# Soft Stools -- What could it mean?



## CMCMom29 (Nov 12, 2011)

I have a Labmariner pup (approx. 4 months old) that has been on Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy food for about a couple of months. She has quite soft stools and can be gassy. She gets fed 1 to 1.5 cups three times a day. Currently she is 25 lbs. Her coat is soft and shiny, her eyes clear, and has no visible issues.

We recently had her checked by her vet to rule out any parasites (she has none). She did find that she had a bacterial infection, which she gave us antibiotics for (she's done with those now).

I thought maybe the Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy Formula was too rich for her system...? I hate to go to a different brand. I want to feed my dogs quality food but do have a budget to consider.

My Pitador (about the same age) is VERY gassy (oh, heavens) at times, but her stool is not that soft. Both dogs have been wormed; the Pitador has yet to receive shots.

Any other advice you may have regarding her diet would be appreciated as well. 

Thanks.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

Try cutting back on the food by 25% for a couple days. If overfeeding is the reason for the soft stool then you will see results the following day. The guideline on the back of the bag can be a lot more food than needed.


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## CMCMom29 (Nov 12, 2011)

Kathyy said:


> Try cutting back on the food by 25% for a couple days. If overfeeding is the reason for the soft stool then you will see results the following day. The guideline on the back of the bag can be a lot more food than needed.


We thought of that, but they both get all nuts for food. They are always looking for something to eat, so I thought maybe they weren't satisfied...?


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

CMCMom29 said:


> We thought of that, but they both get all nuts for food. They are always looking for something to eat, so I thought maybe they weren't satisfied...?


 My three are like that too....always seem hungry....so I cook some carrots for snacks, green beans, peas,......sometimes add those things to their food so they feel full. There are not so many calories being taken in that way.


EDIT: I forgot to add that sometimes I add some plain pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) to their food. It helps to keep their stool at a good consistency. It is useful for both hard stools and loose stools.

I read on the forum somewhere a good tip for keeping pumpkin. Put it in ice cube trays until frozen and then I put the pumpkin cubes in a freezer bag and use them as needed.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

Lots of dogs either are scavenging for food or are asleep. My dogs are like that. Kibble in a bowl provides exactly the nourishment needed but doesn't take long to eat. For years I clicker trained the dogs for about half of each meal or played games with it like rolling bits this way and that so they got to pounce and eat every bit separately. Or put into a food puzzle so the meal lasted 10-20 minutes instead of 10-20 seconds. Dinner is one of the most important times in a dog's day, pity when it is over in 10 seconds!

Max was a frequent bile vomit offender on kibble with its high carbohydrate content. On high fat raw he has nearly stopped the annoying habit. Kibble might be too low in fat to sate the dogs' appetites and adding bulky veggies may or may not help sate their appetite. Most kibbles are from 15-20% fat which comes to 30-40% fat calories and for us humans 30% fat is a low fat diet. Substituting something higher in fat for some of the kibble calories is what I would do now if this came up at my house. Mixing in an egg or canned fatty fish might sate the appetite better than low calorie veggies I am thinking. I know if I simply put a small amount of butter on my morning oatmeal or use regular yogurt rather than nonfat in my smoothie I stay full longer.


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## Charis (Jul 12, 2009)

CMCMom29 said:


> We thought of that, but they both get all nuts for food. They are always looking for something to eat, so I thought maybe they weren't satisfied...?


Dogs are never satisfied if they are food motivated. It's a good thing when it comes to training but also means they act like what you put in their bowls isn't enough. My dogs would eat pounds of dog food if they had unlimited access. 1 1/2 cups three times a day so 4 1/2 cups a day? Or is it 1 1/2 cups a day divided into three meals? I can almost guarantee that 4 1/2 cups of food is way too much for 25 pound dog. My 24 pound dog eats 1/2 cup a day and she is full grown. You pup will need more as she is growing and will be a much larger dog than mine when grown but not 4 1/2 cups right now (maybe in the future if she grows to be 80 pounds and is high energy)
Labs are known as "foodies" - they love food or anything they interpret as food (although it may not actually be food). They can eat themselves to death (example:bloat). 

Feel her sides daily/weekly. If you can feel her ribs easily (minimal pressure to her sides) but not see them she is getting enough. She may not think so and may try to convince you she needs more but she doesn't. You will end up slowly increasing her food over time as she grows but there is no need to feed an adult amount right now.

To firm up loose stools I feed 1/2 can of pure pumpkin, 1/2 yogurt and 2/3 to 1 cup brown rice for a day (feed this as the only food for the entire day and that is the total amount I give for the entire day NOT each meal). It firms stools up.
I also feed a 1/4 - 1/2 cup (depends on how their stools where that day) each day with their kibble.


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