[Oceans11]

Any ideas what would cause this? It has been going on and off for the past month? Thanks for your feedback!

[Susan]

Hi it could be a few things you need to see a vet, what are you feeding your dog?? he may be sensitive to an ingredient, so a diet change may help….You need to ask the vet for Metronidazole (Flagyl) it can also be Small Intestinal Bacteria overgrowth, S.I.B.O is too much bad bacteria & they need to be on the Metronidazole for 21-28 days. I would see a vet with a sample of that days poo in a jar or in those plastic little container you buy at chemist so he can test poo, don’t keep letting this go on & on…

[Oceans11]

Thanks for the info, Susan. I will do that.

[DogFoodie]

I agree with Susan. Have you changed his diet at all during this time?

How old is puppy? Any recent vaccines? Could even be he got some bad bunny pooh. Is he gaining weight (assuming he’s a growing pup).

I’d call the vet tomorrow and would definitely get them a fresh stool sample.

[Oceans11]

I will definetly follow up with the vet. He is 2 yrs. old and has gained weight. I am wondering if it might be the freeze dried lamb lungs we give as a treat. He loves them and we probably give him more than we should. We have been feeding him 1/2 to 3/4 of a can of Evangers chicken thighs or beef together w/Orijin Puppy kibble. He weighs 18 lbs.
Thank you for your advice DogFoodie!

[anonymously]

Why are you feeding him puppy kibble at 2 years old? It sounds like you may be overfeeding him. What breed of dog is he?
Is he getting enough exercise? A 1 hour walk a day?
How many bowel movements a day is he having? More than 2 per day could be an indication that he is consuming more food than he needs.

Also, Orijen is a wonderful food, however it is higher in calories than Nutrisca which works for my small breed. If the dog is not active……maybe you should consider a less rich food.

I don’t use freeze dried foods or fattening treats so I can’t offer an opinion. Just use a little of the kibble or a bite of lean cooked chicken breast or something if I offer a treat.

[Oceans11]

We are feeding the Orijin Puppy kibble because we have a one year old also. Both are Coton de Tulears. They aren’t that active except they do run around and play hard in their area which is quite large. We tried feeding him Fromn Gold Adult kibble along with the can food but they completely ignore it. I am afraid I sound like an idiot but I am exasperated as to what to fed them. The two year old has been a finicky eater. So we keep trying to come up with something he will eat. If he doesn’t like it, he will go two days without eating. We have tried: cooking chicken breasts or thighs which the like but I am concerned they are getting the right mix of nutrients (when I add veggies and blueberries, they pick around and just eat the chicken.). We tried balance It Whole Canine menus w/the supplement and they wouldn’t touch it. We tried Basic Instinct t Raw with no luck. Tried Freshpet – they didn’t eat that after an initial meal. They are eating the Evangers canned chicken thighs supplemented with the Orijin Puppy kibble which we leave out all day. The reason we leave the kibble out all day is they often don’t eat the canned food right away. I think we are making feeding them way harder than it should be.

[anonymously]

My 20 lb dog gets 1/2 cup (1/4 cup kibble and 1/4 cup topper) twice a day, I add water to the kibble as most dogs don’t drink enough.

Do not free feed. Pick up anything not eaten within 10 minutes, store in the fridg and offer at the next mealtime. They will eat when they are hungry, I wouldn’t worry, unless they don’t eat for 72 hours, as long as they are drinking water.

[DogFoodie]

I’m not at all a fan of Evanger’s at all. They’ve had lots of major quality control issues.

I see no problem with your feeding your adult dog puppy food, just be aware that it’s typically higher in calories. Puppy foods are AAFCO growth foods, which are same thing as ALS foods. My adult Cavalier is about the same size as your Coton and she occassionally gets puppy foods in her rotation. She eats about 350 calories per day from various sources; ie: kibble, canned, fresh fruits & veggies, lean meats.

It’s possible your pup is being overfed, which is probably the leading cause of loose stool. They miggt be reluctant to eat because they’re not really hungry.

I would be really careful about home cooked unless it’s properly balanced. If you’re just feeding fresh or whole foods as toppers, just be sure it’s not more than 20% of her daily calories. A homemade, properly balanced, diet is the best thing you could feed them, but it’s tricky. Raw green tripe works wonders when you’re trying to entice a picky eater at mealtime.

[Oceans11]

DogFoodie, are you saying that by varying your Cavalier’s daily diet between kibble, canned, fruits and veggies that he is getting the nutrients that he needs? We can certainly do that plus I will not leave good out and pick it up and offer later as Anonymously recommended. BTW, what are ALS foods? Where do you get raw green tripe? I have gotten it canned but he was r thrilled with it. U just wish there was a well balanced food I could feed them and vary between chicken and beef.
Thank you all who replied. I really appreciate your feedback!

[Oceans11]

Sorry for the missed words and typos – my thumbs are all thumbs!

[anonymously]

I would wait till the loose stool issues clear up before introducing any new foods…..sometimes less is more. Keep it simple.
In fact, I would consider a limited ingredient food such as Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea (check chewy.com for reviews) with a topper like a bite of scrambled egg (prepared with a small amount of water, no dairy) No treats, nothing else for now. And, start walking.

[Oceans11]

I will try out your suggestion. Thanks anonymously!

[DogFoodie]

Hi Oceans11,

I feed my dogs a base of kibble and vary the toppers. The extras I mentioned are the toppers. Sorry I didn’t make that clear! 🙂 I buy small bags of dry food that will be used up within two or three weeks. I rotate foods with each new bag. Neither of my dogs requires a transition. My Cavalier would love to eat raw at every meal, but my Golden turns his nose up at it and walks away. I feed them similarly for my sanity. I can’t feed them the same dry food because my Golden has lots of food sensitivities. They both love raw tripe though. I use tripe as a topper or occasionally a full meal. It stinks to high heaven. I order mine from My Pet Carnivore. I’m on their local home-delivery route. You could also order from Hare Today. I prefer frozen raw over canned.

ALS foods are all life stages. They meet the AAFCO profile for growth. Growth foods are called “puppy” foods by some manufacturers, but some might also refer to growth foods as ALS foods. The other profile is adult maintenance. I prefer not to use maintenance foods. Some foods labelled puppy just might be higher in calories, so it’s a good idea to pay attention to calories (usually listed as kcals per cup) all of the time. Feeding guidelines on bags and cans of food tend to be high. Determine for sure how many calories your pup needs daily and measure it out. Be sure to include calories from all sources… kibble, canned, treats, etc. With a small dog, you might need to weigh food using a digital kitchen scale to ensure accuracy. There’s less room for error when you’re talking about a small number of calories to begin with. Keep an eye on their body condition and use that as your guide for portion control.

If they’re truly hungry at mealtime they’ll eat eagerly!

[Oceans11]

Thank you All! Very helpful info. I feel much better like I can figure this out!

[Author]

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