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Loose stool problem

We have a 7 year old Havanese and have long struggled with her having bouts of loose stool or diarrhea. We have tried a food elimination diet that didn't yield anything conclusive and we give her pepto bismol sometimes for gas. We have also tried some meds given by the vet, but nothing has worked real well. She seems to have a sensitive stomach and a sensitive nature about her. There will be periods when she will have good stools but then soon will have a problem again. Are there any homeopathic remedies or other treatment approaches that you could recommend? Does it make sense to have her tested for food allergies? It almost seems like irritable bowel syndrome. Any help you can give is appreciated. Thank you.
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My dog has struggled with bouts of diarrhea since I adopted him over 2 years ago.  After many months of diet changes, parasite testing, and many trips to the vet, he was finally diagnosed with a pancreatic enzyme deficiency and IBS.  He is now on Prednisone and another medication Tylan, which is actually used in cows for bacterial problems.  Between the two meds, his diarrhea is now under control.  Has your vet tested your dog for giardia and/or other parasites ?  There are some that can cause diarrhea, and dogs can get IBS.  I wish you the best with your pet.  One other thing that has helped Riggs... I cook him ground turkey or chicken with rice, he get no commercial dog food.  Adding Tums to the food also helps soothe their stomach.  Stress was and is still a factor with Riggs,
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274158 tn?1276347187
I have always wondered if dogs can get IBS??? Let me know if you come up with anything on that. When you switch foods, do you do it over a period of time?? Kind of a lame question, you probably do...Whenever I take my dog to the kennel, she'll come home with loose stool too. One time it had blood in it. The vet told me it is stress related. When they get stressed, certain bacteria take over. I have to give her Flagyl antibiotics while she stays at the kennel. So stress could very well be a factor too.
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Avatar universal
Thanks for your comments and suggestions. We feed our dog Hills Prescription Diet z/d ultra allergen free or Natural Balance limited ingredients diet. We haven't asked the ask a vet yet but will try to soon. Since we have tried different diets but still get these bouts of loose stools, we wonder if it is related to something else like stress or who knows. Maybe we will give the two brands you use a try.
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274158 tn?1276347187
What kind of food do you feed her? Have you asked the vet on the "ask a vet" forum? One of my dogs has a very sensitive GI tract and the only food that we can give her is California Natural or Diamond brand dog food. There isn't a lot of stuff in it-it's pretty easy on her tummy. She can't even have a small piece of meat and barely any cookies or she will get loose stools. But she is also 6 yrs old and it seems like the older they get, the less their tummies can handle.
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