# Too much protein causing very soft stools?



## mcdavis (May 1, 2012)

I recently started feeding my cairn Farmina (ancestral grain & chicken) and it's the highest protein food he's had (30% as oppose to around 25%) and his stools have become very soft. It's also the highest fat food (18% as oppose to around 14%).
I'm looking into a replacement food and thinking I should go back to a slightly lower protein and fat content, but did wonder if I was correct in thinking that it was the higher protein that was the likely cause of the softened stools? or could it be the higher fat?


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

It could be either, but I'd lean towards the higher fat. It could also be a combination of the higher protein AND the higher fat just creating more overall "richness" in the food.


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## heidizag (Dec 1, 2014)

The only change I made to my dog's diet was to add 1 tbsp of sunflower oil per day (per vet's instructions to improve his coat). This has softened his stool somewhat. Today particularly so (we've been doing it about 10 days) to the point that I am going to scale back to 1/2 tbsp. So, since sunflower oil is 100% fat, I'd be inclined to think it's the fat in your dog's diet.


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## mcdavis (May 1, 2012)

That makes sense. I was going for a higher fat food because I was trying to reduce his shedding. I've got some salmon oil capsules that I could try instead, but I am wondering if they'll have the same effect??
If it is the higher fat, do you think he'd get used to it if we continued with the food? The reason I ask is that it seems to be the only issue, although I've yet to find a food he doesn't want to eat ;-)


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

He very well might adjust - a lot of dogs that have soft poo after a cold-turkey food switch eventually level out. It might depend on how long he's been on it already; I try to give I give my dog ~2 months to fully adjust when trying a new food.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

Or are you feeding more calories than you were before? Just for a day feed less and see if his poop firms up. If that works then feed that amount for a while. If he gets too skinny try bumping it up by a couple kibbles per meal to see if weight stablizes without stool getting soft again. If it doesn't work then try your new kibble. I fed Artie who was a terrier mix EVO by the gram. He ended up getting 95 grams a day. Not 100 or 90, 95. With high powered food like these a kibble makes a difference for a smaller dog!


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## mcdavis (May 1, 2012)

Calories are very similar, as are the food volumes - in fact he may be getting slightly less as the food is less dense, and his weight is pretty much unchanged. He's been on the food for around a month now and we transitioned over 20 days because I was concerned about the increased protein and fat.


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## Zilla (May 11, 2013)

I wouldn't say its to much protein. 30 percent really isn't even that high to begin with. I'd say he just hasn't adjusted to it yet. I agree with whoever said that they give two months for adjustment. That's what I would do. Farmina seems like a really excellent food so I wouldn't give up on it yet. Also factor in any treats or new things you might be giving him. My puppy sometimes has loose stools when I give him lamb jerky. So anything could be playing into this and you might not think about it.


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## mcdavis (May 1, 2012)

It sounds like it could be the fat, so I'm going to give it the 2 months and see if he gets used to it. The only treat we're giving him at the moment is Sportmix charcoal biscuits and he's been eating those for over a year now.


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## NicoleIsStoked (Aug 31, 2012)

Just watch out because if he has soft stools for too long it can cause his anal glands to fill up and then need expressing.

I learned this the hard way. Not even diahrea. Just softish poops.


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