Help for a dog with a sensitive stomach

[Anonymous]

Anyone with a dog with a sensitive stomach? Sorry for the length of this and TMI but I'm hoping someone has some suggestions. Our 4 month old goldendoodle has not had a normal stool since we got him a month ago. Initially he was on life abundance (what the breeder had him on) + pumpkin. Turns out he had giardia and we started treatment and it minimally improved initially. Vet had also suggested switching foods so we gradually switched food and the first day he had all new food was also the first day he finished giardia treatment and he had diarrhea, the worst he'd had so far. Vet said to go back to life abundance but we were out of it so while I waited for more to come she put him on cans of Hills I/d. He had 1 day of totally normal stools and then the life abundance came and after 1 day of it he had diarrhea again. Saw the vet again and she said maybe the giardia wasn't gone and maybe he had a really sensitive stomach. We put him back on giardia treatment and back on I/d but this time combined the canned with the kibble but the vet wanted him off of that as soon as possible because it's not a puppy food. She thought he'd be better by today and we could very gradually start a different puppy food with a different protein (not chicken). It's been 3 days and I think it's getting worse not better. Oh and he's also been on a probiotic for a couple of weeks now. I'm waiting for a call back from the vet but I'm hoping someone might have had a similar experience and has some suggestions for food to try that might work better for him. I'm getting tired of needing 4 (four!!) bags to clean up after one poop.

[Anonymous]

When my dog was new to my house it took me sixth months to figure out gut issues. He too had a parasite, which complicated things. The parasite will clear with treatment. Give that time and expect messy poops in the process. It's going to be hard when you are dealing with multiple variables. Just get to the stage where a stool sample shows no active infection.

Try homemade chicken, rice, and pumpkin for a few meals to see if that firms up stool. It should be gentle and provide fiber as a bulking agent. Do not use this as a permanent food as it lacks a complete nutrient profile.

Then start trying unique proteins. Some animals have an IBD-like illness that can be triggered by certain animal proteins. Chicken and fowl is a common issue. Beef can be problematic too. You might try things like lamb, rabbit or kangaroo-based foods. There are also hydrolyzed protein foods available by prescription for animals who are suspected to be allergic to standard feeds. A veterinary allergist can confirm allergies as well, though you'd usually notice other symptoms, like a dull coat, scratching, red belly, or chewing of feet.