# Diarrhea on and off?



## Manca (Nov 4, 2016)

My 5 months old pup gets diarrhea every now and then and I can't figure out why. About once per week, once or twice in a row and then his poop goes back to normal. If his poops are normal most of the time the kibble can't be the cause, can it?

He has his vacs done, is dewormed regullary, his weight is fine, appetite and energy level too.
We're trying to monitor his every move so he wouldn't eat anything suspicious on the walks or around house (because he is a vacuum cleaner on four paws...). 

He will also sometimes try to eat his own poop, is this still normal for 5 months old pup?

How long does it take for a puppy to get diarrhea after he's eaten something not ok for him? I'm trying to figure out when he ate something bad to figure out what it was.


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

What treats do you give him? (Brand names)

He would benefit from a high quality Digestive Enzyme (helps to assimilate food) & a ProBiotic (keeps the "good" bacteria in the gut). Since about 75% of the immune system lies in the gut (immune system helps fight allergens and MANY other things) it is *very* important to keep it healthy. 
Below are Human Ingredient Products made for dog's, purchased online:
*Sunday Sundae* (Digestive Enzyme & Pro-Biotic Combo: http://www.feedsentials.com/ 
*Gut Sense* (ProBiotic): http://dr-dobias-natural-healing-usa...ducts/gutsense 
*Digest All Plus:* (Digestive Enzyme/ProBiotic combo) Wholistic Digest All Plus? - Digestive Support - Canine
*Animal Essentials: **(Digestive Enzyme/ProBiotic combo)*Plant Enzyme w/ Probiotics 3.5 oz 100 gm - Animal Essentials



Moms


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## GypsyGhost (Dec 29, 2014)

Have you had your vet run a fecal to check for parasites? Giardia comes to mind. I would start there, personally. Ask for the ELISA test, as giardia is notoriously difficult to find on a regular fecal float.


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## Manca (Nov 4, 2016)

He has coccidia! 

The fecal test results came yesterday - also had the one for giardia done (thank you very much GypsyGhost), and they found coccidia, which is a non-worm like, single-celled parasite, just like giardia. They are both not affected by our regular deworming meds.

He got the medication yesterday and he has solid poop today already. Hopefully it stays this way.

He's also on pro- and prebiotics since Tuesday, it seems to help too.

Thanks everyone!


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

Good job catching that before it got bad -- coccidia can wreak havoc on them if left untreated for a while. In the rescue, I've seen it reduce pups to skin and bones, and bloody painful diarrhea -- one pup was literally crying in pain as she tried to poop out blood at the shelter on the day we pulled her. Luckily, Ponazuril works VERY well and isn't expensive -- though I have had to do a second round of it on some very sick dogs. 

Definitely keep on a probiotic for a while -- it takes a while to rebuild gut flora after that stuff blows through. My experience has consistently been that their GI tracts recover, but they need some supportive care even after treatment. Adding bovine colostrum to the probiotic seems to help a lot (BC is sold as a powder in any human health store or Whole Foods, in the human supplement aisle--it's not a pet product but rather a human-grade supplement; mix it with filtered water and your probiotic powder, and let the dog lap it up as a daily treat for a while).


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