Diarrhea

This is an unpleasant subject but it is something all pet owners have to deal with from time to time. Every animal has diarrhea from time to time but when it is extreme or doesn't clear up then we need to do something to help.

When we first moved to Florida, we had Beau and Pepper. Pepper, the lab mix, belongs to my youngest step-daughter and is now living with her again.

The first couple of months in Florida, both dogs kept having diarrhea off and on. I would give them a generic immodium tablet once or twice a day and it would clear up for a while only to come back later. I took a stool sample in to have a vet check it for parasites and none were found. I could have put them on prescription diet I/D which is a bland food but with two big dogs, it would have cost me a small fortune.

Luckily I met a woman with a golden doodle at the park where we were staying who had had the same problem. She had given her dog two tablespoons of canned pumpkin once a day and after a few days, the stool had gone back to normal. It is very important to not give more than two tablespoons a day because more will give your dog diarrhea. If you have a small dog, you will want to cut the amount.

I started giving both dogs two tablespoons of pumpkin once a day and the problem went away. Both dogs thought it was a real treat and ate it right off the spoon.

About this same time I was watching "It's Me Or The Dog" on the Animal Planet and Victoria, the dog trainer, was giving diet advice. She recommended mixing a raw egg in the dogs food every day to help keep the stool solid. Once I started doing this, Beau and Pepper rarely ever had the diarrhea problem again.

One of the side benefits to giving the egg every day was the change in their coats. Pepper's black fur became extremely shiny and she almost glowed. The first words out of everyone's mouth when they touch Beau is they cannot believe how soft his fur is. Most shepards have very wiry hair and his was too but the egg changed the texture and people are amazed when they pet him now.

If you are having a problem with your dog or cat and need a diarrhea solution immediately, you can give either one of them Kaopectate. With the cats, I use an old syringe and give them 3 ccs every 6 to 8 hours. The average weight of a cat is 9-10 lbs so you can figure out the dosage for your dog from there.

The only safe diarrhea medicine to give your cat that I know of is Kaopectate. Cats' systems are much more sensitive than dogs so before giving anything other than Kaopectate, you must check with your vet to find out if it will help your cat or hurt it.

For my dogs, I have found it is much easier to buy the Immodium tablets and treat them this way. For a big dog, I give one tablet when I see the problem with a little bit of peanut butter or cheese. If the diarrhea doesn't clear up by evening, then I give a second tablet. Do not give more than two tablets a day without checking with your vet.

For a small dog under 30 lbs I would give 1/2 tablet no more than twice a day.

You don't have to use the Immodium brand, I bought the Equate brand at Wal Mart in a bottle at a fraction of the cost.