Dog/Puppy Chronic Diarrhea

Chronic diarrhea: Long lasting or repeated episodes of loose stool needs addressing! There is a starting point with diet assessment, lab testing,and medications, perhaps including deworming, even if fecal analysis is negative. If unsuccessful, other tests and treatment are used. If routine diagnostics aren’t fruitful we are wise in having a referral to an internal medicine specialist who has the expertise to tease out more complicated causes. Ruling out Addison’s disease is always a good idea. A common, but not the only cause is IBD or colitis. See https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951476 AND, https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&catId=102899&id=4951545

Puppy Diarrhea

Puppy diarrhea: Since most puppy diarrhea is either due to intestinal parasites, food ingredient intolerance, or infection a logical approach would be this:

1) even if a stool sample is negative, we need to realize that worm eggs do not show up on every stool sample, so deworming with something like panacur for 10 days would be a good idea

2) at the same time start feeding the puppy a bland diet of cooked ground turkey, not chicken or beef which some dogs have a sensitivity to, mixed 50/50 with either cooked white rice or cooked potatoes. After 2 weeks start adding in a good brand of puppy diet, such as Royal Canin or Hills science diet.

3) a Veterinary probiotic such as Fortiflora Oro, Proviable, VSL#3, Visbiome, etc may be helpful.

4) If diarrhea recurs immediately go back to the bland diet for another week. Then after a week go to a diet from your veterinarian. either a gastrointestinal diet like Royal Canin gastrointestinal puppy or Hills ID or a limited ingredient diet like Purina HA or Royal Canin HP. These are all formulated for puppy growth.

5) Sometimes adding fiber like psyllium can also help. but all of these changes need to be done gradually so that we can better determine the cause.

6) If at any time the diarrhea continues or reoccurs, then referral to a Veterinary Internal Medicine specialist may be needed. Better than treating the same way with no resolution. A specialist is OFTEN LESS COSTLY in the long run. Search for an IMS in the USA here: https://www.vetspecialists.com/find-a-specialist Dr Kathy