My dog has chronic liquid poop, farts, and isn't gaining weight. Why?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be due to many conditions such as chronic pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), an infection, among other possibilities. Other diagnostics that could be considered at this point include an abdominal ultrasound, fecal infection test and GI panel. This should be a good starting point for Jackson. Given the complexity of this case, they could check in with an internal medicine specialist for a possible referral. Best of luck!

Poor guy. He could have a number of things going on here that can cause chronic diarrhea and weight loss including: malabsorption, inflammatory bowel disease, an endocrine disorder, or even neoplasia (intestinal lymphoma) has to be considered. I would suggest starting with an abdominal ultrasound to evaluate the intestinal lining for any masses or abnormalities. I would also consider getting him on a hypoallergenic prescription diet such as Royal Canin hypoallergenic hp or Hill's Z/D. Many pets also respond to chronic antibiotics (Tylosin powder) to help manage their chronic colitis issues. Here is more information on Tylosin used for Chronic colitis in dogs. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A

Poor Cooper! Loss of energy can be caused by a large variety of conditions, so I recommend having Cooper seen by a vet as soon as possible if you believe he is not acting like himself. The fecal material on his rear can be caused by loss of control of defecation or an issue with the anal glands. I hope this helps and that all is well with Cooper!

Poor guy. It sounds like your pet Shiro has a bout of colitis (inflammation of the colon) which can often be caused by intestinal parasites. I would highly recommend having him seen by your vet soon for a fecal exam and medications to help resolve his colitis. Only antibiotics can help resolve this in most cases, which has to be prescribed by your vet. Until you can get him seen you can start a probiotic with him, such as Culturelle over the counter or Fortiflora. This can help with some of the inflammation by restoring the good intestinal flora. I hope that your furry friend Shiro feels better soon! Best of luck and take care.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Remi. In the bloodwork that was run, did it include GI specific testing such as cobalamin, folate, PLI and TLI levels. These are values that will give information such as the location of GI disease (small intestine vs pancreas) and treatment options. I typically do this planel in conjunction with an abdominal ultrasound. This information with the ultrasound can give insight into conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, food sensitivities or as you mentioned cancer. The anti-inflammatory properties of the antibiotic she was on could help even with a tumor in GI tract, but there are so many other causes of diarrhea that would respond as well. I think it is worth pursuing further bloodwork and the ultrasound. If you can get a diagnosis, then a treatment plan can be developed. I hope this information helps!

Has he had fecal testing run at a laboratory? Sometimes if the vet looks at it themselves they can miss something (human error happens). You can actually send the test in yourself to the lab and then if there are any positive results you can consult with your vet about treatment. This is the same lab they would likely use. ( https://www.idexx.com/en/veterinary/fecalchek/ ) Chronic diarrhea can be due to many different things. It may take a lot of testing to figure this out. ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/diarrhea-in-dogs ) If it is not intestinal parasites the next most likely thing would be inflammatory bowel disease. To get a definitive diagnosis intestinal biopsies would be needed. That being said, if owners cannot afford that, often times we do a trial of medication (I use Tylosin) to treat it and see what happens. In the meantime, I suggest you try using Fortiflora probiotic (if you have not already done so). One packet on food daily - one box will do a 30 day treatment. ( 1800petmeds.com/Purina+FortiFlora-prod10376.html ) Also, give him only his food and nothing else. The more different things you give him the more chance of diarrhea and then you won't know what is helping or not helping. Keeping things consistent makes it easier to get a diagnosis. Hope this helps. If you have more questions you can always opt for a private consultation where we can chat back and forth. That way you can ask as many questions as you'd like. Best wishes.

Poor Dave! Chronic GI issues like this can be very frustrating. In many cases, some diagnostic testing may be needed to help determine what the problem is so that he can be treated effectively. I'm not sure what kind of work-up may have already been done in Dave's case, but some tests that may be helpful to diagnose the cause of his intermittent diarrhea issues would include a GI blood panel to check for problems like chronic pancreatitis, EPI (exocrine pancreatic insufficiency), or inflammatory bowel disease. A fecal diarrhea panel could also help, as this screens for a number of different parasites and are difficult to diagnose on a regular fecal exam at your vet's office. General blood work, x-rays +/- ultrasound, and even exploratory surgery for biopsies of the intestinal tract could also be considered. I would suggest talking with your veterinarian about what he/she recommends as the next step for Dave at this point, since he doesn't seem to be responding well to his current treatment plan. If your vet doesn't have any suggestions, you could also request referral to an internal medicine specialist for further work-up.