# Old food, solid stools, new food loose stools



## Liz Monty (Oct 22, 2006)

Bella was on a cheap dog food when I got her, Iams.
I gradually mixed in Performatrin Ultra and the stools stayed firm.
The last few days she finally was only eating performatrin and her stools have become loose.
Can some dogs do better on the crap food and worse on the performatrin. I hate loose stools. Plus she is pooping many times a day instead of twice a day now.


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## Ian Forbes (Oct 13, 2006)

Some dogs do struggle with different foods, but I would not give up yet. I rotate my dog's kibble and often have a couple of days of sloppy stools after changeover. First thing I try is to cut back on the amount of food for a couple of days - this normally firms them up.

The other thing I found with my dog is that with the better foods (more nutritionally dense), you needs far less food. If I give too much to mine, the slops return.


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## Liz Monty (Oct 22, 2006)

thanks, I will try and lower her food intake, It has been fairly high. The stools where a little better today. It might be the less food intake, because I moved her up to my bedroom last night and the night before, so food and water was not available all night for her. This morning was better and so far today she has only pooped one time.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Liz Monty said:


> thanks, I will try and lower her food intake, It has been fairly high. The stools where a little better today. It might be the less food intake, because I moved her up to my bedroom last night and the night before, so food and water was not available all night for her. This morning was better and so far today she has only pooped one time.


First, I'm with Ian 100%.

Second, you are free-feeding? (I gather from the "no food all night.") I'd consider going to set mealtimes.

Also, in a change from one food to a very different one (such as grain-heavy to more meat), along with lowered amounts and a gradual switch, some plain cooked (canned) pumpkin can help a lot to firm up the poop.

It's important to make sure it's not pumpkin pie filling, which has sugar and spices.

I have heard that comment about some dogs doing better on crappy foods. I don't believe it at all. I believe that perception is from the increased amount of crappy food needed to get enough protein to the dog out of all the grain (which means the owner is frequently used to giving too much food even after the switch) along with the dog's system having struggled to produce the unnatural amounts and kinds of digestive enzymes needed for a dog to process grain-heavy foods. That needs a while to normalize in a lot of dogs.

It's true that some dogs appear to do "fine" on the worst of the commercial foods. "Fine" isn't the same as thriving and in great health, IMO. :wink: 

I think that as fast as the improvement can be in a dog's overall condition when the dog gets more appropriate food, a few owners will still say "I didn't see any improvement; wasn't worth the money," after a week, sort of like if we switched from fast food to fish and salad and expected to be in wonderful health in a week.

Anyway, that's MY take on the "Some dogs do better on crappy food" thing. :lol:


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## Hil Harrison (Mar 29, 2006)

I always give mine a no food day for 1 or two days as long as they drink water they are fine. My vet always says to give luke warm water instead of cold as it crashes in on the stomach and intestines and upsets it more. Gradually build up the food .........for example 5 times a day a small ammount then cut back to the amount of times you give normally. A few days boiled rice with cooked chicken bits is great and works wonders here.


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## Liz Monty (Oct 22, 2006)

Yes, this all worked well, her poops are getting normal again. I am now feeding twice daily only and smaller amounts. I fed my other dogs free style and it was Ok with them. but with bella, the two meals a day is her best way.
thank you the advice is working.


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## Liz Monty (Oct 22, 2006)

I really had to cut back on her amount of food, the stools again got loose and tons of it all day, even with the two meals a day. I have never went to the vet sold food Medi-Cal, but I bought a bag the other day when she got her second checkup and more shots. I didn't even bother mixing slowly, which I know you are supposed to do. She had firm stool immediately after the first feeding of medi-cal developmental formula and they are much smaller stools and less often. it's remained this way for days now. So I figure I will give her some time on this, plus it is taking much less food to fullfill her appetite. but I am going to add a little bit of canned salmon a couple times a week when she is a month older, if that goes well I may try the raw chicken a couple times a week too. I am just so happy that she seems to be better now. Things where not looking to hopefull for a while.
Plus here is a disgusting topic, Eating part of her stools each time. She just takes a junk and leave the rest behind. I catch her each time and try to get to the stool before she bites it. Why is she doing this??????? the stool seems to be fully digested,not seeing any particles of food in them. Just disgusting.


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

Since you are considering changing to RAW & are having problems with her current diet, why not take the plunge & switch her over now? One the problem with free feeding is if your dog goes off her food, it takes a while to realize it. Also if she is on free feeding & is fed outside, there could be flys laying eggs in her food. (yuck) Connie is the expert on RAW. I believe it would be a good idea to give enzyme for a while when you switch.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Liz Monty said:


> ... Plus here is a disgusting topic, Eating part of her stools each time. She just takes a junk and leave the rest behind. I catch her each time and try to get to the stool before she bites it. Why is she doing this??????? the stool seems to be fully digested,not seeing any particles of food in them. Just disgusting.


Coprophragia is common.

There are a zillion theories, the two foremost probably being poor diet and habit.

I don't usually run into it with dogs on fresh food, but that doesn't mean it's a cure-all. One of mine will do it very occasionally when a sample seems to be particularly appealing. I correct my adult dogs for it, and it's very rare now. 

Most vet sites and books suggest a better-quality diet, then if necessary walking the dog on lead for poop-walks, correcting for the habit or maybe walking a young puppy away from it right away and picking it up so the habit doesn't develop.

BTW, hunger from intestinal parasites can trigger it, I've read; that's easily checked with a fecal check.


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## Liz Monty (Oct 22, 2006)

thanks, the intestinal worms are not there, they where when i got her, but she has had set of two week dewormers and no more eggs are present and also wormed again to be safe. Yes, I have been catching her each time she goes and removing it, but she gets that little grab of it so fast at times. 
I also had the vet check stools twice for coccidia or other parasites like this. She's clean. I will just keep plugging away and try the suggestions. Thanks.


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