Hi has anyone got any suggestions on a food, either complete or something to add to their current food that will harden my dogs poos, both of them have slightly loose droppings. they are fed jwb with sardines added every few days- i would rather not change their food but just add something to it. any ideas?

I find tripe usually does the job ;)

I'm sorry but if loose motions on JWB I would try something else.  I tried JWB and my 2 cockers were terrible on it.  I swapped to Burns lamb and rice and now have poo like rocks.  To have loose motions continually suggests to me that something in the food don't sit well IYSWIM. 

edited to add I also give sardines regularly with the Burns and still solid rock like poo!!!

they have been on burns, hills, wainrights, chappie dry and beta- all no luck!!

how long were they on Burns and which variety?

must admit mine are solid on burns :)

Chappie (wet tinned) and chicken wings! Both firm my girl up every time and also happen to be her favourite foods! Try mixing in a bit of Chappie with their complete and if you think they would be ok with them, maybe a couple of chicken wings a week (make sure they don't just swallow them whole.) However, if you have continued problems with jwb then maybe consider trying something else. Have you tried CSJ?

I had one of mine on jwb turkey and rice and she had bouts of diarrhoea now and again.
I changed to JWB turkey and veg with no rice and she has had no trouble since,in fact ive been so pleased with it im going to put other girl on it as well. HTH.

My pup was dreadful on burns, royal canin was the only thing that worked.

One of mine has a sensitive tummy, and does like to pebble dash the garden sometimes, I found Arden Grange, on it's own, nothing else with it, worked fine for him, poops firm, no free pebble dashing anymore! :-)

well our new gsd's poo is a little soft not to bad and also wasnt eating a great deal so after reading this post the other day ,ive been out and got some tripe (frozen) gave her a small amont to her food (after defrosting) and some today ....well tonight she has had the runs :( its all over the garden :( so no more of that for her ....when her tum as settled i will try chappie.

To both the OP and white lilly :)

if a dog has loose or sloppy motions there is a reason - you should try to establish why before proceeding.  The most common reasons are

(a) the diet the dog is on does not suit that particular dog;

(b) the dog is being over fed;

(c) the dog has a medical problem which could take us through the alphabet and back again so potentially more complex.  Best to start off easy with treating as a mild tummy bug. 

IMO the first step regardless of any of the above is to fast for 24 hours *after the last episode of loose stools and/or sickness* not just 24 hours since last meal.  Whatever the cause of the upset, this gives the digestive system time to slow down and heal.  Over-active digestive systems cause inflammation in the gut/colon and if you don't give the GI system a break from the problem it is less likely that you will fix the problem - with or without a medical cause.

Thereafter it's bog standard advice of steamed fish or chicken with added starchy rice for a couple of days and then very gradually reintroduce a suitable food.

Now the tricky bit - if this has been ongoing for some time the chances are the food you're using doesn't suit the dog.  By adding something to the existing food/diet all you're doing is adding another problem to an already unsettled digestive system - why do that?  It makes no sense.   If you found yourself to be sensitive to, for example, red meat - would you continue to eat red meat simply with more potato, perhaps added veg or would stop eating the red meat?

These dogs have a problem - it may not be a major problem it is very likely something which can be tweaked BUT it has to be looked at sensibly and thoroughly and in the event that neither is in need of medical treatment for a bug or physical disorder then frustrating though it can be to work out, you need to work out which ingredients do not suit your dog(s).

Whoops, off on a tangent so time out :-D

i know what the prob is ...when we got her her poos were fine she keeps grabing other dogs food when im not looking lol so that makes her poo softer lol .....she wasnt eating very much (she wanted other food ) so i gave her tripe in it and she woofed her food down :) so its the tripe and other dogs food thats doing it :)

So why are you going to add Chappie?

Hi Qwerty,

I absolutely echo Teri's post for its sound, realistic,informed and sensible advice. It is the age old dilemma of 'one dog's meat is another dog's poison!' that goes with listening to others food recommendations. Health & Digestive system should be checked first as Teri says.

    Just one thing that stood out to me was that you mentioned you feed sardines every few days.. I must admit I personally consider once a week at very most. (Mine have them on a 10 day rotation) I have a Siberian with a very delicate digestive system and any more than this sends him explosively loose! I always use either fresh Sardines or tinned Sardines in Spring water (from Sainsburys blue tin) If I feed the ones in oils or sauce.. hey presto exploding Diarrhoea again :(

HTH? Good luck and keep us posted won't you.

just to add to food to get her to eat it ....as its kind on the tum ...i dont want to upset her as shes not use to having anything eles only her kibble , we only had her 2weeks and i dont want to change it ,it does suit her ....she just wants to eat the other dogs food and this dont suit her ...just like kids want what carnt have lol

Hi Gwerty
Assuming you have adult-ish dogs I would do as Teri suggests and do the 24 hour starvation.  Ensure that they take on plenty of fluids - add a drop of goats milk or honey to their water if necessary.  You then have two options.  Either, drop the sardines for a week or two and see what happens on the JWB alone,  or start an exclusion diet straight away.    To do the exclusion diet, you need to look at the ingredients in the JWB that you use, identify the prime protein source and feed that and that alone (ie chicken, fish or whatever) - check the results.  Then add the carb element to it (ie rice or potato) - check the results.  Then add anything else that JWB may contain - check the results.  As soon as you get a reaction, you have identified your problem.  Some people however can feed the raw constituents but for whatever reason their dogs are not tolerant of the processed food, in which case you would need to revise your feeding protocol.

Barf is also very good for firming up faeces, due to the bone content. Something you may want to consider if you don't get a conclusive result from the above.

I really wasn't going to do this.  I'd tried to forget about it.  It didn't work so ...... here I go ....... feet first ...

Hi again white lilly,

My question was :- So why are you going to add Chappie?

To which you answered:-

> just to add to food to get her to eat it ....as its kind on the tum ...

I have a feeling I may be sorry I asked this :-p  But I gotta do it ......  

What makes you think it's going to be kind on this particular dog's tum?

lol i dont till i try ,but its somthing i have already got in...so i will have to see .and if it suits her and she eats more food then all good if it dont then ill take it from there...shes only 4months and she needs to eat the kibble she was on when we got her as i said that does suit her and i dont want to change it ...she only eats afew kibbles and then runs to get the other dogs there food...ive tried feeding her on her own and that dont work ...

can i plz ask why your saying ......

I really wasn't going to do this.  I'd tried to forget about it.  It didn't work so ...... ...... here I go ....... feet first ...

AND............................................I have a feeling I may be sorry I asked this   But I gotta do it ......  

i didnt ask for any help reguarding  my pup i was just saying what had happend after adding the tripe to her food thats all ....

> lol i dont till i try ,but its somthing i have already got in...so i will have to see

I had a feeling you may say that but just wanted to be clear ......

In the two weeks you've had her she's had a lot of stress - entirely normal and pretty much unavoidable.  She's had a change in surroundings, the sights, sounds, scents, dogs and humans that were familiar to her have all gone - stress causes dicky tums.  If she came from any great distance away, she's also had a change in water.  Changes in water cause dicky tums.  She's been sampling food other than she's used to, with and without permission.  This causes dicky tums. 

Please, please, please don't take offence but do take advice.  Rest her system - at 4 months 12 hours is probably enough.  Give her at least 36 hours of bland, boiled, steamed or poached white fish or chicken with some starchy rice.  Then gradually reintroduce her original kibble that you feel genuinely confident she is OK on.  Don't add ANYTHING to the kibble other than a little warm (pre-boiled) water to make it more digestible and aromatic.  Stick with it for at least a week even if she isn't enthusiastic on the proviso her motions are normal - i.e. firm, formed, easily lifted. 

If the loose motions return then obviously even if this food suited her before it no longer does - which could well be due in part to the messing around with food whether or not by approval.  You'd be shocked at what damage can be done (rare but not to be ignored) with meddling in a short period of time - I don't want to shock you but merely make you aware it's possible, even if not probable.

If she's still OK after a week then try and make each portion slightly larger - she's growing, so she does needs more quantity.  If, however, your puppy does not like this food then I see no reason why you would persevere with it.  She may not like it because it makes her feel nauseas after eating it.  We tend to assume that pups or any dogs which appear to be faddy with food are holding out for something tastier.  Sometimes they are not.  Sometimes their stomach heaves at the smell of a food and so they don't want to eat it but would gladly eat a different food within the same family (complete/dry/moist whatever) but just not THE one you're putting down.

Healthy dogs on the right diet should enjoy their food.  When they don't enjoy their food, changes have to be made somewhere, somehow but it's important to make the correct changes in the correct way and with due respect you've strayed a little from the best path quite early on so need to get things back on track and then assess the puppy carefully to determine how best to proceed specific to HER needs.

Leave the chappie in the cupboard for a bit yet ;)

> can i plz ask why your saying ......

I was pulling your leg ;)

> i didnt ask for any help reguarding my pup i was just saying what had happend after adding the tripe to her food thats all ....

I'm just offering suggestions which may help you and your puppy - the advice, tips etc are on a take it or leave it basis.  Your dog, your decisions.

teri ive just taken all the dogs out and now my shih tzu as just been sick :( and my ess as been sick and also got the runs now so i think this is a bug or it is the tripe thats bad
(got it from pets at home) im just hopeing my other dog is ok as she is in whelp (40 days) she asnt been sick or got the runs and she as had some tripe :( ....i will be up most of the night now worrying about them all :(

Hi white lilly,

I'm guessing you'll have made or planned a vet visit by now :)  Any updates?

Teri

hi , pups are fine now its just our ess that still has the runs :( i havnt feed her today so hopefully tomorrow she will be ok ...vet said to make sure they get lots of water 24h....then bland food for 3/4 days (chicken and rice ) and its not affected bitch in whelp :) ive had 4h sleep and im soooo tired :( .

Hi again white lilly,

I'm glad they're on the mend and your pregnant lady is OK :)  Thanks for the update and try to catch up on some rest when you get the chance.

regards, Teri

> Thereafter it's bog standard advice of steamed fish or chicken with added starchy rice for a couple of days and then very gradually reintroduce a suitable food.
>

Unless of course the dog has an intolerance to either fish or chicken (like one of mine - can't eat chicken, turkey or duck)

Hi kayenine

I'd pretty much have to write a huge list of do's and don'ts on this topic as I'm sure would many others :) 

However, briefly and in order to cover the basic principles of the usual starting point lightly cooked chicken or white fish with starchy rice or thoroughly mashed potato is simply as stated a 'bog standard advice' at the beginning because at that stage there is rarely an obvious clue as to what a dog is allergic, intolerant or sensitive to :)  Obviously any foods already known to be a problem would not be recommended

Your dog being allergic to both fish and chicken TBH is not particularly unusual :)  Some of the most common intolerances are beef, chicken, rice, wheat, maize/corn, oily fish and any form of gluten quite simply because these are the most common ingredients in the most common diets.  I don't doubt that turkey, lamb and white fish will also find there way onto the ever growing list also, as more manufacturers opt for these ingredients.

As a starting point picking readily available plain ingredients for a recovery / bland diet makes it simpler to go with the ones mentioned however on a formal exclusion trial it is often the case that any food which has previously been fed to the dog is left out and entirely novel ingredients only used 

I hope this clarifies for you the reason behind the info I'd previously given :)
regards Teri

well not much sleep :( our ESS still as the runs very bad and she asnt eaten in 48h i rang the vets 1st thing im taking her back at 12 so ill let you know how we go when im back .

Any update on your ESS?  Hope things are OK and maybe at worst just some ABs needed.

regards, Teri

hi teri ....took her yesterday vets sent off a poo sample for campylobacter.....hes says theres alot going about round here :( ....was given ABs ...inti sickens tabs...protexin pro kolin ...

shes looking alot better today and as had a small amont of id food that i had in , but della (in whelp) is coming down with it now i think ..her poo is very sloppy today :( ...x

hi sorry i should of added......my male has had EVERY test going as to why he is bad with foo-he has even had biopsy for ibd, bloods, faecal samples, exclusion diets the list is endless- he has not got an intollerence to any food and all his tests came back clear of anything causing it(he was really bad when he was younger and got so bad he nearly died from dehydration) he was even referred to newmarket- they were stumped- but he has grown out of it-good job aswel as the vets said they could no longer treat him as there was nothing left to treat him for-all they could do was treat side effects, eg.dehydration- to the point where his poos just need to be a little harder- i have found sardines make no difference at all, neither does the food-same goes for my bitch- she has had bloods, faecal samples etc and is normal, and have tried exclusion diets- to no avail- vet said she is perfectly healthy.

Have you tried raw feeding? I was amazed at how small and firm the poops were with all that bone.