He has probably inherited his father's sensitive tummy. Remember there are children like this too. I think you just have to be really, really strict. It is always that "one time" that you think something will be ok and it never is. My husband has food intolerances and whenever he is feeling good he tests the waters and it always ends in tears (well not literally!). You are a good mum Momo but you must be strict!

 

I do know that his father gets treats and he can tolerate them just fine, it was just the food. But then again, his father is 5 years old. By that time, I hope Sunny can handle some treats too! None of Sunny's littermates have this issue. I seem to have gotten the one with an annoying permanent health problem, but he's such a good boy it's all worth it!
You're right about testing the waters.:uhoh: Before I was doing it every few days (bad mum), then once a week, but now it's once every few weeks. I will have to be strict then, but I wonder if there's some kind of medication that could help his gut to be temporarily stronger?
How is he going to eat his 1st birthday pupcake?!

 

There may be something there... but, I think I read before in the comments of one of your previous posts that it can take the stomach a full month to recover from diarrhea. My suggestion would be to only give Sunny his regular diet (no additional treats of any kind) for one month. And then maybe try to introduce new things (one at a time and slowly), and see how he handles it. This is very similar to what we did after Rundle's week long bout of diarrhea. We were super strict about what went in her mouth... only giving her kibble as treats. Then after a month or so we slowly relaxed and introduced new things gradually. Now her stomach is quite hearty, and can be introduced to new things easily. But, as I said, we rested it appropriately.

I also think you might still be giving him too much food. 3 cups of food should already be more than enough food for Sunny at 8 months. Then to give him a generous amount homecooked chicken, rice, mashed sweet potato, sometimes beef mince and peas, bit of coconut oil, probiotic powder, that is a lot of food!! If you're not careful you are going to end up with an overweight golden, in addition to one having bowel issues. I know that the TOTW bag calls for an obscene amount of food to be given to dogs. But, as we discussed in your previous post that is not at all the norm for most dry dog foods.

I hope you find this helpful. I'm sure others will chime in too!

 

For the past month, for the most part, he does only get his food and no other treats besides dehydrated chicken and beef. He's been doing so well, and that's why I thought I could give him a new treat!
So it will take a month for his system to reset again?

As for how much I'm feeding, I read that at 8 months, they should get around 1100-1300 calories. How many calories does Rundle get?
3 cups of TOTW is approximately 1000 calories, and additional chicken/rice etc. is approximately 100calories per meal, adding up to ~1300 calories per day. Since he barely gets treats, I don't account for them.
On days we do lots of training with lots of plain chicken bits, I feed him less homecooked and kibble.
The bag recommends 5-6 cups, I'm feeding only 2.5-3 and making up for extra calories with the homecooked. He still looks an ideal weight, if not slightly underweight..

 

Coccidia, giardia, recurrence of the Clostridium? Maybe the coconut oil, as I have heard it can cause diarrhea, even in small amounts.

Why is he being given so much different food? He could be getting too much food, which can also cause diarrhea. I would stick with his kibble, even using that for the treats, and the probiotic powder. Once he's gone for a few months with no diarrhea, you could try adding some treats back in.

 

On a strict diet, he doesn't get diarrhea. Is it possible to have solid stools for weeks if he has coccidia, giardia or clostridium?

I didn't think he was getting many different foods, just rice, most of the time 1 protein source (chicken). 1-2 vegetables, and coconut oil. A month ago, Sunny came 3rd in a competition and won homecooked food for a week which consisted of 50% homecooked plus 50% kibble. I guess now I'm following a similar diet plan.
Note he has been doing wonderfully with this plan for weeks, it's only just last night that things got bad when I added a treat.

Does it take a few months to reset an upset stomach? :uhoh:

 

I agree your still feeding to much. If you give him that much kibble then don't give him the home cooked. Cut the kibble down to two cups or less if you want to continue the home cooked.

 

I have also seen your pictures on Instagram. He doesn't look underweight at all. He actually looks just right or a little overweight. You should see how lean Chloe is. She gets two to three cups a day. No table scraps and barely any treats.

 

I will cut down on food, but that doesn't explain why he's been producing great poops for weeks on this diet plan, maintaining weight (hardly gaining anymore), and then suddenly crazy explosive diarrhea after a treat... :S

The vet doesn't think he's overweight, and compared to his littermates, he's probably the leanest! There are approx. 30-40 goldens around 6-9 months old from the same breeder, we share our pictures on a Facebook group. Sunny looks like he may still be the smallest/leanest. Perhaps some English goldens' build are bulkier which might make him look tubby. I'll try to find a recent pic.

 

I think A LOT of people overfeed their dogs. Which may be why he seems small relative to the pack. Seeing your pics on instragram I think he looks good, but I wouldn't want him gaining much more.

 

Wow, dehydrated cheese?! I've never heard of that before. It is just plain cheese dehydrated? Is it less rich?

Yes, he gets a few spoons of rice, plus a handful of chicken, 1/2 tablespoon of potato, 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil.

What's your instagram Pebs and cp?

I really really think he just needs time. When we first started reintroducing things, Rundle reacted a little bit too, so then we went strict again, and retried again about a month later. Now all the things that were causing her loose stool during recovery she can eat now with no trouble at all.

This is reassuring to know. I'll put him on a very strict diet again, no treats for a month, then try again!

 

Wow, dehydrated cheese?! I've never heard of that before. It is just plain cheese dehydrated? Is it less rich?

Yes, he gets a few spoons of rice, plus a handful of chicken, 1/2 tablespoon of potato, 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil.

What's your instagram Pebs and cp?



This is reassuring to know. I'll put him on a very strict diet again, no treats for a month, then try again!

Sorry its actually freeze dried LOL. We give her the chicken and cheese treats of this brand PureBites® Pet Treats | Purebites.com I doubt its really any less rich, but its good for carrying around and it won't get mouldy as quick etc. Oh and Rundle goes crazy for em!!
I actually don't have an instagram account LOL.

 

Chloes instagram is chloe6124. I dont really have any great pictures yet. Your pictures of sunny are very cute. He looks like a happy boy.

 

Lucy gets apple slices or blueberries as treats and she loves them both, just an option if sunny is very food orientated during training like Lucy. Maybe you could also look into making your own treats so at least you know what's going into them. There are some good recipes online and you can always make substitutions for the ingredients.

 

dmg1983, the only treats he's been getting for the past month are dehydrated chicken and beef jerky treats I make myself, containing only meat and sometimes a little sprinkle of herbs (dog-friendly of course!)
I haven't thought to make other dog treats myself but I'll definitely look into it. Thank you!



Sunny's poops haven't improved since a small fast and chicken and rice. If it's just a food issue, it clears up within 24 hours. I think he's gotten into something, or.. it could be from a block of wood I gave him 2 nights ago. On the breeder's group on FB, they were talking about treats for teething teens and someone mentioned blocks of wood. I happened to have a block of pine wood and gave it to him without even researching about treated and untreated pine wood. I'm not sure what type of wood it is. He had only chewed at it for 2 minutes before I took it away, but this could possibly be the cause or contribute to his already bad tummy.
If we have to see the vet, I'll ask about Royal Canin's GI diet for situations like these, because chicken and rice seems really unnutritious for prolonged periods. :/

 

Big fan of Royan Canin GI food. It definitely helped get Rundle's tummy in order... better than the chicken in rice as far as I'm concerned.

 

If Sunny likes wood you got to get him one of these Home | Petstages - Products with purpose
Rundle goes crazy for hers and does not have any problems with blockages or diarrhea from it
Lasts a long time too.

 

I called the vet and asked if I could give him anything without going through a $200 fecal test, so they gave me a week's course of Peptosil and Metrogyl antibiotics. After 3 days of chicken and rice, it's still not clearing up which is really concerning so I'm glad I got the medication. Perhaps he has a virus. :/ Really hoping it helps him. If not, I was told to bring him in on Monday.

I've had to spend so much money on him. Fingers crossed this 2nd round of job interview goes well so I can start making money because I've used all my savings on this!

I also asked the vet about RC's GI food, and he also recommends it in place of chicken and rice! I should've bought some while I was there but I wanted to see if he'd get well from antibiotics and just leave the GI food for next time. Also because the meds cost $80 already.
In Australia, we only have the low fat formula of GI :/


Funny you mention the Petstages dogwood sticks, I got Sunny a new one today before seeing your comment! A really big one. He's not so interested in it yet because it hasn't been worn down enough, but soon! He liked the small one I got him months ago.

 

Great about the medication! Hope it does the trick. I wouldn't stress about the low fat GI food. It's not like chicken and rice has a substantial amount of fats in it. I'm sure Sunny would do just fine for a short period of time on it.

We got Rundle the big one too. She finished almost 3/4 of it in a couple of weeks. She really likes to chew and enjoys a good stick!

Good luck with your job interview! I had a second interview with a company yesterday as well. Hoping that I get it!

 

Grit, who is now 3.5 years old still has a very sensitive stomach. He only has his kibble (Acana Pacifica) and no treats at all. If he has one dog bone treat he is ill. He has probiotics and a herbal supplement for his digestion from the UK. I do not know if you can get this in Australia. Hilton Herbs Gastrix. He cannot have extra oil as this upsets him. He has apple cider vinager (teaspoon) in each of his two meals.
We have lots of apple trees so he eats apples off the ground and they come straight out in his poo undigested, but at least do not seem to cause any problems!!

 

Aww Grit Sounds like Sunny's sensitive stomach will carry on into older age, too. Even apple would give him diarrhea, I think.
Has your vet said anything about Grit's sensitive stomach? Or is it just that, a sensitive stomach and nothing more?

 

It's a Clinical Research Manager for a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company in Vancouver.
Thanks! What is your job interview for?

 

That sounds like a big and exciting job role!
Mine is for a receptionist/administrative associate/marketing assistant/various duties at an international college. The first interview went well, but today, I was so nervous speaking to founder of the institution. Pretty sure I dun goof'd and ruined my chances. Ah well.

 

the 3 week antibiotic course could have something to do with it as well. the antibiotics also kill the good bacteria. so if he had a week stomach to begin with a 3 week course of antibiotics is only going to make it weaker. keep up with the probiotic and i agree you still may be giving him to much food. cut down the kibble and feed some chicken. you dont need to add all those things into it like the sweet potato and peas and beef. stick with kibble and little chicken for a while and cut out all treats and anything extra. use the kibble as treats during training and subtract what oyu use for training from what you would feed him at meal time. let the guys stomach settle down and re coop all the good bacteria he needs.

 

The 3 week course of antibiotics was completed around 2 months ago, since then he's been getting probiotic powder daily. He's been getting probiotic for around 4 months now.

 

His diarrhea as of late has been mucousy with a tiny amount of blood in it - I don't believe it's a sign of overfeeding. A month ago, I was trying to hit the target of approx. 5 cups per day as recommended on the bag which I've been told is too much. It caused him to have 5-6 large bowel movements per day, solid in the mornings and gradually getting softer throughout the day.
I cut down to 3 cups per day with some extras and like I said, he's been maintaining a good weight, and only goes about 2-3 times per day now, fairly small and solid.
Once everything clears up, I will cut down on the extras, but I'm fairly certain the sudden diarrhea is not from overfeeding this time 'round as he's been doing so well with this diet plan for weeks.
The main reason for given extras is because 3 cups of kibble alone is approx 1000 calories. He doesn't often get treats, so I make up for lack of calories with extra chicken, beef, rice etc.
He gets an average amount of exercise, around 2-3x 20 minute plays in the backyard everyday, plus 30 minute walk + 15 minutes off leash running or an hour at the dog park.

He's still being fed chicken and rice for now, and today, 22 hours after the first dose of medication, a bowel movement that wasn't diarrhea! It was a single small formed, but soft black stool. I don't think it's unusual with metro though. Hoping things will continue to improve!

 

I asked the vet myself if they could prescribe him something without doing a fecal test first, in case it's not something serious that may be cleared up with generic medication. Peptosyl is not a prescription drug, just a liquid that helps treat diarrhea due to diet-related issues, irritated from things other than viruses, parasites etc. Metronidazole should help clear any small infections and whatnot? I have spent a lot of money on him lately, the fecal test is nearly 200 dollars, so that's why I wanted try this first. If he's not improving by Monday then he'll be going to the vet on Monday.

Today, 24 hours after his last bowel movement, he went and it was a large amount, mushy and dark, was able to pick it up without leaving much of a trace, so it's definitely better than diarrhea but was expecting things to be significantly better. Even last time when he was diagnosed with Clostridium, antibiotics cleared things up immediately.

 

Its a battle to find the right kibble that agrees with them. My 22 week old male golden retriever Axel had ear infections and food allergies on optimum puppy and on black hawk puppy australian made kibble. I switched all my dogs back on raw diet and I haven't had a problem with Axels ears or allergies so far.

Momo Have you thought about trying a raw diet eith your dog it may help him in the long run. My guys get those big dog barf patties,bones,pet mince,sardines,mackeral.

 

He's been on Taste of the Wild for about 3 months now, and besides these bouts of diarrhea caused by other factors, he's been doing very well on it! He was on Royal Canin when he came home, he was itching a lot and his ears would get dirty so fast, I had to clean them every 2 days. I really trust TOTW is a good food for him, it's just treats that are causing issues. But yes, I have considered a raw diet, but I'm not sure if he'll be able to handle it. I know some dogs just can't, and considering he gets explosive diarrhea from little things like 1/2 teaspoon of yoghurt or 1/2 a strawberry, I don't think he can even take a raw bone. Otherwise, I would probably switch to raw. Perhaps once he goes months and months without poopy problems, I will consider it in the future. For now, I will let his stomach settle!

 

Pebs, Royal Canin's GI food states that it is used to treat chronic diarrhea, does that mean it's safe to simply give it to him in place of chicken and rice without a gradual transition?
I've ordered it online, but hopefully things clear up before it arrives anyway. It's been 6 days.

 

Hi momo,
We always give it to Rundle without transition, but in the past we've transitioned her back after being on it for a few days to make sure she can handle regular kibble again.

 

Update:

Day 6 on metronidazole and peptosyl, going once or twice a day, each time dark, black and tarry. 2 days ago it was quite firm and dark green, which looks like an improvement, but back to black again. I've read that it's normal for them to get black tarry stools on metro, but it shouldn't last this long, right? :/

 

Maybe call and ask the vet if its normal? I'm not sure :uhoh:

 

I would think it would last the whole time you are giving the metronidazole if is a known side effect.

 

Large volume of formed, but kinda soft dark stool at obedience class today. I was expecting things to improve. Hmm. Tomorrow is the last day of medication, i'll see how things go for the rest of the week.

 

MoMo

I would call the vet and ask.