Hi this is my first post but wondered if anyone could help??
We have a 5 month old black lab who has had loose stools since we got him 2 months ago. At first I put it down to change in diet [we switched from Skinners to Royal Canin Puppy for large breeds (slowly)]. When it didn't improve and went downhill to proper diarrhea we took him to the vets and he was put on science plan chicken and rice and slowly weened back to his normal food. This had no effect and his poop was still pudding texture.
After another couple of weeks we had his poop tested and were given antibiotics and recommended to switch to a hypo-alergenic puppy food [he is now on James Well Beloved]
However he still has loose stools.
I've tried adding canned pumpkin - no difference, psyllium powder - no difference
Yesterday I switched him to boiled rice and turkey  [as it is the holidays I have plenty of this left rather than boiling chicken] - as he had another bad bout of diarrhea. Still no improvement.
Should I be asking the vet to do another stool sample or asking for a treatment?
I'm sure it is not normal for puppy poop to never have any form [tissue required to 'wipe it up' rather than pick it up]. Apart from the poop he is growing well and is a fun loving active dog.

Hi

I have a dog exactly like this (Malinois), he was much the same age as well. We found the ONLY thing that works for him is raw meat and bones only, nothing else. Then he's fine. I tried pretty much every dog food on the market, especially those meant for delicate digestion, but it didn't work at all. (Also of course he saw the vet, was wormed etc etc.) His littermates have no problems at all. My dog is now 15 months and has been on the raw diet for about 10 months and he's looking great. I'm sure in his case he cannot tolerate rice as that made him much worse.

Oh gosh and I've just switched him to rice and turkey as a bland white diet!
I feel so sorry for the little guy - he looks up at us when we put his turkey/rice down as if to say 'what's this???'
I think I will have to take him to the vet again to do another stool sample ... perhaps food intolerance tests .....??
I have heard that Giardia is hard to trace - could it be this?

You need to go back to the vet and have a full faecal examination, including worm count, and tested for giardia (3 faecal samples will be needed for this test),  it could possibly be this as it is a protozoa and can be difficult to find.  However panacur and also metronidazole will eliminate it.   Sometimes it takes a number of treatments especially if your puppy is a scavenger, and when out walking drinks from pond water etc., or eats his own faeces.

It could also be any one of a number of conditions including camplyobacter, you need to keep pestering your vet until the cause is found.

I agree with Dogsdinner - go back to the vet and request a three day faecal sample. Some bugs are shed at various intervals so a one off sample can miss certain bugs that will cause these problems. I would be wanting to rule out Giardia and campylobacter before messing about with his diet further.

K

I have to concur with the rice here too.
My boy can have a 'sensitive' bowel and rice is not best for him either.

Karen :)