Diet Questions

[Allison and Wilson R. K.]

Hi. We brought our lovely Australian Labradoodle home a few weeks ago. At that time, we were feeding him Petcurean Now Puppy Food (it came with him from the breeder). A few days passed, and his stool started to get loose, until it was full-on diareaha. The vet put him on ID and metronidizole, and we took him off treats. Immediate success. Then we started to very slowly introduce California Natural Lamb and Rice Puppy Food with his ID and his stool started to get loose again. He's on 100% ID now, but I'm curious. The vet recommended that we add FortiFlora to his diet and then try to introduce the california natural again, but that doesn't sound right to me.

 

What do you guys think? Thanks in advance.

[Melissa]

Maybe he has a grain allergy.  We fed Buddy California Naturals for about 8-9 months (breeder fed him that).  Then all of a sudden he got loose stools.  Vet tests came back normal, gave antibiotic just in case and it got better, then loose stools were back.  We ended up switching his food to Orijen (grain free) thanks to good advice on here, solid stools ever since.  I realize your puppy hasn't been on the food that long, but it is a thought. 

 

Also, have you tried putting a little pumpkin in his food?  WHen you switch dog foods there is an adjustment period could be a couple of weeks with loose stool from that, the pumpkin would help.  My 2 cents...I am sure others will have more great advice.  Good luck!

[Allison and Wilson R. K.]

Thanks Melissa,

 

We did not try pumpkin.

 

When we switched, it was seriously 95% ID and 5% California Natural for about three days and the loose stool started again. I'm not sure if I'm just so aware and afraid of an outbreak again and that I might be overreacting to tiny changes in his stool.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It would be extremely unusual for a young puppy to have an allergy. Food allergies take a while to develop, usually at least 6 mionths on the same food, and often more than a year. A food intolerance is more likely. But Petcurean is a very good food, and doesn't contain ingredients likely to cause gastrointstinal issues. I wouldn't go California Naturals unless there is a known sensitivity issue, it's too low in protein for most dogs, and even if you do have to go to a limited ingredient formula, there are better choices, now that CN has been bought out by P & G. (This is all in the Food Group, too.)

I'm wondering why you didn't mention a stool culture in your post. Giardia is very very common in doodle puppies for some reason, and this sounds like it could be the problem. Sometimes it takes repeat cultures to find it.

[Camilla and Darwin]

Have you posted this in the food group? They will be tons of help over there! 

http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup

 

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Did the vet test him for guardia or anything?  Many times puppies get diarrhea when they come home - due to sickness or just change in their lives.  I honestly don't think it is an allergy problem at this point.  I think your guy is just getting used to things OR he has guardia or another treatable sickness.

 

If it is allergy-related, many doodles do well with a grain free food like Orijen or Acana or Taste of the Wild.  If it ends up being something like IBS, there are limited ingredient diets that work well (CA Natural is limited ingredient).  We have a wealth of knowledge (many with your situation) in the Food Group. Come join us! 

 

On the same note, the ID food is about 5% as nutritious as the Petcurean Now Puppy food.  We do not recommend that you use it at all.  It does firm the poop up because it has lots of fillers with no nutritional value. We have lots of discussions on that in the food group. 

 

My Peri had loose stools the first few weeks at home. It just took some adjusting time (I did take her in for fecal tests though, just in case).

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Why You Should Say No When Your Vet Prescribes RX Food
Fortiflora
More Fortiflora
These discussions, and many more like them, are all in The Food Group. Please join us, we have helped many DK members with these problems.

[Allison and Wilson R. K.]

Thanks EVERYONE. I'm moving this ove to the Food Group.

[BG and Gavin]

Now is a great food.  I am not sure I would give up on it, particularly since he did well on it at the breeder's.  This is puzzling.  Besides treats did he have anything like  Bully sticks?  Rawhide chews? Could he be ingesting something in your yard?  Peanut better in his Kong?  Anything?

[Allison and Wilson R. K.]

Hey BruceGirl.

 

In the end, it's not bad. Now is so hard to find where I am. there are so many good foods that I am sure I can find one that is easier to find closeby.

 

He does have rawhide but he has those consistently, so it's not causing the loose stool. He definitely nibbles leaves and stuff but I don't let him out in the yard alone too frequently simply because he is a baby. He doesn't have a Kong....

[Donna K & Quincy]

I don't think rawhide is recommed for puppies. My vet said no rawhide for the first year.

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

I would NEVER give rawhide - its not digestible. When Cooper was little, before we knew all about pet nutrition, we gave her rawhide. Her poop would often be mucousy..... caused by the rawhide (thanks doodle kisses)

 

Veal bully sticks are great for puppies and are digestible