# Why has my Collie suddenly developed a sensitive stomach??



## CollieLover14 (Jan 24, 2014)

My Collie has just turned 2 and up until about 10 weeks ago (around the end of August this year) was perfectly healthy with no digestive issues. She was being fed a 50:50 raw (nutriment) and kibble (CSJ) diet (1 meal raw, 1 meal kibble) which seemed to be suiting her well and she had been on this raw/kibble diet for about 6 months. I had changed her VERY gradually onto the CSJ from a different kibble around the beginning of August. (Please no comments re raw vs. kibble feeding or mixing the two).

At the end of August she suddenly started having episodes of diarrhoea and after starving her for 24 hours then feeding on cooked chicken and rice for a few days she would go back to normal but then the problem kept reoccurring. I took her to the vets and did a stool sample which came back clear. Since then I have been feeding her just on kibble as every time I try to re-introduce raw food (in VERY small amounts) this causes her to have diarrhoea again.

So I am confused as to why she seems to suddenly have developed such a sensitive stomach when she was fine on the diet she was getting for months before this? Could the change of kibble at the start of August caused her to become sensitive?

Also would she benefit from a pro/prebiotic and if so what should I be looking for in one as all the jargon is so confusing!

Any help/advice really appreciated!
Thanks


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

Sorry to hear your Collie has a delicate tum atm. I know what a worry it can be. At least you have stuck to her normal food and not done what I did - keep trying different things and make the situation a whole lot worse.

Kibble is v hard to digest and for a sensitive tum can be hard work. That was our problem. Yours seems fine with the kibble so I think in your shoes, I would introduce a tum supplement and stick with just kibble a while longer. I swear by Bionic Biotics. It really got us sorted. (I keep a pouch in the cupboard 3 years on). Yumpro is another good one I believe. Soaking kibble can make it more gentle on the tum if need be.

After a month or so of supplement/kibble perhaps try some raw again but keep the supplement going while you do it and afterwards. Heidi had BB for months at 1/2 dose for maintenance and has the occasional boost when I use up what I have in the cupboard before it goes out of date.

It can be a long haul back to 100% but really worth taking it extremely slowly. Heidi now shakes off a tum upset like normal dogs'-never thought I would see that day again

CSJ give very good advice if you want a word with them.


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## rona (Aug 18, 2011)

How long have you followed a regime when the tums been ok before trying to introduce other foods?

Sometimes it seems that the problem is solved but the stomach lining may not have fully repaired and adding another food aggravates it again.

Just stick to what works for several weeks at least 4 and if it flares again you may have to accept that you are going to have a limited choice of food.


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## CollieLover14 (Jan 24, 2014)

Thanks for your fast reply, she does worry me when she has an upset tummy!

I have always soaked her kibble in hot water before giving it to her and I have already ordered some of the Yumpro Bioactiv tablets so hoping they will help her once they arrive. She has also been on the CSJ 'Heal' herbs for a couple of weeks now as they are meant to help with digestive upsets.

Thanks for the advice, I will keep her on kibble for a while longer and see how we get on 

Still baffled as to what has caused this though and wondering if anyone else has had issues after swapping onto CSJ?


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## CollieLover14 (Jan 24, 2014)

Thanks Rona, maybe I haven't been waiting long enough before introducing new food again.


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## rona (Aug 18, 2011)

CollieLover14 said:


> Thanks for your fast reply, she does worry me when she has an upset tummy!
> 
> I have always soaked her kibble in hot water before giving it to her and I have already ordered some of the Yumpro Bioactiv tablets so hoping they will help her once they arrive. She has also been on the CSJ 'Heal' herbs for a couple of weeks now as they are meant to help with digestive upsets.
> 
> ...


Don't add to much because you will never know what is causing the issue.
The cause could have been anything, a bug or something eaten. Any dog can get an upset tum throughout it's life. It's how it recovers that matters.
Slowly slowly is the way to go. Get a firm stool and keep to whatever you are doing for a long time. No tidbits, no supplements, no, I'll just try this. :hand:


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

What kibble was she on before, that she was OK on?

Apart from No-grainer, I'm not a great fan of CSJ foods - too much cereal and maize in particular which many dogs find indigestible.

Checking through the ingredients of the old kibble and the CSJ might pinpoint an ingredient she's not tolerating well.


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## CollieLover14 (Jan 24, 2014)

She was on a brand called Wufitmix before CSJ. Her stomach was fine on it but I changed her over as the label was so vague (stating ingredients like "meat and animal derivatives") that I wasn't happy that I knew exactly what was in it.


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## Dubuss (Nov 14, 2012)

I just had to post when I saw this thread. Pickles developed a sensitive stomach out of nowhere Dec 2013, it's still ongoing. He's had several blood test, been diagnosed with an overload of bad bacteria in his stomach, no one knows why without operating and taking part of his intestines out. Which for now, we've decided against.

We've learnt
- stick to a wet food if possible as the are far easier to digest
- chicken is often a common allergy, so we stick to fish only
- try a good supplement, we like bionic biotics best. Yum pro is good too.
- keep a food diary and include where you walk etc to see any patterns
- absolutely no treats until you find treatment. We only give pickles carrot as a treat
- go slow! Despite advice, everyone rushes to get their dog back on kibble, it is easier and cheaper. But, since the found Arden grange is tolerable with pickles, we use the sensitive wet, we refuse to switch. We are now considering some kibble soaked, may try this around Xmas if he's well
- if it continues( we couldn't stop pickles upset tum initially despite starving him and he lost 3kg in about 6 weeks) it's a vet trip. Is he losing weight at all?
- pro kolin is an excellent stool hardener paste (cheapest on vet medic)


I've re-read your post again and maybe it's the new kibble. Perhaps an ingredient that's irritating his stomach. I know we all like to feed decent food, but when your dog does well and thrives on something poorer quality, does it matter? Seems a coincidence that you switched shortly before his illness.
Good luck!!


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## wee man (Apr 8, 2012)

50-50 should be absolutely fine, it sounds as if your troubles started when you tried to change the kibble. I would stick with the raw (easily digested) and change back to the original kibble !

Best wishes.


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## CollieLover14 (Jan 24, 2014)

Thanks for your replies everyone. My plan at the moment is to continue on the kibble she is on for now (and add Yumpro) then try and slowly re-introduce raw around Christmas time. If this causes her to be poorly again then I'll look at changing back to the old kibble.

Thanks for all your suggestions and advice, I'll keep you all posted!


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## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

I know the feeling as one of my collie bitches started becoming food intolerant at about the same age. 

At the time my dogs were fed James Wellbeloved which they all seemed fine with and I hadn't changed their diet.

Anyway after several months of my bitch having dreadful episodes of diarrhoea and lots of trips to the vet, (including blood and stool tests) I got a referral to Cambridge Veterinary College. They suggested I feed her Royal Canin Veterinary and absolutely nothing else. I wasn't very happy with their suggestion as I considered it be to a pretty awful diet but looking back maybe I should have stuck with the Royal Canin.

My bitch is now 13 yrs old and has been on Purina Veterinary HA for the past 20 months. I believe the protein source is soya and one of the ingredients appears to be a form of sawdust...!! Having said that, she hasn't had any bouts of diarrhoea.

The kibble my bitch did well on for a long time was Arden Grange ocean white fish and potato but unfortunately she eventually built up an intolerance to that as well.

I hope you can get your collie on a even keel because my bitch has been a nightmare for the past 10+ years.


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

CollieLover14 said:


> She was on a brand called Wufitmix before CSJ. Her stomach was fine on it but I changed her over as the label was so vague (stating ingredients like "meat and animal derivatives") that I wasn't happy that I knew exactly what was in it.


As the kibble isn't the sole food, it's less important that it's best quality. I'd change back and if she's OK again, either stick with it (perhaps using a really good wet food such as Rocco, Lukullus, Bozita) alongside - or gradually change to something else.


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## Guest (Nov 16, 2014)

CollieLover14 said:


> My Collie has just turned 2 and up until about 10 weeks ago (around the end of August this year) was perfectly healthy with no digestive issues. She was being fed a 50:50 raw (nutriment) and kibble (CSJ) diet (1 meal raw, 1 meal kibble) which seemed to be suiting her well and she had been on this raw/kibble diet for about 6 months. I had changed her VERY gradually onto the CSJ from a different kibble around the beginning of August. (Please no comments re raw vs. kibble feeding or mixing the two).
> 
> At the end of August she suddenly started having episodes of diarrhoea and after starving her for 24 hours then feeding on cooked chicken and rice for a few days she would go back to normal but then the problem kept reoccurring. I took her to the vets and did a stool sample which came back clear. Since then I have been feeding her just on kibble as every time I try to re-introduce raw food (in VERY small amounts) this causes her to have diarrhoea again.
> 
> ...


It sounds like she doesn't like raw food.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

CollieLover14 said:


> My Collie has just turned 2 and up until about 10 weeks ago (around the end of August this year) was perfectly healthy with no digestive issues. She was being fed a 50:50 raw (nutriment) and kibble (CSJ) diet (1 meal raw, 1 meal kibble) which seemed to be suiting her well and she had been on this raw/kibble diet for about 6 months. I had changed her VERY gradually onto the CSJ from a different kibble around the beginning of August. (Please no comments re raw vs. kibble feeding or mixing the two).
> 
> At the end of August she suddenly started having episodes of diarrhoea and after starving her for 24 hours then feeding on cooked chicken and rice for a few days she would go back to normal but then the problem kept reoccurring. I took her to the vets and did a stool sample which came back clear. Since then I have been feeding her just on kibble as every time I try to re-introduce raw food (in VERY small amounts) this causes her to have diarrhoea again.
> 
> ...


If the problem still doesn't resolve in spite of trying different foods and things like pro and pre biotic supplements such as Bionic Biotic which I second M2H suggestion of because I have found it good too. Then it might be worth asking the vet to run a B12/Folate blood test, that is a good indicator of how the digestive system is working usually plus if they have a B12 (cobalamin) and or folate deficiency or inability to absorb and use it from the food then that will usually cause diarrhoea and an upset gut.

It usually takes a long time to develop a B12 deficiency it doesn't happen quickly.

Border collies can sometimes have a genetic disorder called Imerslund Grasbeck Syndrome or IGS for short, which means they cant absorb B12 through the intestine even if they are getting enough in their diet. Raw diets need to have a percentage of organ meat too, as that is a good source of B12.
If the diet is lacking then that can cause a deficiency too that way.


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## CollieLover14 (Jan 24, 2014)

Thank you everyone for your replies, you have been really helpful and have given me loads to think about/watch out for  She is fine at the moment so slowly slowly does it and fingers crossed!


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## rona (Aug 18, 2011)

CollieLover14 said:


> Thank you everyone for your replies, you have been really helpful and have given me loads to think about/watch out for  She is fine at the moment so slowly slowly does it and fingers crossed!


Fingers crossed. good luck


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## Dubuss (Nov 14, 2012)

Yes, the reason I asked about losing weight as this is an indication of EPI/SIBo which sled dog hotel talks about. Pickles has SIbo which is made worse by a lack of b12, so we used bionic biotics as this contains that vitamin.


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## paristhebulldog (Mar 24, 2013)

Have you considered switching to raw and leaving out the kibble?


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## ClaireandDaisy (Jul 4, 2010)

Have you done an elimination test? I would suspect that she is reacting to an ingredient rather than the form of the food. If she is sensitive to chicken, for example, most kibbles include chicken, even of the main ingredient is different. Or maize, or food colouring etc etc. 
I feed Raw because it is easier to eliminate any foods I don`t want my dog to eat. You can get kibble that uses only a few (listed) ingredients so it might be worth simplifying what you feed and that way you will have a better idea what she can`t tolerate?


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