HELP - Sick Cappy :(

[marlowe'sgirl]

I agree with the trying different brands. It could just be something with Wellness that is not agreeing with him.

As for diarrhea, my little guy is soo sensitive to anything disruptive (too much excitement with friends [human or dog] or any car trip) that he'll get some loose stools. The only time his stool is really really solid is after 3 completely uneventful days.

As for food: On a good eating run, he eats 3 out of 4 meals. But if there's excitement, he might skip 2 whole days. A friend was taking care of his for a weekend and I had to talk her out of taking him to the vet for not eating. Sillly Havs. Remarkably, he's stayed the exact same weight over the past yr (he's 2.5 now), so his self regulation is amazing.

The latest worry - a bad rxn after giving him flea meds. I used the same stuff last year and he was okay. But this year (yup flea season has started), he didn't eat for 3 days. His stomach was making all kinds of noise. When we went outside he was focused on eating grass. We went to the dog park after I thought he was feeling better, and for the first time ever, he growled at the other dogs. He went crazy barking at this one french bulldog - acting like a vicious dog. It was unbelievable. Usually, he's the silent dog that plays with everyone. The regulars there had never heard his bark. I've never seen such a personality change. Anyway - it took a week, but he's back to his old self. But I'm not sure what to do for the next round of flea meds.

This got too long - but just wanted to say my little guy is sensitive to food/routine changes like no other dog I've ever seen.

[StarrLhasa]

What flea medication have you been using?

[MicheleS]

Cappy uses the once-a-month Revolution for flea and tick. I give him the dose for under 10 lbs. even though he is close to 12 lbs. The vet said it was fine and would still give him plenty of protection. I thought the next dosage of up to 20 lbs. was too strong for him.

[marlowe'sgirl]

I've been using Advantage - for 11-20 lbs (my guy is almost 16 lbs). I used the same kind year and he didn't have a rxn.

[MicheleS]

Update on the food - we switched to Natural Balance limited ingredient sweet potato and venison. I am using both canned and kibble. He wasn't too crazy for the fish and sweet potato and my husband (who is his favorite playmate) couldn't stand the smell of fish breath LOL! Plus, Cappy LOVES the venison He seems back to his normal self today, hopefully we've found the right food for him.

[CarolWCamelo]

Originally Posted by MicheleS

Update on the food - we switched to Natural Balance limited ingredient sweet potato and venison. I am using both canned and kibble. He wasn't too crazy for the fish and sweet potato and my husband (who is his favorite playmate) couldn't stand the smell of fish breath LOL! Plus, Cappy LOVES the venison He seems back to his normal self today, hopefully we've found the right food for him.

I hope that continues to work out for Cappy! Good job! Please keep us posted on how Cappy goes along! Thanks!

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 16:20:42 (PDT)

[Cailleach]

I have a little girl coming 12 this year and she has always displayed the symptoms you mentioned Cappy has since she was a pup on and off over the years. We had her to the vets many times about her issue and nothing was ever found to be the cause. It wasn't food nor over stimulation it's just her. I have her figured out and can tell when she has the problem coming on. She likes to treat herself by eating grass and although that fixes it every time but in the winter it isn't possible so I give her a bit of pepto bismal right away and she's fine within a few hours and good for weeks or months. I would be very interested in following what you find helps your pupster and maybe you will come up with something new I can try for her.

[ChocolateHav]

How is Cappy now? Did that food work?

[MicheleS]

We had to remove the kibble (it was irritating his stomach) and he's only eating the canned Natural Balance sweet potato and venison. I limit his chews to Made in USA bully sticks and himalyan dog chews and use small pieces of the Natural Balance sweet potato and duck rolls for his trick training (Cappy is a certified therapy dog and we go into nursing homes and he shows off his tricks for the residents). I would say that he is about 90% better, but he still gets what I call "grumble belly" about twice a month. When that happens his belly makes some LOUD noises and he doesn't want to eat. I give him 1/4 tsp. of Pepto Bismol when it starts and he seems to come out of it in less than a day. Compared to several times a week, I think he's vastly improved. I'm sure the few times he still gets grumble belly could be attributed to him getting dropped food when my 4 year old niece visits

[ChocolateHav]

Glad to hear that food seemed to mostly do the trick! I might try that when I transition my pup back to doggie food again.