Ugh, poop pudding.

[Renee Hacker]

So Lily was spayed a couple of weeks ago.  She's 7 months now.  Thought I'd try to vary the protein in her diet.  We were using BB Chicken & Rice with no issues but it was time to buy a new bag so I bought BB Lamb & Oatmeal this time instead.  Did the slow transition over a week and then switched over 100%.  We now have poop pudding.  Or half poop pudding technically.  The first half of her stools are fine, then they turn to mush.  Could it be the food not agreeing with her?  Do I wait it out or go back to the Chicken & Rice formula?  Or do you think I need to have the vet check a stool sample just in case? 

Ugh.  Pudding piles are not very easy to clean up in the back yard.  Although our frigid cold March temps makes it a bit easier. :)

[Debi and Monty Moose]

Would you suggest the BB Wilderness Puppy....which I know is grain free or maybe Wellness Core?  I have been looking at both and am really confused.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Well, there's really no way to know if one or the other would be better for her until you try them. :-)

Either would be a good choice.  

[Renee Hacker]

She's better, I do still notice soft stools every once in a while though.  Not pudding-like anymore thankfully, but mushy.  I suspect that might be related to her stealing the kids' food when they aren't looking. :)  For the most part though she's back to normal.  I'm trying to decide if I want to just toss the lamb & oatmeal formula I have left or try her on it again to see if it was a food issue or a medicine issue.  I hate to mess with things when they're working again, but I am curious!  

At some point I'll probably try to switch brands, although I have no idea to what at this point.  I have pretty much every recommended brand available to me locally so it's hard to decide on one!  

[Debi and Monty Moose]

I agree...it is hard to decide.  There are sooo many choices and I have been studying the site that was put up about all the different brands and their rating...but it is still confusing.  My Goldens never had an issue, so this is new to me.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I wouldn't use the ratings sites to choose a food; they are strictly based on protein content. It really isn't possible to "rate" one premium food as being better than another for any individual dog. A food rated 4 stars might be a better choice for your individual dog than one rated 5 stars.  The ratings also do not take into account the source of the ingredients and manufacturing practices.

This is why we worked hard to create our Recommended Brands list, which we hope will be less confusing, lol. 

[Star and Goldie]

Goldie had soft stools on BB Chicken and Rice as well. I recently switched her to one of BBs grain free foods and they firmed right up. You may consider trying that:)

[Debi and Monty Moose]

Star, did you go to the Wilderness puppy?  If so, did it take very long for Goldie's stool to firm up?  I also have had Monty vomit his food up once in a while (sometimes quite awhile after he eats)....which is really what caught my attention.  I was thinking this food was just too rich for him.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It's not related to "richness", which refers to fat content. Sometimes, a food may have too many ingredients, which is what i think a lot of people mean by a food being "too rich". In those cases,  a limited ingredient formula like Wellness Simple Solutions can help. 

[Star and Goldie]

I actually went with their Basics line- turkey and potato. It's a grain free limited ingredients food, like what Karen was talking about. I had considered Wellness but really didnt want to have to do a gradual food transition again so I decided to try BB Basics since its still in the BB family and no real transition was needed. If it didn't work then I was going to try Wellness but within 3 days her poop firmed right up. The only time I ever see softer stools is if I over feed her. If she gets anything over the recommended amount her stools will be a little softer but still nothing major. I love the Basics line. I'd definitely recommend giving it a try.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yep, this sounds like a good choice as well. 

[Debi and Monty Moose]

Thanks to all of you for your help.   I will give the Basics a try.  :)