Let's talk poop...again

[Nikki & Charlie]

I'm sorry if this has been talked over many times and seems a bit redundant, I have posted about this before but I'm just still feeling like Charlie should be on another food based on his poops, and I don't know what to switch him to. He went from Orijen to Fromm and his poops are still soft. They usually always come out in a shape, it's not like he's pooping just a pile of mushy pudding-like consistency. They look like logs, but when I pick them up they break their form very easily; they're so soft. Sometimes I pick them up and they remain their shape (like this morning) and other days they just mush up right away.

Is it possible that this is just his normal poop? From day 1 they've been like this, so maybe I don't need to change the food and this is just how he poops?

He rarely gets treats and snacks, I try to limit as much as I can and he's been to the vet recently - he's completely healthy.

Should I bother being concerned? I don't want to keep switching his food on him, he seems like to like Fromm. As he's getting older his eating habits are changing and the vet said it could also be because of the heat.. he doesn't eat as quickly as he once did. Now he just kind of grazes and it sometimes takes him a few hours to finish a bowl. He's eating 2x a day, 1 1/2 cups per meal. He's on Fromm chicken & veg. He's tried white fish & potato and duck & sweet potato.

Thoughts?

[Nikki & Charlie]

I meant to say he seems to like Fromm **

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

A few thoughts. What else does he get to eat in the way of treats, snacks, table scraps, chews, etc? That can play big role in stool consistency.

How old is he now and what does he weigh? 3 cups of food per day could be too much for some dogs, and every formula has a different calorie content, so you need to look at that as well. Overfeeding can result in softer, bulkier stool.

As dogs get older and their growth slows down, they also need fewer calories. 

Free-feeding, where food is coming in all day rather than at set times several hours apart, can also play a role in the firmness of the stool. This is why the first stool of the day is usually the firmest. You might try going to set mealtimes twice a day, giving him just 10 minutes and then picking up the bowl. 

All of the Fromm formulas you mentioned contain grains, and some dogs just do better with grain-free foods. Fromm's Four Star line has several grain-free formulas, so you could stay with the brand and the line, but just choose different formulas. 

Probiotics can help greatly with stool formation. You can try giving him a few tablespoons of plain unflavored fat-free yogurt with his meals. That might help him eat it in a set amount of time, too. 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Clancy's poop is just like you describe - fully formed shape but softer when you pick it up. When he is 'stressed' it is softer than usual.  Ned's is always very firm.  I think this is just the way it is for each of them.  If Clancy's poop seems a bit softer than normal, I give him some plain yogurt for a while.  They eat Orijen Adult and rarely have treats.

[Laura and Angus]

When we started adding a scoop of pumpkin or sweet potato to one meal a day our puppy's stool firmed up. Sometimes Angus still has softer stool, but it's always formed properly (barring any medication for this or that). When we switched (by accient) from Earthborn Holistic (Ocean Fusion) to the grain-free Ocean Fusion --- the packages are identical woops! ---- we did see a slight improvement in his stool formation. I wouldn't worry toooo much as long as it's formed and isn't pudding or liquid-y. If he's eating fine, has good body composition/weight, drinks enough water, and gets enough exercise...I think this might be the way he poos imho.