Diarrhea- please help. - Page 1

Im dealing with a very...er, crappy situation right now. My one year old GSD has a nasty case of the poops. I have noticed over the past 4 months (which would have been right around the time when we moved to our new home) he has been getting diarrhea more frequently. He has been to the vet about this once before, and after simply waiting it out for approx 2 days, he was fine (it was later discovered my fiance gave him a basketball to play with....which he of course, ate.) That happened about 3 months ago. Since then he has been getting the poops on what seems to be a monthly basis.

I have narrowed down what I think might be probable factors for this months "poops"

We went to the pet store like we do every month and spoiled the crap out of the sheps. Some treats and bones he has eaten in the past 2 days are : Wellness Wellbites, Large smoked bison bone (dino bone), Kong "Ziggies", rawhide donut (very cheap, dyed treat with flavoring).

Stress: We have been working really hard to work with my boy on training, he has been going to sessions once a week for over a month already (with great success), things in the home have been changing dramatically for him. He use to be a spoiled rotten kissyface, lavished in new toys and treats and basically treated like a king.....my fault, I know. As what usually happens when you spoil a naturally dominate dog, we began to have problems. He became very overprotective of me at around 8 months of age (almost 5 months ago). I figured it was just his natural instinct, until it became grossly apparent that I was in horrible denial and could simply not control my dog due to lack of respect.  I have since, swallowed my pride, seeked proffesional help...and we are making fantastic progress. I have been alot more dominant with him and have been practicing the NILF method while inside the home. Its obvious the poor boy is stressed out by this "culture shock"

I am wondering, what do you suggest for controlling the poops, he has had them for a few hours now.
I have heard pumpkin is good to give dogs, is this true?

Canned pumkin and white rice. Works wonders.

My male Ando had this happen. It was awful. I gave my dog canned pumpkin and it worked. It settled them out by the next day.

Daniel

Have you elimiated parasites as a cause? Maybe you need to go to the vet again. If there is standing water near your new home that the dog is allowed to get into (swim in, or drink), giardia is a possible cause.

Has he eaten any toys lately? Sometimes pieces of rubber, etc. get stuck in the digestive system, and cause problems. I once heard about a GSD that had problems with its tummy for over a year. I think they finally did an x-ray, and found a ball lodged in its stomach! Yep, it had been there all along....

Those treats might have been a problem. Sometimes too much fat (e.g. marrow bones or pig's ears) can cause the runs. Some treats can be contaminated with bacteria, or your dog just may be sensitive to the dyes and chemicals they use in the manufacturing.

Pumpkin and boiled rice...yep, good thing for diarrhea! The rice dries up the stool by absorbing water, and the pumpkin helps it hold together by providing bulk (water soluble fibre).

I am doubtful stress is the problem. I think dogs are tougher emotionally than we are. Okay, each one is different, but I think people who give their dogs tranquilizers because they're 'stressed out' are a bit looney themselves.  They'd both benefit from an hour's long ramble in the woods, or a brisk training session, then the tranks would be unneccessary for either dog or human... A tired dog is a happy, relaxed dog.

JMHO!

I think what really may have caused it this time was the dog run.
At LAST we finally got a run set up for our dogs, it really free's up allot of time.
We set it up yesterday and my boy was very happy to run around in it and play....leash free!

After we were certain he was comfortable in it, we retreated to the house and watched him through the window.
No more then 10 minutes later the neighbours nuisance dachsund comes running up to his run barking and growling, with no owner in site. My boy retaliated with ferocious barking and slamming up against the chain link....a reasonable reaction to something rudely tresspassing and provocking him. I of course went out and took the weiner dog back to her home.

A few hours after that he got diarrhea, could this also be a factor?


He eats Orijen adult formula....

Sorry for the novice question, I probably seem like an idiot.

I just want to ease his poops...

It seems to me it may be a combination of things, stress from training and to many treats and play toys to eat.  We all have been known to spoil our babies just nature no ones fault. if you took him to the vet what did they say? I have had the same problem at times with mine and what worked for me may or not work for you but this is what I do. I give mine their plain dry food with a little cooked rice and pepto accourding to the dogs weight. Sometimes this is something that has to run its course. Try to keep him still (if possible) the best you can, less activity sometimes will help. This can be an aggravating situation on your part and if you keep in the house it makes it worse. I have not heard of giving pumpkin to a dog. I have always from experience learned that it is best to give them just THEIR food and small treats during training and to stay away from  anything else.  I would slack on the training until he improves.  Dogs digestive system is different and you have to becareful of straying from the normal food they are used to eating. I don't know what you are feeding him but also the food may be to strong for him or something in the food he may be allergic to.

Hope this helps and good luck

Sandra

I had the same problem of recurring diarrhea. Please see if the information on the thread below helps.

www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/bulletins_read/234761.html

Canned pumpkin is great, so is plain yogurt.

As far as parasites go, he is 100% clean.
He has been an exceptionally healthy dog, with the exception of the basketball incident and an occasion where he needed stiches he has had no problems. Im somewhat of an overprotective owner, this dog is my life.

I am thinking it could also be the water,  we use to live in town and have since moved to an acreage, I know I had issue's with the water in the past (the adjustment) could it be that he is just taking a while to adjust?

Has anyone successfully used kaopectate or peptobismal for diarrhea relief? I have heard this also works but I am very very wary when self medicating any dog. A friend of mine swears by it, but the same person is not very dog savvy.......kind of hit and miss as far as dog knowledge goes, so I am uneasy about taking this advice.

I

If you have a water well the water could be the problem. Guardia or coccidiosis. Dogs have organisms living in their gut as we do. In times of stress things get out of balance. I would treat with Sulpha for 5 days for Cocci then if that does not help treat for guardia