Bowel problems

[Sus]

Have taken Biddy out for walk this morning and she was passed some mucousy stuff and nothing else
That got me worried as she normally has a poo twice in the morning and once in the evening sometimes more, when I got in I searched the house and she has done 2 piles not in the kitchen but on my cream carpet, the first was formed the second a bit looser
I have not fed her this morning, she is in her bed by the open patio doors in case she has to go again with a bowl of water close by
Should I be overly concerned? I was told to watch her bowel movements and that it should not be dry and hard or very soft or loose. It has always been ok up to now
I have not changed her food and stop her if I see her sniffing something strange when we are out
She is due at the vets on Thurs for wisdom teeth extraction, I just hope this is nothing serious
I have thrown out the tray of food from fridge which normally I keep for 48hrs after opened, in case it was that
She is due a worming tablet in 3 weeks, should I give it sooner just in case, though she has not displayed any symptoms of worms
Should I just resume normal feeding this evening?

 

[excuseme]

We get the occasional mucus covered poo but never worry about it and feeding continues as normal. What do you feed and how often?
We feed raw

 

[excuseme]

Dogs do not have Wisdom teeth
Does she have problems with her teeth and gums?

 

[JudyN]

Has she been 100% reliable in the house up till now?

I'd just keep an eye on her for now - everyone has an iffy poo now and again. You could mention it to the vet tomorrow in case they want to delay the op to be on the safe side. I wouldn't worm her, because then if tummy troubles continue you won't know if she's ill or if she's reacting to the wormer - and if her tummy isn't right, she might not absorb the wormer anyway.

Obviously if this continues and/or she doesn't seem right in herself, it would be worth discussing this with the vet.

 

[Sus]

Thanks excuseme, she has Harringtons wet food and Fish4Dogs dry food
I thought the vet said wisdom teeth, maybe I got it wrong, she has to have 2 out anyway and a scrape and polish
Her teeth look awful to me, the vet showed me when I was there but do not think I can face cleaning her teeth and she does not like any teeth cleaning chews have tried 3 different types so far.
Thank you Judy N, you have put my mind at rest and I will not use worming tablet.
This is the 3rd time in 8 weeks that it has happened, but the first 2 times were my fault for not getting her walking times right as I do not put her out in garden at night as she hates it
I will phone vet tomorrow and see if still ok to attend Thurs and also discuss ongoing tooth care. I really do not want to clean her teeth, I do not think she would let me anyway
I will try her with a little food now to see if she is ok

 

[excuseme]

Have you considered some raw chicken wings to help with the teeth cleaning, there are quiet a lot of people that use this method with good results, ( a healthier mouth and less vet bills )
Raw chicken wings are very safe to use, economy ones from the supermarket are just fine.
.

 

[Sus]

Thank you for that advice excuseme
I thought you could not give a dog chicken bones, so if I am getting this right, the bones are ok if the chicken is raw?
In that case will try them
I tried to get a beef bone from the butcher but he did not have any, only a lamb bone. I tried that but she ignored it
I have been trying to find out what she has been fed for her previous 8 years, as far as I can gather she had Ceaser dog food, then ham, corned beef, chicken, sausages etc whatever was going, hence why she was so overweight
Do not think she has ever had anything for her teeth which is why they are so dirty I suppose

 

[excuseme]

Yes any raw bones including chicken bones are quiet safe to feed. Uncooked bones are reasonably "soft", unlike when they are cooked, this is when they become brittle and can be dangerous.
If you have a problem with her eating any raw product, just flash fry it a little or part boil it just to change the outer texture. but it should remain very raw inside. Bones must not be cooked !
Some dogs that have been fed tinned or processed kibble all their lives are very wary about the raw products, and will need a lot of patience while getting used to the new product smell and texture.

 

[Sus]

Thank you for that info, I will give it a go, she is going to have to have something that will take care of her teeth in the future

 

[JoanneF]

A lot of the teeth cleaning chews are really not good.

We use these for dental hygiene.

https://www.skipperspetproducts.com/collections/resealable/products/fish-skin-flatties

 

[Sus]

Thanks for your reply Joanne. I tried the dried fish skin chews from Fish4Dogs, Dentyne ones and Pedigree but she was not interested.
I do believe she has never had them before so maybe is not sure what she is supposed to do with them
At a loss as to what to do.
Her teeth may be very dirty and she has 2 that need extracting but she has no problem crunching up dried food so I might just give those you suggest a try, she may just prefer them to others, no harm in trying anyway

 

[JudyN]

I second the suggestion for chicken wings, even if you have to get her hooked by flash-frying a bit of chicken meat first to get her interested. If she takes to them, they will really help her teeth. You said you don't think you can face cleaning her teeth - is that because you don't think she would enjoy it? You don't need to use a brush and/or toothpaste - you can just rub her teeth with a bit of cloth... if she's happy with this, of course.

There is also a power called Plaque Off which you simply add to her food: A loving breath throughout life - Global I'm not convinced by the claims, and ideally it would be used alongside brushing, but it may help.

 

[JoanneF]

When she has her teeth extracted, the vet can do a good clean on the others. Keeping teeth clean will be easier than getting them clean. Bonus tip, if her nails are long, get them to clip them right back while she is under the anaesthetic too.

 

[Sus]

Thank you JudyN and JoanneF I will definitely try the chicken wings
I cannot see myself being able to clean her teeth but I am sure that she would not like it, will also discuss with vet and try Plaque off as well
She had her nails done at the groomers about 3 weeks ago but I will have the vet check
I am finding that anything to do with dogs is so expensive, I never realised that before. I am hoping that when everything is sorted and I have everything I need the cost will level out a bit

 

[Sus]

I am glad to say that bowel problems are behind her, been out for walk and everything back to normal.
I am so glad and relieved

 

[Hemlock]

That's SUCH good news.

Just to make you feel better - when you've had a horse, dog vet bills seem ever so cheap.... And they need their nails doing every 4-6 weeks as well!

Edited to add - it's very likely that once you've sorted the health issues she came with, you won't need to see the vet all that often.

 

[Sus]

Thanks evreyone,
Do not think i would have come so far if I had not had help from this site
I will keep coming on to give updates, but likely will be more often for help

 

[Victoria Salter]

Have taken Biddy out for walk this morning and she was passed some mucousy stuff and nothing else
That got me worried as she normally has a poo twice in the morning and once in the evening sometimes more, when I got in I searched the house and she has done 2 piles not in the kitchen but on my cream carpet, the first was formed the second a bit looser
I have not fed her this morning, she is in her bed by the open patio doors in case she has to go again with a bowl of water close by
Should I be overly concerned? I was told to watch her bowel movements and that it should not be dry and hard or very soft or loose. It has always been ok up to now
I have not changed her food and stop her if I see her sniffing something strange when we are out
She is due at the vets on Thurs for wisdom teeth extraction, I just hope this is nothing serious
I have thrown out the tray of food from fridge which normally I keep for 48hrs after opened, in case it was that
She is due a worming tablet in 3 weeks, should I give it sooner just in case, though she has not displayed any symptoms of worms
Should I just resume normal feeding this evening?

I would give your vet a call and ask if it would be worth worming her early. Also, I would just give her some plain rice, oats or pumpkin, as that should be easier on her tummy for the time being. Bland foods are good for people with upset stomachs, and they can be good for dogs with upset stomachs, too.