# Cavachon Pup with Tummy Troubles



## Gypsy'sPerson (Jun 17, 2009)

My Cavalier Spaniel/Bichon mix is 5 months old and she often has loose stools. Even if we cut out all treats for a few days, she still will have loose stools, maybe not all day, but at least once a day. We've had her to the vet with fecal samples twice and that's all checked out fine. She is only about 7 pounds and just seems to have a sensitive tummy. Most treats, even "natural" treats (Wellness, Zeke's), cause her to have diarrhea the same day she eats them or that night/next morning. Kong Ziggies and Puppy Milkbones don't seem to bother her. Her eyes are a bit goopy as well.

I've kept her on the food the breeder started her on, which is Diamond Naturals. I want to switch her to a better food now, but I don't know what to choose--after hours of reading, I'm just not sure. These are the ones I'm considering:

Taste of the Wild
Chicken Soup for the Puppy's Soul
Wellness Simple
California Naturals
Innova Puppy

I went to our locally owned pet store and got samples of TOTW and Innova Puppy so those might be the easiest to start with. Also, the daycare she goes to sometimes sells Chicken Soup food, so all three of those possibilites are easy for us to get. How do I know what will work best for her? Thank you!!


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

Try cutting her food back for a couple days. You may be simply overfeeding her. Dog food companies don't want you to starve your dog so they suggest far too much food for most dogs. Try feeding 25% less for just a couple days. If you have been feeding 1 cup a day, try 3/4 cup a day. If this is it it will work right away.

All the foods on your list are good foods. You might want to try a limited ingredient one as you are concerned about eye goopies and a sensitive stomach. Wellness isn't a puppy formula, might be too low in protein for a puppy.

I suggest comparing calories when you switch as the current food has 419 calories per cup and the other puppy foods will be different. California Naturals Puppy, for instance, has 591 calories per cup! If 1 cup is the right amount of Nutro then you only feed 2/3 cup of the CN.

I don't know if you have seen this calculator, I got it here. Might help you figure out how much to feed your puppy.http://www.goldendoodles.com/care/food_calculator.htm Figure your dog needs to be fed somewhere between the resting and the maintenance amounts.


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## lucygoose (Feb 11, 2008)

Hi!

I have a 5 month old papillon pup who is having the same issues and has never had a nice firm stool......she has also had a few bouts our diarrhea to add to the soft stool.....everything at the vet checks out good.....but then my sister in law told me to have them check for coccidia. That stool is neg too.....but we are treating her for it right now....because it is not always visible in the first poop.....I am not good at explaining this.....hope someone else pipes in.......My vet called me today to see how she is and I was at work....but she goes days seeming okay, then bam......diarrhea......I have not changed anything....I did cut out all the different treats....and we do good treats....zukes'a and the like.....her food is Innova puppy......I just wanted to throw in the coccidia......just a thought.....it's not that uncommon I hear in pups.....Oh, and the over feeding good food is a good point......my pup is now jdown to just 1/4 cup twice a day and she is a 8-9 pounder.....Good Luck to you and your pup!!


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## StellaLucyDesi (Jun 19, 2008)

I have 4 dogs, 2 of whom are Cavaliers (weighing 16 lbs. each). They are not puppys, though. Right now, I am feeding a mix of Orijen/Acana with a little bit of can topper with some water added. My older Cavalier only gets a 1/4 c. of dry food a day with the mixers. My younger one gets 1/2 c. a day. They look fine. When I got Hazel (the younger one), she came with diarrhea! I took her to the vet with a couple of stool samples. The vet did find one coccidia. She was treated with Albon and now her stools seem fine. However, one thing I also add that I highly recommend for all dogs is a Probiotic/Enzyme supplement. I feel that helps in developing good digestion and hence a more solid stool. It definitely doesn't hurt. There are several good products on the market. Prozyme is a good enzyme supp., Ark Naturals Gentle Digest is a good probiotic, Bert's Immune Blend has prob. and enz. plus some vitamins and antioxidants I believe. Another good one is Optagest or Fresh Digest. And I know there are many others. One of my favorite websites is www.onlynaturalpets.com. This is where I get alot of my best supplements. Currently though, I am using a product from a company called Nature's Farmacy (www.naturesfarmacy.com) called Liquid Dispersable Digestive Enhancer. It contains both prob. and enz. and dissolves very easily in water or food. My dogs took to it well. Currently (I hope I don't jinx us haha), all my dogs are having firm stools.


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

StellaLucyDesi said:


> I have 4 dogs, 2 of whom are Cavaliers (weighing 16 lbs. each). They are not puppys, though. Right now, I am feeding a mix of Orijen/Acana with a little bit of can topper with some water added. My older Cavalier only gets a 1/4 c. of dry food a day with the mixers. My younger one gets 1/2 c. a day. They look fine.


Wow your Cavaliers eat so little! My Papillon (6 lbs) eats half a cup of Orijen a day! She gets too much exercise I think since she's still pretty thin.

I recommend Innova Puppy, my dog did fine on it and it has a shortish ingredients list so it may not upset your dog's tummy as much.


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## lucygoose (Feb 11, 2008)

Hi StellaLucyDesi! Thanks so much for mentioning the probiotic's.....I do give the one called Prozyme. I am going to go look at the links you posted....The puppy is on Innova puppy, too...thank-you Michiyo-Fir! .....

Good Luck!


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## StellaLucyDesi (Jun 19, 2008)

Sure, anytime. As to how little my cavs eat, they are pretty much couch potatoes. That's why haha. My new blk & tan, Hazel, is pretty thin (actually everyone says she looks fine). I may up her food a bit, mainly because she is the youngest at 2 and is a little more active. My other 2 dogs weigh in at 24 lbs. and 29 lbs. respectively and they too don't eat much more than the cavs. They do not get any people food. I use their kibble as treats as well as things like Charlie Bears, Sweet Potato sticks, Pork Chomps chews, Zuke's minis for training. They get approx. 1 or 2 treats a day. Lucy, the poodle/brittany/chi mix gets a few more treats in a week because she does agility and rally classes. I am feeding Orijen/Acana and some can food and it is nutrient dense. Hazel is getting Acana/Fromm Surf & Turf and some can.

Oh, Lucygoose...Prozyme is a good enzyme supplement, but it doesn't have probiotics in it. Maybe you could add a probiotic, too, like Gentle Digest, etc. Sometimes, enzymes and/or probiotcs don't work as well alone. You have to use both.


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## Kina_A (Jun 8, 2009)

I also have a Cavalier/ Bichon. She's 5.5 months right now and weighs 11 pounds.

She also has problems in the poop department. The only food that I have found that she does well on is the California Naturals Lambmeal and Rice formula.

In the begining I had a heck of a time with her. She always had loose stools, I was at my witts end. That's when I switched her to the Cali Naturals. I haven't had issues since. (well except for last week when I accidently bought the hearing and Sweet potato, I've gone and bought her regular bag of food.). 

I found that anything with Chicken was causing her problems. I have eliminated all chicken from her diet and she is doing so much better.

I have also added a probiotic supliment to her diet. When I find she's had to many treats (because of training) I drop a bit in her food.

Good luck, I know how frustrating this can be.

Natura pet also has a food calculator to show you how much to feed their products.

http://www.californianaturalpet.com/tools/feeding.asp


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## lucygoose (Feb 11, 2008)

StellaLucyDesi said:


> Oh, Lucygoose...Prozyme is a good enzyme supplement, but it doesn't have probiotics in it. Maybe you could add a probiotic, too, like Gentle Digest, etc. Sometimes, enzymes and/or probiotcs don't work as well alone. You have to use both.


Well, my goodness..........Going to go look for that Gentle Digest now......sheesh.....LOL....Thanks for correcting me.....helping me......


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