Poop is still soft & I'm out of ideas.

[Ron Roberts]

I have spent many hours reading all the discussions & posts. Feel like I know more than when I started but still don't have an answer.  I need your help !

Odie is an 18 month old Labradoodle. He is completely healthy, has lots of energy, weighs about 65lbs..etc.  We got him at about 8 months old, from the people who got him from a high quality breeder.  The Breeder fed all pups Black Gold.  The couple we got him from said they had always given him IAM's.  He had a problem with soft Poop from the start and so I got him away from the IAM's quickly.  Let me clarify that; he doesn't get Diarrhea but his poop is too soft to pickup.  We live in Suburbia & I want to pick it up from the neighbors yards.  Plus, I didn't think it was a healthy sign.

We've always fed him dry kibble.  I've tried the Kirkland (CostCo) chicken & rice, after a month tried their Lamb & rice.  Neither helped.  Then a petstore person suggested California Natural chicken formula. It didn't fix the problem.  Next the same petstore person suggested Taste O' the Wild meat product.  I thought we had a winner but after a couple weeks it got soft again, then back & forth. Along the way I started adding a tablespoon or more of Pumpkin with each meal (Have always fed him twice a day - quantity as indicated on the bag). I tried their other 2 formulas (poultry & fish) but the results were the same.  And I'm sure I am leaving out a couple other experiments but you get the picture I'm sure.

A friend suggested I try a different store, biggest in town, that had a great reputation for knowing their business.  I went there, got hooked up with their #1 dog food technicians, and explained the complete history to them.  They believed the problem was caused by the high protein level in the Taste O' the Wild (28%).  They recommended Duck & Potatoe formula from Natural Balance. Good News is (Drum Roll Please) it fixed the problem !  Completely !  Bad News is ..... he hates the food !  He will only eat it when he's really hungry.  I made him go through a large bag to see if he would get accustomed to it. He didn't. Went back to the store & explained the new problem.  They suggested the Venison & sweet potatoe formula.  I tried a big bag of that.  He likes it a little better but still really doesn't like it. It's getting steadily harder to get him to eat.  He used to jump up & down when he heard me open the bag of Taste O' the Wild.  In fact, he's always been a good eater until now.

I'm at my wits end.  Don't know what to do/try next.  Please help !

[Ron Roberts]

One question Karen. Would you suggest I start with the Red Meat or the Chicken formula from Evo ?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I don't think it matters much, but if Odie likes whichever one you try, and does well on it, try the other flavor after a month or so; you can then rotate between the two formulas.

[Ron Roberts]

Natura also makes Innova. Do you have any thoughts on it ?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Innova is also an good food, but it contains grain. I think you'll have better stool consistency with a grain-free food.

[Donna K & Quincy]

We also had a problem with soft poops. Tried both the Kirkland and TOTW. Quincy wouldn't eat either one of those unless there was something yummy mixed in. I've recently switched him to Canidae Salmon Meal and Rice grain free formula. Good news, he loves it. His first poop in the morning is really firm, after that a bit softer but still easy to pick up. Also if you are giving him treats this may be part of the problem.Canidae also makes a cookie that is grain free. Good luck.

[Richard Crowe]

Holly is a very healthy goldendoodle but, we have had the same problem with soft poop. We tried any number of food combinations and have settled on Nature's Variety Beef Formula Frozen Raw Diet. Holly is 65 pounds and we feed her one and a half patties a day. This seems like the optimum amount since her weight is right-on.

There are downsides to this diet.

First, it is fairly expensive. We only feed Holly this diet and continue to feed our Maltese kibble flavored with some cooked beef.

Secondly, the patties must be kept frozen and have only a five day (as per what the store owner states) refrigerator life. That means that we have to do a bit of juggling when we travel in our motor home since our freezer is fairly small. We have had no problems finding the food in the Western United States but, did have problems finding it when we visited Mississippi and Louisiana over the Christmas and New Year Holidays. I just read on the company web site that they have a freeze dried variety which would be nice as a back-up while we are traveling.

On the positive side is that her poop is not only quite solid and formed but, there is less of it! Holly uses a higher percentage of this food and eliminates less. It is also very easy to feed. I simply break off pieces of the thawed patty and give them to Holly by hand. No dishes to wash. However, Holly is a very gentle eater. I would be missing fingers if I fed some dogs this way!

http://www.naturesvariety.com/raw_products_beef

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Richard, there has been a major recall of Nature's Variety Raw Products for salmonella contamination. The company has changed hands recently and the quality control has gone south. We are not recommending any of their products at this time.

[Kelly Gallagher]

Just a thought...by any chance does Odie eat bully sticks? The reason I ask is because we went thru this with our dog Maddy on and off for months. It was very frustrating. We switched to TOTW pacific stream and that definitely made a huge difference..and then we gave her a bully stick and her stool was soft again. Haven't given her a bully stick since September and she hasn't had a loose stool since (keeping fingers crossed). Like a said..just thought I would this out there just in case.
Kelly

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Bully stix run right thru Peri too. She gets them every now and then, but we know what is causing the ultra soft poos after.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Rawhide chews and treats give my dogs tummy problems. Grain free kibble make their poop very dry and firm.

[Sarah Bertsch]

My Sophie had a problem with soft stools & we never exactly pin-pointed the cause. I was very hopeful about a natural product called diarsanyl, but it didn't help -- you might try it, though. The vet put her on a short course of metronidazole which helped immediately (even though her fecal exam was clear). I didn't want to go right to Rx, but it worked right away. Grain-free food has been fabulous for her, too. In fact, sometimes I worry that her stools are too hard so I will probably be adding more veggies. Both my dogs absolutely love Evo brand turkey & chicken formula. You might consider something like Prozyme and also colostrum. These can be very helpful for dogs with digestive problems or bowel irritations. Good luck, Ron & Odie!