Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 11
  1. #1
    Puppy
    Join Date
    Jun 2019
    Location
    Kansas
    Posts
    6
    Thanked: 2

    Could it be the right dog food?

    I have adopted my girl from a rescue who places pups into prisons where trained inmates are they dog handlers and socialize them and teach them commands etc. I have adopted her at 4 months and she is now 6 month old. When i got her I was told she was on Purina Pro Plan (no mention of which line) and to feed according to instruction on bag. I got her the Purina Pro Plan Large Breed puppy. She loves the food and gobbles it up. At a 5 month pet visit, vet told me to increase her food to 4 cups per day, I had given her 3 thus far. She is gaining 2 -21/2 pounds a week.
    However her poop was always squishy, never really solid. I kept her on the Pro Plan Focus and thought it might have to do with the change in environment, separation anxiety etc. Her poop got really soft, but still formed. I messaged my vet and they suggested a stool sample and pro biotics but were adamant aobout switching the dog food. But she still kept gaining weight nicely.
    Due to work and their hours, I was not able to get their right away. But i read up a bit and started giving her plain greek yogurt with her food. Since i was about out, i got the Purina Pro Plan Savor since it contains probiotics. Now my girl Tessa, poops twice a day and each time in 2 sessions. The first is now nice and formed (even with just the yogurt addition) and the second one in the morning or night, still soft'osh. I am now thinking that it might be the Purina Pro Plan and wondered fi there are better options for her. She is a good eater and is now 6 months old. BTW the rescue was told that Tessa and her littermate are GSD-Saint Bernard Mixes but all i see is lab mix, not that it essentially matters, i lover her regardless but it might have some weight regarding her health. etc( have not yet gotten around for DNA testing).-2zhfjxoatumriz8ghfsnrq-jpg




    I weigh her weekly due to heartmeds etc and she just weighed in at 44 ½ lbs. When i got her 8 weeks ago she was 23 lbs. Besides the poop issue i also see eye boogers and some itching. I have been reading up on here a bit and think these COULD also be food related.

    I am grateful for any advice. Thanks everyone.

  2. #2
    Senior Dog
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Central NJ
    Posts
    2,603
    Thanked: 2277
    Could be a couple things. She might be sensitive to the protein (usually chicken) in the food - it's more of an intolerance than an actual allergy and is not uncommon although she's a bit young for that to show up. Maybe try a Pro-Plan formula with a different protein base? They have a sensitive skin and stomach one which is made form salmon. Mulder was like you describe for years without us thinking too much about it until we accidentally switched him to a lamb based food off of chicken and everything cleared up.

    The other thing is, eating too much can cause soft stools too, so maybe if she really needs that much to keep weight on, find her a higher calorie formula so you can give less? I'm not a big fan of the Savor mix as it contains a lot of soy. We use Pro-Plan sport with my younger dogs - they get the 26/16 version as they have NO trouble putting weight on but in your case I would try the 30/20 one.
    Annette

    Cookie (HIT HC Jamrah's Legally Blonde, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015
    Sassy (HIT Jamrah's Blonde Ambition, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015

    Chloe (HIT HC OTCH Windsong's Femme Fatale, UDX4, OM6, RE) 6/7/2009

    And remembering:

    Scully (HC Coventry's Truth Is Out There, UD, TD, RN) 4/14/1996 - 6/30/2011
    Mulder (Coventry's I Want To Believe, UD, RN, WC) 5/26/1999 - 4/22/2015

    And our foster Jolie (Windsong's Genuine Risk, CDX) 5/26/1999 - 3/16/2014

    Hidden Content

  3. #3
    Senior Dog smartrock's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Carolina in my mind..
    Posts
    6,391
    Thanked: 4178
    I feed Purina and my lab breeders have sent them home on Purina Pro Plan. My younger dog also has a firm first poop and sometimes a softer second one not long after. As long as it's not diarrhea, I'm not concerned.

    I'm not sure if you're aware of some fairly recent discussions about dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs not genetically prone to this disease. It has been discussed on here a little bit but not a lot. Before you change foods, it's an issue you should probably know about. The nutritionally mediated form of this disease has been associated with foods that often contain more exotic meats, have substituted other carbohydrate sources for grains, and the companies do not have the years and generations of research and staff behind their formulations. I'll include an article that gives kind of an overview. There's also a Facebook group where this condition is being discussed in depth. It's got enough info and discussion to make your head explode though. Even puppies have been diagnosed with this condition, so it's not just an older dog thing. I'll also try to find the discussion thread we've had on here that has some other articles you can read if interested.

    https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2018/11/dcm-update/

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaurineDCM/

    And as for itchiness and possible allergies, proteins are more likely to cause allergies than grains, so a switch to a grain-free food is not likely the solution. And, until scientists/veterinarians determine what about the food seems to have increased the number of dogs being diagnosed with DCM, I'd rather deal with some itchy skin than risk heart disease for my pups. And yes, I have fed grain-free food in the past but switched back to Purina Pro Plan cold turkey the day I read about the possible link to cardiomyopathy. The brands currently being recommended by the veterinarians on the Facebook group are Purina, Royal Canin, Iams, Eukanuba and Hills Science diet, not any of their grain-free formulas, though.

    https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2017/01/food-allergies/

    Grain free food link to heart issues in Labs
    Last edited by smartrock; 06-03-2019 at 09:59 AM. Reason: added a link

  4. #4
    Puppy
    Join Date
    Jun 2019
    Location
    Kansas
    Posts
    6
    Thanked: 2
    thank you. I will read through this. I had a chihuahua rat terrier mix and he was diagnosed with end stage congestive heart failure. He made to about 1 year after the diagnosis and at age 13 i had to make the difficult decision since he was going into renal failure as well and wasting away. So i do not want another dog with a heart disease if i can help prevent it

  5. #5
    Puppy
    Join Date
    Jun 2019
    Location
    Kansas
    Posts
    6
    Thanked: 2
    Thank you I will look into it. She is a good eater and her coat looks so nice and shiny. I have never thought of the chicken protein as an issue. I really thought it was more other ingredients related than the chicken. I will look into a lamb based puppy and look into the sport line

  6. #6
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    8,136
    Thanked: 5108
    We had eye goobers and no diet problems. My Vet said goobers and some itching were common as pups mature and build on exposure to things their young bodies have never experienced before. Like pollen, grass, dry air in heated or AC houses. And even just a first shed with adult coat coming in. Most grow out of it but you do need to watch to be sure there isn't conjunctivitis or a serious skin issue.
    Hidden Content

    Castilleja's Dubhgall Oban, the Black Stranger of The Little Bay
    Oct. 15, 2007 - June 13, 2021
    Oxtongue Rapids Park. Oct. 2019 Hidden Content

  7. #7
    Chief Pooper Scooper JenC's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Colorado
    Posts
    2,598
    Thanked: 2588
    I agree on the Pro Plan Sport 30/20. You could try the Salmon version just in case the chicken is what's not sitting well and making the poops not firm.

  8. The Following User Says Thank You to JenC For This Useful Post:

    Annette47 (06-06-2019)

  9. #8
    House Broken Amelia's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    242
    Thanked: 116
    If my lab gets a little soft I add some Purina made probiotic to her food. Firms her right up! https://www.proplanveterinarydiets.c...og-probiotics/

  10. #9
    Puppy
    Join Date
    Jun 2019
    Location
    Kansas
    Posts
    6
    Thanked: 2
    Update: After i had posted my questions and got some real good information, especially about the DCM ( I had no Idea) she started to scratch a lot more. so i switched her over to the Lamb puppy formula from PPP. She seems to be doing good on it. Her scratching has eased considerably to be almost gone, scabby area are gone, eye goobers, decreased considerably and her poop is on the way to get a lot firmer. she has been on there now for about 1 week after the switchover. Since the PPP Lamb puppy has more calories than the others, i cut the amount down to 3 ½ cups per day and I am monitioring her weight gain and might have to adjust again soon. I like the PPP and what it does to her coat but thinking my girl has indeed issues with the chicken. She will be 7 months on the first of July and weighs in at 50lbs, so gaining a 2 lbs a week. and she is a solid 50lbs.-img_1228-jpg

  11. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to ancameni For This Useful Post:

    Annette47 (06-25-2019), smartrock (06-25-2019)

  12. #10
    Chief Pooper Scooper JenC's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Colorado
    Posts
    2,598
    Thanked: 2588
    Quote Originally Posted by ancameni View Post
    Thank you I will look into it. She is a good eater and her coat looks so nice and shiny. I have never thought of the chicken protein as an issue. I really thought it was more other ingredients related than the chicken. I will look into a lamb based puppy and look into the sport line
    I'd go with Fish before lamb. Lamb has less protein and fat, which Labradors need to maintain good coat quality. I find soft poops is usually due to eating more than they need. My griff is pretty skinny but can't eat more than 2 cups per day otherwise we have soft serve.

 



Not a Member of the Labrador Retriever Chat Forums Yet?
Register for Free and Share Your Labrador Retriever Photos

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •