# Help with feeding rescue pup



## Brenda L. (Mar 17, 2008)

Hi everyone--we've recently gotten a rescue puppy, he's 4 months old (approx) Just a little background... He was found as a stray, no one claimed (at the pound for 4-5 days) went to rescue (foster home) for another week, and now we've had him since 3/22. the foster mom said he never really had 'normal' stools for her the week she had him. (eating purina puppy chow) he had his distemper combo vac./ wormer last Wed. 3/19 and had diarrhea, so they started him on hamb/rice and he was on it for 2 days, she started him back on the puppy chow friday, and we got him Sat. he had diarrhea again Saturday for us. I'd also like to add, he was on an antibiotic for a laceration (not infected, just in case) I stopped the antibiotic when we got him, and we went back to hamb/rice/yogurt. Sunday, his stools were still loose, but not as many ( about 3/day--small amt.) I took him to our vet on tuesday. He discontinued the antibiotic and recommended to leave him on hamb/rice for 2 weeks and then gradually switch him to a better quality large breed puppy food (science diet) Ok, so it's been a few days on the hamb/rice. His stools are still soft(suppose like pudding), will he get firmer stools on the hamb/rice? the vet also wants to get a fecal sample after 2 weeks if he's not better. I'm feeding him 1 cup, 3x/day of hamb/rice which is 50/50 hamb/rice. Does this all seem right? He acts fine, lots of energy, etc. he's underweight, so I hate to wait so long to feed him some decent dog food, but then again, I don't want to back-track either. thanks!


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## WiscTiger (Sep 25, 2002)

Are you boiling, draining and rinsing the hamburger then mixing with rice? If yes, you might want to get some chicken (skinless) or cook without the skin. 

I have nver had problems with beef with my dogs, but some don't handle beef and chicken is better.


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## LadyHawk (Jan 19, 2005)

Yes- I try and use 2/3 c rice to 1/3 c hamburg....... just what I was taught.......


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## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

Hamburger can be a little greasy, I might switch to chicken. Also, in spite of what vet clinics will tell you, I have yet to encounter a dog with good stools on Science Diet and I'm not really convinced it's any better than Purina. 

You might try a very bland and grainless high quality puppy food (I'm sure the folks that hang out on the nutrition pages could make some suggestions) and give him a couple weeks to see what happens. If those foods are too expensive long term at least it would give you a good baseline to start with if his stools clear up. If they don't and all his fecal tests are negative then you get to start exploring some of the various digestive maladies to which our beloved breed is prone. But hopefully that won't happen. My guess is he just needs a better quality food and some time to get used to it. Glad he's got a good mama looking out for him!


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## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

Another thought - what kind of wormer did he get and has he had a fecal? A lot of shelters use Nemex with is a perfectly good puppy dewormer but it doesn't kill several kinds of common worms, for example whips and tapes. Also it does nothing for protozoans like giardia or coccidia, both of which cause diarrhea. Also, all of the above can fail to show up in fecal exams. If he hasn't been already, I'd deworm him with panacur or drontal plus and ask the vet about checking for coccidia and giardia if that hasn't been done. 

If the stools don't clear up, you might try metronidazole. It's an antibiotic, an antidiarrheal, and it treats protozoans. It's my go-to drug for doggy diarrhea!


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## Brenda L. (Mar 17, 2008)

thanks for the suggestions

he had pyrantel wormer. he's due for another dose next week.

Yes, I'm not 'sold' on science diet. (1st ingredient is corn) Our local pet store does have a grain-free food. (Taste of the Wild--never heard of it...?) 

I think I'll try chicken for my next batch. The hamburger, I first fried it, then boiled and rinsed. I just doesn't seem like much for his little system to be sustained on for 2 weeks! My 1st batch I made it 2/3, and 1/3 (like suggested) but it just seemed too much rice, so I increased it to 1/2 and 1/2. I just think it's strange to feed him the meat/rice combo for 2 weeks, but maybe the thought is to get him through the 2nd dewormer.


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## katieliz (Mar 29, 2007)

imho, i would not feed science diet. just a suggestion, along with the many other excellent ones you'll get here, i have had great luck feeding pinnacle trout and sweet potato.


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## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

pyrantel is Nemex and about the only worm it really treats reliably are round worms. It's supposed to help with hooks but I haven't found that it does. He needs panacur (which is a three day treatment) or drontel plus which is a one time chewable but more expensive. I'd start with that. 

I know what you mean about the meat and rice. I just went through that with a foster recovering from parvo and it didn't put weight on her like I would have liked. 

Others may disagree with me, but if I were you I think I'd go on and get the Taste of the Wild and start giving it to him. I haven't used that brand but I think it's supposed to be a really good food (zillion times better than SD) and if it's easy for you to get and grain free, that's what you want. You could give him some kibble with his rice and chicken, and then add more and more kibble over a couple days. 

But I'd definitely deworm him with something other than pyrantel ASAP.


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## dd (Jun 10, 2003)

If he's had a lot of diarrhea you might also think about getting him a probiotic - once you've eliminated parasites.

dd


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## Powell (Oct 13, 2006)

Science Diet USED TO be good. Now it's junk. Taste of the Wild is good. If you get the fish[ Salmon] version keep it tightly closed or your place will smell like Cod Liver Oil....


Powell


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## larrydee33 (Feb 25, 2007)

Try feeding the ground beef raw get natural raw ground beef and mix it with cooked brown rice. That should really help loose stools.
Pup's/dogs much better on raw meat than cooked meat.

Taste of the wild is a good food a lot of people on this forum are feeding it and are very happy with it.

Try using a probotic that will help your pup digesting his food especially if he has had worms.

Best of luck


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## Brenda L. (Mar 17, 2008)

thanks everyone! his stool this morning was the firmest, so far. I think I'll get a bag of the Taste of the wild and slowly mix it in. I hope he has 'turned the corner' in that dept. lol. Now, to get him to play nice with my 2 yr old! That's another story! lol.


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