I have a 6 almost 7 month old Alaskan malamute pup, since the day we brough him hom is has had an upset tummy.  He has been to the vets so many times I have lost count they have tested for a few things and now they are at their last resort of testing for an under active pancrius if this doesn't show anything then they want To send him to a specialist which as sad as I am, I won't be able to send him as the insurance company have now refused to pay out for him.

This weekend has been the worst for a while it's just like water he is very sad and quite and even though he is on steroids, antibiotics, immodium, and a powder which I need to mix in his food, we have tried different types of food and at the moment he is on chappie dry which seemed to be going ok until now.

I just don't no what else to do, any one had anything like this or any advice???????????

I have no answer, looks like the vets are struggling too, hope someone comes up with something for you.... but just wanted to say how sorry I am for you and the pup, how devastating if you can not afford the specialist.

Has the breeder come up with anything at all, is this the first pup to have this problem? From what you have said it looks like the problem was there at pick up time, as a breeder I honestly would not have allowed the pup to be homed until the problem was sorted or kept the pup altogether and in this case I think the breeder bares some brunt of the responsibility here, you should never have been given a pup with a problem like this.

What has the breeder said?

Thank u, but sadly I have contacted the breeder but with no joy I have had no response from them.  We do believe it is something from the parents as he also has an undershot jaw which we didn't pick up until he started growing.

Thank u again for your concern and fingers crossed they come up with something.

Has your vet tested for Giardia, or maybe blood tested for food allergies?

Some Mals can have quite sensitive digestive systems. If you want to email me I'm more than willing to offer suggestions to try and help overcome the problem.

Different breed but my sister had this with her Leonberger when she was a pup.  She constantly had a dodgy stomach - tried allsorts and the vet was concerned about her pancreas aswell.  On walks my sister had to take a squirty ketchup bottle filled with water to wash the pavement incase the pup went to the toilet as it was more water.  We changed her food over to raw (as that is what I and my mum feed our dogs) and she's never had a problem since. 

Have you tried raw feeding?  This can help a lot of digestive problems.

To be honest i'm completely lost on what they have tested for, i'm sure he has had a full blood count.  He has had an internal examination done and that everything look ok apart from his lymph nodes glad is larger than it should be that's why he is on steroids but nothing else is coming back.

We havent dont food allergies yet but I am keeping an eye on what he eats, he was on Royal Canin Sensitivity for a while but then after about 2 months he started going bad again so the vet suggested Chappie as its a very bland and low in everything diet which again he was doing really well on and now we are having problems.  He doesnt get anything apart from his food, all the treats we give him again is only his food as I cant risk him having anything else.

It's now been 4 days of pure waterey mess as awful as it sounds it's just like someone turning on a tape, the poor little thing he looks so sad :-(

Now we are waiting on the blood results for the underactive pancreas.

Not thought of a raw diet before, this may sound really stupid but what does that actually mean??  I have always had dogs and my mum has always feed ours on wet food, this is my first pup as I've moved out now I thought dry food would be better as you can buy in bulk and it last longer etc, plus I thought it would be good for there teeth.  I read that dry food is better regarding their toilet but at the moment that doesn't seem to be the case.

I didnt realise that mals had such senitive tums thats not something I every found when i was looking into the breed.

hank you that would be good if any one does have any advise as I am running out of options on what to do and as I'm having a major issue with the insurance company and the vet is saying they are runing out of ideas and it is now looking like he he have to go to a specialis which sadly i dont have £2500+ to pay for.

I am a little worried about changing anything just because of the problems I have had so far. 

have you tried a gluten free dog food?  gluten is a very common issue for a lot of dogs and causes terrible bad tum.
my last dog couldn't tolerate gluten at all- when she managed to steal a slice of bread she poured bloody faeces after.  I had her on a complete gluten free dry dog food and it solved problem entirely. used to use Welbeloved with her.  friends dog was also constantly up vet with bad tums- when he was put on diet that excluded gluten it was again sorted for good.
most dog foods- including ones supposedly for sensetive tums contain gluten and if you have a dog with an issue it can be well worth trying the gluten free.

Yes when we first brought him home he was on pedigree dry food I dont really like prdigree so i changed him over to James wellbeloved but didnt seem to do anything, he was also recently on James wellbeloved cracker jack treats which seemed to be ok for a whilte and now he cant have those either, but im not sure if it is those treats or just a coincidence as he has never been right.

The food he has tried so far is:
Predigree Chuim dry (when we brought him home)
James Wellbeloved puppy fish and riceFresh cooked chicken and boiled rice
Hills science plan chicken and rice
Royal canin sensitivity control blue whiting and tapioca
Chappies dry (currently on)

Rice rice rice seems consistently in his diet and was always an issue here too  and I had a happier dog when I removed it. I would agree with raw, meat or a completely cereal free diet, fish4dogs or pets at home fishmongers or james wellbeloved cereal free or whatever you can get locally but  just raw feeding could do it, also mixing some mashed cooked carrot or allbran in his food made a huge difference to someone elses pup I read about with similar issues who had gone through lots of testing too.  Changed to fish4dogs, added cooked mashed carrot and his stomach settled,,,so did the vets  bills and the worry!

I had exactly the same thing with a Malinois, pretty much the same age as well. Nothing worked, I tried every food under the sun, medication, vets visits etc. Eventually took the advice to feed him only raw meat and bones and since that day (over 2 years ago now, he was 6 months at the time) he has been absolutely fine. If he gets anything else he gets a stomach upset again, as long as it's just raw meat no problem. He's in sparkling condition.

I have to agree that a totally raw diet could be the way to go as I had the same result as Goldmali with a dog who was weak and thin. She was exercise intolerant and letting her run free produced immediate dark loose motions and a quickly exhausted dog. Blood tests done and were normal. Decided to try raw and as soon as she saw the raw lumps of tripe she turned from a picky feeder who had been a nightmare to feed into really enjoying her meals.She has a few lumps of beef and cooked chicken for variety and absolutely nothing else. Minced raw tripe doesn't fit the bill for her it has to be large lumps to enable her to chew off her own smaller pieces to eat.

Send me your email address and I'll put you in touch with someone who can help you out with the raw diet for Mals if you want to give that a go.

One of ours had a poorly tummy for ages so I eliminated the rice diets and used the fish & potato - Wafcol or fish4dogs with the salmon mousse or a vegetarian wet food as a topper - cleared  up the bad stomach and have had no problems since - I reasoned that since she had been picking the meat out of her chicken & rice (standard poorly tummy fare) that the rice was what she didn't want.

It is worth a try if you don't want to go down the RAW or BARF route

Good luck, it is so heartbreaking to see your puppy feeling so rotten

I'm another that's switched to raw since our pup arrived 2 weeks ago.  Our boy hasn't got a poorly tummy but his skin had broken out in a rash and in his ears too.  I switched him onto raw and his skin cleared right up within a matter of days.  Couldn't recommend it more.  And it's easier than you think if you don't stress too much about weighing and mixing meat/bone/organs.  I worried totally for ages about that but I just wing it and hope for the best.  I figure that whatever I do, it's got to be better than complete.  Just think of how a dog would eat in the wild and go with that.  Some days he gets meat/fat.  Next he gets meaty bone.  Another day he'll get organ meat and some leftover veg or fruit.  I just mix it up and he is thriving on it.  And his windy butt has got much better too!!

Hope you get something sorted soon. I really do feel for you. I've been feeding my five dogs raw food for 2 months now. Their ages are from 8 months to 9 years and they all love it. I must admit at first i was a bit squeamish when it came to dinner time but now it's all part of the course and it doesn't bother me in the least. The youngest of my dogs used to have really soft poo which was a nightmare to pick up, especially while out on a walk but now it's just......normal!!!   

rice is the high in bactria causing upset tummys keep away from it

TOTALLY agree with carrington. BREEDER bears some responsibility. Have you contacted this person more than once. I have come across several people over the years who have had serious health problems with dogs where the breeder does not want to know. A decent,caring and responsible breeder. would not ignore you as you have probably realised reading posts from breeders on this forum.
I feel so sorry for this poor pup and for you.
Another food you could try if you do not want to feed raw is Orijen. It is produced by a small family owned co., in Canada, suitable for all life stages. It is more expensive than most but the ingredients and quality are exceptional. I was able to change over to this food with a dog who also would produce unpickupable poo. He was ok from day 1 on this food. The other 1 they make is Acana. I feed raw now but always keep some dry. Met someone last night with a dog who cannot eat meat and is doing well on fish4 dogs and fishmongers.

Why has your insurance co; decided they wont pay out anymore?
I do hope you will soon get this sorted out in order for you and your dog can begin to enjoy your time together.

I am sorry to hear that you youngster is not so well.I am kind of guessing that your breeder is being as useful as a chocolate teapot!!!!
Barf may be the way to go.I have BARF fed my Mals for years and have had no issues.The only time I had a problem was when I carried on with Skinners when I bought my pups home.They had dreadful colitis and were only fine when gradually switched to barf.Since then i have barf fed my dogs  from pups.
Please take Jacquies help if you consider Barf, if pancreatis is an issue,you will need to adapt the diet.
It may be worth adding alittle probotic natural yogurt to the diet to help promote a healthier gut.Local honey would do no harm either.
Good luck Jude

Sadly the breeder isn't interested I did write to the but had no response, after searching the net for a puppy for my Fiancee's mum I found that they were advertising again this was 2 months after we got my little man, it makes me so angry.

It is now been 5 days of pure watery toilet and today has been the worst so far he isn't interested in his food and cried when I tri to leave him, I took him to my mums where he normal plays with her 2 bernese and he just laid there.  With great concern I called the vet who said some of his results were back and showing normal but we are waiting on a trl??? I think to come back, he has told me to starve him for 24hours to see if that helps and if he gets worse then to bring him in.  It's breaking my heart he is 7months old and I can't help him and I don't what's the best thing to do.

The insurance people are a pain the story behind that is I took out there free policy whilst I shopped around once that was up I had a phone call from them asking if I wanted to continue I explained they were to much money and that he hasn't been well and as it was continuing they wouldn't cover him plus he has an undershot jaw and I didn't think they would cover him for that either.  After about 15-20 minutes I was transferred to some one else to which I explained again the problem after a few more minutes he came back and yes they would cover him for both the problems I thought great so I paid the extra a month.  After many vet bills and expensive ones as well I put the claim forms in for them to reject them they made a mistake they wouldn't cover him.  After many phone calls they finally paid the vet bills but no won't cover him any further this was a good will gesture.

Thank u for all ur kind words and I will look into all the foods you have suggested, I will let u know what hos results are as well.  I will take jacquies offer to which I have sent my email address to her and hopefully this will have the ending I'm hoping for and my sad little man will be ok x

I have just had an e mail from my friend who has a Mal (from a reputable breeder) and he has had nothing but digestive/stomach issues. Started with food sensitivity,bloat and then a nasty incidence with a raw bone.Despite this he does thrive better on BARF.Unfortunately tonight he is back at the vets.

I had a friend whose dog suffered with similar.  They ended up giving him just fish and he's done really well on it.

my best wishes to you and your pup,i cant imagine how you must be feeling,hope we hear some good news soon.

Have you tried switching his food to raw yet or fishmongers from pets at home if theres a store in your town? He sounds too lethargic now to starve if he were mine when theres such a chance its the diet hes on thats causing him to be ill from so many similar responses and experiences. I would be straight to tescos chicken counter! Really hope we hear better news soon. Poor pup and you.

i knew a dog who had to live on fish/fish heads, they thrived very well until they were 15yrs.

Maybe try boiled potato and white fish until you get onto the raw/BARF diet.  Hope your pups gets better soon, I'm not surprized the poor little thing is miserable. xx

Thank you

I havent changed his diet at the moment as i was waiting on the results for the blood test before i do this, i did go to tescos last night and got some chicken to give him this evening.

I wasnt too sure on starving him to be honest as he is still very young but as he doesnt seem to be able to stop going to the loo and its not getting any better i though it might be best to try this for 24hrs just to see if it improves the watery poo, but sadly this hasnt worked either not even the immodium is working at the moment.

Good news is that this morning he seemed a little better in him self he had a little play and then slept, my mum is with him at the moment and i will be going hme shortly to check on him as well so I am hoping he is starting to feel better in him self throughout the day, if not then i am going to have to ring the vet and probably take him in.

The vet did say we could put him on another medicin but as it was for the pancreas and thats what we are waiting on it might better to wait for the results plus he is on so much at the moment i dont really want him taking anything else on top.

I did put him on fresh cooked chicken when i first had him but again it didnt do anything and i was slightly worried he might have an intolerance to that as well.  It does seem that what ever i try it doesnt work!!!

All i can do at the moment is wait for the vet to call with the results as i am worried if i change his diet now it will make him worse even though at the moment even giving him nothing isnt helping either.

maybe i might ry white fish instead of the chicken in case that is something that isnt agreeing with him

Yes fish could be a help, I know several who thrived on it who had problems on most other things. If the tests come back with no further clues and the medicines arent helping....it would be my next step before any more meds.

Yes worth a try chicken can give them the runs if they are sensitive at times.

Maybe look at all the meds he's on and start again.  Resting (starving) the stomoch 24hrs won't hurt.  you can gage if the will need something.  It won't hurt to try the potatoes and fish.  You could even put some yogurt in to help balance the gut.  Honey is also excellent to give either in the drinking water ot staight off the spoon. xx

The offer to try and help is still there if you'd like to contact me.

Hi Jacquie

Sorry i am fairly new to this site,  I did email you my email address the other day but maybe i didnt do it right would you be so kind in to tell me how to contact you?

Hi Annemarie,

Found it now. It was a PM you sent rather than an email. :-) (I don't always log-in when I visit the site and can only see PM's if I log in).
Will email you.

Morning

Just thought I would give you an update on my poorly pup.  Thankfully the really bad watery mess has seemed to have stopped for now and the other good news is that the results have come back all clear the bad thing is they still not sure what to do.

The next step before refering him to a specialist is to try different food as he does seem to think it is a food allergy, so he has now put him on hills z/d low allergen diet. We tried the Orijen food but that didnt agree him i also tried him on a fish and boiled potato and he was sick afterwards.

Starving him for 24hrs seemed to help and then feeding him just cooked chicken, now being on this new diet he still isnt 100% i do need to keep him on it for a while to see if there is any improvement but at the moment there is non.