Bland diet or back to the vet?

TysonsMom

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Nov 29, 2010
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Tyson and Daisy
Hi all...I am getting a little worried about Tyson but I am not sure if it is just frustration or something is wrong. Since I got him a month ago, his poop was really light and he had diarrhea - the breeder had him on Science Diet, so I switched to Orijen the second week I had him and the color got much better, but his poop at times was still pretty soft and he continued to have bouts diarrhea (sometimes his stool would be firm, but then it would be followed by something soft). Last weekend the diarrhea got worse (had no shape at all and watery) so on Tuesday I started him on the bland diet. I was wondering - how long should it be before I see a noticeable change? As of this morning, his poop is still really soft.

I am also concerned because he is not drinking much water, and he is pooping very little compared to before. He seems to have lost a little energy - he is fine when I take him on walks, but I don't see him get those little bursts of energy like he did a few weeks ago. He also has allergies which I am trying to correct with the food change. The only meds he is on is Atarax, an antihistamine he was prescribed for a rash he got right after I brought him home.

I took him to the vet on Monday this week and he said it was probably the food change - his stool looked fine and he didn't see any problems. He also said to continue giving the antihistamine until they ran out (I have about 4 days left).

Should I be worried? Or give it a little more time...
 

lexterwayne

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i would go asap to the vet!!!! need to see whats going on i dont think its a good sign if hes not drinking normal he could get Dehyrdrated...

when we first got lex his poo was really runny i didnt like it so we took him to a bullie vet. they gave him porbiotics which after 2 weeks it didnt help his poor tummy. well we ended up changing his food to pedigree. i know i know, we didnt know any better at the time. But after a day of changing him over his poo got harder almost instantly!!
 
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TysonsMom

TysonsMom

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Thank you! I have a vet appt this afternoon and hopefully he can help get this squared away. I feel so bad having waited so long...:(

I will keep you updated with, hopefully, some good news.
 

Libra926

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Also, Atarax will cause drowsiness. This may be a reason for the lack of energy. Have them test his poo. He may also have a parasite, but definately keep the appt. You might also look into VPI or Trupanion pet insurance. It's a godsend for a bulldog owner. Good luck and keep us posted. We will be thinking about you today!
 

bullmama

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Bring a sample of his diarrhea to the vet and have them do a fecal. It could be coccidia, giardia, or an internal parasite. All cureable. Hope it's not too serious! Let us know what the vet says!
 

Lacey28

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Silva had issues with diarrhea in Sept and she had go on a antibiotic for 7 days, that was the only thing that helped! I hope everything is okay!
 
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TysonsMom

TysonsMom

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Just got back from the vet and he did another fecal exam...he said everything looked good and that he thinks Tyson just hasn't taken to his food regiment yet. So, he gave me 3 different anti-diarrhea meds and said that by Monday, he should be pooping bricks. If not, then we need to look at a change in his food. Hope he is right - I am not sure why the bland diet didn't work at all, but he feels confident that the meds will take care of this. He also said that Tyson is not dehydrated and since he is eating and not vomitting, we don't need to worry much about the water situation. Poor little guy...I bought him 4 new toys at Petsmart since I felt so bad for not taking him to the vet sooner!

One other thing that I have read so often on this board and experienced today - the vets really don't think much of those "holistic" foods do they! I told him I had switched to Orijen and had to repeat that Tyson had diarrhea when he was on Science Diet, but I got the impression he didn't think much of my food choice! I am so glad that this site has been so informative about his health and nutrition. I feel totally confident that even if I have to switch from Orijen to something else, that the recommendations here are the right ones.

So, hopefully my boy poops some bricks. Thanks again to you all!!!!
 

sheshistory

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Poor little feller...well, see what happens with the medications but I had a similar problem with Linus when he was a baby and I blew a couple hundred bucks on antibiotics and the diarrhea kept coming back. I changed his food from Authority Lamb & Rice to Royal Canin and it cleared him up right away. I was told that some foods, because of they way certain younger dogs with more sensitive systems digest them, can cause an overgrowth of bacteria in certain parts of the digestive tract. Anyway, the food switched stopped the diarrhea and he's been fine since, through several more food changes, to get to a better brand.
 

lexterwayne

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well i hope yall have a good weekend and he starts pooping bricks lol... jill does have a point that the food might be to rich for his little tummy. the orjin you have is it puppy food or adult? i know when we got lex our breeder had him on natures reciepe and when we switched him to pedigree puppy you could tell the difference...
 

kazzy220

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It's good that your vet got the poop sample results back so quickly ... though just a word of warning the test for giardia can come back as a negative but they can still have it - talking from personal experience of giardia because I actually caught it off my rescue puppy, Daddy.

Another thing is that the bullys stomach is pretty sensitive, and any food change should be doing very very very slowly.

Apart from that not much that I can add to what has already been said before. I too hope he starts pooping bricks by the weekend. Keep us informed please!!
 

cali~jenn

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Mar 28, 2010
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Poor thing! I would think maybe another food choice is necessary. Maybe this one just doesnt agree with Tyson. As good a food as Orijon is, it wont be good for every bully. That is the challenge we all face everyday, trying to find what works with our pups. Giving a "good" food is important but which one and which protein is just as important to figure out. Have you tried adding a tbsp of canned pumpkin to his daily food also? That should help clear up his runny poos also.
 

bullmama

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I am so glad it is not something serious. Thank you for the update!
 
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TysonsMom

TysonsMom

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Well, he has had 3 doses of his medicine and while the color of his poop looks much better, it is still pretty soft. The vet said I should see a noticeable difference right away, but I don't think there is enough change. Luckily he is drinking more now...I tried canned pumpkin before putting him on the bland diet, but it didn't help either :(

Would you all recommend a new brand of dog food to start him with until this clears up? My vet recommended Royal Canine when I went for his vaccinations...do you think Fromm would be a bit too much for him to try at this time? And with the issues he is having, do I continue to move him off Orijen very slowly or should this be a quicker switch?

The good thing is he still loves to bite my feet and hands, so I know he is feeling ok :rolleyes:
 

bullmama

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My kids are all currently on Fromm and they have tootsie rolls, nice little hard compact poopies. If you want to switch faster, thinking maybe the Orijen is not working, do 2-3 days of bland diet and slowly add in the kibble over the course of a week. All of my 5 are on the Grain Free Beef Fritatta, but they also did great on the grain free surf and turf.

If he is having trouble adjusting to food switches, (going from Science diet to Oriejen is a HUGE difference, where as Orijen to Fromm will not be that drastic) the slower you go the better. If you want to give the Orijen a few more days to see if anything changes.... ALSO NO TREATS until you got his bathroom working properly! If you must give treats- only give veggies like frozen green beans or baby carrots.
 

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