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Thread: loose stools

  1. #1
    House Broken janika28's Avatar
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    loose stools

    Maggie has been on Large Breed Puppy Nutri source for a few weeks now. I gradually switched her over and she is now getting full feed. She gets 1 1/2 cups three times a day. (4:30 A.M, 3 P.M,and 8:30 P.M) She has been having really loose stools. Could this be too rich for her? I read something on here about giving pumpkin for soft stools but I cant remember how much to give and how often. Should I get her off the Large Breed and put her on regular puppy?

  2. #2
    Senior Dog ZoeysMommy's Avatar
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    How was her poop on her previous food? If it was normal, switch her back.

    Also you should never have to add anything to a pups food to make it work and pumpkin can actually make the problem worse

    If it isnt the food, she may have a parasite, run a stool sample to the vet

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    House Broken LuckyLuna's Avatar
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    If I am understanding correctly, are you feeding 1 1/2 cups three times a day for a total of 4 1/2 cups? If so, that strikes me as too much and overfeeding definitely can cause diarrhea or loose stools.

    NutriSource for this formula only suggests 4 1/2 cups a day for a 50-60 lb. puppy that is at least 24 weeks old. Isn't Maggie more like 13 or 14 weeks old and I can't imagine she weighs 50 lbs yet.

    A teaspoon of plain canned pumpkin with each meal during transitioning is perfectly fine; but it shouldn't be needed on a long-term basis.

    NutriSource isn't typically considered a "rich" food when compared to brands like Orijen or Fromm. I'd really take a closer look at the amount you are feeding before making a food switch.

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    House Broken janika28's Avatar
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    She is 15 weeks. The vet said to feed her 1 1/2 cups three times a day since she is a growing pup. I will cut her back to 3 cups a day and see how that goes. Thanks. I really don't want to switch her back to the Dog Chow as it is only a 1 star rated food.

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    House Broken janika28's Avatar
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    She is about 21 pounds

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    Could this be due to her starting to teeth? And not due to the large breed puppy food? Pups at this age really start to teeth and it could be due to that.

    KAZ

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    Senior Dog Georgia's Avatar
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    Gosh. I don't think I would cut her food back so drastically. You say she's getting 4.5 cups a day right now (1.5 cups three times a day). Try cutting back by half a cup. You could do 1.5 in AM, 1 at lunch and 1.5 in PM. See how that goes before cutting out a cup and a half of food right off the bat especially if she's in good condition.
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    Chief Pooper Scooper JenC's Avatar
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    I think one cup a meal is probably sufficient and teething DOES affect stools.

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    House Broken LuckyLuna's Avatar
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    When I first posted about reducing the quantity fed, I had read NutriSource's recommending your current 4 1/2 cups only for much larger and older puppies. Now that You've identified her age and weight, the feeding chart says a total of 3 cups a day should be plenty. So, yes, I think JenC is right on the money with her suggestion.

  13. #10
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by janika28 View Post
    She is 15 weeks. The vet said to feed her 1 1/2 cups three times a day since she is a growing pup. I will cut her back to 3 cups a day and see how that goes. Thanks. I really don't want to switch her back to the Dog Chow as it is only a 1 star rated food.
    Some of those sites that rate dog food are just one person's opinion and you don't know where they got their information.

    I like this site for learning about ingredients and making my own decision. Yes, it's still just one person's opinion but she gives her educational background and references to information sources. She admits a bias but provides information on commercial food ingredients for those who don't, won't or can't feed the same way she does. It's sure worth a look-see, I think.

    The Dog Food Project - How does your Dog Food Brand compare?

    Of course my own decision does also incorporate some of the good information Lab Board members provide as well.

 



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