My litter of 5 golden retrievers (6 & a half weeks old) broke out of their enclosure while I was away yesterday. They got into the pantry and got into a bag of whole wheat flour. They all had some diarhhea last night and all are ok except one. He now has bloody loose stools. He's still drinking water and acting OK but I'm worried about the blood. I have on hand Pepto Bismal, natural yogurt, pedialite. I'm feeding the other pups brown rice and chicken but have not given him any yet. What should I do?
Welcome to JustAnswer! I am a licensed veterinarian and would be glad to help!
Using history alone it is difficult to rule-out other causes, but the history would support a colitis.The inflammation and irritation of the intestines causes fluid buildup into the intestines, resulting in diarrhea. There are times when the patient does not feel well as a result, then also vomits.Due to the good blood supply to the intestines, when the colon is irritated, frank blood and mucous may be noted in the diarrhea as wellThe inflammation of the intestinal tract here is likely from dietary indiscretionIf the signs continue, your veterinarian may prescribe an antibiotic called Metronidazole (LINK HERE) which is a great medication for non specific cases of colitis similar to this.Other common therapies to consider for a colitis include:1) One option would be a veterinary prescription bland diet called Hill’s I/D (LINK HERE) or Hill’s W/D (LINK HERE) which is higher in fiber.The second option would be a home-cooked bland diet. A common bland diet is boiled white rice and either boiled white meat chicken or boiled hamburger. Whichever protein source is chosen (chicken or hamburger) it is recommended to offer a mixture of 2/3 rice and 1/3 of the protein source.If the diet is tolerated, and once clinical improvement is seen, it is recommended to SLOWLY transition back to the normal diet.When you start to transition to the normal diet, you can initially offer a food mixture with the majority being the boiled rice and meat and have a small amount of normal dog food mixed in.2) Pedialyte for hydration - LINK HERE3) Probiotics can also be considered - LINK HERE or LINK HEREPepto Bismol would not be considered.If you have any follow-up questions - please do not hesitate to ask!Otherwise - please remember to click ACCEPT. If we have exited the chat session, you may click a “Happy Face” followed by “Submit”.Find me any time if needed: http://www.justanswer.com/veterinary/expert-criticalcarevetYou can always request me through my profile, bookmark my page for future help, or beginning your question with “For CriticalCareVet”
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Is low fat yogurt a probiotic? I don't have access to a vet tonight and I'm very worried about the frequent bloody stools.