Imodium

I'm going away tomorrow and my sheltie has the runs,somebody says to give him an imodium (immodium) tablet,has anybody any idea how much to give ?

[skydnsr]

Glad the pup is better.  For future reference:

You can always try giving small amounts of canned pumpkin.  I keep a can of it on my pantry shelf, just in case.  I'm not talking about the pie filling -- I mean just plain, straight pumkin in a can.  A lot of dogs like that, and it pretty much always helps my dogs when they have diarrhea.  The fiber probably is part of the solution, and it may be that pumpkin has some natural anti-inflammatory compounds in it, too.  For whatever reason, it usually works.  Start out with small amounts, maybe a heaping tablespoon for a Sheltie, and increase the amount as you see fit.  

Giving plain yogurt, if your dog will eat that, helps a lot of dogs in this situation also.  It has the probiotics in it that ginger899 mentions.  The Diarsanyl sounds good; I wasn't aware of that product.  If you can find Diarsanyl, the dog might take that more readily than either pumkin or yogurt.  Maybe Diarsanyl goes by a different name in the US.  But I have been lucky, and my dogs will pretty much always take either pumkin or yogurt.  A lot of times, I mix the two together.  

Vets in the US often sell prescription foods as part of the treatment for diarrhea, also.  I have used Hill's W/D sometimes and I/D at other times, both with good results.

[ginger899]

You CAN give dogs Imodium (immodium). I heard that for a 50lb dog, 1 tablet would be the dose.
But the best idea would be to ring your vet and ask advice about this.

Also it does depend what caused the diarrhea. If you think it's an illness, then your dog would be best seen by a vet. If it's something he ate, then fasting is a good idea, for about a day with just water, then plain boiled rice, slowly introducing boiled chicken or fish, and gradually getting back to his normal diet.

[mich683]

Thank you  for your reply it's only for when we go away,shall take him to the vets as soon as we get back as i think there may be something going on.

[skydnsr]

The Shetland Sheepdog is one of the breeds in which some individuals carry the MDR1 gene for drug sensitivity, and imodium (immodium) is one of the drugs that dogs with that gene are sensitive to.  This means you should be especially careful in giving imodium (immodium) to a Sheltie.  Especially if you have one of the smaller Shelties, there might be very little margin for error.  I would only give imodium (immodium) to a Sheltie if it was prescribed by a vet.  It might be okay -- but talk to the vet.

[mich683]

Thank you,didn't give him anything went to the vets,he's on antibiotics as he had a slight infection,had a good couple of days away no poo problems.

[ginger899]

The vet prescribed something for my dog when she had a bout of diarrhea (there was no other sign of illness, no fever, no dehydration)
That was DIARSANYL  I don't know if you can get that where you live, but it is good for treating straightforward diarrhea. It contains a probiotic, dextrose, glycerol, and electrolytes (sodium, magnesium, and potassium) It smells gorgeous, like chocolate sauce. Unfortunately my dog hates it! But other dogs adore the taste.
Not to be given though if there is an infection, as it has a mild 'binding' effect. It's always best to consult the vet first.

[skydnsr]

Glad the pup is better.  For future reference:

You can always try giving small amounts of canned pumpkin.  I keep a can of it on my pantry shelf, just in case.  I'm not talking about the pie filling -- I mean just plain, straight pumkin in a can.  A lot of dogs like that, and it pretty much always helps my dogs when they have diarrhea.  The fiber probably is part of the solution, and it may be that pumpkin has some natural anti-inflammatory compounds in it, too.  For whatever reason, it usually works.  Start out with small amounts, maybe a heaping tablespoon for a Sheltie, and increase the amount as you see fit.  

Giving plain yogurt, if your dog will eat that, helps a lot of dogs in this situation also.  It has the probiotics in it that ginger899 mentions.  The Diarsanyl sounds good; I wasn't aware of that product.  If you can find Diarsanyl, the dog might take that more readily than either pumkin or yogurt.  Maybe Diarsanyl goes by a different name in the US.  But I have been lucky, and my dogs will pretty much always take either pumkin or yogurt.  A lot of times, I mix the two together.  

Vets in the US often sell prescription foods as part of the treatment for diarrhea, also.  I have used Hill's W/D sometimes and I/D at other times, both with good results.

[skydnsr]

I found the Diarsanyl online, and I am going to order that to have at home, just in case.  Ginger899, does it have to be kept in the fridge?

[skydnsr]

On another thread, ginger899 pointed out that not all dogs tolerate milk products well, so maybe you should be careful about giving yogurt.  I've just never had a dog that didn't do fine with milk, so I never really think about that.  But I guess I should think about it when making suggestions to others.