# Blue Buffalo and loose stools



## diana72805 (Mar 15, 2010)

We currently feed our 7 month old Blue - Life Protection puppy, as recommended by the rep. He's been on it for about a month, but his stools are still loose. Not like, diarrhea, but... well... my DH calls it "moon-pies". It kinda looks like that MoonSand stuff kids play with. I have a feeling it shouldn't be this way. We switched to Blue after concluding that he's allergic to the wheat in the cheaper brands (purina puppy, beneful). His itching has decreased ALOT since the switch, coat looks better, etc. But the stools are concerning to me. HERE'S THE THING: he hates eating his kibble dry. So we add warm water to his food, and most of the time, he eats it up. 

Also, we give him 2 cups in the morning and 2 cups at night. Most of the time, he doesn't finish his meals. He had a bladder infection a couple of months back and got pretty skinny (ribby) during that time. While he's gained weight since then, I still feel he needs to put on a few more - and being that he doesn't finish his meals, I wonder if he just doesn't like it or if he feels full? He's probably in the upper 50 lb, maybe 60 lb range now... hasn't been weighed recently. And is a VERY picky eater.

So, my questions are as follows: 

-Why the "moon-pies"? lack of fiber? Or is it because we wet the kibble?? 
-Is 4 cups a day the right amount, even if he doesn't finish it all? 
-At 7 months, should he still be on puppy formula? :help:


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

Sounds like he might be eating too much. 4 cups is a lot of food. Slowly gaining weight is the way to go and no he doesn't need to still be on the puppy formula. Are you feeding him the large breed or the regular pup formula? Have you tried decreasing his meals to 1 1/2 cups a meal? The reg. puppy has 452 kcal per cup and the large breed has 450 so pretty close. 4 cups is 1800 kcals, that is a lot.


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## PupperLove (Apr 10, 2010)

I guess I'm not really answering any one of your questions, but I had the same problem with the same Blue formula. The "moon-pies" (lol) did stop after a while, but it did take about a month and half - two months for my dog to get used to this food. He did well on it after that! 

I also found that going by the recommended guidelines on the bag is sometimes not what my dog needed, and sometimes he needed more- it all depends on the dog I think! Hope that helps!


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

I would agree that 4 cups is probably way too much! My dogs never ate the puppy formula, but 4 cups is about how much they get at their adult weight!


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## diana72805 (Mar 15, 2010)

So, okay... I guess it's probably too much. I'll try less tonight and see how it goes.

It's the regular puppy formula (the teal colored bag). Since he doesn't need to be on it anymore, which one would ya'll recommend I switch to? I know there's Blue Wilderness and Blue Longevity. Yes, no? Since it would be an adult food, how many cups should I be feeding once I make the switch? 

Also, could someone please explain the differences between the puppy and the adult formulas in regards to protein? I heard that GSDs shouldn't be getting too much protein at a young age because it causes them to grow too quickly, thus putting stress on the joints. I've heard of people keeping their GSD on puppy until about a year! Sorry to be bombarding everyone with all these questions but I'm so confused...


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

diana72805 said:


> So, okay... I guess it's probably too much. I'll try less tonight and see how it goes.
> 
> It's the regular puppy formula (the teal colored bag). Since he doesn't need to be on it anymore, which one would ya'll recommend I switch to? I know there's Blue Wilderness and Blue Longevity. Yes, no? Since it would be an adult food, how many cups should I be feeding once I make the switch?
> 
> Also, could someone please explain the differences between the puppy and the adult formulas in regards to protein? I heard that GSDs shouldn't be getting too much protein at a young age because it causes them to grow too quickly, thus putting stress on the joints. I've heard of people keeping their GSD on puppy until about a year! Sorry to be bombarding everyone with all these questions but I'm so confused...


 
the protein levels are not an issue with regards to growth problems in large breed puppies. look at Blue's Large Breed Puppy formula. it has higher protein levels than their adult formulas. 

high protein causing rapid growth is mythology based on old studies done with rodents an low quality (mostly corn gluten) protein sources. the only thing proven to cause growth abnormalities is higher Ca levels (of course, overfeeding a dog anything can cause growth at a faster than desirable rate). if i recalll correctly, the Blue Wilderness maximum Ca levels are around 2%, where around 1.5% max or less is a common recommendation for large breed pups (if you really want to go grain free whiloe your pup is growing, id say Orijen is the one with the most controlled Ca levels). i think any of the Blue adult formulas are fine in this regard. you could just rotate to a different variety every once in a while. imo, rotating foods is a good idea. many large breed owners start their pups on adult food from the beginning, which is fine if the Ca levels are in check.


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## maquignon (Feb 26, 2010)

The loose stools and his not eating it all are both indications that he is getting too much food. Don't stop wetting the food. It does not cause diarrhea and is much better for him. It is unnatural for dogs to eat dry food. I would suggest 1 3/4 cup twice a day. I have a dog that eats half the suggestion on the bag and has thrived on it for two years.


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## GSDElsa (Jul 22, 2009)

Not only is 4 cups a lot, but if he has a wheat allergy he could have a general grain allergy. I would look into feeding him a grain free diet. Until he is a year old, Orijen and Acana will be the only grain free that are appropriate levels of Ca and P, but it might be worth a try if you know he's allergic to grain already. 

But try decreasing the amount first and see if it tapers off.

Some dogs just don't do well on certain foods and it's sometimes a delicate balance trying to find out what works for these wimpy GSD tummies!


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