Trying To Harden Up Volcano's #2

[Guest Volcano]

Hello,

 

We've had our Volcano for 5 months now and he's doing great.

We are trying to firm up his #2 but it keeps on staying loose so I figured it was time to request some assistance.

 

We feed him 3 cups of kibble 2 times a day.

In the morning we add 2 teaspoons of plain yogurt.

For dinner we add 2 teaspoons of canned pumpkin.

 

Initially the pumpkin firmed it up but it would only last for the next #2 movement. After that we were back to soft serve.

 

Now it's mostly soft serve.

 

We are feeding IAMS adult dog food.

 

Should their #2's be firm like normal dogs or are they just prone to soft movements?

 

Thanks for your reply in advance.

[Guest GryffinSong]

Gryffin was extremely prone to soft movements. I tried nearly every food on the planet, from the highest of the high end on down. The only food I ever found that worked for him was Purina One chicken. So, I'm feeding my iggies organic good stuff, and fed Gryffin Purina One until I lost him to osteo.

 

He had particularly bad problems with beef and lamb.

 

Good luck!!!

[Guest Volcano]

We had Volcano started on Purina One Beef & Lamb but then switched to IAMS thinking it would maybe change things.

 

On average how long after a food switch should you see a change? I would asusme after a couple of movements??

[Guest DebSzal]

I give Primo pumpkin in the morning and a broken up Metamucil wafer bar in the afternoon with his second meal. This seems to work for him. And he loves the wafer - I buy the Apple Cinnamon flavor.

[Guest MyBoys]

Just a thought, is there a chance he could have a parasite issue (worms)? How is his weight? Six cups of kibble a day you see some weight gain, maybe drop a poo sample off at your vet and have it tested. If that is not the issue you could try adding some plain bran (no raisins) flakes to his food, he may just need a food that is higher in fiber.

[Guest Volcano]

He's been tested for worms and he gets his heart guard once a month - so I'm pretty sure I can rule that out.

He is 83lbs and for a greyhound he's at the taller and larger end of the spectrum. Most greys are medium sized but he stands taller, probably the tallest one we've seen (which is why we he chose us because we're tall too!).

 

The fiber/protein content among all the varieties of dog food is pretty consistant - however I like the metamucil idea that might give him a good jolt.

 

Thanks for the replies.

[Brondon530]

We've had very similar experiences with our Greyhound, so I figured I'd share! When we brought Rudy home from the kennel a few months ago, we were given some of his kennel food and were told that we should start slowly incorporating Iams (as requested by the kennel owner). It made him SO sick. I then tried to incorporate TOTW-Pacific Stream, because I read on here that most greyhound owners had good luck with it. Poops were better, but still very loose. We brought a sample of the food from the kennel (the only food that would work for him) to Petco, and discovered that it was a mix of Purina Dog Chow and Purina Beneful. It has been the ONLY thing that will work for him. About 2 weeks ago I tried to incorporate Costco Kirkland - Chicken into his food, and it was back to loose stools and his gas was horrendous (it woke me up multiple times during the night haha). I've spoken with a few greyhound owners in my neighborhood and shared my desire to get him on a healthier food, and they recommended that I try Purina Pro Plan. They said that the formulas will be similar since it's the same brand, but Pro Plan is much healthier. Haven't tried it yet, but I'll let you know how it goes!

[Guest greyhound9797]

Keep in mind that regular loose stools are a sign of either a medical issue or a food issue. By feeding pumpkin, you are simply "masking" the symptoms. It's like putting a band-aid on a large gushing cut; it stops the bleeding for awhile but further action is required because the cut is still there.

 

If all medical issues have been ruled out it's time to start looking at the diet. Though it can be frustrating and time consuming you will probably need to experiment with several different foods until you find one that produces perfect stool. In my opinion, the perfect food is raw but I understand many people are hesitant to try it. As far as commercial kibble goes, what works for one dog may not work for another. It's the same in people - I have an intolerance to garlic but everyone I know can eat garlic without issues.

 

Buy the best food you can afford that has the lowest amount of by-products. The Purina Pro Plan that was recommended is considered a 1 star food on the Dog Food Analysis site http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=1394&cat=all. The first few ingredients are: Chicken, brewers rice, whole grain wheat, poultry by-product meal (natural source of glucosamine), corn gluten meal, whole grain corn, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), corn bran, fish meal (natural source of glucosamine), animal digest, dried egg product. The only good ingredient in this list is chicken but it's followed by cheap, inexpensive fillers.

 

I suggest heading to the nearest Mom & Pop pet supply store (not Petco or Petsmart) which tend to carry better foods. Better usually means more expensive so you'll need to determine the importance of your greys health and well being versus money spent on obtaining it. One way to think about it is to ask yourself what you would do if you had loose stools every day. Would you simply take a Pepcid or Tums or would you try to find out what is causing it?

 

Good luck!

 

Sandra in FL

[Guest GoingRogue]

As far as cost, when you calculate out how much food is per oz you aren't spending much more. I have been feeding Pro plan with no trouble but have been concerned about the ingredients. So I figured the cost per oz for Pro plan vs Blue buffalo. It's about the same. Both brands cost about $1.99 per oz. When you look at the bigger picture you end up spending the same per month for a better food. I haven't switched to BB yet because we got a free 40 oz bag of food from a friend at the local Co-op so we are trying it, even though the ingredients aren't any better than Pro plan. Anyway, I really like the ingredients in BB chicken and brown rice. There are a lot of meat and veg and no fillers. You can also get a $5 off coupon from their website.

[Guest flourmill39]

Blue Buffalo-

My Greyhounds would not touch it. I have found a Purina blend of Beneful and Chicken and Rice to work pretty well.

Lamb and rice may not work out as well ... in my experience with our greys.