We have a lab that is almost 8 months old. Once every 4-6 weeks, it seems like she gets into something that causes diarrhea. The two most recent incidents came after I was working in the front yard for extended periods of time and had her tethered to a tree so I didn’t have to keep an eye on her. We don’t have any of the dangerous plants for pets in our front yard, so I can’t say for sure that there is something to blame, could just be coincidence. Main problem being is that she is in her kennel during the working hours of the week and two days this week I came home around noon to find that poo-bombs had gone off and she was pinned to a small portion of her kennel to stay away from the mess.

Regardless, when we had some upset stomach issues with her early on, the vet gave us some of the probiotic to sprinkle on her food and some Diawin. Is there another option besides the Diawin to help her recover from these diarrhea spouts faster? They always run their course in 2-3 days and she’s back to normal. I know that labs have finicky stomachs to begin with, but I’d like to keep her discomfort down as well as not having to deal with her poo-bombs over lunch.

Thanks in advance.

Remember that Immodium AD is an opiate. Like all opiates, it constipates the hell out of you. Unlike most opiates, it doesn't cross the blood-brain barrier very well, although some drug users use it in very high concentrations as a tool to step away from their addictions.

As for dogs, I think opiates are okay for use as antidiarrheals, but you really need to check with your vet to be sure and to determine the proper dosage.

My title may be misleading. I am not suggesting the use of Immodium in my dog, simply looking for something similar to its effects.

Diawin may be the best medications for diarrhea in dogs as far as I know, I'm just looking for other opinions, especially since we have a lot of DVM's running around.

Yogurt with probiotics (ala Danactive or Activia)

Imodium works on dogs. Use the pediatric dose. Learned this from a DVM while traveling with a dog that had the same problem.

When our first dog was still pretty little I let her out one Saturday morning and went looking for her after she hadn't whined to get back in after 15-20 minutes.

I found her standing over a HUGE deuce she was still working on with this WTF look on her face.

Later that week I was cleaning out the guest bedroom and found the packet of immodium she had gotten into from my wife's luggage. She licked 2-3 tablets worth, haha.

[This message has been edited by metrag06 (edited 1/11/2012 6:29p).]

Bump for any DVM input.

I gave my Jack Russell Terrier 1/2 of a Pepto Bismol tablet once with good results.

Since you've been under the care of the vet, I assume you've ruled out the standard things -- worms and bacteria being primary. When my dogs get uncontrollable diarrhea, we tend to grab a sample and take it to the vet just in case. My vet in CS will do a fecal without an office visit, the fecal check only costs a couple bucks. 95% of the time there's nothing, the other 5% they got something heinous from catching the ball in ponds or Henry had a reoccurance of worms or something else.

Other than that, what food are you feeding? Some dogs throw up when they don't like their food, some dogs get the explosive runs when there's something they're allergic to in their food. If you drop back to chicken and rice, does the problem go away? What about a 'simple' food like Wellness Simple Solutions?

Also, Immodium and it's like shouldn't be used as a preventative. The easiest way to prevent the poop bomb is probably food changes.

Florastor will work. It's the same as the probiotics you sprinkle on their food, but found in the infants medication section at Kroger, Walgreens, etc. Essentially the same thing.

Combine that with some yogurt and you should be just fine.

We began feeding her Castor & Pollux Organix, but just recently switched to Blue Buffalo Wilderness.

I don't think it's related to food, since it only happens infrequently. And like I said, I've always heard of labs having upset stomachs, I'm just looking for a way to get her over it quickly when the issue presents itself. We did stool samples the first few times, but there were never any issues and we kept with the same whatever brand name probiotic and the Diawin. As long as it passes in 2 or so days and she continues to act normal and eat and drink like normal, I see no reason for concern, it can just get messy.

Ya'll that have recommended the yogurt, I assume you just feed that to your dog when they have a problem? Or do you administer it on a regular basis to keep things in check?

Live culture yogurt and/or probiotics get fed regularly to maintain a healthy population of the right tummy bugs.

Hello, Eric...btw, it appears we are the same age (if the "76" in your username is your year of birth).

I would like to inform you that you are EXTREMELY misinformed. Imodium is completely NOT an opiate! Idk where you got that info, but as a recovering addict, I can tell you with ABSOLUTE certainty that Imodium, while excellent for diarrhea, is absolutely NOT a controlled substance or an opiate, a narcotic, a pain reliever, certainly not an anesthetic, and CANNOT act on opioid receptors in the brain...all of which belong to to the opiate family, not an anti-diarrheal medication!

You would NEVER be able to buy Imodium otc or at the corner market or through the drive-thru at Walgreens and CVS if it were an opiate. Come on now, think. If I had been able to purchase my dope via drive-thru in the throes of my active addiction, I would NEVER have EVER gotten clean! Idk the foolish person who told you that Imodium (AD or otherwise) is an opiate, but that person most likely does not have a thorough education and should be ashamed. I am sorry they lied to you.

Now, is Imodium "like" an opiate in that it helps to block you up and stops those horribly unwanted runs? Yes. Yes, it is...but that is the ONLY similarity between Imodium, an anti-diarrheal, and opiates/opioids. A person isn't going to go out and pop a Norco when they get diarrhea, right? They'll drive to Walgreens and grab some Imodium. They should probably also try probiotics like dairy-free yogurt and the BRAT diet, which are both COMPLETELY safe for dogs too!
https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-to-treat-diarrhea-1298246

Thx for listening, all.

TheBold1


***We are the ONLY species that drinks milk after infancy and the one that drinks other species' milk! Think about how strange & grotesque that is. WE ARE A L L lactose-intolerant! Live longer. Live the healthiest you. Say "NO" to dairy and fatty cuts of meat, like beef and pork.

Ik your post is totally old, but I'm online researching about Diawin & came across your thread. I can't believe no one went after that guy who said Imodium was an opiate, lol.

Anyway, I am sure you've solved your problem by now, but it really sounds like the food change is your issue. Dogs, ESPECIALLY retriever mixes (I HATE when ppl say "lab mixes" cuz there are only two lab breeds while there are at least six separate retriever breeds and that's only if you're not getting into colors! So, people, stop saying "lab" unless you have an AKC registered Labrador retriever, lol.), have EXCEEDINGLY sensitive stomachs, which I believe you said in your post. Any food change at all needs to be done super slowly. So, I hope you followed the instructions on the dog food bag on how to slowly introduce the new food. It says to give like 1/4 new food with 3/4 old food in the bowl during this first like week or something...Idk, but it works. Plus, there could have been an even bigger issue if the new food had a different protein in it than the old food or one that your dog has never had. LOTS of dogs are VERY allergic to chicken, but most allergic reactions are swelling & also itching on the paws & legs and dry skin on the torso sms other areas. There is also a very slim possibility of parvo. How old was the dog again? Parvo typically infects unvaccinated puppies but CAN infect full grown dogs of their immune systems are compromised. It's a very deadly disease. Vaccinating your pup is, unfortunately, not even a surefire way of not contracting the disease early-on...however, the chances of contracting parvo after vaccination are so small that Idk the #. I've seen it happen once though on a vet show on Animal Planet. The problem was that, I think, the puppy already had contracted and was incubating the disease when he was vaccinated.

I'm so sorry your sweet dog had occasional bouts of diarrhea. The main thing is to ensure they're drinking during this time. I like to give frozen or fresh fruit, like melon, & berries. My dog LOVES watermelon, pineapple, & blueberries. He has diabetes mellitus and always gets a piece of frozen fruit after his insulin injection. He also gets a carrot stick sometimes too. I don't buy dog treats anymore. One, I'm broke, lol, and two, the fruits & veggies are much better for his diabetes than store-bought treats! I think everyone should give their dogs fresh/frozen produce instead of packaged treats that are loaded with preservatives and who knows what else.

Anyway, I started to say that I hope your pup is well. The two foods you mentioned are great ones in my opinion. So, you're obviously a wonderful pet parent. It's awesome that you're looking for answers & not relying on vets who only see your baby for 4-5 minutes. Always take notes to bring with you to the vet when there's a problem. I do that with my own health. So, of course I'd do that with my pets!

Good luck, All!

***WE ARE A L L lactose-intolerant! Say "NO" to dairy and fatty cuts of meat, like beef & pork! Live longer. Live the healthiest life you can. Be F R E E !!!

Yeah, and loperamide is absolutely an opioid, it's just a very weak one.

Medical professional here: loperamide is an opiate, and it is being commonly used by drug users as an alternative/quick fix.

Try a can of pumpkin.

Wow, thread bump from hell.

Buy a quantity of Endosorb online and call it a few years of ending canine diarrhea.