Crab apples causing diarrhea?

Question
I have an 8 month old German shepherd/Lab mix who eats crab apples in the back yard. She eats everything else as well (bark, sticks etc...most of which she does not swallow).  But she will munch down the crab apples. At least once a week she keeps me up all night to let her outside every hour...on the hour...to go.  I took her to the vets twice and they can find no parasites or bacterial infection. I need suggestions on how to keep her from eating them - (I've tried spiking them w/hot pepper, but that just added more flavor)I pick as many up as I can in the yard, but I can't keep up with it.  And if you have any suggestions how to control the diarrhea (Immodium doesn't seem to work very well, and it takes several doses). I am at a loss and a loss of sleep! I feel so bad for her.
Thanks!

Answer
Hi Victoria,

Too much fruit of any kind can cause a dog to develop diarrhea.
Apple seeds are toxic to dogs. The stems, leaves and seeds contain cyanogenic glycosides, and depending on the dose, you will see not only diarrhea, but vomiting and weakness in coordination and difficulty breathing. In some extreme cases, animals can go into shock or coma and can even result in death.

I suggest either moving your dog to a different area of your yard, or picking up the apples, sticks and whatever else your dog has access to. Instead of trying to pick up all the fallen apples by hand, maybe try a lawn sweeper, or some such garden tool.

A basket muzzle will prevent a dog from eating things it shouldn't, while allowing him to still drink water. You can see an example of a basket muzzle here:
http://www.dogmuzzle.com/dog-muzzles.html

You can give your dog Kaopectate, one teaspoon each ten pounds of weight  every four hours. The dose for Pepto-Bismol is 1/4 teaspoonful per ten pounds of body weight every 6-8 hours.
The correct dose for Imodium is 0.5 milligrams per 10 pounds of body weight every six to eight hours.

Best of luck,
Patti