[Jessica C]

Hi!

We got our french bulldog puppy at 5 months old about 3 months ago. I can’t seem to find the right food to get him to have good solid poops. He came to us eating a cheap kibble which I obviously want him to be on a higher quality food. Sometimes it’s formed into logs but soft and other times it’s complete soft serve – please help!! I know this is common with frenchies so I’m not super worried but would like to avoid a prescription diet as the vet suggested. Everything has been a slow transition (not switching all of the food at once to avoid diarrhea) but still no luck. so far we’ve tried the following:
blue buffalo chicken and rice puppy formula
pure vita salmon and peas
merrick lamb and sweet potato
currently eating taste of the wild puppy formula which is also a salmon

I’ve mixed in rice, done chicken and rice (Vet told me it’s possible there is a chicken or beef allergy though) and also tried mixing the pumpkin.
anyone have any suggestions for me? i am open to anything!! thank you!

[anonymous]

I would go by your veterinarian’s reccomendation, prescription food, at least for a few months or till the dog is stable.
/forums/topic/11-week-old-pup-soft-stools-need-help/#post-113717

Regarding prescription food. http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2016/07/more-nonsense-from-holistic-vets-about-commercial-therapeutic-diets/

[anonymous]

Also, why are you feeding an 8 month old small breed puppy food?

Check with your vet, but adult food should be fine

[Susan]

Hi Jessica,
has your pup had his stool tested for Giardia & been on a course of Metronidazole for 21 days?
I’ve looked up the dry dog foods you have tried & I’ve noticed they were pea heavy…
Have you tried a kibble that has NO PEAS & less fiber?

Try the “Natural Balance” LTD Potato & Duck formula, the fiber is 3%, no peas…. see how he does with no peas & LESS fiber? if this doesn’t work, take back & try Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Fish 5% fiber & no peas…
https://www.chewy.com/natural-balance-lid-limited/dp/104645

Here’s all the Natural Balance Limited ingredient formula’s, read ingredient list as they all vary..
https://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dog-formulas/special-category-limited-ingredient-diets

Start keeping a diary, write down all the formula’s you’ve tried, write how his poos were & how many poo’s he is doing a day, also write down the Protein % Fat % Fiber % & Kcals per cup in kibble…
I would stop adding boiled rice as rice can irritate the bowel, add boiled potato or boiled sweet potato if higher fiber is needed…if the pumkin didn’t really help then higher fiber may not be needed but it might depend what you added with the pumkin??
Have you tried feeding 1 cooked meat he hasnt eaten before with boiled potatoes for 1 week? NO treats…

If after trying the Natural Balance formula’s that are pea free & didnt help I would see your vet & try a vet diet, Vet Diets are specially formulated for Intestinal Stress, some vet diets are higher in soluble fiber or high in insoluble fiber & see does vet diet help.
You might have to try a few vet diets to find the right one then feed for a good 6-9months..
Then you look for a premium dog food & try again after he’s been doing well for 6-9months.
My boy ate a vet diet for 9 months so his bowel & stomach could heal, I knew he did well on his Eukanuba Intestinal Low Residue vet diet & when I tried a new dry kibble & it didn’t work, I could go back to the vet diet he did 2 firm poos a day on & work out my next step while he was doing firm poos….
Have you tried a dog probiotic?
Try Purina Pro Plan Fortifloria probiotic? while feeding pea fee kibble..
https://www.chewy.com/purina-pro-plan-veterinary-diets/dp/50029

How was he when he was eating the “Pure Vita Salmon & Peas” formula? this was high fiber 6%, very pea heavy & high in Kcals per cup, try & stay under 370Kcals per cup for kibble, the higher the Kcals the more dense the kibble, so harder to digest..

Keep me up-dated, what has happened & what you tried.

[melissa e]

I had this issue with my frenchie female. She had extremely loose stools I tried chicken and rice and was actually the worst for her ironically. After making sure there was no medical cause,(actual food allergy worms parasites all those factors) I had no choice to put her on the vet prescription diet dry food which worked amazing she was on it and thrived no issues i would occasionally try to switch her and it wouldn’t work. after speaking with different vets for another opinion since she was healthy and doing well there was no reason to change it just made her stool loose again she for what ever reason just had a sensitive stomach. So give it time. Ik its not the best food to be on but if it works it works.

[joanne l]

Hi Jessica, the foods you mentioned that you tried are maybe too rich for him. First Blue Buffalo has a lot of issues. Pure Vita has too much fiber I think, and Merrick is a little rich for some dogs. I know you might not want to feed this, but I think you should try Purina pro plan. Just give it a shot. A lot of dogs do well on it. Just my opinion.

[Donna B]

Hi there. My Frenchie just turned 2 in July. I too got him when he was 5 months. I transitioned him to Acana Duck & Pear because I had my golden retriever on it as well at the time. He loves it. I’ve recently switched my golden over to raw. My Frenchie gets about a dime size of raw with his dry and he barks at me to hurry up while I’m preparing their bowls. IDK where you live, but perhaps if you have a locally owned specialty pet store in your area, they too could help. I absolutely love my vet, but “food” is not their specialty. All of my food research has come from this site as well as my local store owners. Frenchies can be prone to chicken allergies oddly enough. Perhaps give Hamburg and rice for a few days to give her digestive track a rest. That should help her stools get better. In the mean time decide on which food to go with and then you can begin to transition with the Hamburg and rice mix if/when her stools improve. Just some thoughts… Good luck!

[Stephanie S]

Jessica – if you still have your puppy on Taste of the Wild dog food, please stop immediately! There is an active Diamond Taste of the Wild Class Action Lawsuit!

Due to food allergies, my two dogs have (had) been on TOTW Pacific Stream for years. In June, 2018, my dogs became extremely ill (vomiting, bloody diarrhea) following two feedings from a newly opened bag. Three months and over $4,000 in vet bills later, my dogs are still trying to recover after eating TOTW’s poison. And, it is poison! On August 28, 2018, a class action lawsuit was filed against Diamond Taste of the Wild dog food (http://truthaboutpetfood.com/taste-of-the-wild-pet-food-class-action-lawsuit/). TOTW’s Pacific Stream, Roasted Bison & Venison and the Puppy formulas have tested positive for arsenic, bpa, cadmum, mercury, lead, total pesticide and acrylamide. Many people have been posting complaints on ConsumerAffairs.com, Amazon.com, Chewy.com reporting symptoms similar to what my dogs are experiencing. Others are posting complaints regarding their dogs suddenly developing itching problems. A couple of people have even posted about their dogs dying after they began vomiting and having bloody diarrhea.

If your puppy has experienced vomiting and/or having bloody diarrhea since starting TOTW, please file a Pet Food Report via the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine Safety Reporting Portal at http://www.safetyreporting.hhs.gov. You also need to contact your state’s Bureau Chief with the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and report your dog’s illness. You can find the contact information of your state’s Bureau Chief at http://www.aafco.org/Regulatory/State-Information. The Bureau Chiefs are also reporting issues to and working with the FDA Complaint Coordinators and both organizations need as much information as possible.

[Rebecca S]

I also have a frenchie, 6 months old. I got him a month ago and I’ve never seen him have a solid poop:(. I’ve tried Royal Canin, Blue Buffalo and homemade chicken and rice. He’s been on some antibiotics for clostridium (gut imbalance) and also had tested positive for giardia when we first brought him home (3 rounds of Panacur, one round of Flagyl). He’s still got loose poops but in every other way seems fine. I’m confused about which food to give him- everyone says something different (vet, breeder, websites, friends). Any help out there for my cute lil pup? All advice welcome!!

[Susan]

Hi Rebecca,
I’d ask vet can you re-do a 21-28 day course of Flagyl (Metronidazole) twice a day, every 12 hours with a meal the first 10 days then down to 1 flagyl a day with his dinner till course is finished, Flagyl helps heal the stomach & bowel, just make sure Flagyl is given with a meal not with a small snack/treat.. His bowel needs time to heal & strenthen his immune system, do you have him on a probiotic?, also has he been retested to see if the Giardia cleared up?
Frenchies are known to have intestinal problems, I was going to get a French Bulldog & my vet advised against it, I have Patch (staffy) who has IBD & skin Allergies the vet said French Bull Dogs have a few health problems.. In Australia Frenchies being inbreed or breed with a parent who has health problems, they’re known to suffer with food sensitivities & skin problems..

also have your tried “Natural Balance” LID Potato & Duck formula the fiber is 3% or try the Natural Balance LID Fish & Sweet Potato formula.. alot of people have really good results with Natural Balance LID.
Potato & Sweet Potato seem to help dogs who are doing soft, sloppy or diarrhea poos, stop all chicken if giving any home cooked meals or any treats that are chicken, try Turkey or Pork instead & boiled potato instead of the boil rice, sometimes boiled rice can irratate the all ready irratated bowel..
If you’re on facebook join this group.. you dont have to be a raw feeder, heaps of help & people who have had a dog who has had Giardia..
“Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD – Raw Feeding & Holistic Support” group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/292537937935806/

[anonymous]

Quote: “I’m confused about which food to give him- everyone says something different (vet, breeder, websites, friends). Any help out there for my cute lil pup? All advice welcome!!”

I would go exactly by what the veterinarian that has examined your pup advises.
At least till he is stable, then you can think about transitioning him to something else, very slowly.
That goes for treatment/meds too.
Give your vet a call if you have questions, leave a message for him to call you back when he has a minute. They don’t charge for that, I hope :-/

[SARA M]

I have two French bulldogs and have been around the world with research, vets, holistic, etc.

I finally had one of my dogs allergy tested via glacier peaks. It’s not the $$$ tests at the vet however it’s very accurate as far as I have experienced.

Pet Intolerance Test

The results showed us that our dogs were allergic to nearly everything we were feeding them (chicken, salmon, etc)

That was step 1. Step 2 was finding a WHOLE FOOD diet not a processed one. Emma Lous Kitchen turkey recipe is a great example and they are very highly reviewed.

We either order Emma lous or cook for our two Frenchies. One is 12 years old and you’d think he’s 5. The main ingredients are turkey (from a butcher so there is not added sodium), alkaline vegetables such as broccoli, collard greens, carrots), apple and quinoa.

We also grind egg shells for their calcium. It’s very important dogs get a calcium supplement if home cooking. Half egg shell a day for one 25 lb dog.

Also a good probiotic is key.

We cook for two weeks at a time and freeze.

If you don’t have time to cook then I suggest Emma Lous Kitchen.

Most processed dog foods are so bad for our furry family members and especially for our sensitive Frenchies. Also many Frenchies can’t tolerate a raw diet, therefore a fresh/frozen whole food diet is hands down the best option.

If you want more info on my recipe I’m happy to share.

[anonymous]

Mail-in hair and saliva tests are not diagnostic tools (just read the fine print).
See the blog below:

Glacier Peak Holistics Pet Wellness Life Scan Stress Test or How Much BS Can Fit on One Web Page?

Excerpt from the link above:
Bottom Line
“The Glacier Peak Holistics Pet Wellness Life Stress Scan (formerly “Healthy Dog and Cat Alternative Sensitivity Assessment”) is a completely implausible test based on vague, mystical nonsense and pseudoscientific theories that contradict the legitimate scientific evidence regarding the cause and management of allergies. The general concept that hair and saliva testing can identify the causes of allergies is false. The marketing of this test is misleading and contains many of the hallmarks of quack advertising. Dog owners struggling with allergies would be far better spending their time and money consulting a veterinary dermatologist for a science-based approach to helping their canine”.

[Cannoli]

Hi Jessica,

Welcome to the Bulldog Family. They are awesome dogs but are extremely prone to all types of allergies ( I blame it on bad breeders and over breeding) …I was lucky my pup did not start showing full blown allergies (itching, ear infections, head shaking, red swollen paws) until about age of 4 but prior to that my bulldog always had loose poops…

Wish i had taken him to the vet dermatologist sooner in regards to his loose poops but I always thought it was just loose poops and he was normal with everything else.

Hopefully you might avoid the Bulldog Allergy trap but if you do I highly recommend listening to your vet and avoid any foods unless you talk to him. Don’t waster your money on No grain, expensive high ingredients foods, and raw foods. All these foods did nothing for my pup except build up his allergies.

My vet dermatologist recommended a great dog food which has the number 1 ingredient of (gasp) Corn. he does very well on corn…no loose poops, no itching..very very minor head shaking and less paw licking…

• This reply was modified 4 years, 6 months ago by Cannoli. Reason: missing info
• This reply was modified 4 years, 6 months ago by Cannoli. Reason: missing info

[crazy4cats]

Hi Cannoli-
Wow! You have done a 180 when it comes to dog food. Welcome to the club! Isn’t it amazing that veterinarians actually know what they are talking about? 😉 Glad to hear you’ve worked out your dog’s allergies. My dogs do fine with corn as well.

[Cannoli]

Hi Crazy4cats,

Thanks for the kind words. Yeah i fell for the hype of High protein low grain diets, or raw food is best, or quality ingredients over corn and rice is better, and etc….

I fed my pup this hype for over 3.5 years of his life and he still developed allergies….at the end of the day only my vet and vet dermatologist had the answers for what food to feed him…

[Susan]

Hi Cannoli,
your dog mustn’t have true Environment Allergies & suffers food sensitivities instead, you must of eliminated the ingredients he was sensitive tooo if corn diet is working for him….
If he had true Environment allergies Vet Diets or a Pro Plan diets wont help get rid of Environment Allergies.. Baths are best wash off the allergens off skin/paws.
Get some “Sudocrem” Anti-Bacterial, Anti Fungal Healing cream, it will protect his paws from grass/allergens lighty apply before bed so paws heal thru the night…
Sudocrem is sold online Walmart & is always sold out, that’s if you live US

[Erica G]

Hi Please Help,
I recently received a 5-6 month old Frenchie. I have been buying him puppy dry and canned very expensive healthy food but he’s had diarrhea for the past few days and it is really starting to scare me. If anyone could give me any words of wisdom or advice on how to help him it would be greatly appreciated. I can be reached via email Garfinkelerica@gmail.com. Thank you for your time and hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.
Erica

[Patricia A]

Sometimes it can take several days or even weeks to get used to a new food. Also pumpkin can also loosen stool that is already soft. “. For a pet that is constipated, the high water and fiber content in the pumpkin will help add bulk and soften the stool.”
My one Chihuahua had loose stools as a puppy. I used at that time Stella and Chewy’s kibble and stuck to just that for many weeks and the stool was not too hard, not too soft after awhile. I still use this as a base in rotation with others and some home cooked and freeze dried
Whatever you buy as kibble just try to stay with that one brand that’s quality for a little longer and not switch to give your pup a chance to get used to it digestively. I like a starting point of the advisors 5 star reviews. Hope this might be an easy solution .

[joanne l]

what brand of puppy food is it? how long has he been eating it? is it grain free? some puppies can not handle grain free dog food, even though you are buying expensive food it might not be for him. Let me know what I ask you but for know feed him ground beef and rice or chicken and rice. Boil the beef or chicken drain all fat and mix it with white cooked rice. Use more rice than meat right now about 2 parts rice to 1 part meat.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 5 months ago by joanne l.

[Patricia A]

I agree joanne with draining the fat in the beef/chicken. I buy 90% lean chop meat. However if I top two days in a row they end up with diarrhea or throwing up. Same with dark meat chicken. I stick now to only white meat boiled chicken and eliminated the chop meat . Little pieces of lean steak or london broil as topper they do fine with. Broiled salmon is also tolerated for just that day as a small topper.
I imagine they can’t handle the fat in these foods that disagree with them. Yet, I feed freeze dried brands which are higher in fat and they digest it well. I’m remembering that with the freeze dried I started with VERY small amounts and even then they had some loose stool. Took several weeks and now stool is perfect and I no longer have scooting and anal gland problems as before with the diet I’m following.
I think some pet owners don’t give the food enough of a chance and switch too soon which further causes digestive issue. If stool is really just diarrhea then just give the chicken/rice until everything calms down and then try another brand.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 5 months ago by Patricia A.

[GSDsForever]

Erica,

I can understand that feeling scary, especially in both a small/toy breed and a new puppy lasting a few days.

I absolutely agree with Joanne’s advice above re chicken & white rice, no fat or seasonings. (Great advice, Joanne!)

1% Cottage cheese & white rice (same proportion as above, more rice) will also work. My very first vet as an adult owner recommended the boiled chicken & white rice or lowfat cottage cheese & white rice as what vets use. For simple digestive upsets, I have recommended it frequently in rescue and as a fellow pet owner. I’ve also used it sporadically over the years. I’ve seen it work miracles!

It’s really very bland, soothing to the digestive tract/stomach, and highly, highly digestible. Use it for a few days or until the diarrhea stops. Don’t be surprised if your dog doesn’t have a stool for a while (1-2 days), as it is just from being highly digestible. It gives a dog’s system a chance to rest & heal.

Make sure your puppy is drinking enough water and doesn’t become dehydrated. You can use extra water cooking the rice, cooking longer than for humans, and give the rice water for added nutrients & soothing the system.

Check with your vet, if you’re worried. It’s okay! A phone call from an anxious new puppy owner is normal. Good luck!

[Jerry R]

Corn has about as much nutritional value as a box of rocks! Dogs have no business eating such crap. Seriously. What are you thinking!

[Jerry R]

And draining grease isn’t necessary if you don’t cook it in the first place. You’re just removing too many nutrients just like the heat process of all kibbles do. Raw meat and bones including organs. I’ll never go back to commercial dog food of any kind. My dachshund has never been healthier and no more diarrhea.
I’m glad I went prey after a problem of him not caring for any dog food I bought him. Maybe they know what’s best for them.

[Author]

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