 Strange diarrhea issue
#143205 - 05/28/2007 03:07 PM |
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I've noticed that when each time I buy a new bag of dog food (solid gold hund n flocken) , Jenga has diarrhea - and the diarrhea lessens as we near the end of the bag - as in, at first he's having diarrhea and by the end of the bag, completely solid stools.
Aside from the diarrhea, I've noticed he rubs his torso on my couch, but doesn't lick or chew at himself. He recently had an ear infection, which I hear can be a symptom of allergies, so I'll be keeping an eye on his ears to see if it's recurring problem. Those issues don't seem to fluctuate based on where we are in the bag.
I'm switching foods (I'd love to go raw but I'm still sorting out the logistics of it), but has anyone ever experienced anything like that? I've tried to think of an explanation, but I just don't know what it could be.
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Re: Strange diarrhea issue
[Re: Heather Williams ]
#143206 - 05/28/2007 03:27 PM |
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When the ear infection happened -- was it bacterial or yeast (or both)?
When you run out of a bag, do you feed something else in between until you get a new bag? Has it happened more than once?
I ask about the ear because if there was any yeast component, I'd remove the grain from the diet completely.
The food you give ( Lamb | Lamb Meal | Brown Rice | Cracked Pearled Barley | Millet | Rice Bran | Oatmeal |etc.) has a better-than-many ingredient list, but still has lots of grain.
Yeast feeds on grains and sugars.
The diarrhea issue ... is why I ask if you feed anything between bags.
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Re: Strange diarrhea issue
[Re: Connie Sutherland ]
#143207 - 05/28/2007 03:32 PM |
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When the ear infection happened -- was it bacterial or yeast (or both)?
When you run out of a bag, do you feed something else in between until you get a new bag?
The vet who treated the ear infection was not my usual vet (he was the only vet available on sunday that didn't charge Emergency fees), and his English was not very good. His explanation to me was that when dogs get moisture in their ears it causes the reaction my dog experienced - and that it was often caused by dogs licking each other's ears. Does that help?
I do not feed him anything in between bags - the food store is around the corner, so it's not hard to just grab a bag if I've left it to the last minute.
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Re: Strange diarrhea issue
[Re: Heather Williams ]
#143208 - 05/28/2007 03:39 PM |
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Well, that reply from the vet might indicate that it was a yeast overgrowth. (Might not, too.) Had the dog been swimming or something that made the vet think he had had unusual water exposure?
Yeast and bacteria both thrive on moisture.
But anyway, the first thing I would do with a dog who had ear infections is remove grains from the diet.
The diarrhea -- is weird. That food is flakes, I think, so I guess it's possible that certain ingredients are larger pieces and that the bottom part of the bag was the finer, small pieces, sifted down. Seems like reaching, though.....
And you don't feed anything else -- treats, table scraps -- that might be the diarrhea trigger?
Certainly the lamb COULD be, but why would it be only with the beginning of the bag.....
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Re: Strange diarrhea issue
[Re: Connie Sutherland ]
#143209 - 05/28/2007 03:41 PM |
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Is there ever any kind of smell or greasy waxiness or color change in the skin of the groin or armpits?
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Re: Strange diarrhea issue
[Re: Connie Sutherland ]
#143210 - 05/28/2007 03:47 PM |
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The only food he ever eats is his kibble, bits of chicken wieners for training, a dog treat here and there (holistic treats), and the occasional bit of apple. The diarrhea seems to be only linked to the kibble - the last two weeks he had no diarrhea and was eating all of the above...lastnight we bought a new bag of dog food, and today he was outside with diarrhea for 20 minutes...every time we thought he was finished, there was more on the way.
He hadn't had any unusual water exposure, unless rain counts. The vet tried to suggest that my other dogs were licking his ears, but only one of my dogs ever has contact with Jenga, and not only does he not particularly like him, but it's always under my supervision. I can say for sure that there's no chance Jenga was having his ears licked.
A grain-free food is what I'm looking for, still checking my options as for a specific type (man, I spend more time researching his diet in one day than mine in my whole life)
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Re: Strange diarrhea issue
[Re: Heather Williams ]
#143211 - 05/28/2007 03:48 PM |
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Well, that brand makes a new grain-free version.
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Re: Strange diarrhea issue
[Re: Connie Sutherland ]
#143212 - 05/28/2007 03:48 PM |
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Is there ever any kind of smell or greasy waxiness or color change in the skin of the groin or armpits?
Not that I have observed, and I go over him pretty thoroughly because he's going to be doing some conformation shows.
I am aware of Solid Gold's grain free version, but the stores in my area don't seem to carry it.
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Re: Strange diarrhea issue
[Re: Heather Williams ]
#143213 - 05/28/2007 03:57 PM |
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Is there ever any kind of smell or greasy waxiness or color change in the skin of the groin or armpits?
Not that I have observed, and I go over him pretty thoroughly because he's going to be doing some conformation shows.
Then you would know it. Yeast infections of the skin are noticeable.
That's good that you check him out regularly, because you will be able to ID any debris or inflammation in the ear(s) quickly, and nip it before it's a full-blown infection.
So you are doing everything I would do:
Check the skin and ears often, by looking and by sniffing;
Remove grains from the diet;
Make the switch to fresh raw food.
I'd add fish oil and vitamin E to the diet, too -- both now and when you switch to raw.
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