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Aussie With Tummy Troubles?

by Courtney
(Oklahoma)

I work at a pet store and after talking with a lot of customers, I've been hearing that it's normal for Aussies to have stomach problems. I haven't been able to find much online about this. I've spent close to $600 on repeated vet visits this year always the same symptoms. Diarrhea and vomiting and sometimes there's blood in both. They have never been able to give me a firm diagnosis but have narrowed it down to either inflammatory bowel disease or severe food allergies.

I was just wondering if anyone else has these kinds of problems with their dogs and what your vets have done for you? They currently have him on a prescription food which is $70 a bag and this just doesn't seem like a good long term solution for us.

Comments for Aussie With Tummy Troubles?

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Raw Diet
by: Anonymous

Have you considered feeding a raw diet? It has cleared up all our problems. There are a lot of good resources available. One good book is Reigning Cats and Dogs by Pat McKay.

Re: Tummy troubles
by: Anonymous

If your vet thinks it may be food allergies, I don't understand why he hasn't run an allergy test. It is quite expensive, but, it may save you money in the long run and narrow down exactly where to start. There is a test for food AND plant allergies, but it may be worth running both tests. This would rule out the guessing game and trial and errors. In the meantime, make sure he is on a high quality food. There are many good foods on the market today. From sensitive stomachs, grain free,all natural, specific allergies,the list goes on. Some foods to try would be like: rabbit n potato, vensison and potato, duck and potato etc. However, all these foods are going to be expensive. Sometimes, parasites and/or worms etc. can cause vomiting/dia. You may want to have a stool sample tested. Also adding yogurt, cottage cheese or a probiotic can help by adding or 'feeding' the good bacteria back into the gut. Make sure of course, that he has had ample time to digest his food before play/rough-housing, as this too can lead to stomach upset. Make sure his food/water bowls are elevated to help everything go down better. Hope this was helpful! Good luck

allergies
by: Marsha Bosshold

We have had several Aussies and they all have had allergies. We have found that a lamb and rice diet seems to work best for them. We also give them a benadryl which helps stop the scratching. If it really got bad our vet would give them a cortisone shot to stop the cycle. But only once in a while! We also had allergies test run and found out the most problematic to them. They just seem to be sensitive to alot of things. But an Aussie is worth any trouble for the love they give back, Hope this might help.

my aussie
by: Anonymous

My aussie was on a raw diet for his first year and a half and then I switched him to an expensive organic dog food which he hated and now hes on the lamb and rice BLUE BUFFALO. He was always throwing up on the raw diet and had constant diaherra.
On the Blue Buffalo he doesnt throw up anymore but still has diaherra if hes out running about. I have been told that he has a sensative bowl and the running just "kicks things into gear" and thats why he has loose stools. I would only be worried about the vomiting and if all his stools during the day are loose. If he has two good stools and the rest are runny I wouldnt worry (but thats how my dogs are).

Raw food recommendation
by: Anonymous

I asked my vet about the raw diet. He said our food supply is not safe to feed a dog raw meat products. Scary thought.

Any Update?
by: Anonymous

My mini aussie also has severe tummy issues. Gas drops don't help. Pepcid doesn't help. We make sure his diet gets nothing extra and he can be fine for weeks and then all of a sudden the tummy pains start which then typically leads to diarrhea. Just wondering if you've solved your mystery.

So sad
by: Anonymous

We have been having trouble with our 2 year old mini Aussie with persistent diarrhea. It seems that since we started making the trips to the vet for this and that treatment, she has gotten worse. Now she is throwing up after eating when a probiotic was added. I am frustrated! Thanks for the helpful comments as I now know that is common. We will plug along with the rabbit and potato and be more careful of playtime after eating. Any new comments are VERY appreciated!

Sensitive Stomach
by: Martha

My vet put my aussie on a food for sensitive stomachs. Yes, it was expensive. However, after about 4 weeks, the vet recommended adding a regular food as I gave her less of the sensitive stomach food. I had a difficult time finding food which she liked and I finally, after trying many brands and formulas I found one which she seems to like. It is lamb and rice. I also mix a little bit of wet food into it. She is doing well!

Aussies and Stomach issues
by: Holly

My 12-year-old toy aussie has the same stomach issues as you have all described above. For periods of time he is perfectly fine, then vomits and has diarrhea for days.
I give him probiotics daily. When he is sick I give him chicken n rice. Tractor Supply has a great canned food for sensitive stomach dogs, 4 Health brand. If your dog is still sick for over a week it could be a disease from Possum urine which can kill him if untreated. I was glad to find this site and know it's just not my dog. I also give aloe juice and sometimes omeprazole.

Aussie issues
by: Anonymous

I have two Mini Australian Shepherds. Both have always had stomach issues. I use n&d digestion dry food. When they randomly start throwing up again or have diarrhea, I add tripe to their food and it like resets their stomach.

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