Too Much Poop!!

ec20009 · 11-02-2009, 10:31 AM

Hi

2 weeks ago i adopted a 3 yr old male shih tzu. During the day i go to work and leave him in a gated bedroom. He's been pooping/peeing there while i'm out even though he's housetrained and has also been doing his thing outside.
At first i thought it was out of anxiety at being in a new environment left alone b/c he freaks out when i leave. Now i'm noticing that even when i'm around he's still pooping quite a lot (3-4 times a day)...like this weekend he did his thing out on walks (not inside).
Then, this morning i put down wee pads (b/c i couldn't stand the cleanup anymore)...he sniffed and then pooped, even though he had pooped on his 8 am walk only 2 hours before. I am sure i'll find more poop when i get home at 6pm and he'll probably poop yet again on his 7 pm walk.
He's eating Natural Choice Vennison and Rice for sensitive stomachs...his main treats are dried chicken and the Kong treat. Any ideas? I don't know what he ate prior to being w/us but how long does it take to get used to a new food? Is his system still just flushing out after 2 wks? help!!! Thanks!!!!

briteday · 11-02-2009, 10:53 AM

How much and how often are you feeding? I'm thinking your dog only needs 1/4 cup (use a measuring cup) twice per day.

If you are feeding more than that I would cut back.

If you are free feeding (food out all the time) stop and feed twice per day.

ec20009 · 11-02-2009, 11:09 AM

We're only feeding him once a day at night...less than a cup

we don't free feed...no table feeding...

chiirioz · 11-02-2009, 06:21 PM

Is it just poop or is it diarrhea? My dog had very, very loose poops (still solid) but very smelly and yellow and had pooped at least 3x a day. She has been diagnosed with giardia. We feed her 2x a day.

yappypappymom · 11-02-2009, 06:32 PM

Oh my!! I feel terrible for you! I would like to suggest a cork! ~LOL~*just being silly*

Doesn't seem like your overfeeding him though..have you considered trying out a raw meat diet? It kinda by-passes all of the kibble "fillers", & computes down to straight protein, which, thereby automatically eliminates the sheer volume of waste completely...after all that pooing going on, it is something that I would be looking in to, but, thats just me...hope things get better for you!

ec20009 · 11-02-2009, 10:57 PM

hi

the poo varies from solid to very soft solid...it's a normal color. sent it to the vet so he can run some tests for parasites.

i'll look into the raw meat diet...

thanks

briteday · 11-02-2009, 11:08 PM

What are you feeding him? And one cup per day sounds like a lot, unless the food is an inexpensive brand with lots of filler.

Small breeds have a tendency towards hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) if they go too long between meals. Twenty four hours is a long time for a dog that probably weighs less than 10 pounds. I certainly can't go 24 hours between meals and I have lots more reserve than 10 pounds...

Try feeding two meals per day. And let us know what you are feeding.

ec20009 · 11-02-2009, 11:18 PM

one cup per day is too much? That's what everyone including the vet told us to feed him. He's 15 lbs.

Feeding him Natural Choice Vennison and Rice for sensitive stomachs.

We were told that feeding him once a day at night instead of twice a day in the morning and at night, would help cut down on the poop....no, it hasn't but i can't imagine feeding him in the morning would help reduce the amnt of poo during the day while we're at work ....

open to ideas/thoughts, but just sayin'.... thanks

and sorry, it's actually a little less than one cup/day....

thanks

briteday · 11-03-2009, 11:25 AM

It MIGHT cut down on the poop (but doesn't seem so) but it's not really healthy for the dog to feed only once per day.

If your dog does well on this food then I would leave things alone and live with the constant elimination. You might also want to evaluate how many treats you are giving thoughout the day. It's amazing how those can add up. I would add up a total day's worth of treats (every time you give a treat put the same in a baggie and weigh at the end of the 24 hour time) and subtract from the food ration for the day.

ec20009 · 11-03-2009, 11:28 AM

thanks

how many treats per day should we be feeding him? right now i think it's 2 kong treats and 2-3 dried chicken treats (very small pieces) for when he goes outside.

Labsnothers · 11-03-2009, 01:40 PM

The real measure of how much is his ribs. Your dog definitely should be narrower at the waist than the hips and chest. You
should be able to easily feel the ribs, but not see them. Each dog is different.
Standard recommendations are a good place to start, but each dog must have its
food and exercise adjusted to its individual needs. Here is a link to a good
illustrated guide, http://www.longliveyourdog.com/twoplus/RateYourDog.aspx

Cutting back to what will maintain good body condition may or may not reduce the bowel movements much. some dogs do more, smaller bowel movements.