Then, in May of 2000, just a few weeks after Aries had gotten her vaccinations and we had come home from University, she began to have diarrhea. It started one morning at about 5:30. I heard her crying in her kennel, so I took her outside. Not only was her stool like water, but she was straining as well. I became very worried, because I had never experienced anything like this before.

After that one incident, Aries seemed fine, so I chalked it up to something she had gotten into, or perhaps stress. A few days later, we flew to Ontario to see my fiancé. She was fine all that weekend, until the following Monday when the diarrhea started again. I was told by a vet to cut her off food for 24 hours, and then feed her rice and chicken for a few days until she seemed better, and then to slowly wean her back onto her food. I tried this for a few days, but it didn't seem to have any effect on her. So, not knowing what else to do, I switched her back to her regular dog food.

A few people suggested it might have been a change in water that was causing the diarrhea. So I bought spring water, but still with no results. At this point, I was getting worried. Aries had absolutely no bowel control as our carpets could testify. I was reluctant to work her anywhere because I was afraid she would use the bathroom in a public place.

I called the dog guide school where I got Aries, and they suggested testing for giardia. I brought a stool sample into the vet's, but the tests came back negative. Now I was totally at a loss. I don't believe anyone suggested allergies or inflammatory bowel disease. I was quite at a loss as to what to do, so I began feeding her rice again. I fed her rice for two weeks with no results. Aries would go through periods where she was constipated, which lasted two or more days, and then she would have the diarrhea again. This went on for about six weeks. Then, just as I was about to leave for home, things seemed to magically clear themselves up.

Aries was fine for about three weeks, and then her bowel troubles started again. I had had quite enough by this point, so I took her straight to a Vet. His first thoughts were either allergies or IBD. He gave Aries an antibiotic that had some kind of agent in it that would hopefully bind her up. She got it twice a day for ten days. She continued to have the diarrhea for a few days, and then went through one of her constipation periods. However, on the last day she received her medication, she had a firm stool. As you can well imagine, I was very excited. But, two days later, her diarrhea started again, and she began to vomit. I called the Vet back, and got her in for tests a week later.

Although she was using the bathroom six times a day, and her stools were like water, Aries still had an appetite, and she didn't lose any weight. She is normally a mellow dog, but she still liked to play, and she didn't seem more lazy than usual.

When I took her into the Vet, they put her under anesthesia, took X-rays of her bowel, and did blood work. Everything came back normal; she even had a formed stool in her bowel, though it didn't come out that way. Unfortunately, the Vet clinic is located in a small town and didn't have the resources or equipment to perform proper tests. So, the doctor said that, based on her symptoms, he was diagnosing her with IBD. He gave her Metronidazol to bring down the inflammation, and I switched her over to MediCal food. With in a few weeks, Aries was back to her normal self.

Since then, she has had occasional flare-ups when she has eaten something she's not supposed to, but they usually clear up within a day or two and haven't required medical attention. I have since switched her from the MediCal food to Purina CNM/EN, and she is doing great on it. I also feed her MediCal treats. I tried carrots and a few other vegetables, but she wasn't too crazy over them.

In conclusion, I must say that we both have been pretty lucky. A lot of dogs that have this disease suffer a great deal more than Aries has. And, a lot of times, finding food that a dog can tolerate is not so easy. I am glad that Aries is doing well and that I don't have to retire her. I don't know for certain whether or not she has IBD. She could have a sensitive stomach or food allergies. But, for now, she's doing fine and that's all I care about.