Q. I have a three-year-old female French Bulldog, an eleven-month-old terrier mix and a twenty-week-old deaf American Bulldog. Diarrhea started in the American Bulldog eight weeks ago. Two days later, I noticed it in the terrier. My vet thought it might be viral and prescribed Flagyl. About ten days later, the French Bulldog started having diarrahea too. The stool test results showed nothing but the diarrahea continued. An alternative doctor determined they do have parasites and prescribed shiitake mushroom. Almost two weeks later, sometimes their stool appears well-formed and at other times very soft or liquid. The American Bulldog also started scratching and this has intensified over the last couple of days.

 

A. First thing to consider – were your dogs vaccinated prior to the onset of the diarrhea? Mild cases of inflammatory bowel disease are auto immune-derived and are related to vaccines. The first thing I would recommend is the potato diet in my book, which can work overnight to stop diarrhea. Also, the supplement Acetylator from Vetri-science works phenomenally well for this. As far as herbal formulas, look for one that contains slippery elm, which soothes the intestinal tract and works for both constipation and diarrhea. Finally, as a more intensive measure, you could put your dogs on a two-day fast. How does this help, you may ask? It directly addresses the gastro-colic reflex. As soon as the stomach fills with food, it sends a neurological message to the colon to empty. The colon’s job is to absorb water back into the body before it eliminates the waste but if the colon is hyperactive, the water passes through unabsorbed. The result is diarrhea. Fasting for a couple of days can break the cycle of diarrhea and help the body “calm” itself. After the fast, slowly introduce your dogs to a diet consisting of bland foods.

Q.I have a 7-year-old neutered Chinook. He has been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease. Rather than load him up with steroids and antibiotics, I have chosen home prepared cooked chicken diet. Carbs are limited to cooked sweet potato and white potato. I use shark cartilage powder rather glucosamine/chondroitin products which may have known allergens for him as oats, wheat, beef, yeast or soy. Have you any suggestions for a multivitamin and joint support product?

 

A.We have been very successful with these cases. We use Acetylator by VetriScience. It does have a glucosamine derivative in it but it may be worth trying. We also use a homeopathic combination of BHI Intestine and Diarrhea. I’ve just started to work with a new product called Primal Defence (homeostatic soil organisms) which I feel will have great benefit. As for diet, I list a potato diet in my book similar to that you are currently feeding, but with a few additions. In all these cases we perform a metabolic analysis to align the other organs of digestion and assimilation.

Q.I have a 1½-year-old miniature schnauzer. Ever since I started taking him out when he was five months old, he has shown a very weird bathroom pattern. When the walk is limited to ten minutes, he releases properly, but if I take him for longer walk, he poos at least eight times until it becomes watery. I talked to three different vets but all said there was nothing wrong and that nothing could be done. Is it possible that scents left behind by other dogs are causing this reaction? He has very weak digestion as well. I have been feeding him natural food for some time, but he is not interested in anything except lamb and chicken. Is there any homeopathic medicine that might help him?

 

A.From what you are describing, especially with the weak digestion and watery stools, this does not sound like a behavioral problem. Colitis and inflammatory bowel disease are becoming an epidemic in pets, especially young ones. I personally feel that vaccinations have a contributory role, so a word of caution here. Two homeopathic remedies that will address the issue are Diar-Relief by Dr. Goodpet, and Diarrhea Aid by Professional Health Products. About the best supplement I have experienced for intestinal health is Acetylator by Vetri-Science Labs. Another good product is a fermented fish product named Seacure. Also, as mentioned in previous columns, I am currently very interested in the application of Garden of Life’s Primal Defense to veterinary medicine. There are a number of other products available. Of course, make sure to rule out intestinal parasites through your veterinarian.