OT: Dog Advice

[njmomtoone]

We have a 10 year old female Golden Retriever.

Whe is eating, drinking, playing, acting, etc fine. No change in habits or personality.

Her stools since Sunday have been loose and yellowy tinted, not watery like diarrhea. Some portions of the stool have a pearly gray coating on them. We took a stool sample to the vet today and they called and said no parasites. Of course, my husband took the call and didn't ask anymore questions or see what they recommend.

Anyone have any dog and experience something like this?

 

[ILoveDisney&Cruising]

I don't know what might be causing the upset, but wanted to recommend:

* a few Tbsp. of canned pumpkin (not with the pie spices added, but pure pumpkin)

We keep some on hand just for this very purpose.

It's a miracle worker for diarrhea and tummy upset.

Our dog gobbles it right up and it cures the problem almost instantly.

Hope they are back to normal soon!

 

[KristinU]

Yep, totally agree with the pumpkin. I have a sensitive tummy girl and the older she gets the more sensitive her tummy is (she's a 14 year old lab.) So we've been through a lot of tummy upsets over the years - and what we usually do is hit the "reset" button by feeding her rice and boiled hamburger and a little bit of pumpkin and some plain yogurt for a few days then slowly mix in her regular food. She usually gets set off by some people food, but we've been really successful lately keeping her from getting any since she's pretty slow on the draw these days if something gets dropped!

If it doesn't get better the vet can prescribe a med called Flagyl (sp?), which has helped when DK9 has had severe bouts of upset.

Oh, and I think boiled chicken with the rice is also sometimes recommended, but DK9 is allergic to chicken, thus the hamburger.

 

[JerseyTink]

You can also try rice, boiled chicken breast or ground beef with the fat drained off, and about 1/3 cup of regular All-Bran cereal. The fiber in the cereal works the opposite on dogs than people. That is why the canned pumpkin works. But, in case you pup doesn't like pupmkin, it is always good to have an alternative. It should tighten her up in no time.

 

[njmomtoone]

I don't know what might be causing the upset, but wanted to recommend:

* a few Tbsp. of canned pumpkin (not with the pie spices added, but pure pumpkin)

We keep some on hand just for this very purpose.

It's a miracle worker for diarrhea and tummy upset.

Our dog gobbles it right up and it cures the problem almost instantly.

Hope they are back to normal soon!

Did you add the pumpkin right to their food?

 

[ohlas]

yes you can add pumkin right to food. they might have changed the food recipe without you knowing it or she ate some grass or something none harmful that is up setting her tummy...

Have 2 year old weimrener that loves to eat grass and garbage 70lbs and about 3 tb of pumkin in her food twice works for her. good luck hope your baby feels better.

 

[LoriKutchey]

I would probably call the vet back and get a professional's opinion first.

 

[njmomtoone]

Thanks for all you help. We did the pumpkin in her food last night and this morning. She had no soft stool last night (didn't even go) and had a perfectly normal bowel movement this morning.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Her stools since Sunday have been loose and yellowy tinted, not watery like diarrhea. Some portions of the stool have a pearly gray coating on them. We took a stool sample to the vet today and they called and said no parasites.

What you've described is known as "mucousy stools". My vet refers to this as indicating colitis - not necessarily the chronic type, but the acute type. Meaning that the colon is inflammed for whatever reason. It also doesn't qualify "how" inflammed - it could be very slight. None of us really know for sure "why" this happens from time to time, but my guess has always been that they just ate something that disagreed with them. If the stools are back to normal, then great, probably nothing to worry about. Just watch it. I've lived with this for a long time. German Shepherds have sensitive stomachs, some more than others, and this was a common occurrance in one of my dogs. I had the "colitis" speech more times than I care to remember. Try to keep your dog's diet pretty rigid for now and be careful about varying it or giving too may treats or too much people food, her getting into the trash, etc. Watch what the kids are giving her if you have kids, lol.

 

[DisneyPups]

Your dog may also need it's anal glands expressed. Didn't even know such a procedure existed until my dog had trouble this summer.

 

[horseshowmom]

Thanks for all you help. We did the pumpkin in her food last night and this morning. She had no soft stool last night (didn't even go) and had a perfectly normal bowel movement this morning.

Glad to hear it! This also works on cats if anybody should ever have the problem come up. My daughter had a kitten whose stomach didn't take well too being wormed and had some problems. I told her to use the pumpkin, and her roommate was somewhat skeptical. After it worked, she asked my daughter if I was a vet or something. I told her to tell her no, but I'm particularly skilled at the use of Google!

Your dog may also need it's anal glands expressed. Didn't even know such a procedure existed until my dog had trouble this summer.

I had a beagle who had that issue pretty much all of her life. Usually, we could tell when she started scooting around and sometimes by the smell. In her case, it wasn't really by the stool. It's not a pleasant procedure (uncomfortable for the animal).

 

[njmomtoone]

Your dog may also need it's anal glands expressed. Didn't even know such a procedure existed until my dog had trouble this summer.

No, it wasn't that. I am well aware of them and th fishy odor that goes along with them!

 

[Disney Doll]

Your dog may also need it's anal glands expressed. Didn't even know such a procedure existed until my dog had trouble this summer.

What vet gets to do this? The one they are punishing because he/she screwed up somewhere else?


Ewww...what a yucky job!

 

[DisneyPups]

Eww, there's typically a fishy smell? Blech, thank goodness my pup didn't have that. Just the "goop" and trouble going to the bathroom.

Haha, it's which ever vet draws the short straw, I think. And apparently it's something you can learn to do yourself. No thanks. I'll leave it to the people who get paid the big bucks.

 

[LoriKutchey]

Glad it was only a temporary condition! We do the pumpkin thing also on the advice from our vet but it is for our maltese's anal glands never knew it would help for stomach conditions. Good to know.

 

[njmomtoone]

Eww, there's typically a fishy smell? Blech, thank goodness my pup didn't have that. Just the "goop" and trouble going to the bathroom.

Haha, it's which ever vet draws the short straw, I think. And apparently it's something you can learn to do yourself. No thanks. I'll leave it to the people who get paid the big bucks.

Yes, it is very fishy and the liquid that comes out is a nasty gray color. It is very gross. My dogs express the sacks on their own, but occasionaly they need to be done by a professional.