Defication Issues

[sprgvle]

This Golden will be 2 in July. As a puppy, he was on Eagle Pack Chicken & Rice for puppies and adults. The rep suggested I try him on the Eagle Pack Anchovy, Sardine & Salmon, which didn't really make a difference. A littermate sister was having the same problems and put her on Pro Plan Salmon and she is fine. I tried that for 1 bag and no difference. His stool was soft, not diarrhea. He's been dewormed periodically, was just neutered a month ago. I had x-rays and bloodwork done to see if anything at all going on inside, nothing. I have had him on California Natural for 2 months, (Herring & Sweet Potatoe), his stool is more firm at times, others not. I've even gone to feeding him once a day, in the morning,  which I've always despised, thinking he'd get it all out of him during the day, he's losing weight,  but this morning there was poop in his crate as usual. I have 8 dogs in my beautiful kennel which has radiant heating in the floor, ceiling fans...They are let out into a LARGE fence in area usually every 4 hrs, no more than 6. They are fed and let out at 5:30 in the morning and final turnout is usually 10-11 PM. All the others have no problem whatsoever. I want to feed him twice a day, to maintain his weight, is there another food I could try for less volume? I was told Salmon is the answer, I did read where someone said their dog went only twice a day, that would be nice, I wouldn't mind if he went during the day, but finding it in his cage in the morning is so frustrating, especially after feeding him 24 hrs earlier. I would appreciate any of your ideas. Please help! Thanx in advance for your thoughts.

[smiley733]

I do agree that this hounds needs Cesar type methods and dogs need exercise Disapline and affection,  We take our 7 dogs out everyday before we sit down and get comfortable and we live in Northern Canada so the weather changes from hour to hour.  The next thing you might wanna do is for this specific hound is have you ever looked at raw food ???  i know in Canada it is very popular as the positives outweigh the negatives as healthy dogs good food hmmm.  Research you area and see if there is a retailer that provides raw but first get the name of supplier and find their website to see what they put in their food and THIS IS IMPORTANT as not all dog food makers look out for the welfare of the hounds like their owners do or atleast should

[Jaybay]

Have you ever experienced diarrhea when you're anxious or nervous?  The same thing happens with dogs.  If all physical issues are ruled out, then you have to look at lifestyle and behavior.  While it sounds like you have a fabulous kennel arrangement, this particular dog may benefit from a different setting outside the kennel.  He may only need some real leadership in his life from you for this problem to settle down.  Perhaps taking him into your home and teaching him basic obedience and household rules along with daily walking with you behaving as his leader will help.  He needs to know for certain that you (and every other human in your home) are his Pack Leader.

I had the same trouble with our old dog Chica.  She was a regular poo machine, and the dog door was the only thing that saved my floors.  LOL!  It wasn't until late in her life that I took control of leadership to address her myriad behavior issues that I noticed her intestinal issues just melted away.  I use the techniques of Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer, and they are gentle and extremely effective.  I would be very skeptical that Chica's gut problems were related to her mental state until I saw the results.  It's worth a try anyway.  :-)

[ddeiman]

Having a dog with major intestinal issues I understand how trying this can be. First I'd get your vet to consult with a vet internist over the phone, that saves you the consult fee. Having been down this road I'd suggest doing a specific blood test for the pancreatic functions. Also ask you vet about sulfasalazine which is used as an anti inflammatory for the intestinal tract sometimes it can calm things down enough for the dog to get regular again bearing in mind that you have found the right food for him, easier said than done I know. Also sometimes my dog stays on the pill longterm which isn't harmful and sometimes they can be weaned off for a while. Another consideration is a low dose steroid to calm down the GI tract. My dog can't tolerate Pred or even methylpred so we get a compounded drug called Budesonide. Metronidazole (flagyl) is another pill that can be used longterm. Throw out these suggestions. Sometimes trying something like Prozyme (powder not capsules they don't absorb as easy) can help the dogs GI tract breakdown proteins and fats easier too. Keep in mind feeding smaller amount more frequently can help and make sure he gets plenty of water to help flush things through. Another thought is if your dog is a high anxiety stress dog that cna bring on colitis flare ups so mild sedative can help. Good luck!