# Lola and her constant tummy issues



## Nancy (Feb 4, 2009)

Not sure if any of u recall the tummy troubles I've been having for years with Lola....I will quickly recap ... It's been going on for 3 or 4 years ... Every month or two she would get a grumbly tummy ... Go off her food for 12 to 24 hrs then seem fine again...after several vet trips and test nothing was really found so its was recommend she go on a vet prescribed diet low fat gastro .. Fast forward to April 2016.... Er vet visit because she was acting weird bolting round the house wanting ppl to pick her up ... Vet says it's her anal glands .... Had them expressed ... I don't think that was the problem ... So off and on since April she's been having tummy ? Issues ... Been to the vets a few more times ... She now is on famotidine again x2 a day and metronidazole ( for soft stool here and there? ) vets want to run blood work and x rays again last time showed nothing so I am reluctant to do this again... But I am at a loss on how to help her ... Her symptoms are noisy tummy and hard tummy and she will be sleeping or just standing there and what I call bolt get up and take off and try to settle elsewhere .... She is restless when having these I will call attacks ... Is she having gas pains ? Acid refulx ? Anal gland issues ?? Or none of the above ... Just fishing here once again for some kind of advice ... I'm very worried she can't live like this ... Oh she has been eating thru these issues since April... Any ideas chihuahua ppl ?


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## MelodyoftheForest (Sep 11, 2015)

What else does she get other than her food? Treats, chews, flea meds, supplements, things outside? 


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## Nancy (Feb 4, 2009)

the odd liver treat....maybe the smallest piece of toast...and cooked vegetables....and not everyday...I am at a total loss ...I've tried so many things...maybe its even allergies to something in her food....I've been thinking about trying her on a raw diet...
Oh and the vet just put her on a probiotic as well once a day


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## MelodyoftheForest (Sep 11, 2015)

I would start by feeding nothing but her regular food for a month. If it is something else upsetting her, it should be clearer if she is good after a month of boring diet.


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

I wonder if this is an atypical appearance for epilepsy? The 'bolting' from sleep, or just standing there make me wonder. Epilepsy symptoms can appear without a seizure. Ask the vet? Just wondering, as my dog with focal epilepsy acts this way. I would massage this dogs belly when she is gurgling. Helps my dog.


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## Nancy (Feb 4, 2009)

I started massaging her belly the other night it does seem to help....its just getting worse instead of better....its been a daily thing sometimes up to three times a day now....My other chi has epilepsy and this doesn't seem anything like what he goes through....I bought some meds that babies are giving for gas issues....gave it to her twice so far today....she is in the midst of another attack ( of gas) I will just continue doing what the vet said for a few more days and pray something changes soon


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## woodard2009 (Aug 4, 2010)

Are you giving the simethicone drops for the gas? I would keep her on one food, but feed small meals several times a day. I wouldn't give any cooked veggies. After she's been eating just one food for a few weeks, I would give one or two raw green beans once and a while for a treat. The simethicone drops are safe and can be given as much as is needed and they work. Is she deficating? Is it runny or is she straining to go? I would also recommend strongly to put a few drops of apple cider vinegar on her food. ACV is great for everything and helps tremendously with digestion, acid reflux, gas, etc...


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## Tink (Oct 14, 2009)

What a puzzle. 

I'm with Lisa, and others who suggested giving her nothing but her kibble for a month, and seeing what her response is to that. The strategy here is by process of elimination, or addition, you can possibly determine what is causing, and/or helping, this issue. It won't be a short experiment, but it will hopefully help isolate the problem(s) 

If she reacts to just the kibble, try changing it. Change to grainless. Change the brand and protein source. Change the number of times a day you feed, or the time of day. I wouldn't add anything additional to the diet, no supplements, no meds, nothing else until you've determined as definitively as possible that her kibble is, or isn't, the issue or part of the issue.


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## Nancy (Feb 4, 2009)

I don't think stopping her meds is wise at this point....I can hear her stomach making a lot of noises....its why the vet recommended her to stay on the famotidine 2 times a day indefinitely ...this time round..and the probiotic...which she has never been on before.... I'd hate to take that away from her if its helping her at all...and its not easy to tell at this point if it is...she's only been getting them since Wed.....and YES the drops are simethicone ...used them 3 times yesterday ...I totally dislike the food she is on but its vet prescribed ..low fat gastric ( canned ) and I've had her off and on this diet ...she gets these attacks on any food she is on....but I thought its maybe the better one considering her stomach..? And I've been giving her 3/4 small meals a day for weeks now...Its hard seeing her in pain almost daily...the only thing that seems to distract her from it is running around outside or going for a walk...and I do it as often as I can...Her stool is firm at this point but that changes once in awhile not often...one thing is she isn't much of a drinker compared to my other dog but the vet said she isn't dehydrated ...Would u assume its food related ? That's where my head is at this time...its why I thought I'd switch to raw....eventually ...this needs to get controlled ...what kinda life is this for her  always shaking and having a tight stomach and gas pains...Poor Lola  Another point is she is a nervous dog...certain things scare her...like loud sounds thunder and fireworks....friendly but a nervous dog ...


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## woodard2009 (Aug 4, 2010)

Most definitely something is irritating her stomach combined with the nervousness. My chi had bouts with stomach problems a while back and it was because I had given her salmon which she is allergic too. My vet also wanted to put her on that same canned food, but I wouldn't do it. I've had my chi eating raw meat (store meat) in the morning and S&C Absolutely Rabbit or Tundra for supper. I've been feeding raw since she was about 4 or 5 cause of her allergies and can never go back to dry or canned. Since she has such a sensitive tummy, I'd be very careful changing her food all at once. Changing foods can upset tummy too. If she's been taking the meds since Wed and on nothing but this canned food, have you seen any improvement? It's great that her stool is firm! Sounds like her bodies trying to straighten out. The shaking and nervousness is probably due to not feeling so well cause of the stomach. I do believe that you will get a handle on this and she'll be back to normal in no time. Most chi's aren't big drinkers most the time, so as long as she's not dehydrated, I wouldn't worry too much about that unless she develops diarrhea. You can play nice music loud enough to drown out thunder so she's more calm.


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

If you are considering going raw and have done your research, I think it would be a great idea.
No processed foods, no unsuitable ingredients and no additives, plus you have total control over what you feed.
Those prescription diets often have very low quality and questionable ingredients.
They tend to be used when the vet doesn't have a clue lol. Did your vet specify why that diet was necessary?
My reactive girl will run away from pain in her bottom, so I think anal gland pain may have caused Lola's 'bolting' behaviour


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## woodard2009 (Aug 4, 2010)

Yea and if her bum is raw and/or irritated; could cause her to bolt too. If it is (I know this sounds awful) but you could take some coconut oil and rub it on her bum to sooth it. Diarrhea or straining to poop will cause a lot of irritation.


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## Nancy (Feb 4, 2009)

I'm hoping she is slightly improving but she is still having a gassy sounding stomach at times....but not so much shaking so far today...And as far as the diet....they recommended that years back when she would go off her food for 24 hrs or so and again had those noises coming from her stomach or bowels wherever the noise is ...I hate it I think its nothing but crap but had her on very high quality foods and she didn't do well on those either...even dehydrated raw for awhile...And the anal glands have been expressed 3 times since April and her behaviour has not changed...so I am not so sure it was or is the issue...She's had firm formed stools for weeks now...I also forgot to mention but the vet wanted to de worm her and I just thought that was crazy ...I am sure I'd see some evidence of worms...She is not losing weight either ..the vet said she lost a few ounces since last weight...I said HOW do u know the tech couldn't get her to stay still enough to get a proper weight...but he still thought de worming her would be a good idea...I said no...she does not tolerate shots and over medicating her..I don't even do shots anymore on her cause last time I thought I was going to lose her she reacted so badly...she's just so sensitive to a lot of things..So they vets office keeps calling me asking how she is doing they are still wanting me to bring her in for more testing...xrays and blood work...I keep flip flopping on the idea ...cause she has has this twice in the past 4 years with nothing showing up...


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## MelodyoftheForest (Sep 11, 2015)

It sounds like you have really tried most of what we have suggested, so good for you for being creative to try and solve this problem! I just wanted to add a couple things. First, since she is eating only wet food, I would not expect her to drink much water. Most wet foods are at least 75% moisture, so she is getting hydrated that way. Second, I have seen a vast difference between dehydrated and fresh raw food in my own dog. It is digested very differently, so I agree that fresh raw could be worth a shot. I would probably switch cold turkey, as I think going back and forth between raw and the canned carbohydrate-based food for different meals would be worse, but you know your dog better than I do! Third, I would get her off of all carbohydrates if you switch to raw. If you choose a pre-made raw, look for one with the least amount or no plant-based ingredients. If it does have veggies, you shouldn't be able to really see them if they are ground fine enough to be at all useful to dogs. I fed a food that had whole pumpkin seeds in the raw mix, and that is just rediculous! Dogs can't break that down!


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## zellko (Jul 3, 2013)

Just throwing out one more idea. Our little chi can't tolerate raw or liver. (No matter how gradually introduced.) But she can eat pure meat that's cooked. I use Dr. Judy Morgan's pup loaf. Just sayin' it's strange what some can and can't tolerate. I would avoid all that corn in the formulas the vet's sell, though. Corn causes gas for sure.


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## woodard2009 (Aug 4, 2010)

I don't blame you about the deworming, but I would strongly suggest getting a fresh stool sample and dropping it off to be tested. There are several types of worms that can only be seen with a microscope. If she test clean, the answer is simple--No deworming needed. Don't know why the vet would feel so strongly about deworming without testing just because she feels your chi lost a pound. You're doing the right thing by saying NO to all the things the vet is wanting to do. Trust in your instinct. You know what's right for your chi and it's mostly a money thing with these vets, not to mention they're grasping at straws to fix the problem.


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## K8emcgee (Oct 25, 2015)

I would definitely test for worms they cause alot of tummy troubles and most you can't see. tapeworms for instance only pass segments but sometimes they never pass in the stool but crawl out of her anus at night but they dry up and aren't noticeable by morning bc they are dried and look like sesame seeds. I'm dealing with that now and it causes mine to wake up in the middle of the night too bc it itches their bum when they wriggle around inside. alot of other worms do the same they wriggle around at night after the body relaxes and the dog will wake up suddenly and go crazy from the itchiness. alot of times the dogs body and immune system can keep them down to an acceptable level and you never see any evidence of them even the ones that are able to be seen in the stool and that would cause the tummy trouble without seeing evidence of worms a fecal flotation test will test for eggs in the stool which aren't visible by the naked eye but there are times they don't find evidence of certain worms like tapeworms since their eggs are in the segments passed but that only happens when the tapeworm gets long enough for the end segments to get to the anus and crawl out at night so you could let her sleep near you for a couple hours and watch and you will see them they are flat and a little longer than a grain of rice and you can get a wet paper towel and put them in that in a Ziploc bag for the vet to examine and that's so they don't dry out before he can see them. you would have to be patient and watch for awhile they like to make sure they are completely settled and sleeping before attempting to pass and even then it takes a little while for them to make their way out. fleas cause tapeworms bc they eat the eggs and the dog will accidentally swallow the flea while grooming resulting in a new tapeworm in the dogs intestinal wall and regular wormer doesn't affect the common tapeworm and most don't kill hookworms either they just focus on roundworms so Even dogs that have been wormed end up with another breed of parasite. Even if you don't think worms is a possibility I would get the tests done to check her and watch her sleep one night worms have spent years and years evolving with dogs to become the perfect host and go undetected as long as possible and dogs have spent those same years evolving to live with them and fight to keep them at acceptable levels so as not to cause too much harm but sometimes they get to be too much for the dog and get ahead of them and that's when we see signs and symptoms. even if it's just to rule out the possibility it wouldn't hurt and it could end up saving her health and possibly life depending on which worm, if any.


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## Nancy (Feb 4, 2009)

She sleeps with me and has a bed of pillows and blankets at my feet...I just washed all her bedding yesterday and saw no evidence of anything not even flea dirt....Last night around 8 pm she was sleeping beside me she just wakes and takes off into my mothers attached apartment...she did the same thing Friday night at the same time...how strange huh.....Then at 2 am while sleeping right beside me she wakes and runs off into the closet ??? I guess she is feeling some sorta pain? The closet that's a first....I had to pull her outta there...tried the massaging of her stomach..didn't seem to be as affective as before but she did fall asleep on top of me....she always wants to be close to someone during these episodes... I have thought about taking in a stool sample ...might be a good idea to rule out any worms...and I guess more blood work...I don't know...its like do I spend another $ 300 on a blood panel ...I'm just frustrated spending all this money and not really coming up with anything helpful...


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## K8emcgee (Oct 25, 2015)

not getting answers is the hardest thing and it causes so much more worry and frustrations especially when paying so much to get answers. at least with worm tests they are usually around 20 dollars and if that makes the vet move on from deworming maybe he will look harder towards another answer. It's never a bad idea to get a second opinion either sometimes one vet will have no idea after looking and looking yet another vet will know immediately. if after the fecal flotation comes back negative and he has no other solutions I would try another vet especially before another 300 spent doing something that yielded no results and answers the first time.


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## woodard2009 (Aug 4, 2010)

Nancy said:


> She sleeps with me and has a bed of pillows and blankets at my feet...I just washed all her bedding yesterday and saw no evidence of anything not even flea dirt....Last night around 8 pm she was sleeping beside me she just wakes and takes off into my mothers attached apartment...she did the same thing Friday night at the same time...how strange huh.....Then at 2 am while sleeping right beside me she wakes and runs off into the closet ??? I guess she is feeling some sorta pain? The closet that's a first....I had to pull her outta there...tried the massaging of her stomach..didn't seem to be as affective as before but she did fall asleep on top of me....she always wants to be close to someone during these episodes... I have thought about taking in a stool sample ...might be a good idea to rule out any worms...and I guess more blood work...I don't know...its like do I spend another $ 300 on a blood panel ...I'm just frustrated spending all this money and not really coming up with anything helpful...


I agree with doing the fecal exam, but if you already did a blood panel, I don't know if I would do another at this time. There is definitely something that is bothering her cause she's going to her safe place, albeit the closet and the attached apartment. Is she crying when she takes off? Midge is afraid of flying insects like flies, butterflies, bees, and wasp. She's been stung and now she things all flying things sting. If there's a fly in the house, she heads right up to my bedroom where her bed is (her safe place). It would be helpful if you could get a video of one of her episodes.


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

You've got to do some detective work. What is happening at 8 pm? Any loud noises, airplanes flying overhead, dishwasher starting up, furnace blowing air conditioning? Do any of these bother her.? I still think this may be some sort of seizure activity without the actual seizure. Panic attacks would explain some of this. My chi acted this way before she was diagnosed with atypical epilepsy. Medication has all but stopped the panic attacks now.


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## K8emcgee (Oct 25, 2015)

woodard2009 said:


> Nancy said:
> 
> 
> > She sleeps with me and has a bed of pillows and blankets at my feet...I just washed all her bedding yesterday and saw no evidence of anything not even flea dirt....Last night around 8 pm she was sleeping beside me she just wakes and takes off into my mothers attached apartment...she did the same thing Friday night at the same time...how strange huh.....Then at 2 am while sleeping right beside me she wakes and runs off into the closet ??? I guess she is feeling some sorta pain? The closet that's a first....I had to pull her outta there...tried the massaging of her stomach..didn't seem to be as affective as before but she did fall asleep on top of me....she always wants to be close to someone during these episodes... I have thought about taking in a stool sample ...might be a good idea to rule out any worms...and I guess more blood work...I don't know...its like do I spend another $ 300 on a blood panel ...I'm just frustrated spending all this money and not really coming up with anything helpful...
> ...


Padme got stung by a wasp outside recently and does the exact same thing any time any flying big gets near her. I was wondering was it a recent sting for you too or is this probably something she'll always do now? 


I was thinking how long is she asleep before she gets up and runs? does she get up again after she does it the first time? I wonder if it's some sort of night terror imo dogs def dream my lab would always run and even bark and howl in his sleep so maybe it's possible she's having nightmares. has anything traumatic ever happened to her? possibly anything when she was asleep or laying down? honestly it seems like worms are the easiest problem we've come up with. whatever it is I hope you find it out with your vets and I hope it can be easily fixed and/or controlled. keep us updated and I'll keep trying to look up new answers.


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## Nancy (Feb 4, 2009)

It happens to her while awake not only when she is sleeping.....We are chugging along ...the episodes have lessened but not stopped....Last night when it was time for bed she came up stairs and she hadn't even went to sleep ..she runs back down stairs and hides in a corner ...Shaking...hard stomach...Tried the tummy rubs this time I noticed her back legs stretched out like the tummy ribs were hurting and no helping anymore..I just tried to calm her after about 20 mins she settled in right beside me and slept til the morning...Oh and now she is back to having diarrhea...haven't changed her food in like 2/3 weeks and she gets nothing other than her 3 small meals ...I haven't talked to the vets about the fecal exam yet....kinda waiting to see cause I am sure I will be taking her back soon ...I have a book here raw meaty bones( trying to find it in the house )....I want to re read it again then I think I will do the switch to raw..


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## woodard2009 (Aug 4, 2010)

Aww, that poor baby. Did they do a fecal test? I would call asap to rule out any worms. Hope you find something out soon.


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## K8emcgee (Oct 25, 2015)

wow she sounds like shes goung through exactly what i go through when i have a flare up with my ulcerative colitis. I can't believe I didn't think of that sooner. Actually almost all of her symptoms are colitis related. the growling rumbling stomach is probably the food digesting in a flared intestines. the hard tummy is probably the swollen intestines and you don't always get diarrhea during a flare up but when the inflammation of the intestines gets really bad it does cause diarrhea. running would make sense she probably does that when the food starts to digest bc believe me digesting food through swollen intestines with ulcers is extremely painful but the pain depends on how bad the flare up is hers sounds manageable so it's probably a moderate flare up if this is colitis but it still causes pain. it's possible she does not have the ulcers and just has the swelling intestines though that's not as painful it still causes pain and discomfort. if she has ulcers along with it its possible to see blood in the diarrhea. it's possible by the time she is seen by a vet the swelling goes away and that's why they aren't seeing the issue. blood work and a fecal exam would not have the answers mine was undiagnosed for a year even though I was begging for them to find the answers I was pregnant at the time so they thought it was rare pregnancy symptoms but months after having my daughter it got worse and they were so swollen I looked pregnant again and only then did they take it seriously and it was diagnosed by a colonoscopy. She may need the same done and it will need to be when these belly issues are frequenting though if it's too swollen they may not be able to get the full colonoscopy but probably see enough to know what it is which is what happened with me. if it is colitis it could be a disease colitis or caused by an infection or bacteria I think one is permanent one is not. I know with me I have trigger foods that cause it to flare she may too and since most dog food has the same ingredients that may be why you don't see a change when you switch foods also it can take a long time for the damage and swelling to go away my which is another reason why you wouldn't see results soon after switching food sometimes even months after switching. it took me well over four months closer to six with medication such as prednisone and lialda to help with swelling/inflammation and put it in remission so it's possible if the trigger food is taken out of the equation she's not given enough time for the swelling to go away or the trigger food is still there. depending on how severe the colitis she could go months to years with no symptoms or she can have them constantly. This really sounds like some form of colitis to me it honestly explains all her symptoms I know dogs do get colitis as well so she should be checked up immediately bc colitis is just awful and every time she eats and digests she could be in pain.


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## K8emcgee (Oct 25, 2015)

and although the fecal exam wouldn't tell you whether or not its colitis its still very very important bc that will rule out worms bc a bad infestation of worms will cause similar symptoms bc they also irritate the intestines and getting that done first may save big time if worms are the case so you don't have to pay for a colonoscopy so do the cheaper testing first and if that's not the case I'd bring up the possibility of colitis and whether she'd need a colonoscopy


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## K8emcgee (Oct 25, 2015)

A few things that may help I don't know if it'd be the same with dogs but for me the things that cause flare ups are anything dried or dehydrated whether it's meats veggies or fruits bc it makes it harder to digest. broccoli, asparagus, brussel sprouts, celery, cabbage veggies like that are gassy and anything that causes gas causes pain it depends with green beans. red meat is hard to digest I could only eat eggs for the first few months and Apple sauce but that was literally it after about four months I could add chicken and fish since its white meat and easy on the tummy. no starch no dairy and I was supposed to do no gluten as well but anything high in fiber also hurt and I couldn't do and still can't do wheat bread I can only have white bread and white rice what's really odd is anything you're usually supposed to have I am not the healthier options cause more pain and problems. for the two months in the hospital I was on a clear liquid diet which was awful and disgusting bc I lost all fat and muscles but if she was that bad you'd know and the vet would order a diet like that. 'so I'd stay away from anything high in fiber, grains, anything dehydrated or dried as well as red meats and gassy veggies. if she does better on a diet like that I'd say it's most def something colitis related or other intestine swelling problem. I really hope this helps and that you see changes in her for the better. if she's eating dog food that has any of these things I would change it as soon as possible. regular dry dog food has too much fiber, grain, among other ingredients that cause flare ups so I'd change it asap. it's possible you could Google a dog food recipe or list of things that dogs with colitis can have even if its just to try it to see if it helps especially if your vet can't see you for awhile. it wouldnt hurt to try it and might end up helping her tummy even if it is caused by aomething else bc they will still be foods that are easy on the intestines and its possible the gastro vet food still has an ingredient that causes gas or other discomforts for a dog flaring up. no dog I've ever had could tolerate pre made wet dog food it always caused them awful gas.


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## Nancy (Feb 4, 2009)

That's very interesting and I have thought about colitis and any other illness that cause ibs...I actually said to the vet last time since testing isn't showing anything ...I would like to treat the symptoms of ibs .. He didn't seem like a fan wanting to send me to a big city vet to run more test ... I feel like I am on my own to figure it out an help her ...I've tried to research a helpful diet ... But I am finding so much miss information out there on the web ... And I don't trust it ... So if anyone knows of a good reputable site for homemade dog foods I'd appericate that ...


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## K8emcgee (Oct 25, 2015)

wow given all her symptoms I can't believe he just brushed that off Ibs does have alot of the same symptoms and would be more moderate in pain too so that's fed a strong possibility crohns as well but I'm unsure if dogs get crohns. I know they can get both ibs and colitis though. maybe try another vet if that's a possibility? since both ibs and colitis isn't commonly known to affect animals maybe he just isn't that experienced or familiar with it and maybe that's why he was reluctant. either way I'd say trying a ibs/colitis diet would be best bc whatever her tummy troubles are all that kind of diet is is cutting out the hard to digest and hard to process foods which seems like it would help her anyways. I'll look up some recipes and see what comes up and post links. it may take awhile for you to see changes though depending on any inflammation or damage caused by inflammation that may still be there but with the diet it wont cause further problems and that will start to heal. i do know alot of the women here do raw diets so they might have some great advice for you with that and I'll try to find some good links as well.


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

Dogs and humans are very different. Humans are omnivores, dogs are facultative carnivores, so while there are similarities in the digestive systems there are also huge differences.
I think a raw diet should be your next step


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## K8emcgee (Oct 25, 2015)

http://dogaware.com/health/digestive.html#ibd

that has alot of info about gi problems in dogs however I did see that ibs is stress related and ibd is more about food and digestive issues. from all the info I've read so far all of it reccomends a raw diet of some kind bc alot of the ingredients and chemicals in both wet and dry food upset the digestive tract. grains are apparently and issue too but I also saw that the first treatment that needs to be done is a deworming since they are the usual cause of gi problems and since whipworms and one other problem I giarda I think can't be found in a fecal exam they usually just prescribe panacur which sounds like what your vet was trying to do so that makes sense. I read that since the have to do a biopsy to diagnose ibd most vets will just treat for worms and also make the ibd diet change which takes about a month then you see improvements they do that since the biopsy costs so much and most people don't want to do that unless it's a last resort. the ibd/colitis/gi tract diet for dogs is pretty much a raw diet excluding a few ingredients that cause trouble but they aren't ingredients all raw diets include anyways I don't think it's any major ingredients apparently though the meat that's best for dogs with gi problems are chicken, fish, and duck there's another I may be forgetting but it says pork and red meat are the meats that are too hard to digest for dogs with sensitive tummies also a low fat diet is good. that link has alot of info as well as other links I found all this info on but I'll see what else I can find.


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## K8emcgee (Oct 25, 2015)

I wish I could post these in one post but every time I leave the reply to copy the other link or info I lose what I put. i did find this littke snip that makes sense you said the vet prescribed her to this medicine and it explains why it may not work.


The cornerstone of treatment for IBD is suppressing the inflammation. In milder cases of large intestinal IBD, the immunomodulating properties of metronidazole (Flagyl®) might be adequate for control but usually prednisone or its cousin prednisolone is needed.


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## K8emcgee (Oct 25, 2015)

this is just info on raw diet and how it can help with gi troubles




http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/holis...el-disease/12/inflammatory-bowel-disease.aspx


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## K8emcgee (Oct 25, 2015)

here is some really well described info on raw diets. so all I would do is go by this guide as well as any advice from those here that feed raw diets then I would look up trigger foods for colitis,ibs, ibd and gi troubles and try to avoid those specific foods and also do foods lower in fiber and base your specific diets on the needs of Lola one thing that's repeated frequently is dogs with any sort of gi troubles have individual needs as well as things that will/won't work for her that do work for others so it seems to be alot of trial and error but remember it will take three to six weeks to see some changes though some may occur earlier. also a fecal exam and deworming is recommended on almost every site as a precautionary measure. and just in case you feel a little overwhelmed about the raw diet I did see alot of people recommend canine caviar though it's a little pricey.

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/raw-feeding-primer/


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## MelodyoftheForest (Sep 11, 2015)

I just wanted to point out that the article linked above outlines the BARF version of raw feeding, and most of the raw feeders here who do not use pre-made raw use the Whole Prey version. There is much info in the stickies at the top of the raw section of the nutrition forum here.


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## K8emcgee (Oct 25, 2015)

yea i saw it was talking about Barf raw feeding I did see that it mentioned whole prey but I'm unsure if it explained it i think she just listed a couple of the other ways and explained that when she started the barf diet 15 years ago it was much more bones but over the years I guess the creator tweaked his techniques and where she started there she kind of made her own too but I don't know what either are and I'm not going to pretend I do only what I read on raw feeding today so I'm sure there is much much more and I probably just scratched the surface and I'm sure you all would be much more informed on what to advise in regards to the raw diet than i. actually I'm pretty interested myself I have to admit it wasn't what I thought it was at all. I saw some stuff on dehydrated raw meals as well you just add water to which seemed interesting as well.


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## Nancy (Feb 4, 2009)

I guess nothing much has changed ... I was hoping she had turned a corner the end of last week ... She was back to her old self but by Sunday I was disappointed she started feeling rough again ...last night 3 am she was trying to hide in the closet again ....I haven't tried raw yet cause I had thought I should stick with what I was doing to give it a good shot at working ... It's been a month of feeding her that low fat gastric food steady ...and the vets around here frown against raw diets ... Not that that would change my thinking in anyways .. But would be nice to have at least one on my side ...she was giving the smallest peice of cooked spaghetti Monday and a small cornflake last night ... I am grasping at straws here I think because her stomach or whatever started Sunday ...all I've read about gastric issues in dogs most talks about low fat diet and raw isn't really low fat is it ? I'm on the fence about taking her back to the vets again ... It's been four times since April 1 st and we are no better off ...and more than $1000 into this ... So as I see it .. Would be another vet or switching her to raw ... Oh and I wasn't convinced she had ibs cause she doesnt really have the diarrhea that seems to go along with severe gastric issues ... But what heck are we dealing with  sorry venting alittle cause I hate seeing her in what seems to be pain ... So like I said nothing seems to have changed


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

The smallest piece of spaghetti would be enough to cause mine tummy troubles. Any wheat product gives them wind and diarrhoea.
I would try the raw diet asap, and see if that helps. 
Stop thinking of her as a dog with issues, it may well be that feeding a very simple unprocessed diet like prey model raw is all she needs. I really doubt she will need an adapted diet for IBS or similar, just dropping the carbs and processed foods will help.
If I fed kibble I would have dogs with skin issues, allergies, digestive troubles, weight issues. On raw i have five perfectly healthy dogs.
To quote hippocrates' 'let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food'.


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## Nancy (Feb 4, 2009)

I know its probably the next step...but I am feeling very nervous about it....I've read this and that about it ....maybe to much info isn't always that good...i'm just confused as to where to start...I'm going to keep reading to boost my confidence


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

I am happy to help you with the transition, have you looked at the Raw feeding section in the Nutrition forum here? It has some great info.
It can seem very daunting, but it is actually a very simple way to feed once you get into the swing of it.
What specifically are you nervous about?


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## Nancy (Feb 4, 2009)

To be honest chocking mostly ... I am re reading ...work wonders raw meaty bones by Tom Lonasale ...he recommends chicken necks and wings to start I believe.... Last time I tried my one fella got constipated ... So I guess this time is have to add some kind of fibre to make sure that doesn't happen again ... Or more chicken meat along with say a neck ?
My other concerns is of course making sure she gets a good balance of meats she can tolerate ... Is it still recommend to stick with one meat for 7 days ? I'm just nervous is all


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## Nancy (Feb 4, 2009)

Just a short update on Lola ... So got her off the vet prescription diet ... I have her strictly on a homemade diet .... She still is having issues but from what I can tell they seems to be anal gland issues ... Does anyone have any recommendations on my next move .. Vets expressed them three times recently but doesn't seem to change ... She actually now seems to be not wanting to have bowel movements ... U can tell she needs to go she will circle like she is going her anus will stick out but then she won't go .... Her stools go from totally normal to very thin but no diaherra ..


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## lyredragon (Jul 28, 2010)

raw bone works like fiber in the dog digestive system. If you get too high of a ratio of bone to meat, the dogs will get constipated. Wings and necks are some of the boniest cuts you can feed a dog. They should be fed the bony meals like that more like once a week rather than every day. That was what I figured out when I was feeding raw to foxxy. You should balance out the boniness of wings and necks with something like hearts and gizzards so they're still getting muscle meat. Or thigh meat and reserve the bones for broth. Sometimes broth helps keep things moving too.

This is not professional advice by any means, but if you suspect colitis, you should ask your vet if a round of probiotics and a prebiotic suppliment would help. My friend had a cat that developed colitis. What that means is there is not the right amount of the right kinds of bacteria in the gut, and definitely anal gland trouble is one of the symptoms.

prebiotics are plant starches that are indigestible to dogs (in this case) but are needed for the development types of good bacterial cultures a dog needs in its gut. Examples of prebiotic is found in yucca root, squashes, bananas and plantains, turnips, and beets.

The probiotic you will need will probably have to come from the vet. it's an oral fed dose and it makes them foam at the mouth after taking it, but it works. feeding yogurt doesn't help so much and OTC probiotics are unreliable.


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