Loose Stool

SeventhSon · Post by **SeventhSon** » Sun May 13, 2007 11:24 am

I have had my English Setter on Solid Gold MMillennia Beef & Barley for the last couple months.
She LOVES the food. Her energy is literally non-stop. Her coat looks great.
But...
Her stool is very loose and it is a very light in color.
Is this anything to be concerned about?
Given how well she is doing in terms of energy/coat I am reluctant to change brands, but isn't habitual loose stool a bad sign?
What about the light coloration?
Any input appreciated.

Walker · Post by **Walker** » Sun May 13, 2007 1:18 pm

Maggie(our Jack) eats Mmillennia. She is spayed, 3 1/2 yrs., 16 inches, and 17-18 lbs. And she is ALL terrier! She gets a cup a day, is EXTREMELY active, and stays at fighting weight. Stool is normal. I don't want my dogs to have the runs, but I also don't want it to sound like a .30-06 going off when the crap hits the ground!
Honestly, I think Maggie could eat anything. If only Odin were the same way......
Here are some suggestions for your dog: Cut back a little on the feed. Could the dog have gotten into something else? Have you recently changed: treats, water supply, anything? Could it be a parasite?
Then again, this food may not agree with your dog. But since she loves it and seems to be doing well otherwise, I would not give up just yet. Talk to your vet, too. Have a fecal exam and a physical if she has not had one recently. Good luck and keep us posted!

big steve46 · Post by **big steve46** » Sun May 13, 2007 1:22 pm

I wouldn't tolerate chronic loose stools. I'm not familiar with that formula, so it's hard to comment. Common sense says you need to try another formula. Perhaps a chicken and rice formula? I'm an expert in human nutrition not dogs. Perhaps Ezzy will have some better advice for you.

GSP Guinness · Post by **GSP Guinness** » Sun May 13, 2007 8:25 pm

If you like the food try adding a tablespoon of (caned) pumpkin to the food. The extra fiber will probably firm up the stools. Use to work like wonders on my boxers.

GsPJustin · Post by **GsPJustin** » Sun May 13, 2007 11:53 pm

I had this problem but a little worse, when my dog was on Innova. Switched food and no more problems. But for a small fee you can rule parasites out of the list.

Chaingang · Post by **Chaingang** » Mon May 14, 2007 7:14 am

So basically what your saying is that on the solid gold she has had loose stools from the get. I take it stools were fine on previous food? May be too rich for her (not uncommon with some holistic brands). I to would rule out any parasite issues before switching to another brand just to be sure. Chicken and Rice based formulas are a good bet for most dogs though.

SeventhSon · Post by **SeventhSon** » Wed May 23, 2007 11:08 am

It was ringworm.

She is on medication now.
Thanks to everyone for their replies.

big steve46 · Post by **big steve46** » Wed May 23, 2007 12:54 pm

Obviously now, you have to figure out where the dog got the fungus and prevent it happening again. Probably was in something the dog ingested and hopefully the vet figured that out. Best regards,

SeventhSon · Post by **SeventhSon** » Wed May 23, 2007 1:35 pm

OOPS I meant round worm not ringworm...

Post by **ezzy333** » Wed May 23, 2007 2:17 pm

That sounds better. I was going to question that ringworm thing.

Ezzy

Chaingang · Post by **Chaingang** » Thu May 24, 2007 4:25 pm

SeventhSon wrote:OOPS I meant round worm not ringworm...

Curious... Do you use a preventative such as Heartguard Plus or something similiar for parasites? The reason I ask is that Heartguard Plus not just regular Heartguard according to the manufacturer also works for Protection from Roundworm as well as Hookworm and Heartworm.

SeventhSon · Post by **SeventhSon** » Fri May 25, 2007 8:11 am

No, I don't.
I've never had so much as a flea on my Lab and he is 13 years old.
Maggie has already had a round with ticks and now this.
So it sounds like I need to get her on Heartguard Plus and Frontline?
Anything else?
Are these things I can administer myself, or do I need to go through the vet?

MikeB · Post by **MikeB** » Fri May 25, 2007 11:32 am

If the Beef and Barley food has always caused her to have loose stools then I would think that formula is to rich for her system. Could be the amount fed per day too. Solid Gold does not use stool hardners like beet pulp or other fiber sources that help dry out and reduce the waste.

Maybe if you add their Sea Meal supplement with digestive enzymes it will help the soft stool problem. Solid Gold recommends adding Sea Meal to each meal to complete the food. It is a good product and I bet you will see a difference.

Only way know is to try it for a while and see.

Post by **ezzy333** » Fri May 25, 2007 1:48 pm

Why would you use a feed that isn't complete? If they know it needs a supplment added then wouldn't it be smart to have it added to the feed while being manufactured?

Just doesn't sound like a good deal to me.

Ezzy

SeventhSon · Post by **SeventhSon** » Fri May 25, 2007 2:20 pm

Wow I had no idea the food I was feeding my dog needed a supplement to complete it.
I'm w/ Ezzy I do not understand why they wouldn't just put it in the food during manufacturing.
This food is expensive enough as it is without having to purchase a supplement on top of it.
I need to look into this because when I read the product description I didn't see anything about adding more...

Post by **pear** » Fri May 25, 2007 2:26 pm

Seventh, Sorry dude I just can't get used to this new "Avatar" Just doesn't look like ya anymore....

"pear"

Ryan29 · Post by **Ryan29** » Fri May 25, 2007 4:28 pm

I have recently had a similar problem with my 4 month old yellow lab. I got her a week ago and she was very active, loved the food, drank water, but ate a lot of grass and had very loose stool. It literally blasted out when she went to the bathroom. The last day now I noticed there was a small amount of blood mixed in with it. I broke down and took a sample to the vet. The vet just called me and said that my puppy has a bacteria and that she can be treated with some meds. So now I will have to make my way to the vet after i'm done working and find out the details. At least it wasn't the food!

Chaingang · Post by **Chaingang** » Fri May 25, 2007 8:11 pm

SeventhSon wrote:No, I don't.
I've never had so much as a flea on my Lab and he is 13 years old.
Maggie has already had a round with ticks and now this.
So it sounds like I need to get her on Heartguard Plus and Frontline?
Anything else?
Are these things I can administer myself, or do I need to go through the vet?

Yes, Heartguard you administer yourself in a tablet form once a month. Two ways to get the Heartguard Plus. Buy it from your Vet (expensive though) or if you can talk him or her into giving you the prescription and buy from a online pharmacy which usually will save a few bucks. The problem is many vets won't give the prescription for reasons I can understand.

There are other choices for control of parasites such as heartworm and roundworm that are not marketed for dogs, but rather cattle and swine such as Ivomec, that you can buy over the counter at most farms stores, but I will let somene else explain which ones prevent which parasite. These generally are much cheaper, but care must be given as to the correct dosages administered.

Frontline Plus you can get anywhere (pet stores etc.. ) over the counter, or where I get mine www.petshed.com which seems to have the best prices. this is a spot-on topical that you squeeze onto your dogs back once a month for protection against fleas and ticks. Its also waterproof.

GsPJustin · Post by **GsPJustin** » Sat May 26, 2007 1:48 am

The reason dog foods don't use beat pulp is because there are unnecessary sugars in it, and that doesn't totally mean the food isn't complete. Canidae is the same way.

I believe you can order Heartguard plus through petmeds.com or equivalent

SeventhSon · Post by **SeventhSon** » Sat May 26, 2007 9:43 am

pear wrote:Seventh, Sorry dude I just can't get used to this new "Avatar" Just doesn't look like ya anymore.... "pear"

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