[Eowyn]

I brought my 3yr old beagle/basset to the vet today for poop problems. Since I adopted him two months ago, his poo has been mushy. Sometimes it has mucous or a little bit of blood. He's eating and behaving normally. He has horrible gas. Right now he's eating Orijen mixed with Solid Gold Sea Meal supplement.

He was negative for parasites. The vet prescribed him Panacur for 3 days as a precaution. He's on Metronidazole for 10 days & Fortiflora for 30 days. It's red and inflammed between his front toes indicating possible allergies. I have a spray for that and will give Benadryl. She gave me a bag of Purina EN Gastroenteric dog food to give him for two weeks. After this time, I will transition him to a single protein food.

Questions...
Has anyone's dog ever had this problem and improved on this Rx food? (I don't like giving a food with low quality ingredients.)
Any recommendations for a new food to try? (I'm looking into Acana Duck & bartlett pears.)

Thanks for your help.

 

[oldhounddog]

I brought my 3yr old beagle/basset to the vet today for poop problems. Since I adopted him two months ago, his poo has been mushy. Sometimes it has mucous or a little bit of blood. He's eating and behaving normally. He has horrible gas. Right now he's eating Orijen mixed with Solid Gold Sea Meal supplement.

He was negative for parasites. The vet prescribed him Panacur for 3 days as a precaution. He's on Metronidazole for 10 days & Fortiflora for 30 days. It's red and inflammed between his front toes indicating possible allergies. I have a spray for that and will give Benadryl. She gave me a bag of Purina EN Gastroenteric dog food to give him for two weeks. After this time, I will transition him to a single protein food.

Questions...
Has anyone's dog ever had this problem and improved on this Rx food? (I don't like giving a food with low quality ingredients.)
Any recommendations for a new food to try? (I'm looking into Acana Duck & bartlett pears.)

Thanks for your help.

Eowyn ,

Thank you for asking a very good question. Yes , I have had all of the health issues you describe many times over with my dogs.

Let's break this down into two different health problems. 1. Parasites. 2. Allergies.


1. Parasites. : Your Vet has prescribed medication , Panacur for 3 days , Metronidazole for 10 days and a supplement Fortiflora , plus special Vet food Purina EN Gastroenteric.

Metronidazole and Panacur are standard treatment for Giardia. Your Vet is using a best guess because the symptoms fit and no evidence of parasites in stool sample from your dog. This is fairly normal because with Giardia , the parasite does not always shed cysts that show up in fecal tests.

The Fortiflora supplement and Purina EN are most likely being prescribed to calm the irritated intestinal tract and keep good bacteria.

OK , this treatment is good provided that the real problem is Giardia and Irritated gut. So , this is what I would do: Follow the directions of your Vet , and , note the chandes from day to day. The first change should be , no more foul odor after 3 or 4 days , followed by a clearing up of mucus and blood in 3 to 5 days. make sure the Panacur is taken for 3 consecutive days and finish all the Metronidazole over the course of the 10 days as prescribed. Use the Fortiflora and Purina EN just as per instructions from your Vet.

Now , at day 10 , your dog should be clear of the Giardia provided that was the source of the problem to start with. At day 14 you should be clear and back to regular stool....

If you see evidence of these symptoms returning after 14 days ( soft or runny stool with mucus and blood with foul odor ) then , you will need to address this issue right right away. Please post a follow up message to this thread or send PM or email me right away if dog still has problems after 14 days.


2. Allergies. : Red between toes is a sign of allergies for sure , but , to what food or ingredient if allergy is food borne? It could be environmental or seasonal or reaction to a product such as Heartworm prevention med or flea prevention product.

Lets talk about this allergy thing a little bit so as to help you make informed decisions that most benefit your dog. Please post back before buying new food or supplements and let me know what you have fed your dog starting back from when you first got him and when the red toes and perhaps itching showed up.



Best , oldhounddog

 

[Eowyn]

Hi oldhounddog,

I will follow the vet’s instructions and report back in two weeks with Cooper’s outcome.
He’s on Advantix II for flea prevention and Interceptor for heartworm.

Cooper began scratching his legs only about a month ago. He isn’t obsessive about it. I noticed because it’s always the same areas. The fur and skin are healthy and there’s no indication of fleas. I bathed him in an oatmeal-based shampoo and used a prescription shampoo (from old dog) on his legs only. (The name of shampoo escapes me.)

He spends a lot of time sniffing every blade of grass in the backyard. He also walks on mulch (probably cedar). I learned of his foot redness at the appt. The fur and skin between his toes are dry and he doesn’t chew on them. And it’s only his front feet….for now.

I will continue 1.5 tablets of Benadyl 2X/day also.

Forgot to mention….one ear showed some inflammation but no infection.

I adopted Cooper two months ago but I don’t know much about his background. He came from a shelter in OH before coming to NY. I’m unsure if he was a stray, owner surrender, or removed from a home. He only weighed 35lbs at that time and my vet said that was very malnourished. Currently, he’s 44lbs (2-3lbs overweight). He was fed Science Diet at the shelter so I transitioned him to Taste of the Wild. From there, I switched to Orijen mixed with Solid Gold Sea Meal supplement. This supplement has improved his gas problem, but it’s still quite bad. The vet suggested switching to a single-protein food after the two weeks.

I had a German Shepherd who had allergies (seasonal & environmental). She chewed her feet and had chronic ear infections. I gave her shots and fed Taste of the Wild. She did very well and after 6 years of shots, she got by with only Benadryl.

If I’ve left anything out, please let me now. Thanks for your help.
Eowyn

 

[oldhounddog]

Well , it sounds like you are doing a great job of taking care of Cooper and hope he gets well real fast.
I have a few thoughts that may help you but pushed for time now.
Please check your forum posts later this evening and I'll have some useful information posted to help you and Cooper.

oldhounddog

 

[oldhounddog]

Eowyn ,

I thought Novartis closed the plant that makes Interceptor and there was a nation wide shortage?
If you have plenty it is a good thing because you can hold out until the plant restarts production.

As for the Advantix II , I would take a close look at this one as it has a very heavy dose of "permethrin" and has caused toxic reaction in many dogs. (Active ingredients: Imidacloprid 8.80%, Permethrin* 44.00%, Pyriproxyfen 0.44%. Other ingredients 46.76%. *cis/trans ratio: max 55% cis and min 45% trans.)
You may want to consider Frontline Plus. Few people have any trouble with this one.
===============================================

>The vet suggested switching to a single-protein food after the two weeks.<
Single source protein is good provided that is what you really have , some claim single source,but , for example: Lamb and rice may include chicken fat and if you are allergic to chicken that will not work.

I would take my time here and consider what protein sources Cooper has been fed and try to pick one you can stay with that fits your budget and needs.
Think of food allergies this way to hedge your bet a little. Allergies take a while to show symptoms , so , the redness may be from a food Cooper was on 8 weeks ago.
Keeping this in mind, a new food may take several weeks to show it is effective in reducing an allergic response. If in fact it is a food allergy.

Has yard been sprayed with any chemicals that Cooper may have walked on?

>(I'm looking into Acana Duck & bartlett pears.)< This one looks good b/c it uses duck fat and is single meat protein food ,however you may have a lot of other very good choices if cost is a factor. Make sure to keep track of current dog food and treat "recalls".
Helpful link : http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-recalls/

Which Orijen food are you feeding with the supplement?

This is what you do not want to do: Try many different Dog foods with a variety of protein sources , because , if you later develop real food protein allergies Cooper will already have antibodies against a variety of proteins he has been fed with few choices left.


Looking forward to hearing about Cooper's progress and especially how those toes are doing,


Best , oldhounddog

 

[Eowyn]

Oldhounddog,

I wasn’t aware of the Interceptor shortage. Makes me wish I picked up a year’s supply instead of 6 months. At any rate, I have 4 doses left of it.
I will read more about the active ingredients in Advantix. The shelter gave me one dose of it at adoption, so I that’s what I bought. If Frontline causes fewer problems, then I’ll switch.

The Acana duck is a good option, but (like Orijen) is expensive. A more affordable choice would be nice but it’s not a deal-breaker. I figure, if my dog is healthier eating a premium food, then it’ll save me future vet visits.

Currently, feeding Orijen adult dog. The first five ingredients are all protein….chicken, chicken meal, salmon, turkey, and herring. I will be careful about sticking with one kind of food. He's definitely not a picker eater.

The yard is pesticide free. I have considered grass and cedar allergies because those were two things high on my Shepherd’s allergen list.

After two days of treatment and special diet, his poop is firming up. Can Panacur cause the dog to have an accident indoors? It happened last night. Maybe it’s just my dog deciding the rug is where he wants to go.

Thanks for all the advice.
Eowyn

 

[oldhounddog]

Eowyn ,

>Can Panacur cause the dog to have an accident indoors?< Yes it can , and , the other meds can also cause accidents too.
Natures Miracle for accident spots, Link: http://www.petco.com/product/2437/Natures-Miracle-Stain-And-Odor-Remover.aspx

Try to start early in the day with meds and give regular potty breaks. No water 2 hours before bed time and out to potty before lights out. Don't overfeed.

>The shelter gave me one dose of it at adoption, so I that’s what I bought. If Frontline causes fewer problems, then I’ll switch.<
If you have an unopened pack of Advantix you should be able to exchange at place of purchase.

>I have considered grass and cedar allergies because those were two things high on my Shepherd’s allergen list.<
Could be seasonal , time will tell.

>I have considered grass and cedar allergies because those were two things high on my Shepherd’s allergen list.<
Very true , and always check for recall because even the top line companies have them.

>The Acana duck is a good option, but (like Orijen) is expensive. <
Don't make your self stressed over dog food cost , as a little research will help you.


Glad to hear Cooper is getting better , you will be past this in no time.

Best , oldhounddog

 

[oldhounddog]

Eowyn ,

Just wanted to say hello and ask how Cooper is doing?

On the dog food needs , are you open to discussion on saving a little money while in the process of finding a good kibble that does not cost a fortune?

No point in starting with the most expensive Dog Food if you can buy good quality for less that will meet your needs.

With my 10 Redbone Hounds this is just a plain fact of life. Affordable quality kibble , and , yes from time to time I have made changes to avoid products that are recalled , but will go back to a good product after the recall in most cases.

In your area , where would you shop for dog food? Not being familiar with upstate NY I was wondering if you have local stores like costco , Tractor Supply or feed stores in general?

Best , oldhounddog

 

[pippa01]

Oh, yes, definitely use treats to train your dog. Dogs tend to train easier when they have a reward to look forward to.