Ive got a seven month old lab puppy. About a week ago he started to have runny stools which were a little lighter in colour than normal. Quickly after he started to have a small amount of fresh blood and possibly mucus at the end of his stool. It wasn’t with the main stool, just at the end. He went to the vets on Friday who said colitis and have him GI food, fortiflora and another medication. On Sunday they put him on antibiotics as he wasn’t improving. His stools are slowly becoming more formed to start with but the end bit is runny and still a little blood. However, they’re now slightly darker but slightly green. Is this how colitis runs its course or could he have something else? He’s either mad or sleepy but is on tramadol as he’s also developed a limp! He’s also seeming like he’s stiff and holding himself weirdly. He’s back at the vets tomorrow! Thank you.
Hi Lauren, Welcome to the forum! So sorry to hear your pup has been unwell. I'm afraid I don't have any personal experience of colitis, but if you are worried that he's behaving oddly or not improving them I'd give the vet a call this morning just to be on the safe side. Do let us know how he gets along!
Hi Lauren - I have quite a bit of experience with gut issues and runny poops in dogs, as my now deceased Weim went through this throughout her life.... You don't say which ABs he is on? Typically it's either Synulox (or another brand name with the same meds in) or metronidazole. If vets prescribe without a stool sample or diagnosis, they may guess the wrong one. My experience has been that, once the right AB is started the poop, drastically improves within 24hrs. If you haven't seen a drastic improvement, it might suggest that the med is not the right one. Blood in stools is a sign that the lining of the digestive tract has been irritated and bled. It happens far more frequently in dogs than in people. (Ie a person with it would get hospitalised and big tests run or investigations of some kind, whereas dogs it will clear up with the gastro issue clears up.) Here's what you can try: A 3-day course of Panacur 10% at the dosage for giardia. You can buy this online without a prescription. It is a gentle wormer which will do no harm but also happens to be effective against giardia - which is a common cause of what you've described. See the specific instructions on the packet for giardia usage. You can give Panacur 10% at the same time as ABs and/or immediately afterwards - in fact, that is often recommended as a kind of double-barrelled attempt to nuke the giardia. Powdered or canned pumpkin. This will add bulk to the stools through fibre and will slow down the passage of food through the digestive tract. Slippery Elm. This is a well known natural solution for GI upsets and you can get it on Amazon for dogs. It is a mucous-y liquid which coats the lining of the digestive tract to protect it, and stops it getting irritated. Probiotics. I like the Dr Mercola probiotics for dogs, on Amazon. These are important after and during courses of ABs, because the ABs will nuke the good bacteria as well as the bad. If you haven't done a stool sample yet, it would be a good idea to do this if issues continue. They don't always provide answers - because, whatever the bad bacteria is, it is not shed in every stool. But it is definitely worth doing one, in case it finds something. This would concern me more, and I think it's a good idea to get checked out further and even to talk to the vet about running a blood panel - just in case the runny poops are a sign of something more serious. Tramadol is a pretty strong pain reliever and not usually a vet's first choice of pain med for limps etc - typically used for more severe pain - recent research suggests it is not very effective as a pain med... although some believe it is and it can also make dogs very spacey - which could explain holding himself weirdly.... It would also not have anti-inflammatory effects like Metacam or Rimadyl or similar... It might be worth asking why that particular pain med was chosen for him.
Hi, My 7 month labrador has had loose stools on and off for almost a week. On Saturday night I had to get up to let him out twice as he was whining in his crate. He has been absolutely fine in terms of being playful and running around on our walks. Yesterday I gave him 2 eggs scrambled for breakfast and then boiled chicken and rice a couple of times. He didn't pooh at all yesterday. This morning I went back to his normal kibble which he has been on since before he left the breeder (Beta). Is it possible that he could suddenly develop an intolerance to this food? Today he did a loosish stool this morning and then back to runny this afternoon after his tea of kibble. He doesn't seem unwell. I live in England and am wondering what the Probiotics are that some people on this forum talk about as I think I should give him some? Should I give him sweet potato too maybe? Any advice would be great please.
