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Diarrhea in chihuahua.

Species: Dog
Breed: Chihuahua
Age: 3-6 months
Hello. I need some help in trying to diagnose my 4 month old chihuahua puppy. Let me give you a little history first and then I'll tell you what the vet has said/done.

For the last month or so she has been having episodes of diarrhea and then she will only poop mucus. She will run to the wee wee pad as if she needs to "go" but then she'll just leak out a clear fluid. Sometimes the mucus is a yellowish brown color. At times it has contained a small trace of blood. Along with the mucus, her tummy rumbles and makes all kinds of squeaky sounds (like IBS gas pains). She acts totally fine... Plays, runs around, etc. she is drinking fine.

I took her to the vet the 1st time. I was told the mucus was her intestinal fluid caused by diarrhea. I was told to give her chicken and rice. After a day. She was ok. About a week later symptoms returned. Took her to the vet, she tested positive for giardia. She went on meds for a week and seemed ok. After 2 weeks or so the symptoms returned. She was tested again for parasites but it came out negative. We discussed switching her food. She had been on royal canin chihuahua puppy mix. I bought blue buffalo puppy turkey and potato for sensitive stomachs. She's been on it 2 days and last night, she had the gas sounds and mucus leak again. I read online that she may have a food allergy and that switching the food could take a few weeks to see results. She hasn't really been itching but she does drag her tush on the floor. She has also had several deworming medicines, so I don't think that that is the issue. I feel so bad for her. I dunno what else to do. Any suggestions or help would be great. Thank you!

Ps she rarely EVER eats people food but the day before the last symptoms she ate 3 pieces of pasta that I accidentally dropped on the floor. I wondering if maybe that happened and she just has a really sensitive stomach. One previous time before symptoms, she was eating a rawhide. The next day she had the symptoms. This is leading me to believe it may just be a sensitive stomach and strict diet required.


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

It sounds like you and Reese have been through some frustrating times! Puppy diarrhea can often be a difficult thing to figure out.

The first thing I would like to say is that food allergies are really uncommon in such a young puppy. This is not the first thing I would think of.

There are some parasites that are difficult to pick up on a normal fecal exam. You mentioned that she was on several dewormers. Do you know if she has been on any of the following: S-125, albon, sulfadimethoxone? If not, you may want to ask your vet if it is worthwhile to treat for coccidia just in case.

It's also possible that she's dealing with some type of a bacterial problem. These can be difficult to diagnose. When I have an ongoing diarrhea case that isn't solved with the regular medications I will often do a course of Tylosin which is an antibiotic which works against some difficult to diagnose bacterial infections. I usually also do a course of metronidazole as well.

My next step, if this were my case would be to run a diarrhea panel at an outside lab. This is a test where a bunch of DNA tests are run on the stool to look for unusual things.

I wish I had the answer for you, but these are a few things that you can discuss with your vet.

Hope things are better soon!

Dr. Marie.


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.