loose stools...

Submitted by Kim Sebastian O... on March 28, 2011 - 10:14am

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both Oliver and Sebastian have had loose stools off and on since I brought them home. The stools have a firm pieces in them sometimes and some times it's all firm, but most of the time they are the consistency of a thick yogurt. I'm feeding them Blue buffalo lamb and oatmeal with a tablespoon of yogurt and a tablespoon of fish and sweet potatoe wet mixed in twice a day and for lunch I mix in a half of a sardine but no yogurt or wet food. I read on here that canned pumpkin is good for firming up the poop. Should I mix it in with the yogurt and wet or use the pumpkin just by itself? I am switching them to TOTW when this bag runs out and planning on using the Pacific formula. Any suggestions would be really helpful. Also, I am feeding them the recommended daily amounts which equals out to about 3/4 cup of dry plus the above ingredients 3 times a day. Is that too much? They only seem to poop after eating, but the last couple of nights I have had to get up with them in the middle night and take them out to poop. The don't eat anything past 6 at night.

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Kim, Remy Le Beau, Lord Sebastian, and Sir Oliver

Well after watching your video

Submitted by onslowsmom on March 28, 2011 - 11:39am.

I wonder if the treats could be a little too much for them. You could try the pumpkin. I would eliminate everything but the dry dog food and the yogurt/pumpkin until they get firm again. Also, the meds can and will contribute to loose stools.

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oops Kim

Submitted by onslowsmom on March 28, 2011 - 12:17pm.

Woops I thought you were Tavia lol! My recommendation still remains the same tho

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that's okay...

Submitted by Kim Sebastian O... on March 28, 2011 - 1:39pm.

I understood what you meant. Oliver and Sebastian don't get too many treats. An occasional pupperoni (aka puppy crack for them) and a hard milk bone biscuit. I will go out and buy a can of pumpkin when I get groceries later this afternoon.

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Kim, Remy Le Beau, Lord Sebastian, and Sir Oliver

100% pure pumpkin

Submitted by onslowsmom on March 28, 2011 - 1:58pm.

not the pie filling. Hope it helps!

Onslow won't eat it. LOL

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hopefully...

Submitted by Kim Sebastian O... on March 28, 2011 - 2:20pm.

the boys will. Sebastian has a hard time eating just the yogurt in his food without anything else in it, so maybe the pumpkin will taste good for him. Do I give them just a tablespoon like the yogurt?

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Kim, Remy Le Beau, Lord Sebastian, and Sir Oliver

Yup

Submitted by onslowsmom on March 28, 2011 - 2:58pm.

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That's alot of extras

Submitted by Deb and MacKenz... on March 28, 2011 - 5:55pm.

for puppies. I would cut out the sardines and wet food before I would add another food to their systems like the pumpkin. When they are little like this the simpler the better. Their systems just can't handle all the stuff. I still only feed Kohl his kibble and raw and I haven't introduced other meat protein sources yet because I don't want him to get tummy upset and have an accident. He's 9 months now. I feed a probiotic to make sure they all don't get too firm and they rarely get human handouts.

Also I don't feed yogurt, you can do the same thing with a good probiotic powder. I've been told (don't know how true it is) that you would have to feed a LOT of yogurt to get any benefit from it. Also some dogs will become lactose intolerant so keep that in mind.

thanks Deb...

Submitted by Kim Sebastian O... on March 28, 2011 - 6:15pm.

see that's why I love it here. I get some awesome advice from more experienced parents. I will just feed them dry kibble and I will go this weekend and get a good probiotic powder.

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Kim, Remy Le Beau, Lord Sebastian, and Sir Oliver

Pumpkin

Submitted by Katie and Chumlee MN on March 28, 2011 - 9:19pm.

Made Chumlee throw up 3 of the 4 times I offered it to him and it never worked for firming stools. That is just our experience. Just tough it out and offer some straight clear pedialyte immediately if it gets any more lose it will keep things from going south really quickly (again from our experience) I agree with Deb that is way too much stuff for your babies! Is there a reason why you are doing the wet? Are you looking to add more protein to their diet? I would only do kibble and powder probiotic for two weeks and if they are having nice stools then reintroduce one treat bag/type and that is it. I would ask their vet how much to feed them. The amount on the bag is always too high. Overfeeding causes upset tummies. You are also feeding a grain inclusive food, not good. You are also feeding yogurt, not good. You can transition food without the old bag by using cooked white rice mixture and new kibble. You can donate the rest of the bag to rescue. This is the probiotic I use when we need it. I keep it in the freezer. It should last you a year.

http://www.total-zymes.com/total-biotics.html

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Skasqueeeeeeakaaay!!

Katie & Chumlee

I was doing the wet...

Submitted by Kim Sebastian O... on March 28, 2011 - 9:48pm.

because Sebastian wouldn't eat his kibble with the yogurt mixed in it, so I started adding just a tablespoon of wet to it so he would eat. I thought the yogurt would be okay to give him for his digestive system. The sardines I was giving for the fish oil qualities for his skin and coat. I am going to go back to just plain dry kibble, both boys will eat it dry with nothing added to it. Their stools aren't too runny, just soft and not firm all the time. I never know how much to put in their bowls because it seems like if I put 1/2 cup, they sniff around looking for more, and if I put 1 cup, they leave some of it, so I decided on slightly in between the 1/2 cup and 1 cup and sometimes they still leave some. Maybe without all the extras, though, they may eat it all. This weekend I'll go buy them TOTW and pick up some probiotics. I know that Blue Buffalo is a grain food, but I had already bought the bag before I found this site and started reading everything everyone was saying about having their bully's on a grain free diet. Thank you guys for all the good advice, I love you all for helping me be a better mommy!!!

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Kim, Remy Le Beau, Lord Sebastian, and Sir Oliver

Wet Food

Submitted by Deb and MacKenz... on March 28, 2011 - 10:32pm.

If they will eat the kibble without anything on it then I agree with Katie. Once the stools are firm you can add something. I don't have a problem with adding a little wet, but make sure it is a good quality wet food. When I have had to use wet food I've used Merrick with good luck. But I really have no experience with anyother brands.

Amount to feed; IMO your vet is unlikely to know, unless it is a vet that specializes in nutrition. I feed puppies fed 3 x per day until 6 months. You may want to try 1/2 to 1c per feeding each. Of course this depends on their sizes, current weights and activity level. Do they eat separately? If they don't eat it all in 10 - 15 minutes then pick it up and feed it with the next meal, adjusting the amount of the next meal. At 6 months you can go to 2 x per day, unless you have one that is too lean. Kohl is a big boy and I was actually feeding him about 4 1/2 cups a day around 5 months and then started decreasing it around 7 months. He now eats 2 cups of kibble and 1 raw pattie a day at 9 months. I wanted to get him a little fatter because he was too lean around 4 months.

Deb...

Submitted by Kim Sebastian O... on March 29, 2011 - 7:53am.

the wet is Blue Buffalo fish and sweet potato and they did eat most of their dry this morning without anything in it. I feed them about 3/4 cup each and they each have their own bowl. Sebastian is a little smaller than Oliver because he was the runt due to his heart condition but at 12 weeks he weighed 14.6 pounds and Oliver weighed 18.2 pounds, so not a huge difference but in puppy's I know it is. They left some in their bowl this morning, Sebastian more than Oliver. I do feed them 3 x a day now and at lunch they were already eating their kibble mostly dry with just a half a sardine mixed in it. I will just keep an eye on it and this weekend I was planning on switching them over to TOTW Pacific stream totally dry anyway. Thanks for all the good advice I don't know what I'd do without this site. It's not like I have never raised puppy's before, but with bully's and all their special needs, this time is definitely different. My high school friend Ginger has a bulldog and my husband asked me last night what Ginger feeds Elmer and I said she used to feed him Royal Canin Bulldog, but then her boyfriend moved in with his lab and I think she just feeds both dogs whatever. Elmer has numerous issues, ear problems, skin problems, he just had to have a fatty lump removed under his skin and he always smells. So I don't want to follow her example. They both also smoke in the home and my husband and I don't smoke at all and don't allow friends and family to smoke in our home ever.

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Kim, Remy Le Beau, Lord Sebastian, and Sir Oliver

i heard that

Submitted by Rocco84 on March 29, 2011 - 12:53pm.

I heard that too much of the salmon oil can cause them tummy issues...I use less than what the bottle says and it works great...I also had Rocco on only dry puppy food till he was 8 months (he had a lot of irregular bowels as a pup) then the vet said i could put him on an adult food so that is when i started him on the salmon oil and now he eats Natural Balance Limited Ingredient (switch bag flavors every few bags), is on Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil, and multi-vitamins...I can't even remember the last time he had stool problems. Not much advice really here but just what I have done up to date

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"Rocco has a spastic wiggle...probally why is nickname is Milkshake"

I agree with Deb, that is a lot of extras:-)

Submitted by AmyandSophia on March 29, 2011 - 9:02pm.

I would just do the kibble and yogurt. I have fed my girls yogurt for years and none of them have gas or loose stools...they do very well on it. The powder may or may not be ingested all the way...if they don't lick the bowl clean they won't get all the powder. There is a Probios paste you could try if you want off the yogurt, but how much dairy will your pups be getting that a possible lactose intolerance will occur? I find yogurt to be much cheaper and easier, and they lick the bowl clean each and every meal:-)

Really though, there are a lot of things you could use. I just choose this one.

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Amy and Sophia

I tried just the yogurt

Submitted by Kim Sebastian O... on March 29, 2011 - 10:05pm.

with Sebastian, and he doesn't eat very much of his kibble with it addded which is why I added a tablespoon of wet to disguise the yogurt. Both boys are eating all of their kibble without adding anything to it, so if anyone has anyother suggestions to get them the digestive goodness of yogurt without actually using yogurt I'm open to it.

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Kim, Remy Le Beau, Lord Sebastian, and Sir Oliver

If they are eating their kibble with nothing else on it....

Submitted by AmyandSophia on March 30, 2011 - 10:28am.

I would just feed them their kibble:-) They are babies yet, the supplements can come later. Just keep them on a good food and let them grow a little bit before you decide what they may or may not need otherwise in their diets.

I love those boys:-)

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Amy and Sophia

thanks...

Submitted by Kim Sebastian O... on March 30, 2011 - 10:42am.

I think that's what I'm going to do. I have to go buy a new bag of food Saturday and am going with the TOTW Pacific Stream

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Kim, Remy Le Beau, Lord Sebastian, and Sir Oliver

Best of luck with it!

Submitted by AmyandSophia on March 30, 2011 - 11:10am.

Blue Buffalo isn't for everyone, but my girls do well on it. I have been thinking about just trying the TOTW though to see how Sophie does on it again. She got head shakes on it...but she has had them on the BB also, so I don't know. She never had them on Natural Balance, but she had other issues and I never could get her over them. Oh well, these babies can be trying sometimes!

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Amy and Sophia

they certainly can be....

Submitted by Kim Sebastian O... on March 30, 2011 - 1:08pm.

I dont have any complaints about the BB, but wanted to go for a more natural grain free food and see how it goes. If that one doesn't work out, then I will try NB next.

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Kim, Remy Le Beau, Lord Sebastian, and Sir Oliver

I understand.

Submitted by AmyandSophia on March 30, 2011 - 1:59pm.

Did you look at both the ingredients of TOTW and BB? I need to check that out. It seems like they are very similar.

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Amy and Sophia

yes I did...

Submitted by Kim Sebastian O... on March 30, 2011 - 3:16pm.

and the TOTW is grain free and the BB the boys are eating has oatmeal in it. I do know that BB has a grain free formula as well, so I might check that out before switching them over.

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Kim, Remy Le Beau, Lord Sebastian, and Sir Oliver

Hmmm, I thought the BB Basics was all the way grain free.

Submitted by AmyandSophia on March 30, 2011 - 4:56pm.

I might check out a bag of the TOTW just to see how the girls do on it. :-)

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Amy and Sophia

I don't know about the BB basics...

Submitted by Kim Sebastian O... on March 30, 2011 - 5:11pm.

I have the boys on BB life protection which is their lamb and oatmeal formula. Cost comparison TOTW is just slightly cheaper though the bags sell for the same amount but the bag size is different. BB Wilderness is only 24 pounds, but the TOTW is 30 pounds for about $45 around here.

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Kim, Remy Le Beau, Lord Sebastian, and Sir Oliver

Ah, see I use the grain free Basics from BB.

Submitted by AmyandSophia on March 30, 2011 - 7:48pm.

That should have no grain in it. But I just read the bag and it has oatmeal in it. I am going to try the TOTW I guess...I didn't even notice the oatmeal in the limited ingredient bags I buy! Duh:-)

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Amy and Sophia

Are you by any chance.......

Submitted by wrigley_2007 on March 31, 2011 - 12:05pm.

giving them rawhide chew toys? This could be the cause of their runny stools.

Mike

no...

Submitted by Kim Sebastian O... on March 31, 2011 - 2:06pm.

they have one nyla bone and a couple of bully sticks, but they haven't eaten much of their bully sticks.

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Kim, Remy Le Beau, Lord Sebastian, and Sir Oliver