My brother bought this black lab pup from a byb. Apparently it has all its shots. It was on some crap food that the breeder was feeding the dogs. I convinced them to get it on a better food. They are feeding it Taste of the Wild and all was going well. Normal poops n whatnot. Then comes the flea infestation. My sis n law, bombed the house and put advantage on the dog and cat. The pup started with the diarrhea and said it was just separation anxiety. A couple weeks later she notices worms in the poo and has me bring her to the vet monday. The poo sample she left me was kept in a baggy on the porch for 2 days so when i got there they threw that away without looking at it. My sis n law called them with the dogs shot records and told the tech that the worms were small. So they assumed it was tapeworms and gave the dog a oral paste, a shot, and sent home a pill. Today the dog still has diarrhea, they called the same vet and they told my brother to give the pup peptobismol and if the diarrhea continues then to put the dog on turkey burger and rice and that its probably an allergy to the kibble. Note- I hate this vet, he always treated me like i was an imbecile. He never tells you what he is administering and always blames everything on the animals home care. Any advice about what to do about the diarrhea? I was thinking of some bene-bac but i don't know.
My vet told me that ground meat/rice have absolutely no nutritional value, so that, to me would be a bad thing for them to feed(the turkey/rice combo). I was also told that wet dog food causes less loose stools than dry-if they're feeding that already tell them to try that. I can't believe they haven't given your brother anything to stop the runny stools by now-ridiculous. Also, make sure the puppy is getting plenty of water to fend off dehydration.
I got a pup once from a BYB in a backyard kennel type situation. The diarrrhea went on and on. It wasn't until they actually took a stool sample and sent it off to be tested that they discovered Coccida was the culprit. If this vet won't test the stool, I would take a sample to another vet. I would almost bet this is the problem with this puppy. We had our pup on TOTW too. As soon as we got the meds for the infection, the diarrhea cleared right up.
I would take the pup to a different vet if possible. I've gone through parvo twice with "vaccinated" pups, so if it were me, I'd have the parvo test done. I would also get in a fresh fecal sample. It's O.K. if the sample sits in the fridge overnight, but 2 days is too long. The vet could have stuck a gloved finger you-know-where and gotten a smear, but apparently that was too much trouble(?). I'm sure all vets are closed tomorrow, and maybe even till monday (ours is), so you may want to have the pup seen today by someone else. Sometimes it's best to withhold food alltogether for 24 hours, being sure there is plenty of fresh water available. Chicken broth is O.K. - lots of fluids are really important - dehydration is the enemy with diarrhea. I hope it all works out...what a crappy time to have to deal with this!!
I would find a different vet you like and have them run a fecal sample. Coccidia is really common in pups and definitely can cause diarrhea. Giardia does too. Hookworms & whipworms can cause diarrhea. Tapeworms can be seen, but don't usually cause diarrhea. Roundworms can cause diarrhea, but often don't. If the fecal is negative- it may be bacterial issue (like clostridia), or a food allergy/intolerance. First step in puppy diarrhea diagnostics is almost always a fecal. If a client can't afford a fecal or did not bring one to the exam- many vets will go ahead and treat with a combo of meds to "get" most possibilities. Many will also want to do a parvo test if the diarrhea is severe, or if vomiting is happening- even if the puppy is partially through a vaccine series. Rice/ground turkey is FINE for a short period of time as a bland carb/protein combo. It is not a balanced ration for long term feeding- but short term it is FINE. Rice/chicken or Rice/turkey or Rice/cottage cheese is a SUPER common home made food recommendation for dogs recovering from diarrhea, vomiting, GI surgery ect.
BE careful and if the stool has blood in it or has a "metallic" smell - might be parvo - and at a young age they can still get. My guess is there might be worms as well. There is also stress of a new home - food transition etc. My vet always suggests canned pumpkin for diahrea - but really the beef and rice things will "plug" it up perfectly and calm its stomach if it is simply food change or nerves
We found a puppy abandoned in a park. It's belly was so distended from worms. You can use nemex for worming and it is not too rough on them. He then of course had diarrhea. Our vet had us use pepto as well to stop the diarrhea as that will quickly kill puppies. Make sure he has plenty of water. good luck sharon
Just got off the phone with my brother and i told him the suggestions so far and he is going to stick with the vet and feed her the turkey and rice for 4 days to see if the poo becomes more solid and if it doesnt then he is going to get a second opinion. If it does become more solid he is going to put her on what the breeder was feeding them and search for a better holistic food. Another thing is everytime they let her outside she eats grass and chews on everything so it might be environmental. She is drinking plenty of water and is acting rambunctious like a normal pup. Its just pretty frustrating for me because every little problem, they come and talk to me but then they go and do the opoosite.
Quote:That IS frustrating! My parvo pup acted almost like a normal puppy - played w/the other dogs, ate A LOT of grass, etc., and slept a lot. But as soon as I saw a tiny streak of blood in his vomit, I took him to the vet, and they found a "light" positive for parvo. This was the 2nd opinion. The 1st vet that saw him (young, inexperienced) thought he might have a blockage, and was ready to schedule SURGERY(!) to explore, when my usual vet (at the same office) overheard and suggested the parvo test. I thank the powers that be for good doctors!!!
