# How can I firm up her stools?



## JoanneB (Jun 22, 2008)

My Tibetan Terrier puppy, Honey, is now 18 weeks old. At 9 weeks she developed compylobacter and spent the next 7 weeks on antibiotics until it finally cleared up. She now has the all clear, but her stools are still sloppy. The vet thinks she may have developed a dietary intolerance due to her bug at such a young age, or she may have had one anyway!! She was being fed on Burns small bites puppy complete (dried) but after discussion with my vet, I have changed her to Burns Pork and Potato dried complete. The frequency of her stools is now getting less, but not really the sloppiness, although she does still poo about 8-10 times a day. I need tissues to clear up! And she's still not clean overnight - when she started with her bug, I had to start leaving her crate door open as she was pooing so much and was being forced to lie in it, bless her! I don't want to start closing the door again until her stools are firmed up, as then I know she will have the control to last all night(she's doing between 2 and 5 at night). Does anyone have any suggestions? In all other ways she is fit and happy and healthy and is growing/putting weight on well. Thankyou


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## Blaxen (May 4, 2008)

maybe you could try reducing how much she is eating, i know that overfeeding can cause loose stools. that way you could gradually build it back up. although you maybe feeding what the guidelines say, but that isn't necessarily correct for your pup as they are just a guideline  Good luck and hope things improve for your pup


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## Littlelab (Jul 21, 2008)

You may need to rebalance the bacteria in her gut, you can buy probiotic powders in health food shops which you can add to her food, or Live Yoghurt works really well, I would recommend Goats milk or sheeps milk live yoghurt as it tends to be better for pups.


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## JoanneB (Jun 22, 2008)

Thanks for your replies. We've tried the overfeeding route and it definitely isn't that - to be honest, I feed 2 dogs on just over the recommended amount for 1 dog!! And they don't get any treats or scrapa or anything.

Good idea about the pro-biotics - I'll ask the vet if they have anything tomorrow (as it can go on my insurance claim - the bill is already at £200 and I've had £100 back from the insurance already)


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## JoanneB (Jun 22, 2008)

Another forum has suggested canned pumpkin (not the pie filling) Has anyone on here any experience of that?


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## TiffanyLouise (Jul 23, 2008)

Nope sorry
Scrambled egg i believe will help bind her up a bit
Isnt pork supposed to be bad for dogs?


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## Littlelab (Jul 21, 2008)

JoanneB said:


> Another forum has suggested canned pumpkin (not the pie filling) Has anyone on here any experience of that?


Yes canned pumpkin is supposed to be fantastic as a binder, but I couldn't get hold of it, so I used Butternut squash boiled instead, but my 2 wouldn't touch it


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## Guest (Jul 27, 2008)

Have you consdered chicken and rice for a couple of days. The best food I have found with all my dogs is NaturesDiet (it's wet) . The dog I just lost was on this for over two years.


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## JoanneB (Jun 22, 2008)

I tried her on Nautediet lite a couple of weeks ago, but it didn't really have an effect. I'm trying to avoid switching and changing her food too much as I don't want to make matters worse. I want to stick with the food she's on for a couple more weeks, but want to try and add something that will bind her up. 

You're right about pumpkin - we obviously only sell it in this country at halloween!!!! So, would butternut squash do the same thing?


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## Littlelab (Jul 21, 2008)

JoanneB said:


> I tried her on Nautediet lite a couple of weeks ago, but it didn't really have an effect. I'm trying to avoid switching and changing her food too much as I don't want to make matters worse. I want to stick with the food she's on for a couple more weeks, but want to try and add something that will bind her up.
> 
> You're right about pumpkin - we obviously only sell it in this country at halloween!!!! So, would butternut squash do the same thing?


Yep, same family of vegetable, all squashes, its the closest thing you can get at this time of year


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## JoanneB (Jun 22, 2008)

I searched for pumpkin locally yesterday and came up with a big fat zero!!! So she was started on pro-kolin from the vets last night. I'll let you know how she fares x


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## Guest (Jul 29, 2008)

JoanneB said:


> I tried her on Nautediet lite a couple of weeks ago, but it didn't really have an effect. I'm trying to avoid switching and changing her food too much as I don't want to make matters worse. I want to stick with the food she's on for a couple more weeks, but want to try and add something that will bind her up.
> 
> You're right about pumpkin - we obviously only sell it in this country at halloween!!!! So, would butternut squash do the same thing?


hi Joanne, Naturediet lite would not be any good for her anyway, it would have to have been the puppy one taking into account her age.
I know this may sould silly and not related to her recent diagnosis, but have you considered (slowing) introducing a scource of protien into her diet which she has not had beforee., IE if feeding chicken, swap to lamb or duck.

Another thing I do not know how strongly others others feel or if you do so yourself but I always feed puppy food or junior food until they have stopping growing, My pupster now 7 month will stay on puppy food until she is at least a year and possibly fifteen months old. I do not know is the illness that your pup was dianozed with is affed by protien, this is something that affected my misty so something that I am aware all - always want to know exactly what my main scourse of protien is.

Hope things imporve quickly
love
sue


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## Guest (Jul 29, 2008)

One more thing (sorry to but in! But how soon was the compylobacter diagnoised after the innoulations
regardx
sue


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## JoanneB (Jun 22, 2008)

It was diagnosed about 3/4 weeks after the jabs. ANd that's what I've done. I've changed the protein source from chicken to pork. It IS an adult food, but my vet is fully aware of this. The other alternative is a lamb-based puppy food for large breeds - that's what the Burn's nutritionist advised. But she thought the pork one would be OK too. I went for the pork first as it is with potato rather than with rice, as both the chicken she was on was, as well as the lamb one.

My vet is suggesting the next step is blood screening tests for food intolerance - but I've read that these can be misleading or not always accurate.


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## 6660carrie (Jul 28, 2008)

I do feel for you , my mother in law had the same with her poodle for over 4 months. All she did was give really bland stuff like chicken,fish,pasta vegatables for a few days and then gradually mixed small amounts of her normal dried food over a few more days and it seems to have worked.

Apparently some dogs have an intolerance to rice but I've heard Burns is one of the better ones for sensitive stomachs. My Dobey can be a bit runny if I'm not careful so I feed him on Wainwrights which is Gluten free and hes fine. Hope things improve soon, I'm sure they will.


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## JoanneB (Jun 22, 2008)

Tonight, for her tea, I've given her boiled rice mixed in with scrambled egg with some raw carrot mixed in. Does everyone think this could be OK? She's also had ner pro-kolin dose - she's on 2ml of the paste twice a day.


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## TiffanyLouise (Jul 23, 2008)

I think your pup will be ok on rice and eggs
Just wait and see


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## JoanneB (Jun 22, 2008)

Her runs were terrible overnight, so I don't think she's faring well on rice - may have hit the problem?? So this morning I'm giving her mashed potato. I'm going to get some fish and try her on mash and fish for a couple of days. If she fares well on this, then I will buy Arden Grange sensisitve as it is fish & potato based and will wean it in. Wish me luck!


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## TiffanyLouise (Jul 23, 2008)

Sorry to hear that joanne, did you make the scrambled egg with milk?
If so it might've been better on its own as she might be lactose intolerant


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## JoanneB (Jun 22, 2008)

No. It was just boiled rice and scrambled egg - with nothing else added whatsoever


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## Guest (Jul 30, 2008)

I do not want to be a scaremonger, but I feel I am reading a mirror image of my own dog here, Dispite being tested for almost everying common ailment, nothing showed up,. The initial diagnosis was food intolerency, which dispite me argueing the fact that is could not be one of the bowel diseases was the next stab in the dark diagnoises by our vet, I am at this stage talking about a very young dog, the final diagnosis and the one which finally claimed her life at the yound age of four years was AI, which was infact the problem all the way through, possibly although not many vets would admit it triggered by the immuniations. The thing that sticks in mu throat when I think of this is had this have been diagnosed in the very early stages it could have been controlled and my sweet dog could well be her today to tell the tell. But I faced an old vet that would not listened, I was almost classed as a nutcase by my vet it cost me almost £11,000 and my dog paid the price. I knew why in the end, and it was never a food intolerence!
regards
sue


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## JoanneB (Jun 22, 2008)

AAAARRRRRRGHH!!!! My daughter just told me that my husband gave her some fresh chicken last night, as he was putting the tea out. He KNOWS that I think chicken could be a trigger!!!!! GRRRRRRRRR!  WHAT'S THE POINT OF TRYING AN ELIMINATION DIET IF HE'S GOING TO SABOTAGE IT (albeit unintentionally)


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## growler1961 (Nov 2, 2007)

compylobacter is a bug that keeps returning ,dont count on a negative test result as your pup sounds to me like it still has the bug 
have you tried galic ?
even if you try special diet it will make no difference if the bug is still in the gut


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## Blaxen (May 4, 2008)

or even tried feeding the BARF diet, I have heard of many dogs that have had stomach issues to be better on this food i:e things like colitis etc.
But like already said if the bug is still there then it won't make any difference what you feed as this will still affect her


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## JoanneB (Jun 22, 2008)

Well the boiled mashed up potato and white coley fish seems to be working!! (touch wood) Her stools are still softish, but they are like proper dog poos - at last!! (although a little pale in colour). She only pooed twice overnight (both formed) and once on our walk (formed again) She still has done about 8 in total throughout the day... but all have been the shape of poo! Gosh, I never thought I'd be cheering about formed dog poo, lol! Also, I was given a tip of Wafcol salmon and potato dog food. I researched it, and it really has no additives and seems a really pure food - so I've started gradually putting some of that in her food too since last night. Let's hope the good news continues!! They are the first formed poos she has done, though, in 11 weeks - since she was 9 weeks old - so it really is good news!


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## Guest (Jul 31, 2008)

slippery elm helps you can get from holland and barrett in liquid form andput a few drops in his food


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## JoanneB (Jun 22, 2008)

Thought I'd update everyone. We've been in holiday to Scotland for a week, and Honey came with us. Her poo has got better and better and, although not as firm as my other dog's Willow, her poo is now perfectly formed. The Salmon and potato Wafcol seems to have done the trick... or maybe her system is just completely over the compy bug now. Time will tell but I'm now enjoying the fact she has normal poo!! Thankyou for everyone's advice xx


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## kateyblue (Aug 2, 2008)

Thats brilliant Jo, so glad to hear she is better
You had us worried for a while there lol


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## Georges Mum (Aug 12, 2008)

We had a GSD with a colitis as a puppy. Our vet told us to put her on Chappie or on Butchers tripe. (the plain varieties). Lamb is the most digestible meat, followed by chicken. Chicken and Rice is a good suggestion but plain chappie from the tin will do the same thing. It will take about two to three weeks to get the inflammation inside to calm down so it could take a while. If the mess at night is bothering you you could get a puppy crate for night time use to limit the mess. Our dogs have a crate but we don't shut the door now, they view it as their den and frequently go and lie in it with the door open. They know it is their space. I suspect your dog might be a little anxious after being ill for a little while so time will be a healer too. Lots of reassurance and fun will take the mind off it too! Good Luck!


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## JoanneB (Jun 22, 2008)

Thank you. She has gone from strength to strength. She already is in a crate at night. However, as she was pooing about 8-10 times in the night, I had to start leaving the crate door open as she had no choice but to lie in it. I always crate train my dogs. Now, things are going so well that I'm going to leave it another week, just to be sure things are OK (the past couple of nights there has only been 1 poo!!), and then I'll start shutting the door again. This should then break this habit.

I'm loathe to go onto Chappie as it seems that she may have a rice intolerance. She is now settled on Wafcol Salmon and Potato. I'll leave her on that for a while before I attempt to re-introduce other foods to see if she can tolerate them. 

For now, I'm just glad that things are settled... at last!


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