My Jack Russell Terrier has both constipation and diarrhea.?

Question

She is eating fine and playing ok. The vet prescribed Metronidazole 250 mg and a stool softener for colitis, but it doesn't seem to be working. I have also tried canned pumpkin, which didn't really work either. I'm sure this is all due to stress, there's alot going on right now and she is a highly emotional dog. Has anyone else had this problem and how did it get resolved?

Hello, thank you for your responses so far. A few of you mentioned she may need more attention and to eliminate the stress, however, the main stressors cannot be eliminated, the first is that my husband just deployed and I know she misses him, and the second is we have a baby due in a few weeks. I have been giving her even more attention than usual to compensate for all the chaos. I have had xrays done, her stool tested, she's already on a prescription diet and bloodwork done. I wish I could take her to a "doggie" shrink!

Answer 1

well if you're sure it's all due to stress ... :-) lol

Metronidazole is a good antibiotic that will more often than not solve the problem, but does not grab parasites. Medecine is unfortunately not a one-time fix solution - often you rule out the most obvious and if it doesn't work, then you look further down the road. I would suggest going back to your vet and letting him continue the workup. I don't know if your vet did a fecal but that would be a suggestion (worms for instance).
There are also a lot of non-infectious diseases out there that cause intermittent diarrhea. This can be diet related (such as allergies or other forms of inflammation - IBD (inflammatory Bowel disease) ) but can also be completely unrelated (Addison's disease, or pretty much anything ...)

So my suggestion ... don't give up and settle for what other people tell you or try 1000 diet changes - go and talk to a veterinarian you trust and work it up together. Stress can cause diarrhea, but I must say unless you dog is regularly highly stressed , there may be something more serious going on, and you'd be biting your fingers for not pushing a little further if it ends up being serious -

Good luck !

Answer 2

Make sure that you are taking time with the dog and calming herdown. Stress actual has a huge impact on animal's health no matter how emotional the pet. Figure out stresses that can be eliminated and do so. Also when he finally passes a stool, take it to the vet to make sure that he isn't just sick with something.
If the animal isn't happy you need to make her happy, wether its snuggling on the couch or tossing a ball around for a while. If you cant take the time to do this you need to find someone who can like a dog sitter or many other options.
When something is stressing him out, you are his parent- youve got to make it all better.
Dogs dont live as long as humans- Make the most of their years here.
Not to sound harsh- just feel bad for animals in peril.

Answer 3

I think that you need to rule out a bowel obstruction. Symptoms indicate that she may have a gastric problem. Does she chew and ingest things? Call your vet again. This can be life threatening......good luck