Brainstorm: why mushy poops?

Sadly, they did treat for Giardia (as well as about every other type of creepy-crawly you could think of) and it didn't help at all   Of course, who knows, maybe he got re-infected...? Think it might be worth re-treating him?

Also, important fact I forgot to mention:

his skin is **really pink** on his muzzle area. Particularly between his nose and his lips, like on the tips, and his eyes are pretty red most of the time. Maybe indicative of allergy? I'll try to post some pictures tomorrow if I get a chance. The skin right below his nose (white fur) looks as vividly pink as me after an hour in a really hot jacuzzi. (lol) 

 That is a lot of switching. Do you know how long he was on each diet?

He was on Iams for maybe 2 weeks, and then the rice/cottage cheese for about... 3-4 weeks? And rice/chicken for about 1 week. (They certainly stuck it out longer than I would have with uncontrollable, liquid diarrhea! Ick!) Then he was on the TWO for maybe 2 months, then TWO and Natural Balance for 1 month (mixed together gradually), then TWO for about 2-3 months again.

They're just happy to have him able to control his bowels again, but if we could get his digestive system happier, I'm sure he would appreciate it! (I know my nose would, too!) 

Well, poops like that were fairly normal for a couple of my dogs on any Timberwolf formula, but particularly the Wild & Natural. It just doesn't work for some dogs. I'm also not surprised the cottage cheese diet didn't work, but the chicken & rice might have if given more time.

I doubt this is an allergy, it seems more like stress and too much switching. I would pick a really simple diet (homemade, California Natural, Sensible Choice, Canidae Chicken or Lamb) and stick with it for six-eight weeks. If the stool gets out of hand you can add pumpkin to help firm it, but use the pumpkin sparingly - you don't want to mask a true problem. No extra treats or anything until his stomach settles. It's tough to stick it out, but this is what worked for us in this same situation. After the stomach is completely settled (3-4 months) introducing new foods shouldn't be as much of a problem. If it doesn't improve in six weeks, then try another simple food or homemade diet with no ingredients in common with the first. Just my little brainstorm... Good luck!

I'm going to throw this out there too: 

If I have a dog with digestive problems, a new dog or one that is stressed, I look for some specific things in a food. These have proven, to me, to be good guidelines for easily digestible foods even though they may be opposite of what most people here look for in a food:

1. Under 400 kcal/cup

2. No herbs, fruits or veggies

3. Higher carbs/extra fiber. Beet pulp and rice hulls can be good in this situation...

4. Most importantly, only one protein source and one carb source

If you can get the stomach settled on a mid-grade food, you may eventually be able to transition to multiple protein sources or grain-free foods.

i'm really not a nutrition buff at all. i had similar problems with moca and i THINK it was corn in her diet that didnt agree with her. but i can't be 100% sure and since i found something that works, i'm not gonna mess with it...

Cita

mushiest, yellow-browniest, SMELLIEST poops I've ever seen/smelled

Is the dog losing weight ?   The yellow stools make me think of  EPI.   Has he been tested for that ?  Best place to have that done is through Texas A&M

http://www.cvm.tamu.edu/gilab/

http://www.cvm.tamu.edu/gilab/assays/index.shtml

Dogs with EPI are described as having "yellow-gray oily looking stools" and the smell would be from the inability to digest.    Texas A&M has a bunch of tests available in their "gastro lab" (see links above).

Sooner has some really good points.  I've had a recent bout with IBS myself, and I learned that Soluble fiber (like white rice, white flour) helps best with firming up the stools.  Also, could they be overfeeding?  My minpin has had a chronic mushy poo issue until recently, put him on Nature's Variety Prairie and really really watch his serving size (and try to not let him get into the crumbs my toddlers drop) and his poops have firmed up and are normal (yay!) 

Good luck. Poo issues are no fun!

Not sure why he has the mushy poops, but I would definitely add yogurt to the diet and watch out for whatever treats he's been getting.

When he was treated for giardia, was the treatment repeated 3 weeks or so later? Did they use panacur as the treatment, it should be repeated again.

Willow has had very similar issues.  I think Kelly (sooner) is right on with her suggestions.  I also have come to the very same conclusions.  The thought about them overfeeding was also an excellent point too. 

The only thing I can add is that TWO has more than one protein source plus EGG--egg really sets Willow off.  And, rice doesn't always work for all dogs either, it can make the poop worse sometimes. 

I had excellent luck with NB Fish and Sweet Pototo for a long time.  And, I've had excellent luck with beet pulp myself.  Our friend who breeds boxers uses Back to Basics food.  You might want to look into that one if it's possible. 

Also wanted to add, the less ingredients your feeding the easier it will be to figure out what's causing the trouble.  If he were mine, I'd go to a very bland diet for a few days then gradually add in a very simple food and see how it goes.

 Thank you so much for all the suggestions!

Yes, he was treated twice for Giardia with Panacur, per vet's orders.

They didn't ask the vet about the pink skin/eyes, but that's a good idea, so next time he goes in I'll remind them to ask. 

We think that the rice is a trigger factor, because as bad as his poops are now, they were 10000 times worse on his previous diets (the only commonality of which was rice, as far as we could tell).

He's actually been gaining a ton of weight - he was pretty malnourished when they got him - and he looks great right now. They give him about 3 cups of TWO a day, and have worked up to that amount, which is what the bag tells them is the correct amount. (I think he's around 70-75 pounds?)

I think you might be on to something with the EPI - one of the vets that the dog's foster parent took him to said something about "small intestine problems" and "bad digestion," so it might be EPI? I'll talk to my BF's mom and see what she thinks about asking for some additional tests. He doesn't have gray or oily stools, and he has been gaining weight really well, but with what that other vet said... might be good to check. I'll mention it to her. (Right now she's so frustrated with his digestive issues and so happy that he's semi-normal that I think she's kind of sick of testing, so I'll need to be persuasive! heh.) 

The TWO is a very complex formula, I agree, and I agree it would be best to try him with a bland-er diet for a while. But other than cooking just plain potatoes and beef for him or something are there any non-rice-containing foods that would be simple enough for him to try for a while?  He didn't seem to do well on the Natural Balance, but maybe it's just because they didn't stick with it long enough?

It seems like pretty much all the high-fiber and/or high-carb kibbles I've seen have fairly complex ingredients and include rice. :(

He's been getting a tiny amount of plain yogurt every day (licking his owner's breakfast bowl, lol) - I'll suggest upping the amount a tiny bit. Sounds like we might also want to try some enzymatic supplements, especially if it is the EPI.

Phew. Such hassles!

You guys have such great suggestions, thanks so much for your input! I'll keep you posted how things are going! 

I assume everytime you change the diet is done gratually, right?  That is important.   I had and have the same issues with my Greater Swiss, had every check and test there is.  Changed food many times too with no improvement.  Some dogs, like people have IBS or cronic digestive issues it is a popular flaw for Swissies.  So we put him on a dietary supplement of fiber, psyllium husk.  IT WORKS GREAT.  A couple of teaspoons once a day sprinkled over his food and his movements are formed.   You can buy psyllium husk anywhere that natuaral foods are sold or over the internet - its cheap too.  If you want to see if it works you can by Metamucil (its more expensive than buying pour psyllium husk) but after a couple day or a week you will see if it works.

 Many dogs who have these issues develop anal gland issues too, so be careful.