Problem With Introducing New Diet

[toddstaff]

gday

i got my pup on friday afternoon and decided to change my pups diet as the breeder was only feeding him chicken mince and rice and coles wet pup food.

i have been slowly introducing the new diet meal by meal over about 4 days and about 12 meals as i have read in so many posts on the forum.

but even though a slow change he got the runs about 2 days ago and it hasnt firmed up still

i would like to know at this point do i keep feeding him the fatty human mince and eukanuba medium breed puppy or should i go back to what the breeder was feeding him

and how long will the runs last and is it really bad for his health at this age.

cheers

todd crowe

[Jed]

The pup has just undergone a lot of stress. He has left his family and the only home he has ever known, and gone to live with you. No matter how good you are, he is still stressed. Simply because of the circumstances. All pups are stressed when they go to their new homes. There are just too many changes, as well as the grief for their littermates and mother.

The best thing to do is to continue on with the diet the breeder fed him. You may not agree with it, but by changing his diet, you are introducing another stress to an already stressed pup.

Some 8 week old pups would happily eat anything and everything, same, different, it would make no difference. Some have "more tender insides" and have problems with too many changes. Remember, you are dealing with a very immature digestive system, which has only been coping with solid food for a few weeks.

Wait for at least 2 weeks - my recommendation would be to wait a month, and then introduce ONE new diet component at a time, over 3 - 4 days. Once that is accepted without problems, and there is no refusal, or diarrohea, or spitting up, introduce another one, and so on. This avoids diarrohea and the problems which arise from it.

Changing from chicken to beef mince is a huge change, ditto the better quality dog food. Eating chicken mimce, rice and coles puppy food wont hurt him for a few weeks!!

When I raise my pups, they have chicken, beef, veges, eggs, a little offal, fish, milk - the whole range, but lots of breeders have a formula which works for them, and in this case, you are better to stick to what he is used to, or you will have problems.

You haven't done anything wrong, just too soon.

PS - don't forget to worm him every 2 weeks, and if the diarrohea hasn't gone in a few days, or if he seems a bit dull off to the vet. Puppies dehydrate very quickly. Hope the breeder was worming him regularly?

Edited August 20, 2008 by Jed

[toddstaff]

thanx so much for the help i wil keep an eye on him and if he keeps gettin the runs or looking not himself i will sus out a vet

what is an ideal diet for a staffy pup i was goin to feed just eukanuba but he wouldnt eat it so thats why i mashed the bickies into the mince and he loves it but i still have the runs problem.

cheers

Todd Crowe

[Gretel]

Yes as Jed said pups undergo stress changing homes. Something else that is good to try to help firm up his poos is mixing some cornflour in with his food. There will be heaps of different suggestions on the ideal diet for him

[Dogsfevr]

I agree do it over a month.Go back to "whats normal" for its gut & the start slowly .

I would also go to the chemist & buy some Flora max tablets to reline the gut .Yoghurt does work but i feel the tablets are better.

[toddstaff]

what are flora max tabs and what are they meant for

[Dogsfevr]

To riline the gut of good bacteria.If it has the runs its gut will be struggling so it needs some help to calm it