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Stool

Penelope's Mom

Well-Known Member
Penelope hasn't had a firm stool since I got her. It's been almost firm, but never "normal." I thought it was the chicken food I had her on so I switched her to lamb. She still has stools ranging from soft to diarrhea. I mixed pumpkin in with her food and it helped a little, but as soon as the pumpkin's gone, the soft stools begin again.

She's never had watery stools and she feels just fine, so I'm at a loss. Because she seems to have a sensitive stomach, she doesn't get any treats or people food. Will probiotics help? Can someone think of something else I should be doing for her?
 

ruthcatrin

Well-Known Member
DItto probiotics, human ones are fine

What food(s) are you feeding, have been feeding?

If the pumpkin is helping you might try adding a little plain fiber to her food, the unflavored version of Benefiber usually works, but it is based on wheat, so if she turns out to be sensitive to grains you'll want to keep that in mind.
 

Penelope's Mom

Well-Known Member
She was on Diamond chicken when I got her. Her stools were soft so I switched her to Authority chicken and rice. Her poop didn't firm up so I switched her to Authority lamb and rice. Could it be the Authority? Franklin did very well on it so I guess I assumed she would as well.

Deb, I don't have the bag handy but from what I can find online, there isn't chicken in it. It has lamb, lamb meal, brown rice and wheat as the first few ingredients. She isn't showing any other signs of food allergies. She's not itchy, her ears are nice and clean, and she doesn't smell yeasty.

I will definitely try the probiotics and fiber if it will help.
 

Penelope's Mom

Well-Known Member
There are no worms. She was regularly wormed when she was younger and I've seen no evidence of worms. Intestinal infection might be a possibility, but she eats, drinks, and plays fine with no vomiting.
 

angelbears

Well-Known Member
There are some parasites that don't present like what we think of as worms. The two that come to mind are giardia and coccidia. They are also hard to diagnose and typical wormers seem to be ineffective against them.

Try the probiotic first but parasites are definitely a possibility.
 

musicdeb

Well-Known Member
It might the brand of food and it could be the rice. I agree, try probiotic first to see if that helps.
 

angelbears

Well-Known Member
Don't get the kind that says "For dogs" they just charge you more. Human grade is fine, usually cheaper and can be found at any grocery store.
 

markwaynewolf

Well-Known Member
Sorry I am late! just browsing the different discussions and came across this thread. I was wondering what the best probiotic supplement would be for my dog? She too has not running but never solid stool and want to give it a try.
 

Penelope's Mom

Well-Known Member
Penelope has been on probiotics for almost a week now and there hasn't been enough of a change to get excited about. I guess my next step is to take her off rice and buy her a grain-free food.

If I stick with Authority but go to a grain-free formula, will I need to switch her slowly, as if I were changing brands?
 

ruthcatrin

Well-Known Member
I would. If she tolerates the initial steps fine then you can try speeding up the process, but to begin with I'd go slowly.
 

marke

Well-Known Member
I had a dog one time never had solid stools , tried all the stuff I've read here and then some , could never get it to stay consistent . struggled with it for a couple years , soft stools long term does cause other issues ...... I always noticed when the dogs ate bones how solid their stools got , so I boiled chicken legs till the bones softened enough to grind the legs easily in a hand grinder , i'd give her one leg a day with her food , it proved to be a permanent solution ..... the dog was an adult when I did this , I just watched her body condition to figure out how much less food to give her ....... if you got a pup , I may be concerned with the minerals , but I think as long as you keep the pup skinny , and feed her an appropriate food , I would think a healthy pup wouldn't have a problem .....
 

musicdeb

Well-Known Member
You can feed your pup raw bones with no issues, i.e. chicken feet (great source of glucosamine). As long as the raw bones are not weight-bearing bones, i.e. leg bones, they are ok for the bone to eat. If you feed marrow bones, be sure the bone is bigger than their muzzle to avoid having the bone stick to their muzzle.
 

musicdeb

Well-Known Member
Penelope has been on probiotics for almost a week now and there hasn't been enough of a change to get excited about. I guess my next step is to take her off rice and buy her a grain-free food.

If I stick with Authority but go to a grain-free formula, will I need to switch her slowly, as if I were changing brands?
Usually when switching flavors within the same brand does not usually require a slow transition. I agree, sounds like the grains in the food causing her issues.