Loose stool

[Jay]

Hello,

I have a 15-week old male Husky pup and I am having issues in him having loose stools. I have tried everything, and it seems to firm up for a few days, and then it goes back to being running, about the consistency of pudding.

He was started on Eukanuba puppy food and I switched him to Wellness dry puppy food about 3 weeks ago. He has been on strictly Wellness food for about 2 weeks (I had mixed it gradually over a weeks time). He first got diarrhea about the time I started switching him, so I tried chicken and rice for a couple of days and it helped, but when he went back to the kibble his runny poos came back. Then I tried the pumpkin, and the poo firmed up, but once I stopped it his diarrhea retuned again.

I realized it might have been the pig ears that I give him as a treat (I was giving him one per day), but once I realized that it was not good for him I stopped it. It’s been a week and he is still having runny poo. His activity level has not changed, and there is no worms or blood in his stools.

If it was the pig ears, or the changing of the food, shouldn’t it have gotten better in a week? I have a vet appointment tomorrow and will be giving them a sample, but am I just being paranoid or should I be worried?

Forgot to mention that I give him 3 cups of dry food a day. Is this too much? I try to feed him 3 times a day, but he does not always eat it all each time. He averages 3 cups a day total. He is about 25lbs at 15 weeks.

Thanks!

-1st time husky parent

[Elyse]

Hi,

That is WAY too much food! Sibes have very efficient metabolisms, so they don't need a lot of food, even as a puppy!

For example, Suka is fed 1 1/4 cups and is exercised for an hour each day (7 years old) and he's at a healthy weight. And he weighs 78 pounds.

The reason why he doesn't eat all his food because he's full all the time.

[Elyse]

Oh, and here's info on how to fix the problem...courtesy of Mazz

So, what can you do?

1. Don't feed Bear for a period of 24 hours. Let things settle. He can drink all he wants, but it's important to withhold food and treats.

2. Start him off on steamed rice and boiled chicken. Boiled chicken will be more moist than baked or roasted chicken, but either of those cooking methods would be fine. No chicken skin, and no fried chicken. About 1/4 cup each, twice a day for several days.

3. Pick up a can of pumpkin, the kind without any spices. Give Bear two spoons of pumpkin a day for a few days. Some plain yogurt is also good as is a scrambled egg.

4. Observe his stools. If they firm up, then you can gradually move him to regular food.

5. During this interim, do some research on dog foods. A good site is http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com. Look for a food with at least a 4 star rating that is free of corn and wheat. A grain-free food is what I would recommend. However, barely, brown rice, rice, and millet are good quality whole grains. Watch out for "maize". That is corn. Also avoid any food with brewer's rice, as this is another cheap filler. Look for a food that has 27 to 32% protein and about 14 to 18% fat. Omega 3 and Omega 6 are also good to have in the food.

6. Once you've decided on a new food, mix it 50/50 with steamed rice and chicken mixture for several days. Then cut the rice/chicken by half and increase the kibble for a few days, then go completely with the new food. Don't go by the feeding amounts listed on the bag. Those values are based on an average amount fed to a variety of dogs. Huskies don't need as much food as other dogs, since their metabolism is so much more efficient than other breeds. For example, TOTW indicates Zoya should get about 3-1/2 cups per day. She gets 2 cups per day.

7. Keep observing Bear's stools for a few days, after he's on the new food completely. They may fluctuate over a week or so. If they seem a bit soft, give him a couple spoons of pumpkin. You should not need to do this more than once or twice.

Hopefully this will help. Of course, the key is finding that right food. It may take several tries. It is important, in my opinion, to stay away from any food containing corn or wheat.

[Jay]

That, plus the pig ears probably explains his runny stools. I knew to feed less than what is recommended by the bag instructions, but when he is out of food his is constantly looking for more. Should 2 cups spread throughout the day be a good amount for him at almost 4 months old?

For exercise, he gets about an hour of walking a day, plus I play with him indoors a few hours a day too. He still has ALOT of energy and does not seem to sleep as much as people say that puppies are supposed to sleep either.

I'm new at this puppy thing, and this is my first husky. I know many people get a husky without doing their research, but I have done alot of research, there just seems to be so many conflicting things out there!

Thanks!

[Elyse]

That, plus the pig ears probably explains his runny stools. I knew to feed less than what is recommended by the bag instructions, but when he is out of food his is constantly looking for more. Should 2 cups spread throughout the day be a good amount for him at almost 4 months old?

For exercise, he gets about an hour of walking a day, plus I play with him indoors a few hours a day too. He still has ALOT of energy and does not seem to sleep as much as people say that puppies are supposed to sleep either.

I'm new at this puppy thing, and this is my first husky. I know many people get a husky without doing their research, but I have done alot of research, there just seems to be so many conflicting things out there!

Thanks!

I'm not sure if 2 cups is still overfeeding, as I never had my boy as a puppy (he's a rescue...and he's also my first husky/dog!), but I'm sure other people can chime in.

Don't worry if they look for more - they always do that because its an instinctual survival thing.

As for the exercise...I think that's too much for a puppy. Generally, you're supposed to add on 5 minutes (per walk) every month of growth after they get their 2nd set of shots. Too much exercise before 2 years old can damage their joints and cause juvenile arthritis, because their joints are still growing and you're placing unnecessary stress on them.

[Lavs]

Hello,

I have a 15-week old male Husky pup and I am having issues in him having loose stools. I have tried everything, and it seems to firm up for a few days, and then it goes back to being running, about the consistency of pudding.

He was started on Eukanuba puppy food and I switched him to Wellness dry puppy food about 3 weeks ago. He has been on strictly Wellness food for about 2 weeks (I had mixed it gradually over a weeks time). He first got diarrhea about the time I started switching him, so I tried chicken and rice for a couple of days and it helped, but when he went back to the kibble his runny poos came back. Then I tried the pumpkin, and the poo firmed up, but once I stopped it his diarrhea retuned again.

I realized it might have been the pig ears that I give him as a treat (I was giving him one per day), but once I realized that it was not good for him I stopped it. It’s been a week and he is still having runny poo. His activity level has not changed, and there is no worms or blood in his stools.

If it was the pig ears, or the changing of the food, shouldn’t it have gotten better in a week? I have a vet appointment tomorrow and will be giving them a sample, but am I just being paranoid or should I be worried?

Forgot to mention that I give him 3 cups of dry food a day. Is this too much? I try to feed him 3 times a day, but he does not always eat it all each time. He averages 3 cups a day total. He is about 25lbs at 15 weeks.

Thanks!

-1st time husky parent

I'd say, because I had the exact same issue, cut all treats, feed only twice a day 1 in the morn 1 at night, and try giving banana (i did 1/3 a whole banana on top of the food once a day) or try Firm Up! Pumpkin available at pet food stores, its dehydrated pumpkin and apple and the stuff works wonders!!

[Jay]

Thank you for the information! I greatly appreciate it. Of course, I will ask my vet too, since we are going there tomorrow, but at least I don't have to worry too much about starving my pup!

For our exercise, we try to go for a walk 4 times a day. each walk is about 3/4 mile and takes us 15 minutes, so that's about 3 miles a day/1 hour. According to the 5 minute rule, I should be cutting that down at least in half? I worried about him not getting enough exercise, since everyone is at work and he is in the crate during most the afternoon so that's why I was trying to get him out 4 times a day.

[Elyse]

Thank you for the information! I greatly appreciate it. Of course, I will ask my vet too, since we are going there tomorrow, but at least I don't have to worry too much about starving my pup!

For our exercise, we try to go for a walk 4 times a day. each walk is about 3/4 mile and takes us 15 minutes, so that's about 3 miles a day/1 hour. According to the 5 minute rule, I should be cutting that down at least in half? I worried about him not getting enough exercise, since everyone is at work and he is in the crate during most the afternoon so that's why I was trying to get him out 4 times a day.

Well, from how I understand it, it's +5 minutes per walk/a month, but I'd cut it back a little anyways just to be safe. Not quite half, but I would decrease the amount of exercise gradually instead of all at once.

Also, are you mentally stimulating your pup? Like through training or by toys like the Kong? That might help him calm down as well.

[Jay]

Well, from how I understand it, it's +5 minutes per walk/a month, but I'd cut it back a little anyways just to be safe. Not quite half, but I would decrease the amount of exercise gradually instead of all at once.

Also, are you mentally stimulating your pup? Like through training or by toys like the Kong? That might help him calm down as well.

Yes, we are in obedience classes now, so twice a day for about 10 minutes we are also working on sit, stay, down, stand and come. My house looks like a toy factory with all of the stuff I bought for him! He has the Kong, a plastic game that I put treats in and he has to open to get the treats, some squeeky toys, and ALOT of chew toys since he love to gnaw on everything (including me!)

[Mazz]

Hi Jason. Looks like you've got some good info to go with. When Zoya was your pup's age, we had her on a high quality puppy food. She got 3/4 cup per feeding, three times a day. We did not move up to 1 cup per feeding until she was 6 or 7 months old, when we dropped her to two feedings per day. I would strongly recommend to withhold food for one day if runny poo is at issue. Failing to do that can really delay getting the stools to firm up. The one day with no food helps their tummy to settle.

The food you are feeding could be adding to the issue as well. Check the protein percentage. If it's much more than 25 to 28 percent, and there are any grains in the food, and not enough meat, the protein may not be as digestive, and thus contributing to the problem. Often times to achieve higher protein levels, dog food manufacturers rely on soy and corn gluten. This protein is not as good as the protein from meat.

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[Smokey]

Hi Jason. Looks like you've got some good info to go with. When Zoya was your pup's age, we had her on a high quality puppy food. She got 3/4 cup per feeding, three times a day. We did not move up to 1 cup per feeding until she was 6 or 7 months old, when we dropped her to two feedings per day. I would strongly recommend to withhold food for one day if runny poo is at issue. Failing to do that can really delay getting the stools to firm up. The one day with no food helps their tummy to settle.

The food you are feeding could be adding to the issue as well. Check the protein percentage. If it's much more than 25 to 28 percent, and there are any grains in the food, and not enough meat, the protein may not be as digestive, and thus contributing to the problem. Often times to achieve higher protein levels, dog food manufacturers rely on soy and corn gluten. This protein is not as good as the protein from meat.

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Mazz you really should make your diarrhea cure post a sticky...it has the best suggestions!

[Jay]

Hi Jason. Looks like you've got some good info to go with. When Zoya was your pup's age, we had her on a high quality puppy food. She got 3/4 cup per feeding, three times a day. We did not move up to 1 cup per feeding until she was 6 or 7 months old, when we dropped her to two feedings per day. I would strongly recommend to withhold food for one day if runny poo is at issue. Failing to do that can really delay getting the stools to firm up. The one day with no food helps their tummy to settle.

The food you are feeding could be adding to the issue as well. Check the protein percentage. If it's much more than 25 to 28 percent, and there are any grains in the food, and not enough meat, the protein may not be as digestive, and thus contributing to the problem. Often times to achieve higher protein levels, dog food manufacturers rely on soy and corn gluten. This protein is not as good as the protein from meat.

Sent from my HTC Desire using forumrunner.

I came home from work and his poo was actually firm, so I was happy about that. I selected the Wellness puppy food because it does not contain the fillers that most do. The first ingredients are Chicken, Chicken mean, Oatmeal, Ground Barley and Salmon meal. There is no corn meal anywhere in it. The protein is 28%

Hopefully it was just the pig ears I was giving him and it just took awhile to get out of his system.

[Mazz]

I came home from work and his poo was actually firm, so I was happy about that. I selected the Wellness puppy food because it does not contain the fillers that most do. The first ingredients are Chicken, Chicken mean, Oatmeal, Ground Barley and Salmon meal. There is no corn meal anywhere in it. The protein is 28%

Hopefully it was just the pig ears I was giving him and it just took awhile to get out of his system.

Wellness is an Excellent food. While it's not grain-free, the grains are good quality. I would certainly stick with it for the time being.

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[Fr Carmen OFM]

HI Jason,

My Ivanna has a sensitive bowel. I find that pork of anykind but especially greasy pig ears will have her stool loose and runny. Avoiding pork of anykind keeps the bowel cool for my kids. What I find as a really good tonic for the bowel with my kids is boiled ground beef with rice, a nice 50-50 mix. I'll boil up the beef first set it aside and while it's cooling I'll boil up the rice in the juice from the beef. I'll cool it down so I can remove as much of the fat as possible and leave just the juice and water. I make sure the meat and rice are cool then mix and serve. They eat it like candy so try not to over feed, a cup of the mix at a sitting and wait if it's tolerated you can boost to a cup and a half. use that and a vitamin supplement as the meal for about four days. You should see a real change in the stool within 24 to 48 hrs. After the stool returns to normal, slowly mix in the dogfood with the beef/rice mix slowly replacing the beef/rice with the dog food over a period of a week. by the end of the week the dog should be back on normal diet. Good luck with the transition. Hope this is helpful.

Carmen OFM

[Jay]

I came from the vet and she seems to thInk it may be that the wellness food isn't agreeing with him. She thinks 3 cups a day is a good amount. I'm going to cut down a little bit and see if that helps before I change foods again.

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

I came from the vet and she seems to thInk it may be that the wellness food isn't agreeing with him. She thinks 3 cups a day is a good amount. I'm going to cut down a little bit and see if that helps before I change foods again.

How much experience does ur vet have with huskies tho like has already been mentioned they don't need as much food as other dogs as they have a fast metabolism

Hope the cutting back works , it should do

[Jay]

I'm not really sure, it's in a small town so probably not a lot. Thats why I'm going to try cutting down before I switch foods

[Lavs]

wellness is a good food, don't worry about that. i was told too some dogs have a hard time with chicken tho if they have a sensitive stomach, and that lamb and fish is easier for them to digest... like i said since i had the same issue when Sonoma was...8 weeks to 11ish weeks, i did lots of reading and asked lots of questions. just keep experimenting with the add and remove of certain things. i also heard plain yogurt would help, promote good bacteria. another thing to look for in dog food (not sure if wellness has it i haven't checked) is chelated minerals. easier for the dogs body to absorb. you'd be surprised at how much you learn when you encounter an issue like loose BM's.

[Ivy]

I read about yugort. Im just curious, im also a first time husky owner. She's almost 8 weeks and shes having wet stool. Is the yugort youre talking is like the one we eat too? 

[Eve]

My husky was just rescued from the street and he is healthy and well taken care of except he is not gaining weight and still has loose stools. We have had him about a week now. I have bought Pedigree dog food for him to eat and feed him twice a day and make sure he has plenty of water. Is there anything else I can do besides get him into the vets which I have plans to do after the holidays. He looks to be about a year old. 

Hi my name is Eve 

 

[wolfpup]

It may be the change of food,  change of circumstances, a bug, anything.    My old boy had the runs for the first three years of his life  -  nothing would seem to work  and he was on meds  etc   -   eventually I changed him over to a raw diet  and within a couple of days  his poo was normal and he was taken off his meds and never went back on them.

Ask your vet for a stool sample bottle  and get him tested for bugs   (thinking salmonella etc   -  you do not know what he might have picked up)   If there is no bacterial reason then you know it is the food  that is not suiting him.   You could also try  giving him a tin of chappie  (the fish one)  to see if this helps  (despite the hype  Pedigree is not the best dog food around).    One of my current boys has severe food allergies  and there is not a commercial food on the planet that is guaranteed safe for him  so I have to create his food from scratch   (not as scary as you might think).    

Which country are you in  -  it would help to know if you are in the UK,USA  etc.