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Puppy with SIBO PetPlanet Vets PPAdmin pettalk@petplanet.co.uk |
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Dear Donna, Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth { SIBO for Short } is not an uncommon problem in dogs. All dogs have naturally occurring bacteria in their gut - the so-called gut flora. They normally live with these bacteria quite happily until something happens to upset he delicate balance of the intestines. There are many, many possible causes for this - a dietary upset, infection, parasites, partial obstruction, pancreatic problems, inflammatory bowel diseases, etc, etc. These conditions can allow the normal bacteria to overgrow and add to the problem. So you then need to treat this bacterial overgrowth as well as the underlying problem. German Shepherds are prone to getting SIBO for no obvious reason and these cases are likely to keep flaring up again. Normally SIBO is simple enough to treat with a long course of a suitable antibiotic. The underlying cause in a puppy is most likely to be just an upset gut due to eating the wrong thing, or something too rich, or a mild infection. Make sure he has been wormed correctly. So the underlying problem may already be settled in Jake. I cannot remember what breed he is - if he is a Shepherd, then he may be a dog who will be prone to SIBO and need repeated antibiotics, otherwise he should be fine once this bout has cleared up if you keep an eye on his diet. As for the hiccuping - pups often get this and it is nothing to worry about. I will say it is unusual to get it every morning like that ! It can be associated with gulping food or water too quickly - although I would not have thought he would be eating at 5am. It does signify that he may be a greedy pup which would help explain his SIBO ! Most pups grow out of it - hopefully he will too. He might be best on a complete dry food and fed several times a day, even as an adult, to spread out the food a bit.Your vet could advise you better about this as they know him. I hope he is soon well again, Maeve Moorcroft MVB MRCVS ( PetPlanet Vet }
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