Dog With Diareha?

will added fiber help my dog's diarrhea? And where do I get added fiber for him?

Did it start after you had put him on a grain free diet? I've heard some dogs have diarrhea coz of grain free food and everything is ok again when the owners switch back to grain food. It sounds strange to me that the vet didn't tell you anything about the underlying causes of this chronic diarrhea! 9 months aren't fun at all and of course it can be as easy as a wrong diet but it can also be something more serious and dangerous like IBD. Can you show him to another vet? Added fiber can help BUT I wouldn't experiment with it unless it's completely certain there is no serious underlying problem. Good sources of fiber are wheat bran, oat bran, rice bran, pumpkin, brown rice, potatoes, psyllium seed husks. The latter comes in pills and powder. Make sure your dog's not allergic to what you give!! Also be careful because too much fiber can cause diarrhea instead of fixing it. As I said I'd consult with another vet!

Hey thnx !. I have a friend who talked to his vet at OSU and he was the one who suggested grain free food a couple of months ago. I am at witts end. He is my best friend since my my hubby dies last summer. My vets only seem to want to test test test and find nothing, and the meds they offer are getting beyond my pocketbook. My friend knows this and that is why he talked to a vet he knew on staff at OSU. He suggests he has EPI and the food should have helped him by now. Sometimes he even has accidents in the house, and man are they ever bad. I have scrubbed and scrubbed my carpet so many times, it shines. HA HA. He is healthy otherwise, plays and is always a happy pup.

His diarreha actually began when hubby was getting bad and in hospital a lot towards the end. We first thot it was anxiety cause he knew somethign was worng. I brot hubby home next to last time and he seemed to start to do beter, then when hubby went in hospital last time he got worse again and when I brot him home and he died a week later, Diesel never came back out of it. Vet has had him on prostora, and anitbiotics and steroids. They dont' seem to help, other than causing me to go broke.

Thank you for your suggestions, tho. I may try the pumpkin or some of the brans, but think I will have my friend ask that vet again. I do wonder if the Trifexis is effecting him somewhat, too. It has beef flavoring in it and I was told to keep him away from beef, red dye and corn for some time now.

So sorry to know about your story!
That does sound like there's some kind of physiological problem linked to it to some extent. Does he get enough daily exercise? I know this may sound weird but lots of problems can be solved if dogs are given enough physical and mental stimulation. I don't know for sure if that'll help but what I'd try to do is to give him lots of exercise as well as mental work so that he can overcome this loss (I assume he had strong bonds with your husband?). A general rule is to never show a dog you pity him because he'll feel your vibes and this will not help recovering. Are there any friendly dogs around that you can take him to? So that they play together and the stuff. Companionship of friendly and well balanced dogs always help usually.
Anyhow these are all just my guesses and I don't know the situation as well as you do but I really hope this can help. Meanwhile yes, try adding some fiber. Also you may want to try another grain free food brand (who knows, maybe that's just food allergy??).
By the way have you ever tried to keep him on a raw food diet? That's considered even healthier than grain free food.
Good luck!

Thnx again. What consists of a "raw Food Diet"? I am so scatter brained that I can not think straight at times. He is very playful and I play with him a lot when I can. In the evennigs we have our routine and play some and do some work around the house. I know he seems to get sad when I have to leave to go to work or something. But the moment I come home you would think I have been gone a million years. As far as playmates, he likes the neighbor hood dogs, but they all are mostly agressive and he certainly is not.

Hi,

Does his stool contain any blood or mucus? Does he vomit? Has he lost weight? If yes it sounds like Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IDB). Intolerance to certain food ingredients or intestinal parasites can be some of IDB causes. I cannot know for sure of course because I'm not a vet but I really wonder why it takes your vet so long to do something helpful. I'd believe he should have diagnosed intestinal parasites quickly if they were the case. Allergies are usually more difficult to diagnose.
Anyway please take a look at this page, lots of information there:
http://www.2ndchance.info/inflambowel.htm
First thing I'd do is gradual switching him to another diet. What was his diet before it started? Try to slowly switch him to that again and see if it helps. If it happens, the problem was most probably an allergy to that particular type of grain free food. Then you can decide if you want to keep him on that old diet or try something else (another grain free food brand or raw diet). Raw diets consist of muscle meat (often still on the bone), either whole or ground bones, livers and kidneys, raw eggs, vegetables like broccoli, spinach, and celery, and maybe some dairy like Yogurt. Raw meats should be about 80% of the diet.

R

Thanx. The vet finally did say he has an allergy to beef, corn and red dye, but we have taken him off that. I have thot of trying a different brand of grain free food. My friend insists on the glories of Nutro, but I am wondering if it just isn't the one for Diesel.

No blood or mucus in his stool. Just runny at times. But of late, once in a while it seems to be firming up a bit. But on the up side, he doesn't seem to be "going" as often. So I guess that is a plus. He is losing some weight at times. Before I had him on Pedigree. I wondered myself about IBD. But the vet has not entertained that idea. A friend of mine has talked to thier vet at OSU and that one thinks he has some sort of pancreatic problem prone to german shepherds. And they suggested the grain free food. IT is expensive and I don't mind buying it for him, if it only helps him.

Thnx for your input. I am nearly out of options with my buddy. My hubby died 9 mos ago and it is just Diesel and I now. So we have to take care of each other.

B and Diesel

hi eviejane, i'm sorry for your loss and I hope diesel will get better soon. sorry i can't help much coz i've never had dogs on grain free food. probably i should.
all the best to you both! xx