When is soft stool a problem? TMI warning!

[Discussing Labradoodles & Goldendoodles]

Mila is my first dog, and we've only had her a month, so I don't know what is normal. For the last few days she's been having soft "squirt" stools... the first push is firmer and larger volume, and then she sort of hops around pushing out several more small squirts of soft poo. It's not liquid, but very soft (a little firmer than pudding). It's lighter in color than normal (tan instead of brown) and she has some smelly gas a few times a day. No accidents, and she's not pooing more than normal. She's eating her normal food but did sneak some food in the last few days: a raw chicken leg off the counter (which she buried somewhere in the yard) and some BBQ brisket (I got it back, she just licked the sauce off), and I gave her a couple bites of cooked salmon. She drinks from streams all the time when we're in the woods.

How do I know if things are serious enough to get a stool test? Should I feed her some rice or pumpkin to help firm things up?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'd say the timing of the stool issues with her having gotten the chicken leg and BBQ indicates that the two things are related. The BBQ sauce is probably what's causing the problem. Butter or seasonings on the salmon could also have played a part. puppies have sensitive tummies and immature digestive systems.

You can feed her a bland diet of plain boiled white meat chicken with plain rice rice or cooked mashed sweet potatoes for a few days until things get back to normal. If she has parasites, diet won't have any effect, and the stool issues will get worse.

I would bring in a stool sample if that's the case.

However, you really do need to keep her from drinking from streams, that's how dogs get giardia and leptospirosis, and I would also make sure that you don't leave food unattended where she can get it.  

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'd keep her on leash all the time outside of an unfenced area anyway. It's really important to prevent her from drinking from streams, ponds, etc., and from ingesting anything outdoors. Some really nasty diseases can be contracted that way, and at her age, she's very susceptible. Never too early to start training, and you need to have her on leash to teach her anything.