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Lab results negative; Now what?

4K views 56 replies 18 participants last post by  afauth 
#1 ·
I posted a thread a while back about my 6 month golden who had pooping issues. He is on 3 cups of Blue Buffalo LBP food/day. A lot of the treats we give him are also the more natural ones (Zuke's,etc). He will do a 1st poop and it is solid, then he either a) stays in the squat position and walks and goes a little more or b) just goes some more (without the walking) and the 2nd time more comes out and it is soft like soft serve ice cream (sorry for the visual :p:). last time everyone here suggested getting a fecal test done, we did that and everything is normal. So.....my question is, could he be allergic to something in BB or is this maybe just normal for him? How do I even begin to know what he's allergic to? I've heard that maybe a grain-free like TOTW would be good as some can be allergic to grains. BB has brown rice, barely and oats. I hate to switch his food again bc we just got done with the transition to BB from Iams. he's been on BB about 6/7 weeks. First two ingreds of BB are deboned chicken and chicken meal. Any thoughts or suggestions are welcomed!! Thanks.
 
#2 ·
As you can read here many of us have tried several different dogs foods before we found the right one for our dogs. I personally tried several premium dog foods and always had loose stool problems. I am currently have the boys on Purina One with tablespoon of pumpkin mixed it. So far it is working well. Good luck to you.
 
#4 ·
Hey, i have the same problem with Lucky (10 months). He poop one time ok, and a little bit later also some ice cream (jaja), and this have been for several months. He is in proplan but did the same on Blue Buffalo, also the tests are Ok (no giardia test, did you?). Pumpink only help for a couple of days. He was eating 6 cups and now only 4 1/2 cups and also didnt fix it. Maybe an alergy to chicken? Blue dont have corn so its not that and i dont think is rice. He did get antibiotics for a skin pyoderma, so any soft tissue bacteria should be dead. I will start giving him the new formula Authority dry food from Petsmart, its also chicken but i'll tell you if it works. Please post any changes.
 
#5 ·
A lot of vets will treat for giardia and/or coccidia even though the tests are negative. You'd be surprised how many times the tests are false negative for one or both of those things.
My vet would probably do a 10 day course of 1000 mg twice a day of metronidazole in this situation. It works for a surprising number of dogs.
 
#7 ·
Hmm. Ok, I guess I'm still a little confused at what to do. I didn't think I was feeding too much bc I'm doing LESS than the minimum amount required on the package. It says 3 1/2-4 1/2c for his size and age. I'm feeding 3 cups plus he gets treats or a kong when we are at work during the day. I can feel his ribs and hips but not see them. he's 6 months old and 53lbs, very long and tall. I put some pumpkin in his food this morning it usually helps for a day or two then I would need to more. I will call my vet and ask if they looked for giardia and coccidia (I don't even know what those are!ha) and see if they think trying an antibiotic would be beneficial.

Thanks for all your help! I'll let you know what happens. He loves the BB so maybe the antibiotic may get out whatever is in there.
 
#8 ·
even if they looked for giardia and coccidia, which they normally do, they often don't find them if they're there in low levels.
You could very sweetly ask your vet if there would be any harm in treating with a course of metronidazole and seeing what happens. Most vets will agree to it, in my experience.
 
#10 ·
I'm sorry, I don't know the answer to that. My vet uses metronidazole, and it's what I've seen boarded dogs come in with, too.
 
#12 ·
I'm thinking your dog could possibly have a gluten intolerance (some grains in BB are notorious for dogs with that issue - please remind, did he have these problems on the Iams?). I'd first try what other folks here have suggested (be sure to also talk to your vet about a source of non-dairy probiotic supplement whenever antibiotics are used) and, if none of that solves the problem, try a food with only rice or potatoes as the sole carbs and see if that should improve the situation.
 
#14 ·
I started using the pumpkin again and the poo was fine but now he's back to the walking squats. First part is hard, second part is soft. So I called my vet today to see if they tested for those two things mentioned above, they said yes. I said is there a chance maybe the levels were low and it didn't show up? they said no. I asked if we could possibly do an antibiotic just to see if it works.........waiting for the vet to call me back. He's on Blue Buffalo LB Puppy. Anything in particular that Goldens have allergies to? I don't know what to do. Any other food suggestions? My options for dog food shopping are Tractor Supply & PetSmart/PetCo. I've been told Golden puppies shouldn't be on a grain-free until 18 months old. HELP!

Here's the ingredient list:



Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal (natural source of Glucosamine), Whole Ground Brown Rice, Whole Ground Barley, Whole Potatoes, Tomato Pomace (natural source of Lycopene), Oatmeal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Natural Tocopherols), Natural Chicken Flavor, Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Blueberries, Cranberries, Flaxseed, Barley Grass, Dried Parsley, Alfalfa Meal, Kelp Meal, Taurine, L-Carnitine, L-Lysine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Green Tea Extract, Turmeric, Garlic, Sunflower Oil (natural source of Omega 6 Fatty Acids), Herring Oil (natural source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Dried Chicory Root, Black Malted Barley, Oil of Rosemary, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin C, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Beta Carotene, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Folic Acid, Biotin, Choline Chloride, Dicalcium Phosphate, Zinc Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Zinc), Iron Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Iron), Copper Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Copper), Manganese Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Manganese), Potassium Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Potassium), Cobalt Proteinate (source of Chelated Cobalt), Potassium Chloride, Sodium Selenite, Salt, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bacillus subtilis, Bifidobacterium thermophilum, Bifidobacterium longum, Enterococcus faecium.
 
#15 ·
So I called my vet today to see if they tested for those two things mentioned above, they said yes. I said is there a chance maybe the levels were low and it didn't show up? they said no.
If your vet said that he tested for giardia and there was no chance of a false negative, then your vet is totally out of sync with the established literature. I'd be very concerned that he wasn't careful and up-to-date.
 
#17 ·
Garfield~ he didn't have these problems on Iams but he was going A LOT and it was softer than it is now on the BB.

Penny~I did talk to the person answering the phone but he said the vet would call me back so hopefully I get to talk one-on-one with the vet. Maybe they'll do a re-test or maybe he'll just let me try the antibiotic.

Someone (not on here) also suggested he may be constipated??? That doesn't seem right if he's able to get out quite a bit. Or to check for hemrroids. ??? I guess if the vet won't do a re-test or give antibiotics then all I can do is switch food and see if it clears up. I'm soooo confused! I feel bad watching him, I would think it's an uncomfortable feeling. ??????????????????
 
#19 ·
You might first consider switching vets if they won't test/treat...my gut is this is some kind of intestinal parasite. If you do decide to switch food (which I'd advise against doing at the same time as antibiotics if that should pan out), at the risk of sounding like a Naturapet spokesman, their California Natural Chicken & Rice formulas (both puppy and adult) are as easy on the stomach as they come (and gluten free).
 
#18 ·
Tailer had issues with soft poops off n on for the first 18 months! Milk Bone Biscuits, Lamb, and Fish just did him in! Stopping the treats at the bank and training tid-bits of lamb helped us out. Good Luck!
 
#21 ·
I really like my vet, we haven't had any problems (so far) so hopefully whenever I get a call back from him we can get it sorted out. He was really concerned last time when Cooper ate a edible nylon bone WHOLE and had diarrhea and throwing up for 3 days. He kept calling me to make sure it was under control. I go home today at lunch to let Cooper out and I notice a very runny pile in my backyard. I'm not sure if he did that at lunch when I wasn't out there or this morning (its dark when we go out in the morning). But it was a pale color and very runny. I'd prefer not to switch foods until I know what's going on. Haven't heard back from the vet yet today. I'll keep you posted on what I hear. thanks for all the suggestions. :) It helps when you're new at this!
 
#27 ·
I really like my vet, we haven't had any problems (so far) so hopefully whenever I get a call back from him we can get it sorted out.
Not necessarily suggesting that you change vets all together, but don't hesitate to get a second opinion should this vet come up empty on this one - there are other vets out there that may be able to offer a good bedside manner as well as a solution in this instance.
 
#22 ·
Well gluten cant be a problem couse BB dont have it, mine eats Pro Plan Chicken so maybe its a chicken problem, or maybe the watter supply? or a pancreatic problem? You need three samples for a more reliable giardia test (3 consecutive days). But i remember giardia couse loose stools some days and some days not, but our dogs make loose stools some minutes yes and some minutes not.
 
#26 · (Edited)
True, thusly it is also more overlooked/misdiagnosed. My main post point was to note that foods with certain grains (and not only gluten as a listed ingredient) can be problematic to dogs with celiac type disease which can wreak all sorts of havok (many mimicing those of allergies and hypothryoidism), and if testing for more those more common ailments comes up negative, the celiac angle shouldn't be completely removed as a possible cause or contributing factor to dogs experiencing unknown difficulties.
 
#29 ·
Lethargy
Skin lesions that look like allergies or hot spots
Skin infections (often secondary to those hot spots)
Recurring itchy spots
Recurring ear infections/gunkines
Dull coat
Hair loss
Weight gain (even on a reasonable number of calories)
Behavior abnormalities like aggression or sensitivity
Temperature regulation problems

Did I miss any?
 
#32 ·
Ok took a second sample in to the vet. Negative again for any parasites. He said before doing more extensive tests to rule out a food problem. He gave me a prescription probiotic and recommended a "low residue" diet to see if it's food related. He also stated that Cooper could just have a sensitive stomach and it could possibly be a protein allergy. So I started with the probiotic and metamucil in his water. His poops were both good today. They also noticed that his poop was kind of "dense" but said it was most likely from the stuffing he had in it from his toys. :) whoops, we catch as much as we can, practically sitting next to him as he rips them apart! So if the probiotics work, I will get more. Thinking a food change might be in the future. thinking about skipping chicken & beef and maybe doing a potato & venison if we switch. Any thoughts?
 
#34 ·
Don't know if this matters or not but, does your vet send the sample out to a lab? My dog had the exact same thing happening when he would go, I even hesitated on bringing him in because it didn't happen each time he went. His test at the vet came out negative, but the one sent to a lab came out positive. I'm not sure what the difference was between the test done at the vet and at the lab.
 
#35 ·
afauth,

I fed my 5 month old golden, Jake, the same food for the first few months I had him, with the exact same results that you are having. After reading here about the food possibly being too rich for some dogs, I switched to California Natural Lamb and Rice for puppies. Since the switch, he has been solid most of the time, while still only moving his bowels twice a day. It has been a nice switch.
 
#37 ·
Well so far this morning he is still doing the walking squats after having 2 of the probiotics. I know it's too soon to tell though. I had some canned low residue food from an incident earlier in his life (totally unrelated to this issue). I put some of that on his food this morning and we'll see how he does. My gut tells me it's food related because he didn't have these problems on the Iams, just when we started the BB. I'm definitely NOT going back to Iams but I've heard puppies should have up to 24% protein and the BB has 28%. If using probiotics, low residue soft food mixed in works then I will use this last bag up of BB and switch to a different protein source and probably adult food because by the time he finishes this up he'll be 8months. I've also heard they just grow out of this too. He's gaining weight, growing, still very active & happy. I'll see what the next couple days bring before doing anything more drastic.

Ken---thanks for letting me know that about the food. My gut is it's the food since it started at the same time as the switch.
 
#38 ·
Sorry to keep pressing this, but I'd do a course of metronidazole regardless. If it's related to a low level infection/parasite/whatever, the metro will help. But it's also an anti-spasmodic (sp?) and will help quiet down whatever inflammation or irritation is going on with him.
Interesting comment about the toy stuffing, just that is enough to inflame his gut and cause the problems you are describing. The inflammation from that can last for several days (I know, I have a stuffing eater, too).
I'm with Tippy, I'm still surprised the vet didn't give you some metronidazole just to help the symptoms for now.
As far as the potato and venison, my older boy did just fine on it for 2 years. Then we did potato and rabbit for a year, and now switching to potato and duck. He's got IBD diagnosed by biopsy, when he was 8-1/2.
 
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