Here we go again...*warning graphic pics of stool, not for those with a weak stomach*

[raechiemay]

Re: Here we go again...*warning graphic pics of stool, not for those with a weak stom

Here's a helpful article: Giardia in Dogs | Signs, Symptoms & Treatments for Your Pet | VCA Animal Hospitals

Only thing that's throws me off is you say there is no odor.

 

[jcook]

Re: Here we go again...*warning graphic pics of stool, not for those with a weak stom

Thanks smart. I'm going to have her fecal tested asap. You would think it would smell as awful as it looked, and don't get me wrong, it didnt smell like roses, but it just wasn't "off" smelling.

 

[cwayaustx]

Re: Here we go again...*warning graphic pics of stool, not for those with a weak stom

I hate to say this but if this is ongoing you might want to consider a quality kibble.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Re: Here we go again...*warning graphic pics of stool, not for those with a weak stom

In the last week, what has she had in the way of meds, shots, heartworm/flea/tick meds, etc? Any treats that aren't raw-based?

 

[DMikeM]

Re: Here we go again...*warning graphic pics of stool, not for those with a weak stom

I am researching Gardia and DE. But DE will help with or cure many intestinal parasites. It should not hurt. Reading Wolfcreeks articles right now.

 

[Seanndenise]

Re: Here we go again...*warning graphic pics of stool, not for those with a weak stom

Is there a reason you guys don't cook the meat ?
I know there's no wolves that get their raw meat cooked but just like happens to humans with food born illness can't a dog run into the same thing ?

My stepson lost his dog when it ate some rancid meat out of a trash can a few years back, it was dead in a day, no helping it .
I'm not cutting down feeding raw, I believe a dog couldn't be happier getting that kind of food but you never know where that meat was or what it was exposed too.
Just wondering.

 

[jcook]

Re: Here we go again...*warning graphic pics of stool, not for those with a weak stom

Ruth- nothing out of the ordinary. I haven't even been giving her many treats at all, and I even switched to dehydrated chicken breast instead of dehydrated beef liver.

Cooking the meat would defeat the purpose of raw feeding. At that point id be better off with kibble. I try to keep her food as fresh and sanitary as possible. But I understand I can't always know what's in the meat in terms of bacteria, but I feel the same way about kibble. I'm not against kibble if she can't tolerate the raw, I just don't know if this is an issue with her food or if it is something separate. I switched her to raw because she had soft stools on three different kibbles. She has had a lot of diarrhea in her life.

 

[DMikeM]

Re: Here we go again...*warning graphic pics of stool, not for those with a weak stom

I find it hard to believe the meat killed the dog. Perhaps some coincidence was aligned here. Dogs have a short gut and bacteria from meat generally will not stay in the system long enough to cause illness, also the digestive acids are much stronger than an Omnivore/Herbivore has. My dogs often hide chicken under the house or bury it then dig it up days or weeks later when it is just the right ripe for them.

Cooking the meats remove the good stuff or destroys vitamins and enzymes that the dogs thrive on. Even humans would do better to eat raw foods if they were bacteria free.

 

[DMikeM]

Re: Here we go again...*warning graphic pics of stool, not for those with a weak stom

Jcook, here is something that my help regarding parasitic infestations if that might be the case.
Coccidia & Giardia Natural Effective Treatment & Prevention

 

[ruthcatrin]

Re: Here we go again...*warning graphic pics of stool, not for those with a weak stom

MOLDY products can and will kill a dog. But when you consider how many dogs eat long dead carcuses on the side of the road and don't suffer for it.....as a general rule a healthy dog has nothing to worry about when it comes to most forms of food poisoning. A dog with a compromised immune system might have more problems. But they don't recall salmonella contaminated dog food for the dogs sake, they recall it because PEOPLE get sick from handling it. Some of the really weird strains mght cause more problems for dogs, but healthy dogs just don't get sick from "food poisoning" the way humans do.

Plus we're talking human grade meat here, not "leftovers", so its been well handled.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Re: Here we go again...*warning graphic pics of stool, not for those with a weak stom

Jcook, what DO you give her for flea/tick/heartworm and when was her last dose?

 

[jcook]

Re: Here we go again...*warning graphic pics of stool, not for those with a weak stom

Ruth- she gets heart guard plus, i did skip last month because she was sick like this and i didnt want to complicate things. I haven't been giving her flea meds for the past 3 months.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Re: Here we go again...*warning graphic pics of stool, not for those with a weak stom

I don't know then, I'll have to think on it further. This off and on diarrhea she gets is weird. If it was really a dietary problem (ie: raw wasn't suiting her) I'd expect it to be more consistant, but from what you've said in between bouts she's got normal firm poop right?

 

[raechiemay]

Re: Here we go again...*warning graphic pics of stool, not for those with a weak stom

I don't know then, I'll have to think on it further. This off and on diarrhea she gets is weird. If it was really a dietary problem (ie: raw wasn't suiting her) I'd expect it to be more consistant, but from what you've said in between bouts she's got normal firm poop right?

That's what makes me think it's giardia. I think they usually prescribe metronidazole for it.

 

[jcook]

Re: Here we go again...*warning graphic pics of stool, not for those with a weak stom

Exactly Ruth. That is why I am so frustrated. Vet always says she looks great, stool sample will come back clean. Her energy levels are fine. No pain in abdomen. I have even been writing down what feed her for every meal. I weigh out the organ and meat and try to be very precise just so I can have some certainty of what is causing these issues.

Do you think I should give her the heartguard today since I skipped last month. And the reason I stopped flea meds is because fist off I hate that the frontline gets on me, the couches, and everything else she lays on. It also smells so strong of chemicals, plus she has never even had a flea bite. I wanted to find a safer and more natural flea med.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Re: Here we go again...*warning graphic pics of stool, not for those with a weak stom

Not while she's got diarrhea. You might look at a natural mosquito repellent to use temporarily (assuming you have mosquitos already, I don't lol), since I know you go hiking and the like with her, just to play it safe. Your local hippy healthfood store would likely be able to recommend something.

I have to admit I don't treat for fleas either, but I do treat for Heartworm with Revolution, which DOES do fleas so I'm covered (it doesn't smell to bad though).

Definetly ask the vet to check for giardia, its worth doing, and from what I can read it DOES cause intermittent diarrhea.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Re: Here we go again...*warning graphic pics of stool, not for those with a weak stom

Looking through a few places, it looks like grape-fruit seed extract may be effective against giardia (and slippery elm bark powder is recommended for treatment of the diarrhea). 10+ drops per gallon of water. If she tests positive for it I'd get the antibiotic to treat it now, but it might be worth adding a few drops to her water bowl on a regular basis since you DO go hiking and she does occasionally drink from streams etc.

Edit: doing some extra checking, it looks like at that dosage (10+ drops per gallon of water) its safe for long term use too.

 

[raechiemay]

Re: Here we go again...*warning graphic pics of stool, not for those with a weak stom

Exactly Ruth. That is why I am so frustrated. Vet always says she looks great, stool sample will come back clean. Her energy levels are fine. No pain in abdomen. I have even been writing down what feed her for every meal. I weigh out the organ and meat and try to be very precise just so I can have some certainty of what is causing these issues.

Do you think I should give her the heartguard today since I skipped last month. And the reason I stopped flea meds is because fist off I hate that the frontline gets on me, the couches, and everything else she lays on. It also smells so strong of chemicals, plus she has never even had a flea bite. I wanted to find a safer and more natural flea med.

If you are fasting her today I probably wouldn't give her the heartgard. Might want to wait until you actually feed her a meal when you give that. Also, not sure how mosquitos are in your area & if they're anything like they are here in Texas. I would suggest having a heartworm test redone if you go more than 2-3 months without giving her heartworm preventative. Heartgard is pretty safe usually & I know my vet will sometimes allow dogs with heartworms to take the medication as a first step to treatment. But if you give her anything like Sentinel then definitely have her tested prior to restarting her on it. But I think if you only missed 1 month then you should be ok.

 

[jcook]

Re: Here we go again...*warning graphic pics of stool, not for those with a weak stom

Thanks so much everyone. I am making a vet appointment and going to have him test her stool for giardia and the ask him what he thinks about the heartguard and whether I should have her tested for heartworms. I just pulled into this hippy dog food store and this lady is very knowledgeable about dog nutrition and raw diets. She is actually the one who convinced my bf to switch his dog to raw ha. I will see what she reccomends. But tonight I will be giving Stella a very small, bland meal.

Mosquitos are not that bad out here, thank god, I'm actually allergic to them ha, it's awful when I go to the Midwest or east coast.

I'm a ready for her to stop havin diarrhea. We go through this almost every 3-4 weeks, we have a huge box of paper towels delivered every month and we were joking that Stella must have not has diarrhea for a while because this month we had a lot more left over than usual.

 

[voidecho]

Re: Here we go again...*warning graphic pics of stool, not for those with a weak stom

Poop is controversial. This thread should be moved.