typing from my phone. Apologies in advance! On lunch break and work comp blocks this site.

I was contacted by the owner of a 5yo female black tri pwc.
She said the dog matches what we are looking for, but has a digestive issue.
I can't decide if I should run away quickly. They've ruled out parasites. (Well, the fecal tests were clear. But giardia can hide sometimes. I've run these tests before.)

She said when on her regular food, the dog has accidents in the middle of the night. Messy ones. Now, I know with a 10wk old puppy id get accidents to, but a 5yo???
What are my chances that it will go away with a better diet? Shadow is strictly grain free and also supplemental raw.

I'm just anxious about *starting* with an unhealthy dog.. and spending thousands with little results.. but the dog matches other features we want...

Thoughts???

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There is a giardia antigen test if you want to make sure it's not giardia. Its a little snap test like the heartworm ones. I bet with the right diet it will clear up. A five year old with accidents has got to have something going on, probably something that can be solved. If you're up for it, I'd go for it! Who knows how long it may be before someone else thinks about taking her on. I work with a rescue group and I know how hard it is to get those pups and kitties with preexisting conditions adopted. I had a foster cat with FIV that we never could get adopted. She was the sweetest cat ever but everyone would run at the thought of an FIV infected cat so she ended up living at my house. Anyways, I feel like if you are comfortable knowing that there is some possibility that it may not clear up then I would go for it but remember there might be a lot of food experimentation and vet visits in the future.
Hi Krissy, was she properly diagnosed by a vet that she does have stress induced colitis? If so what kind of rx was prescribed to manage her condition? You can read about various kinds of colitis here and their rx treatment here.
Sam has a good suggestion about getting more info.

I think you need to imagine the worst-case scenario and decide if you could live with it. What if the condition is chronic and poorly controlled? Can you keep her confined to an area with washable floors, get up in the morning and sanitize the floor and bathe the dog before starting your day?

Some people could deal with that, others could not. You also might want to talk to your existing vet about likely outcomes. Could you take her on a trial basis and take her to your vet for a complete exam?
Who knows: At the same time, it could be her environment and humans inducing this digestive stress. It could clear up just by making her happy and comfortable in a new home with humans she trusts. It could take 1 week or 2 months. I know this isn't good advice, I just wanted to add it in there along with all the other causes. It's just that it always "COULD BE" this or that or this.. and sometimes we never think that "nothing" is the cause.
Thank you all SO much for your suggestions. After another talk with my better half, we decided it would be best for us to continue our search. He reminded me that I cannot "save them all" which is very hard for me to admit. I need to go after what is best for my family at this time, and taking on a possible severe medical problem straight from the get-go is not what we were hoping for.

To answer a few questions: She hasn't been diagnosed as far as I know. They've done parasite testing, and the next step is an ultrasound. The family feels they cannot afford the care she needs. Which I can empathize with, but at the same time I need to look out for my family's well being as well.

I'm not looking for a perfect dog. Heck, I'm not a perfect human. :) I'm looking for the right match. We will find it, someday. Or the dog will find me. That's how I ended up with my aussie boy. :)

Again, I really appreciate all the help. I hope you will not look negatively to me for this decision. It's been a hard one to make.
We all need to do what is right for our own homes. The reason we got a puppy, and then later a well-socialized adult from a breeder, instead of doing rescue is that our location and lifestyle meant we pretty much needed a bomb-proof dog. Can you find that in rescue? Sure, on occasion. Are you more likely to get it if you start with a pup from a good breeder? Absolutely. Not saying that is what you should do at all, just saying it to show that I completely understand not wanting to take on certain problems.

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