# Dealing with Colitis



## t0mbop (Jun 21, 2009)

Hi guys,

Alfie has been experiencing some bad health recently, since Christmas more prolifically. We've now with the help of many vet trips diagnosed him as having Colitis. As a result he's been put on a diet of just Hills Prescription W/D Kibble.

Here is the issue, he used to have chronic bloody slimy stools through the night and day, at which point he'd be rushed to the vets and patched up. After many of these occurrences we said enough is enough, it's not nice for us to come down in the morning to a kitchen full of faeces, neither is it nice for the dog, and they conducted some in-depth tests. He was found to have a Parasitic Infestation by the name of Giardia, and was put on a course of antibiotics.

This remedied him for a short while, long enough to undergo the same tests 2 weeks later which concluded that he had now ridded his system of Giardia and was "fine". Since then similar symptoms have recurred including sickness more and more. Back to the vets, and they finally diagnosed it as Colitis and prescribed the W/D. This, again seemed to clear things up for a matter of 2 weeks, until his stools became mucus-laden again. Granted, he's not as bad with the old symptoms, but it's sad to see now he's in quite a lot of discomfort and his demeanour has changed greatly. He's now very on edge, growls at everything and anything and incredibly restless, almost unable to lay down I guess because of the discomfort this condition brings with it.

The W/D, despite it's ridiculous price tag does appear to be controlling 1 aspect of the condition, that's the loose and sometimes "explosive" stools. But, at what cost? He's now very restless and agitated and I'm concerned for him. The vet's are starting to run out of ideas I feel as this W/D seemed like their final option. They did mention steroid injections, but have failed to elaborate further on this when asked.

I'm concerned for my dog, he's only 15 months old and I'm let down by the vets who don't seem to be able to help him. He has almost a cyclic condition it seems, you get a good couple of weeks then a not so good couple of weeks. It's more manageable when there's loose stools ironically, but now he's showing signs of being in pain and discomfort I think it's not far short of animal cruelty on the vet's part, they should be able to help him with alternative methods.

So, I'm after some advice or tips from those that have dealt with this condition before in dogs. He's a pure breed Golden Retriever with a good background, and generally despite early behavioural problems (which it now transpires could be related to this, as the vets have a hunch he had it since birth! - and he's always had loose stools!) he's a lovely dog, and I feel a bit helpless. I begrudge paying the money for the W/D but at the same time have to be realistic and am open to anything that will give him the best illness-free life possible.

Any help is greatly appreciated.


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## Guest (Apr 13, 2010)

I'm sure I have given you this link before.
Our Chessie suffers from this and although your dog may not, the symptoms are similar to Colitis.
We feed ours Chappie original tinnned food and when he has an episode has Sulfasalazine tablets from the vet and Pro kolin paste.
If he has a particularly bad episode he also has Trimcare tablets from the vet.
No treats or anything else should be ingested, which is difficult when walking a dog in areas were people drop all sorts of things.
I hope this helps

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in Dogs


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## t0mbop (Jun 21, 2009)

Right, I said it's Colitis purely because the vet diagnosed it as that.

I asked, "Is this like IBD in humans, just a dog version" to which they replied "Yes." So judging by what they say it's a similar thing. It's the tablets you mention which might be of help to me, I shall mention it to the vet. They also mentioned chappie. Is tinned better than kibble?

Cheers.


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## suewhite (Oct 31, 2009)

Hi sorry you are having such problems I had the same with my dog he had many tests and the outcome was chronic colitis he was put on hilles but did"nt seem to help that much and I could only get it from the vets so after being told about Wafcol Salmon and Potatoe I gave it a try he loves it and it seems to have sorted out his awful runny poohs I did do a test and gave him Hilles and back it all came.Has your dog also been test for Pancreatic insufficiency?I also give my dog Dorwest Tree Bark Powder.Hope you manage to sort things out as I know what a worry it is.Sue


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## Guest (Apr 13, 2010)

t0mbop said:


> Right, I said it's Colitis purely because the vet diagnosed it as that.
> 
> I asked, "Is this like IBD in humans, just a dog version" to which they replied "Yes." So judging by what they say it's a similar thing. It's the tablets you mention which might be of help to me, I shall mention it to the vet. They also mentioned chappie. Is tinned better than kibble?
> 
> Cheers.


The tinned is completely different to the kibble, and to be honest better quality, beare in mind we only use the original, the chicken flavour doesn't suit


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## Guest (Apr 13, 2010)

suewhite said:


> Hi sorry you are having such problems I had the same with my dog he had many tests and the outcome was chronic colitis he was put on hilles but did"nt seem to help that much and I could only get it from the vets so after being told about Wafcol Salmon and Potatoe I gave it a try he loves it and it seems to have sorted out his awful runny poohs I did do a test and gave him Hilles and back it all came.Has your dog also been test for Pancreatic insufficiency?I also give my dog Dorwest Tree Bark Powder.Hope you manage to sort things out as I know what a worry it is.Sue


There are a lot of people who seem to be having success with Wafcol Salmon and potato, we just can't risk changing ours it's too frightening to risk, and he is fine on Chappie.
I must remember suggest the Wafcol myself


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## suewhite (Oct 31, 2009)

rona said:


> There are a lot of people who seem to be having success with Wafcol Salmon and potato, we just can't risk changing ours it's too frightening to risk, and he is fine on Chappie.
> I must remember suggest the Wafcol myself


As Auntie Rona :lol::lol::lol:says Chappie is good and mine did great on that but then would"nt touch it,Wafcol is quite hard to get I get mine on line


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## Bobbie (May 3, 2008)

My rough went through all this last year all the tests etc. didn't like the sound of steriods so I thought it must be diet related. So I took him off everything he had before including the Hills the vet put him on. I tried the Burns duck/rice and added protexin to his food and hey presto 9 months later and no further attacks. We put it down to him being allergic to anything with chicken in. I do know what you mean about the dog being restless with the pain and sometimes whimpering. So get looking at some web sites and email them for advice thats what I did. At one point the vet said it was his auto ammune system so may need a biopsy.


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## Kinski (Apr 4, 2009)

My last sheltie had colitis and like Bobbie it was Burns that cleared it up, I also had a friend who's dog would have blood pouring from her for several weeks every month, I got her to try Burns and it also cleared her dogs colitis up.

Terri


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## RAINYBOW (Aug 27, 2009)

Oscar had colitis and once we got it under control he has been on Chappie as his stomach is still delicate. I refused the Hills from the vet.

You can buy Slippery Elm powder from the health food shop for humans but this is very good for dogs too, it is a homeopathic remedy that soothes and calms the gut. I used to mix it into a paste and put it in a kong.


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

Was your dog OK before the giardia? Infections can trigger food allergies or intolerances. Dorwest Tree Barks Powder or Slippery Elm (as a herb from a health food shop) is good. It coats and soothes the gut lining and slows the passage of food so nutrients are absorbed better. Probiotics can help too. Then you have to find a food your dog can tolerate. I'm using Orijen at the moment, Wafcol salmon and potato is another good cereal-free one. Burns or Skinners hypoallergenic is OK as long as rice isn't the trigger.

Keep worming up to date, and keep the dog as calm and happy as you can. Stress makes colitis worse.


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## julianne (May 3, 2009)

Your post is identical to what Marley (my OES) went through.Has your dog been tested for Pancreatic insufficiency? Also has he been food allergy tested ?
Marley has a Beef allergy and the Kibble he was fed has caused colitis.

Marley was put on salmon and potato wafcol and his poops where ok for a time then we started with the poops again and then it cleared and the we started with the poops again and it went on and on and on until Marls got that thin(24 kg) i thought we were going to lose him.

In the end we tried Marls on a raw diet . It was the only way that we knew for definate what he was being fed.My vet went mad and said i would never get any weight on him with the illness he had. He has been raw now for 11 months and he hasn't had the poops once in that time :thumbup:He now weighs 36 kg and loves his new diet.


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## Jackie99 (Mar 5, 2010)

Reading this thread with interest. My dog suffers to. Still in the trial and error stage at the moment. Now that I have taken him off chicken totally his poops are getting better. Not as I think they should be but a vast improvement. It is the noises in his stomach which have worried me and made me take notice over the last few months. In the evening loud noises and sometimes all day to. Sometimes did not seem to bother him, sometimes unsettled him. I have tried Chappie, he did not like. We try the Hills I/D diet also the duck and rice. He eats a wet food now that is tripe based and for senstive digestive systems and also I have a batch of nature diet. I'm worried if the Nature diet is making his condition worse as I ordered Turkey and Rabbit. Turkey being white meat so not sure. So stressful! I also give him pro kolin and another probiotic pellet stuff. Am going to look into the dorwest tree bark powder. Willing to try anything to get this sorted!!


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## Guest (Apr 13, 2010)

Jackie99 said:


> Reading this thread with interest. My dog suffers to. Still in the trial and error stage at the moment. Now that I have taken him off chicken totally his poops are getting better. Not as I think they should be but a vast improvement. It is the noises in his stomach which have worried me and made me take notice over the last few months. In the evening loud noises and sometimes all day to. Sometimes did not seem to bother him, sometimes unsettled him. I have tried Chappie, he did not like. We try the Hills I/D diet also the duck and rice. He eats a wet food now that is tripe based and for senstive digestive systems and also I have a batch of nature diet. I'm worried if the Nature diet is making his condition worse as I ordered Turkey and Rabbit. Turkey being white meat so not sure. So stressful! I also give him pro kolin and another probiotic pellet stuff. Am going to look into the dorwest tree bark powder. Willing to try anything to get this sorted!!


My Goldie suffers from very mild bouts of colitis, but I have found that I cannot feed him Nature Diet as his only food as this can affect his digestion.
I feed him Nature diet for breakfast and Chappie tins for dinner


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## Jackie99 (Mar 5, 2010)

rona said:


> My Goldie suffers from very mild bouts of colitis, but I have found that I cannot feed him Nature Diet as his only food as this can affect his digestion.
> I feed him Nature diet for breakfast and Chappie tins for dinner


Yes I am starting to think the same. My dog has only been eating the Nature Diet for around 2-3 days and the last 2 evenings things seemed to have 'kicked off' again. Disapointed if it is the ND as I have another 16 trays here!! But will try giving him a small portion of that as his first meal and his usual tripe meal later on maybe.

Sometimes just not sure what to do for the best in this situation! It is a tricky one.


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## JSR (Jan 2, 2009)

My old boy has suffered badly with it for years....once I started feeding raw it disappeared and has never been seen again!!! :thumbup:


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## Jackie99 (Mar 5, 2010)

I would like to try my dog on a raw diet- It is an option and I have heard good things but I don't feel like an experienced enough owner to do so- I would be a bit confused and wondering if I was doing the right thing. Also when I got raw bones from the butchers he was not interested at all. I know dogs can be 'converted' whatever age so I'd be willing to try.

Surely though if a dog has an allergy to chicken in dog food as in wet dog food and kibble you could not feed them it in a raw diet either??

And how would I go about it for a smallish dog just give him...3 chicken necks from the butchers after swilling them in water to eat as he wishes for example a day and that would be enough? Or so I buy raw meat and grind it all up and put it in his bowl as I would do with his usual wet food?? Bones included??

Sorry don't want to disturb this thread just interested and if it helps my boy......


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## Guest (Apr 13, 2010)

Have a look at this site

Natural Instinct - High Quality Natural Dog Food


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## JSR (Jan 2, 2009)

I buy my meat from Anglian Meat Products. I think you can get some of their items from Pets at Home? But I'm not sure because I have alot of dogs its HUGELY cheaper for me to buy in bulk and store at home. Anyway, their minced products are ideal for starting out, they mince everything including the bones so in one easy frozen block you have all the nutritions you dog needs, personally I add a handful of either complete bix (cheapo working dog version because I don't need any nutrition from them just adds crunch), or they get rice, pasta or sometimes potatos. Otherwise they also provide Natures Menu's which are little nuggets that have vegi's etc already mixed into them. Again I'd always add some biscuits or rice etc but they are really useful and easy to monitor how much you are feeding. I did find working out the amounts abit difficult when I first started raw feeding but it soon sorts itself out and I find I feed less.

I also give mine bones and chicken wings, for example my JRT gets one chicken wing and the Staffie crosses get 3. That's for one meal, in the evening they'd get some minced meat.

Sorry forgot the link http://naturesmenu.co.uk/products/Frozen_Nuggets/Frozen_Nuggets/


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## julianne (May 3, 2009)

I feed minced meat and bone from DAF petfoods .Then all you have to add as extras is kidney,liver for organ meats .I also occasionally add heart(classed as muscle meat) ,eggs and sardines plus veg .

Mine has a beef allergy (confirmed by tests) so he doesn't get fed beef.

He has plenty of other red meat including lamb and venison.


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## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

The lady at the pet shop has a GSD with very bad colitis.
She is now on a diet of mashed potato and chicken.
She can't have any treats that arent 100% natural either as it sets her off.


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## Kinjilabs (Apr 15, 2009)

Charcoal bonios they are good for it


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

Kinjilabs said:


> Charcoal bonios they are good for it


Charcoal is good for colitis and wind, but the hard baked type is better than what are no more than black dog biscuits, particularly if the dog is wheat intolerant. Charcoal for barbecues can be used too, or charcoal tablets that you can get in health food shops.


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## reddogs (Feb 6, 2009)

We've also been going through some form of tummy problem since before Christmas, loads of anti-biotics, pro-kolin, wormers but only intermittent improvements

At the moment we have solved it by excluding ALL meat product

currently feeding Fish4Dogs salmon kibble (cheaper than Wafcol and the same thing), Fish4Dogs salmon mousse or organic vegetarian wet food, only fish treats eg Fish4Dogs or home made and vegetarian biscuits. Also using Tree Barks Powder.

No rice, no yogurt, no meat but definitely a much more settled stomach.

since we have improved things the only time she has had a nasty bout of yucky pooh has been when I mistakenly put yogurt on her food when I had put it on the others and also when she managed to get at a gravy bone before I did.


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

Amber had colitis, for the last 3 years of her life. We feed her on Hill's WD which controlled it and had very few bad bouts of it if that time. But treats where more or less a no no.


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