My 10 year old Labrador bitch has been suffering now for six months with sporadic and often cronic diarrhoea. We have tried everything form drugs to glten free food and have got her on rice and tuna This still is not resolving it. She is as happy as larry and the only way it affectsher is some weightloss (which she needed ) ad the guilty look when we come down and find she has messed.

Has anyone any ideas to go next to try and relieve this?

Welcome to the forum LJS

Have you tried breaking down the amount of food that you are actually feeding into three meals (or four) a day ? We had a similar problem with one of our older dogs. We established that it wasn't a food allergy etc, but more likely a digestion problem. Started feeding small and often and that seemed to do the trick. Didn't stop it 100% but did make a difference.

Leigh

We have tried changing times of feeding etc but we might try your suggestion.

I will let you know if it improves.

Thanks

Hi LJS,

If it is Colitis do you feed dairy products if so cut these out.

I would also try feeding chicken remove the skin and plain white rice boiled.

Has your Lab been wormed in the last 3 months if not I would suggest this.

Also check the anal glands.

Karen

Hi LJ,

Have you seen your vet?? If so has the vet ruled out Colitis.

My Border Collie is prone to colitis not so much now since he has been on Nutro dry food.

I also found charcoal tablets helped one or two added to the food.

HPH
Karen

Yes I have on numerous occasions !

He hasn't really come up with anything.

With Colitis what is the recommended treatment?

Thanks

I know this may seem a silly question but does she have wind? as well as the diarrhoea this can make a difference to the probelm

She has always been a windy dog but is not anymore winding than before.She does though wolf her food down in a matter of seconds and will then let out a massive belch when she has finished !!

sounds like a chap I went out with once! :D

I cannot remember the exact spelling but something like campylobacter can cause intermittent stomach problems - would be diagnosed from a stool specimen and can be cleared up quite easily with the correct antibiotics (it is a notifiable disease)

Christine

Hi lJS

I think iMHO all the above suggestons are excellent. Does she only mess at night so that it is in the kitchen when you come down? Assuming she is in the kitchen that is?

Best wishes
Lindsay

She will mess in the kitchen in the morning and when we get home. Even if we sometimes leave her only for a couple of hours she will mess. She sometimes messes when we are there as she doesn't have time to let us know that she needs to go out.

LJS,

Try what Leigh said about feeding smaller and more often as this worked for my BC.

If this seems to do no good I would suggest you go back to your Vet and tell him/her that you want to find out what is going on with your dog.

Also have them test for what Jo said.

Good luck let us know how things go.

Karen

Divide her food. Do not feed biscuit with the meats, soak all biscuit type meal, and put a huge smooth well washed stone in her feeding bowl and have her eat her food round it.Slows them up. Also feed on her height, high bowls ,not on the floor.
There was an excellent bloat article in Dogs Today this month, I know the diarrhoea is your first concern but any hints might help and with her getting possible bloat as she intakes air, but so far can belch it out. Restrict exercise just before and after feeding too, I settle my borzois or flatties for an hour at least after eating.Royal Canine do an excellent diet ,if you contact their advice dept, they may help, ESS with pancreatic deficiency , and GSD's I have known with gut problems do well on it. Stevie.

Has anybody a contact number for Royal canine as I have been searching the net but have drawn a blank. She has been tested for Pancreatic deficiency but again they have drawn a blank.

I have taken the advise about feeding little and often but have not yet seen any improvement. I will stick with it though as I am willing to try anything to get an improvement.

When it all started we put her on Hill Science prescription Diet ( an arm and a leg from the vet !) and this didn't improve anything. We have now got her on James Weel beloved which did show a sign of improvement for a few weeks but hen went back to the normal.

I will get a copy of dogs today to read that article

thanks

Email: royalcaninuk@royalcanin.co.uk

Leigh

Hello
Maybe you could ask you vet to also test for Giardia (mainly from drinking from muddy puddles) This can cause intermittant diarrhoea with a resultant bacterial infection, and can be a ****** to diagnose, as the cysts (or whatever it has) are only shed sporadically. Easily controlled once it's diagnosed.

Jo and the Casblaidd Flatcoats

She has already had a course of antibiotics and has had tests done for viral and bacterial infections but nothing was found.

This one is difficult isn't it, sounds like the usual tests have been done, antibiotics given and still no progress. Are you planning on going to see a specialist or get a second opinion? Might be worth considering. I presume your vet has already tried Buscopan as this is very good for stopping the stomach cramps and the diarrhoea.

Now first may I say I'm not going to explain this very well but it is something I found out a while ago from my breeder and from past experience it appears to be correct. Please feel free to laugh at my terminology

When you dog is passing diarrhoea does she pass it in the normal way and the stools are soft/runny or does it come out like an explosion ?? Is there ever any blood in it? Usually if it comes out like an explosion then this normally means the upset/infection is in the bowel, if she passes normally then it usually means it is coming from the stomach. Either way unfortunately I can't offer you an explanation but just thought it was something else to think about.

I hope you get the problem sorted soon, do keep us up to date with any further findings/progress.

Lots of luck and give her a big hug from me. She must be fed up by now.
Claire.

Hi Claire

She has every type ! It can be semi solid, or as you so wonderfully described it, explosions ! If it is semi solid it often has alot of mucus but there has never been any blood.

What a wonderful topic of conversation ! Minstrel was told last night that she was been discussed to try and help her out and looked very embarrassed ! Which I would if I had a condition like this and was been discussed over the Net !!

We have not asked to see a specialist as we have not got her insured and we have already spent god knows how much so far in the last six months.She is not in any distrss and is still in very good condition and is her normal self apart from the messes she is making.

LJS,

Im a helper for Lab rescue and will ask around for you.

Karen