Help! Diarrhea and throwing up won't stop

Our vet says "Some dogs just do this." I don't believe it. For almost a year, Sammy has had loose, oily bowel movements and periodically will throw up his meal. At first the vet took him off of dry dog food, rehydrated him with a massive infusion of liquid under the skin of his back. That helped for a few weeks, maybe. Then, she prescribed i/d dog food, Flagylmetronidazole 250 and Carfate 1 gm. After a week or so, Sammy improved, but every few weeks he relapses. We stopped letting him play in the yard outside on his own, assuming it was something he was eating in the yard. Sometimes we feed him cooked chicken and rice after fasting for a day. And each time, he goes back on the drugs. Now we feed him Nutro Natural Choice for Sensitive Stomachs. Given the texture and the smell, its not surprising that it doesn't help.

This can't be right. Can anybody help?

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Permalink Reply by Debra Dean Sepulveda on February 12, 2009 at 12:15pm: I know how upsetting this is to Cavalier Moms and the only answer I have is scrambled eggs with some cheese in the morning.
Paul Newman's organic chicken with rice dog food - it prevents the loose and oily stools.
Also a roasted chicken at the super market helps, my Toby loves the juicy meat off the thigh and drumstick.
Cavaliers have sensitive stomachs and you can't feed them any pork.
If they throw up or have oily stools then their food isn't agreeing with them.
That is when I head back to the market for the chicken and can food with rice.
Hope this helps!
Debra - Toby's Mom; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Craig on February 22, 2009 at 6:21pm: Thanks Debra. We may have found a solution, at least for now. Our vet prescribed w/d canned dog food which is very high in fiber. As well, he's taking carafate to coat his stomach. He's been much better for the last five or six days. Normal stools and no throwing up. I hope to stop the carafate soon and see if he can get along with just the new food.

Thanks for you advice. We'll definitely take it if this doesn't stick.

Craig

Debra Dean Sepulveda said:
I know how upsetting this is to Cavalier Moms and the only answer I have is scrambled eggs with some cheese in the morning.
Paul Newman's organic chicken with rice dog food - it prevents the loose and oily stools.
Also a roasted chicken at the super market helps, my Toby loves the juicy meat off the thigh and drumstick.
Cavaliers have sensitive stomachs and you can't feed them any pork.
If they throw up or have oily stools then their food isn't agreeing with them.
That is when I head back to the market for the chicken and can food with rice.
Hope this helps!
Debra - Toby's Mom; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Joyce Bustrum on February 26, 2009 at 8:25pm: Dear Craig - My little tri girl has problems off and on. Try giving him canned pumpkin. A couple of teaspoons in his food. It helps settle the stomach. Don't give the greasy chicken from the market because it is too high in fat. Feed the best food you can. Duck and potato seems to be very bland on their stomachs. Did the vet check for pancreatitis? A half of a flagyl will stop the diarrhea. If you feed rice make sure it is brown rice. You can also give them a teaspoon or two of keaopectate to help the stomach. Joyce - Lola and Eden's mom; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Craig on March 3, 2009 at 10:24pm: Thanks Joyce. Good ideas we'll try. Interesting you use 1/2 Flagyl; our vet has Sammy on a whole one twice a day. How much do your girls weigh. Sammy's on the big side for a CKCS at about 24 pounds. Maybe he needs a whole tablet. I've tried rice before but it seems to pass right through undigested. Strange.

Anyway, thanks for the help.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Gina Christman on April 17, 2009 at 1:53pm: Pumpkin really works and they love it.

Joyce Bustrum said:
Dear Craig - My little tri girl has problems off and on. Try giving him canned pumpkin. A couple of teaspoons in his food. It helps settle the stomach. Don't give the greasy chicken from the market because it is too high in fat. Feed the best food you can. Duck and potato seems to be very bland on their stomachs. Did the vet check for pancreatitis? A half of a flagyl will stop the diarrhea. If you feed rice make sure it is brown rice. You can also give them a teaspoon or two of keaopectate to help the stomach. Joyce - Lola and Eden's mom; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Marjorie E. MacKay on April 21, 2009 at 11:48am: Yes, the canned pumpkin mixed with a little plain yougart to put the good bacteria back in his belly, poor guy. My Taffy can have some upsets too and strained beef or chicken bottled baby food is also easy on the stomach when they have been ill. If he's drinking out of the pond you may need a stool analysis. I also found that my girl can't handle multiple protien foods, such as chicken, duck ect. in the same recipe. I feed her the Fromm Four Star and she seems to be able to tolerate that fairly well. Good luck and please let us know how you make out.

Marjorie; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kitty A. Smith on December 30, 2009 at 9:54pm: Craig, how is Sammy doing? Have you seen any lasting improvement? I have a dog that had similar problems and he is very healthy now. Most dog foods are very poor quality, even the Science Diet from a vet. My vet will not carry that brand. She helped me to get Shadow back to good health with minimal drug usage. His problem was his pancreas and it is intermittent like you described. With a supported diet, Shadow is eating the same food as the rest of my dogs. I just have to be careful he never gets much fat.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Patti on January 9, 2010 at 10:03am: This happens frequently with my Emma and Spencer also - oily stool and/or diarreah. They are on I/D canned dog food. They can't handle the dry I/D either. they also respond well to Flagyl - Emma takes a half pill (10 lbs) and Spencer takes a whole pill (17 lbs). They eat nothing but the I/D even for treats. I am really intrigued by the pumpkin as I have read about this several places, but have been fearful to try it - don't want to make the situation worse. How much pumpkin do you give and has anyone had a negative reaction to the pumpkin? I'd sure rather give them that, then a pill.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Shari Wolfe on January 20, 2010 at 10:06am: I hope these suggestions are beneficial. This is my Marley's daily diet, has been for quite a while, after speaking with my breeder, vet and a few, reputable people, who specialize in nutrician for dogs. I believe in solid research, and trust the people with whom I am in frequent communication. The key is consistency; I deviate very little, on a daily basis, with both foods and treats. I would prefer not to give medications, particularly, if the foods are appropriate and successful. Marley exhibited sensitivity early on, when transitioning from puppy food to an adult diet. She essentially required a higher fiber content in her food. My little tri color girl is now a little over 14 months, and has been on the following diet for several months.
Marley eats Nature's Variety Prairie, Venison, dry kibble. It is a premium food, with the appropriate protein, fat and fiber percentages, very balanced for a Cavalier. It contains only good grains - millet, oatmeal and barley. She eats 1/4 cup, twice a day. Each feeding is mixed with a teaspoon and a half of pumpkin, which is excellent for maintaining digestion, plus 1/8 teaspoon of a probiotic/plant enzyme powder, and 1/8 teaspoon of regular Metamucil, also great for fiber. Once a week, I give her Nature's Variety RAW, Venison medallions. I call it her "raw day!" I mix nothing with it, as she is getting the live probiotic in the raw food, which is very balanced, although you may add some pumpkin. It took quite a while for me to begin feeding her limited raw, but I do notice a difference, even giving this once or twice a week. It does not upset her digestive system, and her coat is beautiful, although I also attribute this to her overall diet. She loves meat, and goes crazy with her medallions! Choosing to add Raw to a diet is strictly an individual decision, but I now see the benefits. I also give Marley about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of fresh-frozen vegetables, defrosted, during the day. The frozen vegetables, defrosted, which contain moisture, are recommended. This includes baby carrots, cut green beans and baby broccoli florets. It adds volume and nutrients, but not calories, and can be fed at any time, according to your schedule. It does not upset her digestive system. OCCASIONALLY, I give her a couple of pure, dried sweet potato treats, also good for them. Later at night, so she has something in her tummy, I give her a few freeze dried, pure protein treats, which are also healthy and low in fat. I prefer Stella and Chewy's Carnivore Kisses, chicken, but Pure Bites is fine, as well, as long as it is natural. Marley gets one Pet Tab, a half at a time, daily. That's it! So far, I have found the correct balance for my Cavalier. Regardless of what is said, be consistent, don't introduce new foods, even high protein, premiums foods, frequently. Unless you have a show dog, who is very active and requires a higher protein diet, our pet Cavs are very special, and their diets should be adjusted to their specific needs. Having written all this, I think the important thing to remember is that what works for one may not work for another. However, I feel strongly that Marley's diet is excellent, have recommended it to other friends, plus my vet (who is not an advocate of RAW diet), and they've had success, as well. Just to note, our previous, beloved dog, who we lost last January, and was a little past 14 and a half years, had an extremely sensitive digestive system, plus food allergies, her entire life. She ate special food, which I purchased from our vet. This included I/D, R/D, Z/D, etc., etc... no more! They're OK, and there is certainly a time when they are needed, but there are other, improved options from which to choose, and which I learned. I have written some suggestions which have worked well for digestion. At the end of the day, you will make the correct choices. Good luck!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Katie D. on January 28, 2010 at 9:27pm: After we got Wesley he had diarrhea and we didn't know what was happening. We discovered he liked to drink our pond water and we told our vet. Our vet gave him some kind of antibiotic and he was better. He does need to get his anal glands drained but our vet is having us give him some canned pumpkin to help bulk up his bm's. Dogs need to have stiffer bm's to help empty their anal glands. This has helped him a lot.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Cheryl on July 5, 2010 at 4:14pm: My cavalier was recently diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease, which was diagnosed via symptoms and ultrasound. He has probably had it for a long time (he is almost 6 years old), but it became serious this spring when he threw up everything he ate, then stopped eating and had diarrhea for days. It took prednisone,metronidazaole, and famotidine plus a special hypoallergenic diet to get him stabilized. He is on Wellness rice and salmon exclusively. Sometimes he loses his appetite and burps and has stomach rumblings. Then I give him 1/2 peptacid and it calms his tummy down. Prior to his diagnosis (for several years) the vet thought he needed a weight management diet because he was hungry all the time, but it turns out he was unable to absorb the nutrients properly and was actually "starving". He also loves to get into candy and has had 3 episodes of emergency vet service to vomit and bind the chocolate/gummy bears, so that probably contributed to his sensitivity! Thank goodness all is relatively stable, now 3 months after his diagnosis, and he has been off the meds for more than 6 weeks.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Shari Wolfe on July 5, 2010 at 9:27pm: Hello Joyce, you think as I do! I would absolutely give the same advice to Craig. Definitely - no roasted chicken from the market, much too greasy. I would prefer feeing raw - and have! I feed both my Cavies Fromm's Duck and Sweet Potato, and so far, so good. My Jenna tends to have a sensitive tummy, and I was hoping this would agree with her. I add 1/2 teaspoon of either pumpkin, or Fruitables (pumpkin, plus cinnamon, ginger and choline), and a probiotic to their food, as well. I do not feed them dairy, including cheese, except in a Fromm treat, which agrees with them. The medications which Craig mentioned are all good, and I have used them in the past. Ultimately, I believe that a premium diet which is agreeable, goes a long way to ease the digestive system.
Shari Wolfe

Joyce Bustrum said:
Dear Craig - My little tri girl has problems off and on. Try giving him canned pumpkin. A couple of teaspoons in his food. It helps settle the stomach. Don't give the greasy chicken from the market because it is too high in fat. Feed the best food you can. Duck and potato seems to be very bland on their stomachs. Did the vet check for pancreatitis? A half of a flagyl will stop the diarrhea. If you feed rice make sure it is brown rice. You can also give them a teaspoon or two of keaopectate to help the stomach. Joyce - Lola and Eden's mom; ▶ Reply to This