The Big D

[Guest newgreymombeth]

I've had Bo for 2 months now and he still hasn't had a SOLID number 2. Some of them are closer to solid than others, but for the most part they are mushy and I'm basically fingerpainting with the poop bags when I do the pick up. When he came to me, he was eating Kirkland chicken and rice adult formula. I bought a bag of that and he ate that for about a month. His poops were never solid on that food - same ol runny stuff. I was nearing the end of the bag when the Diamond recalls happened, so I didn't want to buy another bag. I went to the pet store and picked up Nature's Recipe venision and rice healthy coat formula. His coat was a little dull and his skin was dry. He reaaaaally loves the Nature's Recipe stuff and his coat looks incredible after a month of eating it, but his poop is still a big mess! I know the cold turkey transition didn't help and he just came off of a week of antibiotics when gave him MAJOR runny poop. My question is, how long exactly do I give a new food before I veto it as not working out? Is a month a sufficient amount of time? Someone at the dog park told me that venision is 'rich' and can bring on the big D in some dogs. Ugh! We're nearing the end of this bag and I don't know if I should buy another bag. Nature's Recipe did have a chicken and rice recipe that was meant for sensitive stomachs, but I'm kind of wondering if he has a grain allergy or grain just doesn't work well with him. Would it be smart to try a grain free food, like Nutro or Blue Wilderness, or should I keep trying with the Nature's Recipe healthy coat food? I know that a tummy needs time, but we are going on 2 months of this mushy crap (pun intended!) and I feel sorry for the guy. We were outside last week and he was in the middle of a runny number 2, when some charming fella drives by and yells "AWKWARD" out of his car window. Thank you, sir, now my dog has a complex.

 

Any suggestions or advice? Thanks

[Guest Angelique]

Cassy made pancakes for almost 8 months until we tried him on his current kibble (Beneful-Original) it's the only thing that keeps his stool firm. His stool started firming up 4 days after we started using it, and was firm at 10 days. Since then i have tried to mix an 8th or less of other kibbles and i get pancakes again, so... he will be eating Beneful till the end of his days.

Interestingly he does fine on home made chicken and rice, barf or anything else i throw at him that is human quality... it must be something they use in the kibbles it's just not any of the usual suspects.

 

He does not do well with natural yogurt, but is fine with other dairies...

Edited May 25, 2012 by Angelique

[Batmom]

IMHO the "needs time" thing is a myth. If a dog doesn't do well on a food over a few days (remember that it takes 24-48 hours for food to work its way through and have an impact on output), I switch. And if the results of that food are really really bad, I switch cold turkey. Doesn't hurt. Can help.

 

No reason to think it's grain rather than some other ingredient -- fat type or percentage, fiber type or percentage, etc.

[rascalsmom]

Sounds like Jack.

 

Perhaps talk to your vet about trying some "low residue" prescription food. That's what we did with Jack, and it helped things a lot. He is still on it, and may be on it from now on. Sure, it's expensive, at over $70 for 30 pounds, but usually--not always--there is relatively solid poop to pick up. He will probably never be one of those "bouncy poop" type of dogs, but he likes this food, and does pretty well on it.

 

The vet explained it to me that the prescription food sometimes helps to 'calm things down' in the gut. So you may be able to transition your dog to a non-rx food after getting things 'calmed down'.

 

The ingredients on the prescription food look horrible, but it's working, and he eats it.

[HoundHeavenAZ]

I've had the best luck with mixing Costco lamb and rice and Iams Mini chunks for kibble. I also cook sweet potatoes and some meat, assorted veggies, brown rice and eggs to top the kibble. The veggies may vary, the meats vary but I always add the sweet potatoes and it has worked well for any hound that has been here.

I may not be an expert, but I know the sweet potatoes work well. I'd chop one up with maybe a handful of hamburger, boil it and see what happens.

 

Best of luck to you and Bo

[MaryJane]

To start off with - look for a dog food with more fiber. The Iams in the green bag has beet pulp which acts as a fiber and can work. Another is Science diet light and that one has about 10 to 15 % fiber. The fiber in that one is from cellulose (wood???) but, it seems to work, While some might consider Iams or the Science diet not to be "great foods", if either works then at least you have something that works while you try other dog foods slowly over the next few months. And, if you decide to feed them this food on a regular basis, then that's better than having daily diarrhea.

 

One of the ways that I firm up my dog's poop is by feeding them oatmeal daily which has fiber.

[Guest Roadtripper]

I haven't had as much dog-experience as others here, but you mentioned Bo just came off antibiotics--maybe he just needs more time to rebound from that? If you like the results of Nature's Recipe except for his poops, maybe check into giving him a probiotic & see if that helps before switching to another food. Or I'd at least stick with the brand but see if his tummy handles the chicken a little better.

 

Good luck!

[Walliered]

My dogs are on Science Diet I/D from the vet. Stools are firm. Trupanion pet insurance pays 1/2 the dog food bill. Why don't you check out the premium for your dog. It may pay off to have Trupanion.