[Leah00]

When we got Buttercup(she's an 8 month old Olde English Bulldogge) a month and a half ago, she came with a full bag of Purina puppy chow. We let her finish that bag and when it was almost gone, we started slowly switching her to the food we had been feeding our other dogs, Diamond Naturals beef and rice.

She's got loose stools and she's pooping at least 3 times a day, probably more. She was fine when we first got her and she was only eating the puppy chow.

I read the ingredients on the bags and the main difference (besides the corn and by products in the Purina) is that the puppy chow didn't have any beef in it and the only meat listed was chicken (by product meal...yum!).

Do you think if I just switched her to another Diamond Naturals formula, it would help? I live in a small town and the only places we have to buy dog food are Walmart and Orschelns.

 

[Willowy]

First, try feeding her less. Feeding too much can cause loose stools. If that doesn't help, try the chicken and rice formula.

 

[RedGermanPinscher]

First, try feeding her less. Feeding too much can cause loose stools. If that doesn't help, try the chicken and rice formula.

I agree, start by cutting back on the amount being fed. See if that helps

 

[Leah00]

Ok, I'll try that. I did recently start giving her more food because I thought she seemed sort of scrawny and hungry.

 

[Charis]

Feeding less (as others have stated) and a very slow switch. Many companies recommend 6 days for a switch however I do it over a couple weeks.

 

[Leah00]

I did switch slowly. It was probably two weeks. I didn't really have much of a system, I just started putting a little bit of the new food in with the puppy chow and then after a few days adding more, then half and half, then mostly new food, then all new.

We'll see if feeding her less works. I really do think that I was feeding too much. She will just eat and eat!

 

[Leah00]

Ok, I just thought about it more and realized that this has been going on longer than I originally thought. I remember cleaning up mushy poops on the 4th and that was before I started giving her more food. I really think it's the food.

We went for a walk this morning and she pooped (mush) three times! It's really gross to have to pick up....

Maybe I could try the chicken or lamb formula? I don't want to put her back on Purina but this is awful.

 

[RedGermanPinscher]

If the beef is not working for her then definitely try the chicken or Lamb. There was a dog in the shelter that we had for months, it took more than a dozen trips to the vet for antibiotics etc and the amputation of a severely chewed up tail, before it was realized he had a severe intolerance to beef products... So it is possible that her system can not tolerate beef very well.

 

[Leah00]

I went to Orschelns and looked around at the different foods. The only Diamond Natural sized bags they had were 40lbs and I didn't want to buy that big of a bag since I've got about 25lbs of the beef one here and I'm not 100% that that's even the problem. I was looking around at the different foods thinking that I just wanted to get chicken or lamb something to see if it helped. I ended up finding a whole stack of mail in rebate coupons for a free bag of the Science Diet Ideal Balance. I'm not at all a SD fan and this food isn't great but you can't beat free and all I wanted was to try something chicken based so....

I wasn't sure if I should still do a slow switch or not since she's obviously having problems with the previous food. I went ahead and mixed the old beef food with the new stuff just in case and added a couple spoons of canned pumpkin just in case. So far it's been about 30 minutes since she ate and she hasn't pooped all over the floor which is an improvement already. I guess I'll see how tomorrow's morning walk goes.

If all goes well, I'll probably buy another small bag of the SD and then very slowly switch her to the Diamond Naturals Chicken and Rice.

 

[Hallie]

The SD Ideal Balance isn't horrible. So if it's all that will work for your dog, I wouldn't see a big problem with keeping her on it. I fed Diamond Naturals Lamb meal and Rice and Hallie hated it, but her stools were firm and small.

 

[Leah00]

Well, I have a really hard time shelling out the money for SD when there are better quality foods out there for less. Hopefully I'm able to switch her over, if not then oh well...
The different food is really helping. I did a really fast switch this time since the old stuff was messing her up anyway. This morning she only pooped once and it was much firmer.

 

[Leah00]

She's back to having loose stools again. I'm thinking that she'll be going to the vet soon and getting tested for any parasites just to rule that out.
I picked up a bag of TOTW Sierra Mountain just to try but I've only given her about a 1/4 of a cup mixed with the SD.

Ugh. I've never had these problems before. My other dogs have always been fine with the different foods we used over the years. This is stressing me out.

 

[krisgil88]

She's back to having loose stools again. I'm thinking that she'll be going to the vet soon and getting tested for any parasites just to rule that out.
I picked up a bag of TOTW Sierra Mountain just to try but I've only given her about a 1/4 of a cup mixed with the SD.

Ugh. I've never had these problems before. My other dogs have always been fine with the different foods we used over the years. This is stressing me out.

How is Buttercup doing? I hope she is feeling better. We were having problems with loose stools and found out that Duke did have a parasite. After treating him with antibiotics (two different types) he was still having loose stools. Once you are able to rule out anything medical problems, you might want to consider The Honest Kitchen's product called The Perfect Form. It's formed up Duke's stools and has been the only thing that's worked.

 

[Pawzk9]

She's back to having loose stools again. I'm thinking that she'll be going to the vet soon and getting tested for any parasites just to rule that out.
I picked up a bag of TOTW Sierra Mountain just to try but I've only given her about a 1/4 of a cup mixed with the SD.

Ugh. I've never had these problems before. My other dogs have always been fine with the different foods we used over the years. This is stressing me out.

Be sure when you go to the vet to talk to them about coccidia and giardia (which often don't show up on a fecal). Giardia symptoms especially can come and go.

 

[Leah00]

Thanks. Buttercup seems to be doing better, but it's hard to tell. It comes and goes, really. It doesn't help that I feel like I'm switching up her diet like crazy right now. We fed our other dogs the same food for years (Diamond Naturals beef and rice) so now I'm kind of lost looking at other foods.
We've had Buttercup for a little over a month and a half and she's been on four different foods (puppy chow, diamond, SD, and now TOTW). Right now we are mixing SD with TOTW and giving her probiotics with it.

But now I'm researching raw so who knows where we'll end up.

I'm back to thinking that it's not a parasite. From what I've been reading, it seems like if it was she'd have mucous or blood in her stools and she never has. So I don't know.