Is my dog's soft stool normal after Ehrlichia & antibiotic treatment?

Here's a great article that can give you a more in-depth look about Erlichiosis: https://www.petcoach.co/article/ehrlichiosis-in-dogs/ If Spock is currently on any medications to treat it (such as an antibiotic) it can change the gut flora which can lead to diarrhea during those times. Switching to a bland diet (like you have) or adding in a little bit of plain yogurt can help keep the gut calmer and encourage healthy bacteria. If he needs more of a probiotic boost, many vets now carry probiotics designed for pets as well. If the diarrhea is happening and he isn't currently on any other medications, bringing in a stool sample and having it checked is a good idea to rule out any common issues such as parasites that may be causing it.

Hi there, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Diarrhea is not typically a symptom of tickborne disease so this is probably unrelated. Sometimes diarrhea can be a result of antibiotics, but usually it starts earlier in the course of treatment, so the timing doesn't seem related to that either. More likely she got into something that upset her tummy. As long as she's feeling fine, probiotics are a great idea, and you can feed a bland diet of boiled chicken with white rice for a few days. Once her stools improve, mix the rice/chicken mixture with her kibble to gradually switch her back. If the diarrhea doesn't improve over the next few days, and certainly if she starts acting sick (decreased appetite, vomiting, lethargy, etc), then a vet visit is in order. Hope this helps!

Riley’s stool looks a bit soft. This may be be from being on doxycycline as antibiotic associated diarrhea is fairly common. Your vet may be able to dispense a probiotic such as FortiFlora or Proviable that can help return the stool to normal. The blood may be due to stress colitis. Typically, metronidazole (flagyl) is an anti-inflammatory antibiotic for the gut that recommended for blood tinged soft stool, however as she just finished a course of antibiotics, putting her on probiotics and a plain boiled rice and chicken diet (unless she has an allergy to chicken) or a prescription Hills intestinal diet or Royal Canin Gastrointestinal diet for 3-5 days may be enough to allow the irritated intestinal mucosa to heal. Good luck!

Hello and thank you for your post! I am sorry to hear that Spock has ehrlichia. This disease is treatable and can be cured. However, you should know that the test most veterinary clinics use is a snap test to detect antibodies against ehrlichia. If you are going back in 3 weeks to have this same test performed, Spock will likely continue to show a positive result. This is because his body has made antibodies against ehrlichia. If he had a previous infection and ehrlichia is not causing any of these symptoms, he will still show positive on this SNAP test so if you are going in to have the same SNAP test performed I would have your veterinarian send out a tick fever PCR test to the laboratory. This will detect DNA to ehrlichia and not antibodies. If Spock is positive on the PCR, it means that he has a current active infection. If you do not know if Spock has ever had your licio previously, I would still treat this with Doxycycline for 4 to 6 weeks total treatment time. I hope this helps, please feel free to contact me with any further questions or concerns you may have. I am also available via consultation

Hi there. If your dog has a history of Erlichia and Scout is already 11 I would encourage you to take him back for a re-evaluation. He may need fluid therapy, etc and your doctor will be familiar with your case. My best to you and Scout

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Luna. I'm sorry she has Erlichia! The doxycycline can cause stomach upset, and to help with that, try giving her the medication with food. Give it with some boiled white meat chicken (no bones or skin) and white rice. You can mix in some low sodium chicken broth as well to keep her hydrated. It is very concerning she can't keep down water, and keep a close eye on her. Take her back into the vet first thing in the morning if she is still like this. I hope this helps!

Hi, Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I would recommend following up with Copper's veterinarian before his medication runs completely out. They may want to extend his prescription or recheck him. Be sure to feed whatever diet his vet has recommended with no other food or treats. Sometimes a probiotic, such as FortiFlora, can help. I would speak to his vet and follow their suggestions. Diarrhea can be caused by anything from stress to dietery indescretion to food intolerance or infection. I hope Copper is back to normal soon.