Dog suffering from chronic diarrhea

[suenez]

I'm new to this website, but have been scouring the net for weeks trying to find a solution to my problem, and am hoping someone can help.

I have a two-year old Puggle (Pug/Beagle mix), he has seasonal allergies. But for the last two months I've been taking him to the vet almost every week because he has diarrhea. Sometimes it's very watery with mucus, most of the time just very soft, sticky stool.

I've tried everything with the vet, I've had him on boiled rice and ground beef for two months. He has been on 3 different types of antibiotics. We've even done blood work (nothing out of the ordinary showed up, and he has good protien levels too, so he is getting something from the food).

I think that it might be food or allergy related, and am contemplating introducing good bacteria into his food (I've seen it mentioned on other sites). Any opinions/suggestions? I'm going out of my mind!

Have you tried any of the Allergy foods like these two for instance to see if it is a food allergy.

http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dog...as/VenDog.html

http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dog...as/SPFish.html

[suenez]

I was actually reading up on those and was going to change from the boiled rice and beef to a kibble like Timberwolf Organics or Go! Natural. But then I read that "human" food like boiled rice and beef with broccoli was the best. So confused!

[moxiegrl]

Mordy might know...but maybe some canned pumpkin?

[Zoom]

First off, what are you currently feeding as kibble (or would be if he wasn't on beef/rice all the time)?

Second, antibiotics do tend to wipe out the good bacteria in the intestine, so I'm sure that probiotics wouldn't go amiss

The beef/rice is great for an unsettled tummy, but it's nowhere near the nutrient levels he needs. He may be getting some protien out of it, but what about his calcium/phosphorus/fat/carb needs?

He may also have a beef allergy, in which case the beef/rice would be doing more harm than good. Try boiled chicken (unless you already know he can't tolerate chicken) for a few weeks and see if that makes any difference.

Mordy will have more and better ideas.

[fillyone]

Have they run a Giardia Antigen test? NOT the regular Giardia fecal but the antigen?
Dante went through a long list of testing for 'bad' poop including 2 regular Giardia tests. Finally a Giardia Antigen was run....Yep Giardia the whole time.

[elegy]

my thoughts went the same way as barb's. giardia.

pro-biotics are certainly not going to hurt.

how are his poops when he's on the rice/hamburger?

[bubbatd]

Hope you find the answer !!! Stress can cause this too .....

[Mordy]

I agree that probiotics certainly can't hurt, but they may not solve the underlying problem.

Diet is certainly important, but some more work may be necessary. Beef and rice works for some dogs, but it won't help if the dog in question can't deal with beef or rice. Also, if the immune system is already under assault (from the seasonal allergies), you can get reactions that suggest your dog may be allergic to something else, but in truth it's not another allergy, and he wouldn't react to the same thing at a time where the immune system isn't stressed.

I would highly recommend a properly conducted elimination diet, without any commercial foods or treats fed during this time.

Please feel free to PM me so I can give you more details.

[suenez]

Wow you guys/gals are awesome. I was on the boiled rice/ground beef for over 3 weeks, and then switched him to boiled chicken/rice and the diarrhea got much worse! It was total water with flegm. And he kept whimpering. Needless to say, that diet only lasted two weeks, and I went back to boiled rice/ground beef. I haven't fed him anything else. I did the elimination diet. Took away all his treats. The only treat he gets now is PeptoBismol (I lie and call it a treat to him). I used to give him Healthy Edible Nylabones (he's a big chewer), and then when I put him on the elimination diet I took those away too, and gave him the Hartz Durable ones (he just chews and chews it doesn't really break, shreads a little that's all). He did get two fecal exams, I will have to follow up with the vet to make sure the Giardia test you mentioned was performed. The last treatment he had was a week and half ago and it was Panicure (sp?). In case he has whip worms or any other parasites, after this treatment, the color of the poop went back to normal (not bright orange or yellow) green/brown. But still very soft and sticky. Before he had all of this, he was on Hill's Science Diet Superior Nutrition (I'm sorry, I didn't know about all the bad dog food stuff until I started investigating recently, and promise never to put him on that again!). I hope that gives you all more insight to see how this is driving me absolutely crazy.