Re: Colitis in Dogs

I had this same trouble with my toy pomeranian. His got so bad at times he would even have really bloody stools, I took him to the vet. The vet said that this was very comon and that there was no cure that lots of things could bring it on even stress, anxiety, wrong foods. Alot of dog foods these days have things in them also that causes irritation in their bowls. The vet told me all they could do was every time it happened was put him on anibiotics, however that could cost lots of money for me cause my pom gets upset every time I leave the house with out him. So I started researching this a bit more and found that this is actually a pretty common things specialy in the smaller dog breeds . I found many sites that talked about people giving their dogs Slippery Elm. It comes in powder, Liquid and pill form. I was skeptical at first but I had to try something my dog was sick and getting worse antibiotics cleared it up for about 4 days and then the same problem came back. So I went to the health food store ( it's totally natural and safe ) and got the liquid form of slippery elm took it home ( you have to cook it and it only last upto 7 days in the frige) but I think if I ever have to get it again I will get the powder you just have to mix it w/ their food. Well anyway it worked after three days he was fine and its been over two months and nothing no problems and I also recently changed his food ( again still no problems) to Natures Recipe you can get it at Pet Smart or Petco and it's all natural and doesn't have the stuff in it that irritates their stomachs or that causes the allergies in the dogs. I pray in Jesus name that this is helpful to you and again I encourage you to at least research Slippery Elm for dogs stomach problems.
God Bless
DeLisa Valdez

Re: Colitis in Dogs

thanks for the advice on the issue of colitis. my dogs, esp the small breeds such as pugs, have this problem and we were wondering what was causing it. we keep the same food which is lamb and rice so it should be easy on their tummy's but now we know to get the slippery elm. diatemaceous earth is also a good homeopathic powder to keep on hand for diarhea, parasites, and fleas.
thanks again,
tina

Re: Colitis in Dogs

RE: CHANGING THE FOOD......I have a queensland heeler, normally very healthy breed, who in the last year and a half has had TERRIBLE asthma attacks;daily, several times per day; living in LA County desert we not only have coonstant fires with ash flying most of the year, but constant high winds blowing dust, allergens, etc. into my always-open house. The attacks were getting so bad I thought he was going to die. And they terrified him! My vet recommended Benedryl 2x per day, which helps greatly, and I found a homeopathic in a little dropper-bottle at my health food store called ASTHMA RESCUE (also CHILDREN'S ASTHMA RESCUE) but the biggest help was searching online and finding what huge differences there are in dog foods! So many of even the "best" supermarket foods are full of total crap...not only that, but my Badger is evidently, I found by trying, is very allergic to corn, and less so but also to wheat! BLUE BUFFALO which you can get at PETSMART is wonderful, pure, and has no corn or wheat or crap....it has made a HUGE DIFFERENCE in our lives......my point being, the food y ou are feeding is often your main problm! BLUE BUFFALO and a few other great ones may be expensive, but saves a lot of vet bills and panic at home......GIVE THEM A TRY.....and don't be afraid to not listen to your vet sometimes and go to the healthfood store and try things from there......we have to be pro-active if we really love our pets and they are having serious problems.....

Re: Colitis in Dogs

WOW, VERY INTERESTING.

Re: Colitis in Dogs

In New Jersey we have a store called Bills Wonderland of Pets. Bill, the owner is a wealth of information on food for animals. Animal food is his passion. I love going to his store he has many different types of good and holistic foods that will help with ailments. My Vet prescribed a food for my cat who has diabetes. I took the food to Bill and he showed me how awful the ingredients were. By the way every now and then my chin has mucus. Thanksl for the heads up.
Everyone comes from miles away to see Bill. If you are really interseted call him.
Here is his number and address:
600 North White Horse Pike
Somerdale, NJ 08083
856 435 0800

Re: Colitis in Dogs

Food is often a primary cause. The comments above have mentioned a few holistic foods. To learn more about pet food and find out about Life's Abundance (formulated by renowned holoistic veternarian Dr. Jane Bicks) visit the following

website: www.trilogyonline.com/ragsmead

The info to help you make an informed choice on any pet food is on this website. I have personnaly seen this food help quite a few pets with various upsets and diseases.

Re: Colitis in Dogs

i have a beuatiful shepherd that has all kinds of allergies: tree, pollen, grass, and some food irritaes her stomach. her first vet had recommended that she stay on a simple diet food: 1 protein, 1 carb. vet food was getting too expensive so i went online and spent hours researching all kinds of food. i found a great food for her but it was part of the recalled foods, ( thank god she didn't get sick!), and i once again started looking for other foods. my point being: in all the research i have been doing, i read conflicting reports about the "crap" that isn't good for our pets. what exactly is lamb, or chicken "meal"? and is it okay to feed them? and ?guar gum? what is that? and can it possiblity be heallthy? i too tried the blue buffalo but was concerned about a few of the ingredients. i think i will give it another try. an new food i have found, wet, is Prairie. it's all natiral lamb & oatmeal flavor jax is trying and it doesn't have any junk, guar gum or anything in it. i guess we'll try to mix it with one of the blue buffalo flavors.
and thanks for bills info. think i might give him a call!

Re: Colitis in Dogs

I HAVE A 4LB CHIH. THAT I ADOPTED A YEAR AGO, I WAS SCARED TO FEED HIM SOME OF THE DOG FOODS SO I FOUND AN ALL NATURAL ONE CALLED SOLID GOLD. IT HAS HELPED . I ALSO BUY BONELESS, SKINLESS CHICKEN TENDERS AND BOIL THEM WITH A LITTLE MRS DASH AND HE LOVES IT..

Re: Colitis in Dogs

I just wanted to add that Slippery Elm is also good for humans. The powdered form can be put in boiled water for tea. It is fabulous for soothing irritated bowels and intestinal problems due to flu. It was interesting for me to hear of it as a cure for pooches too. But certainly, why not? One can see its coating power as soon as one puts it in the hot water; it forms a gelatinous substance, but is so wholesome and light tasting. Its sort of a sassafrass tea flavor. Also, I definatly agree with the previous comments about Food! being the problem behind many conditions with our animals. I just was web-surfing about this the other day. Those "meat by-products" contain euthanized shelter pets!! So I have now found real food recipes and intend to start preparing my first batch this weekend. Perhaps my girl, Tasha won't throw up like she has always done for years, Goodness. I felt so betrayed by the commercial food companies: pet owners buy this stuff with love and good intentions and are being duped by a heinous lethal product. We must be very careful of these supposedly helpful time-savers. They have an alterior motive: cheap and without a care of conscience or quality.

Re: Colitis in Dogs

I just wanted to add that diet is a big thing with dogs. Our male chow mix was diagnosed with anal gland cancer and lived longer than any of the vets who treated him due to his diet and meds. We did lose him but he lived a great life.
I am a distributor of Flint River Ranch all natural pet food for dogs and cats and I can tell you from experience that this food really helps. We had two dogs that had allergies and other kinds of stomach problems and after putting them on Flint River Ranch, the allergies were better and the stomach problems went away. I have noticed a change in their temperment also.....I have several clients who have had cats that were anti-social and after switching to FFR they became very nice cats. It also calms some dogs down who are very hyper. I have feeding this food to my pets for over 10 years and this product was never on the recall list. Contact me if you want more info.

Re: Colitis in Dogs

Re: perrischina's post: Yes, Blue Buffalo is a good quality food BUT be careful if you are dealing with loose bowels in your Pug. I switched my Pug to BB when the pet food scare happened a year ago. It actually GAVE her diarrheah. At first, she had pudding poops, then diarrheah, and then anal gland problems. I then switched her to Canidae and everything has been wonderful ever since. Canidae also has no artificial anything, no fillers and all the ingredients are either grown or raised in the USA so no worries about anything in the food coming from China.

Re: Colitis in Dogs

I work at a vet clinic, and for the past two months we have been seeing exceptionally high numbers of colitis/gastroenteritis in our patients. We're not sure what's causing it; it's almost like a "bug" is going around. My own dog even had it! It's so strange.

Re: Colitis in Dogs

Noticed the comments about slippery elm and have to agree it does work , especially with Pom's. Our baby who passd on last year was given slippery elm so I do know it works. Antibiotics are fine, and work for awhile but if you find a health food pet store the info you can get is just amazing. Our two pup Pom's are on Wellness Puppy food now, I changed them gradually from Iam's the one the breeder had them on and the change in their coats and energy has been great. I will keep them on Wellness, Solid Gold is also good, since I no longer trust what they put in our pets food. Our pets are way too precious to just feed them anything, that massive pet food recall and countless of deaths last year really gave me a good look at dog food I thought was the best. Alternative medicine is as good for our pets as it is for us.

Re: Colitis in Dogs

I have a pug too...and you know pugs are known for being four legged vacum cleaners. From day one, I have always given a small spoon ful of plain lowfat yoguart to my pug everyday. he also gets 1/2 a banana in the morning. As you know, you really have to watch pugs weight...so as soon as 8 months I cut feeding my pug to once a day only in the evening. He gets small treats and just the banana with yoguart in the morning and then 1 1/2 cup of dry pedigree for small breeds with the yoguart again. My pug has had perfect bowls since he was 8 weeks old. The slippery elm is also good but the yoguart is more accessible. You can also try canned pumpkin. Again, just spoon a little in food and it is also good for the digestion and bowls. Good luck, love your PUG, I know I do.

Re: Colitis in Dogs

My Pom has liver problem and I was told to add yogurt and canned pumpkin to her diet. She got tired of eating the canned pumpkin alone so I added it to Vanilla Yogurt, blend it in a blender, pour into small paper cups and freeze it as frosty treats. She loves it. Pumpkin yogurt frosty paws. Yummy.

Re: Colitis in Dogs

wow, I know this may sound stupid But my chow/ridgeback mix gets that to should I take her to the vet? she is larger than a pom and pug she is about 47 pounds, should I change her food?
it doesn't happen all the time But she's gettin' up there in age so I worry about my baby
any advice?
thanks

Re: Colitis in Dogs

This has been very interesting. Ido not have a dog at this time, our beloved Pooh Bear passed away and we are not quite ready yet. We will be visiting shelters when we are, tho. I am interested in the Red River??? dog food that someone mentioned for the future. His name did not offer any clues as to his geographical whereabouts. I live in Maryland. By the way, I have a relative who has irritable bowel disease, do you suppose tha slippery elm stuff would help? Thanks. LazyH

Re: Colitis in Dogs

Just scrolled back, and its Flint River Ranch so I guess that is Michigan. Sorry I have a faulty memory.

Re: Colitis in Dogs

hI MY CAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND WHAT WORKED WAS BENEFICIAL BACTERIA THAT IS FOUND IN YOGURT. fOR ANIMAL AND NOW HUMANS YOU CAN PURCHACE IT IN TUBE OR CAPSULES. i GOT MINE AT PETSMART OR YOU CAN FIND IT ON DRS. FOSTER AND SMITH WEB SITE-A PET SUPPLIER. wHAT I USE IS CALLED BENE-BAC. THEN I ALSO CHANGED HE DIET TO WELLNESS FOOD BECAUSE ALL THE VET PRESCRIPTION DIETS THAT WERE SUPPOSE TO HELP HIM MADE HIM HAVE ATTACKS. oR ANY DOG FOOD THAT IS HOLISTIC AND NATURAL. THIS WORKED FOR MY CAT AND I HOPE IT WORKS FOR YOUR DOG. mY CAT HAS NOT HAD DIAHREA SINCE EXCEPT WHEN HE GETS INTO WHAT HE IS NOT SUPPOSE TO HAVE

Re: Colitis in Dogs to LazyH

Slippery Elm is being used by herbalists for IBS. Your relative will need to talk to a CERTIFIED herbalist or holistic healer for dosage details.

Re: Colitis in Dogs

My Junior used to have colitis, I started giving him vanilla yogurt every day for lunch and it really helped. Don't use the lite, or the artifically sweetened, use the real stuff.

Re: Colitis in Dogs

My female Maltese has this stuff, too. I put her on antibiotics for 10 days, and that did the trick for about a month, and now she has it again. She is 9. She also has has a surgery for bladder stones, and since then, she has been gaining weight like crazy. She was always about 9 lbs, and is now around 15! Does anyone have any idea what could have caused this? Also, I had been feeding both my Maltese doggies BENEFUL. Now, both of them are sick. My male has Cushings and diabetes, and like I said, my female has other problems. There is a class action lawsuit out against Purina. It also lists many other dog foods on that site. Here is the site address:

http://hubpages.com/hub/Beneful_Class_Action_Lawsuit

Please take a look at it, and read the whole thing! You will never feed your dog these foods again. I have started feeding my dogs, chicken breast, rice, albacore tuna, and Halo dog food. You can get Halo at PetSmart. My dogs have also suffered from tear staining from day one. Since I have been feeding them the chicken breasts, they NO LONGER HAVE IT!
Thanks for listening!
Laura