# I was hoping it wasn't the food causing the diarrhea



## eleni (Oct 10, 2013)

Have you taken him to the vet to exclude a parasite?


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## Calm dog (Sep 11, 2013)

Yes they did stool test on Monday . It showed nothing. I can do another one.


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## Rainheart (Nov 28, 2010)

What foods have you tried?? Fromm can often be too rich for puppies.


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## Calm dog (Sep 11, 2013)

That is the only one I tried. He was on it starting at eight weeks and then not until fifteen weeks did any problems occur.
I liked that there has been no recalls and no corn.
I could try another food, but I'm not sure which one .
Thanks.


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## Rainheart (Nov 28, 2010)

I would try a food that is not very rich. Proplan is one that I like- but there are plenty of others. I'm sure other people will chime in. Also, I'm not sure what type of fecal tests your vet runs, but it might be worth having them send one out to the lab to check for Giardia. It can be very hard to find on fecal samples in the hospital.


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## Calm dog (Sep 11, 2013)

Thanks I might try Proplan, I know many use it with success.
They sent out the stool sample so that's why I had to wait a few days. I could do another since the first doesn't always show up.
I just thought its weird how he was fine with the cooked chicken. If it was a parasite wouldn't it be constant and not related to what he's eating ?

How do you know if a food is considered too rich?
Thanks


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## Roushbabe (Feb 20, 2011)

Where I live, the Petsmart and Pet Supermarket will take back bags of food for free if your dog 'doesn't like' the food and 'won't eat it'. I would check with your local pet stores and that way you can try different foods to see what will work best for him. See what people suggest and do some reading on your own. 

This is a website that I used when searching for food that was good for Keisel. Dog Food Reviews and Ratings | Dog Food Advisor. It's great and very informative. I would bookmark it.


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## Calm dog (Sep 11, 2013)

Thanks. I will do that. I have read on Dog Food Advisor, but when the Fromm seemed to be working I just stopped looking. I had also put my little yorkie and chihuahua on it, so was ecstatic that I had a company that worked for everyone .
We had used Innova and Natural Balance organic for the little ones and when there was recalls I just cooked for them for the last six months. But when we got the puppy I thought I'd take a break from cooking


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## Calm dog (Sep 11, 2013)

Ok, we are going to the vet today. Hopefully they will help


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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

We had good success with Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy. I would stay away from the "grain free" type foods until Teddy is older. Often the grain free foods are too rich for puppies. Stick with the more traditional foods, like Eukanuba or ProPlan. Good luck.


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## Rainheart (Nov 28, 2010)

Not a fan of that website for dog food- feed what works for your dog..


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## samralf (Aug 11, 2012)

I had the same problem with my puppy and the Fromm. I switched to acana lamb and apple and I also give him a digestive enzyme to help. Maybe try a good quality enzyme before switching foods. I use mercola digestive enzymes.


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## Jennifer1 (Mar 31, 2012)

Neither one of my dogs did well on Fromm. I really wanted it to work since I like the food and know many dogs do well on it, but it caused diarrhea in both of my guys. Much worse in my 13yr old!

I switched Merrick and they are doing better. They always did well on Wellness, but I was looking for gluten free (more because if my issues, wellness has barley in it and I have celiac disease) I would have gone back to wellness if I couldn't find something gluten free they could eat.
Try switching foods


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## CharlieBear80 (Oct 13, 2013)

I'm sorry you are having a hard time pinning down what's causing the problem. As for foods, I had a GSD with a sensitive digestive system and he'd do fine on x food for a few years and then suddenly it would seem to start aggravating him and I'd have to switch again. The only things that I *know* upset his system and avoided were foods with chicken or turkey and foods with cheap fillers like wheat and corn. For this reason I still, even though that dog has since passed away, stick to foods with lamb, fish, venison, or bison as a protein source. Might be a good place to start.


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## Pammie (Jan 22, 2011)

So sorry you and Teddy had such a rough night! I've been there and can empathize with your frustration! There is a thread I started somewhere that chronicles our journey, but the bottom line is after weeks and weeks of puppy Bryley eating probiotics mixed with rice/chicken/cott cheez or prescription can ID and several attempts of sloooowly introducing dry food back in we finally had success!!! 
We have had good luck with ProPlan Sensitive Skin and Stomach. I learned about it here at GRF as many other members also feed it. Only downside is they have fishy breath right after eating and their poo has a distinctive odor! :uhoh:
Good luck!!


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## Calm dog (Sep 11, 2013)

Thanks so much for all of the helpful replies!
We went to the vet and she said to switch foods. She gave me some flagyl just in case, but since I told her he was fine on chicken and rice, she said it probably wasn't parasites.

I had no idea some people had issues with Fromm. Was it the Gold line? It's just strange that it could be fine for two months and then not.

I got some samples today. Will try them in a few days. Meanwhile, Teddy has had tons of energy, while I dragged through the day 
Thanks!


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## Goldenhopeful (Dec 21, 2013)

My parents golden suddenly couldn't tolerate tomato in her food... She also had mild IBS. My parents struggled with her for most of her puppyhood with diarrhea but then she just grew out of it. It was strange. Just thought I'd share my parents experience. Pic definitely go to the vet and see what they say. My parents ended up having to get special food from the vet and that seemed to work. And like I said she ended up growing out of it! Good luck... And your baby is absolutely adorable!


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## Calm dog (Sep 11, 2013)

Goldenhopeful said:


> My parents golden suddenly couldn't tolerate tomato in her food... She also had mild IBS. My parents struggled with her for most of her puppyhood with diarrhea but then she just grew out of it. It was strange. Just thought I'd share my parents experience. Pic definitely go to the vet and see what they say. My parents ended up having to get special food from the vet and that seemed to work. And like I said she ended up growing out of it! Good luck... And your baby is absolutely adorable!


Thank you! That is interesting . I guess it's unrealistic to think that the first food or two will work for a long time. He is such a good dog that I think I underestimate stressors in his life that also affect his tummy


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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

By the way, our last Golden, Chewy, had a touchy stomach. We fed her Science Diet Sensitive Stomach her entire life. Not a high rated dog food. She was the picture of health, lived to be 14+ years old and never had a sick vet visit. It makes me think sometimes to take the dog food ratings with a grain of salt.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

You're probably facing two situations that are combining to cause the pups problem, Giardia and Teething.

Giardia is very difficult to catch in a typical office test. (Most of the time it won't be detected.) Unless your pup lives in a plastic bubble it has almost certainly been exposed to giardia. Normally your pups immune system deals with it and keeps it in check. When teething starts the pup becomes a little stressed and that can depress the immune system enough that it loses control of the giardia and the runny poop starts. 

Stay with the chicken and rice for a few weeks to let his digestive tract settle down and stabilize. (No it won't happen in a day or two.) The chicken and rice mixture you're feeding is highly digestable so feeding it for a while isn't going to be the end of the world for the pup. After a couple of weeks of normal stools, try adding a small amount of kibble to the mix. It may take a couple more weeks to fully transition back to kibble. Pick a middle of the road kibble (Pro Plan, Euk, Nutrisource, etc). Stay away from the grain free diets as a lot of puppies simply don't handle them very well. 


DO NOT get on the "trying this and that" bandwagon. Pick something and stick with it. Puppies don't deal with changes in diet very well. Be aware that stress plays a big role in keeping a firm stool. Your pup is probably teething and that is a period of stress that will soften things up.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

I agree with Swampcollie- teething can cause these issues as well as odd things like one sided ear infections. I would also stick to a non-grain free kibble and don't switch back and forth between kibbles because switching without transitioning can cause soft stools. Talk to your breeder about what works best for his/her line at that age (and talk about the nutrient ratios that are so important for growing pups). We intentionally kept our puppy on what the breeder fed him to minimize stomach issues- he did well on it and thrived. 

Like Max's Dad, I don't rely on dog rating sites done by people who are not veterinary nutritionists. I also had a dog that developed digestive enzyme deficiencies at around age 5 and we found the prescription Hills Prescriptives ID kibble works the best for him, even though some self-proclaimed non-veterinary experts pronounce it garbage. As an example, had I kept him on Fromms (which I think is an excellent food for many dogs, don't get me wrong), I honestly don't think he'd be here today. It is all about what works best for the dog. 

I hope things improve for your baby soon!


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## Calm dog (Sep 11, 2013)

Max's Dad said:


> By the way, our last Golden, Chewy, had a touchy stomach. We fed her Science Diet Sensitive Stomach her entire life. Not a high rated dog food. She was the picture of health, lived to be 14+ years old and never had a sick vet visit. It makes me think sometimes to take the dog food ratings with a grain of salt.


Wow, 14 years! I'd be thrilled to have my dog live that long. I guess you're right. Some dogs can deal with simple, not fancy diets. 
Thanks!


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## Calm dog (Sep 11, 2013)

Swampcollie said:


> You're probably facing two situations that are combining to cause the pups problem, Giardia and Teething.
> 
> Giardia is very difficult to catch in a typical office test. (Most of the time it won't be detected.) Unless your pup lives in a plastic bubble it has almost certainly been exposed to giardia. Normally your pups immune system deals with it and keeps it in check. When teething starts the pup becomes a little stressed and that can depress the immune system enough that it loses control of the giardia and the runny poop starts.
> 
> ...


That is something I hadn't thought about. Yes, Definitley teething . I really don't like to try different foods as it is stressful to their system. I will stay on the simple chicken and rice. It makes me less stressed
I actually got to sleep last night from 11-7 so now everything seems more manageable!
Thanks


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## Calm dog (Sep 11, 2013)

Dallas Gold said:


> I agree with Swampcollie- teething can cause these issues as well as odd things like one sided ear infections. I would also stick to a non-grain free kibble and don't switch back and forth between kibbles because switching without transitioning can cause soft stools. Talk to your breeder about what works best for his/her line at that age (and talk about the nutrient ratios that are so important for growing pups). We intentionally kept our puppy on what the breeder fed him to minimize stomach issues- he did well on it and thrived.
> 
> Like Max's Dad, I don't rely on dog rating sites done by people who are not veterinary nutritionists. I also had a dog that developed digestive enzyme deficiencies at around age 5 and we found the prescription Hills Prescriptives ID kibble works the best for him, even though some self-proclaimed non-veterinary experts pronounce it garbage. As an example, had I kept him on Fromms (which I think is an excellent food for many dogs, don't get me wrong), I honestly don't think he'd be here today. It is all about what works best for the dog.
> 
> I hope things improve for your baby soon!


Awe thanks! He's fine today! Great advice too. That is great that your dog was able to deal with digestive enzyme problems.
Let's hope Teddy's poop stays good for a while. Lol
Thanks!


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