Diarrhea Meds Finally

I don't react too much to the dog getting the runs. It happens. It's either a disagreeable food item, or it's stress colitis from the all-year-round thunderstorms. It happens once a month, and usually a one-time thing that isn't too worrying. I up the probiotics and fibre. Often, it resolves itself in a day or two. There'll only be a few cases when I dash to the doctor's — hopefully never — when the shitspolosions are accompanied by severe vomitting, stomach bloat, strawberry jam mucus poop or blood, black liquid or yellow/green/grey, or worms seen.

However, over the weekend, I made an appointment at the vet clinic for a consultation. Choya had been having the runs on and off since the beginning of the month. Eliminating certain foods from her diet didn't clear it up. It was confusing because in between her poop would be ideal solids. Over last weekend, pooping four times within 12 hours pushed my tolerance limits, considering that she had it on and off every two days for the past 11 days. I always observe Choya's diarrhea. I do not want it to worsen into clostridial enterotoxicosis that typically causes sudden bloody stomach and intestinal inflammation and eventually the dreaded acute hemorrhagic gastroenteritis that could lead to a dog's death. The mucus this round indicated that her GI tract was highly inflamed. So off we went to the vet in the evening. 

At that juncture, she hadn't had any vomiting episodes, and there weren't any worrying signs in the shitsplosions. (Yes, this Momma digs through poop and stares at them rather often.) She was still perky and cheerful, she has appetite, hydrates normally and hasn't got a fever. She has been anxious though, from the thunderstorms. Going by her previous medical records, the doctor didn't think a blood test or a stool sample was necessary yet. It's possible that there could be a breakthrough parasitic infection. I'd never know unless a fecal PCR and a gastrointestinal panel are done. Choya hadn't lost weight. The doctor did an external check. No fever, no bloat, no marked area of pain. It was a good long chat with the doctor. I totally appreciated that. 

Came home with a cocktail of meds. I had to ask the doctor if this round was too much antibiotics within 12 months after her last round in May. And antibiotics to treat diarrhea or GI infections when those could result in diarrhea for dogs??? 

The doctor reassured me that it was okay. She normally wouldn't prescribe antibiotics for diarrhea like this, but since it had going on for two weeks, it didn't sound like food intolerance was the culprit, she would rather be a bit more cautious. I sighed and came back to do more research. 

There were antibiotics for 10 days (metronidazole, specifically for gastrointestinal issues), antidiarrheals (to take maybe twice for three times, and stop when the runs cease), and a gut soother (famotidine). The doctor is inclined to support a theory of a bacterial infection, likely a strain of clostridium. (From cooked and raw food, rainwater, grass, soil, other dogs, and pretty much anything.) It might be stress colitis initially, which would explain the solids in between, but exacerbated by a bacterial invasion later on. Of course without a stool sample sent to the lab, we won't know for sure. But an overgrowth of clostridium is the main culprit of causing severe diarrhea in dogs. 

I most certainly am not against medicating dogs, as long as the dosage is coherent. I'm certain that her vaccines and antibodies are working to rid the bacterial invasion, but they definitely need some extra help this round. I'm so thankful that Choya is vaccinated against leptospirosis. Should she get an infection, it would be mild, but antibiotics would still be needed. That virus could cause acute hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, and death. *shudder 

I stopped the antidiarrheals after three dosages, 1.5 days in. This is the sixth day of antibiotics; they'll continue will mid next week. The gut-soother as well. That goes on for 10 days in total. Her first super solid poop came on Day 3 of the antibiotics. Whewwwww. You can't even imagine how relieved I was to see it. The weather has eased a little. At least the crackling thunder isn't accompanying the monsoon rains for now, and Choya is less stressed. 

Took the darling out on a cloudy day for a picnic.
She happily laid on my foot and snoozed.