Food and its effects on poo

[Southpaw]

She has been on TOTW--granted, I don't remember what formula it was and she was just a young puppy... but after having issues with it once, I'm hesitant to try it again.

Along with the probiotics I've decided to switch her over to Blue Buffalo. So far so good but it's still early, and she's certainly still getting predominately the Natural Balance. She hasn't been gassy these past couple days (I'm hoping that's the probiotic) which is HUGE for her... normally I have to bust out the Febreze. Which I think is also another sign that her digestive system was a little wonky. I've been around gassy dogs, it is common with boxers, but she could literally clear a room.

She had some icky poop at the dog park today but I think the excitement will always do that to her. Or maybe it was the nasty pond water she drank.

 

[Claybuster]

I'm not sure that potato is necessarily better than rice for all dogs, despite our (I include myself here!) obsession with grain free.

It's not better. Yes, there is an obsession with grain-free, brought about by slick advertising and crafty marketing. Reality is, the fiber from plants holds no advantage over the fiber from grain. When it comes to fiber, less is best for dogs. People are fooled by the innocent numbers. 5% fiber for example is huge because they calculate on a dry matter basis, not hydrated in the stomach. Beet pulp for example can expand up to 200% when hydrated in the stomach, representing a much larger portion in the diet as opposed to what the innocent numbers lead you to believe.
Feed a ration with higher concentrations of meat and fat protein and less fiber and carb, and your dogs stools will become smaller and more compact.
Charlie