How should I start my doodle pup on fresh vegs as part of her diet?

[Yvonne (and Maggie)]

Hi there, thanks for the warm welcome to DK. I have a 4 month old mini labradoodle puppy from a breeder. She was flown on the plane to me just under a month ago and is settling in swell!
Maggie is toilet trained, completed her first stage puppy class and is a complete ham! sorry I'm digressing...:) but I love her to bits for her goofiness !

When she first got to Singapore, she had loose stools. I attributed this to adjustment stress. Breeder had her on royal canin but I didn't have that so I gave her Acana kibble which had good reviews as a wholesome 
fresh ingredients dog kibble. She continued having loose stools even after 2and 1/2 weeks (i tried cooked rice, chicken, yogurt, tummy pills etc but to no effect) which my trainee thought she couldn't get used to the high protein content in Acana and suggested a switch to the cheaper eukanuba.
Her stools firmed up 3 days after starting Eukanuba and became well formed. 

I was wondering if the doodle peeps here might advise on the following:
1. As her stool issue is now "resolved", should I start her on a raw vegs diet as a supplement to her dry kibble? Or am I asking for diarrhea trouble? ;)
2. If vegs are ok, what kind of vegs should I give her (?carrots) and how should I start her on it? One carrot a week?

thanks in advance!
Yvonne

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

To begin with, Id get her off the Eukaneuba. it is low quality meat and full of fillers. Acana is much better quality. High quality meats, and if you go with the grain ones, you can get lower protein if that is indeed what she needs. It is very usual for a puppy to have loose stools for a while, to begin with, she is away from her parents and litter mates, she had a scary flight, and is now in a new home. Add to that the change in food (Royal Canin has good quality meat but lots of other bad ingredients such as corn and is way over priced so I wouldnt feed that). Check out the food group for info on food. http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup Alot of people think stools should be pretty solid - you want them well formed but still a little soft, not solid. The high grain low quality foods can make stools too firm (they are pooping out all the food as they arent digesting it). Personally id go back to Acana. Lamb and Apple is for all life stages and is only 27% protein. It can take some dogs, puppies especially, some time for their tummies to settle on a new food. If my dog is stressed, she gets diarrhea so that could be a big part of your problem. 

[Yvonne (and Maggie)]

thanks Kaytlin. I was told by the breeder and my vet that stress and adjustment issues normally take a week or so to settle. Since she was still having loose stools 2 and 1/2 weeks out, having settled in nicely, I made the decision to change the food.

I would love to keep her on Acana except for the loose stools. I guess I could give it another go mixing the Eukanuba with Acana gradually and see how that pans out. Her Acana is that for Puppies.

[Katie, John & Parker pup]

I had the same loose stool problem with some of the recommended foods here on doodle kisses...I switched Parker to a grain free kibble (Blue Buffalo Wilderness puppy) and his business problems were resolved...he just didn't digest the grainy foods I guess! If you wanna switch Maggie to a better quality food then maybe try something like that? As far as vegetables (and fruits), Parker loves to get carrot sticks, celery sticks, lettuce, cucumber, apple slices, etc. as treats and has never had any issues...I have never supplemented his food with just those though!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Some of the Acana formulations, like lamb and apple, don't seem to be available in the US.  did see one site that said it will be available in the New Year. We'll see.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

In addition to Kaytlin's excellent advice, I would bring a stool specimen in to check for giardia or other parasites, which is a very common cause of chronic loose stool issues in puppies. 

Protein does not cause loose stools in normal healthy puppies or dogs. Fats and carbohydrates are much more likely to cause loose stools than protein content.Your trainer may be a very good trainer, but he or she is not a nutritionist and the protein content in Acana is not "high". The word "cheap" in connection with Eukanuba is perfect. There's a reason one brand is cheaper than another, and that reason is usually the quality of the ingredients.

Vegetables are fine for dogs, but I would not give raw vegetables. The plant cellulose in vegetables is indigestible, and cooking helps break down the cell walls and makes the nutrients more available. There's nothing wrong with giving a raw baby carrot as a treat, but be aware that you are only providing fiber and no nutritional value.

Almost any vegetable is fine for dogs except for anything in the onion family. I would avoid cruciferous vegetables at this point as they contribute to gassiness. Green beans and carrots are your best bet starting out.

And please do join us in the Food Group to learn more about the issues mentioned here and lots more!

[Yvonne (and Maggie)]

Thanks Karen. I found the food group! excuse my newbie ignorance...:o)

Alrighty then. Back to Acana it is. Its not a cost issue but the loose poop which got me very exasperated. Puppy appeared healthy and was gaining weight according to her age (so I figured she wasnt sick) but good suggestion on sending the poop to the vets. I'll do that.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

If the fecal is negative, I'd suggest adding a tablespoon or two of 100% pure plain canned pumpkin to her meals (or you can give it separately if she prefers) if you can get it. If not, cooked, mashed (or canned) plain sweet potato will work pretty well, too. That should help firm up the stool and most dogs love it.

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

Sorry to hear about your baby's poop problems :(   I give Sasha and Oliver canned pumpkin quite often, Sasha loves it and Oliver will eat it but only if I mix something else into it.  I also purchase when I can a whole pumpkin, clean it out and roast it which they love.  I cook carrots, slice them into circles and give them as treats also.  The canned pumpkin is 100% organic pumpkin not the pumplin pie stuff.  I give them this as a topper on their food and mix it in, they like it warmed for about 30-40 seconds in the microwave :)   Yes I do spoil them but they deserve it.  Ollie had loose poops for a while and I switched him to grain free food - Taste of the Wild and no poop problems so I think he has a sensitive tummy too.  And as Karen said I would get her checked for parasites as well which could be causing the problem.  The Food Group here is sooooooo helpful when you have problems and you can learn soooo much.  Good luck with your new baby and do keep us posted.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

You have got some great advice below but  just wanted to add that when I switched Riley as a young puppy to Orijen grain free puppy food it took three weeks for the poops to firm up and there were times when I thought it would never work out.  He is now nearly nine months old and I haven't had any more loose poop problems.  I think it sometimes takes a bit longer than we think for their tummies to settle especially when they are so young.  Once you rule out any parasite issues by checking with your vet I would definitely go back to the Acana.   Best of luck with your new furbaby.

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

Hope things get "firmer" soon, Poor puppies, you never know.

[Yvonne (and Maggie)]

here's an update 2 months on....

Maggie's now on 50% Acana and 50% TOTW (wild prairie) with Addiction wet food lamb and apples / salmon/turkey etc once a day, usually at dinner.

Acana alone gave her loose poop.

Acana + TOTW is decent with soft, well formed poop which I can pick up with ease and not leave a mess!

The Addiction soft food is just a nice treat to vary the taste for Maggie. I can't imagine eating the same thing everyday, so the same goes for her I guess..

thanks for all the help. Ive glad I got that poop business sorted now

but she's started to loose her baby teeth, so that's what we r going thru now. My trainer tells me I could be in for another round of loose poop. oh well!