[Christin K]

Reading this post, and all the responses has been a real eye opener for me. After taking Daphne, my Bichon Poodle mix to the vet twice in the past month to the tune of $400, and being told the next option is expensive tests, I figured I needed to look at ways to nip this thing in the bud as opposed to chasing it after it starts.

My vet “prescribed” Science Diet I/D. My personal opinion is that Science Diet is horrid. From my understanding by friends who have worked in the veterinary setting, vets get kick backs for “prescribing” Science Diet. The ingredient list is horrid. Pork liver? Whole grain corn? Seriously? 14% fat content? For a dog with colitis? Ridiculous!

I did a little bit of research on the internet for dogs with sensitive stomachs. Daphne’s episodes always start with throwing up. Then comes the profuse bloody diarrhea. I am beginning to wonder if the two correlate; she gets an upset stomach, stops eating, which brings on the inflamed intestine. I could be completely wrong, but she seemed like she was starting into another episode this morning by throwing up. I gave her a Tums with her food. She really didn’t want to eat her food, but she gave it a good college try.

I’m trying Wellness Simple dog food, which is fish and potato based, and has limited ingredients. I have come to the conclusion that kibbles seem to bring on the colitis, so I’m sticking with wet for for the time being. So far, so good. I’m also using a probiotic which I received from the vet. However, I think I’m going to switch to a goat’s milk formula which has a probiotic.

I personally think that one size does not fit all dogs. First of all, colitis can be caused by just about anything. My vet thinks that Daphne’s first bout was brought on by the stress of Tropical Storm Hermine. It’s a distinct possibility since Daphne was extremely adverse to going potty outside, and only did with much prodding. Why the second bout came on is anyone’s guess. We had a thunderstorm the night before, but this is Florida. We have thunderstorms all the time. Stool samples showed an elevated amount of bacteria in her intestine. I’ve been wondering if she’s been sneaking into the cat’s litter box for a treat. Maybe it is something more serious like Crohn’s. For now, I’m trying the diet change, and have actually considered cooking her food (fish and sweet potato) if it comes down to it. I’m also going to purchase an herbal supplement to help her with the storm anxiety, especially since we have Hurricane Matthew bearing down on Florida at the moment.

I read about using chamomile tea to settle the stomach and intestines. I might try that route as well.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Christin K.