# Sickness and bad diarrhoea



## Iansladden (Dec 17, 2012)

Hi, don't know if anyone can give some advice. I have a 6 month old Vizsla Katie. She seems to have terrible problems with sickness and diarrhoea. I am trying to establish what is causing the problem but a, struggling. About a month ago she was being sick, wouldn't touch her food and had really bad diarrhoea it was like water. She was also shaking very badly so I called the emergency vet and took her in. The vet looked her over and couldn't find anything wrong, gave her an anti sickness injection, so antibiotics and some pro kolin, to help with her diarrhoea. After a couple of days it cleared up and she was back to normal. I had a think and the only thing I could thin might have caused it was a pigs ear that she had been chewing and eating. Currently she has royal canin maxi junior and fresh chicken twice a day, she always eats all her food. But this problem is recurring, she has problems travelling when we take her in the car she drools heavily, then is sick and the diarrhoea is back, the is the second time in the last month after being in the car so I'm starting to think that might be the issue. I am just worried that she may have a gastrointestinal problem, as she is suffering with the bad diarrhoea again now after a car journey and sickness on Saturday. She is eating and drinking ok but I'm worried she may have an underlying problem. I am going to take her back to the vets if it hasn't cleared up by tomorrow evening but I am just very worried something is wrong with my puppy. Any advice that anyone can give would be really appreciated. Thanks Ian


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## Oquirrh the V (Jun 24, 2011)

This sounds very similar to my boy (21 months old). I have had issues with diarrhea since I got him. I've done all the tests and I'm now finding that it's been his food or stress this whole time. I would suggest trying a different food first. Give it some time, it will take her body time to adjust to a new food. Also, I had recently changed Oquirrh's food and got his stool looking firm and healthy...THEN! I took him to get his picture with Santa and that was very stressful on him. When we got home, he was picky about his food and had runny stools. Sounds like her anxiety with the car may be causing the diarrhea also. If you do find anything else out, please share.


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## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

It may be the two symptoms are related, so try and sort the car problem out first. Quite a few people on the forum who have had problems with car sickness/drooling and stress have bought Adaptil spray and this has worked every time. I have recommended to two friends and it has worked well for them. You spray it in the car 15/20 minutes before putting the dog in the car and over a short period of time it should solve the problem.

If you feel your dog gets stressed in the house, you can get Adaptil diffusers which you can plug in a socket at home, they are very good at calming puppies when they first come to a new home, and dogs who hate things like fireworks. The other thing to consider is a thunder jacket - they seem to work very well aslo. Do a search using the search box on the right hand side and you should find a number of post of both items.

I think once you sort the stress out her stools might improve.

Do keep us posted.


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## redrover (Mar 17, 2011)

Could be related, as others have said. Possibly there is a food allergy/intolerance mixed in. I know my boy has a problem with chicken, and I knew a dog that was allergic to nearly every major source of protein in most commercial kibbles--he could only have lamb. You might have to start doing an elimination diet to determine the exact cause if you or the vet thinks it could be a food allergy. In dogs this can often cause gastrointestinal upset, hot spots, ear infections, anal gland problems, etc., rather than the way humans react to food allergies.

She could be stressed out by the car, and/or carsick (just feeling icky from motion sickness could be adding to the stress). That stress can last for a few days--Jasper's always off his food for about two days whenever we travel. A lot of puppies grow out of motion sickness, especially when they're big enough to start looking out of windows. In the mean time, I would second hotmischief in that many on the forum have had success with Adaptil. Also, make sure not to feed her less than 2 hours before a car ride.

You may also start adding something like canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) to her food at mealtimes. A spoonful or two each meal. This can help firm up her stools--maybe not perfectly firm until any food/stress issues are dealt with, but at least make it pudding and not water (sorry for the ick factor there). I also added this when transitioning food--if your dog has some digestive issues, food transitions can be kind of rough, even when done slowly. Adding something like pumpkin or sweet potatoes can help. You may also try putting her on a very bland diet for a while to see if her issues get better. Rice and boiled chicken/hamburger works well for this. Jasper was actually on that because I ran out of food while traveling! I think he liked it better than his regular food. Basically it's like putting a dog on the BRAT diet that's used for people with upset tummies. Have her eat that for a few days and see if it helps.

Sorry for the ramble. I do hope you get this all sorted and she feels better soon. 

Oh! And yes, sometimes certain chews can upset tummies, especially young ones. I find this frequently with particularly big/rich commercial treats (like the Kong stick thingies that go in the Kong). The pig's ear might have been just too much. I know Jasper gets crazy bad gas when he has one.


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## Rudy (Oct 12, 2012)

All health is related to the core'

even to beat the common cold

Super digestive Enzymes and Probiotics

;D over Ester C


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## born36 (Jun 28, 2011)

As stated above it could be a food allergy.

My Mac is allergic to almost every commercial protein source. He is allergic to beef, chicken, pork, lamb. So his only food sources are now turkey, duck or fish.

I would cut him back to just one source of protein and if the problem continues perhaps look at raw diet or allergy testing. 

The stress on the pup could be the cause but to establish this you need to keep a poo diary and indicate stress level on a 1 to 10 to see if there is a correlation.


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## Iansladden (Dec 17, 2012)

Thank you everyone for all your advice it is most appreciated.
I am taing a trip to the vets this afternoon as she came and woke me up at 2am needing to go out for the toilet and I'm just worried because she has never done that before. I am hoping that the vet will look at this a bit more seriously this time as its the third time I have taken her in for this problem.....now closing on £400 of vet bills.
Will let you all know what the vet says today and thanks again for all your advice.
Ian


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## born36 (Jun 28, 2011)

Best of luck. 

Chin up and make sure your vet takes this seriously.


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## Iansladden (Dec 17, 2012)

Vet was great, has given me some more pro kolin and metronidazole, couldn't find anything suspiciously wrong with her, she was still lively and happy, heart rate fine, weight fine, and temperature spot on. So she has taken some blood today and will have the results tomorrow. She can only speculate that it's the anxiety caused by the car or an allergy to something. Hopefully I will know more when I get the results will let you all know.
Ian


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## Iansladden (Dec 17, 2012)

Well the blood tests have shown nothing to be wrong, now I have to give it another day and see if the antibiotics have any effect, as there was no improvement today. If not she has to stay at the vets on a drip which I'm really not keen on.... And they have to do most tests and try a process of elimination. I'm stumped....


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Has the vet did a stool sample and tested for giardia and Coccidia?


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## Iansladden (Dec 17, 2012)

Hi that was going to be the next step, but we seem to have had some success with the antibiotics she had her first normal pooh today, I spoke to the vet this evening and we just need to watch her for the next few days, but I think whatever it was we have got rid of it. Hopefully I will get some sleep tonight and not wake up every couple of hours to check her. I cannot explain the relief I'm just so pleased that she is better


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## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

Glad to hear she is improving at last.. Hope she continues to get well and that you all enjoy Christmas.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Good to hear she is improving. I would have thought the vet would have done the stool samples before blood work but I guess each vet is different.


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