I have a 7 month old Golden Retriever, he has had campylobacter on and off since he was 7 weeks.  Vet has done 2 stool samples, both came back positive, both treated with difference antibiotics.  Just before xmas it was back again and Vet deicided to treat with probiotics, not antibiotics, to try and increase his good bacteria.  He has been fine until today and it has started again.  Normally he his fed Burns, but when this happens he goes onto Hills ID.  Anyone any experience of this, any help appreciated.

I had bred a pup that caught campylobacter after a month in his new home. He was treated for 3 (i think it was 3 weeks) weeks with a low dose of panacur liquid daily. I would enquire with your vet about this regime as I was led to believe that this was the only way to get rid of the campylobacter and other protazoas. Good luck with your goldie and I hope this is soon sorted.

Panacur is great for protazoas like Giardia.  The only treatment for campylobacter is the same antibiotics that are given to humans.  Makes no difference, canine or human, we both get the same meds!

sorry, should have entered the name of drug it's erythromycin.

In the kennels at work we currently have Campylobacter. We had a young puppy test positive. Unfortunately the puppy passed away but the bug he had been tested for was only sensitive to the Erythromycin. Not a nice illness..hope your guy gets rid soon...

After 1st sample was put on Erythromycin but it did not clear.  Next sample showed it was a different strain and Eryth. would not clear it, put on Noroclav, but obviously this hasn't worked either.  Now using Dorwest TreeBarks Powders when he is loose, does seem to firm him up, but I am concerned the bug is still in his gut. ALso using the Probiotics.  Thinking about changing dis diet to Chappie, but don't want to make things worse changing his food.

I have used Chappie with marvellous results for calming down the digestive system.  I certainly think it's worth you giving it a try, even if you introduce it gradually.  You've got nothing to lose, so give it a chance!  :-)

Spoke to Vet again today - he thinks he has Colitis - so we agreed to put him on Chappie. As he is used to dried foodI am going for the dried, so I hope there is no difference between the tinned and dried.  It is like a living nightmare!  I just hope this will work for the poor little chap.  Thanks for advice, will introduce very gradually.

I have a 22 month old border collie, Brock, who has had compylabacter (we think) since he was 15 weeks old. He is clear for 7-8 weeks then he has explosive diarrhoea. This outbreak has been the worst as it started at the beginning of October and he has had it on and off until 3 weeks agao. He has had 34 days of Baytril antibiotic and has been on Hills ID since before Christmas. He is slowly putting on weight but is still painfully thin. He currently weighs 16.6 kg (for height should be between 20-22)but is full of energy, ready for anything and seemingly happy. He continues to enjoy his working trials training and his coat is glossy and thick. Thankfully he's long coated so we don't get too many comments! We are currently taking feacal samples to see if he is now clear. I suspect that he might also have SIBO (small intestine bacteria overgrowth) which is notoriously difficult to isolate in testing. There seem to be a lot of dogs having the same problem, wonder why? He was fed on Burns chicken and rice and whilst clear of diarrhoea was fine on it...firm stools etc.

Sorry to hear about your problems with Brock - I know how you must be feeling, it nearly drives you mad.  You just get them right and wham its back.
Floyd is now on the ID and today I have started to introduce Chappie (everyone keeps telling me it's the best thing for dogs with sensitive tums).  I am using the tinned though not the dried (even though I was going to use dried, a friend of my sister's has her dog on the tinned because of the same problems and her Vet was adamant not to use dried).  So today with his ID he has had a tablespoon of the Chappie so we will see what happens.  Like Brock, Floyd is fine on the Burns Chicken and Rice - firm motions, but we have no idea what brings on the upset.  I agree with you up and down the country there are a lot of dogs with tummy troubles.  My sister lives up north near Newcastle and we have friends in Plymouth we live in the Midlands so it seems to be everywhere.
Best of luck with Brock hope he continues to gain weight.

Thank you for your reply. We live in Whitley Bay, have parents in the Midlands and regaularly travel to Brittany from Plymouth.....is Brock the common factor!!
I always thought that Chappie was the cheapest, nastiest dog food but hearing all this changes my views, wonder why it works? What breed is Floyd, not that there seems to be any pattern. We also have Brock on Lomotil (designed to stop the bowel working so quickly) one with each meal. The last two days we thought we'd turned the corner but have just taken him out and we're back to very soft motion and lots of it. There doesn't seem to be any reason for it. Brock was also put on Pancrex for a while as it was thought he had endocrine panreatic insufficiency as his count was on the low side. This is supposed to put the weight back on really quickly...er no...didn't with Brock so we and the vet conclude he doesn't have EPI. Let me know how Floyd does on the Chappie and I'll give it a go.

Like you we were horrified when Chappie was mentioned, but we are giving it a go.  Floyd is a Golden Retriever, but you are right there is no pattern with a particular breed.  My sisters friends dog is a Dalmation.

As you say you think they are  on the mend and next time out he does dollops.

Will keep you informed on the progress with the Chappie.

Ditto Chappie the vet says its the closest to the persription diet they issue at about £4 a tin.

Slightly off subject our dog gave campylobacter to my brother!!! He lost over a stone.

We have both been checked by our Doctor - so no chance of any weight loss!  Our only other concern is our other dog may be a carrier, he is 5 years old and never had this or showed any signs. So we're fingers crossed with the cheap and cheerful Chappie.

Started Floyd on his Chappie (very small amounts) after a few days he did seem to be firming up, then the next day back loose.  He is also scratching and chewing now which he wasn't before and has very bad flatulence, have decreased the Chappie for now, anyone know if the Chappie can be affecting him in this way.

Hi biffydog

Chappie was long recommended by vets as a recovery diet post op or after tummy bugs initially treated with fasting and steamed chiken/rice type home meals.  Effective though it can be for many dogs, it is not comparable to prescription tinned foods which are predominantly only chicken and rice - look at the price difference.  While margins are obviously greater for certain foods than others and in themselves don't guarantee best quality, largely we get what we pay for.

Tinned Chappie contains mainly undisclosed ingredients - I'm not knocking it, I've used it and will probably do again on the basis that it's easily available (i.e. corner shop/supermarket) post sickness type food - but it's not the answer for every dog by any means.

It is easily digestible for most otherwise healthy dogs and low in fat - often another plus for post op or certain digestive disorders.  That's the good part.   Now IMO the bad part - it contains fish and fish derivatives (min 4%) cereal and cereal derivatives (min 4%) and chicken derivatives (4%) with a few added vitamins and minerals.

IMO a dog with undetermined, even partially so, GI problems shouldn't be on a diet of 'multi derivatives' but one where the exact ingredients are known so that should the dog have a sensitivity or intolerance problem, it is easy to identify what the problem ingredient(s) may be and remove same from the regular diet.

Were this my dog I'd either be preparing food at home, (one protein and one bulking agent only) or if more practical using a moist complete product such as Natures Harvest or Nature Diet Sensitive - *only one variety* to begin with to establish what suits your dog.  A moist complete in those ranges typically has 60-70% meat, poultry or fish with the rest made up of rice, vegetables and vits/mins.   All considerably higher values than Chappie.

(Any moist food whether prescription, NH/ND/NM,  chappie or other similarly common tinned foods is made of approx 70% moisture it's the ratio of meat % to other ingredients which IMO matters most and the limited number of identified ingredients also)

HTH, regards Teri

Thanks for advice Teri. Will certainly look into Natures Harvest. At moment he is back on Hills ID and I am using the Dorwest Tree Barks powder (which seems to help).

You're welcome biffydog :) 
Tree Bark is very good at helping soothe inflamed guts - I always have some at home for the dogs just in case of prolonged tummy troubles.

Please update on progress when you can.
best wishes meantime,
Teri

Hi Teri,
Report back from last faeces sample - all clear on campylobacter, selmonella and e.coli.  Seems our Floyd has a sensitive gut.  Vet wants me to change him to Hills ZD diet, but last few days on Id and adding some of his Burns he has been fine again. Giving him his tree barks though. Thanks for your interest.

Hi Biffydog.
looks like your Floyd and my Safi have had the same problem. Safi had Campylabocter back in Nov. She's now clear but is poss. a carrier of it now.
She is on a diet of Hills z/d Ultra and I am now mixing some Wafcol Salmon & potato with it and she is doing very well. i have also stocked up on the d/d tins as there is a good variety of them. I am going to keep her on the foods for sensitive dogs like Royal Canin Sensitive which is Blue Whiting & tapioca.
with Safi its anxiety that is now causing her loosness but I now also give her Zylkene, one a day just to help calm her insides down, doesn't effect her at all. Still the same bouncy dog but she is tons better with her tum now.
can't use tree bark as it makes her lips swell.

ive just got back from vets and he thinks our ESS as campylobacter :( shes 4 and never had any problems before ...we have to wait and see now till the poo sample test comes back ....our GSD is in whelp so keeping all other dogs way from her at the mo :( and she is soooo depressed being on her own (ESS)..:( ive been given.. baytril tabs
                                                                                                                                                                                                          cerenia tabs
                                                                                                                                                                                                          protexin pro kolin

is this normal treatment till we find out ....ive offerd her some id food that i already had in and she still dont want it , but i think this is more lightly because shes on here own :(
im praying its just a bug shes got ...i feel so sad for her ...she as been runing around and wanting to play ? do thay still be like this with campyobacer? .

thanks joanne x

Baytril is an antibiotic, Cerenia helps prevent vomiting and pro-texin is a probiotic supplement to ease her gut. A good interim treatment for her symptoms.

what are the systems with campylobacter, you got me worried now because our ppom/chi has had explosive tummy on and off this week I keep think she's better and then her poo's are sft agin. msaybe a trip to the vet after all. Have been giving her pro-texin

sorry that shoul have read symptoms (dyslexic fingers again lol)

Floyd still wanted to run around with this he always had plenty of energy.  Just his motions were not right.  Sometime ok to start with then an explosion, and usually had us up at night for 2/3 nights then he would go through night for a while, then he would be okay during the day (normal dumps) and without warning it started all over again.  I pray your pooch has not got it, it seems quite difficult to clear.  Our other Golden did not contract it.

hi biffydog thanku ....

shes never had problems before and im praying its not this too ......its so worrying as ive got 4 dogs ,the thing is 3 of the dogs came down with runs ....1 got runs and sickness...
1 got runs .....1 got sickness and soft poo but not water poo like the others ...and della (in whelp) asnt had any of this ...

the other 2 are fine now no sickness or the runs .....so im just praying this is a bug and its just taking longer for our ESS to recover :( .... ive just offerd her food again and she not eat it ( she eats with the others normaly) so by the time we know if it is or not she will be like a rake ...i could cry for her shes soooo down bless her x

Dear Biffy dog
Thank you for the Chappie advice ebven though it didn't work for Floyd...
Celebrations!!! Brock is now having solid stools...the first since October 1st...faeces sample is all clear, still on Lomotil twice a day ....and Chappie....half and half with ID or Burns chicken and rice...BUT vet still not happy as no real weight gain (still only 16.4kg and looks like a 9 month old puppy apart from the large head and paws...if he ever puts on the right amount of weight he'll be a big dog) so Brock is being referred to Edinburgh Vet Hospital. I'm just relieved that there is no diarrhoea (finally learned to spell that word but then I've had a lot of practice!). He's also having cereal bones as treats - no additives, meat, fat etc but plenty of cereal. Long may it continue....why are so many dogs having the same problem?
Hope Floyd is recovering...I don't think the ID diet has that much effect for these dogs...our vet said that he had discussed the problem with the colleagues in the practice and several vets in the area and no one has a solution hence the referral..thank goodness he's insured....might even consider cooking food for Brock if I can get the percentages right but that does make it difficult when travelling.
Good Luck

Hi Cheryl,
Glad to hear the news on Brock having better motions.  Keep in touch when you have been to Edinburgh, like to know how you get on.  Forunately Floyd is not underweight, but I am keeping him on Dorwest Tree Barks Powder for now as I think it keeps the food from going through him too quick and he is getting enough nutrients this way.  Love to know what the cereal bones are though, as yet I have not found any suitable for him only the Nylabones.  Presently he is on ID and I am slowly introducing Burns Duck and Rice.  If I have no luck with this I think I will move away from the Rice and try a Maize or Potato based diet, in case rice is the problem.  I did try cooking his food very early on but I could not get him firm, hence going on to ID.  Wishing you lots of luck when your appointment comes through.

Have left the appointment with Edinburgh on hold as Brock currently ok and weight is up a little. Feeding him half daily rate Burns chicken and rice and half daily rate chappie. He's full of energy and competed in his first working trial last Saturday. Treats are Chewdles Treat 'n' Train made by Fold Hill Foods, www.foldhill.com, I get them from my local pet shop...no ill effects so far. Hope Floyd is improving.

Glad to hear that Brock is currently ok and gradually putting on weight.  Feeding Floyd all Burns Duck and Rice now plus his Dorwest Tree Barks Powders, touching wood he is okay, but you never know when it's going to come back (neurotic mum!) Thanks for info on Chewdles I will try and get him some.
Have you tried Brock on the Tree Barks?

What are Dorwest Tree Barks? We're off to France soon for 4 weeks and am currently looking at taking 18 large tins of Chappie...but think of the wine I can bring back! Am trying to up the amount of food he is getting in the hope of putting some weight on him. Still only 16.3kg. Was out training for working trials today and I think he ate his weight in sheep poo...I'm sure he thinks it's wonderful but his breath is not pleasant!

Tree Barks Powder is good for dogs with poor digestion and helps slow down the passage of the food.  Web site for Dorwest Herbs is www.dorwest.com. I give Floyd some with every meal. Plus I also give him garlic and fenugreek tablets.  He is weighing 31kg now.  I have found Dorwest very helpful, so you can always ring and speak to one of their advisors.  You can keep them on the Tree Barks indefinitely.  It may be worth a try.  We also have to watch Floyd with sheep/horses poo, can't think of eating anything worse!  Enjoy your holiday.

Thanks for the info will give it a go.