Half way through food change...

[Jessica Girardot]

Hi everyone! It's almost Friday!

I have a question about how this food change is going... I am switching Molly from Science Diet puppy ( which her poo is nice and firm with) to Wellness Puppy.  I have been doing this change VERY gradually over the last two weeks.  I am now giving her half and half of each food.  Since doing so, I have noticed a much softer poo.  ( It could have even been slightly softer with 75% Science Diet 25% Wellness as well...)  She also started having gas with the new food. I know the poo changes are being caused by the food, not health issues, as she has very recently had a fecal screening!

Should I try something else? ( I know about the recommended foods!) Should I wait it out and see? Should I completely change her food over to Wellness, only to switch it again? Or should I try to switch her to something else even though we are only half way through the food change. 

Thank you so much for any input as I just want her to be happy and healthy!

[Joanna, Zoe & Bender]

Ohhhh look at her sad puppy eyes!!!  SO CUTE!  

[Ginny Nightingale]

I feed wellness puppy and have had no issues with it, but I add a bit of pure canned pumpkin--maybe give it some more time to adjust--she might need a different puppy formula--Wellness puppy is mostly chicken.Oh, and she sure is a cutie!

[Jessica Girardot]

I'll try the pumpkin. Thanks!

[Star and Goldie]

She just needs time to adjust. When I switched Goldie to Blue Buffalo she had loose stools for a least 3 weeks then they started to have more form. Then when I switched her over to Blue Buffalo's grain free version they firmed right up and she has perfect poops now.

[BG and Gavin]

The gas will likely last about two weeks then go away.  I will bet the poos firm up to.  I would stick with it if I were you.

[Jessica Girardot]

I'm hoping the gas does go away LOL  I can actually hear them!!!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

It is normal to have temporary gas and softer poo with the food change. I would give it a bag or three before deciding if the food is not the right one.

[nate]

is the poo soft and still formed, or it is unformed and "spurty"? 

our guy was on LifesAbundance when we took him in, and despite being recommended, he basically had diarrhea from it. we switched him to Orijen large puppy, and he started to have well formed poops.  but they were never solid.

one month they were out of the puppy and suggested the Adult Dog -- same ingredients, just different proportions.  instantly he had perfect firm poop.  when we switched back to puppy -- soft poops in a day.  switch back?  firm.  we found a small bag of life's abundance and tried that for s**** and giggles.  his s**** were everywhere.  diarrhea again.

every now and then we have to use a different food due to inventory issues.  we found a 50/50 mix of 2 of the Taste of The Wilds has no change ( i think the fowl & fish ).  most other foods will soften him up.

we learned a few things:

- weening pups on and off food is a guideline and sort of necessary for large changes, but if the nutritional makeup is roughly the same, there's no real issue.  

- it's worth tossing in  a random meal here and there to keep them "ready" for a change

- if poop starts to be unformed on a food, it's just not going to get formed.  if it starts getting softer, it either stabilizes after 2 days or it doesn't at all.  if that's the case, consider donating it to a rescue group or shelter and get another formula.

[Chelsie]

When I switched Sam from crap food to Acana his poops were soft and even some diarrhea. I did end up switching to another food with grains, but we are back to Acana and all is well! I read somewhere that they almost have to detox from the garbage food and loose stools are often normal. It does take sometime, especially in the younger pups, to adjust to the new food's formula. I would give it time and add some pumpkin in the mean time!

[Jen and Annie]

I don't know much about kibbles, but is the Wellness a grain-free formula? I ask, because sometimes the grain in kibble can cause gas. And if Wellness uses a different grain than Science Diet uses, that could be part of the issue...?

BTW, she is s FREAKING DOLL BABY!!

[Jessica Girardot]

Thank you! She sure is a sweetie. It is not the grain free version- and I am pretty sure that there are different grains in Wellness, v.s. Science Diet. Maybe that is contributing the gas.

[Jessica Girardot]

Thank you everyone for your responses.  Her poo was a little firmer today :)