# Loose stools on raw



## Greybeard (Jul 26, 2012)

Hello to all of the raw food advocates. I am new to this site. My search engine for my latest concern brought me to this blog. Thanks to all of you who, a while back, answered the concern of an owner who found blood in his/her dog's loose stool. I can't tell you what a relief it is to hear the voices of experience, as I am new to feeding raw bones to my IW. I am looking forward to our future ongoing exchange of ideas/opinions. Sorry to get off topic here, but I am really relieved to have my wolfhound off processed kibble, and this is just the support one needs to move onward!


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## kathylcsw (Jul 31, 2011)

Welcome! This is a great place for support for raw feeders. There are some very knowledgeable people here who are really helpful too. Wow I bet an IW eats a lot!


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## KittyKat (Feb 11, 2011)

Glad to have a fellow sighthound owner on board.


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

:welcome: we don't see many pictures of Irish Wolfhounds! I for one would love to see a few of your lucky pet!


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

KittyKat said:


> Glad to have a fellow sighthound owner on board.


Yeah, there's not many of us! lol. We need pics.


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## Greybeard (Jul 26, 2012)

Great to meet you all. I'll post a couple of my pics of 13 month old Caydance in a few days. Right now I'm losing sleep over her diarrhea. I could sure use some input. I started her just recently on the raw diet and she was doing great. Tuesday she got into another puppy's kibble food (had to drag her away) at work. Since Wednesday, she's had diarrhea with blood. I can't fast her - she's on prednisone. I'm feeding 2 chicken backs when she takes her medicine. She should be eating at least twice as much and would if I'd let her - no problem with appetite with this girl! My veterinarian is not an advocate of the raw diet, to put it mildly.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

may i ask why she's on prednisone?

how much does she weigh?

how much are you feeding her?

what are you feeding her?

is she only eating chicken backs for her diet so far, which is fine? or is she getting other food, besides the illegal puppy kibble....

welcome and don't worry. we'll work it out.

sometimes it's the dog, sometimes it's the owner error and sometimes it's the meds.


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## Greybeard (Jul 26, 2012)

Thank you for responding. The veterinarians involved term her condition "immune mediated thrombocytopenia". Her weight has been fluctuating from 108-114. I was feeding her 4 backs at a meal or 4-5 chicken wings after the diarrhea first started up. So currently, this morning I have given her about a cup of cooked rice with 1/2 cup cooked chicken to try to ease her tummy. Prior to the morning meal, I gave her 1 Tbsp kaopectate, at the meal 2 pepcids, after the meal her prednisone. Which doggie diet do you prefer?


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

:usa::usa::usa::usa::usa::usa:


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## Greybeard (Jul 26, 2012)

I don't think I'm going to be very popular with my answer, but here goes. I decided to try the BARF diet with her starting a couple of weeks ago. She looked like she transitioned beautifully. 60% meaty bones and juiced the vegetables, giving her the fiber with some of the juice. I mixed in 1 Tbsp. of the Platinum vitamins, a little probiotic/prebiotic, and 1 T. Brewer's yeast. I was occasionally adding an egg yolk. The vegetables were primarily squash, celery, carrots, yam - approx. 1 1/2 cups. I would give her the legs (2) or wings (4) - all chicken. This she would get 2x per day.
I haven't been weighing her food. I'm guessing that you feed strickly bones, so you don't have to figure in the lighter weight vegetables as far as quantity.
My daughter suggested the bovine colostrum - I hadn't heard of this before she mentioned it. I picked up the infant pedialyte this morning. How much of each and when to give?
How much slippery elm bark and what form and when?
Just 24 hours on the broth - or shorter?
I do have a scale. 
My poor hound is at my mercy. I have good intentions - and you know what they say about "good intentions". I am open to all ideas. The only thing I am sure about is that kibble is a bad idea for long term good health.
If I give her just the broth while she is taking prednisone, won't that give stomach upset as well?


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

i have nothing against barf, so you'll not be unpopular with me.

however, i think when you're transitioning a dog to raw, it's easier on the dog's system to transition one thing at a time, which is why we recommend getting the proteins in first.

so i would recommend stopping the veggies, which can cause the runs...and stick with just chicken for now.

now that you said that....i would change my recommendation...

just feed her the bony chicken and the slippery elm. hold off on the broth and the veggies and the pedialyte for now.....

let's get her on a good probiotic and bovine colostrum.....i get mine online and in capsule form. my 40 lb corgi gets one capsule every 12 hours for two or three days...no longer than 3 days...

i believe your culprit is the egg and the extra stuff you're giving her whilst at the same time trying to transition to raw.

let's simplify for the next few months....and intro protein by protein until she adapts and transitions. then you can add in the eggs and the vitamins...not brewer's yeast, tho.....icky stuff..


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

with all that you're feeding her, you're overfeeding the veggie mix and supps and underfeeding the protein.

you're asking her to adapt to a whole lot of different types of food....best to intro one thing at a time, if that makes sense.

all of our poor hounds are at our mercy.....

she needs approximately 26 ounces of food to start....chicken only. bony chicken...

so backs and quarters...you can feed them over a few feedings per day, if you want...she'll be fine.

as she adapts....we'll intro other proteins....and when you're done the animal and fish and poultry proteins, we'll intro organs, and then we can slowly add in veggies to the mix...

but the prebiotic/probiotic...keep that..and get bovine colostrum and slippery elm.....

i have a feeling she will right herself when you stop the extras...for now.


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## Greybeard (Jul 26, 2012)

Holy moly! I was checking the other postings regarding bovine colostrum - I see that is is useful for treating immune problems! along with diarrhea. But I'll bet you knew that! I like what you're suggesting... Looks like 1 1/2 tsp of the slippery elm (from capsules?). 
How much colostrum?
How did you feel about the kaopectate and Pepcid? I'll head over to Whole Foods, again....


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

don't know if you'll find bovine colostrum there.....since you have a prebiotic/probiotic, that's good.

i buy my bovine colostrum on line, but if you have a vitamin shopper, i am pretty sure they carry it.

i give my dog one capsule....per day...

for your dog, i'd give what the instructions say to give an adult human.

i don't much care for kaopectate nor pepcid...i get why you're using pepcid because of the prednisone, that is such a bear on the gastric system, so i can see why you would use it.

i suggest you post in holistics to see if there is something less pharmaceutical for an acid reducer...like pepcid...kaopectate merely suppresses symptoms...

you feeding raw and simplifying her diet will help her immune system tremendously.


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## Greybeard (Jul 26, 2012)

I've posted to holistics, so we'll see... called Whole Foods - they have the bovine colostrum...back in a while. thanks! 

Day 2: Whole Foods had 4 different bovine colostrum brands to choose from - 3 capsule and 1 powder. I chose the powder - easier to scoop out with a measuring spoon. Also picked up the slippery elm. Gave these (half the dosage) and prebiotics/probiotics with her dinner. Still giving some Kaopectate in between meals. The good news: no poops for the rest of last night and into early afternoon today. She seems a little more energetic. Bad news - she had a run of diarrhea mid afternoon. Great news - no blood! Frequency with the diarrhea has been greatly reduced. My hubby and I had a huge discussion on what she should eat during this time. He is not a proponent of raw. We compromised and she is getting cooked chicken only until things settle down. 26 oz. cooked throughout the day. I truly believe in prebiotics/probiotics after all of this.

Thoughts, anyone?


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