I wasn't sure if this should be posted in nutrition & feeding or medical issues, feel free to move it.

Pippa's had diarrhea on and off for a few weeks. Took her to the vet initially, they did a stool sample and everything came back normal, and they gave her an antibiotic and her stools firmed up again. All was well for about a week and then she had loose stools again for about 24 hours and I took her back to the vet. They did another stool sample and a further test for giardia, everything was fine, and she even had a normal stool while she was there. Figures.

Everything was good for about another week and then this weekend she had loose stools again and that's been on and off since.

I made her some treats (whole wheat flour, pumpkin, eggs, peanut butter) last week. I'd made them before, but thought maybe that was the problem. But she had another loose stool this evening and I haven't given her a treat since Sunday.

She eats Nature's Domain, the Turkey & Sweet Potato formula, and has essentially since I got her in August. I thought maybe the treats were bothering her because the kibble is grain free, but she didn't have a grain allergy to my knowledge.

Sorry this is so long and very jumbled. I'm just at a loss. I'm pretty frustrated because she wakes me up several times each night to take her outside and I know she isn't feeling well. And I'm having her spend a lot more time in her crate because although she's doing very well with house training, if I don't get her outside right when she has to go, she doesn't always make it.

So I have two questions:
1) What do you think is the best thing to settle her stomach? I've read both chicken/rice and eggs/vegetables. And if rice, just white rice?

2) How long should I wait before maybe trying to switch her food? And what do I go to next? A fish based food?

I've heard that Natural Balance Synergy is good for upset stomach, or in case your dog eats something that could upset their stomach, it is supposed to keep everything "balanced" it isn't grain-free but they do offer a grain free option, it's just not the Synergy formula. It is a 4-star dog food according to dogfoodadvisor and I will post the link to the formula page with all the ingredients in it if you're wanting more info on it. Someone else may have a better option for you though, just sharing what I know!

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/natural-balance-synergy/

Also, if you switch, be sure to do so slowly and don't switch automatically or poor Pippa will for sure have some major diarrhea!

When Anna had diarrhea and wouldn't get rid of it we did the chicken and white rice route and she did okay, just took her forver to have to go potty, started to worry. Alot of people here will tell you the egg and vegetables because rice is a grain.

A bland diet of either chicken/rice or hamburger/rice (I've always used hamburger/rice) for 24/48 hours until no more diarrhea or formed but soft stool. Then a mixture of food and whatever combo ^ there you're going with. So after the 24/48 do 75% combo mixed with 25% food and see how she does. If the stool stays relatively the same and doesn't get worse continue the mix each day lowering the amount of the combo and upping the amount of kibble. See how that works.

You can also do canned pumpkin (not pie filling just pumpkin) and you can feed cheese as treats to help form the stool.

Ceara I figured I was going to get no backup on the chicken and rice. Hahaha.

anastasiya'smom wrote:

Ceara I figured I was going to get no backup on the chicken and rice. Hahaha.

haha! I know of several people who use it! I actually hear more often "Hamburger and rice?!?! I've only ever heard Chicken and Rice!". I actually had never heard of or thought of chicken and rice up until recently (the last year? or so)!

I have heard of hamburger and rice just never heard of the eggs and vegetables until this forum. Most people on the forum are promoting the eggs and veggies. But I never had any problem with the chicken and rice guess Anna has a tummy of steel.

Also I feed Anna a tablespoon of pumpkin almost everyday, she loves it! I like to put that and yogurt in her KONG so that helps with any tummy or digestive problems she has.

anastasiya'smom wrote:

I have heard of hamburger and rice just never heard of the eggs and vegetables until this forum. Most people on the forum are promoting the eggs and veggies.

Some of us recommend eggs and/or veggies as a substitute for rice because many sibes cannot tolerate rice. My sibe gets the runs and a very upset stomach if he eats even a tiny bit of rice so a bland diet of chicken and rice or hamburger and rice would make matters worse for my sibe and any others with a sensitivity to rice.

This is why I said Anna has a tummy of steel. She eats almost everything and anything. Haha.

Huskyluv wrote:

anastasiya'smom wrote:

I have heard of hamburger and rice just never heard of the eggs and vegetables until this forum. Most people on the forum are promoting the eggs and veggies.

Some of us recommend eggs and/or veggies as a substitute for rice because many sibes cannot tolerate rice. My sibe gets the runs and a very upset stomach if he eats even a tiny bit of rice so a bland diet of chicken and rice or hamburger and rice would make matters worse for my sibe and any others with a sensitivity to rice.

Ughhh, so frustrating. I'm not entirely sure it isn't grain that's bothering her, so maybe I should stay away from rice?

When you say eggs/veggies as a substitue for rice, do you mean eggs and chicken? Is that not too protein heavy?

katiesham wrote:

Ughhh, so frustrating. I'm not entirely sure it isn't grain that's bothering her, so maybe I should stay away from rice?

When you say eggs/veggies as a substitue for rice, do you mean eggs and chicken? Is that not too protein heavy?

Yes, chicken and eggs instead of chicken and rice. It should not be a big deal since typically on a bland diet you feed less than you normally would of their regular food, plus the chicken and eggs are water inclusive so it's not like comparing it to dry kibble.

I used chicken and rice when my guys get diarreha for about 1- 3 days. i now feed then both yogrit at least every couple of days and pumpkin a few times a week. If they start having loose stools I feed them pumpkin and yogrit with the kibble.

I also give them string cheese for treats once in a while more often than they need it Blaze loves cheese.

Honestly - high protein isn't much of a concern for a Siberian. As they most often thrive on a very high protein/high fat diet.