Dog suffers from diarrhea, lack of appetite cyclically

Question

My dog is an Australian Labradoodle (small breed labradoodle/cocker spaniel hybrid) that is 14 months old.

She is already somewhat picky about food, but regularly suffers from diarrhea and becomes even more picky (eating less, won't eat her usual food). This happens every 4-8 weeks, s starting sometime when she was about 8 months old.

On one occasion, there was blood in her stool.

Each time it's happened, I've called/taken her to the vet and she's tested negative for parasites, etc.

Twice, her vet has given her a medication (I can't remember the name) to assist with the digestion issues.

Additionally, she also sometimes suffers from a cough (goose like) that sometimes occurs after drinking water. I realize this can be caused by a collapsed trachea in small dogs, but I don't think that would be related to the diarrhea issue.

Any insight/help would be appreciated

Answer 1

I had a similar problem with one of my dogs (a mongrel). The vet suggested it could be food-related so I started an elimination process. It turned out that she was unable to process red meat very well. Once I changed her diet to lamb (the best for dogs with allergies and digestive problems) and chicken, both blood in her stool and diarrhea ceased. Try switching your dog's diet for a while. If that doesn't help, an ultrasound could be the next step.

If your dog is a puller, maybe that could explain the cough. Another one of mine injured herself while using a collar and had a similar cough; things got better when I used a harness instead.

Answer 2

If its a recurrent problem and your vet isn't able to diagnose it, ask for a referral to a specialist. Specialists (probably internal medicine in this case) have access to a wider array of diagnostic tools and more specialized knowledge than general vets.

Be aware that specialist veterinarians tend to cost a good deal more, so if you've expressed concerns about the cost of tests at your general vet, they might not suggest seeing a specialist unless you ask for it.

Also be aware that most specialists practice in larger cities or university towns, so you may have a long drive with your pup.