Our pup started out on Science Diet. Her stools were normal and firm. Since the first ingredient is corn and by-product, we switched her to Blue Buffalo. This seemed too rich for her, and her stools got softer (not diarrhea, but soft). We switched over to Wellness CORE, and the stools are still soft. She is a city dog, so we want to clean up after her as best as we can, but with the soft stools she always leaves spots on the ground. I know Science Diet is not a high-quality food, but I'm feeling desperate enough to switch back!
Any recommendations for a food that won't be too rich, but that isn't bad quality? I've heard Royal Canin is good. Any ideas are appreciated!!
Puppy with soft stools...food suggestions?
Moderators: emmabeth, BoardHost
Re: Puppy with soft stools...food suggestions?
What country are you in, as that will determine what is available?
Any change in kibble should be done over at least six days - have you been doing this? If not, that may be the reason for the soft stools. However, the best kibbles on the market won't suit every dog, so it's not possible to say 'this one will fix your problem'.
In general, the best foods are those with meat as the main ingredient rather than filler. However, I never found any kibble, or commercial wet food, that made my dog's stools firm, and the day I changed to raw feeding he improved immeasurably (I'm still trying to work out the right balance for him, though). Let us know if you'd be interested in raw feeding and if so we can point you to a load of information
Any change in kibble should be done over at least six days - have you been doing this? If not, that may be the reason for the soft stools. However, the best kibbles on the market won't suit every dog, so it's not possible to say 'this one will fix your problem'.
In general, the best foods are those with meat as the main ingredient rather than filler. However, I never found any kibble, or commercial wet food, that made my dog's stools firm, and the day I changed to raw feeding he improved immeasurably (I'm still trying to work out the right balance for him, though). Let us know if you'd be interested in raw feeding and if so we can point you to a load of information
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Re: Puppy with soft stools...food suggestions?
Wellness is pretty okay. (Waaaaay better than Science Diet which is basically feeding your dog corn chips) I'm not sure how I feel about Blue Buffalo yet, but its much better than Science Diet. Royal Canin is not as good as its made out to be. I would choose Blue or Wellness before Royal.
You should check out this website. We have all basically used it at sometime if our dog was being feed kibble. http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
The only thing I can say about the firm poos is that if your dog is properly transferred to a raw food diet, her poops will be very very firm. (In a healthy way unlike the firmness of the Science Diet poos)
Just to make sure the poos aren't a medical issue....could you....like....describe the soft a bit more....I think you're saying its not like an explosion on the ground, but is it....like in a poo shape?
You should check out this website. We have all basically used it at sometime if our dog was being feed kibble. http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
The only thing I can say about the firm poos is that if your dog is properly transferred to a raw food diet, her poops will be very very firm. (In a healthy way unlike the firmness of the Science Diet poos)
Just to make sure the poos aren't a medical issue....could you....like....describe the soft a bit more....I think you're saying its not like an explosion on the ground, but is it....like in a poo shape?
--dontpugme
Re: Puppy with soft stools...food suggestions?
Here's the review for Wellness Core: http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food ... all/page/1
Scroll down towards the bottom to read it
Are you buying your dog food at like Petsmart or Petco? The way they organize the brands make it pretty easy to see which brands are better (although there are some really bad brands that are overpriced that make their way over in those aisles) I'm not a big fan of the whole invention of commercial dog kibble, but my parents want our dog on it, so I have to respect that. I'm very grateful that they let me be picky with the brand when I'm shopping, but if my dad goes dog food shopping alone, he will probably go for the cheapest brand. Now I can show him which aisle to chose a food from.
Scroll down towards the bottom to read it
Are you buying your dog food at like Petsmart or Petco? The way they organize the brands make it pretty easy to see which brands are better (although there are some really bad brands that are overpriced that make their way over in those aisles) I'm not a big fan of the whole invention of commercial dog kibble, but my parents want our dog on it, so I have to respect that. I'm very grateful that they let me be picky with the brand when I'm shopping, but if my dad goes dog food shopping alone, he will probably go for the cheapest brand. Now I can show him which aisle to chose a food from.
--dontpugme
Re: Puppy with soft stools...food suggestions?
I'm in the US, and we do most of our food shopping at Petsmart. I have been transitioning very slowly. Perhaps she just needs some more time with Wellness? The poop is definitely still in poop shape, and is not diarrhea or even loose, its just soft so that when I pick it up with the baggie, it leaves some marks on the sidewalk. And this is gross, but from what I can feel as I pick it up, it also feels soft. It is certainly not an explosion or even liquidy, just soft.
Would I be able to supplement the diet with raw treats or snacks? Perhaps that could help? Thanks for the preliminary suggestions.
Would I be able to supplement the diet with raw treats or snacks? Perhaps that could help? Thanks for the preliminary suggestions.
Re: Puppy with soft stools...food suggestions?
you may have to switch brands several times before you find
one that works for your dog.
one that works for your dog.
