• Yes, i've started withholding food. Last he ate was this morning, fed him raw. I'm going to wait until tomorrow.

    I have plenty of water for him. I'm planning on bringing in a stool sample if this continues.


  • What type of diet would be recommended when I start him back up on food?

    Currently I feed him raw (chicken-based) for one of his meals per day, and grain-free kibble for the other.

    I guess the thing that concerns me is how he attempts to eat it (which i'm sure he actually did while I was away today). Is that just part of him trying to hide it or keeping his environment clean? I assumed so, but I hate to assume.

  • First Basenji's

    For a basic bland diet, I like to make a chicken-rice congee. Lean chicken breast, no fat. No salt, no other additives, but simmer it for long enough (say, 30 minutes with constant stirring), and the chicken flavor infuses the rice and makes it yummy enough for human consumption (I usually make enough for the dogs and myself; for the human serving, I add in a little powdered chicken broth, top it off with just a squirt of sesame oil and white pepper, and eat it with salty sides like kim chee, seaweed salad, fermented tofu, spicy bamboo, salted nuts, etc.). Leftover rice is good for this, but you can start from uncooked grains too.


  • for bland, I use ground turkey or chicken boiled, then pour off the water and mix with rice, best to use white rice and it is easier to digest then brown (so they say)…


  • our boys do this every now and then. we found that tap water vs. bottled water MIGHT make a difference…. ie: when we run out of bottled water and use tap they get very loose.. we tried the pumpkin and that some times helps sometimes not. i give them imodium sometimes if it is really bad(with directions/amounts/blessings from the vet... i know some dont agree. it works for us)
    i also know when they get all excitd(rabbit chasing on walks.. they dont actually get to catch them, and squirrels, leaves, other dogs out walking or people, bikes, etc...) they can get loose stools... and when they have been kenneled at the vet while we are gone does it... hummm they are a bit sensitive... we just work it out...
    there are some treats that seem to mess with them too. i dont let them have them often and in very small amounts... good luck.
    i HATE to clean that up. we bought a mini carpet steam cleaner and carpet cleaner from a professional.
    ps we did have the stools tested.. .they were negative for anything...


  • Thanks for the tips. 🙂

    This is the first he's had loose stools like this, normally he'd get the occasional semi-loose stool from anxiety, but that stopped once I started him on raw.

    This has been fun cleaning up after. He's had the urge to go pretty much every 45 minutes. He has no problem holding it overnight, but there's obviously something irritating him to go frequently when he's up. There hasn't been any more vomiting, so that must have been from having an empty stomach.

    I'll call the vet this morning and see if they recommend something like Imodium. I seem to recall that being recommended with previous dogs, but it's always best to check.

    I guess i'm happy he can get a full nights sleep in without too much of a fuss. Helps both of us.


  • I have used Immodium for mine, with vet's recommendation, and it does help, but takes a day or so - also, after keeping food away for 24 hours, I've boiled ground chicken and rice together, and added a little cottage cheese once they start eating again. If that doesn't firm up the stool, the vet needs to see him and a stool sample. Mine have not had the vomiting with the diahrrea, so that may be a matter of no food in his stomach, or something else. I wouldn't let it go more than 3-4 days without vet being called.


  • Yea, I spoke with the vet this morning. They said 36 hours isn't a big concern, but if he doesn't respond well to the bland diet, then bring in a stool sample, which I of course agreed.

    He's gone 24 hours without food and does appear to be doing better. He had a quick spell of loose stools this morning around 7am, but now 3 hours later he hasn't had a single accident (it was very frequent yesterday). I've given him some white rice just now to help settle his stomach and will boil up some ground beef (recommended by my vet) and mix in with some more rice later today.

    Let's hope this was some sort of quick bug or something. He does appear to be acting normal at least (soaking up the sun). 🙂


  • Because I fear pancreatitis and other serious issues, I'd always take a sample in just to be sure.


  • @DebraDownSouth:

    Because I fear pancreatitis and other serious issues, I'd always take a sample in just to be sure.

    If it continues after today, I will without a doubt bring in a sample.

    Fortunately his accidents have stopped. I'm hoping the rice will help solidify things and he will improve further. He's not throwing up either. I believe he only threw up once and that had to have been because of an empty stomach (which is common for him if he goes without food for more than 10-12 hours).

    I know my vet recommended trying the bland diet and see if it improves, if not, bring in a sample. He doesn't appear to be in pain either. I can pick him up without a fuss and checked to see if he was in pain anywhere.


  • @Kananga:

    Yea, I spoke with the vet this morning. They said 36 hours isn't a big concern, but if he doesn't respond well to the bland diet, then bring in a stool sample, which I of course agreed.

    He's gone 24 hours without food and does appear to be doing better. He had a quick spell of loose stools this morning around 7am, but now 3 hours later he hasn't had a single accident (it was very frequent yesterday). I've given him some white rice just now to help settle his stomach and will boil up some ground beef (recommended by my vet) and mix in with some more rice later today.

    Let's hope this was some sort of quick bug or something. He does appear to be acting normal at least (soaking up the sun). 🙂

    Be sure to get "lean ground beef"… again, I like to use the really lean ground turkey, boil in water, drain off and mix with the rice


  • Why is it when dogs feel better they feel the need to be more mischievous than usual?

    Well, at least I know he's doing better. :rolleyes:


  • No accidents in over 24 hours, stools are starting to firm up. Looks like it was just something minor, fortunately. Glad it wasn't anything serious. 🙂


  • More updates… accidents came back, must have had that break because of the 24 hour fast, so I took in a stool sample this morning. Results were minor, basically the balance of bad and good bacteria was inverted, so they prescribed Metronidazole and said to just keep him on the bland diet until his stools firm up. At least we ruled out anything else that might have been bad.


  • Yea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • First Basenji's

    Ah, dog owners… strange folks who will cheer over poop. 🙂


  • @Kananga:

    Why is it when dogs feel better they feel the need to be more mischievous than usual?

    First really glad they found out what is wrong.

    For the above, when we got Cara she was a little sick. Once she felt better all hell broke loose. My daughter said "Can't we make her sick again?" LOL.

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