Hi, I need help trying to figure out how to firm my puppies stool. He’s 15 weeks and is continuously having runny and loose stools. On occasion he will have firm but it’s rare. I have taken him to the vet and he is clear of any parasites and worms. They even put him on Flagyl as a precaution. I currently have him on Wellness Grain Free chicken and pea adult kibble and am adding some brown rice to bind it. I have tried giving him pumpkin but that doesn’t help. He is eating about ¾ cup 3 times a day. He has no loss of appetite and is very active. I have tried switching his food as well but that didn’t change his stools. I know this is not normal so am curious on what suggestions people may have. Getting worried as I don’t want his digestive system to be compromised. Arti
Hey Arti. How worrying for you. I have a few thoughts. Had he been tested for specific issues such as giardia? Has the vet diagnosed colitis? Why is he on adult food? He should really be on a specific puppy food. Have you tried changing the food? Chicken is a very common cause of issues in dogs. Changing to a food with a single novel protein source such as fish, duck or similar would be high on my “to do” list. It’s possible he’s getting too much volume of food. The required volume varies massively from food to food, but my puppy was getting about 2oz four times a day at that age. A high volume of food hitting the stomach can cause upsets, so I would reduce the amount being fed and split it between more frequent meals, or even ditch meal time completely and use the food allowance for training and enrichment throughout the day... stuffed kongs, snuffle mat, kibble trails around the garden, kibble hunt in the house etc etc.
He did have Giardia when I got him from the breeder and was on meds for a week. I got him tested after and he is clear. Even the last test which was 2 weeks ago,he was clear. When I got him from the breeder, she was very specific on putting him on large breed adult food around 5 months (which he is) and also to make sure the protein is no more than 25%. She’s been breeding labs for over 20 years. She initially wanted him on Eukanaba but the indgredients are awful which is why I am doing wellness. Even when he was on puppy food, he had runny stools. I am trying to reduce the amount of food he is eating and hopefully that will help. It’s day 1 of this strategy.
Sadly, breeding Labs for 20 years doesn’t qualify someone as a canine nutritionist. Of course we choose our breeders carefully so like to trust them, but it doesn’t make them infallible. I disagree with my own brilliant breeder on certain things. Yours is wrong about changing to adult food before he’s finished growing. You already decided that her food recommendation wasn’t good enough, so I’d suggest you also disregard that other piece of advice and get him onto an age-appropriate diet. Feeding adult food too early means he won’t be getting the correct balance of nutrition his growing bones and joints need.
If he’s on Flagyl, I’d add a probiotic. Or feed homemade kefir (fermented milk - much, much better than store-bought yoghurt for the bacterial count). You’ve got good advice above, and being a puppy with runny stool, you must protect against dehydration. Make sure he’s getting sufficient fluids. My adult boy had bad diarrhea for ages (the vet said it was “garbage bin disease” - too much scavenging! Particularly of human poo on our mountain trail ), and I do believe kefir made the difference - recommended by my vet. He’s had perfect poos since - gets a small bowl of kefir almost every night now. Ask your vet about adding a probiotic or kefir.
My puppy who is 11 months had lots of digestive problems when younger so I understand why you are concerned. After lots of tests, upsetting diarrhoea bouts - I concluded chicken was the problem. She was on a special wet food diet with turkey as the main protein - this suited her really well - stools firmed up completely. I still use it in her kongs but she’s now on kibble - turkey and rice (large breed puppy) and that suits her well. She has the occasional upset (never sure why) but I give her Pro Kolin which I rate highly and this sorts her out. For a high value treat, I cook turkey and cut into small cubes. I am very careful to make sure she has nothing else but eventually am going to try other things.
If the vet has ruled out any form of bacteria and pup is regularly wormed I would look at the food going in. As others have said chicken is known to cause digestive problems in some dogs so a change to a novel food would help, something like lamb or turkey. If you change food read the ingredient list to ensure that there is no mention of 'poultry' products or by-products as they will contain chicken (amongst other things). The other major cause of soft or runny poo is over feeding. Unfortunately manufacturers tell us to feed by x number of cups a day instead of calories, and they nirmally over estimate how much food a puppy or dog needs a day. Also I would look at any treats you are giving in training sessions as they could also be a problem.
I am wondering if it is over eating. When he’s had diarrhea I have had him on chicken and rice bland diet for 3 days and his diarrhea goes away and his stool does become firmer. Which is why I am thinking he may not have a chicken allergen. I tried a teaspoon of plain yogurt and his stomach actually got worse - had really watery stools nd he had to go every 3 hours. A little hesitant for dairy at this point. Thanks for everyone input.
I feel your pain, well, actually my lab did too but only about 4-7 weeks. Our vet suggested a food elimination regimen and after all was done it was the chicken. We raw feed and every morning for over a year he had a chicken quarter with bone. So maybe for your pup it's the chicken. Interesting to note however that he's not intolerant of turkey or duck. Be careful with the pumpkin. It both hardens and softens. As another poster suggested a plant based probiotic is superior to yogurt. It has 1000x the active culture. If the vet's recommendation continue to fail I'd look for a new one. Good luck.
Just as many update - I reduced the amount of kibble he has been eating and added cooked chicken and rice and his stools have firmed and been consistent for last 2 days. So relieved
