My dog has colitis, but still has diarrhea and gas. Is this normal?

It sounds like your dog has a case of colitis, or an inflammation of the colon, resulting in an increase in the volume and frequency of stools. 

Colitis can be caused by many different things. Some of the more common causes include intestinal parasites, dietary indiscretion, food intolerance, irritable bowel disease, pancreatitis, a foreign body/blockage and viruses. 

 If your dog’s current treatment does not resolve the diarrhea after a few days he may need a more extensive workout and treatment.

I am sorry that Abbey is not feeling well. Sometimes it can take several days to see improvement in signs after starting treatment for colitis. Some dogs will continue to have abdominal discomfort and that may be why she is shaking and breathing fast. With diarrhea, the anal area can also become very red and uncomfortable. Colitis commonly happens after a change in the diet, eating something they are not used to, parasites, or a stressful event. With all of these causes, it typically clears up with a bland diet and the antibiotic treatment and getting rid of the parasites. In cases where this doesn't clear it up and the symptoms continue, then they do need to have further testing done. Sometimes this means a fecal exam to look for parasites, a diet trail (in cases of inflammatory bowel disease) or sometimes even abdominal ultrasound or biopsies. You could try adding canned pumpkin puree as the fiber can help to firm up the stools. Probiotics such as FortiFlora made by Purina can help to reestablish good gut bacteria. If she's still not getting back to her normal self, I would recommend taking her back to the vet

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Diarrhea can be observed with conditions such as colitis, gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, intestinal parasites, among many other possibilities. This is not likely to be related. I recommend that you have Luna evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They may choose to check for parasites and to start medications for diarrhea depending on the results. Good luck! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. You need to seek veterinary care for her. Her symptoms have gone on long enough that they will unlikely resolve without treatment. The difficulty breathing is worrisome as well. She will need fecal testing and possibly laboratory work depending on her exam findings. Based on these results, treatment can be prescribed. I would discuss the probiotic with your veterinarian as well. There is a large variation in quality and some have actually been found to contain pathogenic bacteria. I hope this information helps and she is feeling better soon!

I am so sorry to hear about Copper! That does sound very frustrating! Some diarrhea after getting vaccines may not be unusual as we can see diarrhea as a result of a stressful incident in dogs, so if the diarrhea resolves in a few days, it is likely that is the cause of the recurrence. It sounds like your vet has done extensive testing and you are seeing a specialist, so it sounds like he is in good care. Other things we consider in these cases is testing for exocine pancreatic insufficiency https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952034 though these dogs are usually losing weight (not sure if your dog is experiencing this), and sometimes unfortunately a biopsy of the intestines may be needed in severe cases where we suspect something like inflammatory bowel disease https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951476 though often we will try trials of a drug called Metronidazole which has anti-inflammatory/immune modulating effects on the GI tract.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is not necessarily uncommon and sometimes we see this being transient. In this case, it will get better on its own. If it does not get better and becomes diarrhea entirely, then things like colitis for example would have to be considered. For this reason, I recommend that you monitor him for now. If no improvement is seen or it becomes diarrhea, I recommend you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a great day!

Hi, thanks for using Petcoach! I don't think you need to be super concerned with Diesel. I recommend starting him on a bland diet of boiled chicken or hamburger mixed with rice. Feed him 3 1/2 cups per day until 2 normal stools. You can also start a probiotic. I like Purina Fortiflora. If the diarrhea persists, worsens, you see blood or he starts vomiting get him looked at by your Vet. Hope this helps and good luck! https://www.chewy.com/s/brand_facet:Purina%20Pro%20Plan%20Veterinary%20Diets?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_ePA0vnR1QIVwhuBCh3zGALsEAAYASAAEgKQ2_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds