Help! Vixie has the runs and nothing is working.

[*Amy*]

Okay, so I believe it all started when we gave Vixie her 2nd "de-wormer." She had hookworms when we got her so she was given her first dewormer pill at the vet and then a month later we gave her the 2nd one. Ever since then she's had diarrhea and she seems like she can barely hold it in. She went on the carpet last week and she has never pooped in the house before!

I took her to the vet last week and they said it could just be from the de-wormer so I should put her on a bland diet and some stool hardener pills until it clears up. They tried to sell me some sort of prescription Science Diet canned food because it has a lot of fiber in it, but I know Science Diet is crap so I told them I can make my own bland diet. I made her beef and rice for a few days and it seemed her stools were a little better, but still soft as hell so I put her back on her normal diet hoping it would just get better. Well, it didn't get better and I started giving her one of those pills per day. This morning she it's back to being really runny and she puked once this morning. I feel so bad for her. I took her out and she went right to the grass and it just poured out of her. (sorry I know that's really graphic) I just don't know what to do. I don't think it's her food because she was fine on it before I gave her the de-wormer. The vet checked her out and she wasn't in pain anywhere so they don't think it's anything else. Any ideas of what it could be or what I could do that would help? I don't want to take her to the vet again because they'll just say the same thing ("Buy this Science Diet food and give her these pills") and charge me $60.

Please help.

 

[LoveNewfies]

Honestly, if it's been going on this long, and now she's vomiting, definitely visit the vet again. Bring a stool sample with you. It could be something bacterial that requires treatment.

Until you can get her into the vet's, go back to the bland diet but make sure you cook the rice until it's very mushy - over cook it. When things firm up, slowly introduce her food back to her.

 

[noludoru]

Ditto what LoveNewfies said. I cannot BELIEVE they didn't do a stool sample... get one to them asap.

 

[*Amy*]

Okay, I took her to the vet again yesterday. They did another stool sample (they had done one last week as well) and once again found nothing wrong with it. They said she just has colitis and because of it her stomach is upset as well. She received an injection of B12 and tagamet (this decreases the amount of stomach acid just like antacids that people take do) and they gave her some Pepto Bismol. They also gave me two meds. Sulfasalazine for the colitis and Famotidine for her stomach (it also reduces the amount of stomach acid). I've started her back on a bland diet of egg and rice and will keep her on it until her stools are completely back to normal. It seems she's already doing better. No more runny stool, but still soft. She has energy again, too. I hope everything gets better for her soon!

 

[LoveNewfies]

Glad to hear you got her back to the vet and that her stools aren't runny anymore.

 

[Schnauz]

I'd probably try to find a new vet who didn't charge me for no results. My old vet did that. I couldn't walk through the door without spending $80. My current vet won't charge me for a subsequent visit on the same condition, just meds.

 

[*Amy*]

I'd probably try to find a new vet who didn't charge me for no results. My old vet did that. I couldn't walk through the door without spending $80. My current vet won't charge me for a subsequent visit on the same condition, just meds.

I actually will be finding a new vet soon because I'm moving, but they did give me a decent deal- they charged $10 less for the visit and they didn't charge for checking the stool again. It was still an expensive visit, though, because of the B12 injection and all the meds. Oh, well, though! At least I just got my tax refund!

 

[shadowfacedanes]

Since Hannah is Miss Runny Poo America, I have stocked up on Gastricalm, Pepcid, Immodium, etc and keep those on hand for our little incidents. At the first signs of runny poop, I give her a dose of Gastricalm and withold food for 12 hours to give her gut a chance to settle. She gets a Pepcid as well because when her tummy is empty, she vomits. She gets started back on her first meal as a bland meal. Boiled skinless chicken breast, rice, a little canned pumpkin and a dose of immodium. We're usually back in business within 24-30 hours.

I've become a pro at dealing with this. Since she has so many digestive problems, I am like a hawk with her, watching every poop she makes.

Anyways, if she has a bout of diarrhea again in the future, withold the food for 12-24 hours to give the gut a chance to rest. That alone is a significant help.

Glad to hear she seems to be on the mend.

 

[*Amy*]

Since Hannah is Miss Runny Poo America, I have stocked up on Gastricalm, Pepcid, Immodium, etc and keep those on hand for our little incidents. At the first signs of runny poop, I give her a dose of Gastricalm and withold food for 12 hours to give her gut a chance to settle. She gets a Pepcid as well because when her tummy is empty, she vomits. She gets started back on her first meal as a bland meal. Boiled skinless chicken breast, rice, a little canned pumpkin and a dose of immodium. We're usually back in business within 24-30 hours.

I've become a pro at dealing with this. Since she has so many digestive problems, I am like a hawk with her, watching every poop she makes.

Anyways, if she has a bout of diarrhea again in the future, withold the food for 12-24 hours to give the gut a chance to rest. That alone is a significant help.

Glad to hear she seems to be on the mend.

Thanks I considered witholding her food, but decided not to for some reason. I think I just felt bad because she wouldn't understand why I'm not feeding her and she still had an appetite so I figured, "why not?" Anyway, she seems to be doing much better. No more puking at all and her poops are looking much more solid. She's still getting the homemade bland diet until they look completely normal, though.

 

[Baxter'smybaby]

hope we get more pictures once she is feeling well again!!

 

[*Amy*]

You will!!

Does anyone know how long it should take for her stools to get firm again? They have shape (not liquid anymore), but they're still really mushy and I'm just worried.

 

[Storee's Mom]

Depends on what you're feeding too, as to how mushy things will be.

When I used to have a lot of digestive issues with the dogs, I did up a mix of 1 cup chopped liver, 2 cups plain yogurt, 2 cans of pumpkin and 3 cups or so of rice. Started on a tablespoon in half cup of water every few hours and worked up to half a cup with more water, for the day or two that it took for things to settle. Of course haven't had a problem with the runs for over five years now, so haven't needed it.

Slippery elm is a good thing for that too....

Lana

 

[puppydog]

Look, I hate SD as much as everyone. But when my little one had colitis I gave it to her. It stopped her up quick as anything. Her stools were formed and she went once a day. I say only in an emergency, but it worked.

Your call.

I had her on chicken and rice for a week along with her meds and the vet said to try the canned SD tummy diet. Worked immediately.

 

[*Amy*]

Look, I hate SD as much as everyone. But when my little one had colitis I gave it to her. It stopped her up quick as anything. Her stools were formed and she went once a day. I say only in an emergency, but it worked.

Your call.

I had her on chicken and rice for a week along with her meds and the vet said to try the canned SD tummy diet. Worked immediately.

I just don't see how the SD will help. Just because it has a lot of fiber in it? Then when we go back to her normal diet, won't her stools just be soft again?

The vet said there should be an improvement within 3 days. There's an improvement, but the stools are still really mushy. Is it because of the food? I'm feeding her rice and egg. Should I start slowly putting her back on her normal food and see if they get more firm? Ugh.

 

[Stephanie7]

Please make sure you keep her hydrated and drinking water, diarrhea can severely dehydrate so make sure to do that. Pepto Bismol helps when it gets really bad, my guy has a weak stomach.

 

[*Amy*]

Please make sure you keep her hydrated and drinking water, diarrhea can severely dehydrate so make sure to do that. Pepto Bismol helps when it gets really bad, my guy has a weak stomach.

She's hydrated. She was given Pepto Bismol at the vet, but she doesn't have diarrhea anymore. Her stools are just soft.

 

[MafiaPrincess]

crappy foods like SD have stool hardners in them. Likely it would firm things up, but healthy dogs should be able to create firm poop without all the extra help, so really you are just masking an issue then.

Keep at it Amy, sounds like things are slowly coming back under control.

 

[*Amy*]

crappy foods like SD have stool hardners in them. Likely it would firm things up, but healthy dogs should be able to create firm poop without all the extra help, so really you are just masking an issue then.

Keep at it Amy, sounds like things are slowly coming back under control.

Thanks. That's what I was thinking... I didn't think she needed to be on SD just to harden her stools. And sure enough she didn't! They're pretty normal now. I'm so happy! I think part of the reason they were still soft was because of the rice and egg because once I started slowly putting some of her regular dry food in it, her stools started getting firmer. I think she's back to normal, but I'm going to keep giving her the medicine for the colitis until it's all gone just in case.

 

[Irishgirl123]

You can also give them pumpkin pie filling from a can. The Vet told me about it. I give my dog 4 tablespoons 2x aday for 2 or 3 days It worked.

 

[nuvetmarie]

I wonder if this would help her: Acidophilus forte

Hi: When I get a dog that has had a day or too of loose stools and the runs... I give this for 5 days. Acidophilus - The natural bacteria found in our intestines. Sometimes we get an overgrowth of yeast and that causes loose stools or bouts of loose stools over and over.

This can be purchased thru Revival Health ( on line) - I have a 16 oz powder that did not cost too much... ( don't remember )

I provides Live Lactobacillus to aid in re-establishing favorable intestinal conditions...

1 teaspoon daily ( this is natural and not a drug)

Found in many pet stores too. Look for it in a gel tube or powder form.

Some dogs take this everyday to keep them regular.

The intestine can get an overgrowth of yeast... ( that may be the problem for your little one.)

Let me know if this has helped...
Marie