# 4 month old puppy on adult food?



## Milkshakes00 (Jun 28, 2012)

Hey guys. I just got back from the vet with Hiro and he has recommended a diet change to adult food.

He's 4 months old, and has had consistent diarrhea, since he was a baby. Literally nothing we have tried has fixed the problem. We've tried different foods, bland diets, and even some medication.

Originally he came to us on Science Diet, and I promptly switched him off that over 2-3 weeks to Blue Buffalo puppy chicken and brown rice. After a few weeks on that and no change in his diet, we weened him off onto a Bland Diet, and kept that for a week straight, weening to Innova Puppy Turkey and Chicken food. Over a week and a half on that the Innova food, still constant watery diarrhea. The vet thinks it's a parasite, and as such has given us Panicure (I think it's spelled,) which is a powder to apply to his food once a day for three days. He's also said to switch him to an adult food, as he's growing excessively (8 pounds in a week and a half,) hoping the adult food will slow him down and avoid the whole hip dysplasia potential.

Originally I had thought it was a food allergy, mainly chicken, as every food we've had him on has had chicken in some form, so I got the adult food which we just started giving him today. I decided to go with a pure fish, salmon/herring Inova Prime adult food.

Anyone ever have to switch such a young pup over to adult food? I'm conflicted on this. He's known by far as the best vet in the area that I live in, but I'm not so sure on this.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

My pup was weaned onto adult food at the breeder and I kept him on adult food per her suggestion. He is 18 months old, pushing 80lb lean, and his Ofa prelims came back great. Lots of people never feed puppy food at all.


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## Tatonkafamily (Apr 6, 2012)

Our Roo will be 5 months next week and she is on adult food. 

I have a dog in my house with major bowel issues too. For him Acana Pacifica worked well (but proved to be hard to come by). We now do the Wellness Simple line of foods. I mix a bag of Salmon with a bag of duck and all 3 of my dogs (ages 11yrs, 3yrs and 5 months) do amazing on it. No gas, no diarrhea, firm smallish poops, great coats, great energy etc.

I hope your guy finds some relief soon! Have they tested for all parasites (like giardia?)


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## ElviraCross (Jun 29, 2012)

a lot of people here never feed dogs puppy food and go straight to adult food.


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## Milkshakes00 (Jun 28, 2012)

Tatonkafamily said:


> Our Roo will be 5 months next week and she is on adult food.
> 
> I have a dog in my house with major bowel issues too. For him Acana Pacifica worked well (but proved to be hard to come by). We now do the Wellness Simple line of foods. I mix a bag of Salmon with a bag of duck and all 3 of my dogs (ages 11yrs, 3yrs and 5 months) do amazing on it. No gas, no diarrhea, firm smallish poops, great coats, great energy etc.
> 
> I hope your guy finds some relief soon! Have they tested for all parasites (like giardia?)


We've done a total of 4 stool samples, all came back clean of any parasites. Obviously, 3 times is *usually* the charm, but yeah. They had him on some medication that started with an M, that's typically for diarrhea/giardia when he was with his litter at the adoption place. We tried it a few weeks after getting him, and it didn't seem to make a difference in the world.

I'll definitely give Acana Pacifica a try if his poop doesn't firm up at all over this month. 

The vet was surprised that even though he's had constant diarrhea, that he's still gaining weight so well and what not.

Meanwhile, anyone have any tips on scooping diarrhea? Haha. The pooper scooper we got is really pretty terrible. ><


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## Madjukes (Jul 1, 2012)

Milkshakes00 said:


> We've done a total of 4 stool samples, all came back clean of any parasites. Obviously, 3 times is *usually* the charm, but yeah. They had him on some medication that started with an M, that's typically for diarrhea/giardia when he was with his litter at the adoption place. We tried it a few weeks after getting him, and it didn't seem to make a difference in the world.
> 
> I'll definitely give Acana Pacifica a try if his poop doesn't firm up at all over this month.
> 
> ...


It's much more difficult if you live in the city...Im lucky enough to have a backyard so I just pick up what I can in a baggy and then hose out the rest.


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## krystyne73 (Oct 13, 2010)

Milkshakes00 said:


> The vet was surprised that even though he's had constant diarrhea, that he's still gaining weight so well and what not.
> 
> Meanwhile, anyone have any tips on scooping diarrhea? Haha. The pooper scooper we got is really pretty terrible. ><


Throw some dirt on it !:wild:


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## gmcwife1 (Apr 5, 2012)

We are slowly introducing adult food to our 5 month old. Her puppy gas is just too much to handle, we can smell her even when we are in a different room :blush: And beware if she eats before we travel and we are stuck in the vehicle with her


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## Franksmom (Oct 13, 2010)

I brought Frank home at 9 weeks and started feeding him mixed puppy and adult food because of loose stools, it worked and kept his stools firm, I did that till he was almost a year then switched him to total adult food. I've always fed lamb based foods with good results.


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## Milkshakes00 (Jun 28, 2012)

Madjukes said:


> It's much more difficult if you live in the city...Im lucky enough to have a backyard so I just pick up what I can in a baggy and then hose out the rest.


We live out in a huuuuge valley, but my mother is pretty anal about her yard. And personally, I hate when I pick up poop and there's tons of poop still in the grass that I can't get out, since we don't have a giant hose or anything. Plastic pooper scoopers suck is what I'm getting at. Haha.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

I think it is only a potential issue if you feed the super high protein, high calcium adult only foods but the 26% protein, less than 1.5% calcium all life stages food would be fine.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

My pups went straight to adult, all life stages kibbles (Fromm and California Natural).

For diarrhea cleanup, I take a handful of sand from our sandbox and spread it over the spot (after I scoop what I can). Then if the dogs run over it, they don't get it on their feet. Once the dog is feeling better, I take the hose out and jet spray all the spots.


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## EdBud (Jul 16, 2010)

Gee, we switched Gretchen over to Solid Gold Hunchenfloken (sp?) when she came home, with no problem at all. . . until she decided she didn't like it any more. That was at about 16-17 months and then she went to their adult formula (forgot what it's called right now). . . until she decided she didn't like it any more.

Now she's eating Royal Canin Giant breed. It looks like charcoal brickettes, she eats them one at a time and loves it.


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## Milkshakes00 (Jun 28, 2012)

jocoyn said:


> I think it is only a potential issue if you feed the super high protein, high calcium adult only foods but the 26% protein, less than 1.5% calcium all life stages food would be fine.


This worries me a bit. The food I got is 35%(!) protein, and and doesn't even list calcium on the nutrients. Granted, I'm feeding him half the amount I was feeding him of the puppy food (from 4 cups to 2 cups, which used to be 26%, so he's getting 70% compared to 104%.)


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

There is a sticky on puppy food and there is also a spreadsheet sticky that may be helpful to you. 

But - I would look at asking the vet to 
A. send the fecal to a lab (maybe!) http://www.idexx.com/pubwebresource.../prevalence-giardia-symptomatic-cats-dogs.pdf
http://www.antechdiagnostics.com/Main/ANTECHInsights/September-2011-5.aspx 
B. ask about a 12 hour fasting GI bloodwork to look for SIBO/ARD there is info on this website: Overview - EPI * Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency on that issue and it is common in GSDs. 

By cutting down the amount fed you may fix it. If not, I would look at those things.


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## Milkshakes00 (Jun 28, 2012)

JeanKBBMMMAAN said:


> There is a sticky on puppy food and there is also a spreadsheet sticky that may be helpful to you.
> 
> But - I would look at asking the vet to
> A. send the fecal to a lab (maybe!) http://www.idexx.com/pubwebresource.../prevalence-giardia-symptomatic-cats-dogs.pdf
> ...


Ah, I should have clarified that, the vet I go to does send all their stool samples out to a lab. I'm not sure which one, but they do.

Also, I'm not sure about the EPI; seems like it would be very severe. Hiro is gaining weight above normally and such, just can't get rid of the liquid poop.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Milkshakes00 said:


> This worries me a bit. The food I got is 35%(!) protein, and and doesn't even list calcium on the nutrients. Granted, I'm feeding him half the amount I was feeding him of the puppy food (from 4 cups to 2 cups, which used to be 26%, so he's getting 70% compared to 104%.)


What are you feeding? Contact the company directly for that information.


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## Milkshakes00 (Jun 28, 2012)

jocoyn said:


> What are you feeding? Contact the company directly for that information.


It's Innova Prime, salmon and herring.


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