# Diarrhea/Runny stool in late afternoons/evening only



## Niv (Jan 24, 2011)

Hello everybody, 
I'm fairly new to the forums and one of the reasons I decided to join was the issue I'm having with our 7 month old border collie mix (Bailey) 

we got him from the shelter when he was about 4 months old. He had worms but was in a good shape and full of energy. We got him up to date with all the vaccinations and dewormed. since we got him , we've had issues with on and off diarrhea mostly during the evening times... we switched food (gradually) - shelter gave us Science Diet bag with adoption since that's what he was on, we slowly switched him to IIams but didnt seem to change anything. we waited a while and then got him on rice and boiled chicken diet for few days and gradually added kibble.... he was doing a bit better on rice but not so much. some days he was doing better some he would have soft, runny stool and some days it's just a terrbile diarrhea. we went to the vet few times with stool samples - all came back normal. he doesnt get any treats anymore and is on the same kibble( he's on Welness now) He doesn't get any accidents in the house and goes out regularly. he plays, eats and drinks water... his stool is perfect in the morning and early afternoon... but gets runny and sometimes really bad in the evening or late afternoon... could this be stress related? exercise related?

I work from home so I'm with him majority of the time. i take him to the dog park almost everyday around 3 pm for an hour or so and he gets very excited to go there ... i thought maybe that's what was triggering it, but the days that I dont take him, he still gets runny stools in the evening time.... any ideas? I'm worried since we've had him for 3 months now and he's been like that the whole time... with on and off diarrhea in evenings. 


Let me know what you think


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## Selah Cowgirl (Nov 14, 2009)

You said you have done fecals on him but have you checked for giardia? Or a similar diarrhea cause?

You can always add a fiber source to the diet, pumpkin and squash are great for firming up stools. Also I might add a pro/pre-biotic to your diet to see if that helps regulate things a bit better.

My dog gets runny after exercise and I think it is because during exercise the organs dedicated to digestion are put on the back burner and things like lung and muscles are more important so when the dog goes back into rest mode there is waste that has been sitting in the stomach and it moves through faster then after a lazy day or so.


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

Try feeding him smaller meals more frequently. Often, eating too much can trigger it.


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## Niv (Jan 24, 2011)

Selah Cowgirl said:


> You said you have done fecals on him but have you checked for giardia? Or a similar diarrhea cause?
> 
> You can always add a fiber source to the diet, pumpkin and squash are great for firming up stools. Also I might add a pro/pre-biotic to your diet to see if that helps regulate things a bit better.
> 
> My dog gets runny after exercise and I think it is because during exercise the organs dedicated to digestion are put on the back burner and things like lung and muscles are more important so when the dog goes back into rest mode there is waste that has been sitting in the stomach and it moves through faster then after a lazy day or so.


Thank you for the hints. Vet did check for the bacteria and didnt find anything.... did prescibe Metronidazole though ("just in case", since he said that bacteria could be to small to detect) - antibiotic didnt help any. I will try the pumpkin to see if that helps. I'm starting to doubt this is diet related... he eats twice a day. 1.5 cup in the morning and 1.5 in the evening time. I boil some chicken pieces for him as treats sometimes. there are days when he's all good, but others (like today) he starts having runny stool at the dog park around 4pm and then it continues. He does get a lot of exercise... we run in the morning, then he plays in the back yard with his chew toy, takes a nap, then we're off to the dog park for an hour or two... i just took him out for a run again and he was squirting a mixture of some more solid pieces and almost water...  I feel so bad for him but he doesnt seem to care much. all i know I have to fix this and if pumpkin doesnt help, i'm going to start him on rice diet again and go from there. It's just weird because the first 2 stools of the day are normal ... he is getting a bit jumpy too... more nervous than before... maybe it's something psychological... i'm going to skip the dog park for few days and see if that changes anything... >_<


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

Has he been tested for Lyme disease? It can cause a range of symptoms, and I know in horses, it can cause spookiness/jumpiness and diarrhea.

I'd also consider trying a grain free alternative protein food like Taste of The Wild. Either the Pacific Stream formula or the High Prairie one.


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## Horseshoe (Nov 10, 2010)

Our old BC Max had IBS for dogs and had it his entire life, he was also Lymes pos. but lived 14 good years. We also had a horse with lymes but she got stiff, slow and non spooky, rough coat, just wasn't herself...after I put a cath in and a week being on IV oxytet. her stiffness started getting better, she was 3. We are the lymes cap. here lately. My 3 year old BC Guiness has Lymes, started as lameness in front R but never got dia.

My sisters lab/pit mix has bouts of vomiting and dia. for years but is also 13, she lives around water so my guess is giardia as well but Metro should get that. However if a dog has had giardia for a very long time it could be a residual affect of the bac. Best person to speak to about this is your vet, maybe some more indepth testing could be done.


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## Niv (Jan 24, 2011)

Thank you all for the comments and hints.... turns out it was his diet afterall.... Bailey had perfect stools for the past 3 days... i started adding pumpkin the first day as advised by Selah... and now I mix in buckwheat. I will switch around between pumpkin, buckwheat and rice. I only add half a cup of grains to his dry food and he is doing much better. I don't want to switch the food yet, since he's almost 8 months and we'll soon have to switch to adult chow anyway. we tried few different dry foods in the past but had the same issue... not sure what it could be but we will try switching again when he's one. I might just start cooking for a little guy, we did that with our previous dog due to food allergies but Bailey is doing great on dry kibble (Wellness) and grain mix so far. What do you think?


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