Upset tummy but now won’t eat anything or take the antibiotics

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

Bloody dog got to half a packet of chocolate biscuits. I know, I know. Vet doesn’t think there’s any poisoning issue as he’s a big dog and was only sick the first day (Friday).

Since then he’s had continuous diarrhoea. Vet prescribed special food for a few days which he was eating.

Vet thinks he’s already prone to a sensitive stomach, occasionally has the runs anyway, and has either inflamed his bowels or got a touch of colitis. After the initial anti-inflammatory and painkiller he’s now been prescribed antibiotics and a probiotic paste but he won’t touch it. I’ve put it in his special food but I’m reluctant to try him on anything rich and tasty just yet.

Bloody dog is looking very sorrowful. I just need to get him to eat. Was feeling very sympathetic until he pebbledashed my kitchen including my beautiful expensive kitchen curtains. Have had shit everywhere.

Poor boy. I love him really. I don’t want to have to force the stuff down him in case he’s sick again though. I’ll try some rice in the mean time but has anyone got any advice - apart from hide the biscuits, obviously - or words of sympathy?

[BiteyShark]

How is he with plain fish or chicken? I find mine will take tablets in that and for the paste I give him a bit of food, then food smeared with paste quickly followed by just food (he hates the taste of the probiotics but will reluctantly eat it given that way).

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

So far I’ve tried the rice and he hasn’t eaten that, just turned his nose up at it. For a Labrador he’s bloody fussy about food. Will try some chicken, will have to buy some tomorrow, didn’t get a chance today.

Thanks though.

Could I try him on some nice doggy treats or do you think that might be pushing it? I’m sure I asked the vet but in all the tizz I can’t remember everything he said.

[BiteyShark]

I only have plain type dog treats and biscuits in the house so I wouldn't have an issue using them to get tablets and paste into him but wouldn't use anything rich etc.

If you hand feed him some rice with the paste would he take it from you that way rather than from his bowl.

[Eloisedublin123]

Something in meat stock

[CatnissEverdene]

My dog gets colitis, and we feed him boiled chicken and rice until he's better. He also likes scrambled egg as that's easy to digest. Then after 2/3 days i start adding in his regular food over another 2/3 days. It doesn't pay to rush it else you're back where you started.

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

I’ve managed to get some boiled chicken into him. I put the water from the chicken in a little rice with the probiotic paste and he wouldn’t touch it. Would just feel happier getting some medication into him.

[CatnissEverdene]

I put the paste straight into their mouths, that removes any risk of them not having it. We use Pro-Kolin.

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

He’s supposed to be taking an antibiotic too. I’ve been grinding it up to powder and mixing it in with his food. Little git won’t touch it. Because he had blood in his poo the vet was worried about damage and infection.

[Eloisedublin123]

Did u try meat stock _ even from a stock cube?

[BiteyShark]

When I have had to give tablets which taste horrid to him I get three pieces of chicken with the tablet in the second piece. In quick succession I can get him to swallow it as he gets chicken first, then the chicken with tablet second and before he can realise and spit out tablet I feed him just the third chicken piece and he swallows the tablet as he's so concerned with getting the third bit.

[mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork]

I've used probiotic paste a lot and it does help most of the time, in conjunction with antibiotics or on its own if you are just treating mild diarrhoea and hoping to clear it up without vet (can buy probiotic paste online). However, I've never put it in the food - lots of the time my dogs wouldn't eat when sick like this anyway. I just shoot it straight into the back of the mouth from the container and hold the dog's mouth shut and stroke its throat to encourage swallowing. It worked this way on my previous dog and the current dog but I made a point of getting them used to me messing about with their teeth/mouth from first off so I could do this (it is never too late for them to learn this as both mine were adults when I adopted them. Likewise, it has made it easier for me to shovel pills down their throats (hold jaws open, whop tablet onto middle of back of tongue and shut jaws, stroking throat until it has gone - more difficult than the paste but you get better at it). Both my dogs had/have to have teeth cleaned with brush twice a week too so it all helps. If your dog does have a sensitive stomach, maybe, once he is better, you could experiment with different foods to find what suits him. I had this with mine and I was feeding mine (as advised by a vet we first saw) high protein/meat content wet food - the stuff I was getting was very good quality, grain-free and 70% meat. I could not believe this would upset the dog but the vet pointed out that if my dog was allergic to, say, beef (or whatever was in each tin), that would be enough to cause the loose bowel symptoms. I ended up converting to a mix of grain-free hypo-allergenic dry food (in various flavours) and (James Wellbeloved) pouches of wet food to make it more interesting. It isn't the cheapest but there was an instant response and we get no bowel problems unless dog eats something unsavoury in the forest when I'm not looking. She is in fantastic condition too.

[mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork]

PS: Follow pill or paste dose by mouth up instantly with a tasty treat to reward dog.

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

He’s obviously feeling a bit better, he licked the paste off my finger without any fuss and then I gave him a little roast chicken and gravy from our dinner with the antibiotics ground up inside and he ate it. Think the lovely homemade gravy must have hidden the taste. Just waiting for the arse explosion now. At least he’s got some of the meds.

[Imsosorryalan1]

Salmon paste from a jar worked for our dog, really hides the smell