Labrador Rescue

Hi I wondered if anyone had experience of gastroenteritis. Archie and Tarka seem to get it st least twice a year sometimes together sometimes separately is there things that pre dispose them to it. They are scavengers I try my best to stop them eating off the floor when on walks aside from that they have a good quality food hills metabolic and chicken daily . Archie was very poorly two weeks ago three trips to the vet lasted a week Tarka started with it yesterday Vets today had an anti sickness and antibiotics injection and extra antibiotics but vet said it wasnt transmitted from archie as too big a time gap. I just don’t know why they get it so often , any ideas or are they just unlucky

Thanks

Love Lisa Archie and Tarka xxx

Hi Lisa,

Don't know if its any help or not but both Skye and Lucas (before he went to the Bridge) used to get gastroenteritis regularly.
They were both scavengers when out and about but we eventually pinned down the cause to cat poo in our garden. The neighborhood cats used our garden and the dogs were eating it. It was a pain but we had to inspect all the borders each morning before letting the dogs out and difficult because cats tend to bury their poo just below the surface so we looked for disturbed earth but it did work and we were free of the problem after that.

Hope this helps,

Paul and Skye

Sorry Lisa I've never had experience of this, only an odd tummy upset now and again and hardly ever one that needed vet treatment. Perhaps like us some labs are more susceptible to the bugs that cause this, although Paul's comments are very interesting if you have any cats coming into the garden.

Hope you can find a solution, if you do please let us all know.

Hi Lisa
I am sorry to read about Archie and Tarka, I do remember you having this problem a while ago.
A couple of years ago you may remember I had Shelly and Polly quite poorly with the same thing for three weeks, we had several trips to the vets and finally all was well.
We also had cats coming into our garden and going in the soil under one of our hedges, we put a small border type trellis thing up, but the family have now moved, Shelly goes looking every time she goes out.!!x
Hope your two are improving
Love Liz Shelly Bonnie Molly Polly

My two our dreadful scavengers, from cat poo to left over mice etc the cats bring back, to dead things found on walks. I do try and stop it where I can. Amazingly though, touch wood, they never seem to get tummy upsets. Sorry I can't help x

Hi all
I simply do not believe our luck . Archie had gastroenteritis four weeks ago was very poorly three trips to the vets is fine now Tarka developed it two weeks later, the vet said not related to Archie ... too big a time gap. She finished her antibiotics last wed her symptoms were not eating and vomiting. Then she was fine until Tuesday evening, we went out for just over an hour came back and Tarka had runs all over the carpet, this carried on that’s the only symptom diahorrhea. Save taking her to the vets again I’ve got some noriclav antibiotics that was prescribed for them both for enteritis/ gastroenteritis a few months ago seeing they get it so often , I just don’t know what to do poor dogs both seem to continually get poorly with gastro probs. As Paul helpfully commented I don’t think that it’s cat poo coz our two chase cats out of the garden we have ex battery hens but gehyre in a big pen and rarely come out into the garden. I’ll give Tarka a couple more days if no improvement she’ll have to go back to the vets , any advice would be much appreciated surely it isnt possible for two dogs to get gastro problems so often.

Love Lisa Archie and Tarka xxx

Hi Lisa
I am sorry to read about your ongoing problems, I do not know if you always keep in your doggie cupboards a tube of Pro Kolin
+ I do not know if it would on its own deal with a big problem, but it may help..
It is awful to deal with and so worrying, Shelly and Polly had it a couple of years ago, I got from Jackie a mix of rice yogurt and sweet potato I think and that helped, I am sure she would give you the exact mixture.
I hope things are improving.
Love Liz Shelly Bonnie Molly Polly x

Oh Lisa, that is rotten for you all, poor Tarka and Archie. Really hope you can get them sorted soon. I wonder if probiotics might help reset the balance? But that is just guessing on my part. Do feel for you x

Hi Lisa,

Sorry you are having ongoing problems.

Just a thought - has your vet asked for stool samples to test for helicobacter bacteria?

This can cause recurrent gastroenteritis and is treated with a combination of three specific antibiotics at the same time. If a dog has contracted this bacteria a course of a single antibiotic will stop the symptoms for a short while but they will soon recur.

We had this problem with Lucas although he did have IBD.

There is quite a bit of information to be had by searching 'helicobacter in dogs' on the net.

Regards Paul and Skye