Help, please! Runny stool

    • Gold Top Dog

    Help, please! Runny stool

    Someone please help!  Our dogs ate Nutro Natural Balance for large breeds.  Since I joined this forum, I learned a great deal more about the nutritional value of dog foods and decided to switch them to Innova.  Well, while transitioning (1/2 &1/2), their stools became softer, and Draico developed gas.  I thought this would pass, unfortunately, things got worse.  In the past few days, their stools have become runny, and Draico is so gaseous that I can't stand to have him in the house.  Don't worry he's inside, with the windows open and fans on high (it's hot and humid). 
    This morning I gave them home cooked with some ground turkey, white rice (binder?), and a pinch of salt.  I want to soothe their tummies, my poor babies!  I think there was a thread about pumpkin being good for that.  Any suggestions, please let me know.  I feel awful that I caused the upset tummies! [:(]
    • Gold Top Dog
    Don't worry, that sounds pretty normal. When you switch foods, things tend to get loose. I'd give them a couple of tablespoons of pumpkin with their food for a day or two and it should clear it up. Pumpkin is great for them and it really helps regulate "everything". [:)]
    • Gold Top Dog
    Yep, pumpkin and some yogurt (plain, lowfat) should help things quite a bit. 
    • Gold Top Dog
    Thank you very much!  I'll go buy a can of pumpkin, just plain pumpkin not pie filling.  I think I'll buy some more plain yogurt too.  Maybe in a few day, when their tummies settle, I can give them a few tablespoons to re-establish the bacteria in their intestines.  What do you think? 
    I fed them home cooked this morning because I want them to have something in their tummies.  I can honestly say that if this continues, I will try something other than Innova.
    • Gold Top Dog
    Sorry, labcrab, just read your reply.  Thanks, I will buy some more yogurt.  I eat Stoneyfield's plain lowfat yogurt, it contains a variety of probiotics.  That should be good for the dogs too, right?
    • Gold Top Dog
    Yeah, that's the yogurt I eat and I give it to the dogs too. Definitely get the plain pumpkin not the pie filling.
     
    I'd say as long as they're not really runny or throwing up, just keep feeding them the Innova. It always takes my boys 3-5 days to get used to a new food once they're completely switched over. It can be a stinky transition time though! [:'(]
    • Gold Top Dog
    Yep, plain pumpkin - no spices or sugar.  I also use Stoneyfield yogurt (for both of us!).  It can take some dogs quite a while to adjust to a new food and Innova may not be the right one.  The good news is that there are A LOT of premium foods to chose from.  Are you feeding less food that you did previously?  Note that over-feeding is often a source for loose stools as people switch to a better quality food.  
    • Gold Top Dog
    Depending on how long youve been with Innova you may need to look into another food.  Ive heard to give a new food a month before deciding on switching or not, but if your guys are pooping that bad I would wait about 2 weeks and see if it starts getting better.  Bailey had runny poop for about a month and almost two weeks when I switched her to Innova.  I was getting soooooo sick of it becaus she wasnt potty trained completely yet.  I didnt know if it was the food or not because I took her to the vet and she had Giardia.  Even after that was treated though, she still had it.  So, it liekly took her so long beacuse other factors were involved.  Anyway, she eventually got past it, and her poops are perfect little logs now...  with the occasional runny spurt but I figure thats normal. 
     
    Make sure your not overfeeding.  Innovas servings are much much less in comparison to Nutro and I know its easy to overfeed on that food and that will cause serious runny poops.  Good luck!
    • Gold Top Dog
    Yeah, what Labcrab said lol!  Man I need to stop getting side tracked while I type.[:)]
    • Gold Top Dog
    OK, I got 3 big cans of pumpkin (100% pumpkin), and 2 more big containers of Stoneyfield yogurt.  Initially both dogs licked the pumpkin up enthusiathically, but stopped after about 1 tablespoon and did not want more.  Well, I figure that will help, and I don't want to force them to eat it.  I'll give them some yogurt later this evening, I don't want to overload their stomachs.  I'll see how they fair througout the night and tomorrow morning I'll give them more pumpkin.
    Bailey's mom, I expected some soft stools with the switch, but this is runny.  Our dogs did not take too well to the Innova, right from the start.  I am following the feeding guideline, and both dogs eat about half and walk away.  They don't seem to care for it.  It may be the large breed formula, maybe I should try regular Innova, or a different brand entirely.  I've read some threads where folks had unsuccessful results with Innova. 
    Well, all I can do is try.  Thank you all for your help.
    • Gold Top Dog
    Strange but every time I try to swich from Nutro to anything else my dog always gets gas.  Her stool is fine but sleeping in the same room as her can be kinda difficult during that time.  Once she is on the other food she is alright.  I don't know if it has anything to do with nutro but that seems to be the case.  Swiching with any other food to differnt food I've never had that problem. 
    • Gold Top Dog
    OMG!  I'm going through the same thing!  Peanut's not too bad, simple gas, but Draico!!! Look out!!! Even though it's been hot and humid, I have the windows open, and fans going because I just can't stand it!  So, now I wonder if it does have something to do with Nutro?
    When we adopted Peanut, the HS was feeding Purina One, Draico was found by a friend on a road, so I don't know what he ate.  Peanut developed DRY skin on the Purina, and SU was the one who looked around and bought the Nutro.  ;Peanut improved a great deal, and Draico like the Nutro and did well on it too.  But, when I joined this forum, I learned there are better quality foods than Nutro, so I decided to switch. 
    • Gold Top Dog
    I had all the same problems when I started mine on Innova and it turns out I was overfeeding.  The amount on the bag is probably a little too high so try reducing your serving size.  Def try the pure pumpkin.  That will firm their stool up and the yogurt I think helps with the gas a little.  One of mine adjusted just fine and the other still had gas.  I was feeding a 15lb dog the 10lb inactive dog serving size and he had horrible gas, enough to clear the room, and still didn't have consistent stool after a few months.  I switched him to Cal Nat.  I am now at the same serving size with Cal Nat that I was giving him with Innova and am now considering switching him back to Innova again and trying an even smaller serving.  On the Cal Nat, which has less KCals he gained a bunch of weight.  Now I think maybe I really was overfeeding him the Innova even though I was really trying to make sure I didn't.  The servings look really small compared to what you are used to but the KCals are high enough that it really is plenty of food and you have to feed much less.  Innova is a wonderful food but it doesn't work for all dogs.  If you look in the health section there are lots of different foods people here stand by. 
     
    Good luck! 
    • Gold Top Dog
    Also, with the Pumpkin, you probably only need a few tablespoons on their food if they are large dogs.  I usually store the rest in a container for a day or two then put it into an ice cube tray and freeze it and then put it in a ziploc baggy in the freezer.  It is the perfect size for my small dogs and I like to keep it on hand.  I just nuke it for 15-20 seconds and it is perfect.
    • Gold Top Dog
    Update!  I tried to give them some more pumpkin last evening, but they didn't want any.  I gave them each 2 tablespoons of yogurt, they ate it right up.  I froze some pumpkin, as suggested.  Maybe they'll prefer a frozen treat? 
     
    I had class and didn't trust their bowels, yet, so I left their beds on the patio, and left them outside for a few hours.  I couldn't find any "drips" under their tails, so I think they're better.  The yogurt seems to have reduced the gas.  Draico let a few go, but they weren't as noxious as before. 
     
    This morning, I tried the Innova, again, but only gave them each ONE cup, they didn't even finish that.  Now, it's a waiting game, so far, OK. 
     
    Again, thanks for all the help.  I got scared because I didn't realize that a premium food could upset their tummies like that.  And I did mix with the Nutro for while to transition them slowly and avoid stomach upset.  [&o]