[Derek P]

We have an 8 month old Bulloxer (American Bulldog, Boxer Mix) and cannot find a food that will not give him diarrhea. He has had a couple solid poops, but then goes straight to diarrhea after that period. First we started him on Orijen Large breed puppy, we fed him 3-4 26.6 pound bags and still nothing but diarrhea and bad gas. We eventually switched him to Wellness Core Puppy food (which he is currently on). He started out fine for the first week or so, but now we are back to diarrhea and bad gas. He never has any table food and only has Milk Bones for treats. The only thing we could come up with is that he may just have a sensitive stomach, or dog food intolerance specifically to chicken since both of those food main ingredient was chicken. Any help is greatly appreciated, in order to get our pups stomach under control!

[Bobby dog]

Hi Derek:
Have you had you dog checked for parasites? Those are common symptoms of a dog that has them.

[Derek P]

Thanks for the reply Bobby dog. He has been checked for parasites, but it was back in December, do you think that is too far back to say that he doesn’t have any currently?

[Bobby dog]

If he were my dog I would have him checked again. I test a few times a year regularly. However, I would test at any time if there were symptoms.

Hopefully, someone will pop in with more knowledge, but I believe detecting parasites also depends on what life stage they are in when you test for them; sometimes they aren’t detected. It’s been a few years since I have had a puppy and I have never had one with a serious parasite problem.

Something else to consider is something in his environment, cleaners, laundry soap, lawn fertilizer, is causing these issues. It could also be a protein common in both of these foods that are causing him issues. Proteins found in meat, grains, vegetables, fruits etc.

Healthy table food is fine for dogs as long as it is no more than 10% of his daily caloric intake; you want to keep his meals balanced.

[Derek P]

Thanks for all of the information. We actually just scheduled him a vet visit for Wednesday morning to get checked out for any type of parasites that might be causing this problem. I will update when I have more information after the visit!

[Bobby dog]

Fingers crossed! Have you seen the large and giant breed thread? It has info on feeding dogs of this size and some recommended foods.

[Derek P]

I will give it a read through now, thanks Bobby dog!

[Bobby dog]

Here’s some links that will get you there faster, it’s a long thread now. LOL Read at least the first three or four pages and the links on the first page:
/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/

Look for a post dated July 23, 2013 at 1:51 pm for a link to recommended foods. I suggest contacting any company to confirm a food falls within the recommended parameters as recipes can change without notice:
/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/page/15/

Here’s a recent article:
/best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/#comment-1760246690

You can also join Dog Food Advisor’s Editors Choice for an up to date list of recommended foods for large/giant breed dogs.

[Bobby dog]

Also, since you are unsure if it’s a food intolerance at this time I would start keeping a list of ingredients now of any foods (including treats) fed in the past or you are currently feeding. Comparing what ingredients these foods have in common and how your dog responded to each food is something that needs to be done in order to find the offending ingredient(s). It can be a long process or it may be simple, diligence is the key if it is a food intolerance.

If food intolerance turns out to be his problem it is important to treat your dog as the individual he is and find his specific intolerance; each dog is different and each will be intolerant to different things.

[Derek P]

Thanks so much, I looked at it and 84 pages haha, a lot of reading. Thanks again for your help!!

[Bobby dog]

You’re welcome. Was your dog checked for giardia and coccidian?

[Derek P]

Not sure about giardia, but coccidian sounds familiar. I will have to check the documents I have received from our vet

[Bobby dog]

I believe giardia is a parasite that may not always be detected and repeated testing may be needed. Here’s some info on giardia and coccidia:
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=2386&S=0&EVetID=3001644
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=680&S=0&EVetID=3001644

[Susan]

Hi, try lower protein % & lower fat % diets, & milk bones are the worst they are high in fat… get a limited ingredient, low fat, single protein kibble, Have you tried a Hypoallergenic & Gluten free kibbles, something like “California Naturals” Lamb & Rice limited ingredients, it just has 4 ingredients or their Kangaroo & Lentils… or try the “Natural Balance” limited ingredients Kangaroo & Potatoes or the Rabbit & Potatoes or the Duck & Potatoes as these flavours have the least ingredients.. here’s a really good group to join & for help, Face Book “Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disorder” once you find a diet & while ur trying a new kibble, do not give any treats, NOTHING just the low fat limited ingredient kibble, if everything is going good, then after say 3 months introduce something new like home made treats that are Gluten free, wheat free…
http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products

[Bobby dog]

Hi again Derek:
You need to ask your Vet specifically to check for giardia and coccidia parasites.

[Bobby dog]

Here’s a site with info on supplements for digestive upsets and other dog stuff:
http://www.dogaware.com/health/digestive.html#diarrhea

[Derek P]

Thanks, you guys have been very helpful so far. We are looking at changing his treats from Milk Bone to something with less ingredients, and waiting to hear what the vet says tomorrow morning. From what I read about the Coccidia I would think it isn’t that parasite only reason is because I have never seen any bloody stool. Just to add his diarrhea is not completely liquid, it is more of a soft serve, not the typical log type (not sure if those are correct scientific terms haha). Also he is aprox. 60lbs

[Derek P]

Alright I have an update from the vet. Our poor Dexter does have Giardia parasites inside of him, and they gave us some meds in order to evacuate them from his digestive tract. The vet also mentioned that we may want to think of changing his food to something with less protein and less ingredients, so the hunt begins again lol. Does anyone have any suggestions for a high quality food that has few ingredients and lower protein that Wellness Core Puppy?

[Anonymous]

Consider a homeopathic approach to your pets care http://www.vitalanimal.com Check the blog section.
Dr Falconer often answers questions, even if they are off topic. Best of luck

[Bobby dog]

Derek:
Did you look at the recommended food list for large breed dogs I posted for you on 3/9 2:24 p.m.? It’s a good place to start. Regardless if the food is from that list, the Editors Choice list for large breed puppies, or another option, along with following your Vet’s advice for an LID & low protein food look for a one that has the recommended calcium ratio for large breeds. Be sure to read the article I posted a link to in that post as well.

I’ll see if one of the regulars who has experience with this parasite can pop in with some advice to help you.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Derek P-

Unfortunately, I have a lot of experience with giardia. What exactly did the vet prescribe to evacuate the parasites? I hope it was either panacur or drontal plus dewormers. Often they prescribe the antibiotic Metronidazole and it seems to work only about 50% of the time anymore. It may help a bit with the diarrhea though. I don’t know or understand how a lower protein would help, but definitely add more fiber, such as shredded carrots to his diet to help push them out. A limited ingredient diet might be helpful for his tummy right now. There are other natural holistic options to use as well if you are interested. My top four are: fiber, garlic, probiotics and digestive enzymes on an empty stomach along with the dewormer. Btw, it’s just the enzymes that I gave on an empty stomach. The other three I mixed in their meals. I would also repeat the dewormer about 10 days after the first treatment. Make sure you pick up the poop right away and douse the spot with hot water and bleach or ammonia. Clean all the bedding very well too. Heat kills it. It thrives in cold temperatures and water. So, make sure you don’t have any standing water in your yard. At least you know what the issue is now. Let us know how it goes!

[Derek P]

Bobby dog: I did skim through some of the information the other day. Now that we know what the problem is, we will revisit the site to see what we can figure out and what direction to go in, thanks for all of your help!

crazy4cats: Thanks for all of your insight! As far as the meds go the vet gave us Prostora Max and Metronidazole 500mg tabs. We will get to cleaning all of his bedding and whatever else we can clean that he lays on. I would like to get him on the most healthy food as possible to help stop any more problems in the future. I’m going to read more in depth the article Bobby dog referred me too, and also some of the holistic food options as well.

[Bobby dog]

You’re welcome! I am sorry for the diagnosis, but glad you know the diagnosis! C4C will be able to help you with her experience. I am sure she has some more tips for you!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Derek-
Metronidazole did not work for my pups by itself. I strongly suggest that you look in to using Panacur as well. It’s a dewormer that you can buy over the counter. The cheapest place I have found it is at http://www.healthypets.com. I would give it to him for at least three days and then 10 days later another three days. My dogs ended up having four or five rounds of metronidazole and it wrecked havoc on their digestive systems. And… Didn’t get rid of the giardia. Hopefully you will be one of the lucky ones! The metronidazole does help with the diarrhea and so you think he’s better and then when you stop, the diarrhea may start again. At least now you know it’s not the food. I kept switching thinking that was the problem. I had never heard of giardia. Please let us know how the meds work for him. I have other links and info if you are interested. Good luck!

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