dog with dodgy tum. food tonight or not?

littlebug

* WARNING* stop reading now if you don't want to read about dog poo

dog has had a slightly dodgy tum the last few days , just in terms of number 2s being on the softer side but worse yesterday evening . I dithered about giving her food last night as a result but I did because she's good at self regulating her food and won't eat if she doesn't want to. She ate it and seemed fine. she's been her normal self otherwise.
However she obviously had a bad night. 2 big pools of poo in the utility room this morning and some in her bed I took her for a run in the woods and though there were a few pitstops (with... eh... minimal output) she was her usual energetic self. fine all day though sad looking when we were having dinner and she wasn't!

Now I have some chicken and rice to boil up for her but can't decide whether to give her some tonight or leave it til tomorrow. Her last "meal" was about a 3rd of her daily portion of food at 8pm yesterday and then a little bit of chicken when she was going to bed at 10ish.
I have no idea what's brought this on she's had nothing out of the ordinary foodwise in the last few days. she does have a history of digestive problems and has been on Barking Heads TLC for the last year without any problem.
she had her vaccinations 9 days ago... no idea if that's relevant.
anyhow... any opinions on whether i should give her chicken and rice this evening or not?

Lucy and Harry

Give her food and bring her to the vet if she does not get better.
Maybe a visitor gave her something they should not have when over that may have given her the runs.

Sigma Force

What I do with mine is fast them for 24 hours, gives them a chance to empty themselves out without putting more food on top of whatever's in their tum. Keep plenty of fresh water there for them.
Then I start them back on royal canin sensativity or boiled chicken and white rice. Obviously if they are still not right or get worse after a couple of days then it's more likely something that the vet has to look at.

I was told to keep feeding them because the bowel needs the nutrients but I still fast for 24 hours first like ourselves if your tum is dodgy probably not a good idea to put more food on top of it.
Access to water is important though.
My rule of thumb is if it hasn't cleared up or improved within 3 days then it's a job for the vets, obviously if a dog is ill or listless with it then it's the vets straight away but for the odd runny session it's normally not needed.

x Purple Pawprints x

I'd say fast her for 24 hours and then try her with the boiled chicken and rice for a day or 2. If she doesn't improve take her to the vets. She should have free access to water though, it's very important for her to stay hydrated.

tk123

I was told fast then feed small amounts often... so I'd fast for the rest of the evening then break her meals up into smaller portions tomorrow and see how she gets on.

littlebug

I think I'll give her a little bit of boiled chicken/ rice later this evening since it seems like an awful long time (36 hrs) without food if I leave her til morning I guess I'll know in the morning if it's ok. She has free access to water, have only seen her at the bowl a couple of times though.

I can 100% vouch for her not having eaten anything dodgy the last few days since she's pretty much glued to my side :rolleyes: and hasn't even been out in the garden on her own since a fence panel blew down.

Vet is aware of her sensitive tum....when she had her vaccinations last week she was due worm tab as well but vet said to hold off for a few weeks since she reacted badly to the last one.
I'll stick to the chicken and rice for 2-3 days and hope she's ok, if not back to vet
Hope we don't have to switch foods again.

tk123

It could be the vaccinations. My guy had a bad tummy after his booster a few months ago

Hooked

My lad had a bad dose of the runs after I stupidly fed him some scraps with his usual royal canin one morning. He's got a sensitive tummy.

As posters above have said, 24 hour fast, followed by 'easy' foods, boiled chicken and rice for 2-3 days (stools softer than usual on this diet too).

He wasn't back to himself for at least 4 days. Most important with the runs... Hydration! Water, diaoralite, whatever keeps him hydrated! I had to force feed water with a fat plastic syringe. You need to keep them hydrated.

Simple Hydration test: Lift the skin on the back of his/her neck and make sure it returns quickly and doesn't 'tent'. Best ease off on exercise too to avoid dehydration.

jimf

Hooked wrote: »

My lad had a bad dose of the runs after I stupidly fed him some scraps with his usual royal canin one morning. He's got a sensitive tummy.

As posters above have said, 24 hour fast, followed by 'easy' foods, boiled chicken and rice for 2-3 days (stools softer than usual on this diet too).

He wasn't back to himself for at least 4 days. Most important with the runs... Hydration! Water, diaoralite, whatever keeps him hydrated! I had to force feed water with a fat plastic syringe. You need to keep them hydrated.

Simple Hydration test: Lift the skin on the back of his/her neck and make sure it returns quickly and doesn't 'tent'. Best ease off on exercise too to avoid dehydration.

+1 fully agree water most important monitor closely and syringe if you have to

mnstlj

i give my dogs some dry burnt toast when this happens ...always works and keep plenty of water available

littlebug

she's had some boiled chicken and rice and is sleeping contentedly now. I left it really watery as she hadn't drank much through the day. Hopefully she'll be ok tonight and if so i'll stick to that for a few days.

Synyster Shadow

I'v not read all the replies but I had this for 3 night leading up to christmas with my Doberman and I went to the vets and they gave me a tin of food (he's on dry food but they advised this) It was near 3 euro and it didnt work to go back in and all I was to give him was this one tin no other food and sure enough the morning after getting it his movements were semi soft instead of watery and by that eve they were normal. Was told that some dogs just get off balance. The mess 2-3 times a night was horrendous 4 or 5 pools each time I couldnt clean it in my condition felt so bad for hubby the smell was awful

I think the tin was hills but ask in the clinic you may not need big vet bills yet and give loads of water

fatmammycat

Guys, can I just suggest with dogs that have sensitive stomachs to try a raw diet. I've a GSD who used to be quite iffy with regards digestion, and since I switched to raw he is bomb proof: one hard poop a day, no vomit or ever any reluctance to eat. One of my friends changed her husky - with very dicky tummy-to raw and her dog too is thriving and totally -almost 180- has little stomach/poop problems any longer.
Not saying it's be all and end all, anecedotal is not proof, but something to consider. Chicken and rice is part of what I feed, can't hurt to delve little deeper.

x Purple Pawprints x

I have heard that about the raw diet tbh. Couldn't hurt to ask your vet about it OP.

toadfly

Raw is the only diet that worked for my dog when her food was running through her and she was losing weight. She's doing brilliant now and hasn't needed the vet since we started.

littlebug

i tried her with a raw chicken wing a few months back and the results the next day were..eh.. explosive so I've avoided it since! Maybe not the best thing to start with. I have been considering it but haven't done anything about it.

thankfully there was a clean utility room floor and dog bed this morning and a happy dog:) so so far so good today .

Irishchick

Op please take your dog to the vet. 99% of the people on this forum are not veterinary professionals and a little knowledge an be a a dangerous thing!

It's not recommended to starve after vomiting and diarrhoea anymore. RC have formulated a food to be fed directly after.

You won't find a skin tent until an animal is 10% dehydrated which is dangerously close to shock. Unless you are tribunes you won't spot dehydration as you need to do a clinical exam.

If your pet is dehydrated then oral liquids will be totally inadequate.

Please see a vet.

littlebug

one vet visit.... 2 types of anti biotic, anti inflammatory, anti spasm tab, natural yogurt and charcoal tab recommended. poor dog although other than frequent puddles of poo everywhere (though not in the house since sunday thankfully) shes her normal self, appetite for chicken and rice is good and she's not dehydrated. back in 5 days .

I am pie

One vet visit and nothing else, only what the vet tells you.

Seriously.

DogsFirst

littlebug wrote: »

one vet visit.... 2 types of anti biotic, anti inflammatory, anti spasm tab, natural yogurt and charcoal tab recommended. poor dog although other than frequent puddles of poo everywhere (though not in the house since sunday thankfully) shes her normal self, appetite for chicken and rice is good and she's not dehydrated. back in 5 days .

The chicken and rice will sort it out. If she still has the runs on this now and again swop the chicken for fresh turkey.

The three most likely causes of inflammation in the gut, causing all the liquid poo, are wheat, cooked chicken and cooked beef. If you keep these three away from her, her problems will dissapear. If these go in, her problems will return.

Natural yohgurt will help after the double dose of anti biotic. Also slippery elm to replace damaged gut lining. Calendula is an excellent natural anti-inflammatory, used with fish oil, it'll settle her tum.

DogsFirst

Irishchick wrote: »

It's not recommended to starve after vomiting and diarrhoea anymore. RC have formulated a food to be fed directly after.

This is the first time I've heard not starving for a feed. Interesting. How come you don't starve for a feed Irishchick?

I don't get that. The general pattern for diarrhoea sufferers (your bowels freaking out and getting rid of whatever's inside), is to ease off the food completely until the large intestines are emptied. Same in humans. Couldn't imagine eating anything with an upset gut.

The advice up to this point would of been starve but keep the water with electrolytes going in.

Anywhere you can direct me for this?