Slippery elm

[maxs_mommy]

Max has had diarrhea the last few days, he likely foraged for something in the yard that didn't agree. Pumpkin was added to his food and the poops firmed up but but were still urgent with the drips at the end and he was going several times a day as opposed to his normal two BMs, and he was going in the house when we weren't home. Ugh. I made him an appt with his vet but can't get in until Monday morning.

Fast forward to last night when I remembered slippery elm and he got some this morning with breakfast. Today we haven't had any poops so I can't see if it's still drippy but there was no poop in the house (Horray!). How long do I do the slippery elm? Does it help soothe the gut or will this recur? Am I just masking the problem? He seems more comfortable today so something's working.

[maxs_mommy]

So I watched him poo this afternoon. It's definitely not firm and it's got a mucassy glob at the beginning but he hasn't had any more accidents today, so that's something.

[connie]

I have actually never used it, so I was curious and read a bit about it:
https://draxe.com/slippery-elm-for-pets/

My go-to for intestinal upsets is probiotics or acidophilus capsules. I wonder if you gave those in addition to the slippery elm if they would help his gut bacteria return to normal at the same time the s/e worked its soothing magic, resulting in more solid stools.

[JudyL]

I gave slippery elm to ChiChi when we suspected she may have had ulcers from long-term Doxycycline use and her autoimmune issue, and it helped some with her appetite and willingness to eat for a while. I don't think it masks anything but rather is soothing for things like that and may aid in healing. If I recall correctly, it is safe to use over extended periods of time. For diarrhea like Max has from possibly scavenge-eating, the fiber it provides can help with either diarrhea or constipation, and for those kinds of issues is usually given until the troublesome symptoms resolve. Because it coats the tissue, it can block some absorption of medications, so it's best to give it at a different time than medications or other supplements.

The mucousy stuff with the poo may indicate that things in the GI tract are still inflamed or irritated, so I'd keep giving it for a few more days and then try without it again to see how he is. I also agree with Connie that the probiotics should help too.

I tried the slippery elm for Dixie and Cinnabon when their drug-induced kidney damage symptoms got bad at the end of their lives, but in their cases it didn't seem to have as much positive effect. Nothing much did though.

Hope that helps, and hope Max has perfect poo again soon.

[maxs_mommy]

Guess who just realized that Monday, when his appointment is scheduled, is a holiday? This girl. Ugh, my brain is so dead. Looks like we'll do the slippery elm until at least Tuesday.

[connie]

How's he doing?

[maxs_mommy]

He's better. The slimy poo went away. I think it was too much fat after we increased the ground beef he was getting. Or he could have eaten something in the backyard, which is covered in wild strawberries atm. We've cut down on the ground beef but I have to get more calories in him without adding fat. He's on the lean side bordering on too thin (If only I had the same problem, ). He doesn't mind the calories but I'm struggling to find more to feed without the fat and without adding more primal because that's $$$. Currently the poo had firmed up nicely though so my rug gets a reprieve.

[connie]

Glad his gut is better.

Will carbs put weight on him? When Rowley needed to gain weight I gave him a side dish of cooked pasta at every meal, and that worked.

[SherriA]

I was going to ask about carbs too - rice, pasta, potatoes, etc.

[maxs_mommy]

He's grain and potato allergic/sensitive so I'm out on that front though I can do legumes to an extent. I ran the numbers and he's getting about 780 calories/day now and he should be maintaining at 25 lbs if the senior 30 cal/lb math is correct. He's currently at 23.0 lbs and I can't get weight on him. I'm going to scramble an egg, which should add another 90 calories or so a day and if that doesn't work I think pureed chickpeas are next. The vet also suggested lightly cooking his raw diet, not to get more calories in but to expend less calories digesting. She also mentioned that cancer is calorie-intensive on the body but for being a year out with active tumors he's doing remarkably well.

[connie]

Oh, shoot. What about ancient grains, like quinoa and amaranth?

[JudyL]

Can he have an additional meal of the same food he's eating now to add whatever amount of increase in calories he needs?