# Bloody Poop



## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Peggy's had only one noteworthy gastrointestinal illness since we brought her home over a year ago, and has had no accidents in her crate. But last night I heard her being a little restless and ignored my gut feeling. _Never ignore your gut feeling!!_ I should have let her out. Instead I decided not to disturb her and went to bed.

This morning my husband woke to a big, mostly solid poop in the crate, and a miserable poodle tucked as far away from it as possible. He tethered her on the front porch while he bathed her, during which she had terrible diarrhea. She must have been _so_ stressed, unable to get to the grass. My heart hurts thinking about it.

I woke up in the middle of all this and immediately took her to the backyard, where she had two more episodes of diarrhea in the span of an hour, both of which were red with blood. She continued to leak a little blood for a few minutes after.

My last dog had regular diarrhea, sometimes bloody. She had sooo many food intolerances, it just became a part of life. But this is new for Peggy.

She did get into the garbage for the first time a couple of days ago, and swallowed a _big_ hunk of gelatinous pot roast fat. I was shocked it didn't make her ill at the time and still suspect this might have been the culprit.

Does your poodle ever bleed after a severe gastro episode?

She was full of energy once she got the poops out, wanting to play and be silly. She's eaten some chicken and held it in just fine. Now she's huddled up against me, occasionally trembling, likely cold from all the outdoor bathing, and exhausted because she missed her morning nap. Oh poodle. 

I hope Poppy is doing well, @fjm. I immediately thought of her this morning. I think Peggy's nights sleeping apart from us may be coming to an end.


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## EVpoodle (Sep 25, 2018)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Peggy's had only one noteworthy gastrointestinal illness since we brought her home over a year ago, and has had no accidents in her crate. But last night I heard her being a little restless and ignored my gut feeling. _Never ignore your gut feeling!!_ I should have let her out. Instead I decided not to disturb her and went to bed.
> 
> This morning my husband woke to a big, mostly solid poop in the crate, and a miserable poodle tucked as far away from it as possible. He tethered her on the front porch while he bathed her, during which she had terrible diarrhea. She must have been _so_ stressed, unable to get to the grass. My heart hurts thinking about it.
> 
> ...


Poor Peggy. I hope she gets better soon. 

Evie does bleed some having a gastro episode.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Aww, poor Peggy. Pogo would sometimes have blood in his poop during bouts of gastric distress. In his younger years he would recover pretty quickly if I took him off kibble for a couple days and fed him a slurry of cooked rice and lean ground meat.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Poor Peggy ! Yes, Beckie sometimes has bloody stools when she's having gastric problems. Do you have gastro food you can put her on for a while ?


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

I know those nights of bloody mucus diarrhea. Babykins has ulcerative colitis. Poor Peggy. Don’t feel guilty, just pay attention in the future to those clues so she can potty appropriately. She’s such a good girl. 

I figured out what Babykins was allergic to and intolerant of and changed her diet. I’m very strict with her diet. When we’re in a training club I’m always scouring the floor for treats dropped by other trainers. We haven’t had any episodes in a long time.

I do think it might have been the fatty pot roast garbage. I was visiting my daughter and went to her trainer who swore by Costco Kirkland meatballs for training. Those meatballs were magic during training, but Babykins had the worst diarrhea from the fat and spices. That was my lesson, stick to safe food.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

On a quick internet search, there is the possibility (probability in fact) of a condition known as stress colitis and also the ever popular, dietary indiscretion. Both can be a cause of blood in stool. 

I'm voting for a one off situation .


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## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

Hope Peggy it isn't a problem - Agree old fatty roast might be the culprit. Thoughts and prayers to Peg and family.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

You know me - I would check with the vet just in case! If there is a chance of pancreatitis better safe than sorry. I now always have cans of Royal Canin sensitivity in the cupboard, having found it even better than chicken and rice for recovering from dietary indiscretions and other upsets.

I hardly dare say how much better Poppy has been for fear of jinxing it. After considerable trial and error she gets 1/4 metrobactin (metronidazole) every 60 hours and 1/3-1/2 sachet Protexin Pro-kolin powder every day, along with 4 small meals a day of Royal Canin hepatic canned and chicken breast. So far we have had 30 days of OK to excellent poos... Best of all she shows no signs of tummy ache, and is bright and bouncy.

Hope Peggy feels better soon - there is a lot to be said for having them close enough to wake you in an emergency.


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

I'm so sorry she isn't feeling well! Wishing Peggy a swift recovery.


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## Mufar42 (Jan 1, 2017)

Poor Peggy, she sure does seem to have her fair share of problems. I hope she recovers quickly.


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## Mr.Ziggy (Jul 14, 2020)

It sounds like you have already dealt with a lot of GI issues, so you are probably familiar with the bland chicken and rice diet that can help an upset stomach. When Ziggy was having bad diarrhea that lasted over a month, the vet reassured me that blood is common with dog diarrhea and isn't as scary as it looks. It's always good to call the vet just in case, but I found that reassuring because the blood can be quite scary. 
We ended up getting lots of tests over the month and trying a few variations of the bland diet. His diarrhea finally went away when I switched him to a salmon kibble (I guess he has a chicken intolerance?) 

I am so sorry to hear about Peggy. The diarrhea and blood is so scary when you don't know what is causing it.


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## Spottytoes (Jul 28, 2020)

I really feel for Peggy and for you guys. 😔 Our Great Dane Moose had so many gut issues his whole life. It’s just no fun for anyone, dog and human. 
Hope she’s starting to feel better.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Mufar42 said:


> Poor Peggy, she sure does seem to have her fair share of problems. I hope she recovers quickly.


I think I'm just more likely to share about them. She's fine today.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Spottytoes said:


> I really feel for Peggy and for you guys. 😔 Our Great Dane Moose had so many gut issues his whole life. It’s just no fun for anyone, dog and human.
> Hope she’s starting to feel better.


I really hope she's not going to be like that.  You do what you have to do, but like with Moose, it definitely wasn't easy with Gracie. Unlike the food-related issues, which were manageable, her tendency to get nervous diarrhea led to some very embarrassing moments.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Mr.Ziggy said:


> It sounds like you have already dealt with a lot of GI issues, so you are probably familiar with the bland chicken and rice diet that can help an upset stomach. When Ziggy was having bad diarrhea that lasted over a month, the vet reassured me that blood is common with dog diarrhea and isn't as scary as it looks. It's always good to call the vet just in case, but I found that reassuring because the blood can be quite scary.
> We ended up getting lots of tests over the month and trying a few variations of the bland diet. His diarrhea finally went away when I switched him to a salmon kibble (I guess he has a chicken intolerance?)
> 
> I am so sorry to hear about Peggy. The diarrhea and blood is so scary when you don't know what is causing it.


I rushed Gracie to the emergency vet the first time it happened. I was a wreck. Luckily, I met a very nice woman in the waiting room, who listened patiently to what was going on and then told me, rather bluntly, to go home. Lol. I'm so glad she did, because it turned out Gracie just couldn't handle the rich liver treats I'd been giving her. That kind stranger saved me at least $500, and also spared Gracie the trauma of all that poking and prodding.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Raindrops said:


> I'm so sorry she isn't feeling well! Wishing Peggy a swift recovery.


She's back to 100% and very, very hungry. She thinks it was extremely rude of me to limit her meals yesterday.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

fjm said:


> You know me - I would check with the vet just in case! If there is a chance of pancreatitis better safe than sorry. I now always have cans of Royal Canin sensitivity in the cupboard, having found it even better than chicken and rice for recovering from dietary indiscretions and other upsets.
> 
> I hardly dare say how much better Poppy has been for fear of jinxing it. After considerable trial and error she gets 1/4 metrobactin (metronidazole) every 60 hours and 1/3-1/2 sachet Protexin Pro-kolin powder every day, along with 4 small meals a day of Royal Canin hepatic canned and chicken breast. So far we have had 30 days of OK to excellent poos... Best of all she shows no signs of tummy ache, and is bright and bouncy.
> 
> Hope Peggy feels better soon - there is a lot to be said for having them close enough to wake you in an emergency.


Since she had no other symptoms, and the diarrhea didn't continue, I didn't take her. I think covid procedures have made me much more conservative with vet visits. They're so stressful for everyone.  

I'm so happy to hear that Poppy has settled into a routine and is feeling good. Doesn't get much better than bright and bouncy! Yay Poppy! Is she walking better, too? Able to keep up with Miss Sophy?


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Asta's Mom said:


> Hope Peggy it isn't a problem - Agree old fatty roast might be the culprit. Thoughts and prayers to Peg and family.


It was a tremendous amount of fat. Eek. And since she'd never had her head in the garbage before, I didn't think twice about plopping it in there. I was prepared for an explosion that night, and when it didn't happen, I assumed we were in the clear. Oops.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Rose n Poos said:


> On a quick internet search, there is the possibility (probability in fact) of a condition known as stress colitis and also the ever popular, dietary indiscretion. Both can be a cause of blood in stool.
> 
> I'm voting for a one off situation .


I'm also leaning towards the one-off and remain hopeful that I've been blessed with a poodle with better-than-average digestive capabilities!


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Skylar said:


> I know those nights of bloody mucus diarrhea. Babykins has ulcerative colitis. Poor Peggy. Don’t feel guilty, just pay attention in the future to those clues so she can potty appropriately. She’s such a good girl.
> 
> I figured out what Babykins was allergic to and intolerant of and changed her diet. I’m very strict with her diet. When we’re in a training club I’m always scouring the floor for treats dropped by other trainers. We haven’t had any episodes in a long time.
> 
> I do think it might have been the fatty pot roast garbage. I was visiting my daughter and went to her trainer who swore by Costco Kirkland meatballs for training. Those meatballs were magic during training, but Babykins had the worst diarrhea from the fat and spices. That was my lesson, stick to safe food.


Poor Babykins. What a horrible experience after something that was probably so tasty! 

My mom swears by turkey meatballs (possibly also from Costco) but I don't trust the ingredients. Anything that just says "spices" worries me, as I assume there's onion in there. Although Peggy did enjoy some pretty disgusting training treats during puppy class with no issue. (Yes, there was once even processed cheese in a can! Still makes me cringe.)

The pot roast fat was probably the equivalent of a stick of butter, which is rather horrifying to think about. And it wasn't even a good pot roast! Lol.

I think the stress of desperately having to poop and not being able to get out of her crate was probably also a factor. Peggy's housetraining was easier than I ever thought possible. She doesn't even like pooping near the house and will retreat to the furthest edges of the yard. That was definitely a traumatic night for her. Thankfully, she didn't hesitate to go into her crate last night. I thought there might be some pushback.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Dechi said:


> Poor Peggy ! Yes, Beckie sometimes has bloody stools when she's having gastric problems. Do you have gastro food you can put her on for a while ?


I've never tried any special foods. Is there one that you and the dogs like best?

She didn't have any issue after her canned chicken yesterday, so we put kibble down in the evening and crossed our fingers. She ate that, too, and seemed fine. But she's not pooped since yesterday morning. That'll be the true test.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

cowpony said:


> Aww, poor Peggy. Pogo would sometimes have blood in his poop during bouts of gastric distress. In his younger years he would recover pretty quickly if I took him off kibble for a couple days and fed him a slurry of cooked rice and lean ground meat.


Peggy picked the meat from the rice the last time I tried this. I've never seen a dog turn their nose up at rice! 

She loves bread, but I imagine it's not great for dogs.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

EVpoodle said:


> Poor Peggy. I hope she gets better soon.
> 
> Evie does bleed some having a gastro episode.


Thank you.  She bounced back quickly.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Peggy picked the meat from the rice the last time I tried this. I've never seen a dog turn their nose up at rice!
> 
> She loves bread, but I imagine it's not great for dogs.


Ha, yes, Pogo used to ignore the rice too. I had to be careful about the proportions. Usually I added 1/4 cup uncooked rice to a pound of lean ground meat and a few cups of water, allowing it to simmer all together into a slurry. He was usually willing to eat the rice once it had absorbed tasty meat juices. Using ground meat made it harder for him to pick out the extra tasty bits.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

PeggyTheParti said:


> I've never tried any special foods. Is there one that you and the dogs like best?


I use the one from the vet, I think it’s Royal canin but not sure. Both Merlin and Beckie like it and they make it canned as well so it’s even better. I can check the brand if you’re interested.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I use the Royal Canin - it is expensive, but worth it for the almost instant improvement: Sensitivity Control Can Wet - Royal Canin (Don't know why it's coming up with the Australian website!)

Both dogs like it, and it really does seem to help.


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## stealthq (Aug 4, 2011)

This is probably a useless recommendation - dietary issues are so individual - but Kohl has IBD and it turns out Orijen's Six Fish is perfect for him. If he eats that he's golden. Other foods and it's diarrhea that won't stop without a course of steroids.

As it happens, Kohl is also picky about what he eats. He'll won't eat anything that isn't primarily meat and/or fish. Or a Greenie. Greenies are special for some reason. There is no way he'd eat rice. 

This comes in handy when people give Kohl a treat despite me telling them not to, they'll make him sick. Inevitably, he takes the treat, rolls it around his mouth for a couple of seconds analyzing the taste, then leans down and spits it out at their feet with an audible _PTOO_. They're visibly offended. I'm visibly amused.


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## Mufar42 (Jan 1, 2017)

PeggyTheParti said:


> I think I'm just more likely to share about them. She's fine today.


I'm very glad to hear it wasn't anything serious and that Peggy recovered quickly.


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

Thank you for posting about this, it's a good to learn through shared experiences. Glad to hear Peggy's back to 💯%.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

stealthq said:


> This is probably a useless recommendation - dietary issues are so individual - but Kohl has IBD and it turns out Orijen's Six Fish is perfect for him. If he eats that he's golden. Other foods and it's diarrhea that won't stop without a course of steroids.
> 
> As it happens, Kohl is also picky about what he eats. He'll won't eat anything that isn't primarily meat and/or fish. Or a Greenie. Greenies are special for some reason. There is no way he'd eat rice.
> 
> This comes in handy when people give Kohl a treat despite me telling them not to, they'll make him sick. Inevitably, he takes the treat, rolls it around his mouth for a couple of seconds analyzing the taste, then leans down and spits it out at their feet with an audible _PTOO_. They're visibly offended. I'm visibly amused.


Why is it so funny when dogs spit things out?? It always is. My last girl only liked popcorn with butter on it. If you have her a dry piece, she'd politely take it, but....._PTOO_. Lol.

And thanks for the recommendation! You may have just made life much easier for someone who's struggling to find a good food for their poodle. 

We feed Farmina Ancestral Grains Chicken & Pomegranate and Honest Kitchen Grain-Free Whole Food Clusters Beef.


Mufar42 said:


> I'm very glad to hear it wasn't anything serious and that Peggy recovered quickly.


Nope, nothing serious. Phew! I think it was just the pot roast fat. But we're seriously toying with the idea of letting her sleep with us at night now. I don't like that she was desperate to get out and I didn't know.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Basil_the_Spoo said:


> Thank you for posting about this, it's a good to learn through shared experiences. Glad to hear Peggy's back to 💯%.


So important! It's easy to assume every other poodle but yours is just prancing through life with no issue. I like sharing the big and the small, the good and the bad.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

fjm said:


> I use the Royal Canin - it is expensive, but worth it for the almost instant improvement: Sensitivity Control Can Wet - Royal Canin (Don't know why it's coming up with the Australian website!)
> 
> Both dogs like it, and it really does seem to help.


Thank you! And thanks to @Dechi, too.

I will get this if we ever have an experience again like we did in the spring, when it dragged on for a month. I withheld her regular food for so long, I think I actually created more digestive upset. It's good to have something on hand that's balanced, nutritious, and easily digestible.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Thank you! And thanks to @Dechi, too.


I confirm, what I feed the dogs when they have gastric problems is Royal Canin gastrointestinal (from the vet).


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Oh dear. It's very early here on the west coast, but I've been wide awake for hours because someone had diarrhea again...in her crate. 

Luckily, we already had her annual checkup booked for this morning, so we'll get the vet's opinion. But I'm hesitant to do her vaccinations. 

For the moment I'm focusing on convincing her to go back to sleep so my husband can get some more sleep, but she's suddenly decided it's playtime and only the biggest, loudest, bounciest ball will do.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Oh dear indeed! I was up late with Sophy, you up early with Peggy. I do recommend the Royal Canin food, although for the price you could probably order in from the best restaurant in town. Wish I knew what their magic ingredient is...!

Feel better soon Peggy - upset tums are no fun.


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

Fingers crossed the vet is able to figure it out.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

I'll be honest - Our vet is very good, but I don't have a lot of faith in her ability to figure it out unless it's something major or systemic. Peggy's only other notable bout of diarrhea occurred in the spring and followed a similar pattern: On and off for about a month, with total normalcy for days between each episode. We made zero progress on a diagnosis.

This time I'm pushing for a proper giardia test, as the only common denominator I can think of was that she drank from standing water. Oh, and both times the first episode was preceded by a stressful experience. But she's had loads of stressful experiences with no issue. 

At least today there's been no blood.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Just got the vet's diagnosis: "Peggy is in super health."

Yay? But also sigh.


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

Congratulations and I'm so sorry to hear that 🤷‍♀️


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Liz said:


> Congratulations and I'm so sorry to hear that 🤷‍♀️


Lol. That pretty much sums it up.

She did at least prescribe a round of metronidazole. This will be Peggy's first time on antibiotics, so hoping it goes smoothly. 

And happy to say that Peggy still loves going to the vet! She had the whole staff laughing and they said for us to keep an eye on Facebook, as they'll be posting photos of her.


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## GenteelPoodles (Nov 21, 2020)

Basil_the_Spoo said:


> Thank you for posting about this, it's a good to learn through shared experiences. Glad to hear Peggy's back to 💯%.


I am so glad to hear Peggy is feeling better but if these bouts of gastric upset continue you may want to consider changing her diet to raw if not at least home cooked. Processed foods are the worst! I am an animal naturopath and see more and more dogs with gastric issues and food sensitivities than ever before. Just a suggestion but you may want to have a nutrition consultation and with guidance, help heal her digestive tract and keep it healthy.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

GenteelPoodes said:


> I am so glad to hear Peggy is feeling better but if these bouts of gastric upset continue you may want to consider changing her diet to raw if not at least home cooked. Processed foods are the worst! I am an animal naturopath and see more and more dogs with gastric issues and food sensitivities than ever before. Just a suggestion but you may want to have a nutrition consultation and with guidance, help heal her digestive tract and keep it healthy.


Thank you!

Aside from these two illnesses, she has consistently firm, healthy poops and a rather impressive digestive system. But I agree that a steady diet of processed food can't be good. And I did just open a brand new bag of Honest Kitchen for her, the day before this all began. Maybe there's a connection there.

Wish we had a canine naturopath near us!


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## GenteelPoodles (Nov 21, 2020)

One of the wonderful things about animal naturopaths is that we don't have to see the animal in person. We consult via email, messenger, Skype/Facetime and some even via phone.  



PeggyTheParti said:


> Thank you!
> 
> Aside from these two illnesses, she has consistently firm, healthy poops and a rather impressive digestive system. But I agree that a steady diet of processed food can't be good. And I did just open a brand new bag of Honest Kitchen for her, the day before this all began. Maybe there's a connection there.
> 
> Wish we had a canine naturopath near us!


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

GenteelPoodes said:


> One of the wonderful things about animal naturopaths is that we don't have to see the animal in person. We consult via email, messenger, Skype/Facetime and some even via phone.


You're so right. I often tell people to assemble a healthcare team for themselves—for preventative, supportive, diagnostic, and urgent care—rather than relying on one doctor or methodology. And there's no reason not to do the same for our poodles!

There's a holistic vet about an hour from here that I keep meaning to contact, but covid has really thrown a wrench in things. I should see if she is willing to consult remotely.

P.S. Welcome to Poodle Forum! Happy to have you and your expertise.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

A couple of years ago both my dogs had a bout of diarrhoea, starting about a day apart. Vets and I agreed it was probably an infection, given the timing and the symptoms, so they went on a course of Metronidazole and special food. Diarrhoea stopped temporarily, then started as soon as the medication was finished. They were tested for giardia - clear. They then had a full panel of tests - still all clear. At that point my vet said that they were in bouncing good health apart from an annoying case of the trots, most tummy bugs were self limiting, and to give it another week or two and if it didn't clear up by then it was time to send samples to one of the university labs. Within a few days they were fine, so we never did know what caused it.

Poppy says to tell Peggy that medicine should always be wrapped in chunks of chicken - it does more good that way! She should know...


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

stealthq said:


> This is probably a useless recommendation - dietary issues are so individual - but Kohl has IBD and it turns out Orijen's Six Fish is perfect for him. If he eats that he's golden. Other foods and it's diarrhea that won't stop without a course of steroids.
> 
> As it happens, Kohl is also picky about what he eats. He'll won't eat anything that isn't primarily meat and/or fish. Or a Greenie. Greenies are special for some reason. There is no way he'd eat rice.
> 
> This comes in handy when people give Kohl a treat despite me telling them not to, they'll make him sick. Inevitably, he takes the treat, rolls it around his mouth for a couple of seconds analyzing the taste, then leans down and spits it out at their feet with an audible _PTOO_. They're visibly offended. I'm visibly amused.


Very smart dog!!!


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

GenteelPoodes said:


> One of the wonderful things about animal naturopaths is that we don't have to see the animal in person. We consult via email, messenger, Skype/Facetime and some even via phone.


We do not have a naturopath anywhere near us. I am constantly having to try to educate the vets as we feed raw, and are very health conscious. Please send me a private message with a good recommendation! Thank you


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