My pup who always had tummy troubles is having it again (1.5 yrs). This is the longest it's been for awhile (5 days) because I've been holding off giving Tylan which always works...

- Suddenly good to mushy to mucus poops - liquid
- Next day mushy poops with mucus
- Next few days - gave some rice which firms it up/slows it down. Now it starts out good but ends soft
- Stopped the rice and it still starts out firm but ends soft/slimy.
One more thing I've noticed she's had tiny burps (throat gurgle) this past month.

From research it sounds like something with the large intestines. Wondering if I need to worry about some sort of obstruction? And how often should I take in stool samples? They have always turned out negative and I heard it's hard to find Giardia Are there any other large intestinal problems I need to worry about? Really want to get to the bottom of this!

Helpful article for those with similar woes:
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_colitis.html

Has she been tested for digestive enzyme deficiencies? Since she's on Tylan powder I'm wondering if she has one because that is used with many IBD dogs. Our Toby has a cobalamin and folate deficiency diagnosed with a blood test run at Texas A&M gastro lab. We give him cobalamin injections and a daily folic acid supplement. We finally relented and switched over to a prescription diet for IBD dogs and his stool is now more firm; however, we must watch his treats carefully.

Here is a link to the lab we used: Research - Texas A&M Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences

They are enrolling dogs nationwide now for an IBD study and you and the dog's vet might consider this:
Canine Inflammatory Bowel Disease - Texas A&M Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences

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Meet Yogi! http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/...tion-yogi.html

Does your dog eat anything high in fat? i.e. Peanutbutter or other human food?
Some super premium dog foods will do the same...

If the dogs is eliminating regularly...then IMHO obstruction falls down the list...

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Mary and the Goldens from Maine

"Trace" - Can. CH Bramley's Light Up The Night, CD, RA - (CGC, CCA, TDI-Therapy Dog and Novice DockDock)
"Rumor" - Jackson's Leap of Faith

Waiting at the Bridge
"Lexi" - Wise Teacher and Best-est Puppy Raiser
"Liberty" - Bramley's Golden Moments Libby CD, RE - ASCA-CD, Can. CD - (CGC and TDI-Therapy Dog)

There was a post years ago from a member no longer here, that went into great depth about poo descriptions...sure do wish I could remember that post!

__________________
Mary and the Goldens from Maine

"Trace" - Can. CH Bramley's Light Up The Night, CD, RA - (CGC, CCA, TDI-Therapy Dog and Novice DockDock)
"Rumor" - Jackson's Leap of Faith

Waiting at the Bridge
"Lexi" - Wise Teacher and Best-est Puppy Raiser
"Liberty" - Bramley's Golden Moments Libby CD, RE - ASCA-CD, Can. CD - (CGC and TDI-Therapy Dog)

I don't know that it's that hard to find giardia. We are dealing with it now, and it showed up instantly in our little guys stool sample. My first thought when I read your post was "uh-oh, giardia" but then maybe I'm just overly sensitive to it right now.


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Thanks for the reply! I'll have to ask what her blood test results were from a pup...unless this is a new issue I may have to ask for this test.

Do the dehydrated raw treats/food have high fat? Hmm that is a very good point. I do give her treats but she has tolerated them fine before. Stella's, Primal, Ziwi peak dehydrated stuff. White meat chicken. A little beef...

Found it!
Written by monomer Feb 8, 2007...

".....Poop analysis is very important...
Have you taken samples to your vet for analysis? A little something to get you started...

yellow or greenish stool - indicates rapid transit (small bowel)
black, tarry stool - indicates bleeding in the upper digestive tract
bloody stool - red blood or clots indicate bleeding in the colon
pasty, light - colored stool -indicates lack of bile (liver disease)
watery stool - indicates small bowel wall irritation (toxins and severe infections)
foamy stool - suggests a bacterial infection
greasy stool - often with oil on the hair around the anus: indicates malabsorption
excessive mucus - a glistening or jellylike appearance: indicates colonic origin
foodlike, or smelling like sour milk - suggests both rapid transit and malabsorption: for example like overfeeding
putrid smelling - suggests an intestinal infection
several in an hour, each small with straining - suggests colitis (inflammation of the large bowel)
three or four time a day, each large - suggests malabsorption or a small bowel disorder
wieght loss, malnutrition - suggests small bowel disorder
normal appetite, minimal weight loss - suggests large bowel disorder
vomiting - small bowel origin, except for colitis
....."

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Mary and the Goldens from Maine

"Trace" - Can. CH Bramley's Light Up The Night, CD, RA - (CGC, CCA, TDI-Therapy Dog and Novice DockDock)
"Rumor" - Jackson's Leap of Faith

Waiting at the Bridge
"Lexi" - Wise Teacher and Best-est Puppy Raiser
"Liberty" - Bramley's Golden Moments Libby CD, RE - ASCA-CD, Can. CD - (CGC and TDI-Therapy Dog)

Thanks LibertyME. That is a good share that I am going to save.

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I had a similar problem with both my goldens. I had to switch them to a different food, the super-premium food was just too much for them. I switched about a month ago, and they have been fine, nice solid poops.

Liberty Me-thanks for the post about poops. More information than i ever really wanted about poops but definately very useful, I am going to save a copy