Thank you for your help, it is greatly appreciated!

I bought the Ionic Fizz from GNC this morning, I think it would go great if it didn't have so much vitamin C in it. Vitamin C dries me up and I just do not feel good after I take much of it. I don't understand these things, I just go based on what my body tells me.

I also got the Magnesium Malate tablets, which I will try tomorrow.

I saw another product next to it that was an ionic "mood relaxer" and had Magnesium Carbonate mixed with lemon, which I will probably go back for.

I will read through the entire thread in the evening, as I know there is tons of useful information in here. Thank you again for bringing knowledge to the uninformed such as myself.

Please just don't overdo it, and poison yourself.

I've used Ionic fizz too. I find it most effective, and very fast onset. I save it for when I have to take Lasix (which I do occasionally).

I prefer to get my magnesium from foods when possible.

I never knew there were so many types of magnesium supplements. I have read the threads and know the benefits of magnesium, but the Citrate definitely is hard on the intestines. I believe it is what is used to clean out our intestines prior to a colonoscopy !

Frankly, I am writing on behalf of my German Shepherd 4-yr old female (Kai) with acute IBD and constant watery diarrhea. There are several reasons that the nutritionist I have been working with has recommended a cal/mag citrate supplement, but it is way too disturbing to Kai's intestinal motility. I have done some reading on Mag Glycinate, that supposedly does not disrupt bowel function like Citrate. Then there is Gluconate and many others.

Can anyone tell me the best form of Mag that will provide all the benefits WITHOUT the diarrhea side effects? Then someone said in one of the threads that you should NOT take calcium and magnesium in the same supplement at the same time...but rather take them separately and at different times. HELP !

Searching in Scottsdale

Most of the time the diarrhea is dose dependent.

For anyone (animal included) having fast transit anyway due to
something in the diet, the mag might just make it worse.

Have you tried a gluten free diet for your dog? Some dogs can have food intolerances, just like people!

I don't totally believe the business of separating the calcium and magnesium. In our food they occur together.

Any of the chelates should work. But dosing would have to be trial and error. Avoid the oxide form. It is mostly useless and will make diarrhea worse.

I would start with very small amounts of mag...and increase slowly to a therapeutic dose. Not all mag supplements are 100% absorbed. Finding the right amount for your dog's needs will take some time, I think. Glycinate is good, but in too high a dose will also cause loose stools.

My dog Kai has severe IBD, which itself produces constant watery diarrhea. In addition to (or probably one of the causes of) her IBD is that Kai is an anxious dog and gets stressed easily. She has some OCD's as well. Magnesium would be of great benefit to her I know.

I have had a hair analysis done on Kai and am working with a nutritionist. We tried a Cal/Mag citrate supplement (100mg of each), but it seemed to make Kai's diarrhea even worse, so I stopped it. The nutritionist seems to think that the citrate is the way to go...possibly because the mag is greatly available. But, I don't want to tip the scales in the wrong direction if there is another choice.

Subsequent to that, I tried to do some research on line and it seemed that some types of Mag are less disruptive to the intestines than others. It seemed that possibly the Glycinate in particular and possibly the Gluconate had a lesser tendancy to elicit diarrhea.

I understand/know that we probably have to play around with dosages as well, but Kai (German Shepherd) is down to 50 pounds, so we do not have much room to experiment. She needs the benefits of Mag but not any additional distress to her bowels.

So, what have you found about Mags that might be more "gentle?"

Thanks !

I myself use ionic fizz (liquid from powder) --1/4 to 1/2 dose /day for fast effect.

Or I use the SlowMag...which is magnesium chloride in a delayed format. I don't know how fast it would move thru your dog however. I get mine as a generic called Mag64.

I am very sensitive to magnesium, and I really need it too. I try to get mine from food, because of that. I have a birth defect that causes fast transit with some foods, so I understand the loose effects magnesium can have.

I think you will need to find out what is causing his diarrhea. In people it can be hidden sorbitol in foods, which is laxative. But dogs they can pick up pathogens so easily, etc. If your dog has any autoimmune issues, the IBS may be from that. That is why I mention the gluten connection. A friend of mine has a dog that has to eat gluten free food because of his breeding.
Autoimmune issues are more common in animals now because of vaccines. My vet told me that autoimmune is now epidemic in cats. Feline distemper vaccine has been linked to chronic kidney failure in cats, and rabies and feline leukemia cause vaccination induced sarcomas (cancer).

You know 3oz of almonds have 270mg of magnesium. You could grind this up finely and feed it to him --if the vet says he can have almonds that is.

All of the chelates can cause some looseness...there is no guarantee they won't.

I have read the threads about the Ionic Fizz and the Mag64 and made note of them to ask about with Kai's nutritionist.

You are correct in saying that IBD is a type of auto-immune disease. At the moment, it has been recommended that I do not give Kai any vaccinations or heart worm medication because of the immunosuppressant effects.

The cause of Kai's diarrhea probably started out as an overgrowth of bad bacteria, that we treated with round after round of various antibiotics as well as Prednisone. In addition, Kai has environmental and food allergies (she has been tested for that as well). I have not given Kai anything with gluten in several months. Right now she is on home-cooked, meaty foods only with a little brown rice sometimes.

Believe me, Kai has been through every medical test there is: CBC, Chem 27, Folate, T4, Cobalamine, B12, Urine, etc...you get my drift. She has even had two abdominal ultra-sounds. Most recently we did a hair analysis on Kai and that is how the nutritionist got involved. There is defintely some imbalances in Kai's minerals. But at this point, with the constant watery diarrhea, there is malabsorption as well. So we are walking a fine line to get her stabilized.

So, that brings me back to my original question if there was some particular type of magnesium that was less distressful on the intestines. I am getting the sense that perhaps there is none. Kai actually loves almonds. I had intended to ask the nutritionist about giving Kai some foods higher in magnesium.

Here! Here!

A link to some of my past notes on bones and soup broth (references are posted at the bottom), to back up why I agree with MrsD on this issue:

Soup Broth Bones

Kim:

I clicked on the soup bones link.

WELL!!!! I have never been so impressed by a website in all my life. She even mentions sprouting in one of her articles and I'm a BIG SPROUTER.

The article about boiling the soup bones is amazing.

I have a question. If one doesn't went to do this, can a person go and buy one of those cartons of organic chicken broth (or stock).

Is this as good?

Thanks much

Melody

P.S. UDATE!!!! Just came back from my supermarket. Found two cartons of Organic low sodium chicken broth for $1.99 each. What a sale. I'll make my own down the road but this price I could NOT resist.lol

I have tried the magnesium chelates in moderation in addition to ionic fizz. None of these had the same effect as magnesium oxide which I feel works best for me. The chelates just make my stomach go soft... if that makes sense? Is there any reason to try and continue with magnesium glycinate if oxide is the better option for me at this point?

What I've also noticed has helped is adding fat in my diet through oils... since I'm lactose intolerant most of the good fat options are limited. The fat helps the absorption of vitamin D and calcium for me.

Thanks!