[Luckiee]

It has been about two and a half months now and my puppy Mittens is a 7 1/2 month Shih Tzu who has had runny, pudding or mucus like bowel movements. Not only that, he only really has bowel movements during the night. We have been to the Vets over and over again. They've put him on several kinds of medication. The first medication only harden his stool but you could still see the mucus or puddiness in the stool. We've changed his diet from Blue Buffalo to Science Diet ZD. My vet says he could be allergic to certain kind of foods. The last set of medication they've given us sort of helped him in the last two weeks but his stool has been off and on though, most of the time it was hard which has made me very happy but now that the medication is done, he is right back to runny, pudding or mucus like stool. I don't know what to do anymore, just within the last two nights, his stool was orange like. I'm not sure what that means. He did lose some weight, he was tested for parvo and giardia but it came back negative. He had a couple different worm preventions just to make sure there wasn't any worms in him. Are there any suggestions as to what I could do next for him? I feel so hopeless and helpless, I just want him to feel better. If any one can give me some options or suggestions, I would really appreciate it. Thank you so much.

Pang

[shazamataz]

A friend of mine had a similar sounding issue. Vet was almost positive it was giardia from the symptoms but the tests showed otherwise. To cut a long story short he had trouble with the enzymes in his stomach that break down food.
There is a powder you can buy to add to their food to help remedy this, even if it's not the problem it will do no harm trying it out.
Here is a link with some similar products online:
Pancreatic Enzyme Powder - Dog Care - Compare Prices, Reviews and Buy at NexTag - Price - Review

The next thing you can try is making some home-cooked food for a while to see if that has an effect.
Try and avoid beef, it surprisingly a common allergen for dogs. Go with some nice raw lamb or chicken along with some vegetables, rice or pasta.

[doggirl]

I don't mean to scare you but same thing happened to my puppy. Everyone said its OK nature will take its course long story short he got very sleepy and later passed away. I recommend bringing him to a vet but you have done that and turns out to be costly too. Try talking to a breeder or someone who knows a lot about dogs if not I would suggest changing vet.. sorry to worry you. Its probably nothing but I am just speaking from my experience.

[Sariss]

Oh god, please don't ask a breeder. I'm not bashing all of them, but some of the stuff they say is just scary. They are not vets, and do not substitute for one.
Get a second opinion? Was a fecal done? Bloodwork? X-rays?

[shazamataz]

Oh god, please don't ask a breeder. I'm not bashing all of them, but some of the stuff they say is just scary. They are not vets, and do not substitute for one.
Get a second opinion? Was a fecal done? Bloodwork? Xrays?

Breeder is actually a good place to ask, especially if they have been breeding for a long time, odds are they will have seen something like this before. (bearing in mind I don't count non-registered/non-reputable breeders as 'breeders')
They should also be informed of the problem in case it is hereditary and they can use that information for their breeding programs.

I agree that they are no substitute for a vet though.

[Sariss]

I guess my opinion has just been swayed too much by the breeders we have here that the owners trust more than us, and the dog ends up dying because the breeder gave bad advice. Sure you've seen lots of dogs, but we've seen a heck of a lot more, and a tonne more diseases.. (that wasn't directed at any breeders here, it's just puppy season here and we've had a few.. )

[Aurora_Bell]

I was going to suggest a home cooked meal as Shazzy suggested, the only thing I would like to mention is maybe to not try pasta, as a lot of dogs have issues with wheat and certain grains as well as yeast. So maybe stick with boiled rice and hamburger or chicken.

Sounds like you are doing every thing you can tohelp this little guy. Is your vet suggesting that he is suffering from IBS or maybe Colitis? If so, than there is medication that can help settle his tummy. I would most definitely try the enzyme powder Shazamataz suggested, we use a similar product for some of the dogs at the shelter. You can also try a table spoon of plain yogurt.

[MrsCatLady]

I had a problem similar to this with my Siberian Husky puppy. I thought from the beginning it could be a food intollerance but my vet kept saying it would be unlikely. Well $1,500, tons of tests on my poor puppy and 2 vets later I finally found a vet who agreed with me. We changed her to a GRAIN FREE diet (which was EVO Salmon & Herring flavor) and her diarrhea and soft stools stopped within ONE WEEK!! She is now 1 year and 2 months old and is happy and health with no more diahrea. I would seriously give this a try... I am just mad at myself for not trying it sooner. I kept wanting to listen to what the vet said and follow his orders but it was all a bunch of BS to have tests and procedures done for a profit. Sorry if I sound a little bitter... LOL! Good luck to you! :)

[Luckiee]

I was going to suggest a home cooked meal as Shazzy suggested, the only thing I would like to mention is maybe to not try pasta, as a lot of dogs have issues with wheat and certain grains as well as yeast. So maybe stick with boiled rice and hamburger or chicken.

Sounds like you are doing every thing you can tohelp this little guy. Is your vet suggesting that he is suffering from IBS or maybe Colitis? If so, than there is medication that can help settle his tummy. I would most definitely try the enzyme powder Shazamataz suggested, we use a similar product for some of the dogs at the shelter. You can also try a table spoon of plain yogurt.

We did give him boiled rice and chicken before we went from Blue Buffalo to Science Diet ZD. We just got done talking to the Vet, says he probably has IBD or IBS and we could do Blood Work to confirm it, Intestine Biposy or continue the medication that was helping him. I have to make a decision soon but it's so stressful. I've paid so much for vet bills already and now I have more. :(

[Aurora_Bell]

I understand what that feels like Luckieee. I am sure you will make the decision that is right for you! There are some natural remedies you can try to treat IBS, but I would speak to your vet about your options.