Gassy Dog...Suggestions please - Page 2

Stop changing his food,

decide to feed him one kind of quality food & stick with it.

Changing his food is the main reason this is happening,

Stick to one kind of food, and feed at the same time each day,
give this at least 4 weeks to work, also worm him, it could be as
simple has a bad case of worms.

1/4 teasp dry mustard with each meal acts as a digestive aid :) I always give that as well as 1/2 teasp of dry ground ginger with each meal.. Ginger soothes the stomach and is also a natural anti-inflammatory.

I hppe you are working with a vet on this. Sounds like you are but if not, you should be. Did I talk to you about yeast infections or was that someone else? If this is the same dog, then it definitely sounds like an allergic reaction to me.

Here is a good article about IBD in dogs. http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?articleid=305  Sorry it isn't a direct link, you'll have to cut and paste. Do read it. It's good.

I have a couple of suggestions.  1) Stop changing his food!  Pick one food with a protein source he's never eaten before, if you can. EVO is a good food but it's a complicated food. This may be too much for his system. The same company makes a product called California Natural which comes in two formulas: lamb and rice or chicken and rice. Most dogs can eat lamb or chicken. A very few dogs are allergic to rice, but not many. One protein source and one carbohydrate source. That's it. Nothing else except necessary supplementation. Both of these foods come in low-fat versions if you need even less fat. Another good food is Breeder's Choice but you can't get that everywhere.  Check the NaturaPet website, just google it. No I don't work for them. I had a dog like yours and this is what worked for her. 

2) You may need to give your dog a simple antibiotic like Tylan powder for several weeks. You may also need to give prednisone for a short time (a week or two) to calm the irritation in his bowel. For these, you will need your vet's advice and prescriptions.  The main thing is to get your dog's diarrhea stopped and his bowel calmed down. You might find that giving him Imodium with anti-gas simethecone will provide immediate relief. Give only one tablet at a time. No more than two tablets per day. It will either work or it won't and you will know quickly.

3) You may have to give him pro-biotics and digestive enzymes regularly. It's pointless to give pro-biotics (good bacteria) while he is taking antibiotics. But you can give digestive enzymes. This will help him digest his food. I bought my pro-biotics and digestive enzymes at a health food store. I got the kind that have complete formulas for both.

Simple home remedies like ginger, green beans, pumpkin etc. are likely not what your dog needs. Especially if he's the dog with yeast infections like I mentioned above. Feel free to PM me if you like. I've been there with what you are dealing with.

These suggestions Sam are all good and have been made before to this person. The bottom line is some people cannot follow suggestions, regardless of who gives them. You are correct. The WORST thing in such cases as this is to be continually changing, changing, changing. It belies a lack of the most elemental understanding of the GI tract, for one thing. A dog or a person, for that matter, who is producing a lot of gas, is simply NOT digesting its' food correctly and has the wrong bacteria in the gut to do the digestion.

Thanks all.  I'm about to go check out the links.  I'm not rally satisfied with my vet's diagnosis of "I think he has IBD"  Is there not a test that can be done?  If so, what type of test, what are the costs involved, and how many vets actually know about the test?

Here's the other thing that makes me question IBD....on Natural Balance (low fat) Venison and Potato he was losing weight, energy was bad, was still gassy (more so than on EVO), he had diarrhea more often on Natural Balance than on EVO.  If he in fact, has IBD, that wouldn't really make sense would it?  He's great on the EVO, tons of energy, diarrhea maybe once a week which was better than the Natural Balance.  His skin is starting to clear up nicely on the EVO red meat, ears are clearing up (finally almost clear after 2 months of twice daily ear washes).  I have no idea what the dog was being fed, when he was fed, before I got him.  So all is well with the EVO except three things, he does have diarrhea one day every week or two, the protein is too high in my opinion, and he's gassy...not as bad as on other food, but still very gassy none the less.  Have any of you experienced anything like this? 

When I got the dog he was VERY sick and vet said neglected (I'll keep my opinion to myself for now) so I don't really know what he'd went through in the around six months he spent in a moderately popular kennel that's supposed to be top notch.  The dog was like 20-30 lbs underweight and covered in sores, terribly neglected in my opinion.  Still, he is a super dog with more heart than any you will meet.  He just started Schutzhund with me.  Anyway, I'm rambling.  I'm just stumped.  I go to the vet, he gives me antibiotics, nothing changes, says he wants to see me in two weeks.  This is getting very expensive and I still don't even know if there is actually something wrong with my dog, whether it's a result of neglect and possible prior poor nutrition.  He was treated for bacterial and yeast infections of both ears and skin with Cephalexin (forgive my spelling) by a vet I liked.  Then we started going to my regular vet, he put him on Flagyl and that really did nothing for his diarrhea.  We also did a round of Panacur.  Now he's on a sulfa drug and predisone and his skin if finally clearing.  The prednisone has not made his diarrhea happen more often.  I'm stumped, guys....I'm off to explore the links and hope someone has an idea I don't because this is all new to me.  My female can eat ANYTHING and be fine.  My last male was a picky eater, but no diarrhea problems.  Is there anythign we've missed in doing precautionary treatments (we did Giarda, he had hookworms when I got him so he's been throgh two rounds of  Panacur.  Doesn't really appear to be an allergy as he's done the best on Science Diet I/D and EVO Red Meat...and EVO has beef and I/D has chicken.  Maybe a flea allergy when he was at the kennel infested with fleas, but no real allergy symptoms like chewing or anything since he's been here and on Comfortis.  Anyone have a clue?  Are some dogs just really gassy and have diarrhea once every week or two and are actually healthy? 

Off to read the links...thanks so much you guys.

-Nichole

I hope she follows my advice. It's the dog I really feel for, Hodie. I hate to see one suffer.

Sam and Hoodie, first of all the dog is getting the best in care in this area and I even drove four hours to take him to a better vet.  The VET SUGGESTED I CHANGE HIS FOOD and since he graduated college and is charging me by the hundreds, and is supposed to be a professional, when he says "Get your dog off the Natural Balance, he's doing worse" I follow instructions.  Why would I go to a vet and not listen to him?  My female has been on the same food for four years, I don't like changing foods.  I am very unhappy and frustrated with all of this and trying to the best I can.  As for my "poor dog", he's gained nearly 20 pounds in two months, his skin went from solid sores to three small sores, his ears went from black and filled with brown gunk to pink now so I don't think I'm doing that bad, where he had bald spots he now has hair (still short, but growing no less), he went from completely lethargic to being well enough for Schutzhund club.  This dog has a very complicated past and was presented to me very sick.  I expected to be going to get a dog who was healthy and ready to take to the club that weekend and I got a dog who would absolutely break your heart....my dogs are well cared for and go to the vet at the first sign of trouble.  I was not prepared for this and I've done the best I can.  I'm starting to doubt my vet on this dog.  But how dare anyone say the dog is suffering when I know of no one who's put the time and effort into getting a dog back to health that I've put into this dog.  I'd like to know what you who want to condemn me would do differently?  I went to purchase this dog as a healthy dog, got him because I felt he'd die if I didn't get him to a vet, and hundreds of dollars later, he's doing pretty damned good considering a little over two months ago he was nearly dead and could keep nothing on his stomach.  I use the best vet in my area but I feel like he's stringing me along and I want to figure out what's going on with my dog.  Maybe my dog has some problem my vet has no experience with?  I don't know.  But you who think you are God's gift to dogs, I don't need that.  I already feel bad enough.  The dog is happy, he lives inside, he sees the vet every week to two weeks.  I don't know all the magic tricks of handling a dog with a potential digestive problem, I came here for advice from people who've experienced this, not to get slammed.  And Hoodie and Sam, when my vet says sternly to pull my dog off of a food, that my dog is getting worse, I'm not going to argue, I want my dog better not worse.  You should really know all sides to a situation before passing judgement.  My dog is very happy, playful now, and grateful to be inside, be clean, have flea control, have treatment.  It's just I feel like after about 6 vet visits, I should have more definite answers on what's going on with the dog than what I'm getting.  A few people here are so quick to jump to conclusions and that "hollier than thou" attitude from a few people here really gives this place a bad name.  If you're so knowledgable and great, you come down, check out my dog and tell me what's wrong with him....my vet isn't catching it, save my "poor dog" from "fsuffering" if you have the magic cure.  My vet won't even talk to me about Tylan and that's why he's not tried it.  I go by what the vet says....it's just this time I am starting to doubt my vet.

To those who are offering real help and real links so I can educate myself my more, THANK YOU!  I am presently seeking a vet who is experienced with digestive disorders....any suggestions welcome, I will travel anywhere within the southeastern US to ensure my dog had the best of care.

Calm down, please. I have been trying to help you. I had a dog with recurring yeast infections in her ears and on her skin. She also had digestive problems - diarrhea and gas. Just like your dog only not as bad since I didn't get her as a sick dog the way you got your dog. My dog was allergic to eggs. I suspect your dog is allergic to something in one of the foods he's eaten or something in his environment. 

Please read the PetEducation link I gave above. It is from Drs. Foster and Smith, the veterinarians who run both a practice and a pet supply warehouse. I don't know a vet in the southeastern area, sorry.  As for vets, I have found that the quality varies considerably.  Most vets don't seem to get much education in nutrition or allergies for some reason.  My vet at the time wasn't much help other than with medications I requested. I did an elimination diet to find out what my dog was allergic to. Once I figured that out, managing her condition was much, much easier.

You are of course free to take my advice or completely ignore it.  In either case, best wishes to you and your dogs.

Sam, I'm sorry.  I'm just really frustrated and I want my dog well like yesterday.  I feel like I'm doing all I can and nothing seems to make sense.   I feel like I am getting so close.  Last vet visit I made them do another ear swab and we're clear...no yeast.  Thank goodness.  Took a lot of work and he's been SUPER about it.  He's went right along with the twice daily ear washes and never acted out.  He knows we are trying to help and he's working with me.  I just can't seem to find the problem.  He's doing the best he's done on the EVO and right now, I am scared to put him on anything else.  The vet just told me no more Natural Balance and the people at the pet store said they'd heard great things about EVO and it does look really nice and top quality and he loves it, it's just the protein level scares me for long term use.  And on Natural Balance he was SO gassy and was having diarrhea every few days.  The vet initally told me to use the 40 lbs bag of I/D and trasition him to a Lamb & Rice after that 40 lbs.  I mixed the foods and slowly did the transition to the food my vet reccommended and that's when he had some bad diarrhea for a few days at a time and then one or two good days.  Last night, when I gave him his bath, all the scales and scabs came comepetely off of him for the first time since I've had him and his skin is looking like I never thought it would because his skin looked SO bad.  I feel like I am right on the edge of being home free with him...we're down to diarrhea (one loose stool) once every week to two weeks.  But what is causing it?  I've spent enough at my vet that I feel like I should know EXACTLY what his problem is.

I read the link you kindly sent.  Good link.  It makes me doubt IBD with him even more though.  His stools have never had mucous or blood since I've had him.  And wouldn't' a high fat food like EVO be worse on him if he had IBD?  I might end up comparing the ingredients of the I/D, the other Lamb & Rice, Natural Balance, and EVO and see if there's a common thread that I/D and EVO are missing, that could be the allergen if it is allergies.

Even though he's been through two rounds of antibiotics, could he have some type of bacterial infection in the gut that the antibiotics missed?  I mean, this dog was ultra nasty, covered in sores, skin and bones, in pitiful shape,  He is steadily gaining weight so that makes me feel better...and he started gaining as soon as he got here so that makes me think he wasn't being fed properly or the diarrhea was so bad he was wasting away.  But this is just blowing my mind.  Anything you guys can think of I should have him checked for?  CBC was fine.  Could the yeast infections have been so severe due to being infested with large adult fleas for months and his chewing (at least his skin infection)?  Are there infections/health problems that go along with a dog being basically shoved in kennel that was obviously nasty?  Should I do another round of Panacur just to be safe about Giarda?  People with experience, what would your next step be?  He has one more week on the Sulfa drug, two more weeks on prednisone.  I think I am going to use that time to research and find a new vet.

Thanks all and sorry for losing my temper

Just to be clear, I have spent a lot of time emailing and helping you in the past as well.  I don't think you heard a thing I said. I don't care what or who you listen to. However, part of your problem is that you do not seem to be able to stick to one plan. Jumping from thing to thing or vet to vet will not help the dog. I told you that too already. If you think the vet is doing the right things, then stick exactly with what the vet is telling you.