Determine the Cause

• The primary symptom of an inflamed gastrointestinal tract is chronic diarrhea--something most dog owners are unlikely to miss. When you first take your dog to the veterinarian, bring a fresh stool sample with you so she can rule out parasites or bacterial overgrowth. Mary Strauss of DogQware.com suggests treating for worms using a broad spectrum wormer for all cases of chronic diarrhea. Let your veterinarian know if you've noticed any other changes in your dog's behavior, such as depression, scratching, licking her feet or acting restless. Since diarrhea can indicate so many different illnesses or conditions, the more information your veterinarian has, the better able she'll be to make a diagnosis.
  
  

Allergies and Special Diets

• Your veterinarian may send you home with a prescription diet, or suggest an elimination diet to rule out food allergies or intolerances. These diets usually contain limited ingredients, and one or two proteins. To be effective, it's very important not to give your dog anything else to eat while on an elimination diet. This includes treats, supplements and medications that are in beef- or chicken-flavored formulas. For instance, if you give your dog a monthly heartworm preventative, ask your vet for the unflavored version.
  
  

Grain and Additive Intolerance

• Some dogs digest grains and starches poorly, suggests Strauss. There are some commercial dog foods that contain no grains, using white or sweet potatoes as a starch base. She reports that some dogs do get complete relief from a raw or home-cooked diet. Some dogs also have a problem with preservatives, colorants and other additives in commercial diets, according to Mike Richards, DVM, and he suggests working with a veterinary nutritionist to formulate a home-cooked diet.
  
  

Chronic Pancreatitis

• Pancreatitis is caused by the dog's pancreas becoming inflamed, and the causes include dietary intolerance, genetic predisposition (shnauzers are prone to pancreatitis) and some medications. Acute pancreatitis may be limited to a single episode, after which the dog returns to normal and never has another bout. When pancreatits is chronic, the dog has abdominal pain, vomits and usually loses interest in food. Since pancreatitis is aggravated by high protein and high fat diets, dogs with chronic pancreatitis do best on a low-fat, low-protein bland diet.