12 week old boy has running stools...Please help.

[zorroGSD]

Hi,
I know this is a very common question in this forum but I am helpless and will appreciate help. I have a 12week old puppy and he was on Purina Pro plan for LBP before I picked him up from the breeder's. He had diarrhea and the vet suggested to give Royal Canine Gastro Intestinal HE. When he was on purina his stools were soft and had no shape but after having Royal canine Gastro he had firm stools. I didnt want to go back to Purina as I read bad reviews about it in many threads. After researching a lot I finally narrowed down to Orijen LBP. Have been giving him Orijen LBP for about 3 weeks now (made the transition very slowly). His stools are now runny. I am also adding a spoon of yogurt to the kibble and there are firm stools occasionally(mostly it is watery). Apart from this he is all full of energy and his coat is super soft. I read that the high protein in orijen may not suit some puppies...and I am worried I made a wrong decision. I want to switch over to a better food but confused as I dont know which to go for. Some say Grain free is not good for puppies..Please someone help me selecting a good food.

[GSDAlphaMom]

Has he had a parasite check? Worms, coccidia, giardia? Note giardia is a different test then the others. If he is clear of all of that then look at food.

I would not feed a puppy grainfree. Also my adults can't even tolarate Orijen (though there are members here that have had success with it). There are a number of quality foods you can feed a puppy. I'm sure folks will recommend what they had good results from. I had mine on Innova when they were puppies, Earthborn is another off the top of my head.

Back to the parasites be aware, especially with giardia and coccidia that they don't always show up in a fecal (if not caught while sluffing off they won't show up). I would do a 2nd fecal and ask for a snap test for giarda.

[PaddyD]

My dog could not handle Orijen LBP. Had to give her Immodium D to stop the runs and switch to a less rich food. Used Wellness Super 5 LBP.

[GSDAlphaMom]

Mine couldn't handle Orijen or Wellness. There are alot on here that can't handle either of those foods.

[GSDBESTK9]

Orijen LBP might be too rich for your puppy. We have the same problem with Canidae Grain Free, our puppies just can't handle it, so we feed them Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul LBP and they do great on it. Then when they are about a year old, we switch them to the Canidae and they do great on it then.

[Pattycakes]

Had the same problem with my dog when she was a puppy. At the time I was feeding her Blue Buffalo Chicken/Rice puppy formula. After a long time...I finally switched her to BB Basics Salmon and no more diarrhea (realized she had a chicken allergy). I also mix in a little bit of the Canidae Salmon and she has been doing wonderful on them for almost 2 years.

Canned pumpkin helps with diarrhea as well. And you can always feed cooked ground beef with the fat drained off and rice to help with the diarrhea as well while you transition to another food if you choose.

[zorroGSD]

Originally Posted by GSDAlphaMom

Has he had a parasite check? Worms, coccidia, giardia? Note giardia is a different test then the others. If he is clear of all of that then look at food.

I would not feed a puppy grainfree. Also my adults can't even tolarate Orijen (though there are members here that have had success with it). There are a number of quality foods you can feed a puppy. I'm sure folks will recommend what they had good results from. I had mine on Innova when they were puppies, Earthborn is another off the top of my head.

Back to the parasites be aware, especially with giardia and coccidia that they don't always show up in a fecal (if not caught while sluffing off they won't show up). I would do a 2nd fecal and ask for a snap test for giarda.

We took him to the vet few weeks back for diarrhea(caused due to nylabone) and there was no problem in his health. Didnt take him this time as it all started after switching to the new food. (however will take him now since you mentioned about giardia). Today I started giving him bland diet(rice and boiled chicken) and noticed he is peeing a lot. he normally controls for about 2hrs till we take him out, but he peed thrice in half an hr. Is this normal when he is on bland diet?

I will start researching about Innova and wellness. Have any of you tried Acana LBP? Do you recommend it?

[zorroGSD]

Originally Posted by GSDBESTK9

Orijen LBP might be too rich for your puppy. We have the same problem with Canidae Grain Free, our puppies just can't handle it, so we feed them Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul LBP and they do great on it. Then when they are about a year old, we switch them to the Canidae and they do great on it then.

I heard canidae is a good one too but also read that many had dry/itchy skin. Did your dogs have any of these issues?

[PaddyD]

I also use Prozyme to aid in her digestion. I am convinced (though not scientifically) that it helps to firm her stools.

[GSDBESTK9]

Originally Posted by zorroGSD

I heard canidae is a good one too but also read that many had dry/itchy skin. Did your dogs have any of these issues?

Not at all!