Guest Anonymous Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Just got my new beagle pup on sunday. He was being fed Nutro Ultra puppy food and was fine, firm stool, etc. I switched him gradually to Innova puppy with a 50/50 Nutro - Innova mix. After the switch, he has loose and very smelly stools and itchy skin(he bites at his legs and tail). I read a review of Innova where someone had the same problems. Is it possible that the Innova is causing these problems? Can I add something to his food that will help with his issues like yogurt, etc. First time dog owner needs help :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDG Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 innova is a very high-quality, nutrient dense food and some dogs don't do well switching over from a less concentrated kibble. if you started out mixing the old and the new food 50/50 that might have been way too fast, causing stomach upset. it's better to start out with only 1/4 or even less of the new food mixed in with 3/4 of the old and very gradually increasing the amounts of the new food in the mix over a few days. i have noticed that a common cause for loose stools (or even diarrhea) when switching to innova is simply overfeeding. so reducing the amount of food a little overall might not be a bad idea. i wouldn't be too concerned about the stool being smelly, sometimes the body takes a while to fully adjust. if you need something to combat diarrhea, buy some canned pumpkin (plain pumpkin, not the pie filling premix!) and add about a tablespoon to each meal. this remedy also works for constipation should you ever have the need. you can buy a can and divide it up into several portions and freeze what you don't need immediately. are you feeding innova puppy or adult? it is certainly possible that the innova could cause a reaction, but i would find it rather unlikely. it is a very high quality food and lacks all the ingredients that typically cause problems. have you checked for fleas? has he been exposed to blooming plants he might not be used to? do you feed anything else but dog food? any treats? did you apply any topical treatments for fleas or ticks? shampoo? it might be easier to get to the root of the problems with some more background info than just the food. adding a bit of cultured yogurt to a meal once a day is generally a good idea, even for healthy animals without any problems. you can read more about that here: [url]http://www.mordanna.com/dogfood/index.php?page=probiotics[/url] hope this helps a bit. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 That helped a lot! His stools are getting way better now. It's a caramel color and was nice and firm this morning. I feed him, Innova puppy, 1/2 cup three times a day and soak it with a little hot water and wait for it to cool. He's about 7lbs. and looks a little skinny(I can see where his rib cage begins from the top, but not any ribs). There are alot of flowers and plant life where I live and he has sniffed alot of that aswell. I also considered it might be allergies or something outside because sometimes his eyes are a little red. I did check for fleas and didn't see any. And I give him half a Old Mother Hubbard Liver treat when he potties outside. The treats are the same manufacturer as Wellness so I got those. I haven't got any Frontline yet, but I will soon... thanks again for all the info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDG Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 well, looks like it cleared up then. :) glad to hear that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted May 7, 2004 Share Posted May 7, 2004 [quote name='TDG']well, looks like it cleared up then. :) glad to hear that![/quote] ugh the loose stool was back tonite.. I'm at a loss.. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDG Posted May 7, 2004 Share Posted May 7, 2004 have you tried the pumpkin? it really does work well. also i just read over your post again, if he weighs 7 pounds and you feed 1/2 cup of innova puppy 3 times a day, you are feeding [b]way[/b] too much!!! that is a total of 750 kilocalories a day, an amount more suitable for a puppy over twice that weight. please be aware that overfeeding a puppy isn't only going to lead to obesity, it can also lead to orthopedic problems from excess mineral intake (especially calcium). a food switch always has quite an impact on a pet's system, and some are a little more sensitive than others, especially if you aren't mixing the new food with the old for a few days - but in your case i think overfeeding is the main problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted May 7, 2004 Share Posted May 7, 2004 When I told my vet i fed him 1/2cup three times a day he said that was about right :niewiem: He's up to 9lbs. now but I think he looks a little skinny. Definitely not on the chubby side. I gave him a tablespoon of pumpkin this morning, but he didn't finish his breakfast. I don't know if he doesn't like it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDG Posted May 7, 2004 Share Posted May 7, 2004 vets are generally not very educated when it comes to nutrition - what they learn is generally what the pet food companies tell them. he probably doesn't know the caloric content of the food, which varies widely in different brands. most "mainstream" puppy foods have about 1/3 less calories than the innova. feeding more doesn't necessarily mean that your dog can and does utilize all the extra nutrients. when overfed, most dogs only put on weight but many develop diarrhea. the fact that your puppy is lean is a good thing. a lot of people tend to overfeed their dogs, especially as puppies. there is a very distinct difference between "lean" and "thin" or "underweight". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted May 8, 2004 Share Posted May 8, 2004 thanks alot for your help!.. I've since reduced his portions down to a little over 1/3 a cup 3 times a day and his poop has been good so far. Hope it holds up.. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDG Posted May 8, 2004 Share Posted May 8, 2004 great! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 i just started my aussie on wellness and shes doing ok and next week will be picking my lab pup and will be putting him on the puppy wellness.dana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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