Digestive Enzymes required?

[ConfusedPuppy]

Hi again,

Sorry for my late reply regarding the update. The results for his Addison's test came back late last evening. He is thankfully NOT Addisonian (typical/atypical) so no need to dose with prednisone for his cortisol. I am really relieved about this.

Therefore his diarrhea issues are solely due to SIBO. And since whenever he is off the antibiotics (we were prescribed metro at the time), he is relapsing... they have decided to treat with Tylan and then taper off and hope he will be good. We have also been prescribed the use of probiotics to be used in the afternoon (Proviable).

We have been told to try fiber as well - but it was a choice left up to us. I am wondering if anyone thinks this is a good idea?

This might be TMI (for those that don't like to read about poop, I would add a disclaimer to not read further).

We tried Tylan since Wednesday evening onwards and his first stools in 24 hours on Thursday evening have been formed, segmented (no diarrhea) - just a bit "sticky" or "moist" but no mucus or anything like that. The poop most certainly does not leave a residue on the grass at all. So maybe I am just perplexed by that little bit of texture issue. Is this something that will resolve over time along with the B12 shots. He received his first B12 shots this past Tuesday.


Thanks in advance for reading and appreciate all the help and resources put forth here! This site has been a godsend for us.

[Tuckaboo Pam]

Hi There---

I have read that metro can really mess with the gut, so I'm glad they are off it.

Two things---Introduce Proviable slowly. Maybe less than half the dose at first, and gradually build up to the recommended dose in a few days. Giving the entire amount from the start can cause diarrhea.

---When it is time to stop the Tylan, do that slowly, too. Wean them off it. Olesia has a good routine for this.

A good fiber to feed is canned pumpkin. Good for the belly, too.

---Pam

[ConfusedPuppy]

Hi Pam,

Thanks for taking the time to reply to my post! I really appreciate that. My boy can handle the proviable paste quite well (I assume because of the clay). The pills have always been a mixed bag - we will try to start slow. We will make sure to wean him off the tylan slowly - I will keep this in mind and speak to my vet about it.

My boy can't tolerate pumpkin of any kind. I have tried pure pumpkin (not pie filling) and even a little bit and it caused loose stools. I have also tried to make my own pumpkin puree and the same result

I have had much better success with psyllium husks with my boy - he has been on it before. Do you or anyone else have any idea if we can still try that out? And is too much fiber a concern?

Also does anyone have any experience with s boulardii? I was recommended this soil based probiotic alongside Tylan.

Thanks again to everyone...
Samantha

[Tuckaboo Pam]

Well, that's all I've got, so I'll look forward to following your guy's progress. Thinking of you---Pam

[ConfusedPuppy]

Hi again,

I have changed the subject of my thread to SIBO/SID from digestive enzymes needed because it has been concluded by all of you and the vet that he doesn't have EPI. I am sorry if I am still lingering around in this forum and bothering everyone else with the SID/SIBO questions.

My question now would relate to diet for SIBO/SID. My boy has always been on chicken protein based foods since he was a puppy (8 weeks old). Last year he had on/off digestive issues after eating rotten bones of god knows what in late January.... And so the vet thought he might possibly have a chicken protein allergy. We were then recommended RC hydrolyzed protein as part of a diet trial. We switched him to that late last May and he had small, formed poops throughout it. Then upon dietary challenge in mid August, we tried RC gastrointestinal formula (chicken protein based) which then started to contribute to his loose stools. We put him back on the RC hydrolyzed but unfortunately his symptoms did not improve.

However, we had also gone on a trip during this time and returned - so the vets and us are unsure if he truly has a chicken protein allergy. We then did a course of Metro (5 days) and then tried proviable paste after that. This kept him steady but he was making huge poops. After we stopped the proviable paste, he again had vomiting and diarrhea (yellowish, stinky etc). We did a 6 day course of Tylan and 10 day course of metro and panacur and it all cleared up. After the antibiotics, he needed a bit of psyllium husks not the powder! (1/2 tsp to each meal) added to his meals to keep his poops good and formed with the RC hydrolyzed protein food.

This past February when we left him with a pet sitter he had terrrible bad breath and bloating (which I mention in my first post) - he was only on his RC hydrolyzed food and here we are...

We have had a couple of dodgy bags of food delivered to us since December (bad smell) and we are looking to switch foods. I do not want to be fixing his issues and then have issues finding non-expired bags of kibble. My question would be for a condition like SIBO what sort of kibble is recommended? We also wonder if plain boiled white basmati rice is no longer helping his condition?? Is this something that is common with this condition? There is also chicken fat on the RC hydrolyzed kibble and we are wondering if we should also watch fat/fiber percentages - what would be good for SIBO/SID?

Sorry for the numerous questions. Really appreciate everyone's views, guidance and help here for my boy.

Thank you in advance and sorry for this long post
Samantha

[Eddiespaghetti]

The recommendations of food are mostly due to the enzymes. Since they don't need enzymes you don't need to worry about grain or fiber. That being said, I seem to have zero problems with Taste of the Wild. They have different meats you can try and see if it is a chicken intolerance.
I think what might be needed is a long course of Tylan, 45 days is the recommended length for EPI dogs. This might be what is needed for you. It is also possible they need to be on it for life, some dogs do.
Just because you are not dealing with EPI doesn't mean you can't be on the forums. There is some incredibly knowledgeable people here and I am sure they will help you with whatever you need.

[ConfusedPuppy]

The recommendations of food are mostly due to the enzymes. Since they don't need enzymes you don't need to worry about grain or fiber. That being said, I seem to have zero problems with Taste of the Wild. They have different meats you can try and see if it is a chicken intolerance.
I think what might be needed is a long course of Tylan, 45 days is the recommended length for EPI dogs. This might be what is needed for you. It is also possible they need to be on it for life, some dogs do.
Just because you are not dealing with EPI doesn't mean you can't be on the forums. There is some incredibly knowledgeable people here and I am sure they will help you with whatever you need.

Thank you so much for your reply. I am learning to use the forum functions properly (Apologies again, I feel like I am being a pest).

Thanks for the recommendation for Taste of the Wild. My golden will remain on the Tylan at least for the 45 days. I don't want to change too many variables as I know that can also cause issues and I have to be patient. But I am slightly frustrated with the QC of the RC hydrolyzed protein at the moment. I don't want to upset his GI tract any further if the feed will contribute to other GI issues but there is so many choices and I don't know what to start with.

Thanks again for the support, really, really can't stress how helpful this is.

Samantha