Scooting and food type

[Briggs]

So, my 3.5 month old goldendoodle has been scooting the last couple days. I have searched on here about anal gland expression and thinking we might call the vet to see if that is the issue. but he also has what i would consider soft stools. not hard, but not runny. they are full one piece, but very soft. i am not sure what to do. we feed him taste of the wild puppy food. but i know it's grain free, and not sure if that is good or not? i am so new to this puppy thing, anal gland expression is just gross to me, and i don't know what to do about the soft stool. any advice? it just seems to be one thing after another, he had a UTI, now this.

[F, Calla & Luca]

The food sounds fine. Watch what you give him for treats. Many treats like milk bone like things, bully sticks etc can cause soft stools. I mostly give Trader Joe's chicken strips which are freeze dried. But any all meat treat, bits of chicken etc. are usually fine. Some dogs do not tolerate dairy well so cheese bits can be a problem. Adding some plain canned pumpkin now, not pie filling, or sweet potato, to his food now may help bulk up his stool.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Good point on the treats, F. 

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Luna had to have her anal glands expressed once when she was an older puppy but it hasn't happened since.  She eats grain-free food and it gives her regular, firm stools.  

I agree about the plain canned pumpkin - works like a charm for us when Luna's stools get a bit loose for a few days.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Grain-free foods usually produce smaller, firmer stools, but not always. It also depends on the protein and fiber percentages in the food. The lower the protein in a food, the higher the carbohydrates, in general. Dog foods with a lot of carbs often contribute to softer, bulkier stools. And of course fiber is necessary for firm, well-formed stools as well. 

All grain-free foods are not created equal. Some contain a lot of potatoes and other carbs. TOTW is lower in protein than many other grain-free foods, and lower in calories as well, so you have to feed more of it; the TOTW High Prairie Puppy formula has 28% protein and only 364 kcal/cup. I could not find a fiber percentage on-line. Compare that with Orijen Puppy, which has 38% protein and 480 kcal/cup. (Orijen's Puppy formula has 5% fiber, which is pretty good).

But the food itself may not have much to do with the scooting. Some dogs just have more trouble with their anal glands than others, regardless of diet. Scooting can also be a sign of worms, especially in puppies. It can also be a sign of an infection or irritation around the anus. 

So I personally would have the vet take a look to check the glands, and be sure it isn't worms or some other physical issue. (Bring in a stool sample).  If not, you might consider switching to a higher protein food. You can also try adding fiber to his current diet with plain canned pure pumpkin or some cooked sweet potato. Whatever you do, don't allow the vet to sell you Rx dog food. :)

[Briggs]

Thank you. I am going to call the vet to have him checked out. May have to try switching his food, but will add some pumpkin to it. He doesn't get many treats, as he is not food motivated. For training we have been doing meatballs, and Zuke's training treats- the peanut butter ones. He does have bully sticks for chewing though, as for some reason he doesn't like kongs even though i stuff them with all kinds of good stuff. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

I very rarely give my dogs a bully stick because for them it results in looser stools.

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

If it were my puppy, I would deworm him then start him on something like Karbo Essentials and also feed a heaping tablespoon of canned pumpkin every day for a few days. Scooting can be caused by being itchy.

At that age, anal glands would very unlikely be an issue. Also, once you start expressing anal glands, you weaken the muscles and then may always have to do it. I have had 2 dogs that needed it once when they were about 6 or 7 years old. That is out of 225 puppies we have had over the years and about 35 of those I raised to adults and I still have 7 of those puppies. They range in age now from 2 to 9 years old. Even my little 15 pound Schnauzer has never needed to have her anal glands expressed and she is 8.