[kutyuska]

It started two months ago. Soft stool in the afternoon, with yellowish ending. Vet , stool sample, Flagyl.
Went back to vet, new stool sample/ negative/, more Flagyl and antibiotic. $ 250 after , and this is just the second visit, problem did not stop.
Gave Ace dewormer against tapeworm, no change.
He eats, drinks well, active, plays, hair is shiny. I feed Acana Pacifica, give some nature yogurt and pumpkin.
He is 26 pounds. He is on Sentinel, I use Advantix against fleas.
I have no idea what to do, i have no more money for vet for a while.
Any suggestion?
Thanks.

 

[Mom2Beagles]

Does he seem healthy otherwise? Why did the vet put him on meds if the tests were negative? The reason I ask is because one of my beagles is perfectly healthy but at times she has soft yellowish stool. I notice this more after she has a long walk. I would let his stomach settle from all the meds and just keep an eye on him. If he isn't scooching his butt on the ground or acting out of sorts, it might just be his normal stool. Certain foods can lighten up the stool too, like the orange color of the canned pumpkin.

 

[oldhounddog]

Hi kutyuska ,

Sorry to hear Ace is not feeling well. I remember Ace was treated for giardia in mid June about 3 months ago. What was outcome of that treatment?

....................................................................................................................

Would you please say Vet diagnosis , and , list each med given and how many days treated?

How long have you fed the Acana Pacifica?

Have there been any changes in flea meds , HW prevention med , supplements or treats over the last 60/90 days.

Is there any mucus on stool?

Sorry for the many questions. I understand about the Vet bills and no clear resolution for Ace's condition.

Best , oldhounddog

 

[kutyuska]

Ace had Giardia 3 months ago, test was positive, got Flagy for two weeks.
Looked a little better, and later the symptoms came back ,got more flagyl for a week.
After two weeks went to see the vet, who wanted another stool test, it was negative, but he said flagyl is good 250 mg , twice a day and Amoxicillin trhee times a day, both for two weeks. Cure is over, problem is the same. Very rarely there is some mucus on the stool.
He is on Sentinel for three years already-heartworm, whipworm, roundworm,ringworm, and on Advantix II for six months.
I usually feed Acana Pacifica, started a year ago,but he was a litlle chubby , so the vet gave him r/d hills lowfat dry food, he did good on that ,lost almost three pounds. He had three bags, I mixed the third bag with Acana.

 

[oldhounddog]

Kutyuska ,

My thoughts run like this for problems that do not resolve with the usual treatment for Giardia. Since there are no drugs certified by the FDA to treat Giardia , what we are left with is what works best. Keep in mind that Ace may have something else besides the Giardia causing problems.

First , if all meds for Giardia are finished I would try a diet or dog food that you know does not cause loose stool that Ace has been on in the past. His stomach may be messed up from all the meds , so , give some probiotics and perhaps a little pure pumkin in a can ( not pumpkin pie mix) and do not over feed. Sometimes I just feed plain boiled chicken and rice to see how dog does.

Please note that not all dogs can eat a rich food like Acana. Also keep in mind the many recalls we have had with major pet food mfg.

After trying the above you will have a good idea where you stand and will be better able to make informed choices if problem is not resolved. Let us know how Ace is doing over the next few days. If symptoms return , please post and describe as best possible.

EDIT: I read your post again , and , if the symptoms that continue are loose mucosy stool with strong odor I would treat with Drontal Plus and follow this with the sulfadimethox for treatment of Coccidia ( 14 days , dosed by weight ) because Giardia and Cocci will often have neg test results.

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Food for thought:

Dormant Giardia cysts may be present in dogs with no symptoms , however , it is also possible to have active cysts that are not shedding and thus will not show up in fecal float/stain test. Fecal ELISA Snap® Giardia test is best. IMO

Ace had a Vet diagnosis of Giardia and has been treated with Metronidazole more than once and you are still having problems. ( Metronidazole is only about 60% effective for Giardia treatment in dogs. ) Metro is standard treatment , however , in the more problematic or resistant cases of Giardia there are meds that have proven better results in dogs.


What I do is treat with Metronidazole for seven consecutive days ( dosed by dog weight ) and SafeGuard ( dosed by weight ) for three consecutive days. The SafeGuard can follow the Metro or be given at same time.

This treatment has worked for me very well , however, in your case given that you have a Vet confirmed diagnosis for Giardia. If problem still exists I would most likely ask my Vet to follow this treatment with Drontal Plus because it's efficacy has been shown to far exceed that of Metronidazole alone in treatment of Giardia in dogs. You should not need to pay another Vet visit to buy the Drontal Plus because you have just been to the Vet and problem not resolved.

Helpful Note: Dogs can reinfect themselves by grooming and ingesting fecal matter that contain active cysts. Along with treatment , dogs should be bathed with shampoo to remove fecal debris and associated cysts. Clean or remove bedding to be safe.

Also , try taking Ace to a different potty area with no other animal feces in sight.

If you have done all the above , IMO , the next step is to treat for Coccidia as the symptoms are almost exactly the same and are missed by many Vets that I have used. In fact I have had the exact same issue that you and Ace have gone through and it ended up being Coccidia.

Drontal Plus is a med you will have to get from your Vet , however , all other meds we have discussed are available online or from farm or pet supply stores.



Consider this a systematic process of elimination and you will find the cause I am sure.

Best , oldhounddog

 

[el chupacabra]

How much does the dog weigh? What is the portion size you are feeding? How many meals per day? As a rule of thumb I tend to feed 15-20% less than the bag says for the desired body weight. Sometimes just a tiny amount of overfeeding a GF food can cause softer stool. Also Acana has recently undergone slight formula changes. I believe the meat ratios were slightly changed (I'll check), but it is also a possibility.