How Do You Treat Loose Bowels?

Has your vet suggested any further testing? By now they should certainly be recommending a course of action or at the very least some anti-diahrrea meds. If not, I'd consult another vet ASAP!! Something is certainly going in with poor little Sadie. :cry:
 
I feel stuck

My vet called and told my husband that as long as Sadie is alert and eating and drinking normally to just let it run its course, its probably a virus she picked up. My step dad, who works for a municipality and has done extensive courses in water testing, said he thinks she has a specific parasite and that I should keep on the vet about further testing.

I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. My vet is also a friend of mine and I have never doubted her before, until now.

I think I'm going to call the vets office and talk to the tech myself, as my husband isn't always good at relaying messages
 
I feel so badly for you, Sadie's Mom! Between your furkid not well and the stress of not knowing what is happening, you are really between a rock and a hard place. Other than my experience with this type of canine illness, I am certainly not a veterinary expert, but I left a vet I'd been friends with for 15 years after one of my Shelties had a serious illness that I didn't feel was diagnosed and treated. It wasn't easy, but it came down to friendship vs. my dog's health and there was no contest. What I did was to go to another vet (who I now use) for a consultation or second opinion. That was the best thing I could have done. You can do that without leaving your vet. It might at least give you answers or some peace of mind. There is certainly something going on with your Sadie, perhaps something like IBD that is chronic and needs management. Your plan to talk with the tech is a good place to start. GOOD LUCK! Sending some prayers to St. Francis for poor little Sadie and you!
 
Second Opinion

A really professional vet won't be offended if you decide to get a second opinion. My own vet, whom I trust highly, has even made the suggestion with tough diagnoses. After all, you'd do it for yourself!:yes:
 
Update on Sadie

Sadie had another bad day yesterday, severe diarrhea in the morning, a close to normal stool in the evening and then severe diarrhea a couple of hours later

It was suggested to me by my Dad that Sadie may have a specific kind of parasite that doesn't always show up in tests. I told this to the vet techs last night and this morning I picked up more meds for Sadie. Some more Flagyl and a drug called Panacur, which is supposed to kill that type of parasite. Sadie was tested for that parasite and the test did come back normal. Sam (my vet) was there this morning and told me that if Sadie still continued to have loose stools that she'd have her in to start testing for other stomach/intestinal problems.

I gave her the meds before work this morning so I'm really hoping for a big improvement by tomorrow morning!

As a side note, I have a nasty cold today, I should have stayed home so Sadie and I could be sick together. I'll probably leave early so we can be sick together :rolleyes2:
 
Wow, I hope poor little Sadie gets better soon. I agree with Ann and I would have a second eval done by another vet if she doesn't improve. Even though she is your friend, she should understand that you want what's best for your dog.

I personally have two vets. Kind of a long story but my mom works for a vet's office in Toledo about 35 minutes away from me so I get all of the dog meds from her office with her discount. Then I have a vet up here that sees the girls for their yearlies and any emergency that may pop up. The vet office up here totally understands that I do not want to pay full price for meds. Also, if there is something going on with one of my dogs and I don't think they are telling me everything, I will fax test results down to my mom and have the vet there look at them. If needed the dogs then go there if they need to see them to get a better diagnosis. It does help because not every vet can know everything about every type of dog and cat. Just like your Dr. can't possibly know everything that you might possibly contract.

I really hope she gets better and you too!! Wags and licks from my girls!!
 
Another Update

I'm feeling better today and Sadie has improved since starting her medicine on Tuesday. This morning I gave her the last dose of the parasite medicine, then she'll be on the flagyl for another 3-5 days. She seems to have improved more with this round of medicine but I'm not yet convinced she's on the mend.

The vet also recommended a different dog food until she's back to her old self. She's now eating Eukanuba for sensative stomachs. Expensive but definitely worth a try!
 
Hoping Hoping....

That is great news, Sadie's Mom!! We'll hold our breath and hope that the trend continues for both you and your little girl. Thanks for the updates! :smile2:
 
I'm so glad Sadie has improved. My breeder swears by Eukanuba (she'd better, 'cause her dog was a Eukanuba Champion:lol:). Unfortunately, my Layla gets sick on it. :( Sure glad it works for you!
 
UPdate on Sadie

She seems to be cured, she's happy, energetic, eating normally and her stools are normal.

The parasite medication I requested from the vet seems to have done the job. I saw improvement within 24 hours of her taking the medication.

For anyone interested, the parasite is called giardia protozoa. Its common, violent and hard to diagnose. Its found in contaminated water, dogs catch this parasite by drinking out of or even sniffing puddles or wet grass. It is very hard to diagnose because of the growth cycle so often stool tests for it come back normal, as in our case. The medication used to treat giardia protozoa is Panacur. Below are some useful links explaining the parasite, if anyone ever has similar syptoms.

http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/giardia_protozoa_diarrhea_vomiting_weight-loss..htm

http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex736


She's supposed to take the flagyl till Friday but I'm going to stop it tomorrow, at the 7 day mark. I don't think she needs it anymore as her stools are normal and I don't believe it was the flagyl that stopped the problem (since this is the second round). Sadie has had enough of medicine and white rice so I'm going to give up the fight . :smile2:

I'll let you know if she's still doing well on Wednesday.
 
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