# Puppy with Colitis



## Ruby's Mum (Oct 16, 2010)

Hello, I am new to the forum after coming across it while looking for help and advice for our new puppy.

We have an 8 week old Cavalier called Ruby, she is a lovely little girl but we have been to the vet twice in the few days that we have had her. She has runny, mucus like stools with blood in them, the vet has diagnosed colitis and given her an antibiotic jab. She is full of energy, eating and drinking well, not dehydrated, playful and seems well but its very worrying to see the blood everytime she poops:frown:. We are feeding her wainwrights turkey and rice puppy food. 

The vet seems unconcerned because she is well in herself and appears to be a very healthy puppy but I am still worried.

My questions are how long should it take for the antibiotics to work?, how long will she be having the bloody mucus like poops?, should we try a different food or will this upset her tummy even more? 

I would be grateful for any advice. Thank you.

Emma


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## Ridgielover (Apr 16, 2008)

Hi Emma
I'm sorry to read that Ruby is having problems. Have you spoken to her breeder? I would say that the breeder should be your first place to ask.


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

Hi,
Sorry to hear Ruby is a bit poorly. If you have a search you will find lots of info on colitis and tum probs here.
Personally I would stop the wainwrights and put her on fish and rice. Lots of petshops sell frozen minced fish, I think Prize Choice is the make. I always cook mine in a frypan, no oil or water and it only takes a couple of mins as it's finely minced. Boil your rice and mix together. Feed little and often.

You can also try a small amount of natural yogurt (with pre/pro biotics) before each meal and may be mix in some Dorwest treebarks powders. The yogurt will replace the good bacteria in her gut and the powders soothe and calm the gut and slow the passage of food.

You will need to keep her on the fish and rice until she is better and then probably another week or so to be sure. Then you can gradually start mixing in her wainwrights. If it's kibble, then I would soak it first to make it easier to digest. Hopefully she will soon get better on the fish and rice.

Mine had an upset this summer and altho she got better quickly on the fish/rice/yogurt/treebarks. I was giving her yogurt first thing mornings and adding treebarks for about a month afterwards in her normal food.

If you find the fish/rice doesnt work quickly then I would speak to the vet again. Young pups can go downhill quickly but hopefully, you wont need to 
Hope Ruby gets better soon and you can start enjoying you time here:thumbup:


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## Guest (Oct 16, 2010)

Did your vet give you any of this?
Protexin Prokolin Antidiarrhoeal Probiotic Paste - From £6.93
If not I would go back and get some, it's quite safe for puppies.
If the colitis continues after the antibiotics have finished, or sooner if your pup seems unwell, I think you should insist of stool sample tests to rule out any kind of worms etc.

Did your pup come with information from the breeder about worming and feeding and could you contact the breeder to find out if other pups are having any issues?


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## Ruby's Mum (Oct 16, 2010)

Hi thank you for the responses, 

I have spoken to her breeder, we have stuck to all the advice she gave us regarding worming etc and have been feeding her the same food etc, but she hasn't had any problems with the rest of the litter and said that Ruby was thriving with her but that its common for puppies to have the runs (kind of felt she was blaming us to be honest) and she just said take her to the vets which was the very first thing we did when we brought her home and have been back to the vet a couple of times now.

Hi Rona, no the vet didn't offer or suggest the protexin paste but I will definately be looking into getting some for her. I am going back on Monday for another check up and hopefully she will be well enough to have her jabs.

Hello Mum2Heidi thank you for the diet information, after I read your post this afternoon I sent the hubby to the local pet shop and supermarket, she had a little yoghurt when he came back which she loved and for tea I have made the fish and rice which went down very well so far so good, although she only did a little poop there wasn't so much blood in it this time. Hubby also asked about the treebark you suggested but the petshop didn't have any (only a small local shop although he is very good) he is going to order some and should have some for me on Monday afternoon.

Thank you so much for your help I think I am a bit of a worry wort but she is such a precious little thing we have waited a long time for the right puppy and we want to make sure we are doing the very best for her.

Emma


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## Guest (Oct 16, 2010)

I don't think the breeder was blaming you, it happens quite often to small puppies when they firs arrive home. It could be as simple as a change in the water.
I do hope it settles down, and if not, keep pestering your vet. 
You can leave these things for a while with adult dogs but not with tiny puppies.
Good luck


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## mitch4 (Oct 31, 2009)

Our Mabel had this as a puppy very severely and we by elimination found that chicken and wheat were 2 of the food types she couldnt take, we put her on Arden grange adult salmon and rice and nature diet lamb and rice and the colitis stopped and has never returned, she can now eat a more varied diet including chicken but we keep her off of wheat other than a little bit of toast or cracker now and again  and shes fine but due to a problem we had with packs of Nature diet being off we opted to give her chappie like nim wits we didnt give the wheat content a thought  as chappies meant to be good for sensitive tums and she developed very loose poos but no blood, we quickly stopped this food

so hopefully its food related and you will be able to control it, we had to go straight on to adult food with mabel as nearly all puppy food has chicken in the ingredients, shes thrived and not missed the puppy food

Good luck


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## Ruby's Mum (Oct 16, 2010)

Thanks Rona and Mitch 

I also thought it might be the food causing the colitis, but thankfully after trying Mum2Heidi suggestion of minced fish and rice and a little natural (probiotic yoghurt) we have just had a more solid poop (yay, never thought I would be sooo obsessed with poop but hey ho lol). I am going to stick to the fish and rice for now and see how she gets on fingers crossed her tummy will settle down now.

She is such a lovely little girl full of mischief and kisses and at the moment asleep on my foot lol. 

Thanks again for the responses I feel much less worried already.


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## mitch4 (Oct 31, 2009)

glad the fish and rice are doing the trick :thumbup:

and yes when you have a pup with colitis you do become poo obsessed LOL


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

Hi Emma,

I am so glad to hear Ruby is feeling a bit better and has solid poohs (Yeah!) I'm a worry wort too and hate it when they are unwell.
Sounds like you may have managed without the treebark powders but they are good. I bought mine back in June and still have lots left but have used it a few times.
Initially when I got to 50/50 kibble-fish and rice her tum would flare up again and all the meds would come back out and we'd go back to fish and rice. This happened a few times but when I started soaking her kibble and mixing it, we were away. 

Heidi was on Wainwrights puppy then I moved to Skinners hypoallergenic adult kibble but since her upset have started feeding part wet food (naturediet)

I would definately keep her on the fish and rice for a while. As she gets better, you could try reducing the yogurt to mornings only (poss mix the powders with it) Any flare ups, go back to what you what worked.

I personally wouldnt have her vaccinated until she is 100% but speak to your vet and see what he says. 

Hope she continues to do well and look forward to hearing an update


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## Ruby's Mum (Oct 16, 2010)

Hi guys,

well so far so good, Ruby has had solid poops all day and seems to be really enjoying the fish and rice. I am going to stick with that for a while yet to make sure she is 100% we are back at the vets on Tuesday so hopefully we will have good news for him.

Thanks so much for the help and advice we really appreciate it and I will be sticking around the site because some of the topics on here are really helpful:thumbup:


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## Guest (Oct 17, 2010)

Ruby's Mum said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> well so far so good, Ruby has had solid poops all day and seems to be really enjoying the fish and rice. I am going to stick with that for a while yet to make sure she is 100% we are back at the vets on Tuesday so hopefully we will have good news for him.
> 
> Thanks so much for the help and advice we really appreciate it and I will be sticking around the site because some of the topics on here are really helpful:thumbup:


Glad it's worked, but please realize that it hasn't the nutrients required for a growing pup. Ok for a very short period but not if you have to use it often.
The route cause of the problem needs to be found if it continues 
Good luck


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

Hope she continues to do well and can gets back onto her wainwrights problem free


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## Ruby's Mum (Oct 16, 2010)

Hello again,

Thanks Mum2Heidi she seems to be doing really well.

Thanks Rona, I was thinking to keep Ruby on the fish and rice for a few more days and asking the vet on Tuesday about how I should gradually re-introduce her dry food how much and how often etc and then monitoring closely how she goes. After sitting and going over what Ruby's has eaten since we got her we suspect it was a puppy treat that we were giving her that may have caused the upset so have thrown it out. She hasn't had any type of treats while she has been under the weather.

I was wondering what treat you would suggest giving her to help with training etc because I am worried about giving her something that might trigger her sensitive tum again we were giving her a pets at home brand of treat called puppy mini bones (biscuits not actual bones) but reading the ingredients they have cereals, animal derivatives antioxidant ec additives and coloured and preserved with ec additives so they don't sound so great really.

Thanks again for everyone's invaluable advice I am really grateful


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

Hi Emma,

Slowly, slowly will be the way forward for a little while and altho you will want to treat her it's best to keep things as simple as possible, only introducing one thing at a time until she is stronger. That way you will know what she can and cant cope with. Perhaps at the mo for any training at home she could have a little of the boiled fish as a reward. (Carefully at first because she is used to it with rice)

Once you have her back onto the wainwrights, you could use that to begin with. I hated not being able to treat Heidi but found a lot of it is in your manner so as long as you give it with the same enthusiasm, it will be received as a treat rather than the usual food source.

When you are happy that the wainwrights is going well. [email protected] do wainwright treats and if I remember rightly, they are based on the food. Check the ingredients of course but it could be the way forward.

Rona tried to tell me on many occasions that I needed to tread carefully and not rush things but I didnt appreciate just how careful I needed to be and slipped up a couple of times. Hopefully you will make a better job of it :thumbup:
good luck at the vets
Sandie


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## Ruby's Mum (Oct 16, 2010)

Hi Mum2Heidi,

The vet was pleased with Ruby she seems to be doing really well no sign of the colitis now, I am gonna take your advice reagrding the treats and to be honest since she has been poorly we haven't given her any treats and her toilet training etc still seem to be going really well she loves to be fussed over when she does something good

Thanks again.


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

Woo hooo Great news:thumbup:


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## mitch4 (Oct 31, 2009)

When Mabel was well for a while from the colitis we used these fish4dogs little treats

Super Stars Training Treats - Fish4Dogs Online Shop

She can now also take WAGG treats or cooked sausage and fish bits
the WAGG treats do have wheat in them but mabel can now tollorate a small amount of wheat she can take all thier treats not just the sensitive one

Wagg Sensitive Treats â Wagg Foods UK


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## bucksmum (Jul 19, 2009)

One thing aside from the change of diet i have found helps is Aloe vera gel.

I get mine from Higher Nature,they do an animal organic aloe and always works a treat to soothe an inflammed gut.


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## mitch4 (Oct 31, 2009)

Bucksmum do you give it all the time or just when there is a flare up, this sounds interesting, i take aloe juice from time to time


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

I use dorwest treebarks powders but will keep the aloe vera in mind - thank you


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