When Cali had an inflamed tummy (diarrhea) from giardia , my vet put her on the "potato diet" until things settled down. He said it is the best remedy they have ever come across--and it worked. I think we did it for three days, then slowly started introducing the chicken/rice bland diet for two days, then her slowly back to her food. It took about a week total. She's been fine ever since.

You have got to settle down your dog's gut, and given what you are describing, I think it calls for the drastic measure of the potato diet. Any commercial formulation is likely too much for her to handle with how inflamed her tummy is. I think even the chicken/rice bland diet is too much at this point. She's not getting much nutrition anyway since she's pooping so much out. My first priority would be to settle that tummy down, then get her back on track.

Potato Diet
Sweet Potatoes
White Potatoes
1" slice of turnip

Cook it up. Mash together. Cool completely. Whatever you feed her per day, use the same amount. If you feed 3c per day, then it's 3c (or a little more) of the mixture.

Believe me, it feels awful to feed this to your dog. But that diarrhea can't continue. And if you have to tough it out for a few days, it's for the best in the long run. For the record, Cali loved it. Go figure.

Hope this helps!

Oh yeah, and be sure she's on a probiotic to repopulate the flora and fauna in her gut. Poor puppy and poor you. That's a lot of poop to clean up after.

She is 10 weeks old now. I definitely considered doing a bland diet, especially rice. I was most worried about it being a "bandaid" or covering up the problem rather then solving it. I would hate for it to cover up the problem and then something really terrible be going on in the inside. I have been using "dervet" extra gentle puppy shampoo. Its a natural no soaps no alcohol no detergent, non toxic shampoo.

I really appreciate the advice and help, any other suggestions or question I can answer?

Heres a couple pictures of her inside the house shortly after her bath. She is usually kenneled in the garage/laundry room.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh182/dstoneburg/alyarms.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh182/dstoneburg/alybath2.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh182/dstoneburg/alyclose.jpg

Edited by Connie Sutherland (12/14/2009 04:00 PM)
Edit reason: change large embedded pics to links

What a Cutie!
My dog had spyrochetes as a pup as well as coccidia. He was on Albon and Amoxicillan for several weeks. It got worse before it got better.

The antibiotics can be clearing up the infection but making the stools worse at the same time.

I have always used overcooked rice and boiled chicken as a bland diet. I would also consider adding some pedialyte to the mixture to help keep your little one hydrated.

Pumpkin can also be added to help balance the gut as well as probiotics.

Plain no sugar added Kefir is my first choice when it comes to repopulating intestinal flora since it has many varieties of probiotics.

But with a puppy you have to be careful about how long you do it because of their calcium needs.

If this goes on for a while I would want to ask the vet about calcium needs and supplementation.

Oh and since she is getting lots of baths right now, and it is winter I would consider adding a conditioner to the bathing routine to prevent her coat and skin from drying out.

 Quote: dale stoneburg

I definitely considered doing a bland diet, especially rice. I was most worried about it being a "bandaid" or covering up the problem rather then solving it. I would hate for it to cover up the problem and then something really terrible be going on in the inside. ....

Since you have a diagnosis, I would go ahead with the bland diet (and very small but frequent meals). This gut is probably so inflamed now that the inflammation is no longer just part of the warning-and-healing response. (Similar to the inflammation-run-amok of, say, osteoarthritis, inflammation sometimes spirals out of control.) I agree with Linda that soothing the gut is a priority, even though it's a related-but-separate issue to the infection.

Rice has binding qualities (as do potatoes, but I think -- not positive -- that overcooked white rice has more; even rice water has the quality of helping to bind loose stools).

Because this is a growing puppy, you will want to remember that if a long diarrhea-diet protocol is needed, calcium will have to be added. A few days will be fine; after that, the question of calcium (which, BTW, is also binding) arises.

I do not suggest that you add calcium supplements without vet help. There are a lot of factors to consider besides the amount (which is critical, because it's not a matter of "more is better"): other minerals are frequently combined with calcium in supplements, and a common one can actually cause diarrhea itself; calcium supplements can interfere with many meds; calcium is best administered in smaller spaced doses than all at once.

So recap: I would definitely give the most soothing diet possible, and wouldn't even worry about adding chicken at this point (except as needed for palatability); I'd be encouraging water intake, baiting the water if necessary; I'd be checking for dehydration often. (This is all JMO, and I'm not a health professional.)

Has the vet called back yet?


eta

Jennifer posted more good info while I was typing.

Edited by Connie Sutherland (12/14/2009 04:22 PM)
Edit reason: e.t.a.

So skipping the chicken for now, and the next three days do rice only? Should I add some canned pumpkin? The vet has not called back yet. And what exactly do you mean by overcooked rice?

Also should I be adding no sugar added yogurt?

Oh heavens, what a cutie!

Obviously, I am no vet expert, but I have been down this road a number of times, and it is no fun. I feel for you both. It consumed me until doggies started feeling better.

Guaranteed, the bland diet won't cover up a bigger problem. Soothing and settling that tummy inflammation will actually allow you to get a better read of what is going on. If the bland diet doesn't work, that gives you a valuable piece of information to act on.

Keep us posted. I'd love to know how she's doing.

 Quote: Linda Patch

... I have been down this road a number of times, and it is no fun. I feel for you both. It consumed me until doggies started feeling better....

Isn't that the truth?

I would skip the chicken for the first few meals, waiting to see if the stools firm up, then if they do you can add a small amount of chicken.

For overcooked rice I use 1/3 too much water and cook it down until its soupy and the rice is like mush. You can add more liquid at the end if you need to in order to make it mush.

I like to replace some of the water with no salt added chicken broth for flavor. Or you can boil some skinless chicken in with the rice and then take it out before feeding it. Then save the chicken in the fridge to add in later.

Yes I would add yogurt or kefir to his diet as well, a little bit at a time, like maybe 1/2 tablespoon to start.

 Quote: Dale Stoneburg

So skipping the chicken for now, and the next three days do rice only? Should I add some canned pumpkin? The vet has not called back yet. And what exactly do you mean by overcooked rice?

Also should I be adding no sugar added yogurt?

I mean simmered so long (in extra water, so about 3 cups water to 1 cup regular uncooked white rice -- not Minute Rice) that it's soft and has lost a lot of its grain shape, almost like porridge. You can use no-salt-added chicken broth for palatability, or bits of skinless white chicken, no fat and no bones, cooked along with the rice for taste.

Canned plain pumpkin (no sugar and no spices) is good: about a tablespoon stirred into a day's food at this size. http://www.ehow.com/how_5184162_treat-dog-diarrhea-pumpkin.html

I'd do a couple of days with nothing but the soupy rice and pumpkin and the probiotic supplement you were given (or live-culture yogurt or kefir).

None of this will treat the underlying cause, as mentioned. The idea is just to keep the inflammation as much in check as you can.

I would make sure that I talked to the vet today.

I'm so sorry for both of you.