes!

I'm just wondering if this is normal? Do dogs get runny tummies every now and then like humans can? Or is it not normal at all and should I consider changing her food again?
 
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I can't remember if you have said before, but has your vet done tests at all? There are so many potential causes of loose stools (food intolerance, worms, protozoan parasites that regular worming doesn't sort, even stress) that it is hard to suggest something. And of course it could be as you said just a very sensitive tummy.

My go-to with diarrhoea to firm things up again is live natural yoghurt to help rebalance the gut flora (raw green tripe would be better but I am more likely to have yoghurt in the fridge and it's nicer to use ;)) or a small amount of cooked pumpkin if you can get it - some supermarkets sell frozen butternut squash which is similar.
 
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seconding @JoanneF - has the vet seen Roxy for this issue?
Did s/he state any conclusions, or have U just been changing her food every few months in an effort to find something that won't "cause" this?

The food she's eating could be a contributing factor, or it could equally be utterly irrelevant; there's no way to know w/o some allergen tests by a vet, or doing a strict elimination diet [which is a PITA, but very valuable if the dog DOES have any food intolerances].
There are things the vet can check - a fecal float & wet-slide of her stool, to look for parasites / their eggs or spores; blood tests or skin-punctures to test for allergenic reactions; maybe examine her bowel with an inserted camera, looking for lesions or inflamed tissue.

How closely do U mind Roxy? - any chance she ate something ...? a bit of trash flung into the yard by passerby, or she gnawed on mildly-toxic plants in the garden, or nicked something from the trash & ate it, without U seeing her do so?
Do U have a dog-flap, or is she on leash for every potty trip & walk?

Dogs often don't chew things, they swallow hunks, so it takes them only a few seconds to find & swallow something that can cause problems, & the fallout can range from petty annoyances to life-threatening consequences [e-g, swallowing a coin battery, or a post-1980 USA penny, which is solid zinc with a thin electroplate of "copper"].

Is she a highly-emotional or anxious dog? -- if she's laid-back & fairly bombproof, it's very unlikely that emotional stress is the root of her intestinal distress. U know her much better than we ever could - is she easily upset, or has good coping skills & is resilient?

If U could tell us what the vet has looked at / said, we might be able to be more helpful.
- terry

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She hasn't been to the vet about it, she actually has an appointment on Saturday for her booster so I'll mention it to the vet then. I will try yogurt next time, but she had her last no.2 at about 12pm yesterday and has been fine since. I think the diarrhoea tablets from the pet shop really helped.
I've only changed her food once about 6 months ago because of her skin problems, but her random diarrhoea bouts have happened long before that.
She never goes for the bin, and she can't get into it. Could have been something in the garden but I don't leave her out there unattended, especially with the wet weather, she just wants to do her business and come back in so very unlikely. Around here, there aren't many places to let dogs off lead so she's had on lead walks recently.
Food-wise, I haven't given her anything out of the ordinary, just normal food and treats. She's a very laid back dog, she's not nervous/anxious/stressed as far as I can tell. She's fine to be left alone etc. and copes well with things.
 
You might want to take stool samples into the vet - normal ones would be fine! Ideally from three separate days as there are times during some parasite cycles that you can get a false negative result.
 
Yeah maybe. Some of the diarrhoea was sort of a mucous consistency as well if that means anything.
 
Could you be overfeeding? That is a common cause of loose stools. What is her weight like? IME most feeding guides are a bit generous.
 
Absolutely not, she's not overweight. In fact last year when she went to the vets for her booster they said to keep an eye on her weight as she was verging on being too skinny!
 
Absolutely not, she's not overweight. In fact last year when she went to the vets for her booster they said to keep an eye on her weight as she was verging on being too skinny!
I should have just looked at your picture :oops: She looks just right. Oh well, it was just a thought!
 
Yea, definitely, I see where you're coming from. I see lots of overweight dogs in the salon that have very soft, stinky poo!!
 
I think mucousy poos means some sort of stomach irritation... which admittedly doesn't narrow it down much!
 
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@Jack-Russell-Lover -
whereabouts do U live? // If U're in the USA & whitetail deer or beaver [or both] live in the area, Ur dog may have a Giardia infection. :(
Giardia are endemic in surface waters [streams, rivers, ponds...] where there are beaver, & groundwater, including municipal water sources such as springs & wells, can also be infected. Rainfall can transport the spores, which are incredibly hardy, from the animal's feces to the nearest watercourse. Giardia spores can survive cold, heat, & drought, which is why when tap-water is contaminated, the boil-water advisories seem crazy - 15 minutes at a hard rolling boil!?!?... but that's what it takes to kill the little bug...errm, bugs dead. :oops:

Giardia is incredibly sneaky & notoriously difficult to Dx, as the critters only shed spores now & then; many vets will treat for it by elimination - they can't get a positive-ID of Giardia, so they check for other things, & having determined the other suspects Are NOT It, they then treat the dog "assuming" it's Giardia.
It's possible for giardiasis to be chronic & cyclic: go dormant, then roar back with a vengeance, then subside.

Giardia & Pets | Giardia | Parasites | CDC

Giardia | Don't Let This Parasite Ruin Your Pet's Health

Parasitic Diarrhea (Giardiasis) in Dogs | Giardia in Dogs | petMD

- terry

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Harringtons isn't the best dog food, I recommend Hill's Science Plan. Has Roxy had a stool examination done by the vets? if not ask for one....


Edit: Grain free dog food...
 
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@Jack-Russell-Lover -
whereabouts do U live? // If U're in the USA & whitetail deer or beaver [or both] live in the area, Ur dog may have a Giardia infection. :(

Giardia are endemic in surface waters [streams, rivers, ponds...] where there are beaver, & groundwater, including municipal water sources such as springs & wells, can also be infected. Rainfall can transport the spores, which are incredibly hardy, from the animal's feces to the nearest watercourse. Giardia spores can survive cold, heat, & drought, which is why when tap-water is contaminated, the boil-water advisories seem crazy - 15 minutes at a hard rolling boil!?!?... but that's what it takes to kill the little bug...errm, bugs dead. :oops:

Giardia is incredibly sneaky & notoriously difficult to Dx, as the critters only shed spores now & then; many vets will treat for it by elimination - they can't get a positive-ID of Giardia, so they check for other things, & having determined the other suspects Are NOT It, they then treat the dog "assuming" it's Giardia.
It's possible for giardiasis to be chronic & cyclic: go dormant, then roar back with a vengeance, then subside.

Giardia & Pets | Giardia | Parasites | CDC

Giardia | Don't Let This Parasite Ruin Your Pet's Health

Parasitic Diarrhea (Giardiasis) in Dogs | Giardia in Dogs | petMD

- terry

.

We live in Wales.
She hasn't had a sample seen by the vet.
She's still not well today, thought she was better but someone in the house who got up with her yesterday didn't let me know she wasn't right so I gave her chicken and rice. Giving her 24 hours without now.
I'll change her food if she needs it but Harrington's has been good for her with her allergies. And this has been an issue before I even changed to Harrington's.
 
Fingers crossed she's OK, and that the vet manages to get to the bottom (pun intended:D) of it.
 
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apparently Giardia cases do occur in the UK & specifically in Wales, but they''re few in # -

CLEAN STREAM | Giardia - Water Problems | Water Treatment Specialists | Sales and Servicing

Another safe option is to give her digestive enzymes & high-potency probiotics -
the enzymes in case it's a matter of not properly breaking food down into absorbable bits, & the probiotics in case it's a problem with absorbing the bits thru the bowel-wall.
These are both very high-quality, from a trusted maker -

DigestMore Ultra

Ultimate Flora Probiotics | Live Probiotics | Renew Life

I've given both to humans & [mammalian] pets, i've taken them myself, & they really help. Note that each capsule of probiotics is guaranteed to contain BILLIONS of live commensal microbes, not mere "millions", but that's only if they are kept cool in a refrigerator, at 38 to 42' F - carry them about in a backpack for a day, or store them on a shelf in a 70' F room, & many of them will be dead.
To keep the live critters alive, keep them in the 'frig & remove them only to take out a capsule, then return them to the chilled 'frig. // Dig-enzymes cannot be stored in the body; they are given with every meal.
The probiotics are intended to
seed healthy popns in the recipient, so they can be taken with each meal for 1 to 3 days, then every other day or every 3rd day until symptoms abate, & every 3 to 5 days as a maintenance schedule.
The best way i've found to deliver the probiotics is to twist the capsule open & sprinkle them over a Tbsp of organic yogurt, & stir them in before serving - otherwise, U risk the dog sniffing or even just inhaling over the bowl, & then sneezing or exhaling, & there go all those lovely live-critters, to settle as dust all over the room, & die...
:eek: ... :(
So i always mix them into yogurt, to ensure that they're all delivered safely, & not wasted. // The yogurt is also supportive nutrition for the microbes, & helps to cushion them on the way thru the acid stomach to the gut. [Some are going to die - hence the need for billions per capsule.]

The dig-enzymes are similarly packed in capsules, & rather than pill my dog or plop the capsule into the meal & hope that s/he will take pity on me & eat it, I twist it open & put the powder into something moist - such as another spoonful of yogurt. I don't put them into the SAME spoonful! - I don't want the enzymes to start chowing down on the microbes B4 the dog takes their first mouthful of food. :D Most dogs love plain yogurt, but if Urs isn't keen on the slight tang, any decent organic
vanilla yogurt usually is gobbled up immediately.

Do ask yer vet just in case they feel this is not apropos - both dig-enzymes & probiotics are GRAS / Generally Regarded As Safe, but it's good to ask anyway. :)
- terry

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