7 month old with intermittent diarrhea..ugh what to do?

Oscar is 7 months old and when we first got him he was eating some food that had corn and other things in it and was really itchy. So I found him a food that does not have corn in it and he did really well for 3 months, then the poops started. So I started feeding him rice and chicken and pumpkin and took him to the vet. He gave him antibiotics and some poops meds. He did good for a few weeks and then I slowly gave him his food again and the poops started back up. So I found him an adult formula and put him back on rice and chicken and pumpkin, back to the vet for more antibiotics. He did well for three weeks and GAH! here we go again with the all night poops.
Question: Is it all right to feed him the chicken and rice and pumpkin all the time if it is working? I want him to have the proper nutrition and it doesn't seem like that would do it. ANY suggestions would be appreciated. He is my first pug and I adore him. All my other dogs could eat anything and were fine
Thanks! Dawn

I can imagine your frustration! Sounds like he might be sensitive to something in the food, if the vet has ruled out all other causes. That's the most important thing - ruling out other causes. If this is the case, start him on a diet of one ingredient - a protein sauce that may be just chicken or lamb or whatever. After a week or so, add something else (pumpkin, grated carrot, blanched string beans, a little rice....) and so on, to see his reaction to it. Also maybe a spoonful of fat-free, plain yogurt. The things you add should include things you would find in the food you are eventually going to feed him. If he does okay this way, gradually introduce the commercial food, slowly decreasing the ratio of home-cooked food to commercial food and see how this goes. Please only try this after consulting your vet. And the commercial food should be of the highest quality. Good luck!

Dawn:
Has he had a full fecal done? Especially testing for coccidia and giardia? Those could both give on again off again diarrhea and can be elusive little guys.

I'd get him off of all grains, if you can. Some dogs can tolerate rice--Wellness makes a food called Simple Solutions that some dogs with delicate stomachs tolerate well. Here's the link:

http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/categories.aspx?pet=dog&cat=3

It does have rice in it, but no other grains (I think).

The reality is that cooked chicken, rice and pumpkin isn't really a balanced diet. I'd be inclined to rule out coccidia, giardia, IBD and other issues before deciding he can only eat such a limited diet.

I'd say get the poop tested. Possibly also take bloods in case of pancreatic issues.

My Toddy had something similar at 9 months. Went on for AGES and tests came back negative (though I don't recall them taking bloods and I wish they had now, for various reasons).

Eventually we put him on Royal Canin intestinal low fat diet. This, coupled with Protexin pre- and pro-biotic plus fibre calmed his tummy down. After a couple of months on that after all poop issues had stopped I gradually transitioned him back to his regular food.

I agree here with most of what has been posted.

Get a complete fecal exam done.

Run a general health bloodwork profile.

Pick one food, preferably something that is low ingredient with one single protein source, and stick with that ONLY. Do not feed treats, table scraps, rawhides, etc. If you are going to make this work, you have to eliminate every thing except the one item you feed him. California Natural makes a very limited ingredient kibble with lamb and peas. The wellness simple solutions is a good choice too. They make a duck and oatmeal version, or the lamb and rice. Both have single protein and single grain.

Good luck!

Thank you for your reply's! I will def. have the fecal screening done if this continues. Come to find out he got into some protein powder yesterday and ate part of a rawhide toy. So.. that could have been the issue.
Thanks again!
Dawn

Took a stool sample to the vet, he said there was no sign of parasites. So he wants me to put Oscar on Science Diet Adult Lite,( a high fiber low protein kibble) cold turkey! He said Oscar is too young to have allergies. So I guess we will do this for a week and then if no results get the blood work done. He is such a happy little guy, isn't losing weight, has the appetite of a small horse. Just keeps pooping at all hours of the night (makes for a very cold shock to the system at 2 am standing in the snow!)
anyone use Science Diet? Have good/ bad results?

You're not going to find many fans of Science Diet here, although it does tend to be a vet's first suggestion. Sometimes, when all else fails it's an option, but I think you might do better with either the Wellness Simple Solutions or Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets.
I know the diarrhea is no fun, but Science Diet is not a healthy food, full of fillers and other things dogs don't need to eat.
It's possible that the food he was eating before may have been too rich for his tummy, something with fewer ingredients may be just what he needs.

dawnhatchett wrote:Took a stool sample to the vet, he said there was no sign of parasites. So he wants me to put Oscar on Science Diet Adult Lite,( a high fiber low protein kibble) cold turkey! He said Oscar is too young to have allergies. So I guess we will do this for a week and then if no results get the blood work done. He is such a happy little guy, isn't losing weight, has the appetite of a small horse. Just keeps pooping at all hours of the night (makes for a very cold shock to the system at 2 am standing in the snow!)
anyone use Science Diet? Have good/ bad results?

SD is not a quality food. I wouldn't choose to feed it, but it was the only thing that works for my Mastiff. I tried over a dozen high quality foods and he had runny poop with everything else. He is on the SD I/D, which is worse cause it is prescription and costs a freaking fortune, but picking up mastiff poop is bad enough. Picking up wet runny mastiff poop was too much for even I to take..... I would try other foods if you can and try to get a different one to work. My pugs eat LID Natural Balance Fish, Bison or Venison. Mostly fish and I mix in the other two every few times.

Tyson&LuLu'sMom wrote:You're not going to find many fans of Science Diet here, although it does tend to be a vet's first suggestion. Sometimes, when all else fails it's an option, but I think you might do better with either the Wellness Simple Solutions or Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets.
I know the diarrhea is no fun, but Science Diet is not a healthy food, full of fillers and other things dogs don't need to eat.
It's possible that the food he was eating before may have been too rich for his tummy, something with fewer ingredients may be just what he needs.

Becky is right - don't feel bad... but, you will find almost no one here supports SD, except in extreme cases like Marci. She has tried everything possible, and uses SD as a last resort. I suggest you do the same. Just because your vet suggested it, does not make it correct. Vets are woefully under-educated on canine nutrition.

Take a look at the SD ingredients. Any wheat? Any corn? Any sugar? All of those things are ingredients your little pug does NOT need.

There is no such thing as "too young" for allergies. I would not say your pug has allergies, possibly just sensitive to grains or rich proteins. Again, I would suggest the California Natural grain free lamb (check the ingredients to make sure you have the right one), the Wellness Simple Solutions or the Natural Balance LID. All of those are relatively low fat, lower, less rich proteins, and gentle on the stomach. You have a much better chance of success with them.

You could also add probiotics to his food. That may help with the good bacteria.

And, take away those rawhide toys! The rawhides can make him have an upset tummy and pose a choking hazard as well.

I'm not a fan of the Science Diets, but do know that some dogs just do better on them. However, I have a few concerns about your vet putting this pup on this diet. This is the write up from the Science Diet website for Adult light. The ingredients are pretty icky. I've highlighted in red the ones of particular concern which are the first 7 (therefore make up the bulk of the food):

Whole Grain Corn, Soybean Mill Run, Chicken By-Product Meal, Powdered
Cellulose, Corn Gluten Meal, Soybean Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor, Soybean
Oil, Lactic Acid, Flaxseed, Caramel Color, Iodized Salt, L-Lysine,
Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, vitamins
(L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement,
Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium
Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride,
Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), minerals (Ferrous
Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate,
Sodium Selenite), Taurine, L-Carnitine, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols
and Citric Acid, Phosphoric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract.

The Science Diet website actually says that this food isn't recommended for puppies:

Not Recommended For:

Puppies, adult dogs not prone to gaining excess weight.

I guess I'd wonder why he wouldn't use the Gastro diet if the dog is having gastric issues. And yes, he's right, 7 months is a bit young for allergies--they usually hit about age 2, but I'd wonder what is going on with this little man. The on again off again nature of the diarrhea is puzzling and is classic for giardia and coccidia and he's the right age for both.

I know! I read the ingredients when I bought the food, and thought it was just a bag of crap. I am not happy feeding it to him, but he just had a solid poo for the first time this week. I am giving him acidophilus and fish oil still. I bought the smallest bag possible and will see how it goes, once we are half way through this bag I will try to incorporate a healthier food, I wouldn't mind making him healthy food on my own at least then I would know for sure what he was getting, but I will def. look into all the foods you have suggested . Thank you all for your replies and wisdom! I do appreciate it and so does Oscar.

dawnhatchett wrote:I know! I read the ingredients when I bought the food, and thought it was just a bag of crap. I am not happy feeding it to him, but he just had a solid poo for the first time this week. I am giving him acidophilus and fish oil still. I bought the smallest bag possible and will see how it goes, once we are half way through this bag I will try to incorporate a healthier food, I wouldn't mind making him healthy food on my own at least then I would know for sure what he was getting, but I will def. look into all the foods you have suggested . Thank you all for your replies and wisdom! I do appreciate it and so does Oscar.

Well, it's hard to argue with a solid poop! The fish oil and acidophilus are very good ideas.

Good luck to you and to Oscar!