# Soft poop/diarrhea (yet another victim)-does Fortiflora work?



## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

Are you giving her an treats? After batteling worms (all kinds) and coccidia my puppy was still having loose stools..so I stopped giving her the cheap treats I was giving her and she was fine after a few days..then I gave her some and the stools became loose again soooo no more treats. Maybe this is your pups problem too?


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## Eleanor's Mom (Nov 6, 2009)

Eleanor had a bout of diarrhea and vomiting that she ended up at the vets for. There was something going around our town so the vet gave her some fluids and then a round of antibiotics. That made things a little better but she was still having several large soft stools a day. After two weeks of this the vet gave me a month's supply of fortiflora and we began to see improvements with in a day. It was gradual but with in a few days she was back to her normal self.


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## petlove (Apr 29, 2010)

Amy: yes, we do give her treats but are trying to limit them to one type. We're using Merrick's Lamb (I think they're called "Lamb Filet", but they're actually lamb lung - yuck, I know, but they told me they're easily digestible).

Eleanor's mom: thanks for the info. Fortiflora is definitely not working as quickly for us, but we'll give it some more time.


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## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

I maybe would cut all treats out and just give her pieces of her kibble for treats and see if ghe diarrhea clears up...it took a few dats for Hollys to stop.


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## IowaGold (Nov 3, 2009)

I would try switching diet. I'm not knocking the ProPlan, it's simply that not every dog does well on every diet. My first dog (now 12 1/2) was fed Pro Plan Turkey and Barley puppy food. Had diarrhea/soft stools nearly every night (got really old really fast having to let him out several times in the middle of every night). I mucked on like that for 3-4 months before changing his diet. Amazing change nearly over night. It's not that the Pro Plan was bad, it's just that he is sensitive to something in it.


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## 58loosy (Apr 18, 2010)

Could your pup be getting into something in your yard, such as wood chips or even twigs, I would definitely change foods, we put Lucy on california natural chicken for sensitive stomach. 
She is 9 mos. we had the same problem she didn't have giar. or worms but as hard as tried to get rid of all wood chips they would keep coming up from the dirt, we ended up cementing the rest of yard, and she doesn't have access to any plants. She still likes to pull twigs off of the trees and she will have I call the stool pudding, so I do rice for a day or throw in some rice with her food. I think she ate a nugget on a walk today, tonite pudding so I made some rice for morning. They say pumpkin is good but when she was small it didn't work. It is frustrating but with Lucy I'm sure what it is, do try different food but do it slowly, I think some pups have sensitive stomach, I am looking forward to the day she doesn't want to eat everything. Good luck, lets us know how your pup does.


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## petlove (Apr 29, 2010)

Sarah/IowaGold: May I ask what you switched to from Pro Plan Turkey & Barley that didn't cause problems? I do know that if/when I switch I need to do it very slowly....

Thanks!!

-Linda


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## petlove (Apr 29, 2010)

58Loosy: Good point about eating something in the yard. She does try to lick rocks (has NOT ingested any because I watch her like a hawk), but definitely ingests some dirt while doing so. I can't imagine that a little dirt would cause this much loose stool, but maybe I'm wrong. She just had yet another (I 4th or 5th one today) inside the house right in front of us, so she just couldn't hold it. When you give your pup rice, do you give it as a substitute for just one meal? Also, do you usually give it alone or with a little of the Ca. Natural? Thank you!!


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## 58loosy (Apr 18, 2010)

She has it bad, her stomach definitely needs to calm down, do rice alone and a little boiled chicken after a day or two, I worried about not getting nutrition but she will be fine, by having the loose stools she is loosing nutrition, I think you need to call your vet, that seems like too many times and she can't hold it, not good. Ask your vet if this isn't a good idea, I am surprsed he didn't tell you to do the rice/ chicken diet. Let me know, what is your pups name? Also you don't want her getting dehydrated, calling her she I don't know what you have, lol.


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## eeneymeanymineymo (Oct 5, 2009)

<<


petlove said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I have read numerous posts in this wonderful forum about Goldens with loose stools. My 4-month-old Golden has also suffered (as have I!) with this issue since we got her at 9 weeks. She was tested postitive for Giardia and Roundworm two days after we got her (from a reputable breeder, no less). >>
> 
> ...


>>




Good luck and hopefully you can start getting some sleep at night and your girl's stools become firmer!


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## 58loosy (Apr 18, 2010)

Sorry I just noticed you said she, now I just need a name, lol.


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## petlove (Apr 29, 2010)

Sorry 58loosy! Her name is Luna (and actually her face & coloring looks quite a bit like your Lucy!!). Thanks for the info.

Eeneymeanymineymo: Wow, that was great info. I really wonder if I haven't been over-feeding her the entire time we have owned her. I walk her quite a bit and play in the yard with her a lot, so she is not overweight. However, the vet initially told me to feed her whatever amount she was able to consume within about 20 minutes. That's been three cups (it used to be a bit less), but lately it's been more than three cups. If the problem is that simple, I can't believe it! I can't seem to find info on how many calories Goldens need at each age (except for the feeding guidelines on the bag of food which I know can be very deceiving). I will run all of this by the vet again (hopefully over the phone, as this is getting quite expensive!). I will keep everyone posted as I know I am not the only one with this issue.


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## eeneymeanymineymo (Oct 5, 2009)

petlove said:


> Sorry 58loosy! Her name is Luna (and actually her face & coloring looks quite a bit like your Lucy!!). Thanks for the info.
> 
> Eeneymeanymineymo: Wow, that was great info. I really wonder if I haven't been over-feeding her the entire time we have owned her. I walk her quite a bit and play in the yard with her a lot, so she is not overweight. However, the vet initially told me to feed her whatever amount she was able to consume within about 20 minutes. That's been three cups (it used to be a bit less), but lately it's been more than three cups. If the problem is that simple, I can't believe it! I can't seem to find info on how many calories Goldens need at each age (except for the feeding guidelines on the bag of food which I know can be very deceiving). I will run all of this by the vet again (hopefully over the phone, as this is getting quite expensive!). I will keep everyone posted as I know I am not the only one with this issue.



Not to contradict your vet but if I let my goldens consume as much as they could in 20 minutes - they would eat the whole bag of dog food! MOST goldens will finish their food very quickly and will eat more than what they really need if given the chance.

Every dog's needs are different when it comes to calories needed depending on age, weight and exercise level. Whether they are growing, or needing to lose, maintain or gain. This is a guideline I have found to work for goldens:

http://www.grccny.org/Feeding a Golden.htm
Here is a snip about how many calories:
<<HOW MANY CALORIES?

Here's a good rule of thumb, to be used as a starting point for an average dog (geriatric dogs and puppies will be the exceptions to this). You want to feed 290 calories for every 15 lbs. you think your dog should weigh. So if you figure an ideal weight for your dog should be 70 lbs. you will want to feed him around 1,350 calories per day. To find out how many cups of food that is, divide 1,350 by the number of calories in a cup of your food. If the caloric content of your kibble isn't listed on the bag, call the company and ask. They should have this information readily available.

For example, if you're feeding Innova Canine (which contains 556 calories per cup) you would do the following calculation to arrive at the number of cups to feed: 1,350/556 = 2.4 cups per day. You could round this to 2-1/2 cups, but if you find your dog isn't losing on this amount, or is staying a bit over weight, adjust that to 2-1/4 cups per day. Keep adjusting until you find the amount that keeps your dog at the desired weight. There should be no need to resort to canned pumpkin or Lite dog foods. Of course, puppies need more calories than this, and geriatrics will probably need less. But the above formula can be used as a starting point.

The lesson here is that too high a level of protein (for your dog, remember) will give him lots of energy - to the point of making him hyper and hard to live with - and keep him thin. Too little - particularly from animal sources - and your dog will become obese and encounter real health problems that will probably be labeled as allergies, or auto-immune problems or such. The trick is to find the right levels for your dog. It is my hope that this article will help you do this, and lead your dog to truly optimum health.>>

So, if you girl should weigh around 60 lbs. at maturity, then she should consume 1160 calories per day. The current food you have her on, ProPlan Selects Puppy is 443 calories per cup. 3 cups of this food would be 1329 calories. Looks like by my calculations, just over 2 1/2 cups of the Selects would be more likely what you should be feeding her - not 3 1/2 cups (1550 calories).

JMHO but I believe you my be overfeeding her. If you were to switch her to the ProPlan Sensitive Skin & Stomach, you could feed her 2 3/4 cups per day and stay within the 1160 calories with a lower protein 26% and 16% fat versus the puppy which is 28% protein and 18% fat.

Have you discussed any of this with your breeder? He/she may have valuable information to share with you that you might want to take into consideration above what your vet is advising you. If they have been breeding for sometime, they certainly have experience with what works for their goldens and can suggest what might be a solution for your girl as far as amounts fed, switching to adult food, etc.


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## IowaGold (Nov 3, 2009)

petlove said:


> Sarah/IowaGold: May I ask what you switched to from Pro Plan Turkey & Barley that didn't cause problems? I do know that if/when I switch I need to do it very slowly....
> 
> Thanks!!
> 
> -Linda


Keep in mind, that this was 12 years ago! I switched to Eagle Natural. I don't know if the food is as good now as it was back then-I know the company was sold at some point. I've since switched to raw feeding (about 10+ years ago), so I can't recommend a specific kibble that I currently feed.

There are LOTS and LOTS of good foods out there, unfortunately there isn't just one food that right for all dogs.


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## 58loosy (Apr 18, 2010)

Cute name, I was feeding Lucy 3 cups a day at that age but split 3 times a day, our you doing that? I went by what the bag said as a puppy I wasn't at first and she didn't gain what she should have so the vet said to go by what bag said, at this age they are growing and need the nutrition, then when she went to 2x a day I went to l cup 2x a day and that's what she will stay on, my other golden was on 2 cups a day and my sprnger is on that amount. Keep in touch. Love to see a pic. I am going to try to put up more but my daughter luckily got those up, not sure how she did it, lol.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

As for the forti flora, we've had success with it. It helped Barkley through all of his chemo treatments (not a single round of the runs) and has helped both dogs with eating indiscretions. We tired other probiotics and didn't help too much in the past. So we pay the $$$ for the little sachet packets.


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## theriot (Nov 25, 2009)

Payton was having the same stomach issues, soft stools, waking up in the night, even accidents in his kennel while we were at work. Took him to the vet, tested negative for worms. He was on the ProPlan for large breed puppies. I switched him to Innova LBP cold turkey since the guy at the feed store said it wouldn't really hurt him since he was already having loose stools. Almost overnight we saw a difference. 2 months later, his stools are fabulous. I can even tell he looks like a different dog. Amazing what simply changing his food could do. His is 6 months and 49 pounds and he get 2 cups twice a day. We also switched him to all natural treats, minus milkbones (he loves those too much) and eliminated rawhides. 

FYI - he did not like canned pumpkin either, gave it to him one time and he threw it up! I can totally relate to what you are going through, but it will get better, I promise!


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## Terri (May 28, 2010)

I would check your yard and also consider changing food. I finally figured out thru trial and error that my dog is sensitive or allergic to beef. I switched him to Holistic Blends and almost overnight improvement. Now the only time he gets diahrrea is when he snags a lizard or something in the yard. DOn't know where you live, but lizards and frogs will make them very sick. A buffino frog can kill them.


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## petlove (Apr 29, 2010)

You guys are all so awesome & helpful!! This is no fun, but I know I'm not alone.

Eeneymeany: Your posts have been extremely helpful. As of today, Luna has received only 3/4 cup at each feeding rather than a bit over 1 cup. So far, she's only had one stool that was much improved. Unfortunately, she often has few stools during the day and saves them for me at night, so tonight will tell. I'm still feeding her the Purina Pro Plan Select Turkey & Barley. I only want to change one thing at a time (right now quantity) so I know in the future what the heck causes her system to get wacky.

58loosey: yes, I have been splitting the 3.25 or so cups over a three-meal period, but based on what Eeneymeany said, I still think that may have been too much. I'll be more certain in a day or so.

EeneyMeany & Theriot: I'm going to put Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach and Innova LBP on my list of potential foods to talk to the vet about. I will also talk with her about QUANTITY, as I do think that her initial advice ("whatever she'll eat in a 20 minute period") was okay at 9 weeks old, but is most probably outdated now (Luna is much more ravenous now than she ever was, and if I followed that rule still I'd be in even bigger trouble). Theriot: which all-natural treats does your pup do well on?

Terri: no lizards and not many frogs in our area (Pacific NW). I am, however, keeping a good eye open for anything she may be picking up in the yard (moss, grass, etc). 

DallasGold: I hope your Barkley pulled through. I'll have to look for your posts to find out, but it is good to know that Fortiflora helps during chemo. I'll keep that in the back of my mind for future years (I hope I don't have a need to recall that piece of information, but I know cancer is common in Goldens).

Thank you all SO much. I'll keep you posted!

-Linda


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## eeneymeanymineymo (Oct 5, 2009)

Well, it sounds like she had a better day and *hopefully* you are having a better night tonight! Keep us posted on how she does over the next few days!


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## petlove (Apr 29, 2010)

Sunday update: Bummer, Luna was up again 4 times last night to go poop (all loose). She had two well-formed poops yesterday morning & afternoon, and I thought I was out of the woods. This seems to be the routine: poops are more firm in am. and get looser as day goes on, which leads me to believe it's the food - ?? She is now eating 3/4 cups of the Pro Plan Select 3x/day and is taking Fortiflora. (prior to Eeneymeany's advice she was eating a bit over 1 cup 3x/day). She had a total of 6 bm's yesterday (including overnight). I will keep you all posted on what the vet says, but I'm certain she will put her on Metronidazole (for the 3rd time since we got her 9 weeks ago). I am definitely going to switch foods. I will discuss with the vet the pros/cons of Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach; Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy food; and Innova LBD based on your recommendations. I am also going to ask about Tylan (based on another thread on this forum from an owner w/ similar problems). I can't imagine what is going on and why this is so off and on - that's what has me stumped. Thanks again and I'll keep you posted. - Linda


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

What sort of treats are you feeding? Could they be the culprit?


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## petlove (Apr 29, 2010)

Hi Dallas Gold, you make a good point about treats (an earlier post did as well). I am just starting to really analyze what I've been feeding her and am wondering if wheat could be the culprit. Her current food doesn't have wheat in it, but some of the treats we have given her do. And, since her stool issues are so on-and-off (last night she didn't wake up once, but the night before 4 times needing to go out with loose stools), it seems like it could possibly be from treats since we don't feed her the same treats each day. Another thread reco'd keeping a food/stool journal (this is what my life has come to!!), and I think that would be a great idea. She's only a little over 4 months old, and from what I've read food allergies at that age are uncommon. Maybe she just has an intolerance to something - ? We go to the vet tomorrow and I am going to try to get some more answers, but I just know she's going to recommend Metronidazole again. I wish the test for Giardia were more reliable, b/c she keeps testing neg. but I understand there are lots of false negs. 

I'll keep you all posted.


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## petlove (Apr 29, 2010)

Dallas Gold: One more thing. I just searched your posts and read about your Barkley. I am so sorry you lost such a great boy. He sounds (and looks) like an absolute angel!! It is so kind of you to be answering a post by an owner with a problem (me) so soon after losing your boy. I truly appreciate it. You're also obviously a very special family to have adopted Barkley (and Toby to boot)! Thanks for your advice. I WILL for sure always remember about the Forti Flora helping with chemo.


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## theriot (Nov 25, 2009)

Petlove: As far as the all-natural treats go, I have been buying several different types. There was one in particular (can't remember the brand name) that was for puppies with sensitive tummies (it had yogurt, apple & cranberries). He LOVED them. I would suggest going to your local feed store and talking to them. When I went, I spoke with the manager and he gave me many suggestions that my vet didn't even suggest. I would say this is when I noticed Payton's progress, changed food (amount & brand) and his treats. He now only goes twice a day and they are completely different than before (if you know what i mean, lol!) Please let me know what the vet says, I hope everything goes ok.


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## petlove (Apr 29, 2010)

Theriot: Thanks for that. I will store that information for a few weeks from now because......

Luna was up again 3x with diarrhea last night. We went to the vet today & had a long discussion and here is our action plan (for anyone else with this problem) - BTW, Luna is a bit over 4 months old and weighs 32 pounds. You should probably discuss this with your vet before doing this!!!

For one week I will be feeding her baked potato with cottage cheese. For treats, she's going to have some Purina Hypoallergenic treats (can't remember the name). She'll also be having Metronidazole (antibiotic) for three weeks (along with Fortiflora (probiotic) to keep her system in balance). Then, after one week, I will be adding back her current kibble (don't want to change anything yet I guess) at the rate of 3-4 pieces per meal per day (so by day three, she can have about 12 pieces of kibble at each meal). Now THAT is slow but that's what the vet recommended. She won't have any other treats, bones, bully sticks, and hopefully not any dirt or grass either  By hopefully resting her gut with the potatoes/cottage cheese and then by slowly reintroducing her food and removing her from the antibiotic we'll be able to see if her system: (1) Never recovered from the Giardia (she tests negative, but I understand this can really mess up their gut); (2) Is having a problem with her food; or (3) Something else is going on bacteria-wise w/ her intestines that we'd need to look into further or (4) Lack of a pancreatic enzyme - this would be indicated none of the actions above work.

Thank you everyone!! I will keep you posted. Hopefully this will help someone in future because this is no fun for me or the Luna girl!! Of course, please check with your vet because this is not much nutrition for the week


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## petlove (Apr 29, 2010)

I wanted to give an update on Luna's loose poop/diarrhea issues so that others may be helped in the future.

Knock on wood, about 4 weeks after starting this "trial", Luna's poops are awesome! (never, ever thought I'd be saying that about poop). Here's a quick summary of what we did (PLEASE check with your vet, at least over the phone) (this was when Luna was a bit over 4 mos & about 32 lbs):

~ 2.5 cups boiled potatoes mixed with 1 cup rinsed low-fat cottage cheese, 3x/day, for one week. For treats, ONLY Purina Gentle Snackers.

Next two weeks gradually lowered the amount of potatoes/cott. cheese & gradually added her original kibble (Purina Pro Plan Selects - didn't want to change too much at one time) until we were up to only about 3/4 cup of kibble, or a bit more, 3x/day. By the way, the original plan of adding 3-4 pieces of kibble for each meal per day (see earlier post) was way too slow - it would have taken over 2 months for her to be totally switched over to kibble. My vet changed that to moving her back to kibble over a two week period

Metronidazole for the entire 3 weeks (twice/day).

Fortiflora (once/day) for the entire three weeks & she's still on this. This needs to be done at least one hour apart from the Metronidazole-type drug.

Caveat: I took Luna to the vet after the three week period & she was up to about 41 lbs. That is significant weight gain (she started this at 32 lbs), but during the past week when she's been on kibble only she seems to have trimmed down a bit - I can feel her ribs a bit more easily. So - either it was a little too much potato/cott. cheese or she was just "sprouting out" before "sprouting up".

Her stools are now consistently pick-up-able and she hasn't gotten up at night to go. I still am only feeding her the Gentle Snackers treats, but will try to add one new treat at a time in a couple days. Haven't given any bully sticks or other ingestible chew products, just toys.

I really hope this helps someone. That problem was truly no fun for either of us!!


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## petlove (Apr 29, 2010)

One more important addition: Luna's stools were not completely better until she was back on kibble only. The overnight diarrhea immediately went away when we started this, but her stools were still fairly soft while on the potato/cott. cheese.


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## suemarc (Jun 24, 2010)

I have given my goldens sweet potato and pumpkin


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## petlove (Apr 29, 2010)

suemarc-I have heard lots about pumpkin for helping short-term diarrhea, but do you know if it helps an ongoing loose stool problem?


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## sdain31y (Jul 5, 2010)

Our rescue Jazz has battled loose stools since we adopted her almost 9 months ago. Finally, she seems to consistently have firm, well formed poops (I'm sure you're not surprised we kept a journal of what went in and what went out, times, amounts, descriptions, etc. during the worst of it). She was diagnosised positive for giradia in the beginning and went thru multiple regimes of Metronidazole and eventually was given Panacur for a week followed by another 3 day dosage in 10 days. This seemed to help the most. 
We've had her on Blue Buffalo lamb & rice for awhile and last month switched to Blue's Basic Turkey Formula w/ canned Blue turkey. She gets Standard Process whole body supplements and an immune booster from the same, salmon oil, conditron and a tablespoon of Breakstone Live Active cottage cheese with probiotics. Her normal treats are sweet potato fries, Trader Joe's low fat peanut butter treats and peanut butter to get any medicines down. 
We have noticed stress adversely affects her stools as does some medicines (like the sedation she had for x-rays recently). Her regular vet and recently an orthopedic vet both recommended trying her on Hill's ZD. We know she has a suppressed immune system and they think this might further help her digestive system.
I think discovering the right recipe of food, treats, etc for each dog is somewhat trial and error. Hope this helps. :crossfing


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## petlove (Apr 29, 2010)

Thanks for the info, Jazz's mom! How old was Jazz when you adopted her?

Luna's poops are good now about 75% of the time. I think you're right about stress causing some loose stools. Also, exercise seems to do it to Luna as well, but that's probably not a bad thing. 

I've heard that Blue Buffalo is rich and causes loose stools in lots of dogs (it's on this forum quite a bit). Could that have been contributing to the problem? The food Luna is on right now has 18% fat, and I look forward to switching to adult food (she's only 5.5 months), as I think a lower fat food will further help. 

Best of luck!!


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## sdain31y (Jul 5, 2010)

Morning Petlove,

Jazz was approximately 6 mths when we adopted her. 

I'd read several postings here and other places about Blue, but Jazz's litter mate was on a completely different food and having the same problems. Also, she would have nice firm "normal" poops occassionally. So, in an effort to only change one thing at a time - the product of my analytical, type-A personality - we added/subtracted the needed medications and didn't change the food. Once she was off the meds, her poops are firm 98% of the time. We laugh cause that's a constant topic of conversation for my husband and I "how's her poopies" or "good poopies?" 

We did put her on adult food, at the vet's recommendation the first week we had her.

Also, Jazz has an obviously compromised immune system. Due, I believe to the poor breeding by the person she was rescued from, poor care and nutrition before she was rescued, etc - she and approx. 6 breeding females, a stud and several litters of pups of varying ages were locked in a garage 24/7! She's experienced several problems as a result: demodetic mange, mouth warts, etc. And with that in mind, her Vet's recommend trying Hill's ZD. Tis is a common treatment for inflammatory bowel disease, an auto-immune problem. 

She loves the sweet potato treats and like pumpkin, its supposed to help their digestive system. And, they don't have a lot of "stuff" in them either. The spoonful of Live Fit cottage cheese from Breakstone has the probiotics and she likes it better then yogurt. It helps replace the good flora that meds destroy. Its an easier way for her to get them instead of another supplement or powder.


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## scottie (Oct 1, 2007)

Hi petlove, I have just read through this post this morning, I'm glad you seem to have found a solution to your pups problem.
I think some goldens seem to have sensitive stomachs, my 3yr old Charlie does, even though he is a greedy devil  I fed him the same food for the first two years and he did well on it, but through the last year he has various bouts of runny stools, and vomiting, tested negative for allergies so I am wondering if the dry food has changed. I use Arden Grange which is a good food but doesn't seem to be agreeing with him anymore, strangely enough my friends dog is fed it too and she is having runny poo as well. It's not pleasant getting up to a pile of mess in the morning is it :uhoh:
I am giving Charlie rice and chicken again (which he loves!) but I think I will need to change his food too.
Otherwise, how is your pup coming on, they are great fun at that age aren't they?


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## petlove (Apr 29, 2010)

Jazz's mom: thanks for all that info (I'm an analytical, Type-A person as well). How amazing of you to have adopted Jazz. Poop pups!!!!! How someone can do that to dogs is incomprehensible. Just a completely different mindset. I'm so glad Jazz is in good hands now, and here's to more good poops! (my husband & I are constantly talking about dog poop too...)

Scottie, sorry to hear you are going through this with Charlie!!! I have read other posts where a company did indeed change their food formula, and if your friend is having the same problem w/ their dog maybe that's the problem. You could even post a new thread & see if anyone else on the forum has the issue. Yes, you are right that Luna is at a great age!! Trying to get her to swim right now (she'll go in the lake but only as long as she can touch). I have high hopes for her this summer  Best of luck & keep us posted. Smart of you to rest Charlie's gut w/ chicken/rice. I think that's what really got us through the worst of it w/ Luna.


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## hmburg (May 27, 2008)

I got Newton since he was 7 and a half weeks old and he had constant soft stools for months (like soft ice cream). He got worse (diarrhea) so the vet did a lot of test on him and many different round of antibiotics (same as most of yours). We found he had salmonella and fixed that issue but like your dog he never had the perfect stool anyway. We tried different food and nothing was working well (duck, lamb, chicken, you name it). The vet put him on Low Residue food (the Iams vet one) and his stool got better and after much research I tried to gave him "Orijen" (green bag, mainly fish). After a couple of months I was mixing 1/2 Low Residue 1/2 Orijen. When he got a little bit older, I continued on adding more Orijen and less Low Residue, which worked very well. A couple of month ago I was able to drop the Low Residue totally.
As of today Newton is 2 years old and his stools are great almost all the time. Once in a while I get the occasional "not so great stool" but he seemed to have done very well on the Orijen and grew a bit out of the digestive issue. I think some dogs just have weaker digestive system than others. Good luck to you. I hope Luna will grow out of it too.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

My brother's puppy Blue went through the same digestive issues. They too went to the vet for treatment and got pills/injections etc. Blue would be fine on the meds, then as soon as he was off them, he'd get loose poops - like runny, watery consistency. They stopped giving him any treats and just used kibble as treats - he was on Acana Large Breed Puppy and getting 3 cups spread out in three meals a day. He STILL had the runs and was sooo skinny and hungry all the time for 2 months and my brother and his girlfriend were at their wit's ends since every trip to the vet did nothing the second Blue was off medication. 

They put him on the bland diet of hamburger/potato or chicken/rice and his poops were firm again. They'd try to add the kibble and transition back to just kibble SUPER slowly, and his poops would go soft. They finally realized that even on the bland diet, when he was getting chicken and RICE, his poops weren't as firm as the hamburger and potato. They tried chicken and potato - he was fine. They tried hamburger and rice - soft poops again. It was the RICE!

We checked the bag of Acana and rice was one of their main ingredients. Blue was 5/6 months and they swapped him over to Orijen 6 fish, who's main ingredient was potato (with no transition phase since the Acana was giving him runs anyway), and his poops firmed up in a day - he's rarely had runny poop since then and it's been almost 9 months. (The only time he gets soft poop now is when he's been eating a bone or gets too many treats, like most dogs). 

I'd recommend you check not just the meat ingredients, but the grains too. Does your pup do better when her meat is mixed with potato or with rice? Then check the food bag and see what's used in it. Ranger is good with any meat product (duck, lamb, chicken, bison, fish, etc) but I've just found out he gets really itchy and his ears get infected when he's on a food that has rice OR oats in it. His poop is fine (stomach of steel) but it affects him in other ways. We're just about to switch from Acana to Wellness Core, so he's going back to grain-free.

For Ranger, when I switched him from Iams to Orijen when I first got him, he had soft to runny poops for WEEKS, even with a sloooow transition. It took 2 months before his poop was solid on just Orijen. Now, he can swap between any food of similar quality since his system is used to the grain-free, nutrient dense kibble. If a food does cause him to get the runs now, I know it doesn't agree with his system and I swap it. 

Oh and when Ranger was at the vets when he was sick in March (non stop diarrhea and vomiting every hour), she said to give him the bland diet until he had TWO normal solid poops. He had one solid poop, then later in the day he had a softer than usual one, but I was anxious to get him back on the kibble and I thought, "well, it wasn't RUNNY so it's solid enough..." Big mistake. He got the runs again and it was another week of bland diet before he had two normal bowel movements in a row. Lesson learned.


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## nancy3909 (Apr 7, 2010)

I'm having the same problem with my three year old. I am going to take him back to the vet tomorrow. What questions should I ask? He did a stool sample two weeks ago and everything was normal


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## sdain31y (Jul 5, 2010)

More to the point, what questions should you expect the Vet to ask?

Has he gotten in any trash, scraps, different food, bones, rawhides? Has he been stressed - good or bad? Has he drank from or swam in a pond, lake, the ocean. Drank from a puddle? Been exposed to other dogs? When is his stools the worst? Do they smell worse then usual - I know an odd questions, but when they have giardia the stools have a horrid smell. What do the stools look like: soft serve, runny, lots of mucus, blood, foreign matter? What is the color compared to normal: lighter, darker, etc? How's his appetite? Is he drinking? More or less then usual? Does he act like he feels ok? or a little puny? Is he throwing up? When? Right after eating with lots of undigested food? or later in the day with yellow liquid? 

The more information that you can provide, the better the Vet can Dx the problem. When Jazz's problem seemed unsolvable we kept a diary of everything (I mean every little taste!) that went in and came out. Times, amounts, specifics to size, shape, firmness and smell, if different. Also how she acted and seemed. I even put whether I heard her stomach at night when we were in bed or whether she seemed to sleep easy. Its Jazz's Poopie Diary! It seems extreme, but it provided some insight to us and the vet.

Another odd thing about bland diets - Jazz doesn't do well on chicken at all, so chicken and rice is out! Who'd thought? Our solution turned out to add to the problem. Jeez! Ground turkey is ok, as well as ground beef for her. Figured that out from the diary!

We also give her a tablespoon of cottage cheese with probiotics instead of powders or pills. She doesn't like yogurt, but we notice it really helps. Sometimes its hard to find, but worth the effort.

Good luck. Post what you find out at the vets.


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## hmburg (May 27, 2008)

Stool sample never brought any result. Bacterial culture though was a revelation! Good luck.


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## GoldenDoll (Apr 26, 2010)

I just want to thank everyone for their input in this thread. It's been so helpful hearing other stories similar to Dolly's, and it's given me some ides on how to approach her poop escapades. Thanks again, especially PetLove!


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## nancy3909 (Apr 7, 2010)

Thanks Jazz's mom. My vet checked his stool sample, again. Blood panel, and giardia test. Everything is normal. He's now on panacur for 5 days, repeat in three weeks, and then in 3 months. FortiFlora once a day and an extremely expensive venison and potato diet. No treats. I have some friends who had a little bit of venison in their freezer so I'm using that while I train him. So far his stool has been more solid so I'm thinking maybe he shouldn't have chicken. He's not eating very much of his food right now and has lost 3 pounds. I lost a golden in April and then another one in June, so I'm kind of freaking out about this.


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## sdain31y (Jul 5, 2010)

*Treats*

Nancy3909,

Wow! You had a tough time of it this year. To be truthful, we were freaking out about this too. We had just about every tests/panel run I could hunt up on the internet and the the vet agreed with. The good thing was we didn't really find anything, the bad news was we didn't really find anything. :doh: I have heard that most of the pups out of this person's operation share similar problems, although the reasons for it are unclear. Crap for genes and crap for immune system.

Anyway, treats. If you are using the venison and potato food, you could probably give him sweet potatoes as a treat. Most places sell the dog treats made of sweet potatoes. Jazz loves them. I buy the fries and cut them into small pieces. Not the best training treats since they have to chew them, but for other times they work. Also, Jazz's other love is peanut butter so I used homemade peanut better training treats and oddly enough little pieces of homemade bread (it had yeast, flour, salt and water).

Good luck! I'll be hoping for good poopies your way!!!!


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## petlove (Apr 29, 2010)

Quick update for anyone still suffering from the loose poop/diarrhea: It has been over a month since we stopped the potato/cottage cheese "diet" for Luna and she is still doing well (knock on wood). MOSTLY formed stool, but a loose one just every once in a while. It really does seem that we needed to rest her gut for that time period. I don't feel that the three weeks on Metronidazole is what really "cured" her since she had been on it twice before, but I guess I'll never know. I've also been mainly sticking with one type of treat - can't remember the exact name, but it's made by Merrick & it's made out of lamb lung (ick, I know). It's very easy to break into small pieces & they eat it quickly so it's good for training. She tolerates these well.

Unfortunately, Luna is now 6.5 months & the vet is recommending that I get her onto adult food, so that means a change. I will transition over two weeks. I'm not certain which food I'll choose. The vet recommends Purina Pro Plan for adult dogs (she's been on Purina Pro Plan Selects for puppies). I realize that many people feel that Purina foods aren't the highest quality foods, but I tend to trust my vet. I will do some research tonight and work with the guidelines that eenymeany mentioned earlier in the post.

Glad some people have been helped by this thread. I hope more people can benefit. I absolutely LOVE this forum.

-Linda


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## Balto (Nov 26, 2014)

Hi here is our sweet little golden.. he has had bad diarrhea for a week. We tried everything : bland diet - going to the vet - fortiflora and he still has diarrhea. he tested negative for parasite and we are wondering how long will this last.. 
Could it just eventually stop. We are still giving him fortiflora with his food. 
We got him 2 weeks ago and he had no problem for the first week. Loving and digesting his dog food without any problems. 
Has anyone else had this happened to their puppy?
Thanks so much in advance for your help


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

My previous golden was like that as a pup and after several trips to the vet and canned I/D for a week, I gradually switched him to a lamb and rice formula and he started having solid stools. Might be worth a try for your baby. There might be something in his dog food that he is sensitive too even if he tolerated it before.
I take it the vet also had a stool sample sent out testing for Giardia or coccidia? That should be the first thing ruled out besides the regular parasites and of course Parvo - if blood is present.


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## Balto (Nov 26, 2014)

Hi here is our sweet little golden.. he has had bad diarrhea for a week. We tried everything : bland diet - going to the vet - fortiflora and he still has diarrhea. he tested negative for parasite and we are wondering how long will this last.. Could it just eventually stop. We are still giving him fortiflora with his food. We got him 2 weeks ago and he had no problem for the first week. Loving and digesting his dog food without any problems. Has anyone else had this happened to their puppy? Thanks so much in advance for your help


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