diarrhea in dogs

Question
QUESTION: My 12 year old dog is having gastrointestinal problems and the vet is putting her on Purina EN which is very expensive.  Is there anything on the market that I might feed her instead.  I was feeding her "Blue" but she had a virus that started her having diarrhea and now even feeding her rice and cottage cheese she is having very soft and slightly formed bowels.  Thank you.

ANSWER:
Hi Sue,

You didn't say what stomach problem you're treating your dog for. You didn't say what meat source your dog had been receiving. It's possible that switching to a hypoallergenic diet that she hasn't ever ate before might be better tolerated.

There are a couple of "over the counter" foods your dog may tolerate, but they're probably as expensive as the prescription Purina EN diet you're getting from your vet. Should you buy a whole bag of an expensive food, and it doesn't help your dog, then you will have wasted even more money.

The Purina EN diet is low in fiber, moderate fat, and is easy to digest. The thing that's confusing me is fiber is often used when you want to firm up stools. Often it's low fat diet with a little extra fiber that helps a dog with digestion problems, so this is a contradiction.

Has your vet ruled out Giardia?

If you'd like to get back to me with specifics, such as what your vet has diagnosed, I may be able to offer more suggestions.  

-Patti




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: He has ruled out Giardia.  She was eating "Blue" Senior Chicken/Rice but before that she had been on regular "Blue" either Chicken/Rice or Fish/Sweet Potato. I switched to Senior because of the higher fibre because we thought she was having a harder time going to the bathroom.Sometime after that she had this spelln with diarrhea which the vet thought was a bacterial or viral infection (my other two got it also)and she was treated with antbiotics and the EN food. This has been three or four weeks ago and she has never been able to go back to her regular food or have a bowel movement that isn't really soft.  What are the over the counter foods that might be comparable to the EN just in case I want to try them later?Sue

Answer

Hi Sue,

Thanks for getting back to me.

Some types of colitis or irritable bowel are fiber-responsive (meaning, lots of fiber is good), and some are not (meaning, low residue is better). Just a side note, in most cases, the chemistry panel of a dog with irritable bowel or colitis is normal. So if your dog had blood work done, and it's come back normal, that could point to irritable bowel or colitis as the problem.

Alternative dog foods that have lower levels of fiber that you might want to try are:

Burns Pet Health - Brown Rice & Chicken
http://www.burnspethealth.com/Burns_Brown_Rice__Chicken_for_Dogs.htm
http://www.burnspethealth.com/acatalog/Dog_Food.html

Solid Gold Wolf King Adult Bison
http://www.k9cuisine.com/p-79-solid-gold-wolf-king-adult-dog-food-bison-dog-food

ORIJEN - Senior Dog Food
http://www.orijen.ca/orijen/products/seniorAnalysis.aspx

Wellness "CORE" Turkey, Chicken & Turkey Liver Formula (Canned has less fiber than the dry)
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/dog_wellness_grain_can_turkey.html

Wysong Senior
http://www.wysong.net/products/senior-natural-healthy-dog-food.php

Some studies have suggested that diets enriched in omega-3 fatty acids  may help decrease the inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract.

Aside from the antibiotics, if your vet hasn't prescribed Metronidazole or Sulfasalazine, you might talk to your vet about using one or the other, or both of these medications together. They are common medications used to treat episodes of colitis and irritable bowel in dogs (often along with dietary therapy). In general, a few days of medication and a bland diet resolves the diarrhea, and your dog should be back to normal quickly. During recovery it is common to find the dog has no stool at all for a couple of days. This is normal and not a sign of constipation. If, however, your dog's diarrhea is not clearly improved in 2-3 days, you should contact your veterinarian's office with an update to see if further testing is needed. If this is colitis or irritable bowel, your dog might have recurrent episodes of diarrhea, so keeping the medication on hand is handy. Your dog would only need the medication on an "as needed" basis, but starting it as quickly as possible will make for shorter episodes.

I hope that helps.

Best of luck,
Patti