Case Study 1: Chronic Diarrhea
Condition: Gizmo, a 2-year-old male Shih Tzu, was plagued with chronic, often bloody diarrhea. His initial office visit revealed a parasite infestation, and he was treated with a parasiticide. Gizmo also had
multiple food sensitivities, so his veterinarian tried blander foods. But the diarrhea persisted. Gizmo was then put on a daily dose of metronidazole, and the diarrhea cleared, but only as long as the
treatment continued. Gizmo was then put on FortiFlora Canine Nutritional Supplement. In two days, the diarrhea was gone and Gizmo's veterinarian was able to stop the metronidazole. Subsequently, Gizmo has had one recurrence of diarrhea, when he raided the trash can; yet, with FortiFlora, the problem resolved in a matter of days.
"He really attacks his food when I add FortiFlora,"
says Randy Kemper, Gizmo's owner.
The veterinarian says: "We've seen a lot of success with FortiFlora in helping return patients to intestinal health quickly. FortiFlora is easy to use and seems to have very good palatability. FortiFlora is a great product that has produced great results for our clients."
Dr. Barno, Rock Creek Veterinary Hospital, Aloha, Oregon
Case Study 2: Intermittent Diarrhea
Condition: Dolly, a 9-year-old female Dachshund, showed signs of colitis – abdominal pain, panting and soft stools with mucus – with episodes recurring every two to three weeks. Dr. St. John, Dolly's veterinarian, placed her on FortiFlora® brand Canine Nutritional Supplement. During four months on FortiFlora, Dolly had no problems. When her owner stopped feeding FortiFlora, the diarrhea recurred, so Dolly is now back on FortiFlora and doing well. Dr. St. John uses FortiFlora primarily
to manage intermittent chronic diarrhea in his patients when metronidazole alone cannot resolve the problem. He also reports FortiFlora can help after surgery to aid in intestinal healing, and to help a patient readjust to a normal diet.
The veterinarian says: "We have seen great, consistent results with FortiFlora, especially in animals that have bacterial overgrowth or are under stress. For dogs with ongoing diarrhea, if metronidazole doesn't work in three to five days, I'll normally prescribe FortiFlora and a therapeutic diet. If the animal is showing signs of early inflammatory bowel disease, I will always try FortiFlora first. It's very easy to use and sometimes provides the solution."
Dr. St. John, Tesson Ferry Veterinary Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri
Case Study 3: Puppy Soft Stools
Condition: Yogi, a 6-week-old Newfoundland, had chronic soft stools. A fecal flotation and centrifugation test proved to be negative, but she was treated prophylactically with the dewormer Panacur, which offered minimal improvement. A subsequent Giardia ELISA test was positive, and Yogi was treated with metronidazole – again, with little improvement. Yogi was then started on FortiFlora® brand Canine Nutritional Supplement. The puppy's stool consistency improved, and she was on FortiFlora for two months. Yogi is now off FortiFlora and her stools continue to be normal.
The veterinarian says: "FortiFlora is a safe supplement that's easy for the owner to administer. I've found that it works well in most dogs."
Dr. Knapp, Knapp Veterinary Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
Case Study 4: Geriatric Dog—Stress Diarrhea
Condition: Samantha, an 18-year-old Miniature Poodle, developed diarrhea shortly after her canine companion was euthanized. According to her owner, Brooke Johnson, office manager at Jordan River Animal Hospital, there was no apparent cause for Samantha's diarrhea other than stress. To help manage the diarrhea, Samantha was first placed on metronidazole and Imodium A-D, which were not effective. "Nine days later we tried FortiFlora® brand Canine Nutritional Supplement by itself, and the diarrhea resolved," says Johnson, adding that FortiFlora was easy to administer.
The veterinarian says: "I started Samantha on the FortiFlora, and it cleared everything right up. I usually use FortiFlora when I see bacterial overgrowth and treat with antibiotics, or with dogs suffering from gastrointestinal upset. Samantha is just one of the many patients FortiFlora has helped."
Dr. Gillespie, Jordan River Animal Hospital, West Jordan, Utah
Case Study 5: Kitten Soft Stools
Situation: Dr. Bojrab heads up Tesson Ferry Veterinary Hospital's work with local animal rescue services in St. Louis. Dr. Bojrab works with these services to gather stray kittens, return them to health and then offer them for adoption. Each year, 150 to 200 kittens are taken in and undergo a basic exam and regimen. The protocol consists of parasiticide treatment, basic immunization, testing for feline leukemia, adjusting to Purina® Pro Plan® kitten food and benefiting from FortiFlora® brand
Feline Nutritional Supplement.
The veterinarian says: "It's not uncommon for kittens to develop diarrhea five to seven days after they arrive at the shelter. That could be due to stress as well as to the immunizations and change in diet. I'm a big believer in probiotics for humans, and it seems logical that probiotics can have the same benefits for animals. We regularly use FortiFlora as an adjuvant with our treatment plan. We think it helps many kittens through the stressful period."
Dr. Bojrab, Tesson Ferry Veterinary Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri