What could this illness be?

[samlf]

Both of my dogs have been unwell over the last month and I am racking my brains as to why.

Short version: both older dogs, have had vomiting and/or diarrhoea which clears up then returns over the last month. Have seen get, vet says no fever, well hydrated etc and likely a bug they are passing to each other. Is that really likely over a 4 week period?

Long version:
dogs age 12 and 13, fairly well generally (both have mild kidney disease picked up by routine bloods so on kidney diet). Never usually sick or have diarrhoea.

4 weeks ago dog 1 vomited, then the next day had frequent diarrhoea (yellow colour). Got better the next day. 3 days later started with diarrhoea again, although not as frequent. Then dog 2 vomited once each morning for a couple of days.

Took them to the vet, said likely a bug as otherwise well. Gave them buscopan and probiotic. Took another week for symptoms to full clear up over both dogs.

This week (now 2 weeks since full recovery), dog 1 and 2 both vomited Tuesday morning and dog 2 had diarrhoea. Wednesday both dogs completely normal. Today dog 2 - vomiting and diarrhoea again.

Throughout they have both been eating well and generally well themselves. Can it really be another bug??

I've checked everything obvious - no access to cleaning fluids, dodgy plants, walk them in the usual places etc. They also live between my house and my parents, and symptoms have started at both locations.

Obviously I'll be taking back to the vet but looking for ideas on cause and what to look for.

Thanks.

 

[stangs]

What do you feed them? Could the feed manufacturer have changed something, or, if you feed raw, could there have been an issue with its storage?

On your walking route, have they been saying hello to any new dogs?

Nonetheless, how strange. Wish you the best in finding the cause and a cure.

 

[PurBee]

Yellow poops can sometimes be an indication of fat in the stool - so liver issues, as gallbaldder/liver deal with processing fat.
Did you get liver enzyme tests? Liver parasites? Or any other parasite issue maybe?

My dog unexpectantly would get runnier poops, and couldnt last the night so messed in the house, coupled with gut sounds and gas that smelt like a drain - episodes of this on and off - discovered eventually she was raiding mouldy gone-off food scraps from the neighbours open compost heap they have in a field near my fields.

Are your dogs at your parents or yours, unsupervised anywhere there’s compost bins in gardens? I read of others who’s dogs would vomit and poop after even licking an empty compost container.

Also consider if you/your parents are using new air fresheners, carpet shake n vac, cleaning fluids etc - as exposure to these just by smelling these chemicals vaporised in the air can be toxic to dogs/cats.

Fingers crossed you find the cause x

 

[CorvusCorax]

Giardia? It can live in the system once contracted and reactivate.
If they are walked in an area with lots of other dogs also being walked then it is possible there are bugs going round and everyone is just getting reinfected.
I shouldn't be surprised as even humans seem incapable of quarantining themselves, but the amount of people who won't keep their damn dogs at home when they have kennel cough or when the shite is flying out of them, is staggering.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Also, make sure you are washing/cleaning shared items like bowls/toys etc after each use to try and break the cycle. They'll be more susceptible to bugs and infections at their age.

 

[samlf]

They've been on a prescription kidney diet since September so no food changes. No new dog friends.
The poos were yellow in both dogs and their bloods in September were a senior screen so would have thought if a liver issue it would have come up then?

No compost bins. They will scavenge food scraps on a walk so I've been keeping them on the lead so, although can't fully stop it if people leave food on the floor, its certainly nothing significant.

How would you test / deal with giardia? I'm guessing next step with my vets will be stool sample so will it show up there?

 

[CorvusCorax]

It's a stool sample AFAIK.

 

[Parrotperson]

I thought giardia too corvuscorax

 

[Boulty]

Would advise discussing sending poo samples off for both of them in case it is something like giardia that they would need specific treatment to clear as it does seem to be dragging on now. It likely is either something infectious or something in environment that they're both getting access to with them both having same symptoms.

 

[samlf]

Thanks all, will sort a stool sample with the vets. It is very puzzling that they both have symptoms together, when they vomited Tuesday morning it was within 5 mins of each other!

 

[Bellasophia]

Three ,daily samples are required to do a good test for giardia..ask your vet to specifically test for this,or many will just do the generic parasite faecal test.
If it is giardia,you have to do a specific cure.. this requires two different meds,with a weeks break in between……..I suggest first get the poo tested then go from there..

 

[Parrotperson]

so my 14 week old jet has had diarrhoea on and off for a fortnight. rang vets. said I was worried about giardia. they said feed him bland food but that just made him worse. collected 3 samples. guess what? giardia!

Panacur prescribed and will see how he goes. must say he's been as mad as a box of frogs the whole time so mild in terms of giardia

mind you it took a week for results from the lab.

good luck samif hope you sort it out soon.

 

[twiggy2]

Don't forget campylobacter too.
Be careful humans can get both and I have be warned by vets over the years who have had them that they can be horrendous.
I was given a long course of antibiotics for hand rear foster kittens that arrived one with C and one with G both from the same litter too.

 

[Clodagh]

I’ve had giardia and it was awful. I got incredibly thin though, but the dehydration was terrible.

 

[samlf]

Thanks all for your helpful responses. Having spoken to my vet (and given the time of year) we opted to go for a course of panacur for both dogs and if the symptoms then return we will do a stool sample.

So far they finished the course a week ago and seem fine, so fingers crossed it has either solved it or it was a self-limiting illness anyway.