Dog Poop Question

[leeave96]

My WPG is now 9 months old. She has been wonderfully house broken, but in the last week, she has pooped in the house several times. It ain't runny, but it ain't solid - sort of something in between - and smelly. I've also notices some clear looking solid-ish stuff in the poop too.

We don't give her any table scraps, only dry dog food. She gets plenty of exercise everyday too.

Is it possible this dog is coming into heat? Don't see any blood spots anywhere.

Not sure what to make of this. We are very good about taking her out frequently and limiting her meals in the evening to prevent an overnight accident, but here lately, she just seems not to be able to hold it and gives us the gift of a massive poop when we expect it the least. She has even pooped in her crate - yuk!

Any thoughts/advice?

Thanks,
Bill

[reba]

Feeding should be about 30% in the morning and 70% in the evening and about 12 hours apart.

She is going through some change, so you will have to let her out later in the evenings to avoid pooping in the middle of the night.

I have four dogs that eat the same food. All have different colored stool, size, smell etc.

If blood shows up in the stool you have a REAL SERIOUS PROPLEM. Get your dog to the Vet ASAP!

[shags]

Have her checked for parasites, or go ahead and dose her with fenbendazole. The foul odor plus the mucus makes me think she could have whips.

[leeave96]

No blood in the stool - just soft (not runny), smelly and maybe some mucus - which I gather is the clear stuff.

We definately take her out very late in the evenings for one last time before bed. She pooped twice last night. Once on our floor and once in her crate - all of this between midnight and 5 am this morning. These are big poops too - not some little something she needs to get rid of.

We also feed her three times a day rather than give her a big bowl of food to eat all at once.

We think she is coming into heat (or maybe already in heat), but no blood, spots - nothing.

It's interesting that she definately knows she has fouled-up when she poops inside - it's amazing how smart these dogs are. If I see her do it, I verbally scold her. If I don't, I don't say a word - but she knows shes done something bad wrong.

This dog has always been great to hold peeing and pooping for very long times in and out of her crate. Every now and then, she will stand at the door and wimper a bit (when things are normal) and we will take her out. This time around, nothing - no signal. It's like the urge hits and bam - we got a mess to clean-up.

We'll see how it goes over the weekend, if it continues, we'll see the vet. At all other times, she is perfectly normal.

Thanks!
Bill

[GUNDOGS]

3 times a day for a 9 month old might be too much food..maybe you could try 2 times a day say 6 or 7am and then again at 4 or 5pm (dont know your schedule) and finish all water by 7pm also..im thinking that pup is eating too much in a day and maybe too late in the day therefore having to go in the night..the mucus is probably irritation from the intestines or can even just be from the anal glands..i would cut back the feeding and the amount to start, jmo...ruth

[Cajun Casey]

Sounds a lot like whipworms.

[MikeB]

Bill,

How much food are you feeding her each meal? Do you measure?

What brand / formula of food are you feeding?

I would cut back on the food by 10% for a few days and see if she has more solid stools.

You can also take a fresh stool sample to the vet to check for parasites etc. You won't pay an office visit charge that way. They should just charge you for the fecal exam.

[Sharon]

My WPG is now 9 months old. She has been wonderfully house broken, but in the last week, she has pooped in the house several times. It ain't runny, but it ain't solid - sort of something in between - and smelly. I've also notices some clear looking solid-ish stuff in the poop too.

We don't give her any table scraps, only dry dog food. She gets plenty of exercise everyday too.

Is it possible this dog is coming into heat? Don't see any blood spots anywhere.

Not sure what to make of this. We are very good about taking her out frequently and limiting her meals in the evening to prevent an overnight accident, but here lately, she just seems not to be able to hold it and gives us the gift of a massive poop when we expect it the least. She has even pooped in her crate - yuk!

Any thoughts/advice?

Thanks,
Bill

If my opinion if a dog starts pooping in her crate and other spots not characteristic of her habits, it is time to see the vet,( Take a feces sample.)The last thing a dog wants to do is poop in its bed.

[mcbosco]

I would fast this dog for a day, cut its food back and then see what happens. A dog blowing out mucus is not uncommon, especially when overfed. I can tell you raw fed dogs do this about every 30 days because they have so little fiber in their diet.

Fecal exam is a good idea, but some parasites don't always show up on one test.

Hey one question: Did you take the dog's temperature?

[leeave96]

Bill,

How much food are you feeding her each meal? Do you measure?

What brand / formula of food are you feeding?

I would cut back on the food by 10% for a few days and see if she has more solid stools.

You can also take a fresh stool sample to the vet to check for parasites etc. You won't pay an office visit charge that way. They should just charge you for the fecal exam.

The dog weighs about 45 lbs and we give it 4 cups of dog food per day - divided 3 times per day. Sometimes she eats everything, other times she don't. If she doesn't eat her serving, we will take it back and put it back for the next feeding. We don't give her any table scraps, etc - only dog food.

We feed her Purina Puppy Chow Complete & Balanced dog food and are feeding per the instructions on the bag.

We have cut back today on her food and will watch her this weekend. If the soft stools continue, we will take the dog and a smelly sample to the vet for a check on Monday.

Aside from the soft stools we have recently experienced, she seems normal in every way - or as normal as a WPG can get... :roll:

Thanks!
Bill

[leeave96]

Bill,

How much food are you feeding her each meal? Do you measure?

What brand / formula of food are you feeding?

I would cut back on the food by 10% for a few days and see if she has more solid stools.

You can also take a fresh stool sample to the vet to check for parasites etc. You won't pay an office visit charge that way. They should just charge you for the fecal exam.

The dog weighs about 45 lbs and we give it 4 cups of dog food per day - divided 3 times per day. Sometimes she eats everything, other times she don't. If she doesn't eat her serving, we will take it back and put it back for the next feeding. We don't give her any table scraps, etc - only dog food.

We feed her Purina Puppy Chow Complete & Balanced dog food and are feeding per the instructions on the bag.

We have cut back today on her food and will watch her this weekend. If the soft stools continue, we will take the dog and a smelly sample to the vet for a check on Monday.

Aside from the soft stools we have recently experienced, she seems normal in every way - or as normal as a WPG can get... :roll:

Thanks!
Bill

I have not taken the dog's temperature.

[kninebirddog]

Have her checked for parasites, or go ahead and dose her with fenbendazole. The foul odor plus the mucus makes me think she could have whips.

Yep

[MikeB]

I think 4 cups of food is a lot for a 45 lb. dog. Have you increased the amount of food lately?
At least she only eats what she needs and not all you feed her. At 9 months old I would feed 2 times a day.

[mcbosco]

I think 4 cups of food is a lot for a 45 lb. dog. Have you increased the amount of food lately?
At least she only eats what she needs and not all you feed her. At 9 months old I would feed 2 times a day.

I agree a 45lb dog should be getting 2 cups or less of a high quality food. Mine is over 90lbs and gets 3 for the whole day.

[Chaingang]

2 cups a day or 2 cups 2 X per day?

[mcbosco]

Yes it was a generalization and there are always outliers I understand that, but this dog is eating Purina Dog Chow.

There are always exceptions but the odds are this dog is not the exception.

I know plenty of Shorthairs in the 60lb range eating 2-3 cups of higher quality food.

2 cups total

[GUNDOGS]

my boxer is almost 2 years old 90 pounds and he eats 4 cups of proplan natural selects 2x a day (5 am and 4pm), my gsp is 9 months old 45 pounds and she eats 2 to 2 and a half cups of proplan all life stages 2x a day also...ruth

[mcbosco]

my boxer is almost 2 years old 90 pounds and he eats 4 cups of proplan natural selects 2x a day (5 am and 4pm), my gsp is 9 months old 45 pounds and she eats 2 to 2 and a half cups of proplan all life stages 2x a day also...ruth

ruth the boxer eats 8 cups per day?

[Munster]

The first thing that came to my mind with age of dog, consistancy of stool and odor was Parvo. I had a pup that was completly vaccinated and got it anyways.

I am not trying to scare you, but since that happend, I dont screw around. I would take it to the vet.

WHile I worked at the humane society I became very familiar with the odor of Parvo, it is one of those once you smell it, you dont forget it kind of deals.

Good luck and let us know.

[ezzy333]

Yes it was a generalization and there are always outliers I understand that, but this dog is eating Purina Dog Chow.

There are always exceptions but the odds are this dog is not the exception.

I know plenty of Shorthairs in the 60lb range eating 2-3 cups of higher quality food.

2 cups total

First this is a 9 month old pup and it will need and eat half again what your Spin should have. Second the pup is on Puppy chow and that is a problem when they eat as much as it is eating. And I would like to meet all of the 60 lb dogs that are getting by on 2 cups per day.

Cut the pup back so it is hungry and not leaving feed because it is stuffed. And I would go to a two times a day feed but that probably has nothing to do with your problem. And buy a bag of a good feed of your choice and start mixing it with a reduced amout of the puppy feed and get your pup switched over to the new feed as soon as the puppy feed is gone. But I would reduce the feed, switch to an adult feed, feed twice a day, and worm the pup and I will bet your prayewrs will be answered.

Ezzy

[GUNDOGS]

my boxer is almost 2 years old 90 pounds and he eats 4 cups of proplan natural selects 2x a day (5 am and 4pm), my gsp is 9 months old 45 pounds and she eats 2 to 2 and a half cups of proplan all life stages 2x a day also...ruth

ruth the boxer eats 8 cups per day?

sorry lol, i guess thats how it reads isnt it, i just put the total amount in a day and then how often..he eats 4 in a day divided into 2 feedings and she eats 2 to 2 and half a day divided into 2 feedings ...ruth

[jlp8cornell]

I know plenty of Shorthairs in the 60lb range eating 2-3 cups of higher quality food

And I would like to meet all of the 60 lb dogs that are getting by on 2 cups per day.

Max is 64# and eats about 2-3 cups per day,most days ~2. He always has since he was a pup. He's always on the skinny side but looks good. Just not a big eater... (I do give him fish oil 1/day which adds a couple hundred cals) He has been on grain free food since he was 1. I tried one with corn to try and add weight but the gas was terrible so I had to switch back.

[leeave96]

Update:

Dog is much better. We cut back on her food or more like laid down the law to our kids to not be feeding her food when the bowl is empty and we are not around and no more snacks on the side - like potato chips, etc. when mom and dad are not looking. Who knows how much that dog has been eating over the past few months. No wonder when I would fill her bowl, she wouldn't eat very much!

Thanks everyone,
Bill