Full Of It

[Sambuca]

So Bu has always been a big pooper. He's a legend around here and most of my friends and family are afraid to walk him because of the output. He had all sorts of tests done when I got him in October of '08. It took a year for the diarrhea to go away when I finally found TOTW. I've always told my vet that Bu poops a lot, we haven't done anything about it in over a year. Well a couple weeks ago Bu pooped in the house behind the front door every day or every other day for a week or 2. Since it was right behind the door I knew he wasn't feeling well. I thought he was getting into the other dogs food (he figured out how to open the storage container). Bu had an appointment for shots today so starting yesterday at 1pm I started stockpiling Bu's poop until 1pm today. I brought all the poop to the vet today and they were shocked. My vet walked in and asked if I was a comedian. When he realized it really was only 1 day of poop he said I need to bring Bu back on an empty stomach to test for a pancreatic thing. My vet doesn't think that's whats wrong because of the consistency (relatively solid), but in '08 he was tested for pretty much everything else and nothing came of it. My vet said all that was left was a biopsy and I wasn't and am still not going to go that route. He eats 6 cups of TOTW a day and I swear he poops out 8 cups a day. I've seen horses have smaller poops. Please think good thoughts for my poor boy who is always full of *&%^. It can't feel good to have that in him all the time.

[o_rooly]

Poor Bu. Lots of positive thoughts beaming your boy's way!

 

 

Edit for oddball double post...

Edited August 4, 2011 by o_rooly

[seeh2o]

I'm so glad to read about another prolific pooper. When Carl was on kibble TOTW Pacific Stream and then on Kirkland lamb he was fed 4-5 cops a day and on one walk would poop up to 7 times. We also joked about how he would poop more than he ate. The vet was never concerned as his blood work has always been good. When I switched him to raw in Feb, all that changed, I'm shocked if he poops more than 3 times on our walks and the size, texture and volume are incredible! Small firm poops are now normal. Weird your vet would want to do a biopsy, seems really over the top, especially if his blood work is good.

Edited August 4, 2011 by seeh2o

[3greytjoys]

Wow, 6 cups of food is a lot.

 

If I may ask, what is Bu's weight?

Can you see the last 2 ribs and feel the 3rd to last rib?

(That's what I've read is a general healthy weight for a pet Greyhound.)

 

I haven't looked up TOTW's calorie count lately, but there are some other healthy foods that are a higher caloric content that could reduce Bu's stool quantity, and remain an excellent stool firmer. Less goes in = less comes out.

 

One mid caloric range food we have is 430 calories per cup.

Snippets from that food's feeding chart:

140 pound dog = 5 cups

90 pound dog = 4 cups

60 pound dog = 3 cups

(Full chart increments of 10 pounds.)

 

Another food is 510 calories per cup

140 pound dog = 4.5 cups

 

Even when I'm trying to add weight to a new foster, I rarely exceed 4 cups of food from yet a different brand which is 468 calories per cup.

 

Might be interesting to take a look at TOTW's caloric content per cup, and their feeding chart on the bag to see what they recommend for an adult dog at Bu's most healthy weight. I hope Bu doesn't have a medical problem. Good luck!

Edited August 4, 2011 by 3greytjoys

[Sambuca]

He didn't mention a biopsy now but in 08 when Bu had diarrhea for a year my vet said the only thing left to do was biopsy and we both decided we didn't like that idea. And I won't go that far now either. There was almost a full shopping bag of poop. The whole vets office was shocked. He probably only poops 5xs a day but they are often double or triple baggers.

Edited August 4, 2011 by Sambuca

[Sambuca]

Bu is about 80lbsright now.you can see at least 4 to 5 ribs, almost his whole spine and his hip bones. 6 cups is a ton of food but any less and he loses weight. He was actually 85# last time he was weighed. Bu also has a sensitive belly,and it took 8 or 9 foods to find 1 where he doesnt have diarrhea. Im on my phone so I cant look things up easily, but if you look at my old threads you can see some history. so I can not and will not just cut his food unless we find a way where he wont lose weight if I do.

Edited August 4, 2011 by Sambuca

[Guest greytbookert]

Wow, that is a lot of poop.

 

I'm not an expert and would never claim to be but it kind of sounds like a malabsorbsion issue

[Batmom]

Could be malabsorption so it is well worth doing those tests. With a significant malabsorption issue you usually do seem some debility in the dog -- lack of energy, crappy skin, diarrhea, weight loss -- which you have evidently seen .....

 

I have had the experience of some foods just not going through my dogs the way the listed calorie counts and fiber values imply. A couple of times there have been appalling amounts of poop from what seem to be ordinary amounts of food. Those foods don't last long around here .....

 

Hugs and best luck. Keep us posted with what you find out, OK?

[Walliered]

Huck has a malabsorption (sp?) problem, so the vet put him on B12 shots. She actually sent blood work off to Texas A&M and that is what they found. He had one shot each week for 4 weeks and then one shot a month for the rest of his life...I think it is 1cc and the bottle has 1000cc's in it. It only cost about $9.00 a bottle and that was from the vet. She gives me the needles for free.

I have had to switch him from TOTW Pacific to Science Diet I/D (crap food), but do believe it has helped..Hopefully will be able to switch him back one day.

[DevilDog]

No advice but I must say, that's a lot of #$%^&!!!

[Guest Gemma]

Poor Bu. I really hope you and your vet find a solution because it sure does sound uncomfortable for your sweet boy!

 

Is raw (or partial raw) an option for you? I don't think it will cure the issue but it might help. Our boy eats grain free kibble in the AM and raw in the evening, and he poops noticeably less than when we had him only on kibble.

[Guest Greytluv]

That's a lot of food and a lot of poop. My dogs only get 2 cups of food a day. One in the morning and one at night. I feed Wellness Core.

 

Good luck with Bu. I hope he's feel better

[4My2Greys]

As others have mentioned that is a lot of food and a LOT of poop. Chase is around 92 lbs and eats 4 cups a day of TOTW.

I wonder if he wouldn't benefit from adding digestive enzymes to his food.

I'm very interested to see what they do find from the tests.

[Sambuca]

Bu has tried the I/D food and it gave him worse diarrhea. I sometimes do partial raw and it has never affected the output. They did do tons of tests a couple years ago when he was worse but didn't find anything so if this test doesn't come up with anything, Bu and I will just have to deal with tons of poop forever.

[Batmom]

You are going to go ahead with the pancreatic tests, right?

 

 

 

 

 

 

FWIW, mainly in case others are reading but still: I currently feed Joseph homecooked. Part proteins, part carbs. Poop output is smallish. Second-smallest poop output was on IAMS green bag (firm) or Pinnacle Duck (decent but not quite as firm). Anything else, either diarrhea or amazing quantities of poop, or both.

[Sambuca]

Short of a biopsy I'll do pretty much any test we haven't done already, so yes to the pancreatic tests. Bu can not have any chicken or lamb, so many foods are not viable options for him.

[Remolacha]

No real suggestions, except to say, it sounds like he has a sensetive digestive system, and something is causing a percentage of his food to pass through without being absorbed. Those situations can be tricky to pinpoint.

[Newgreymom]

Dylan had the same problem. We put him on some Pancreatic Enzymes (Standard Process Veterinary Formula) and he has never had a problem since. Much less poop, no horrible gas and best of all, no diarreha anymore!!!! He eats Lamb and Oatmeal by Nature's Variety...Good luck! I would defintely try digestive enzymes or pancreatic enzymes..