neverending soft poop

[MyBuddy]

just a thought.........my rescue boy chance has the same problem....vet said to bring in a stool sample to test for some sort of bacteria. not worms....but something else.I cant recall the name of it...but dogs get it from drinking run off water. might want to see if your vet checked for it....hmmmm wish I could recall the name lol!

Giardia canis in Dogs

Are you thinking of Giardia? I had my RIP Dobe checked for this when he had stomach troubles. He didn't have it but it was a rather expensive test! Over $100 I think....I'd have to go back and check. But it's worth it if this persists, Apollo.

 

[MeadowCat]

I found the oat bran really helped. I do a heaping tablespoon on her food twice a day.

Probiotics you can get at Petco or Petsmart. They are in the supplements section. They may even have them at places like Target or Wal-mart, but I've never checked. I don't think the brand matters much. Basically it's a pill full of "good" bacteria that help balance the digestive system.

MeadowCat

 

[dobebug]

Giardia canis in Dogs

Are you thinking of Giardia? I had my RIP Dobe checked for this when he had stomach troubles. He didn't have it but it was a rather expensive test! Over $100 I think....I'd have to go back and check. But it's worth it if this persists, Apollo.

A Giardia snap test shouldn't be that expensive. And most vet clinics have tech's that are experienced enough to spot Giardia in a stool sample--they need to do a direct--not just look for eggs though--you won't find Giardia that way. It's not a worm but more like an amoeba.

But the symptoms that Apollo talks about aren't really typical of Giardia. Giarida usually manifests as blow-out diarrhea that comes and goes--typically the trigger is stress. What she's getting is constant soft stools.

 

[Apollo]

A Giardia snap test shouldn't be that expensive. And most vet clinics have tech's that are experienced enough to spot Giardia in a stool sample--they need to do a direct--not just look for eggs though--you won't find Giardia that way. It's not a worm but more like an amoeba.

But the symptoms that Apollo talks about aren't really typical of Giardia. Giarida usually manifests as blow-out diarrhea that comes and goes--typically the trigger is stress. What she's getting is constant soft stools.

yes it is constantly
and i know when they get giarida, its extrem diarrhea and it gets sometimes bloody too, that is not here, he has permanent soft or runny stools , i really can't remember when he had some solid once.

 

[dobebug]

Apollo,

I hafta' ask...why are you so determined to feed a grain free kibble? All of the grain free kibbles have some sort of carbohydrate--and even if it's not grain it seems that what you are trying to feed him is not agreeing with him.

What have you tried that isn't grain free? You may be in a situation with your dog where less is more. There are dogs who don't do well on high end kibbles--even those highly rated by various dog food rating sites.

I don't know that I'd even bother with the Canadae--even before their formula change there were dogs who couldn't eat Canadae--I had one of them--in one of my more stupid moments I thought I'd try it (even though I'd been feeding something that all three of my dogs did very well on--they liked it a lot, carried good weight, had glossy coats and lots of energy AND their stools were fine--solid and small. So I did--one of the dogs had nothing but diarrhea--the other dogs made the transition just fine but I gained nothing by switching--except I now was feeding two different foods.

The recent formula of Canadae has caused a good number of long time fans to stop feeding it because they ended up with dogs who were vomiting for no reason and/or had soft stools constantly.

Some dogs, as you've already read here, need more fiber in their diet than other dogs--and some need less. There are specialized diets that are available in both low and high formulations but they are pretty much all prescription and are expensive.

It's easy enough to add fiber to a dogs diet but I'd sure be trying a more conventional diet first--not a grain free--and see if that improves things.

And I'm going to ask the obvious. How much are you feeding? The very most common cause of soft stools or ongoing diarrhea is over feeding. The happens more often with high end kibbles. Too much food and the dogs GI system simply pushes it out the other end before all the excess liquid is removed--the end result? Sloppy stools.

Good luck...

 

[Apollo]

Apollo,

I hafta' ask...why are you so determined to feed a grain free kibble? All of the grain free kibbles have some sort of carbohydrate--and even if it's not grain it seems that what you are trying to feed him is not agreeing with him.

What have you tried that isn't grain free? You may be in a situation with your dog where less is more. There are dogs who don't do well on high end kibbles--even those highly rated by various dog food rating sites.

I don't know that I'd even bother with the Canadae--even before their formula change there were dogs who couldn't eat Canadae--I had one of them--in one of my more stupid moments I thought I'd try it (even though I'd been feeding something that all three of my dogs did very well on--they liked it a lot, carried good weight, had glossy coats and lots of energy AND their stools were fine--solid and small. So I did--one of the dogs had nothing but diarrhea--the other dogs made the transition just fine but I gained nothing by switching--except I now was feeding two different foods.

The recent formula of Canadae has caused a good number of long time fans to stop feeding it because they ended up with dogs who were vomiting for no reason and/or had soft stools constantly.

Some dogs, as you've already read here, need more fiber in their diet than other dogs--and some need less. There are specialized diets that are available in both low and high formulations but they are pretty much all prescription and are expensive.

It's easy enough to add fiber to a dogs diet but I'd sure be trying a more conventional diet first--not a grain free--and see if that improves things.

And I'm going to ask the obvious. How much are you feeding? The very most common cause of soft stools or ongoing diarrhea is over feeding. The happens more often with high end kibbles. Too much food and the dogs GI system simply pushes it out the other end before all the excess liquid is removed--the end result? Sloppy stools.

Good luck...

what food you would recommend then ? i don't know, there are so many foods out there, that its really hard to chose one and it would be nice to hear some, what have good experience with it.
i went with TOTW and the grainfree, because alot recommend this food. i feed Apollo around 1.5 cup in the morning and 1.5 cup in the afternoon, i don't think thats to much.
like i said for any tip on a good food, i would be very thankfull, maybe he really get handle the high end kibbles, but what should i try, what would be good for both, oh well Logan never had problems with any food so far

---------- Post added at 10:56 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:07 AM ----------

i really need some recommendations for another food LOL,
i was looking into the foodanalysis, now i'm complete confused LMA)

i was looking into the wellness core dog food, that seems not to bad????

 

[MeadowCat]

Well, if you're thinking of spending more money (Wellness), you might want to consider Orijen. That's what we have Shanoa on (which totally cleared up her soft stools), and it consistently wins awards for being a great food. We're really pleased with it - it's worth the extra cost to have easy clean up and a dog that looks fantastic. I've actually been stopped by people to ask me what I feed her, because she looks so healthy

 

[Apollo]

i don't know the price for it, i have to loo into next week. have hubby taking me to the store and see what they have there.

 

[MeadowCat]

You know, if you like TOTW, you might want to give it some more. If Apollo's only been on it a month, it can take some more time for the system to adjust. I actually read that a dog lacks digestive enzymes in such vast quantities that each time they eat a new food they have to develop completely new enzymes in order to properly digest the food. So, maybe adding in some probiotics for a few weeks and trying the bran might work with TOTW. Eventually you can decrease the amount of probiotics and bran you are using once his system is able to digest the food properly on his own.

MC

 

[MyBuddy]

A Giardia snap test shouldn't be that expensive. And most vet clinics have tech's that are experienced enough to spot Giardia in a stool sample--they need to do a direct--not just look for eggs though--you won't find Giardia that way. It's not a worm but more like an amoeba.

Well, then I really got taken! I looked it up and I spent $159.00 (2005) for a Giardia test! At a VCA animal hospital. I'm sure it wasn't a snap test though.

 

[Apollo]

You know, if you like TOTW, you might want to give it some more. If Apollo's only been on it a month, it can take some more time for the system to adjust. I actually read that a dog lacks digestive enzymes in such vast quantities that each time they eat a new food they have to develop completely new enzymes in order to properly digest the food. So, maybe adding in some probiotics for a few weeks and trying the bran might work with TOTW. Eventually you can decrease the amount of probiotics and bran you are using once his system is able to digest the food properly on his own.

MC

he is on it for month and month , not only just one month, thats why i been thinking about to switch, because it must not agree with him at all.

 

[hall.christopher]

I always will stick to Eukanuba breed specific and goats milk.Thats my formula!

 

[Apollo]

did you know what Chris, i was thinking of eukanuba too, Apollo's mom breeder only feeds Eukanuba and Apollo was on it when he got home to us too. but what specific breed, i know the have rottweiler and boxer and i think GSd, but i would like, just to have one food maybe here, but i could go back with Logan to his old food anytime.you thing Eukanuba large breed would be ok???

---------- Post added at 12:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:44 AM ----------

so checked the Eukanuba on the food analysis, not so good reviews. dang i don't know what to do and i think Joe wont pay $60 for 30lbs of dog food
its there not a decent dogfood out there what would not cost me a arm and a leg

 

[MeadowCat]

Darn. I guess I read that wrong. If it's been months, it's obviously not working for him.

If you want to try other grain free formulas and you can swing Wellness, I've heard good things about that food. You could certainly try the Canidae grain free formula as well. Each dog is so individual that what works for one doesn't necessarily work for another. My cats do very well on the Felidae grain free, which is their cat formula. I've also fed Instinct in the past, and liked that a lot. Evo is also really good.

If you're open to trying non-grain-free, I'd suggest avoiding anything with corn in it. A very reasonably priced food is Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul. Cheesy name, decent food. No corn, lots of meat. Fromm and Merrick make good foods as well.

If you have a good local store with knowledgeable people, they can be really helpful in talking through the different foods with you.

MC

 

[Apollo]

i saw the chickensoup ones and maybe look into that too, i really need to look a bit of the price too, but don't wanna feed grap to Apollo or Logan
its so hard to make a choice with all those foods and its not gettin easyer, i looked into the wellness, but gezzzzz thats a very high price food too and with Joe, the one, who brings to money home, i really need to try to stay in the same price range a bit higher don't makes the difference but almost $20, i think he wont be happy LMAO, who could blame him

 

[Hamuda]

Ok, here is my story:
I had the same story with my girl. Constant soft stools, sometimes diarrhea. Otherwise, healthy happy pup. Well, 7 grain-free foods later (Horizon Legacy, Acana, Orijen, Wellness, TOTW, Solid Gold, GO! oh and did I mentioned RAW?) and 700$ in vet bills to rule out all possible medical causes including rounds of antibiotics, we ended up with Purina EN veterinarian diet for sensitive GI. First three base ingredients in this food - wait for it... wait for it... Brewers rice, corn gluten meal and whole grain corn (Oy, oy, oy)... When I saw the bag, I thought I am going to have a heart attack... Well, it took two days on the new food to get her solid. We were on this food for three months and then transitioned to Pro Plan Selects Salmon and Rice. I add inulin powder (fiber) 1 tbsp in each feeding and do round of fortiflora (probiotic) once in three months. And that's it My boy and my girl eat the same food which is regular PetSmart brand, they are happy, have shiny coats and small solid poops.

And by the way, my vet showed me three files (with no names, obviously) of the dogs with liver toxicity cases. One dog is three y.o, one dog is five y.o and one dog is 4.5 y.o. Guess, what food all of them were fed all their life? ORIJEN!!! Go figure...

 

[Apollo]

i looked at the pro plan, just because i heard lots of dobe's doing very well on it, but it isn't very cheap either LOL
so here i'm poor me and don't know what to do LMAo

---------- Post added at 03:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:03 PM ----------

oy oy oy, desicions desicions, LOL
i have no idea what to do, i really might start with the pro plan now, looked at it and might go with sensitive stomache and skin first and see how they do on it, get some extra probiotics and give the other suppliments and see ,what happens.if it gets btter, i might switch to the salmon one later on. gezzzzz its so hard and my head is spinning from all the into food checking

 

[Hamuda]

i looked at the pro plan, just because i heard lots of dobe's doing very well on it, but it isn't very cheap either LOL
so here i'm poor me and don't know what to do LMAo

---------- Post added at 03:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:03 PM ----------

oy oy oy, desicions desicions, LOL
i have no idea what to do, i really might start with the pro plan now, looked at it and might go with sensitive stomache and skin first and see how they do on it, get some extra probiotics and give the other suppliments and see ,what happens.if it gets btter, i might switch to the salmon one later on. gezzzzz its so hard and my head is spinning from all the into food checking

Tina, Do not be discouraged! I know how hard it is. Been there.
I forgot to mention the important part. Before we were on EN vet diet we did a week on their canned EN formula. The ingredients there basically the same as if you will do cooked hamburger and rice only. NO SUPPLEMENTS!!! Just blant diet for a week. And then, slowly, half hamburger and rice/half new kibble+fiber+probiotic. For another week. And then, only kibble+fiber+probiotic. And then, slowly, if you want to supplement, add one supplement per week and see what happens. If you go directly from TOTW to Pro Plan, you end up with softer poops.
Good luck.

 

[zoorox]

my rescue boy chance always has a soft stool too......we have changed foods and nothing seems to work. but part of it I blame on the fact that he was such a starved dog and so very under weight when I got him. poor guy.....he is my only poo eatter! I kid you not it is so gross! he has runny poo and turns right around and try's to eat it. I cant watch him 24/7 so I know he eats anything! he is on the edge of fat dog now.....he looks good.....but it wouldnt take much for him to be a fat boy.

as for the cost of food....I buy my zoo zoo expensive food....but he is the only one I feed it. the others get cheaper food and do just fine. zoo is hard to keep weight on. I work him also and he is very high drive....nothing sticks to him. so he needs a really good food to keep what weight he has.....I have even thought of going back to puppy food.....since when he was on that he was a nice weight. and had nice stools all the time

 

[Apollo]

Tina, Do not be discouraged! I know how hard it is. Been there.
I forgot to mention the important part. Before we were on EN vet diet we did a week on their canned EN formula. The ingredients there basically the same as if you will do cooked hamburger and rice only. NO SUPPLEMENTS!!! Just blant diet for a week. And then, slowly, half hamburger and rice/half new kibble+fiber+probiotic. For another week. And then, only kibble+fiber+probiotic. And then, slowly, if you want to supplement, add one supplement per week and see what happens. If you go directly from TOTW to Pro Plan, you end up with softer poops.
Good luck.

LOl how much softer can it get LMAO
i was going to get a bag of the pro plan and start switching slowy from TOTW to pro plan, like i would do with any other food too.
its frustrating and i'm so sorry for him, but beside the soft stool, he a happy healthy puppy