My dog has diarrhea. Does Carafate help, or what else can I use?

I would recommend calling your veterinarian to clarify the dose. The dose for Carafate does seem low to me but their is a very wide range for the medication. Since the veterinarian prescribed Carafate they might have a specific reason for the lower dose. I would follow the label until you can contact the veterinarian.

I am very sorry to hear that Tara is not feeling well. I would not advise going her the carprofen tablet for her stomach upset. Once she has recovered and you notice any signs of arthritis you can give it then certainly. However, carporfen is a type of medication called a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory or NSAIDs. These types of medications can actually cause stomach and gastrointestinal upsets, so should not be used when Tara already has diarrhea. I would advise trying the following at home Bland diet of boiled boneless chicken and steamed rice Skinless sweet potato cooked and mashed for the diarrhoea Probiotic http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=24772 If she does not improve in the next 24 hour, please post again on the forum or take her in for a check-up at the veterinarian.

There are several things I try for diarrhea that is not responding to typical treatments - sometimes I give the medications for a longer duration, sometimes I'll try a different antibiotic, and sometimes I'll try a different diet (which it sounds like your vet is attempting with the EN). Your vet might also want to retest a stool sample - sometimes with diarrhea there just isn't enough actual feces to get a positive results. Chronic diarrhea can also be caused by inflammatory bowel disease which is a more severe form of IBS and ultrasound and special blood testing can help diagnose this. Corticosteroid medications and B12 injections are often the recommended treatments for IBD.

It would be best to consult with your veterinarian before changing treatment or giving other medications. Legally, we are prohibited from recommending medications or dosing information in the absence of a physical exam and a patient-veterinarian-client relationship. You can try withholding food for 24 hours. Allow small amounts of water or an unflavored electrolyte replacement beverage. Resume feeding a bland diet in small frequent amounts until symptoms resolve. Transition slowly to the regular diet afterwards. A stool sample should be submitted to diagnose intestinal parasites or bacterial overgrowth. A veterinary probiotic such as Prostora, FortiFlora or ProViable may promote gut health.

I do not recommend using Kaopectate in dogs, since it contains salicylic acid, which is the active ingredient and can cause further GI upset. Your dog should be tested for parasites (since not all dewormers treat all parasites), food sensitivities, food allergies, and other problems that can cause diarrhea, such as pancreatitis and liver issues. You can try feeding a bland diet containing boiled white meat chicken and boiled white rice to see if that helps him, however the exact cause of the diarrhea needs to be discovered and treated appropriately.

I am not sure if you are talking about a prior question you posted here. You don't mention the name of the anti-inflammatory you have on hand, but if it is an NSAID (non steroidal anti inflammatory) it would NOT be recommended to administer to a dog who has gastrointestinal upset as NSAIDS can in fact cause GI upset as a side effect. There are some over the counter anti diarrhea medications at pet stores that contain kaolin and pectin that can be useful in some diarrhea. Another over the counter consideration would be a probiotic.

Glad to hear that the vomiting was resolved with Cerenia. This is usually a pretty good indication that there is no serious obstruction within the upper or lower intestinal tract. If there is continued diarrhea, the addition of an antibiotic / anti inflammatory such as metronidazole would be my next step. You can certainly use medications such as pepto bismol or maalox but I do not find them to be very effective. They do not actually address inflammation in a particularly effective manner. Another possibility unfortunately that can not be ignored in an 11 year old animal are certain types of cancer. However, I would not truly begin to consider this strongly unless there has been a longer history of problems, including weight loss and muscle wasting. Hope this makes sense.