diarrhea...and lots of it!

[MulligansMomma]

I have a 10 month old Golden Retriever and he’s had diarrhea off and on since I got him at 2 months old. When he was 2 months he tested positive for parvo and was treated. He was tested again twice since (last time being 2 weeks ago) and he tested negative. He will have a couple days of solid stools then a couple days of soft and watery diarreah and this has been going on for 8 months. He goes poo about 5-6 times a day every day, solid or not.
I originally had him on Eukanuba dog food then switched to Blue Buffalo and last week started Go! Natural Grain Free Endurance.
I think that the real smoked bones I give him (maybe 1 a month) may be causing some diarrhea but there must be something else? I did make homemade pumpkin treats for him the other day and hope that’s not the cause of this last bout but everything I read said pumpkin is good for soft stool. The vet thinks he is slightly underweight, he’s 52 pounds.
Is 5-6 stools a day and this much diarreah common for a dog under a year? Is there something I can do? Any and all recommendations and comments welcomed. Thanks!

 

[Kat09Tails]

Not common in an adult dog to poop that much but I have a theory. Reduce the amount you're feeding by 1/3. See if the stools firm up. If it does which I suspect it will then you were simply feeding too many calories in a sitting. It's a common issue when you go from garbage food to good dog food. Pumpkin will bulk up food (fiber is fiber) but is masking the real issue.

Finally, if when reducing the food amount doesn't clear thing up. Finally drop a fresh "sample" off at the vet for a giardia test. It's a super common issue.

 

[Doberluv]

But if he's already underweight, is it a good idea to reduce the food? I know...if he's pooping it all out anyhow...

What about trying a single source protein food? You should also make several meals a day, but much, much smaller each time. Make it easier on him. And don't give him the smoked bones. That smoking process, the stuff they use, may be causing an irritation. There's Natural Balance and I think some other brands that make a one meat food with simpler ingredients, specifically for dogs with sensitive tummies. Sometimes the more complicated ingredients cause havoc in some dogs.

I know my Dobe was like this when he was young....very loose stools. I switched him to Natural Balance, venison and brown rice formula and the problem disappeared. Later on...I forget how much later, I tried him on a better food with more meats and other ingredients and he was fine. Apparently, he out grew this senstitivity. But I agree with making sure first, that he doesn't have any parasites. I hope he improves. Long term diahhrea, even if it's not liquid, but very soft is no good for their digestive tract. You need to somehow get this under control. Let us know if he improves.

 

[Kat09Tails]

But if he's already underweight, is it a good idea to reduce the food? I know...if he's pooping it all out anyhow...

We're just reducing the amount he's eating in a sitting. You can add in a mid day meal if you want to. Most of the time it's not needed. Basically reducing the food amount will increase overall nutrition because basically the stuff coming out the back end is being pushed through too fast without getting "fully processed" into a normal turd. Trust me, reduce the amount, add a mid day meal if needed and you'll see him bounce back a lot quicker than chronic diarrhea country

 

[MulligansMomma]

I was mistaken the stool test a couple of weeks ago was for giardia and it came back negative.

Right now I am feeding him two cups in the morning and two in the evening. It may not be possible to fit in a lunch time feeding everyday, in that case should I feed him at 7 am, 6 pm and 9 pm???
I used to have him on three meals a day (1 cup each meal) until he was 7 months and he still had the problem.

One more thing, is it ok if I am mixing plain white rice into his food?

 

[Doberluv]

We're just reducing the amount he's eating in a sitting. You can add in a mid day meal if you want to. Most of the time it's not needed. Basically reducing the food amount will increase overall nutrition because basically the stuff coming out the back end is being pushed through too fast without getting "fully processed" into a normal turd. Trust me, reduce the amount, add a mid day meal if needed and you'll see him bounce back a lot quicker than chronic diarrhea country

Oh yes. I see. We're saying about the same thing. He is wasting it if it all goes out so quickly. So, I would try to make as many as 5 or 6 smaller meals a day if you're at home and are able to do it. Say, like early am, mid am, noon, afternoon, 6:00 and again at 8:00...take his ration and divide it into those small meals. And I'd definitely try a single source protein kibble meant for sensitive stomachs and don't add any other foods for a time and see if this helps. If, after a month or so, nothing is better, you might consider getting him some kind of GI picture to see if there's anything wrong inside. Has he been on anti biotics by any chance? Does he have any signs of infection?

 

[MulligansMomma]

Update - I changed dog food (from Blue Buffalo to Go Natural Grain Free Endurance) and NO dia! He's great and put on 9 pounds in 4 weeks!

 

[Izzy's Valkyrie]

Yay! congrats.

 

[elegy]

that's fabulous news! sometimes it can be as simple as that. i hope he continues to do well on it.

 

[CaliTerp07]

Great! It definitely took several trial-and-error foods to get one that worked for my pup too.