Thank you. There is no teaching hospital in WV, but both PA and OH have them. Here's a link for Ohio:

http://www.vet.ohio-state.edu/hospital.htm

And, the phone number:

(XXX) XXX-XXXX

This one is for Pennsylvania:

http://www.vet.upenn.edu/RyanHospital.aspx

(XXX)XXX.XXXX

I hope you're able to get in quickly and find the source of your collie's symptoms, and that it will be something easily treated. I've never been disappointed in the quality of care when I've used a veterinary teaching hospital's services. I hope you have the same experience. If you have more questions, just let me know by clicking on REPLY.

Anna

(If you've found my answer helpful, please click once on ACCEPT. Thank you.)

Often, when the stool turns white, it's because of something the dog ate. However, in some cases, it can be an indication of a kidney problem. Other times, no cause can be found for it. You asked earlier if your dog could be seriously ill. I have to be honest with you - she could be. What's important is to get to the source of the problem and get proper treatment started.

One more question - did your vet do complete bloodwork on her?

Anna

I believe you need to get a second opinion as soon as you can. If you can't get to a teaching hospital, I would make an appointment with a different vet in your city.

Because your dog is your baby, I thought you'd like to know that the food you're giving her isn't very good. The dog food companies want us to believe they're providing the best for our dogs, but many of them are not. Kibbles and Bits is full of artificial colors and other poor ingredients. I'm going to give you a link to a very reputable site that has all kinds of feeding guidelines, including a guide to choosing the best dog foods. Big name brands don't necessarily mean good. You can read the information here and decide for yourself:

http://www.dogaware.com/dogfeeding.html

There is also a whole section on the above site on feeding dogs with kidney disease, if it turns out you need that information.

For a quick summary, you want a food that has specific types of meat in the first couple of ingredients listed, for example “chicken meal,” not “meat meal.” Grains and vegetables should be whole grains and complete vegetables. Fragments, such as brewer’s rice, beet pomace, and gluten are not as nutritious. The more organic ingredients, the better, but you’ll also find those foods that contain a lot of certified organic ingredients are more expensive.

The quality brands include Solid Gold, Innova, California Natural, Castor & Pollux, Canidae, Eagle Pack, Old Mother Hubbard, and Evanger’s. You should be able to find some of these in larger pet stores. Some vets sell them, too. Solid Gold and Old Mother also make healthy treats. California Natural and Innova make biscuits. There are many other great brands, but they may be harder to find in pet stores, so you’d have to order online. The Whole Dog Journal, a respected magazine which accepts no advertising, does a lot of the work of selecting foods with quality ingredients. Each year, they publish lists of foods that meet their very strict requirements. You can see the 2008 list at this site:

http://www.geocities.com/rottndobie/wholedogjournal.html

I have used Solid Gold, California Natural, and Old Mother Hubbard with my own dogs with good results in the past. (When I retired, I began cooking for them.) Spots Stew is a great canned food I’ve used, but they don’t make a dry food.

Once again, if you need anything else, or have more questions after reading the above information, just let me know. Collies are such special dogs to me, and I want to do everything I can to help yours.

Anna

If the information I've given you is helpful, please click once on accept. I don't get paid until you do. You can continue to ask follow-up questions after clicking on accept at no additional charge, just by clicking on reply. Thank you.