# Soft poops



## nfrederick (Dec 2, 2008)

Bella is right @ 20 weeks and ever since we switched her to Canidae ALS some of her poops (not all) have been very soft.

She is around 45lbs and is very energetic.

She also eats twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening.

Any ideas?


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

My pup was on canidae before and after the formula change. His poop was soft. I switched him to Fromm 4 star nutrition and haven't had a problem since. He eats the duck and sweet potato or the chicken a la veg.


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

How long has it been since you switched foods? Did you do it gradually or all at once?


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## nfrederick (Dec 2, 2008)

probably a few weeks since the switch, and by mistake we switched her all at once. Mistake I now know.


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

It may take some time to get it all evened out then. I did the same thing, so don't feel bad. In a few weeks we had solid poops!


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## Caledon (Nov 10, 2008)

I tried my pup with Canidae ALS and went through two bags and she always had soft poops. I spoke to the owner of the pet food store and he told me that this was a common complaint about that food. I switched to Orijen LBP and am very happy with this brand. She loves it, is doing well and I can easily clean up after her.


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

canidae is pretty high in calories. you could try cutting back just a tiny bit. sometime it takes very little overfeeding to cause loose stools. id at least try that before switching foods again.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

I agree with Derek. 

Especially since you said "SOME" of her poops but not all. That really leads me to think it very well could be over feeding. How many cups a day does she get?

If cutting down the amount she is fed causes her to loose too much weight, she could need 3 smaller meals a day.


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## nfrederick (Dec 2, 2008)

Im giving her 2 cups in the morning and 2 cups in the evening, is that too much you think?

I have noticed that she does not eat all her food anymore.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

It might be too much for HER. I would cut her back a 1/4 cup or so per meal and see if that makes a difference. Are you using a REAL measuing cup?


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## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

you can also try pumpkin (not pie mix) in the can to help get things more firm....but do test for coccidia and giradia (or even get treated for it if the test come back negative) as well. Angeles was super sensitive as a puppy (well he still is a puppy at 9 months old) but he can eat anything now and it really doesn't mess w/his system


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## Winkin (Feb 21, 2007)

I 2nd the canned pumpkin - it works miracles.


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## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

What food did you switch her from?

You might want to look at this thread, because it was actually started because I went through quite a few foods to solve my dog's soft stool problems. FWIW, the pumpkin helped, but I now know that it only masked the problem, because ever since I found a food that agrees with my dog's digestive tract, she looks alot healthier, too, not that she looked bad, or anything, it's just that much more obvious that the new food is better for her than something that causes soft stools.

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=953685&page=0&fpart=1

Also, I feed my 7 month old 2 cups 3x a day. Perfect for her.


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## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: nfrederickIm giving her 2 cups in the morning and 2 cups in the evening, is that too much you think?
> 
> I have noticed that she does not eat all her food anymore.


Unless the new food is REALLY not agreeing with her, her not cleaning out the bowl could be an indication that your dog doesn't NEED as much as you're feeding her.

With that said, given that your dog is not a glutton like mine, which is indicative of her not chowing all the food, she's probably not overeating, so I don't think that the amount of the food is what's causing the problem. I could be wrong, but I wouldn't get my hopes up that the amount of food is the problem. In fact, I think you're already feeding on the low-end of the scale already, not that there's anything wrong with that, I'm just saying, I don't think the amount will matter in your particular case.


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## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

Oops, I meant to have you start farther down in the thread where it applies specifically to your issue. Of course, you can always go back up and read the thread from the beginning if it makes sense to you. Here's a better link:

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/ubb...true#Post953926


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## nfrederick (Dec 2, 2008)

Thanks for the input everybody, very helpful.


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## WinitheGSD (Sep 21, 2008)

4 cups a day is WAY to much. look on the back to see the recomeended amount. and switching to quickly probably causes the soft poop. but she could have worms.


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