Dog Pooping In Crate

[TYLER23]

Our 8 month old pup has pooped (fairly runny and very very smelly ) in his crate two nights in a row now.

His poos during the day are normal, firm, not smelly and no change in diet. He goes out for a last toilet break at 11pm and then is locked in the crate until approx 6:30am. His general health and activity levels are all ok and there are no other symptoms. He has been toilet trained for quite a while now and hasn't had any accidents in the house for months.

Could it be some sort of tummy bug where it only effects him overnight, is this even possible in dogs?

I really don't want to be cleaning up poop at 3am for a third night in a row and opening all windows and doors to get rid of the smell, so any suggestions would be appreciated. Should i cut out his evening raw meal (roo, chicken, lamb) and stick to all dry for a couple of days? Then again, the raw has never been a problem in the past.

[Erny]

Is he crate trained? Has he always slept confined to a crate? If he's not comfortable about/accustomed to being in a crate it could be that he is stressing over it.

Another thing to consider (in combination with the above, should it prove a possible element) is when is he fed? If it is only one meal a day and that's given at night-time, then try feeding him in the morning instead. If he then gets the runs earlier in the day it will strongly indicate he's got a digestive issue (be that in the form of a tummy bug or something else).

If he is already fed (the same thing?) twice a day, with no signs of runny poo during the day at all, then perhaps try feeding him his evening meal earlier than you do, or try missing it (add the volume to his morning meal) for a day or two and see if that helps make a difference.

ETA: Re-reading your OP, I am presuming you are saying that you feed dry in the morning and raw at night? Try reversing it.

Edited April 11, 2010 by Erny

[TYLER23]

Yes, he has been crate trained from day dot and loves it, it's the only spot where the kids can't hassle him.

Yes, dry in the morning and raw in the evening, around 5-6pm, so doesn't get locked in the crate until 5 hours after his last meal. I didn't think to reverse his meals, although he gets very excited when i prepare his dry food in the morning as he absolutely loves it (Artemis) and can't wait to see what surprise might be mixed in with it, sardines, egg, yoghurt etc.

Good news, no accident last night it's funny, as soon as i opened my eyes this morning, the first thing i did was sniff the air to see if he'd pooped. I think i'm slowly turning into a dog

[TYLER23]

He pooped again last night

i reversed his meals 3 or 4 days ago, so he now gets his raw meaty bones in the morning and dry in the evening. Last night he had a cup of dry with a raw egg at 5pm and was locked in the crate at 11pm. At 5am i heard him rustling around in the crate so i jumped out of bed and sure enough he had pooped. The strange thing is that he's not crying prior to pooping to let me know he has to go outside, he just does it and by the time i get to him he looks a little distressed and huddled in the corner of the crate away from the mess.

I certainly don't want to make him sleep outside, especially going into winter, so any suggestions would be appreciated.

[poodlefan]

He pooped again last night

i reversed his meals 3 or 4 days ago, so he now gets his raw meaty bones in the morning and dry in the evening. Last night he had a cup of dry with a raw egg at 5pm and was locked in the crate at 11pm. At 5am i heard him rustling around in the crate so i jumped out of bed and sure enough he had pooped. The strange thing is that he's not crying prior to pooping to let me know he has to go outside, he just does it and by the time i get to him he looks a little distressed and huddled in the corner of the crate away from the mess.

I certainly don't want to make him sleep outside, especially going into winter, so any suggestions would be appreciated.

Ever thought about installing a dog door?

[Nekhbet]

he sounds sick. Poo like that is not normal and sounds like it wakes him up and he just goes before a whine gets out.

Go take him to the vet and get it checked out. He should not be eating rich food just some boiled chicken and rice until it firms up again. Despite what you feed his system will be upset and pretty much anything will give him the runs. I wouldnt be angry I'd be looking for the reason your dog has a sick stomach.

[Erny]

I certainly don't want to make him sleep outside, especially going into winter ...

No, I definitely wouldn't do that either.

I don't know why this would be occurring only at night time, but seeing as it is on-going I agree that it is probably time for a Vet check. Take a stool sample with you in case the Vet suggests he'd like (?) to examine it.

Is his crate where he sleeps somewhere near you, where if he were making a noise to suggest he needed to 'go' there'd be a chance you'd wake up?

Poor fella - he obviously abhors the fact that he's soiled his bedding .

Edited April 16, 2010 by Erny

[TYLER23]

The crate is in the family room but it's close enough where i can hear him. A doggy door means that i would have to leave the crate open, and so the dog would chase the cat around the house all night... not really an option.

He's been in the crate from day dot without a problem. I'm thinking it's an upset tummy, would the vet actually subscribe any medicine or just tell me rice/boiled chicken for a while?

Edited April 16, 2010 by TYLER23

[Erny]

The crate is in the family room but it's close enough where i can hear him. A doggy door means that i would have to leave the crate open, and so the dog would chase the cat around the house all night... not really an option.

He's been in the crate from day dot without a problem. I'm thinking it's an upset tummy, would the vet actually subscribe any medicine or just tell me rice/boiled chicken for a while?

You would most likely know that once you've seen the Vet. The part that is very odd is that you say that during the day his stools are normal (by that I presume you mean healthy looking).

In the interim you might like to think about the "puppy pen attached to crate to make a yard" option that I mentioned. If he were in the room with you, perhaps you might have a better chance of hearing him move around (which of course he'd need to do to wake up and go to the toilet). The more often you leave this where he has no option other than to soil his crate, the higher the possibility is that he can become accustomed to doing so. Apart from that, it's not nice for the dog.

[sas]

I'd say get him Vet Checked and also feed him earlier so he poos before bed.

[TYLER23]

The part that is very odd is that you say that during the day his stools are normal (by that I presume you mean healthy looking).

Ye, relatively healthy looking compared to the accidents in the crate, and nowhere near as smelly. I can happily collect his poo in the yard, but the smell of the poo in the crate literally makes me want to throw up.

I'm thinking it might be similar to an upset tummy in humans where symptons only show during certain parts of the day. You know, fever and vomiting only during the night etc.

Is there any herbal remedies suitable for upset tummies in dogs?

[Erny]

Is there any herbal remedies suitable for upset tummies in dogs?

Yes there are, but IMO you'd be wise to have a professional diagnose and prescribe, rather than try things out yourself, for the fear of potentially upsetting even more. I didn't look to see where you are, but there is a naturopath that I take my boy to here in Melbourne, Victoria.

I think I'd still be inclined to have a Vet look at a stool sample, at least to rule out something like (eg) parasite infestation though. You don't have to agree to the administration of drugs if that's what you're trying to avoid, but at least you might come away with knowing some idea of whether this is a tummy bug or something else.

'Having said that' (to coin a phrase that I use but am not fond of :D) I have heard that there is a tummy bug going around and about in the south-eastern suburbs Melbourne at the moment. Trouble is that if diarrhoea is not remedied promptly, it can irritate the stomach and bowel even further than it already is, potentially causing other problems, so you want to get on to this reasonably soon. Persistent diarrhoea, apart from being indicative that something is wrong (which can include even things such as the dog ingesting something he shouldn't have - parts of a toy/ball etc - not saying this is the case though), can also lead to anal gland problems. Giving a pro-biotic can be helpful in some cases, but don't spend too long experimenting.

I would think that the smell of his stool in the crate would be more overpowering simply for the fact that it is in an enclosed space (ie a room) as opposed to outdoors.

ETA: Just noted you're in NSW so I wouldn't be able to assist with referral recommendations.

Edited April 16, 2010 by Erny

[Nekhbet]

is he outside before he comes in? DO you have possums/fruitbats/wildlife that could be dropping poo he's eating before bed? Or a neigbour chucking over dinner scraps?

I'd still do nothing but boiled chicken and rice until it stops, it cant hurt at all

[TYLER23]

is he outside before he comes in? DO you have possums/fruitbats/wildlife that could be dropping poo he's eating before bed? Or a neigbour chucking over dinner scraps?

I'd still do nothing but boiled chicken and rice until it stops, it cant hurt at all

No, he's inside with us all evening, just a last toilet break at 11pm.

[TYLER23]

Just had an idea as a more long term solution to toileting during the night. His crate is up against the family room wall which backs onto the pergola/backyard... so we could cut a small hole in the wall (timber + weatherboard) which lines up with the side door on his crate. That way he has access to go outside, but no access to anywhere else in the house.. i'm a genius!

[Erny]

That's great, Tyler23. But what are you going to do to properly address the runny stools?

[TYLER23]

booked in with the vet on monday