6 month old Husky with Chronic Diarrhea

Question
Hi there.  We have an almost 6 month old pup that has had chronic diarrhea since we received him.  We have tried everything from the boiled chicken and rice diets, to many other kinds of food for sensitive stomachs-mainly protein based with no fillers.

We have also spent over $300 in vet bills getting him tested from fecal to blood and nothing came back as being a problem... that's a problem.  We are at a loss as to what to do.  I feel like I can't just ignore it, but my vet is out of ideas for us.  What do you suggest?

One more thing, he tends to pant a lot... all day, not just after excercise.  What could this be about?  My boyfriend thinks that he is just really hot... it hasn't hit above 50 here yet in WA!  Help!

Answer
This is a tough one because you have taken the "recommended" route of vet and food alteration.  I'm curious to know if you received him from a  registered breeder or another source.  Unfortunately, one of the problems that can hit Siberians, and working breeds in general, is digestive sensitivity.  Please write back and let me know the origins of this dog, as that may be able to help me provide additional feedback.

However, knowing what I know right now, my last suggestion would be to try a raw based diet.  I am no expert in raw feeding, but there are plenty of resources out there to help you get started.  My suggestions would be to of course Google it, but also, you may wish to join Sibernet-L (just google that and it should come right up).  Sibernet is a very active email list that is for Siberian Husky owners and enthusiasts - many on the list do some form of raw feeding, and can give you a lot of great advice.  To get started right away, my suggestion would be that you probably have found a kibble that helped even just a little, but nothing you could get that took care of it.  Find a kibble that at least helped and that your dog liked, and supplement it with raw ground beef.  I would suggest starting with a tablespoon, and maybe increasing.  Kibble should be reduced - but it's hard to say how much without knowing specifics.  My overall suggestion would that kibble can be reduced about 10-20or every tablespoon of meat - but that number can be adjusted to suit you and your dog.

What is interesting is that the dog's digestive system is a short path, and very protected from foodborne bacteria like E.coli and salmonella.  Find some fresh meat from a trusted butcher shop, but otherwise, you are generally in good shape.  One of the main kennel lines of Siberian Huskies in the country has had similar problems with their pups having digestive problems and this solution (raw ground beef) helped considerably.

Go ahead and try that, but definitely write back with your pups lineage and maybe I can help trace it back some more.