Puppy Stool

[Shianne Mack]

I am not sure if this is the appropriate place to ask this, but my almost 4 month old golden doodle has soft poop. It is not runny, but it is not firm either. I don't know if this is because of the food i feed him (Wellness Puppy Food) or just because. Has anyone else noticed this with their pup? He acts completely normal, so I don't know if I should be worried or not.. Thanks! 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Soft poop is a common issue here. To help us figure it out, I have some questions:

Has he always had soft poop since you got him?

Has he ever had a fecal done? 

Has he ever been treated with metronidazole (Flagyl) or any other meds/dewormers since you've had him? 

How much does he weigh, and how much food is he getting per day?

What else does he get to eat, i.e. treats or chews? 

[Shianne Mack]

Yes, his poop has always been on the softer side

He has not gotten fecal done

Yes he has had a deworming done (as a part of his puppy shots)

The last time I got him weighed was around 3 weeks ago and he was 19.6 lbs. So I know he has gotten bigger but not exactly sure how much he weighs now. He eats 3 cups of food a day. So I feed him a cup and a half in the morning and a cup and a half at night. 

I give him treats on occasion (beggin strips bacon flavor) when he does a good thing. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Okay, the Beggin Strips have to go. They are absolutely filled with some of the worst ingredients in existence, including artificial preservatives that are banned in many countries because they're known to cause cancer. We have a list of recommended treat brands here in the Food Group with lots of much better choices.

You may be feeding him a bit too much, but I doubt that an extra quarter cup of kibble is making much difference.

Do you know what medication was used for the deworming? 

I'd get some plain, unflavored fat free yogurt and give him a couple of tablespoons twice a day; you can add it to his meals or just give it to him separately as a snack. That might help. 

[Shianne Mack]

On the bag it says to feed him 3 cups a day based on his weight, but the snacks might be what it is. I had no idea that those were so bad :/ Thank you for letting me know. What other snacks would you recommend? Or is there a list of them in this group? 

The yogurt sounds like a good idea too! I will definitely do that. Do you think peanut butter could cause the soft poop too? I failed to mention that I do put it in his king once every two days or so. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I looked at the Wellness Core Puppy food guidelines and for a 20 lb 4-6 mo old puppy, it says 2 and three-quarters cups. http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/product-details.aspx?pet=dog&pid...

There is almost no food in the world that is higher in fat or calories than peanut butter, so that could definitely be contributing to the loose stool. I wouldn't give it so often, and when you do, I'd cut back on his food a little.

Beggin' Strips are made by Purina. We recommend nothing made by Purina. The ingredients are horrible and they're imported from China. In fact, there is no treat or food that you can buy at the grocery store, Target, Walmart, Kmart, or similar stores that is safe to give your dog. Here's a link to our recommended brands list: http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topics/recomme...

[Sarah Kuiper]

Karen, when you do this does it have to be regular yogurt? Or can it be Greek plain fat free?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I don't eat yogurt and don't really know what the differences are between Greek yogurt and regular yogurt in terms of the number of live cultures, which is where the benefits are. 

[Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie]

I'm curious- have you always fed him twice a day? It's possible that he might do a little better with a smaller amount 3 times a day. We started out with 3 meals a day and intended to switch Winnie to twice a day when she was around 6 months. But, every time we tried it she had softer stools. Even now at almost 1.5 years old and 56lbs I still feed her 3 times a day. If I try giving her a cup and a half instead of one cup, she'll have a loose poop.

[Shianne Mack]

Yeah, I always have... I will try that and see if that makes a difference. Thanks! (: 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I was thinking about recommending three feedings a day, but at 4 months, a lot of them start to lose interest in eating that often and that's a sign that it's time to switch to 2 meals. I think I'd stay with the twice a day feedings. I think Winnie is unusual in this respect. 

[Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie]

She is unusual in a LOT of respects! :-)

[Sarah Kuiper]

My 4 week pup has been having softer stools lately I'm wondering if it has something to do with the heartguard because that has something in it for round worms too?