[pyrnet] rescue question

["GW Gibbs" <gwgibbs@multipro.com>]

Hello all,

I rescued a 2yo male from a shelter that was terribly emaciated....weighed
72lbs and has a bigger frame than my 110lb female.  His labs showed an
albumin of 1.2 and a total protein of next to nothing.   The vet was amazed
that his protein level had caused the whites of his eyes to swell with
fluid....usually you see other symptoms like ventral edema and shortness of
breath which he did not have.  He is very perky inspite of his poor
condition.   His fecal was negative for worms but was dewormed anyway and he
is heartworm test was negative.

I brought him home to "beef him up" prior to getting neutered.   I feed him
large puppy food with a 28% protein content in 1.5 cup increments 3 to 4
times a day, and he seems to be putting some meat on his bones.   His eyes
are slowly resolving to a normal appearance, but his gums are still very
pale at times.   I cannot get rid of this chronic diarrhea that he has.   At
the vet's recommendation we have used Imodium 3mg twice a day with no
results and also gave him a course of Flagyl and added an iron supplement.
The vet says that if this does not do the trick, then an intestinal biopsy
may be in order to determine what is going on with his gut...saying that it
is possible that he has contracted some other kind of more "exotic" ailment
that is causing this.  His stool still looks like the dog food that I am
feeding him in liquid form.  He does not have frequency of stooling...goes
2-3 times a day, but it is always this diarrhea.  I have had this dog for
going on 3 weeks now and intend to call the vet back today since I have seen
no improvement and he has finished this course of treatment.


I was hoping that someone on the list might have some input on this problem.


Thanks in advance,  PAM