Bloody diarrhea and intermittent vomiting

[WVGSD]

While I do have a GSD puppy, this post concerns a senior Welsh Springer Spaniel that I have. In July of this year, she began with some bloody diarrhea and was treated with Flagyl 500 mg. twice daily for seven days. It resolved and returned again and again and again. Now, in November, I took her back to my vet and he did a complete blood chemistry. Everything was normal with the exception of a low normal albumin level. He thinks that she might have protein losing enteropathy. However, we need more time to pass to do a second complete blood chemistry to see if her albumin level decreases further. In the meantime, he talked to a peer at NC State, and it was recommended that we treat for intestinal bacterial overgrowth in order to rule that out. The "kitchen sink" of antibiotics was started (yuck) and she was on Flagyl 250 mg. once daily, Cipro 250 mg. twice daily and Cephalexin 500 mg. twice daily. I also placed her on a diet of just boneless skinless boiled chicken breasts and boiled rice. For tummy comfort, she was placed on Zofran for nausea, Reglan for motility and Carafate for coating. Five days later, no improvement whatsoever. She has continued with bloody stool and had one episode of vomiting this past weekend. I spoke with my vet last night and he suggests that we change her diet to see if she has developed a food intolerance over the years. This morning, I went and purchased a limited ingredient venison kibble and the corresponding canned food with which to give her the tummy comfort medications (a meatball to place the pills in). All of the food that I have given her in the past has either been fish or chicken-based. I also purchased FortiFlora and will start her on this as well tonight.

Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions? Does this sound familiar to anyone? Advice?

The "good news" here is that, while this has been going on, the dog is active, happy, playful and otherwise normal in appearance and her activity level.

I had a previous GSD, Max, with SIBO and Tylan was a dream medication for him. It did not work for this particular dog when tried earlier this summer during one of her repeated episodes. My vet has two other options for us if the novel protein limited ingredient diet does not work and they are a veterinary hypoallergenic diet or a trip to Virginia Tech for an endoscopic exam and biopsies. Another option for me is to switch this dog to raw feeding to see if that makes a difference. I also just found out about Dr. Jean Dodds' NutriScan dog food intolerance/sensitivity panel and am thinking about having this done to rule out or verify a food challenge.

Sorry to throw so many different ideas out, but after four months of this, I thought that I would ask others for some guidance and suggestions.

Thank you in advance.

[WVGSD]

Seventy-three views and not one response.

[Zisso]

I have no good info but wanted to say I am so sorry that you are going through this and hope it gets resolved quickly.

[blackshep]

I can't offer you any help either, which I why I didn't post anything.

I hope you get your dog sorted out, hopefully someone here has some ideas for you.

[Zeeva]

I apologize I'm one of the viewers but I'm no good with health problems...

I hope your pup feels better. Sending good health vibes your way and praying for the best...

Keep us posted...

[blackshep]

What about these things:

Bloody diarrhea: Pancreatitis, colitis (inflammation of the large intestines), gi parasites (hookworms, giardia), gi ulcers, toxins (rat poison, caustic agents), prescription medications (NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, aspirin), changes in diet even within the same food (protein source changes)


Bloody Diarrhea - Hemorrhagic GastroEnteritis (HGE) in Dogs

Sorry for the list, I'm googling your dog's symptoms

[WVGSD]

What about these things:

Bloody diarrhea: Pancreatitis, colitis (inflammation of the large intestines), gi parasites (hookworms, giardia), gi ulcers, toxins (rat poison, caustic agents), prescription medications (NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, aspirin), changes in diet even within the same food (protein source changes)


Bloody Diarrhea - Hemorrhagic GastroEnteritis (HGE) in Dogs


She had a complete blood chemistry recently and pancreatitis has been ruled out. Colitis is certainly happening - just don't know why is an otherwise healthy and happy 11 year old dog. She has been wormed with both heartworm (plus) medication and also got three days of Panacur/Fenbendazole last week. Negative fecal exams times two recently. She does not take any medications and there are no rat poisons or other caustic agents/anticoagulants around my home that she can get in to. There was no diet change prior to this other than switching her to a high grade chicken-based dog kibble and she has been on chicken-based kibble for several years. Prior to that and while she was being shown, she was on a fish-based kibble with higher calories.

The current regimen includes three antibiotics (re-started) due to bright red bloody liquid stool and she has been placed on the limited ingredient venison and potato dog kibble. I asked my vet about switching (again) to the veterinary hypoallergenic diet, but he wanted me to keep her on the venison and potato kibble for now. He also added ten milligrams of Prednisone twice daily to try to get the bright red bleeding stopped quickly.

The very bright red bloody stool indicates that the bleeding is at the end of the colon and not higher up in the digestive tract. She does not have the presentation of a dog with GI lymphoma and, in spite of all of this, is still running around my yard, happy and playing with the rest of the pack. She is drinking plenty and still eating too. We are just watching her day to day and trying to get the bleeding stopped, get loose stool firmed up and then will address tapering medications and seeing whether or not the limited ingredient diet change will help prevent relapses. If not, we are back to square one.

[M&J]

How's she doing today? So frustrating.

[WVGSD]

She is back to brown stool with blood in it, versus just liquid blood on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. The Prednisone may be the reason for the change. Time will tell. Yes, very frustrating.

[JeanKBBMMMAAN]

Did they do the pancreatitis SNAP test?

How much longer before they can retest to look at the PLE? Would an ultrasound show anything?

Wow, how weird.