Off To The Vet Again...

[take4roll10]

We got another prescription for metronidozole. He also gave her a shot to slow down her gut. He is running a fecal ova test for parasites and a diarrhea panel to check for viruses, etc.The parasite test results will be back on Monday and the diarrhea panel will be back on Tues or Weds.

She has to stay on the I/D canned food and the purina probiotic powder until she starts feeling better.

Yesterday, I gave her half a mini zuke natural treat, but I doubt something that small would set off her stomach...and I gave her a little rawhide to chew on last night. She's a slow chewer and barely put a dent in it. She was just so bored. I hope that wasn't the cause. Other than that she hasn't gotten anything besides her medicine and I/D food and her stool was still not better.

I do want to put her back on vibrant pets to boost her immune system, but I don't know how it will mix with the purina probiotic. I don't want to mess her stomach up anymore, so I think it's best to wait.

Thank you all for the get well wishes

 

[Ann]

I hope the metronidazole helps sort out Bailey's issues, Randi. I know how frustrating it is to try and find the cause. Hopefully the tests will be negative and this will pass quickly. I'd wait a bit on the VP too, while she's on the other probios, since VP has probios in it as well. Give Bailey a pat for us!

 

[take4roll10]

I hope the metronidazole helps sort out Bailey's issues, Randi. I know how frustrating it is to try and find the cause. Hopefully the tests will be negative and this will pass quickly. I'd wait a bit on the VP too, while she's on the other probios, since VP has probios in it as well. Give Bailey a pat for us!

I'm actually hoping the opposite. I'm hoping that one of the tests comes back positive for something, so we can get her on the right medicine to cure it. It's been 2 weeks already. She misses going to the park, training and getting treats. Plus we're going to have to miss her first agility class next week. I don't want her spreading any viruses.

 

[labgirl]

First thoughts were it could be colitis (sp) which is a basic bowel irritation and can be caused by a range of things including too high a protein content in the dog's food (this happened to Cadbury when I first had him and I thought he was dying of bowel cancer)

However, I would ask my vet to check for Camplyobacter (sp) as that is a nasty virus that needs to be treated with antibiotics and that can be passed to humans. The dogs do not normally appear terribly ill, but suffer recurring bouts of diarrhea.

In the short term I would recommend giving a teaspoon or two of natural yoghurt which will replace the good bacteria in Bailey's time and if it is colitis this may solve the problem.

Cadbury was having short spells of runny stools, so I started adding natural yoghurt in his evening meal and (touch wood) no more runny tums.

 

[take4roll10]

First thoughts were it could be colitis (sp) which is a basic bowel irritation and can be caused by a range of things including too high a protein content in the dog's food (this happened to Cadbury when I first had him and I thought he was dying of bowel cancer)

However, I would ask my vet to check for Camplyobacter (sp) as that is a nasty virus that needs to be treated with antibiotics and that can be passed to humans. The dogs do not normally appear terribly ill, but suffer recurring bouts of diarrhea.

In the short term I would recommend giving a teaspoon or two of natural yoghurt which will replace the good bacteria in Bailey's time and if it is colitis this may solve the problem.

Cadbury was having short spells of runny stools, so I started adding natural yoghurt in his evening meal and (touch wood) no more runny tums.

I don't think it's colitis because my parents' dogs also came down with this virus, just a few days after Bailey had symptoms.

I looked up "diarrhea panel" and it says they test for camplyobacter, so we'll see if it comes back positive for that.

She is on a prescription probiotic. She's been on it since Wednesday and she has actually gotten worse since then.

 

[Lightplum]

Poor Bailey!!! It does sound kinda like a parasite thing that it was cured but than after the life cycle it started back up again....I've use the purina (cant remember whats its called) on Mia when she had Giardia. She loved the taste of it and would only eat the kibble sprinkled with it

 

[Justicemom]

They did a fecal exam last week on my other dog when she was having symptoms and that came back negative.

Deworm her anyway. Use Panacur. Fecal can be wrong. Viruses do not clear up and then reoccur. Something else is going on.

 

[ClantyreSheltie]

First thoughts were it could be colitis (sp) which is a basic bowel irritation and can be caused by a range of things including too high a protein content in the dog's food (this happened to Cadbury when I first had him and I thought he was dying of bowel cancer)

High protein? I guess if you are using plant-based proteins as a main food source. Dogs are made to digest animal protein, it's what makes the entire system work. Indigestible food stuffs will irritate their bowels. Which is why I always find it strange that the "cure" for irritated bowels is more indigestible (and egregiously expensive) food.

In all cases of irritable bowels, I think it's best to simplify down as much as you can. If there are too many variables, you have no idea what is causing the upset.

 

[sable]

Poor Bailey, poor mom. Your right if they find out what is causing the problems that would help. The unknown is worse then anything.

 

[take4roll10]

Deworm her anyway. Use Panacur. Fecal can be wrong. Viruses do not clear up and then reoccur. Something else is going on.

I will bring it up to the vet when he calls me with her test results.

The thing is my parents' dogs got better with that metro medicine and I/D food. Bailey never got better. During this 2 weeks, she had maybe 2 semi-normal BM's and then on Friday and Saturday morning, they became really loose and bloody again.