[my two bullies]

I posted a topic a couple of weeks ago about my 9 month old English Bulldog puppy. He was having very stinky, runny poops. Several people responded stating that they thought he had worms. Well, I took him to the vet and had him tested for worms. No worms. The vet said he might have giardia and gave me a some liquid medicine to give him for five days. I administered as directed and he is STILL having very foul smelling, runny poop. The vet said that we might have to put him on a low residue food for sensitive stomachs. Has anyone had anything similar to this happen? Any suggestions/advice of any kind? Thanks in advance.

[RAIL_ROAD_WIDOW]

Has your vet said anything about a pancreatic insufficiency? Is you dog gaining weight?

[Mydogiscute]

Ask your vet if giving your dog some probiotics to renew the balance of healthy intestinal bacteria would be helpful at this time as well. I wonder if your dog might have a malabsorption disorder, in which case a special diet would be highly beneficial. Regardless what the problem is, I think a special diet is definitely in order-- the question is in finding the precise formula he needs, as there are several different formulas tailored to the specific medical problems of the pets (urinary tract problems, poor liver function, weight maintenace, allergies, etc.) I hope your pup feels better real soon!

[jv17]

well at this point i cant answer that but i suggest you to go to the vet anyway how is he now?

[vetgroomer]

Instead of saying "maybe this, maybe that", your vet needs to do some specific tests to get the answers.

I know you said you had the dog tested for worms, and it was negative. Well, it's still possible for him to have worms. Fecal tests don't reveal the actual worm, they reveal worm eggs in the stool. Hookworms, whip worms and tapeworms sometimes don't show up in a stool sample because they don't shed eggs every day.

Besides the standard fecal check for worms, your vet should also do a gram stain and check for coccidia and clostridium. Coccidia is a parasite, clostridium is a bacterial infection.

Blood test and fecal tests for pancreatic insufficiency should be done if the above tests prove negative. The pancreas produces enzymes that are essential for digestion. If there aren't sufficient enzymes, food doesn't digest well. Sometimes the first clue the vet gets is when a fecal flotation to check for worms is done. There will be a layer of undigested fat on the surface of the sample.

There are other possibilities, of course. Ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel, food allergies or sensitivities, viral gastroenteritis, to name a few.

[houndzgrl]

Originally Posted by vetgroomer

Instead of saying "maybe this, maybe that", your vet needs to do some specific tests to get the answers.

I know you said you had the dog tested for worms, and it was negative. Well, it's still possible for him to have worms. Fecal tests don't reveal the actual worm, they reveal worm eggs in the stool. Hookworms, whip worms and tapeworms sometimes don't show up in a stool sample because they don't shed eggs every day.

Besides the standard fecal check for worms, your vet should also do a gram stain and check for coccidia and clostridium. Coccidia is a parasite, clostridium is a bacterial infection.

Blood test and fecal tests for pancreatic insufficiency should be done if the above tests prove negative. The pancreas produces enzymes that are essential for digestion. If there aren't sufficient enzymes, food doesn't digest well. Sometimes the first clue the vet gets is when a fecal flotation to check for worms is done. There will be a layer of undigested fat on the surface of the sample.

There are other possibilities, of course. Ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel, food allergies or sensitivities, viral gastroenteritis, to name a few.

I agree! I also agree that some probiotics in the meantime is a good idea...poor little thing! Hope you get some answers soon, so your pup can get some relief.

[rayter]

Cooked grains are nearly 100% digestible for dogs.