Diarrhea- Bright red blood in stool

[AngelaM]

Your pet's name: Murphy
age:3
sex: m
Neutering status: vasectomy
3. Breed: springer spaniel
4. Approximate weight : 35
5. What's their BEAM (behavior, energy, appetite, mood) B: mostly normal
E: ok, below normal
A: fine, but fasting today
M: ok, tolerating travel, little nervous
6. Diet : fasting today, typically combo of: Just food for dogs (fish/potato), boiled chicken, acana dry food(lamb/pumpkin), hill’s prescription digestive care I.d.,
Currently giving him proviable forte, tmrw will add in both, goat kefir, pumpkin
7. Vaccination history / exposure to toxins, other medication: vaccinated for: rabies, lepto, parvo, distemper, botdetella… currently taking gabapentin 300mg, clonodine hcl 0.1 mg for stress of traveling
8. Primary problem, when it began and if there was anything else happening around that time: been traveling(which stressed Murphy a lot) for one week with one week to go (can go home early if needed- 2 day drive) Sept 26th 10 am loose stool with mucous turned to diarrhea 11:30, 5pm and 7 pm.
Sept 27th 3:30am quite a bit of blood in loose stool. Has been fasting all day today, no bowel mvmts since 3:30am.
9. Is the condition better or worse from exercise, heat, cold, time of day, certain foods, emotional upset, being touched, excitement, etc?
10. Has any diagnostic work been done? No: called all vets in area, nobody able to see him.
11. Current and previous treatment. Proviable forte started 26th, started rescue remedy. Tmrw can do Merrick bone broth (the only I can find), pumpkin… can slowly add in boiled chicken in a few days. Also just bought goat kefir and raw cow kefir, fortiflora symbiotic action
Wondering how much and when to give probiotics and food?
12. Other health concerns. Wondering at what point would be indicators to just go home…?
13. Tag a doctor:
@Dr. Jeff, @Dr. Christina

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hi Bubbs! Welcome to HA! and thanks for making your first post.

Thank you as well for coming to today's Q&A.

I'm sorry to hear about Murphy's stress diarrhea with blood.

Yes, as we discussed today stress can bring on diarrhea (as it can with many symptoms).

The body exists in a balance between harmony and smooth flow of energy and stress which can block that energy flow.

Whenever the flow gets disturbed from any stressor (both physical and emotional) that can create symptoms.

Symptoms are clues that help us understand our pets better.

And help them get back in balance.

How to Listen to and Learn From Your Pet’s Symptoms to Take Effective Holistic Action - Holistic Actions!

www.holisticactions.com

In Murphy's case, and as you have seen before, his diarrhea is a manifestation of an emotional stressor.

My first question is what is it about traveling that stresses him out? You wrote that he tolerates the travel. Meaning that he's fine i the car?

Or does he stress from just going on the car at all (even when it's not moving)? Or does he seem to have motion sickness (drooling, pacing in the car, vomiting, etc.)?

Or is it the idea of being in new places?

Is he an anxious dog in general?

When was the first time he got stress diarrhea in any way?

The deepest "fix" is to address the underlying energy imbalance using vet homeopathy or aTCM therapy.

However for the immediate situation, since I believe you are not working with a vet homeopath, your best bet is to help his body rebalance itself.

Which it will. All of nature, including every dog and other living beings have built in homeostatic mechanisms for doing this (restoring balance and "wholeness").

The Return to Wholeness and Homeostasis

As the legacy of Decartes comes to an end, the principle of dynamic equilibrium is being rediscovered and gaining prominence in veterinary medicine.

www.holisticactions.com

The fastest way to do this is to focus on joy, love, and happiness.

What does he love doing the most? Hikes in the woods, running after balls, being with you, etc.

By focusing all your energy on optimizing his happiness, you will assuredly restore balance.

In this "sweet spot" his body will work at its best.

This may mean temporarily doubling and even tripling, at least for now, the time you spend with him, petting, gazing in his eyes, etc.

Murphy's Happiness Protocol will help relive his stress colitis (which is characterized by straining to poop, frequent urging, blood and mucus in the stool, etc.).

The Happiness Protocol in Your Pet's Life

At HA! we are committed to much more than helping pets become dis-ease free. We promote restoring and maintaining vitality, balance, energy, & happiness.

www.holisticactions.com

HA! Happiness Protocol: 7 Ways to Optimize Your Pet's Life

How can you empower your pet to live their happiest life? Here are seven activities to implement and boost your pet’s behavior, energy, appetite, and mood.

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Perhaps even do some Laughter Yoga yourself (the free online class is every day from 7pm-7:30pm PT) to help him benefit from the happy energy of everyone around him:

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Regarding other things you can do right away, fasting is huge! Then start him slowly back on small amounts of bland food ("Happy Meals"), probiotics (like the Proviable and Fortiflora that you are using), slippery elm, marshmallow root, etc. Most of the herbals are readily available in health food stores.

Here's a quick summary of the physical actions (happiness and homeopathy are energetic actions):

There are a number of natural remedies and supplements that can help with diarrhea in dogs, including:

• Probiotics: These supplements contain beneficial bacteria that can help restore balance to the gut microbiome and improve digestion.
  
  
  
• Prebiotics: These supplements feed the beneficial bacteria in the gut, which can help restore balance to the intestinal microbiota.
  
  
• Fiber supplements: These supplements can help regulate bowel movements and firm up stools.
  
  
• Marshmallow root and slippery elm: These natural mucilage herbs can soothe and coat the inflamed gut lining.
  
  
  
• Bland diet: For mild cases of diarrhea, you can try feeding your dog a bland diet of boiled chicken, low-fat hamburger, overcooked ("mushy") white rice, or organic oatmeal. These foods are easy to digest and give your dog's GI tract a break.
  
  
• Fasting: If your dog has had one or two runny or soft stools, you can try fasting them for 12–24 hours.

 

[Dr. Christina]

Welcome!

I think you are doing much of what we are suggesting. Maybe work on not worrying. That amount of mucousy blood in the stool, when he is feeling fairly normal, is usually not a problem - just a response to stress.

The only thing to make you turn for home would be if he becomes lethargic, not interested in eating, or you are too worried and would feel better at home. There are no right answers, so follow your gut. I have had patients who felt fine and had had this amount of blood for months, off and on, with conventional treatment merely temporarily stopping it. With homeopathy, they fully recovered.

If there is a way to modify your trip so you can stay in the beautiful redwoods longer than 3 days in one place, and do all the wonderful happiness ideas Dr. Jeff gave you, I think that would allow him to settle and not be stressed, and allow you to relax and be less stressed.

When home, do think about working through the trip anxiety - many webinars and resources we have on anxiety.

Dr. Christina

 

[AngelaM]

Thank you both
Really appreciate your help and all that you do!
There was slight improvement yesterday, stool little more firm, little less blood (blood more jelly like).
Trying our best to be happy, less stressed and positive- this seems to be a life time pursuit for me- Murphy is helping me with that
One question… cannot find any good bone broth where we are camping… I brought some dried packets with me… has garlic/onion. I attached pic of ingredients, is it ok to give to Murphy?

 

[NancyK]

I personally would not give that bone broth. Too many risky ingredients...onions, high sodium, natural flavors... and is likely highly processed. Have you tried slippery elm powder? This is the only digestive aid I ever use and it seems to be a miracle cure for digestive upsets.

Nancy

 

[Dr. Jeff]

I personally would not give that bone broth

Nor would I.

slippery elm powder

Yes!