Greyhound with upset tummy

[Lydia123]

We adopted Misty in August and she is a 4 year old retired greyhound. At first she had a few digestional problems but for the last couple of months all has been well. Then on Thursday she had the runs, really bad and all through the night. We starved her for over 12 hours then just gave her rice and she seemed better.
Obviously with it being xmas she has had a few more dog treats than usual but we have tried to keep her on dry biscuits with either pasta or rice but the runs keep coming back!
She seemed fine yesterday but then today it’s realky runny again. She isn’t going any more regular than usual but it’s just really runny.
Otherwise she seems totally fine in herself, sleeps 20 hours a day as usual! running about like a nutter yday! Can anyone offer any advice?! Should we take her to the vet?!
Thanks x

 

[JoanneF]

For a one off issue there are a few home remedies (natural live yoghurt balances the gut flora, a small amount of plain cooked pumpkin or squash firms up poo, and there are over the counter medications from pet stores). But as this is a recurring problem I'd be calling your vet. He might want to carry out tests on a sample to rule out things (like Giardia) which without proper treatment would just keep coming back.

 

[JudyN]

What dry biscuit do you feed her?

Greyhounds can have sensitive tummies, and it may be that she's not on the best one for her.

 

[Lydia123]

Thankyou both for your replies!
We have been feeding her Harrington’s dog biscuits which she has been fine with so far, could it be that she’s developed an intolerance to them??
I will try the yoghurt and actually that makes me think because I normally give her a bit of yoghurt in an evening when I’m making my overnight oats for work but because I’ve been off work for Xmas she hasn’t had any for a week.
We also thought about worming her, she was last wormed in July/August at the rescue centre. Think that may help?!?!
X

 

[JudyN]

Harrington's isn't the best food: check out what the All About Dog Food website has to say on it: Harringtons Adult Complete rated 2.9 out of 5! All About Dog Food That's not to say it's definitely part of the problem, but it would be worth considering trying a different one once you have a clearer idea of what the root of the current problem is.

Worming might help - if she has worms! I think manufacturers recommend you worm every three months though many people do it every six months, so she is due (I don't worm regularly but send off a sample to Wormcount every few months to check whether I need to worm or not).

My dog didn't do a decent solid poo, though they were soft rather than runny, till I switched to raw feeding, so this would be my absolute no. 1 recommendation for the best diet for a dog with a sensitive tummy. As long as you include bones, it'll also be great for her teeth, which can be a bit manky in greyhounds. If you're interest, we'll be able to give you lots of advice - it can seem daunting at first but is really straightforward.

 

[Lydia123]

You are not the first person to say that to me! My best friend has a beagle cross and she feeds him just on a raw food diet and swears by it. I’m fine with it but my partner isn’t so sure.
I think I’m going to worm her and see how she is after that and try and convince him on the raw food!
Thanks so much for your help x