how can i get a more consistant stool from my dog?

Question

i have a 4mo pitbull pup i give him royal canine kibble his stool is not solid all the time it is very loose some times suggestions please.will meat help if so how do i prepare it?or will the ultimate no no table food do the trick?

Answer 1

Always start with a vet when things are not right. Quality foods tend to produce a smaller, firmer less stinky stool because it is not full of fillers. Our pets need quality pet food. Read the ingredients list and learn what the stuff on there is and what it does (or does not do) to/for our pets. A quick pet food 101. If the pet food contains corn/corn products or by products it is a poor quality food. Do not pay attention to advertising, they all say there food is great. Corn is a filler that can trigger skin problems. (allergies, skin problems, itching and excessive shedding) By products is anything from an animal not fit for human consumption, including cancerous tissue. Quality foods have meat as the first ingredient. California Natural, Solid Gold, Innova and Merrick are a few of the best brands available. If you want to learn more check out: http://www.sagekeep.com/petfood.htm www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359& more=1 http://animalark.eapps.com/animal/PetFoods.nsf/$$PetFoodsByRating?OpenForm

Answer 2

The first step is to get a stool sample to your vet for testing to rule out parasites or bacterial overgrowth (hint...if there is something wrong it will be more likely to show up if you get a stool sample from one of the loose stools than if you take in a sample from a more solid stool). The other thing to pay attention to is when he is having loose stools. Is it always after something exciting or stressful happens? Is it after he's been running around a lot (exercise can work things loose and make dogs, especially puppies, feel like they have to poop and if it's the fifth time they've pooped in one outing then naturally it's going to be soft)? Is it after you feed a particular treat?

As someone else mentioned, even great foods can disagree with some dogs. If you've ruled out parasites and it doesn't seem to be associated with a particular activity or treat then you should consider trying a different food. Also, adding a tablespoon or two of canned pumpkin (just pumkin, be sure not to get the pumpkin pie filling because it has added sugar which could make the stools worse) to his food can improve stool consistancy. It helps with both loose stools and constipation.

Feeding meat or table food in addition to his normal diet is not likely to help your problem. In fact, these could make your problem worse or create a new problem (foods high in fat can cause pancriatitis...a painful inflamation of the pancreas that usually requires hospitalization to treat).

Answer 3

No table food will help, but it might be that he has loose stool because he is being over fed.. He has a parasite etc. If it's something that happens all the time, I would get the vet to check a stool sample. If it's something new since switching to Royal Canin, then it
might be the food or too much of it.

Answer 4

Leave out water as usual - try to get her to drink so that she does not get dehydrated. Take away kibble. Feed only cooked brown rice and and cooked chicken - this helps with both the vomiting and diarrhea. You can also give dogs Pepto Bismal, but check with your vet for dosage. If she doesn't get better within 12 hours get her to the vet. Untreated, a blockage could be dangerous and if you think she has one - take her in! You should not have a dog unless you can afford vet care, either that or have a saving fund for emergencies. She should be seeing a vet once a year anyway. If you can't you must surrender her to a emergency animal shelter or rescue.

Answer 5

Have you had him checked for any intestinal parasites? Sometimes they can have a small parasite load that causes their stool to be inconsistently soft and hard. They don't have a major problem with intestinal parasites to make them sick or have diarrhea. Having that checked would be the first step.

Second, not all food works for all dogs. Royal canin is a great quality food, but it may not be agreeing with your dog's stomach and causing him to have soft stool. I would talk to your vet a little to see what they think.

Answer 6

Consistent food = consistent poop.

Dry kibble, same amount, same time, every single day.

NO treats of any kind! Not even dog treats until you've got the problem under control. And NO PEOPLE FOOD!!! He's too young for it anyway.

If he gets really bad runs, a dose of liquid Pepto Bismol can clear it up. 1 mL or CC per pound of body weight. Use the regular Pepto only, not children's or extra strength.

Good luck!

Answer 7

Is your puppy on a puppy food or an adult food? If it is adult then switch to puppy because adult food is sometimes not right for a puppy's system and it does not have all the nutrients a growing puppy needs. I have a boxer and it could only eat lamb and rice due to stomach issues. Do you also feed it canned food? scraps? Canned food almost always causes runny stools due to the food's consistency and depending on what type of table scraps you are feeding they could contain too much grease,etc for it's stomach to process.

Answer 8

Take your dog to the vet to make sure they do not have any parisitic infections, then put them on a quality dog food, like Wellness or Solid Gold or Innova or Merrick. Personally, I like Premium Edge and Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul, as they are reasonably priced, but they are harder to find. Sometimes the fillers in the cheaper dog foods can cause tummy problems in dogs.

Answer 9

NO TABLE FOOD that will definatly help also some raw meat will be good you should be able to get it at like pet smart or something but also upgrade the dry food to something that is a little better and that should help alot

Answer 10

His food may not agree with him or may contain something he is allergic to. Try a higher-quality food (no grains), or something designed for dogs with allergies (single-source protein, lamb, fish, etc).

Canned pumpkin or cooked vegetables can be added to food to increase fiber intake, which may help get firmer stools. If you want to go to a homecooked diet, you can boil chicken or fish. But be sure to research diets specifically for dogs - don't just give him your leftover meatloaf.