# Not enough fiber??/



## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

I had to post to see if anyone else has ever heard this. On another forum (non-dog) a girl posted asking for advice about dogs getting into garbage. Of course it turned into a discussion of dogs in general and dog food in particular. 

The girl who posted this has a white GSD (I've told her many times to come over here!) Her dog was constantly having mushy poop. The vet advised her to give her dog a benefiber tablet every day. According to him, the problem is that kibble doesn't contain enough fiber to keep a large breed dog regular. 

I told her that it's likely because of TOO MUCH of the wrong fiber, IE corn. Change foods, etc etc. Also told her about pumpkin for the occasional mushy poop. But, I was told that a VET would know better and that the tablets have helped with the problem.

anyone else ever heard of "not enough fiber" in kibble?


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## Trina (Sep 11, 2009)

No, and I'm inclined to think as you do that it's a case of too much fiber. From what I've read, dogs simply do not process fiber as well as people do and don't need as much anyway.


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## natalie559 (Feb 4, 2005)

Hi. I think the vet's advice was mostly good and here's why. How much fiber a dog needs will depend on the dog. How much fiber the dog receives will depend on the diet. So this dog in question very well could benefit from additional fiber and it certainly doesn't hurt to try it and see if there is a response. 

There are two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber will absorb water and firm the stool while insoluble fiber will often pass right through. Examples of soluble fiber are wheat dextrin (the main ingredient in the benefiber the vet suggested), psyllium husk (the main ingredient in metamucil) and pumpkin. So benefiber is one of several solutions if lack of fiber is the problem.

As far as corn being the wrong type of fiber, I am not sure. It will contain both types of fiber but I cannot find how much of each to know. I wonder if the dog food they are feeding would know the amounts of insoluble vs soluble fiber if emailed and asked? What are they feeding?

You mentioned a benefiber tablet, I see on their website a chewable and a caplet. The caplets look good, but I would give the chewables b/c of the added colors. I personally supplement Sasha's food with psyllium husk powder that I bought at the health food store.


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

If you are all for giving pumpkin, what do you think is the magic ingredient in it? FIBER. Fiber can be a good thing in the right amount and can help out the GI system by either firming loose stool or loosening constipation. Some dogs need more fiber than others and some kibble have less fiber than others. It's all about what each individual dog needs.

The vet was right.


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## natalie559 (Feb 4, 2005)

natalie559 said:


> but I would give the chewables


This is suppossed to say I would NOT give the chewables


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

I said pumpkin for occasional upset tummy. 
The vet in question puts all large dogs on the benefiber tablets. According to the girl who posted, NO kibble contains the fiber necessary for a large dog, that is why dogs have runny poop. The dog has been on the tablets since she brought it home. 
Of course, he also told her that the Purina that she feeds is an EXCELLENT food.

I just found the automatic assumption that kibble doesn't contain enough fiber to be weird, esp since the Purina she feeds is almost entirely made of corn.

I will agree that some dogs need more fiber than others. I was just floored by the blanket statement that ALL large dogs need to be on fiber supplements. 
At first, I thought that she was talking about giving them for the occasional case of the runs, which is why I said that pumpkin also works. Thats when she told me that the vet puts all large dogs on supplements.


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