[crazy4cats]

I also have labs with digestive issues. The supplements that I have used with success that have similar ingredients are: Gastriplex by Thorne, Vetri Probiotics BD by Vetri-Science, Phytomucil by Animal Essentials and the Perfect Form by Honest Kitchen. Good luck all. This is not a fun issue to deal with.

[sctazz05]

I have a boxer he has been diagnose with boxer colitis I need to no what to try to feed him with. If you could help by suggesting so etching for me. He is picky.

[theBCnut]

Has your vet given you any guidelines? Some dogs with colitis do well on a high fat, low fiber diet others need a low fat diet. If your dog needs a low fiber diet then Victor Ultra Pro or Abady might work for you.

[klynnway@aol.com]

Hi Wanda,
After almost a year I have helped Jasmine with a hypoallergenic diet (Royal Canin Potato/Venison. One of the causes can be a food allergy, and it turned out to be chicken which is in a lot of dogfoods. She LOVES the food and it is possible that is an issue with your dog, but I only found out by starting a novel diet which she never had. She is still on metrodonizol and Ursodial but doing very wedll on the combo. I found that probiotics and most supplements were contrary to her disease. I also believe she is allergic to fish so fish oil also throws her off. I can almot guarantee he will love the food!
Best wishes,

Karen

[klynnway@aol.com]

ps. my dog did not do well on thed gastro. diet or the high fat diets. I did not try the high fiber diet as it finally clicked wirtfh the hypo.diet.

Besat of luck with your pup!

[klynnway@aol.com]

what qualifies for “boxer colitis? Wanda. Is it an heriitary TYPE of colitis? That would be a great clue from your vet?

[sctazz05]

She said most all boxer get it because it runs in there bred.

[sctazz05]

Where do you buy the dog food for your dogs

[sctazz05]

The vet said feed him chicken and rice without the skin and cottage cheese

[klynnway@aol.com]

do what the vet says to get him well, then we can deal wsith what is causing this.

[sctazz05]

Ok I was I will ask for help when I get him well he is eating what the vet told me to do and taking his med.

[sctazz05]

Thank y’all and I will keep y’all posted about Samson.

[sctazz05]

Hey everyone hope y’all are having a wonderful Easter Sunday . Well Samson is taking his last meds today he is doing great now I need to no what kind of food to try him on and where to purchase it from. Can y’all help with that.

[sctazz05]

Samson has colitis I have given him his last meds. Is there any recommendation on dog food to try now that he is doing better.

[theBCnut]

That’s a tough one because there can be so many reasons for colitis. For some dogs, increasing fiber helps, but for others(I think most) going as low fiber as possible is the key. Does the vet have your dog on I/D? If so, I would get a small bag of something relatively bland like NutriSource and start a VERY slow transition, like only 10% new food. Watch stools very carefully for any signs of stomach upset before increasing the amount. Other foods to try if NutriSource doesn’t work out are Abady and Victor’s Ultra Pro. They are both high calorie foods and will need a slow transition, but they are pretty low on fiber.

[sctazz05]

Thanks I’ll try it

[klynnway@aol.com]

hi all,
re Jasmine (13yr old dog with colitis and poss. IBD/ food intolerance.)

There are so many good suggestions here. I have been making Jasmine a diet of browned ground turkey and oatmeal for a week now hoping to address her colitis and loose stools. I haven’t added the psyillium as yet as it seems to loosen her even more. This diet was vet originated through Balance it. I have added pumpkin today to her mix to help firm her stools, I hope! She is still on metronidazole.

I have tried so many things and have settled on this home made diet until maybe a holistic vet can help me move her more into dogfood and apppropriate supplements.

She did the best on a hypo allergenic diet from RC – pot & venison but they changed the formula & the potatoes were also causing reflux. Noe sure where to head but at the moment enjoys the turkey, oatmeal & pumpkin. I add a senior vitamin each day.

Any thoughts on mixing in a kibble that is hypo or grain, chix potato free to help as she proceeds?

Best,

Karen

[Heidi B]

My 14 year old standard poodle Matisse was healthy his whole life. We had to board him for the first time ever in May while my husband and I were out of town. He came home very sick, had lost weight, lethargic, diarrhea, etc. After 3 rounds of Metronidazole and Sucralfate he still wasn’t better. His energy was back somewhat and he’d gained weight but still suffered from chronic diarrhea and constipation. I decided to stop following my vets advice (he also had Matisse on Royal Canin Gastro food) and try Canine Cavier. He started having normal stools after 3 days. Then added in plain canned pumpkin. Things got even better. Finally added goats milk. He is now 100 percent better. He has 3 normal very healthy bowel movements a day and his energy is way, way up. This transition didn’t take long. 2 to 3 weeks, but I could see results within a day of each added item. I was lucky, too. My local natural pet food store has an excellent woman who guided me. Natural Pet in Dunedin, Florida. If your dog is suffering from chronic colitis this combination is definitely worth a try. It has done wonders for us.

[Hanna S]

I think I have found something that works for my dog for colitis. He is a small 7lb poodle and he is 10 y.o. Its been now 4 months and no flare ups! I started feeding him raw diet made by primal foods. I usually get him the chicken. I started mixing licorice root extract with the food for a week. Then I stopped that so that he wouldn’t get it excessively, only long enough to help his gut to heal. I have been adding raw goat milk by answers and green mush by healthforce nutritional since the day I switched him to raw. It seems go be working wonders. I’m not sure if it’s the combination of things but I’m so happy to see him feeling good again!

*I want to add that the raw goat milk by answers is full of antibiotics and the green mush has all kinds of wonderful herbs as well as digestive enzymes.*

• This reply was modified 9 years, 5 months ago by Hanna S.

[theBCnut]

I think you mean the goats milk is full of probiotics. Nobody would want to use it if it was full of antibiotics.

[Hanna S]

Lol good ol’ auto correct. Yes probiotics, certainly not antibiotics lol

[theBCnut]

You muct mean auto co-wrecked, at least that’s been my experiance with it. 🙂

[Deb M]

Can any of you trace the beginning of your dog’s colitis to a recent thimerosol-free rabies vaccination?

My 20 pound Havanese developed bloody diarrhea/vomiting one week after her shot. The day after her shot she had slight swelling around her face. Back to one week after the shot, she spent 2 days in hospital on fluids, flagyl, pain killers, pepcid for the bloody diarrhea. Her bloodwork showed very high lipase/amylase, slightly elevated liver enzymes and the vet was treating her for pancreatitis. I took her home after 2 days on all of the IV fluids, etc and then her skin turned bright pink from her gums all the way to her tail but no diarrhea. She had lost weight, was getting dehydrated, wouldn’t eat so I brought her to the emergency vet (it was a Sunday night). They felt she was slipping into shock and getting dehydrated so back on fluids, pantroprazole (a PPI) and pain killers but no antibiotics. Her bloodwork showed that her lipase/amylase were improving but her liver enzymes were still a little low and she was now slightly anemic. And her belly was bright red, as were her gums. She was in pain. They ran a highly specific blood test for pancreatitis and she did not have it. Then they did an ultrasound of her chest, abdomen and pelvis and it showed no evidence of pancreatitis, as well, but slightly enlarged lymph nodes near her colon. So they thought it was colitis. But, the skin issue led them to believe that it might be an immune reaction to the rabies vaccination. The reason is because, at the same time my dog was being evaluated, a Tibetan Mastiff was evaulated with bloody diarrhea and the bright pink skin — and he had had a rabies vaccination within the past week, as well. Same symptoms.

My dog is home now but has soft stool with some mucous in it and slight pain in the abdominal area. Her belly skin is only light pink but it looks like annular lesions of a slightly darker pink. I’ve opened a case at the vaccine manufacturer and the emergency vets will add to the report once they get the lot number of the Mastiff’s vaccine.

It’s been interesting to read the different diets each of you have been trying for your dogs and I will have to do an elimination diet for my dog since she is not back to her old self. She is now much more playful (she is 8 years old and was a dynamo before this vaccination) but does not keep her tail up except when running. And, her tummy is still sensitive to the touch at times, but not at other times. She is also wheezing now. BTW, she has been on thyroid medication for the past few years and I’ve read that she probably should not have been given any vaccinations due to this. I’m hoping that she has not triggered autoimmune colitis (crohn’s).

I’d be interested in knowing if any of you can trace your dog’s GI ailments to a rabies vaccination. Thanks.

[Ellen C]

My almost 1yr old sheperd retriever mix was just diagnosised with breed specific colitis. They feel her a is from her being a sheperd mix. I did notice however that our first episode was about a week after her first rabies vaccine. We are doing royal Caine low fat food with her and my beagle who has issues from stomach surgery. I feel that the meds are helping her the best right now. We also have to cold turkey switch her as rice causes her to have a flare up they think.

I was wondering g if anyone had any luck with treats. She is doing a lot of training right now and needs treats.

[theBCnut]

You can make homemade single ingredient treats by drying thin sliced meat in the oven on the lowest temp until it is dry.

[Susan]

Hi Ellen, Sheperds are known to suffer from Colitis/IBD, My boy can eat boiled rice, it irratates his bowel causing very very sloppy poos, but he can eat the rice in kibbles….. Have you tried adding a little bit of boiled Pumkin only about 1 spoon to a meal..Patch does good on small amounts of boiled pumkin & boiled chicken breast, but if I add boiled rice, I’m up at 2am-5am with his bowel grumbling, rumbling & gurgling, the noises, I can hear him from another room…just from boiled rice…..

With the treats what I do is I just give his vet diet kibble or make my own treats, oh I’ve been giving him some Watermelon as its been hot but not too much just about 5 little pieces after his walks he loves it….alot of treats from shops are high in fat% & I found can cause problems, (sloppy poos) have you joined the Yahoo group called “IBDogs”….or the Face Book group called “Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disorder” its good to talk to people that are also going thru the same thing…
You could try what BC has said but is there any meats he does better on like chicken or turkey…. buy a breast then cut up thin slices & make jerky but only give him a few little pieces to begin with for about 2-3 days & give his kibble aswell as treats & see if his poos are still going good..then increase them if everything is good….. My boy cant have the Liver jerkey treats he has real bad diarrhea with blood….. I use to make “Oatmeal-Apple Cookies” treats…Patch did good on the Oatmeal & Apple. I have the recipe if you want…they’re very very easy to make & you know what you have put in them…..

[nilockhart]

Susan, I would love to have the recipe for the Oatmeal Apple cookies you feed/fed Patch. We have an 11 1/2 year old English Bulldog (Memphis) with IBS for about the last year and kidney failure (diagnosed from an ultra sound and monthly blood work which has been holding pretty steady for awhile). He has also suffered with horrible skin allergies for about the last 8 years, and we’ve had several allergy tests done on him which aren’t worth the money you pay. Memphis has tried Royal Canin potato/venison for about a year, then Purina E/N (both at the suggestion of our vet) for quite some time, with Purina Gentle Snackers for treats. He did great for a while, but then he started with constant diarrhea and vomiting, and for the last 6-8 months “gagging” like he’s choking on spit, and even vomiting large amounts of thick spit, so our vet suggested 10 mg Pepcid every morning. I’ve been cooking a mixture of rice, boneless, skinless chicken breast and little mixed veggies for him for quite some time (again, at the suggestion of our vet), but he’s still having serious problems, with terrible bouts of diarrhea off and on (mainly on). We recently weened him to ground turkey breast (99% fat free) instead of the chicken because our groomer thought it could be the chicken, still no improvement. Memphis is still not doing well. He takes Metronidazole off and on when he has blood in his feces, but that has to be the worst medicine ever invented. He is lethargic and barely eats the entire 10 days he’s on it. Then, he’s only good for another 2 or so weeks again before we have another horrible bout of diarrhea. He also takes 5-7 units of Pro-Pectalin (probiotic) 2x a day when he’s sick, which does wonders for him, but we’re supposed to stop when his diarrhea stops (usually 2 days). I’m strongly considering (a) a new vet, (b) leaving him on about 5 cc’s of probiotics every day, (c) switching his food to Canine Caviar or Victor’s Ultra Pro, and (d) wondering whether he has an allergy to rice or corn. We realize he’s on the older end for an English Bulldog, but if it wasn’t for the stupid diarrhea, he is fairly healthy, even for only having one functioning kidney! We just want the diarrhea to stop; our poor little guy has to be miserable!!! Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Susan]

Hi Nilockhart,
I’ve just seen your post this link Colitis was on the Face Book group page called “Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel disorder” a excellent group to join… Has Memphis had an Endoscope & Biopsies done yet ?? A lot of dogs with IBD (Colitis) are on Tylan powder twice a day every 12 hours with their meal, 1/8 teaspoon for a 17-18kilo dog, it taste awful, so its best to put the Tylan powder in a capsule, it makes their food taste awful & can put them off eating…the Tylan seems to work great for dogs with Diarrhea…ask your vet about Tylan powder. I need a script to get it in Australia but I’ve heard in America you can just buy it over the counter…..
My Patch has been put on the Metronidazole (Flagyl) high dose for 2 weeks again then just 1x 200mg tablet daily with food, for his Helicobacter it keeps coming back..I don’t really don’t want him to stay on the Metronidazole forever at the age of 6yrs, so I’m going to try the Tylan powder again, I never gave it a proper go in January, I thought it was making Patch feel sick cause he was licking & licking his lips after having it, but vet said it has a bad after taste, so that probably was the problem..the Metronidazole also has a metal taste too & can cause bad side effects, after Patch is on the Metronidazole for 1-2 weeks he stays acting real jumpy, if I go to pat him while he’s sleeping, he jumps up, or flinches, he starts acting weird..

What I have found the best is a limited ingredient kibbles, less is best, have you tried the “Natural Balance” limited ingredient kibbles the Kangaroo & Potato, Duck & Potato & the Rabbit & Potato have the least ingredients the other Natural Balance LID kibbles have a couple more ingredients, so just check all the ingredients, a few ladies are feeding their IBD dogs NB LID kibbles, there’s also Brothers Allergy Complete that’s another real good kibble for dogs with IBD, if you don’t want to use vet diets…I live Australia & cant get these kibbles, so I’m stuck with the Vet diets as Patch needs a low fat kibble or wet food…
also maybe try Zantac (Ranitidine) instead of the Pepcid (Famotidine) Patch vomited on the Famotidine.. Patch weights 17-18kilos & he gets 1/3 of a 150mg Zantac tablet every 12 hours, 1 hour before food, 6am & 6pm but if I wake at 5am & just give the Zantac then & he eats breakfast 7am, you can give Zantac every 8 hours if the acid reflux is real bad..

I hope this helps you, oh also enzymes have really helped a ladies dog with diarrhea, she has a older dog as well, she’s on the Face Book group site “Dogs With Inflammatory Bowel Disorder” Deb can help & tell you the brand she uses, she was sooooo happy, finally her girl is pooing normal firm poos, I know its weird to be excited about dogs poo but after having a sick dog you know what I mean….

[Shelly B]

Acana DRY dog food (watch for ingredients even they aren’t created equal). My Pom is on the lamb. It’s been the best for my dog with Colitis (aka a Virus). As now we are finding out the truth about this thanks to people like the Medical Medium. I follow Dr. Peter Osborne the leading doctor out there for True Gluten Free knowledge. All glutens, that includes rice, corn, and please NO SOY! Make sure to add nutrients to your animals diet. Mercola Dr. Becker is one to research on her stuff. Please avoid what more all vets recommend. Specially Science Diet that puts them through school. That food should be BURNED! Most animal food is junk. I just got one of the better of the worst.

[Rhonda F]

My dog has colitis and was put on royal canine fiber response, which took care of the problem, but I was not happy with the ingredients – corn, cellulose, wheat gluten. I went to a feed store and they recommended Natural Balance Synergy. Said it took care of many digestive issues. They cook the food and then coat with a prebiotic. I tried it , but supplement with a tsp/day of psyllium husk. My dog is doing great!!

[lynne s]

my boxer has colitis and my vet advised me to put her on a dairy free diet and this helped for a few years but for the last few weeks the colitis has returned and the dairy free diet doesnt seem to be working any more i have been giving her brown rice and pasta mixed with chicken although this helps a little she is still having the bouts of colitis so she going back to the vets this week any advice on what to try with her she has a very senstive stomach

[Maniza D]

HOMEMADE DOG FOOD FOR DIGESTIVE AND SKIN ISSUES
My 13 month old Tibetan Terrier has been sick on and off since I got him at 14 weeks old. After spending thousands of dollars, I decided to cook for him. After doing a lot of research, I discovered that the Acana Pacifica he was on was too rich for him. Acana, like most dog foods does not have a balanced protein to fat ratio (1:1). It is a very fatty kibble. Also it has quite a few sources of carbs lentils ( which are also a source of protein) etc. Lentils are hard to digest, even for humans .. see Indian cooking where Hing is added to aid digestion of these pulses. The Acana ingredients may work well for other dogs but not mine. I decided to switch to homemade meals and the recipe below cured him of stomach ailments overnight!

I was able to create this recipe using BalanceIt website. Couple of important things to note : I added in one capsule of Slippery Elm, great supplement for digestive issues, rosemary, one teaspoon of fresh garlic-ginger paste, parsley, a half teaspoon of bonemeal, and substituted out a portion of the corn oil (causes inflammation) for 1/2 tsp of high quality fish oil. I also adjusted the ingredient quantity to cook for 14 meals ( 2 per day). I cooked the base consisting of the cod, salmon, sweet potatoes and pumpkin and froze the portions. The fresh veggies in the recipe are par-boiled and pureed in the water they were boiled in, and added on a daily basis, along with the above ingredients and a VITAMIN SUPPLEMENT. Very important to add the vitamins and bonemeal (for calcium) to create a nutritionally balanced meal. I add in the bonemeal because the calcium to phosphorus ratio is off in the BalanceIt Vitamin powder.

The following homemade recipe was specially created for a 28 lb healthy adult dog who requires 659 Calories per day. The following recipe provides 692 Calories, enough for 1 day.

TOBY’S HOMEMADE PET FOOD RECIPE
Ingredients Grams Amount
(1) Sweetpotato, baked in skin, without salt (BalanceIT.com; flesh fed only) 200.0 g 1 cup
(2) Fish, cod, Pacific, baked 159.5 g 5 5/8 oz
(3) Fish, salmon, Atlantic, wild, baked 74.4 g 2 5/8 oz – *I used canned
(4) Pumpkin, canned, without salt 61.2 g 1/4 of a cup
(5) Celery, cooked, boiled, drained, pureed, without salt 56.2 g 3/8 of a cup, diced
(6) Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, pureed, without salt 45.0 g-1/4 cup
(7) Squash, summer, crookneck and straightneck, cooked, boiled, drained, pureed without salt 45.0 g 1/4 of a cup, sliced
(8) Apples, raw, with skin 40.9 g 3/8 of a cup slices
(9) Oil, corn, industrial and retail, all purpose salad or cooking 18.7 g 1 3/8 tbsp – *I use only 1.5 tsp.

You MUST also add the following supplement(s) to prevent essential nutrient deficiencies:
2 3/8 teaspoons (4.75 gram) of Balance IT® Canine – I give Toby half the dose.

Per Above Recipe: 692 Calories; 33% protein calories (228 Calories); 34% fat calories (238 Calories); 33% carbohydrate calories (226 Calories).

[Maniza D]

Sorry .. I did not read that your dog maybe allergic to fish. My research revealed that dogs with digestive issues are best treated with having a higher protein than fats and carbs. Dogs do not have the intestines needed for digesting complex carbs … hence diarreahh, stinky stools, big stools etc. There is a PHD pet nutritionist in Canada who has a cookbook for dogs as wells totally balanced vitamin supplement. Her name is Hilary Watson and her website is http://www.hilarywatson.com/. I spoke with her today. She was very helpful. She is the one who suggested to me that my Toby may not have an allergies to food but food intolerances. Her recommendation was to feed him food with lower fat content than I had been. The recipe I created above certainly provides less fat than what he was accustomed to with Acana. I also think the addition of slippery elm, the small amount of garlic, ginger and some greens has helped tremendously. Dr. Watson suggested that once his digestive system has settled down, I might want to reintroduce him to other low fat proteins such as turkey, venison, bison and goat. But please note that almost every kibble has higher fat percentage than protein. The fat is added back in to make the food palatable to dogs. Natural Balance is a good food per my breeder .. but it’s nutrient values are (for fish and sweet potatoe .. limited ingredients) Protein 22%, Fat 20% and the remainder is carbs.

[Susan]

Hi Lynne, stop feeding the boiled rice, my boy can’t eat boiled rice, it irritates his bowel causing Colitis…Feed your dog foods high in omega 3 like fish, start feeding white fish even raw grounded almonds are excellent source of vitamin E, change her protein & carb to sweet potatoes or potatoes instead of the rice also I keep Metronidazole tablets, every now then I put Patch back on 200mg at night with dinner for 10 days the Metronidazole is an antibiotic for the stomach & bowel & has an anti-inflammatory in it to help with inflammation…I try to change Patches food I cook & rotate between foods he can eat, I’m feeding Lean Pork & Sweet Potato & “Taste of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb kibble there’s also a wet tin food.. then I change the protein, he doesn’t do well on chicken no more, so I changed it to lean Turkey breast, the tin Salmon, then lean Beef, then lean Pork then I start again..

[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 7 years, 6 months ago by Christin K.

[Susan]

Hi Christin, I read you put the Tums with the food, an ant acid medication should be given without any food to let the ant acid med work & settle the stomach.. Tums are like Mylanta tabs, I use to get the Mylanta Tabs & put 1 down my dogs throat, the Mylanta tab would slowly digest & line the stomach & bring relief & then after 30mins-60min offer a small meal but if the dog doesn’t want to eat that’s OK dogs are very smart & know when to rest their stomach & bowel, it’s actually good for them to fast for 1 day, the stomach & bowel has a rest & can heal..
Slippery Elm is very good for the stomach & bowel, you buy the Slippery Elm powder, get about 1 teaspoon of the Slippery Elm powder & add about 1/4 cup boiling water & mix & mix till it starts to thicken, if its tooo thick add a little bit more boiling water till the Slippery Elm is like gravy consistency, then I would cover cup with some foil & put in fridge… I would put 1 teaspoon of the slippery mix on a plate & see if Patch would lick it up, he did the first time but not the next time, so I just got a teaspoon & put the Slippery Elm mix in his mouth or use a 20ml syringe, if the mix is cold you take out a small amount & heat up till warm & the syringe can suck it up…Slippery Elm even firms up their poos…

[Christin K]

Thanks for this, Susan. I tried to give Daphne the Tums without food. She was having none of that. I’ll see if I can find the Slippery Elm at the health food store and I’ll give that a try.

[Jodie S]

I have a 4.5 year old Lab Leonberger mix, about 80 lbs. She has recently had issues that the vet feels is related to food allergies. It started back in October with issues “pooping” vet ran test said high levels of bacteria in stool. Put her on antibiotic for 7 days. Seemed to improve but then started back up. She was eating grass due to upset stomach, got plugged up and had to have enema. Back on antibiotics for 7 more days, vet felt she had colitis, x-ray showed inflamed colon. On anti-biotics and steroids and a special prescription diet (Royal Canin/Duck & Potato) canned for a few days and vet recommended using that full-time and try a food elimination diet. I love my dog, she was a gift from my kids for mothers day but a 20 lbs bag of that brand of dog food is $90.00+, which I cannot afford. She goes though about 20 lbs every 3 weeks, 5.5 cups a day. I’m looking for other suggestions. I’ve tried Natural Balance Duck & Potato which she loves but it seems she is starting with “pooping” issues again.
Any suggestions? I’ve been told to see a different vet and get 2nd opinion.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Jodie S-
Sorry to her about your pup. It sounds stressful. I’m curious, how did she do on the Royal Canin/Duck & Potato food? Did you only feed the canned to her or the dry also?

[Jodie S]

Hey Crazy4cats,
At the time I only used canned because that is all the vet had in stock. It takes a week to get the prescription food in. She seemed to do better but she was also still on antibiotics and had started the steroids. I’m not sure if that has anything to do with it because when I had no more of the Royal Canin on hand and started the Natural Balance was also about the time we stopped the antibiotics and steroids.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 4 months ago by Jodie S.

[crazy4cats]

Hi-
Is the vet recommending one of the hydrolyzed recipes or gastrointestinal? I know they are extremely expensive, but you may want to give it a shot at least to help heal your dog’s tummy. In the long run, it may pay off. If you continue to buy food that doesn’t work and you have to buy something else, it is also going to be expensive. You can buy Royal Canin prescription food on http://www.chewy.com. It may be cheaper than buying from the vet. Also RC is a brand that you get an additional discount if you set up an auto ship account with them. Their program is very flexible. You can change the date of delivery and products very easily, unlike some other programs I have tried.

I have used prescription food for both my dogs and cats at different times and have slowly weaned them off after about six months and all are doing fine. Obviously, I don’t know what is wrong with your poor pup and don’t know if this will work for her or not.

Here is a site that I referred to quite a bit when my dogs were having similar issues: http://www.dogaware.com/health/digestive.html
I did use a few of the supplements recommended on this site as well with success. Several people on this forum are anti-supplements, but I feel at times some are helpful and should only be used for a limited amount of time.

It sounds like your vet may think it is an allergy or intolerance if he/she recommended an elimination diet. That is where the hydrolyzed diet would be the best place to start. If there is an allergy, you have to find out what it is before your dog will have any relief. My dogs just had very irritated intestines due to a lot of parasites and then consequently a lot of antibiotics to rid them.

How is it going now with her now?

• This reply was modified 7 years, 4 months ago by crazy4cats.

[Bobby dog]

Hi c4c:
Just a side note, currently one of my guys has a need for an Rx food. I found that my Vet along with the two others in my area sell Rx food much cheaper than Chewy (even with autoship), Petflow, and Petfooddirect. It’s a good idea to shop around for prices though, you never know what you will find. 😉

[Susan]

Hi Jodie, my boy has IBD & he gets the Helicobacter Pylori, your dog should of been on Metronidazole (Antibiotic for the stomach & bowel) for at least 21 days, I ended up having Patches vet do an Endoscope & biopsies of Patches stomach, sometimes if the Pyloric sphincter is open, they can get the camera thru & do biopsies of the small bowel as well…by having biopsies you get some answers, instead of the vets guessing & just prescribing drugs & seeing if the drug works, the vet needs to find out what is causing the problems in stead of giving steroids, steroids are just a band aid as soon as you wean them off the steroid the dogs problems come back 🙁
For 2 yrs we were going around in circle, ate something off, colitis, food sensitivities, allergies, bacteria over growth, finally it’s taken 4yrs & we worked out what foods he cant eat, what oils he cant have in a kibble, fiber % must be low 3-4%, food/kibble can’t be too high in fat & protein & crappy vet diets make Patch worse, give him bad acid reflux & eating grass, Hills use Soybean oil, gluten corn meal & chicken & beet pulp, Royal Canin use Fish Oil & beet pulp… Finally I joined a EPI F/B group & everyones dogs are doing really well eating “Taste Of The Wild” Pacific Stream smoked Salmon or the Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb, first I tried the Pacific Stream Smoked Salmon but Patch started eating grass again I think it’s something to do with too much fish with him, then I tried TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb & he does his firmest poos, no acid reflux, no gas/wind, no vomiting & he cant stay on the TOTW Sierra Mountain for months where other kibbles he starts reacting to the kibble after 2-3 months, I also feed 1 meal that’s cooked Lean Pork mince made into rissoles with cut up broccoli, parsley, Kale, 1 whisked egg, sometimes a small crated carrot then make into 1 cup size rissoles & baked in the oven, cool then put in freezer in sections, I also boil sweet potatoes & freeze pieces size of 1/4 cup & mix 1 rissole with 1/4 sweet potato for dinner….Patches vet gives me script for Metronidazole X 200mg tablets I can just get from the chemist, so if Patch starts doing sloppy yellow poos, or gets diarrhea & it doesn’t stop, I put him back on the Metronidazole for 10 days but to kill the stomach bacteria (Helicobacter) I have to put Patch on the Metronidazole for 21 days 2x 200mg every 12 hours with a meal + 20mg-Losec to stop the acid reflux……
If you have the money get a Vet specialist that does the Endoscope & make sure you have the biopsies done, you only need about 2 biopsies, when vet looked down into Patches stomach every thing looked excellent but the biopsies told a different story, also don’t feed kibbles that are high in fiber that’s why a lot of dogs do well on the TOTW when they have EPI, IBS & IBD cause the fiber is low in the TOTW kibbles..
Elimination diet is the best way to find out what foods are irritating the stomach & bowel & causing her colitis…. another good kibble vets use & a lot of people with dogs with IBD “California Natural” Lamb & Rice, it has just 3 ingredients, Lamb, Rice & Sunflower oil, give the California Natural a go, there’s also their Chicken & Rice but a some dogs don’t do well on chicken.. http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products

[Margaret H]

Think you should consult a good dog food supplier. They know how to feed dogs by giving them a variety of food along with proper amount of nutrients in it.

[Terri L]

My shitzu/maltese has colitis. My doctor recommended Natural balance LTD sweet potato & venison formula. So far this has really worked for her. I have to also mention she is on Tylan powder for about 5 years now everyday. Her flair ups were still happening quite often. When they were really bad the doctor would give me a tube of endurosyn which works well to help her heal after a bad bout. I took it upon myself to start her on Purina Proplan FortiFlora and I have to say since she’s been on this probiotic her flare ups (when they do happen) are not as intense. No blood where as before she would have bloody stool for almost 2 days.

My question is she has lost her taste for the sweet potato & venison. It’s like one day she just decided she doesn’t like it anymore. Before that she would kill for her wet food. I only give it to her in the evening so I can get her medicine and probiotic into it. I may have to change and was wondering if anyone could recommend another wet food for me to try her on. She still enjoys the LTD sweet potato and venison dry food. She eats that with no problem I just find it strange she forces herself to eat the wet food now. I would appreciate any suggestions anyone has.

[anonymous]

Sudden changes in appetite and behavior are often red flags that something is wrong.
When she goes to the vet for her annual exam, lab work and dental check, bring up your concerns.

Or take her the vet sooner if you are really concerned. I would do that, before changing her diet. Always rule out medical causes first.
BTW: There are no veterinarians affiliated with DFA. So all comments should be regarded as opinion.
Good luck.

[Terri L]

OK I will give my vet a call and mention it to her. I didn’t think it was a big deal because believe me there is nothing wrong with her appetite. She eats very well and there is no unusual behavior except that she doesn’t seem to care for her food anymore. She smells it for a long time so I don’t know if something changed in their recipe or if she is able to sniff out the medication all of a sudden? Its very strange. Thanks for your reply! I’ll call tomorrow.

[Susan]

Hi Terri,
quick question, are you mixing the Tylan Powder in with the wet Venison food?? have you ever tasted the Tylan powder, it taste very bitter, taste a little bit it taste awful…
Best to get those empty capsules from chemist & put the Tylan powder in the capsule & put the Tylan powder in capsule,open her mouth & put teh capsuleon the back of her tongue then give her a few dry kibbles or her wet can food & she wont smell the tylan powder in the wet food…..or the wet can food makes her feel a bit unwell after eating it, where after eats the Natural Balance Venison dry kibble she feels good, you know the fat is higher in wet can foods, when you convert the4%min fat% in the N.B Sweet potato & Venison wet can its 18.18%min-fat so email Natural Balance & ask whats the max fat % in the Wet can LTD Venison formula, it will be over 20% fat, my boy cant eat wet can foods he gets bad acid reflux maybe this is happening with her aswell she wants to eat it but then knows she doesnt feel well after she eats it??
If only they could talk…

[CockalierMom]

Hi Terri,
With the venison shortage, something may have changed in it. Why don’t you try a can of the NB Buffalo and Sweet Potato–still a red meat with just a little more protein and fat.

[Terri L]

Hi Susan and cockaliermom! Susan she has been eating the tylan powder for over 5 years now in the wet food and always gobbles it up. I mix it in there very well. There is no way I can get a capsule in her mouth. This dog is one of a kind LOL Maybe Cockaliermom has a point maybe they did change something in the food. When I tell you this is her favorite part of the day when she gets this wet food I mean it. It’s something she is smelling in the food. I was going to try the Buffalo because I heard that it’s a good second choice. Thanks for the info!

[Author]

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