persephone Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 I didn't realise she had not been vet checked yet . In didn't think it was worthy of a vet check?? A youngster who is pooing as you describe may not be getting all the required stuff from their food ...and at this age of growth , she needs every bit of nourishment. No good spending good money on food which a) is going straight thru, and b) is not being utilised IF she were mine- I would be trying her on BARF ..(introduced gradually over several days ) for a week or so - NO GRAINS ..then, if she is still having trouble, I would be off to a vet. I would put her on lamb , mostly - roo is a rich meat ... lots of soft bone like brisket/flap ..and perhaps turkey wings . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leelaa17 Posted May 19, 2011 Author Share Posted May 19, 2011 I didn't realise she had not been vet checked yet . In didn't think it was worthy of a vet check?? A youngster who is pooing as you describe may not be getting all the required stuff from their food ...and at this age of growth , she needs every bit of nourishment. No good spending good money on food which a) is going straight thru, and b) is not being utilised IF she were mine- I would be trying her on BARF ..(introduced gradually over several days ) for a week or so - NO GRAINS ..then, if she is still having trouble, I would be off to a vet. I would put her on lamb , mostly - roo is a rich meat ... lots of soft bone like brisket/flap ..and perhaps turkey wings . ok, what is BARF? and where could I get it? and I am going to see if my dad can go and get her some lamb bones today as I am at work, and if he cant ill get some at the local butcher on my way home and see how she goes. I dont want her to be sick shes my little munchkin. I just cant believe it didnt register to me that it might be a bad thing My dad was the one who kept worrying about it and I was like 'she's fine, she's happy'... but now I feel like an idiot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 (edited) lamb bones ... he needs to buy lamb flaps - or brisket..NOT leg bones - they splinter, and are too hard. Bones/flaps need to be large- so the dog has to chew& chew to get the meal ..not stuff that can be gulped down ;) Chewing helps start off the digestion ... do a search on here for B A R F ..you will get HEAPS of posts/threads... start with THIS LINK remember do it GRADUALLY . ..and not much fat at first .... Edited May 19, 2011 by persephone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leelaa17 Posted May 19, 2011 Author Share Posted May 19, 2011 Ok so here is another question. Max and Jenna are inside from around 10pm - 6.30am... we have tried feeding them really early (around 5.30pm), but she still poos inside... we have also tried around 8.30pm and she still poos inside... what is the best time to feed her so it is less likely she goes to the toil;et inside... its really weird because normally she's very good... but just this past week she hasn't been able to (or wanted to!) hold it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trojka Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 I just thought I'd add: You might want to do a search on Great Barko/Uncle Albers if you want to try another dry food. I've been feeding my dog this, combined with raw meat and bones, for quite a while now, and his poos have definitely become less. He also maintains his weight very well on less food, and generally just does well on it. From what I can tell, the ingredient list looks pretty good, the first ingredient is meat, and there don't seem to be too many fillers (I'm sure there are "better" ones, but they come at a price, and in the end it's just about what your dog does well on). The price is very good (I pay about $30 for 22 kg), and it's produced in South Australia. Someone more knowledgeable might be able to tell you if it could be suitable in your situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 OMG 6 cups a day is way too much. I don't even think a working german shepherd would get that much! You can generally feed less of a premium food compared with a crap food. Which is what I found when Mindy was on PAL (yuck). Funnily enough, she actually had better poos on pal than on Advance, but she has since changed back to advance and her poo is normal. Though she is on a raw diet now because of her allergies and her poos are great now- small and she only goes twice a day. I only ever gave her a maximum of two cups of dry food a day (plus bones) and she does a lot of exercise and work. I'd say it is a matter of finding the right brand/diet for your dog. I don't know aboutu feeding GSD's but 6 cups is way too much- never go by what it says on the packet, it is always excessive. Additionally, 3 cups at one time is quite alot- I am sure you know that GSDs are prone to bloat and GDV- which is where the stomach expands and twists and it can be fatal. I would be inclined to give her smaller meals- but then again i am totally paranoid!!! I know - I am extremely paranoid as well!!! And I am terrified of bloat - I didn't realise feeding too much also gave them bloat? I thought it was more about exercising excessively right before or after they eat because of the large intakes of breath they take? Just to note, neither jenna nor max scoffs their food - they are incredibly slow eaters! but thank you for your advice! Ok, there are a 100's of myths of what 'causes Bloat. I have deep chested breed so I've heard them all as well. You're not feeding TOO MUCH if your dog is not fat. Deep chested breeds should be fed twice a day and eat slowly, if they don't then you provide their feed in an interactive toy or BrakeBowl to slow them them down. Exercising after meals is actually GOOD i.e. walking helps with digestions. Running around and high intensity exercise is not reccomend for 30-60 minutes before or after meals for deep chested breeds. Don't be extremely paranoid about Bloat, that's not the way to live. Kow the signs, have Degas pills on hand and know how to get to your Emergency Vet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Ok so here is another question. Max and Jenna are inside from around 10pm - 6.30am... we have tried feeding them really early (around 5.30pm), but she still poos inside... we have also tried around 8.30pm and she still poos inside... what is the best time to feed her so it is less likely she goes to the toil;et inside... its really weird because normally she's very good... but just this past week she hasn't been able to (or wanted to!) hold it. Really simple.....don't let her. Do not let her out of you sight whilst she's inside and then take her out every 30 minutes whilst you're home and awake and give her the toileting cue and then praise when she does it. If the problem is usual and persists, see your Vet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leelaa17 Posted May 19, 2011 Author Share Posted May 19, 2011 OMG 6 cups a day is way too much. I don't even think a working german shepherd would get that much! You can generally feed less of a premium food compared with a crap food. Which is what I found when Mindy was on PAL (yuck). Funnily enough, she actually had better poos on pal than on Advance, but she has since changed back to advance and her poo is normal. Though she is on a raw diet now because of her allergies and her poos are great now- small and she only goes twice a day. I only ever gave her a maximum of two cups of dry food a day (plus bones) and she does a lot of exercise and work. I'd say it is a matter of finding the right brand/diet for your dog. I don't know aboutu feeding GSD's but 6 cups is way too much- never go by what it says on the packet, it is always excessive. Additionally, 3 cups at one time is quite alot- I am sure you know that GSDs are prone to bloat and GDV- which is where the stomach expands and twists and it can be fatal. I would be inclined to give her smaller meals- but then again i am totally paranoid!!! I know - I am extremely paranoid as well!!! And I am terrified of bloat - I didn't realise feeding too much also gave them bloat? I thought it was more about exercising excessively right before or after they eat because of the large intakes of breath they take? Just to note, neither jenna nor max scoffs their food - they are incredibly slow eaters! but thank you for your advice! Ok, there are a 100's of myths of what 'causes Bloat. I have deep chested breed so I've heard them all as well. You're not feeding TOO MUCH if your dog is not fat. Deep chested breeds should be fed twice a day and eat slowly, if they don't then you provide their feed in an interactive toy or BrakeBowl to slow them them down. Exercising after meals is actually GOOD i.e. walking helps with digestions. Running around and high intensity exercise is not reccomend for 30-60 minutes before or after meals for deep chested breeds. Don't be extremely paranoid about Bloat, that's not the way to live. Kow the signs, have Degas pills on hand and know how to get to your Emergency Vet. Thanks MEH - what are degas pills? im assuming they 'de-gas' lol.. sorry I must sound so stupid! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maddy Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Ok so here is another question. Max and Jenna are inside from around 10pm - 6.30am... we have tried feeding them really early (around 5.30pm), but she still poos inside... we have also tried around 8.30pm and she still poos inside... what is the best time to feed her so it is less likely she goes to the toil;et inside... its really weird because normally she's very good... but just this past week she hasn't been able to (or wanted to!) hold it. Do you let her out after dinner to go to the toilet? From what I can recall, most animals have something called the peristaltic reflex which is why they often defecate very soon after eating. We let our guys toilet immediately after eating and we've never had problems with indoor toileting. Could be worth trying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leelaa17 Posted May 19, 2011 Author Share Posted May 19, 2011 Ok so here is another question. Max and Jenna are inside from around 10pm - 6.30am... we have tried feeding them really early (around 5.30pm), but she still poos inside... we have also tried around 8.30pm and she still poos inside... what is the best time to feed her so it is less likely she goes to the toil;et inside... its really weird because normally she's very good... but just this past week she hasn't been able to (or wanted to!) hold it. Do you let her out after dinner to go to the toilet? From what I can recall, most animals have something called the peristaltic reflex which is why they often defecate very soon after eating. We let our guys toilet immediately after eating and we've never had problems with indoor toileting. Could be worth trying. thank you so much for your advice but we keep the back door open for at least an hour after they're done so they always are able to go outside lol but thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UpToNoGood Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 you should not switch to adult food now, it is important for large breeds to llcomplete the puppy food until 1 year old. I don't agree with this statement. It is often best especially for a large breed to switch to an adult food at 6 months to slow down their growth so they don't reach their full adult height too quickly which can cause joint problems. Leelaa17 you should speak to Jenna's breeder and see what they recommend regarding food type and when to change to adult. Most GSD breeders recommend Royal Canin GSD, Pro Plan, or Artemis. In the old days there was only puppy food and adult and that's it, so they used to switch over to adult early. But now we have a wide variety of good puppy food for puppies of large breeds. These are designed to get the dog to grow slowly to avoid developmental effects in the skeleton of controlled amounts of calcium and energy(and something else but I can not remember the English word as my native language is Norwegian ), and will work better for this purpose than to use an adult. Depending on the size of the dog and kibbel brand the food will be used up to 12 and even up to 18 months before moving on to adult. so Leelaa17 continue with the puppy food, good that you got something especially for you German shepherd puppy. Jenna will probably have little trouble with her stomach if you mix in too much of the new food immediately. give it some time, and if it does not work then it is maybe that she has a sensitive stomach, and check with your veterinarian he can give you more information Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 I would be thinking there may be an absorbtion issue. Either from an intolerance of an ingredient in the food or another issue causing Malabsorbtion. I would be inclined to get her looked at by a vet and they may suggest getting a feacal sample tested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidley Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 If there is a malabsorbtion issue it is very common for dogs to defacat more than usual including during the night, if Jenna didn't used to do this and is now doing it regularly then there is likely a problem. Maybe a vet check to discuss all your concerns would be best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leelaa17 Posted May 20, 2011 Author Share Posted May 20, 2011 yes I think a vet check is looking more and more likely. thanks guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leelaa17 Posted May 20, 2011 Author Share Posted May 20, 2011 GREAT NEWS GUYS!!! (who would've thought I'd be so excited about poo??? ) I just called dad to see if he had seen any of Jenna's poos this morning and he said he had this is probably the time I shgould tell you guys that my dad is retired and is home all day with the dogs while I work a typical 9 - 5 job... just so you know anyway, he's seen her poos - 1) she DIDNT poo inside last night, yay for Jen! 2) dad said he saw one of her poos this morning and it was MUCH smaller and look like a normal poo, not sloppy!!!! YAYYYY last night she did a poo that was sloppy but this morning she's done two and they are looking MUCH better! I fed her SIGNIFICANTLY less last night and put a little bit of royal canin in (I will do this for about a week until I transfer her solely over to royal canin... or I might just keep mixing them - she seems to enjoy eating the mixed supercoat and royal - plus I have about 15kg left of the puppy supercoat! lol). I am so happy her poos are getting better! clearly it is what we were feeding her, I don't think her stomach liked it very much. And she is now (says dad) currently eating a nice lamb bone! I want to thank you all so very very much for helping me and giving me advice. If I didn't have you guys I don't know what I would've done, I would've either ignored the issue (from sheer ignorance) or taken her to the vet and spent a lot of money getting tests when clearly she just needed a diet change. Thank you all so much.; You don't know how much I appreciate your help. Thank you!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UpToNoGood Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 So good for you and Jenna that it worked out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 Thanks MEH - what are degas pills? im assuming they 'de-gas' lol.. sorry I must sound so stupid! They're human tablets for people who get gas. For Danes showing signs of bloat we'd give them 10 down the throat and get to the Vet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leelaa17 Posted May 20, 2011 Author Share Posted May 20, 2011 Thanks MEH - what are degas pills? im assuming they 'de-gas' lol.. sorry I must sound so stupid! They're human tablets for people who get gas. For Danes showing signs of bloat we'd give them 10 down the throat and get to the Vet. wow! thats a lot! they're not poison? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 (edited) they're not poison? De-gas contain simethicone,a substance which is apparently not absorbed into the bloodstream, and which takes millions of gas bubbles,breaks down teh walls of them,, and forms them into larger bubbles, but less of them.This can be of great help in reducing bloating/pain , etc...and helps make burping easier/more effective .. ;) They are very handy to always have in your cupboard/bag- for people and/or dogs! I have much experience with using these ...my Mum had to have them all the time ... Edited May 23, 2011 by persephone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
profumo Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 (edited) It's an individual thing, some dogs thrive on supermarket kibble whilst others don't do so well on "premium" foods. I would firstly try and avoid her sneaking out and eating the adult formula and see if that makes a difference. If not, then change onto another brand and make the changes gradually. Have you tried introducing raw, like pet chicken mince, raw chicken necks, etc etc? don't buy raw meat from a pet shop though. Edited May 23, 2011 by profumo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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