Normal Poo

[Guest]

Help please Is it normal for a 6 month old German shepherd to have loose poos,sometimes , and then some quite firm, all in the one day.

She is on purina puppy, with a bit of carrot and pumpkin chopped up in it.

Also was wondering if it's normal for them to be sick every now and then, she only brings up a bit of white foam with grass in it, she eats a lot of grass.

she seems to be quite healthy in every other way, and really loves her food and eats every bit thats put in front of her, she was fully wormed, a couple of weeks ago.

All advice appreciated, thank you.

lablove

[persephone]

I would say not.... BUT it could well be 'normal for the diet she is on.

Chopped carrot/pumpkin ,if raw is indigestible, and may well give her a tummy upset. My guess is she is doing firmer poo in the morning,after a night of no food ? or is it the opposite?

The eating grass/vomiting could signify some sort of tummy upset -

What bones/treats does she get, and when?

[Guest]

Thanks persephone, she doesn't get any bones, and I will cook pumpkin and see if that makes a difference, and yes her poops do seem firmer in the mornings.

lablove

[persephone]

Why are you giving her pumpkin and carrot? That is usually used when dogs are on a diet .... to bulk out a meal , and I would not have thought a teenager needed to lose weight to that extent?

What happens if she doesn't get the vegetable? Maybe try it for a few days and see ?

[Crisovar]

Some GSD are prone to sensitive tums.

How long have you had her? Do you know what she was fed before and how she handled it? It may be as simple as the purina not suiting her.

I actually use steamed pumpkin for the added fibre which seems to help settle them.

My sensitive girl does best on diet that includes raw meaty bones & pumpkin, we feed a variety of meats including offal, she also gets a bit of Eukanuba breed specific GSD or Advance Active sometimes. They are the only dry foods we have tried that she tolerates, I think we have tried nearly all the super premium ones.

[Guest]

Why are you giving her pumpkin and carrot? That is usually used when dogs are on a diet .... to bulk out a meal , and I would not have thought a teenager needed to lose weight to that extent?

What happens if she doesn't get the vegetable? Maybe try it for a few days and see ?

I give her the pumpkin and carrot because I heard that it was meant to be good for fiber and help with gland problems,it is mixed in with her fritz.

I gave it to her cooked this morning and left out the carrot so will see how that goes.

Some GSD are prone to sensitive tums.

How long have you had her? Do you know what she was fed before and how she handled it? It may be as simple as the purina not suiting her.

I actually use steamed pumpkin for the added fibre which seems to help settle them.

My sensitive girl does best on diet that includes raw meaty bones & pumpkin, we feed a variety of meats including offal, she also gets a bit of Eukanuba breed specific GSD or Advance Active sometimes. They are the only dry foods we have tried that she tolerates, I think we have tried nearly all the super premium ones.

Thanks Crisovar, we have only had her since September,it looks like she was fed on canned food, if it doesn't settle down soon I will try her on the breed specific Eukabnuba, and see how she does on that

Lablove

[Guest]

Why are you giving her pumpkin and carrot? That is usually used when dogs are on a diet .... to bulk out a meal , and I would not have thought a teenager needed to lose weight to that extent?

What happens if she doesn't get the vegetable? Maybe try it for a few days and see ?

I give her the pumpkin and carrot because I heard that it was meant to be good for fiber and help with gland problems,it is mixed in with her fritz.

I gave it to her cooked this morning and left out the carrot so will see how that goes.

Some GSD are prone to sensitive tums.

How long have you had her? Do you know what she was fed before and how she handled it? It may be as simple as the purina not suiting her.

I actually use steamed pumpkin for the added fibre which seems to help settle them.

My sensitive girl does best on diet that includes raw meaty bones & pumpkin, we feed a variety of meats including offal, she also gets a bit of Eukanuba breed specific GSD or Advance Active sometimes. They are the only dry foods we have tried that she tolerates, I think we have tried nearly all the super premium ones.

Thanks Crisovar, we have only had her since September,it looks like she was fed on canned food, if it doesn't settle down soon I will try her on the breed specific Eukabnuba, and see how she does on that

Lablove

[Guest]

Oops sorry double post

[persephone]

Oh - Ok, does she have anal gland problems?

[Guest]

Yes Persephone she does get a leaky gland sometimes so am trying to get some fiber into her, I may even try her on the allbran as that is what a vet suggested for our last Shepherd, as she used have gland problems as well, I just thought the allbran might be a bit harsh on a 6 1/2 month old Shepherd.

lablove

[matilda1]

My ACD has firm poos most of the time and then does one big sloppy one (still formed but soft) at night.

I have changed diets and tried most things, it seems it's just her. I think it's mainly because she bolts her dinner down.

I already feed her out of a 'go slow' bowl and have done extensive veterinary testing on her stools to find a cause.

Seems there is none. She is happy, healthy, shiny coat and gaining weight as she should. She is also very energetic and has no other symptoms so I have stopped worrying about it.

[persephone]

Bones and psyllium husks also help produce a harder/more substantial stool .Some diets and extra fibre sources may make for more poo..not hard and solid poo

[Guest]

BellaDonna, your ACD sounds very simialr to our Shepherd,ours bolts her dinner down as well probably thinks the Labrador will get it even though they are fed in seperate rooms.

Thanks for your comment BellaDonna it makes me feel a bit more at ease knowing that yours is the same and nothing is wrong.

Persephone, thanks that sounds a good Idea will give the psyllium a go I have a good supply of that, from when we had our horse.

lablove

[persephone]

Dogs don't need much psyllium! Check with the vet My dogs get a level teaspoon... but start with a 1/4, and work up. I always soak it first for 10 minutes , then mix with food .

[Guest]

Great, thanks persephone for the measurements, always handy to know these things.

lablove

[Baby Dragon]

Is there a reason she's not getting bones?

[betsy]

I would definitely add some bones in there! Should help to firm stools and also help with the glands...

Go easy on the fritz

I found changing to Nutro kibble (from Advance) also helped. You may need to trial different kibble.

[Baby Dragon]

Or you could try a raw, natural diet. It did wonders for my dog who had a funny tummy.

[Guest]

Thanks Baby Dragon and Betsy,yes I will get her off the fritz and start and introduce raw meat now( our Lab is on Kangaroo meat, along with chopped veg) and maybe some chicken wing tips and see how she goes on that, the reason for not giving her bones is that we were giving our Lab marrow bones and it was making his poo slimey, and I also read where it can wear their teeth down gnawing on bones, so have bought them a nyla bone each for teeth cleaning.

A vet we had for our other shepherd told us not to give chicken necks as the little hooks on them can get the necks stuck in their throats, i don't know, it really makes you wonder, just what you should give them.

Lablove

[persephone]

Chicken wing tips are fine for small dogs/puppies ...but, IMO, only good as a treat for larger ones . Your dog/s would probably LOVE whole chicken frames/turkey wings/beef brisket bones .... lamb flaps . All bigger bones, and large enough to chew, but soft enough to not splinter, OR crack teeth!

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Edited December 16, 2010 by persephone