14 year-old Shih Tzu With Recent Cushing's Diagnosis

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, ladies.

Addy, I've got about a month's worth of notes on Hannah's meds, and about three months notes on when she has had diarrhea, but not daily notes on her poop. I've been doing that for about a week.

Sharlene, I was thinking they would test her stool last week, but the vet said they need to be on a no meat diet for three days to accurately check for blood. A normal fecal doesn't do that. Maybe we'll be doing that soon, but I'm thinking the fact that the stool initially did change color might mean something. I'm also thinking the fact that it is darker again probably isn't good.

Tina, yes, Saturday is closest to Hannah's normal. I do think it depends a lot on food. But my two dogs eat the same food and their poop is still not the same color exactly. Hannah's has just been a lighter brown like that for months. And all of a sudden, like one day, it was much darker. At first, I thought maybe that was more normal, but it was sooo much darker I thought I'd mention it. Also, it was darker on the outside and lighter on the inside and I wasn't sure if that mattered. Because she has been borderline anemic and my vet mentioned there could be a slow internal bleed, it made me nervous. I'm not sure I would've worried otherwise. Also, I always thought Hannah's poops seemed a little light, so I was wondering if the darker color was more normal too. But I guess it was a little too dark.

When I brought in her poop last Tues., the vet did say she thought there could be blood in it. She said it didn't have to be tarry, which is what I wondered. I think the sudden change in color is what was a bit strange. She said it could be an ulcer because Hannah has had so many tummy issues and she did just have an oral surgery about 6 weeks ago too. She said we should just treat (with Sucralfate and Pepcid ac) to see. If it improved we would know it worked. Now I'm worried because it went back to a darker color today.

She texted me back today and said to call tomorrow if it is dark again and she may want me to start metronidazole. She's only supposed to be on Sucralfate and Pepcid through Tues. so I don't know what will happen.

I am trying so hard to spread out her meds to do what's recommended, but it's insane. This morning I was up at 4, 5, and 7 for meds and then fed her at 8:00. I can't keep that up forever-especially on weekends. I already wake up between 11:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. to give her Hydroxyzine.

Izzy decided to get up at 4:30 and go outside and want some food. She had a loose poop yesterday morning, but that was it. I found out my hubby had been giving her some turkey jerky treats occasionally, and they are both supposed to be on the strict ID diet. That could've been it. She's been pretty normal since-just only eating a little at a time.

It occurred to me today that maybe I shouldn't be giving the Atopica (which can upset their stomachs) to her now. I emailed the derm vet to get her opinion. I won't give it tomorrow a.m. if I haven't heard. In my searching it does say not to give to dogs with stomach ulcers. Of course, we don't even know what's going on, but I figure it's best to wait to hear from her.

I'll keep you posted on what happens tomorrow. If anyone were to see my phone or computer, they'd probably think I have some weird obsession with poop. But it does really help to keep track that way. I'm glad they suggested it!

Julie & Hannah (& Izzy)

What happened with the increase in peeing? Did that stop?

Always so hard to know what is really going on and then everything changes from day to day.

I can always tell when Zoe has eaten bunny poo because of the smell of her stool and if it smells that way for more than a day or two I had to up the metronidazole. But it did not get that color.

If I think back to Koko's poo and the work dogs poo when it is that color, it usually is after they ate some non food thing so it could be Hannah's gi tract is inflammed and she has an ulcer, not that she ate a non food item.

When Zoe had her endescopy they said she had helicobacter which they thought was causing the scarring on her tummy and the other issues which led to IBD diagnosis. The treatment for it was two different antibiotics, amoxicillin and metronidazole and pepto bismal.
Since Zoe was not showing any signs, vomitting, diarhea, not wanting to eat, I did not want to treat it as how would I know the treatment was successful? Plus a study I read said it just comes back for a lot of dogs.

Maybe ask your vet what she thinks about the possibility of helicobacter infection.

Just a quick update from "poop patrol" today: totally normal again. (I attached it if you care to look). ;) I didn't do anything differently, other than the fact that she got her food one hour after the sucralfate yesterday both time, as well as this morning, rather than the two hours that passed on Sat. morning. Vet didn't think that should cause it. She will be calling me tomorrow. Hannah gets the last dose of sucralfate tomorrow morning. I'm not sure what will happen then. Guess we'll find out...

Julie & Hannah

I started Squirt on CoQ10 a while back and her poop suddenly started looking like it had been rolled in flour - like Lady Finger cookies! :eek: I asked the manufacturer, the vets at Drs Foster and Smith, our doc, and our nutritional/herbal consultant if the CoQ10 could be causing that change - they all said they had never heard of it doing that. I stopped it, and her poop returned to normal. That coating told me that something in the CoQ10 either wasn't being correctly absorbed OR that it was interfering with something that been absorbing well before. This incident just proved to me once again how unique, how individual, each of our baby's systems are. ;)

Wow Leslie, you are so right, like the melatonin bothering Zoe's eyes when the "book" says it should not.

Julie, I am so glad poo patrol led to normal poos. I would imagine with all the snow, she is not eating bunny poo, right? Grasping at straws, I guess.

I am running so late this morning, I had to wake up Zoe again, almost wasnt going to give her Vetoryl.

Let us know what the vet decides to do. We have sunshine this morning. I hope the sun is shining on you as well:):):):)

THAT IS AWESOME!!!!!!!! YOU ATTACHED A POOH PICTURE!!!!!! i mean i jumped up and put both arms in the air and was hooping and hollering my husband thought i had gone crazy. LOL!!!!!! I am ALWAYS taking pooh pictures. and inspecting pooh. I loved it that you posted one!!!! hope that makes sense. i am still smiling. pooh is gold. GOLD!!!!! lol. and that pooh is quite a lovely healthy pooh!!!!! i have pictures of shysies angry pooh from the icky chicken that i also have photos of. lol

Oh You have to go back a couple posts and look at the pooh collage, day by day poohs. If one gets you going, the first picture of about what was it 5 or 6 will just really get you jumping!
hahaha
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Only here would I find poop pictures - LOL

Hi Guys-

Hannah's poop is darker again. Tues. it looked good and yesterday got a little darker. Today it was quite a bit darker. :(

I'm having blood work done tomorrow because
A) I just like to monitor it.
B) I want to know if she is more anemic (due to what looks like blood in her poop).
C) Her BUN was elevated and I want to see if it's okay.
D) I'm curious if anything improved after the dental.

I will also talk with the vet about her poop. It sounds like she might have me start sucralfate and Pepcid again. I don't know what it means if it gets better and then gets dark again.

Hopefully I'll know more tomorrow. I dread these appointments, but yet I want to know how things look. Cross your fingers for us that it's good news.

Julie & Hannah

Fingers crossed. Hope you can get some answers. Are you taking a poop sample from today in since it was so much darker?
That is so weird. If it's blood in the poop, why would it go dark, light, dark, light like that. Strange. Could it be the food and the way she is digesting it? hmmm. I hate having so many questions and no answers.
I know what you mean. I take Molly every so often to get blood drawn, because I want to know. It's the only way I know to see how she is and what's going on.
Hoping for a good day tomorrow.
hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin