Guest Clawsandpaws Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 I hate to start another crappy topic, but I don't want to hijack someone's thread with my own poop woes. We took Dudley off of IAMs green bag, which gave him firm dark brown poops, to taste of the wild, wild boar. We switched because I felt his coat condition wasn't as nice. It's been about 4 weeks since the 100% ToTW, but his poops aren't the same. They are a lighter brown (not an alarming color or anything, just lighter) and the poops are kind of soft, not mush, not diahrrea, I can pick them up, but they are soft, definitely not as firm.... Is this okay? Is this an indication of an upset stomach? I forgot to ask my vet when I was there the other day, I can call him, but I like to ask GT first! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShebasMom Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 Others with much more knowledge than I will give better advice, but why not stick with the Iams and good poops and use somet sort of supplement for the coat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feisty49 Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 I wouldn't worry about it. I did the same with my Annie. She turned her nose up at at Green Iams after 6 months so I switched to TOTW, High Prairie flavor (and I always wonder if they do taste different). Her poos changed. They are formed but softer than when on Iams. It's also easier for her to eliminate. When on the Iams she sometimes had difficulty getting the stuff out because it was too firm. FYI: If I think her poos are too soft, I toss in a couple of tablespoons of beet pulp to a couple of meals or add cheese. Cheese binds her right up. My suggestion regarding this and other things Greyhound: Relax and don't worry so much. Seriously...if he had issues with his gastro area, there would be soft serve and diarrhea coming out, IMO. It took me a while to realize it, but Greyhounds don't break as often as we read on here because those of us who have healthy dogs don't have a reason to post, "My Dog Is Healthy." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_daerr Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 I guess it's not terrible, but not ideal. If you're going to keep him on TOTW, I'd probably try to either mix the Iams with it or add straight beet pulp. Others with much more knowledge than I will give better advice, but why not stick with the Iams and good poops and use somet sort of supplement for the coat? BTW, this is exactly what I do. I add fish oil to the Iams, and voila! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RMarie Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 We feed James green bag. He's on an antibiotic right now so his poops are a bit softer than normal. But, a secret food I found firms his poops up even while on the meds: tortilla chips! 100% organic corn tortilla chips, Kirkland brand from Costco. I feed him a few after dinner while I'm snacking. Next morning, 100% firm, turd-shaped poops. Go figure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Clawsandpaws Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 He does get fish oil pills everyday, he had very dry flaky skin with IAMs and his coat was becoming dull, or I would have kept him. I may try the beet pulp thing. Anything less than 50% IAMs seemed to have no effect on poo. I guess I could buy another food container and go 50/50 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ShanYu Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 Have you tried the supplement "Missing Link"? It is great for getting the coat into condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_daerr Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 He does get fish oil pills everyday, he had very dry flaky skin with IAMs and his coat was becoming dull, or I would have kept him. I may try the beet pulp thing. Anything less than 50% IAMs seemed to have no effect on poo. I guess I could buy another food container and go 50/50 We tried generic fish oil pills, and those didn't work nearly as well as Iceland Pure (wild salmon oil). Missing Link is also great. If you try the beet pulp, you'll probably have to order/buy it from a store that sells equine feed and equipment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feisty49 Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 Beet pulp doesn't come in small packages, at least that I could find. I got it at a local country store and had to buy a 40# bag!!! It will last Annie years. We feed James green bag. He's on an antibiotic right now so his poops are a bit softer than normal. But, a secret food I found firms his poops up even while on the meds: tortilla chips! 100% organic corn tortilla chips, Kirkland brand from Costco. I feed him a few after dinner while I'm snacking. Next morning, 100% firm, turd-shaped poops. Go figure. Nice trick. Kinda like what a slice of American cheese does to Annie. I wonder if non-organic would work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Clawsandpaws Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 Lol, thanks guys. I have also played with the thought of going raw, since I might have to start doing that for my cat soon (she has IBD, allergies, UTIs and so on) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houndtime Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 I have always added fish oil to my dogs' kibble. It is very inexpensive. Quote Irene Ullmann w/Flying Odin and Mama Mia in Lower Delaware Angels Brandy, John E, American Idol, Paul, Fuzzy and Shine Handcrafted Greyhound and Custom Clocks http://www.houndtime.com Zoom Doggies-Racing Coats for Racing Greyhounds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kkaiser104 Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 Another vote for Iams and adding fish oil. Teddi goes nuts for his! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Clawsandpaws Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 We did do IAMS and fish oil, for about 8 months, just not really happy with it. I just wanted to see if the softer lighter poos were still okay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remolacha Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 The color will change depending on the ingredients in the food. Nothing to worry about unless it turns a really weird color! I seem to recall, from another thread, that raw eggplant created nice firm poops, lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedHead Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 Have you tried any of the other TOTW formulas? Teague does well on Acana, but all but two of the formulas cause the runs, even within the same brand of food. I had to test them all out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kkaiser104 Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 Maybe try adding some beet pulp or pumpkin? Both will help firm things up which will make it a little easier for you to clean up! Color changes based on the type of food, I wouldn't worry about it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Clawsandpaws Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 Have you tried any of the other TOTW formulas? Teague does well on Acana, but all but two of the formulas cause the runs, even within the same brand of food. I had to test them all out. He has tried the pacific salmon one, but his gas was so bad I couldn't lie with it. That was over a year ago, so we decided to try a non-fished based one Maybe try adding some beet pulp or pumpkin? Both will help firm things up which will make it a little easier for you to clean up! Color changes based on the type of food, I wouldn't worry about it I'm gonna buy beet pulp on amazon! Dudley loves regular canned beets, but they make his mouth pink Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_daerr Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 One other thing... watch Dudley's teeth on TOTW. Henry's teeth got super gunked up on it. I think because the pieces are small and really flat, they don't get as much of a chewing action. If you brush and do chewies regularly though, you probably won't have anything to worry about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Clawsandpaws Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 One other thing... watch Dudley's teeth on TOTW. Henry's teeth got super gunked up on it. I think because the pieces are small and really flat, they don't get as much of a chewing action. If you brush and do chewies regularly though, you probably won't have anything to worry about. We brush everyday! I did notice the pieces were small, plus he chokes if I don't add water, and that can't help with his teeth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_daerr Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 Someone should write to TOTW and ask them for a large-breed formula! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Time4ANap Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 We used to feed TOTW until we reached a point where it just no longer worked for Rocket. The one thing to make sure you are doing is following the instructions for the amount you feed. It varies with each variety of TOTW. Being a rich food, it is easy to over-feed if you aren't following the instructions, resulting in soft poop. Quote Camp Broodie. The current home of Mark Kay Mark Jack and Gracie Kiowa Safe Joan. Always missing my boy Rocket Hi Noon Rocket, Allie Phoenix Dynamite, Kate Miss Kate, Starz Under Da Starz, Petunia MW Neptunia, Diva Astar Dashindiva, and LaVida I've Got Life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Clawsandpaws Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 We used to feed TOTW until we reached a point where it just no longer worked for Rocket. The one thing to make sure you are doing is following the instructions for the amount you feed. It varies with each variety of TOTW. Being a rich food, it is easy to over-feed if you aren't following the instructions, resulting in soft poop. I don't usually go by the bag, I wait a few weeks and see if he is maintaining/losing/gaining and go from there. He was maintaining weight on less TOTW, so I have to assume that his softer poos are not caused by too much, but that is good info to have. They aren't that bad, and I have been adding raw beef and sweet potatoes and beets, that has been firming it up immediately, so maybe it just isn't the food for him. *sigh* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Time4ANap Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 I don't usually go by the bag, I wait a few weeks and see if he is maintaining/losing/gaining and go from there. He was maintaining weight on less TOTW, so I have to assume that his softer poos are not caused by too much, but that is good info to have. They aren't that bad, and I have been adding raw beef and sweet potatoes and beets, that has been firming it up immediately, so maybe it just isn't the food for him. *sigh* TOTW seems to be a very rich food, much like our experience with Blue Buffalo. If we gave add-ins, we usually had to cut the amount of kibble back a little in those meals where we did so. It seems to be more of a balancing act with those rich kibbles. Both were very good, but we found that they were just too rich for Rocket's system to handle them for more than a few months before we were back to Big D or mush. Maybe try cutting about 1/4 cup of kibble when you give add-ins and see what happens. Quote Camp Broodie. The current home of Mark Kay Mark Jack and Gracie Kiowa Safe Joan. Always missing my boy Rocket Hi Noon Rocket, Allie Phoenix Dynamite, Kate Miss Kate, Starz Under Da Starz, Petunia MW Neptunia, Diva Astar Dashindiva, and LaVida I've Got Life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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