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Digestive issues

Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  • F

    My boy Finn will be a year old in late December and has had digestive issues pretty consistently since he was around 4-5 months. His stools are almost always pretty soft (except first thing in the morning they're usually a little firmer) and he's had intermittent bouts of diarrhea.

    He's also a very finicky eater and I can't tell if it's just because he's picky or if it's because he feels sick a lot of the time. Sometimes he'll eat his whole bowl when I set it out but other days he just grazes throughout the day. Other days I'll notice by 3 or 4 PM he still won't have even touched it. I know a lot of people on this forum are against letting their dogs "graze" but I've been letting him do it just for now because I want him to eat on his own terms and when he's up to it if he isn't feeling well. Probably I'll start being more strict about it when I find a food that he does well on.

    My breeder had him on Nature's Recipe and he did OK on it but eventually started rejecting it. I switched him to Innova hoping he'd respond better to a higher quality food and he loved it but his stools got very soft. I then tried a grain-free salmon and sweet potato based food and he completely would not eat it. It was so bad that some days he just would not eat at all and then would vomit up bile because his stomach was so empty so I switched him back to Innova for a bit and now am trying Nutro. Innova is the only food that he never refuses to eat but I think it makes his stools the worst.

    I brought this up with my vet a month ago and she did a fecal test for parasites and all came back negative. She told me to just keep him on the Innova for 4-6 weeks and not give him anything extra, so no bully sticks or treats. At about four weeks in he isn't any better, although I have slipped up with the treats a little–peanut butter on his kong toy every once in a while and pieces of apple for good behavior :)

    Otherwise he seems to be in great health. His coat and skin look great and he's FULL of energy.

    Any advice you can give me is much appreciated. Any tips on doing an elimination diet? Or tests I should demand from my vet?

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    DebraDownSouthD
    The FDA can only do what the laws allow and if the govt is controlled by lobbyist, well.... But this isn't the place for politics so I'll leave it at that. I am very sorry about your horse. :( With meat.. it's particularly red meat that research is linking to cancer... early research shows amount is a big factor (recommendations from 4 oz a day to max 18 oz a week), but who knows. Processed meat is the worse, and I saw some headline (didn't bother to read since I like my beef shortly after it stops mooing) that well done steaks more carcinogenic. For the world, reducing red meat is good for the environment and health. I was reading a study last week on red meat and joint inflammation. Studies the last 15 years actually only have general connection, but that most do is a pretty good indicator. I had a doctor tell me to stop all red meat and milk when I was a teen and experiencing joint pain. It helped, but back then, no internet and not much access to current research. Here we are 45+ years later, and still no strong proof and some show that reducing carbs with increased LEAN red meat actually decreased inflammation. However, we then get this Science Catch-up. Red Meat And Gut Inflammation: Harvard Study ... https://thehealthsciencesacademy.org/science-catch-up/science-catch-up-28/ Jan 18, 2017 - Red meat and gut inflammation: Harvard study. According this new Harvard study involving 46,500 participants, eating high amounts of red meat daily might be a risk factor for gut inflammation and the development of diverticulitis. << So no one has absolute proof, but my money is on reducing red meat is more likely to be healthier than not. I just don't rule out all meat (ie fish and fowl) as getting enough protein is pretty hard and we don't have enough hard research for ME to go vegetarian. But I'm open to it and glad you are having success.
  • E

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  • B

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    How old is your dog? I would take her to a specialty clinic or university clinic that would have both a neurologist and an orthopedist. My 1 year old deaf rescue girl who is a herding/spitz mix has shuffling feet, tremors, and other problems. She was seen first by the neurologist and they suggested x-rays and more testing. My regular vet did take x-rays of the neck, back and hips. I took her to an orthopedist to review the x-rays. Since she was a stray they do not know what caused the problem but it was suggested distemper or perhaps another infectious disease. I just took her to an opthalmologist and her eyes are good but she does have sensitivity to light. Distemper almost always causes eye problems. The specialists are suggesting an MRI of the back, neck and a spinal tap for her. If your dog was adopted as a puppy or an older pup, I would check with the Humane Society to see if she may have had distemper or some other disease. Did she have an accident where she might have injured her back or neck? You might want to look into getting a doggy wheelchair since she has good movement in her front legs. I am sorry for the problems your girl is having and I hope you find out what is causing it. Jennifer
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    @tanza: These kinds of problems are not uncommon when your Basenjis start to reach their "golden" years. You might want to try him on Dr. Dodd's liver cleansing diet. http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/Liver%20cleansing%20diet.htm Many have used it and had great results regardless of what you find out the issue might be. Good Suggestion Pat as I had an older B with liver issues in 2008 and that diet brought it down into normal range.
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    You know, at his age (and in my opinion) any elder dog, the goal is to get them to eat and keep them eating… so I don't stress out about kcal's too much particularly since I use Vit Supplements.
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