I have a 10 year old bitch that I took in after a relative died.  She was ok for a few weeks but then developed very bad diarrhoea.  To cut a long story short, we have been backwards and forwards to the vets, had blood tests taken and changed her diet to RC sensitivity.  The only thing the blood tests showed was an increase in the bacteria in the gut.  She has been on antibiotics solidly for the past six weeks and most of the time she goes perfectly normally.  However, I wouldn't be surprised if, when the tablets run out, she goes backwards again.  Even if she picks up a crumb of something dropped on the floor she's a bit loose the next day and that's while on the antibiotics.  The vet has said that some dogs just have to live on the tablets but others grow out of the condition.  Also this could have been caused on the stress of her owners dying (both within six months).  Has anyone else come across a similar case?

Stress can certainly cause diarrhoea - trust me, I suffer that way myself! What do you feed her?

If she was mine, when she finishes her current course of A/Bs I'd feed her a very bland diet - horribly overboiled rice (½ pint dry rice to at least 2 pints of water, to simmer till all the liquid's absorbed) or mashed potato (no milk or butter), with boiled white fish or chicken. I'd also give live yoghurt and a probiotic capsule (from health food shops) to try to return the gut flora to normal. If this is tolerated, I'd start adding some tinned Chappie (easily digestible).

Of course I'd tell the vet exactly what I was doing!

Thanks for the advice.  She is being fed on the Royal Canin sensitivity diet (dry) which was recommended by the vet.  She's not that keen on it to be honest but that's all she gets.  We were feeding her boiled rice and chicken but even that went straight through her.  She's also had probiotics prescribed by the vet, as well as the antibiotics, to try to get the bacteria back to normal.  Still have a fortnight's supply of antibiotics left, then it's a case of wait and see. 

How about trying Burns - Venison and Brown rice is recommended for dogs with a sensitive stomach.  My boy is very sensitive, but since he's been on Burns he's been fine. So long as you make the change very very gradually - over a couple of weeks, you might find she's fine. They will send you free samples if you either e-mail or phone them.

Just wondering, how much live yogurt should you give? and should you give it with every meal.

I ask because my 9 month old springer suffers a little dire rear now and again, and I thought some live yogurt may help.

p.s JG after reading the first line of your post I'm busy revising my mental image of you :O

My last Rottweiler suffered from a severe bout of this at about 6 years old and actually went 8 days (on vets advice) without food because the slightest little piece of food would set her back terribly, she had just water with some powder that contained salts and minerals etc.,  then commenced with two spoonfuls of boiled rice and a little chicken or fish three times a day....when she got back to normal our vet advised feeding Febo Professional and we very very rarely had any further problems, if we did the vet advised Chappie (chicken and rice flavour always seemed popular with mine) and she lived to a ripe old age of 14.1/2

Thanks encouraging, Boudie.  We will soon have to make another trip to the vet as her antibiotics will soon run out.  Don't really want her to have to live on the things if there's another solution.  I'm hoping that now she's more settled and not so stressed things might improve anyway.