hmmmmm.... after the last episode of loose poo Eric has been great. 3 times a day nice poos When he hurt his leg we were advised to reduce his food which we did. We have gradually increased it until yesterday when not only was he back on full whack (as according to Eucanuba pack) but also had 4 hot dogs as the dog trainer was over. This morning he got up, ran out, ate grass and chucked it up Then we have had 3 horrible poos today Am feeling guilty.... over feeding?? Am I relying on the packaging guidelines too much anyway?
Hi there, You very well might be over feeding - it seems possible if he was better on less food. But also, it could be the hotdogs. My dog cannot eat hotdogs without having terribly runny poo. It isn't unusual for some dogs to react badly when protein sources they don't usually eat are introduced into their diet - lots of dogs seem to have no trouble, and people can chop and change food with no problem, but I can't do this with my dog. I couldn't feed him 4 hot dogs (if I didn't normally feed them) without him getting an upset tummy.
Saba is on considerably less kibble than the amount stated on the pack. He's on Hills Science Plan puppy food for large breeds, and the pack states that for his age, he should have 540g per day. On the advice of our vet, Saba gets 400g per day, including his training treats. About 6 weeks ago just after increasing his feed to 440g, he had a runny poo episode that lasted 4-5 days, and we were advised to cut his food ration by 10%, which seemed to settle things down, so perhaps the change was too much too soon. Curiously, just now, Saba is refusing his breakfast feed, so I've started giving this in a flying saucer toy when we come back from our morning walk. Who would have thought a Labrador would refuse food?!
The amounts quoted on the packs do tend to be on the generous side as they normally have to cover a range of breeds, activity level etc. I reduce Juno's daily allowance by around a third as standard. The reduction allows for treats and the over estimation on the packaging. Over feeding can cause runny poo and I suspect that the 4 hotdogs on top of a normal daily allowance had some impact. I think I would reduce his allowance and see how he goes. I monitor Juno's weight monthly but her shape is the best indicator of whether I have the right balance of kibble.
I agree the packaging amounts are often too much for any but the highest metabolism, hardest working dog. But in your case I think I'd credit the four hotdogs first, or most, for the upchuck. That's a lot of fat and crappy stuff like preservatives and sodium unless you buy the "good" ones. Is Eric fat? Can you easily feel but not see his ribs? Sometimes the bag is right for your dog, the rib test is a better guide.
Thanks all Well tonight I have cut his tea down and he's certainly not bothered. will go back to reduced tomorrow. Interestingly enough... although this is probably totally unrelated... his lead walking has been great until yesterday when we upped his food again. Back to edge sniffing and pulling as though he's lost the plot! wierd! Oh also no I don't think he's too fat. He is very stocky but I can feel his ribs fine. He's not thin either so I'm sure less food will not be a problem. I'm definitely still learning and have finally realised I don't need to stick to guidelines exactly
Just to add, I used hot dogs for training too. Not sure if yours are the same size as ours and I don't have any handy, but, I can cut one into 100 pieces. You know how we say our dogs inhale their food? With pieces this small it could almost literally be true. They work though, even though they're tiny.
This is quite interesting as Ripple was particularly bad this morning with eating mud and rubbish - yesterday my daughter came out on our walk and fed him supermarket treats, these then gave him very loose poos this morning. I'm sure I've noticed a correlation between overfeeding, loose poos and a need to eat rubbish. Or maybe I'm over analysing the poo thing .
Willow tries to pull when she needs the toilet. First thing in the morning, getting to her poo spot can take a while, but if she's in less of a hurry to "go", she'll walk beautifully. Could it be that since Eric is eating more, he needed to poop more urgently? I always feel really bad stopping and starting when I know Willow needs the toilet!
Obi is like that too, mostly because of the endless back and forwards, round and round to find the exact right spot to make his deposit
I recently noticed that, after doing some water retrieves in a tidal pool at the beach, I called Snowie and told him to wait so I could put on his leash. He stopped, looked at me for a second as if deciding "should I wait or not", and then dashed off. He's done this before and I've always thought: How naughty!! But it dawned on me last time that he is making a dash to find just the right spot to make his poo. As soon as he's done his business, no issues waiting to put the leash on.
yes Eric pulls with desperation when he needs to go. These pulling episodes on lead didn't lead to a poo though. I even took him to grass as he refuses to poo on concrete! (don't even get me started on that.... not great when he's so desperate for greenery he backs into a bush and cocks his leg to poo ) Anyway.... today, so far so good! reduced dinner last night, 2/3 breakfast today, 30g kibble and a very small amount of ham for his moors walk (the dead rabbit almost won!) and 2/3 for dinner just now. Normal poo's all round so far
Overfeeding could be the issue with the up-chuck but know also that hot dogs are not all alike. Typically the meat is animal byproduct which for the dog is okay but it's what gets added to it that could have caused the upset stomach -- like spices, onions salt, etc. The dog trainer might be buying the cheapest he can find, which may translate into poor quality dog . . for the dog.
Oh Casper is terrible! I am tenterhooks sometimes, as he examines different potential areas..it's like..yes..yes...he going to go, get the poo bag out then.uh..no...not just not quite the right spot..sigh...
Shadow went through a phase of doing this, too. I'm sad he stopped, because it made me laugh so much! My lovely, ridiculous boy
Riley loves to poo uphill. Up trees, into bushes he even once managed to hang a poo a foot off the ground in some ivy on a wall!!!!
I forgot to mention that Drift pees like a girl as he poos I hope our dogs don't mind us discussing their lavatory habits
