Help! 6 month old pup constantly soft stool

[KirstyandChip]

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Hi everyone,

I'm new here & Mum to a beautiful 6 month old Beagle named Chip.

Chip has been with us about 2 weeks and for the majority of that time hasn't had many solid stools. Right before she came, she had 3 days of antibiotics for a GI inflammation & was given some wet food temporarily by the vet. Since then she has moved back to dry food and her stool is really soft 80% of the time. I've googled this until I'm blue in the face and I just don't know what to make of it with so many possible causes!

As she's so new to us - we're not all that certain of what is normal for her. All the reading I've done suggests that the stress of a new home may be a contributing factor. Other websites say it takes a little time for pups to recover from GI issues.

We are trying to transition her back to wet food which will take a week. She normally goes between 4-6 times a day & generally in herself is your usual happy bouncing pup (no other symptoms whatsoever)!

The other thing worth a mention; being a Beagle she constantly has her nose to the ground and will eat absolutely ANYTHING, despite our best efforts to stop her it's not always easy. This includes small slugs (don't worry, she's having Advocate to protect her from lungworm), mud, grass, poo & everything in between. She is getting much better with not eating things but still sneaks the occasional nasty in!

Question is, should I really be concerned and take her back to the vets or just wait it out until her food has transitioned back to wet to see if there is an improvement?

As for her 'varied diet' (haha) we are considering a muzzle temporarily until she has come out of her eating phase but I really want this to be a last resort.

Thanks everyone!

Kirsty & Chip

 

[Josie]

Welcome to the forum @KirstyandChip

My lab was exactly the same when he was a pup. We were forever at the vets for something he had eaten!!

You said she was 6 months old and has been with you for 2 weeks now. Was she a rescue? Is she on the same food that she was before she came to you?

Maybe if her routines have changed it might be unsettling for her. Or if her feeding has changed?

Josie

 

[JoanneF]

A common reason for soft poo is slight overfeeding. In my experience most feeding guidelines are on the generous side so that, coupled with the likelihood that she has reached the end of a growth spurt, could be possible. You could also try some natural live yoghurt to rebalance her gut flora after the antibiotics. There are over the counter remedies but I personally would prefer a more natural approach if she has just had a GI problem.

 

[KirstyandChip]

Welcome to the forum @KirstyandChip

My lab was exactly the same when he was a pup. We were forever at the vets for something he had eaten!!

You said she was 6 months old and has been with you for 2 weeks now. Was she a rescue? Is she on the same food that she was before she came to you?

Maybe if her routines have changed it might be unsettling for her. Or if her feeding has changed?

Josie

Hi Josie,

We took her from a friend who had a dramatic change in circumstances and couldn't take care of her any more. Unfortunately she's not been socialised much or had a lot of training but we're getting there! Everything is so new and exciting for her every time we go outside that she's not great at focusing on going to the toilet, all she does is frantically niff and eat things!

 

[KirstyandChip]

A common reason for soft poo is slight overfeeding. In my experience most feeding guidelines are on the generous side so that, coupled with the likelihood that she has reached the end of a growth spurt, could be possible. You could also try some natural live yoghurt to rebalance her gut flora after the antibiotics. There are over the counter remedies but I personally would prefer a more natural approach if she has just had a GI problem.

Thanks for the tip, Joanne! Will give the yoghurt a go tomorrow!

 

[JudyN]

You could ask your vet if the probiotic Pro-Kolin would be a good idea. Also, many dogs with irritated GI tracts benefit from slippery elm, or Tree Barks Powder.

Or it could be the food she's on isn't agreeing with her - what variety are you feeding her?

I tried just about every kibble with my dog, but his poos were soft on all of them, more came out than went in, and his wind was atrocious. He improved overnight when I switched him to raw.

Take one step at a time though - you want to be reasonably sure there's no underlying condition, or she needs time for things to settle, before you make changes to her diet.

Thoughts on the muzzle - I'd never use a muzzle that held a dog's mouth shut, because you stop her from panting and also from communicating with you properly. You want a basket type, with plenty of ventilation, that allows her to open her mouth. You'd also need to introduce it gradually, so it might be an idea to work on this before you decide to use it (start by wiping e.g. peanut butter in it and letting her put her face in to eat it). But, and it's a big but, this won't stop her eating soft things like poo. My dog likes fresh cow poo and there's nothing worse than him then going up to other people to stick a friendly but filthy nose in their groin

 

[KirstyandChip]

Good news everyone! A few days into transitioning her food and things seem to be firming up a bit! Although it doesn't seem to be fully digesting. Is this normal when you change foods? I'm sure it'll just be temporary! However still going to book her into the vets to get checked out in a few days time.

 

[excuseme]

"JudyN" has suggested a fantastic option, raw feeding, this would be a fantastic choice, it can help tremendously with upset tummies and soft poo's.
The grass eating, soil/mud and various animal poo's can all be related to something missing in her diet, it is perfectly normal and quiet safe for her to do this.
Raw feeding does not have to be messy and bloody. Variety is essential, a balanced meal every day is not essential as raw will balance itself with variety and over a few weeks.
Probably one of the easiest products to start with and for convenience would be "Natures Menu", their frozen products can be found in many good pet stores.

 

[excuseme]

"joanneF" has mentioned over feeding your girl. It is possible that as she has now probably finished her rapid growth, but is still being fed high puppy rations. Try reducing her daily amount as this could be a result of too much food.