# Diarrhea since day 1



## Beibitoi (May 20, 2018)

Hi all, hopefully someone can help me. I have a male gsd puppy who just turned 4 months last May 17. Got him exactly 30 days ago from a breeder. 

Breeder used to give him RC maxi junior. However due to its non-availability in our area, I decided to give him Acana puppy large breed. Since then, he's been having diarrhea. When I finally got a sack of RC, his poop turned from watery to soft. I can say it was solid but not firm enough. Just today, his poop again became watery though with a little soft part. 

If you'd ask about the quantity, I'm giving him 300g/day or 100g per meal 3x a day. DRY.

Puppy is VERY energetic. Appetite is ok. seems underweight though.

The color of his poop is like mashed kibbles except that it looks like I put too much water.

I already brought him to the vet, who however did not find anything alarming. 
Was advised to give him scour for 5 days. During that 5 days, his poop were soft but not watery. Days after administering scour, his poop again started becoming on/off watery.

I hope someone can help me figure this out. Thanks in advance.


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## Mame (Mar 13, 2018)

Did your vet do a fecal analysis?


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## Beibitoi (May 20, 2018)

Oh. Now I wonder why he didn't do that. Neither did the 2 other vets I spoke with over the phone advised about doing the same. Will do it ASAP. Possibly a worm issue? His next deworming is scheduled on June 13 if that helps. Or overfeeding? As i said though? He seems underweight.


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## Mame (Mar 13, 2018)

There are numerous bacterias and viruses that can cause long term diarrhea, not just worms or regular digestive issues. That's why I mentioned the fecal analysis. I would think a vet, after this kind of timeline dealing with watery stools, would want to figure out what's causing it.

ETA: Diarrhea can certainly affect nutrition absorption, so that could explain the weight.


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## tc68 (May 31, 2006)

Beibitoi said:


> Hi all, hopefully someone can help me. I have a male gsd puppy who just turned 4 months last May 17. Got him exactly 30 days ago from a breeder.
> 
> Breeder used to give him RC maxi junior. However due to its non-availability in our area, I decided to give him Acana puppy large breed. Since then, he's been having diarrhea. When I finally got a sack of RC, his poop turned from watery to soft. I can say it was solid but not firm enough. Just today, his poop again became watery though with a little soft part.
> 
> ...


What do you mean by "put too much water?" Do you add water to his food? If so, don't. I don't think that will solve the problem but you don't need to add water to his food. Also, I may be mistaken but isn't Acana one of the brands that recently had a recall? I know a lot of people here look down on Royal Canin but since you can buy that maybe you should stick to it. Can you get Royal Canin German Shepherd Puppy formula? If you can't, ask the store to get it for you since they already provide Royal Canin. Also, if you can, buy some canned pumpkin. That will firm up the poop. My breeder told me that works and also I've read it elsewhere. Can you find Victor or Fromm's brand dog foods? Those 2 brands are currently 2 of some of the best dog foods available. Anyway, that's some suggestions for you.


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## Beibitoi (May 20, 2018)

Mame said:


> There are numerous bacterias and viruses that can cause long term diarrhea, not just worms or regular digestive issues. That's why I mentioned the fecal analysis. I would think a vet, after this kind of timeline dealing with watery stools, would want to figure out what's causing it.
> 
> ETA: Diarrhea can certainly affect nutrition absorption, so that could explain the weight.


Thank you! Will have to ask him then. Just got a text message from him asking me to have xray just to check if he swallowed anything. Could it be possible that he indeed swallowed something a month ago and until now, he seems to be doing fine other than the diarrhea? Well, i suppose something more terrible would have already happened if that's indeed the case. But I'm not sure.


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## Beibitoi (May 20, 2018)

tc68 said:


> Beibitoi said:
> 
> 
> > Hi all, hopefully someone can help me. I have a male gsd puppy who just turned 4 months last May 17. Got him exactly 30 days ago from a breeder.
> ...


Hi. Not sure about the Acana. I heard though that they're now facing a lawsuit, which many claims to be baseless. I tried asking for the RC for GSD but that's not available here. I'm also trying to look for that FROMM brand. But i dont think anyone sells that here in the Philippines. Never heard of Victor. I'm sure that does not exist here. We only have GO and Taste of the Wild. Do you think it's the dog food?


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Acana has a high protein and fat content. I was advised not to use it by a vet. Have them check for Giardia. The vet should have done a fecal. For chronic diarrhea our vet prescribes Metronidazole. That gets rid of Giardia if it’s there, but also other bacteria. Use a probiotic.


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## tc68 (May 31, 2006)

Beibitoi said:


> Hi. Not sure about the Acana. I heard though that they're now facing a lawsuit, which many claims to be baseless. I tried asking for the RC for GSD but that's not available here. I'm also trying to look for that FROMM brand. But i dont think anyone sells that here in the Philippines. Never heard of Victor. I'm sure that does not exist here. We only have GO and Taste of the Wild. Do you think it's the dog food?


Oh, you're not even in North America. You're in the Philippines. That may explain the vet problems and the choices of dog food. With my previous GSD, I fed him a 50/50 mix of Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream and Royal Canin German Shepherd. He did really well on that mix for almost 12 years even when he had EPI. I don't know if it's a food problem or that your pup has worms or bacteria like others said. Maybe if you can find another vet. Sometimes you have to get a 3rd or 4th opinion. However, since you're in the 'Pines, I don't know if you can find quality vets. Oh, and don't change foods so fast. It has to be a gradual change. As far as the food is concerned, your store is probably importing the foods from the States or Canada. Maybe when the food is being shipped, it isn't kept in cool containers? I don't know. Just hypothesizing. Do you check the expiration dates on the bags of food? Are you giving the pup other foods that he shouldn't be eating?


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## Mame (Mar 13, 2018)

I did a fair share of reading, and it looks like yes, a foreign body in a dog's stomach can be in there for weeks or months, and it can cause diarrhea. Not diagnosing by any means, but an x-ray can't hurt.


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

This is a long shot, is your puppy's drinking water safe and free from contaminants? Does he drink from puddles and unsafe sources of water when playing?


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## Beibitoi (May 20, 2018)

Thanks for all the replies.

So after calling my vet and receiving some ridiculous advice, I decided not to go and just scheduled a visit to another vet this weekend. Long story, which you shouldnt be bothered with.

Coincidentally, the new pack of RC which I ordered didnt arrive and so, I was forced to give him the older Acana (had to do the transition to Acana in just 4 meals).

He's been having 50g acana puppy now and 100g white rice per meal, 3x a day now for the last 4 meals.

Quite amazed with the results. For the first time in 1 month/since I got him, he finally had that firm stool i've been looking for. No soft part. Everything was just firm. I might stick with it.

This must be unrelated with the title:

I'm feeding him 150g acana and 300g white rice per day now which (for the acana) is half the recommended amount of 300g per day. I intend to gradually increase the acana to the recommended amount. Might be +15g per day. Wont he be having nutritional deficiency if I feed him less than the recommended amount for quite a while? 10 days at the most.


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## Beibitoi (May 20, 2018)

Just an update, i already brought him to the vet and found out that he had intestinal worms. He was also tested for heartworm which however turned out to be negative.

The VET gave him a dewormer although his next deworming schedule was supposedly due on June 13. He's also on his 2nd day of Metronidazole now.

Several hours after he was dewormed, he pooped that desirable firm stool. What a pleasant signt!! LOL. He never had a soft stool since then. How I wish I already went to this particular Vet since day 1. 

Can't imagine I waited for almost a month for my dog's stool to firm up, which apparently was not bound to happen, if the deworming was not done. 

Now I'm worried that 1 month weak nutrient absorption has done him permanent adverse effect like stunted growth or soft ears that will no longer be erect.

He's turning 5 months on June 17 and is yet to have erect ears. Both ears are floppy at this time.

What do you think?

Thank you!


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## kr16 (Apr 30, 2011)

tc68 said:


> What do you mean by "put too much water?" Also, I may be mistaken but isn't Acana one of the brands that recently had a recall? I know a lot of people here look down on Royal Canin but since you can buy that maybe you should stick to it. Can you get Royal Canin German Shepherd Puppy formula? suggestions for you.



Acana never had a recall, its a lawsuit that may have zero merit to it. 

As you said, In some countries people are limited on choice. 

Royal Canine German Shepherd. Huge marketing move that works for them. The formulas are pretty much all the same on the breed specifics.

Here is an article from 2013 the Bulldog formula now has Bi products in it. 


Breed Specific Nutrition? ? Truth about Pet Food


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

I'm glad the deworming helped. You might have to deworm again in about 3 weeks, if there was a heavy worm load -- that's not uncommon. You might not need another vet visit for that as many vets allow clients to just pick up another dose of dewormer (or it can be purchased from a pharmacy/chemist).

For what it's worth, there's no reason to do a *heart*worm test on a pup under 6 months old: the antigen that turns the test kit positive isn't produced by the worms until the worms themselves are 6-7 months old. So the dog could have juvenile heartworms, but still producing a negative test result. As far as I know, heartworm testing should start at *1 year old* (and may turn positive then, if the dog hasn't been on prevention but is in a high-heartworm area). It's VERY common to test pups at 6-7 months and get a negative result, but then get a positive result at 12 months -- this happens in rescue/shelter dogs in the southeastern U.S. very frequently. You can minimize the odds of that by using Advocate (Advantage Multi in the U.S.), which kills juvenile heartworms over a period of months and prevents new ones. It's prescribed by vets.

If your vet isn't familiar with the heartworm lifecycle, this website has excellent information in the education section for veterinarians:
https://www.heartwormsociety.org/


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## tc68 (May 31, 2006)

kr16 said:


> Acana never had a recall, its a lawsuit that may have zero merit to it.
> 
> As you said, In some countries people are limited on choice.
> 
> ...



I read it wrong, I thought he was feeding RC Maxi. What he said was his breeder was feeding it and he couldn't find it around him so he fed his pup Acana and that's what was giving his pup diarrhea. I get it...there are many like you who are very opinionated about dog food brands. What I was trying to convey to him was that if he could get RC Maxi, then why not RC GSD. You don't like breed specific dog food...great! However, if that's the best food you can buy in the area you live in, then those articles that you refer to are irrelevant. Btw, I fed mine a 50/50 mix with RC GSD for 11 years and my dog thrived on it. He was a picky eater and had EPI, and that was one of 2 foods he would eat. I tried a whole bunch until I found one he was excited to eat. My whole point is...he needs to find a food that works for his dog and him (budget wise). And if it is RC GSD, so be it. If he find other brands, even better.


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## Beibitoi (May 20, 2018)

Now, I need to revive this thread.

I changed my pup's food to orijen large puppy and could say he did well for quite some time. Firm stools, and he was looking great. He was on his way to recover the weight he lost during his bouts of diarrhea until yesterday. 

Unlike before, it's not watery but very soft. No signs of mucus or blood. Brought him to the vet and had his blood and stool checked. Results came out fine. No worms or other abnormalities other than the loose stool. Will try a fasting for 12 hrs then slowly introduce his food.

Now, the vet recommended a prescription diet that should be mixed with his current food. Just want to know your comments on this. Isnt it that these diets should be taken alone and not mixed with other food? Will he be taking this for the rest of his life?

No one knows as of now the exact reason of his soft stools. Im now thinking of switching him to raw diet.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

Are you sure you don't need to deworm again? Please see my post above about possibly needing to deworm again about 3 weeks after the previous dose--that's very, very common, esp. in young dogs. Did the vet check him for giardia? Try to start with the easy thing before going to the harder thing.



If you put him on a monthly medicine called Advocate, it will protect him against heartworms, and against the intestinal worms coming back. It also protects against lungworms, which are a problem in some parts of the Asia-Pacific region (and increasingly in the US too).


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## Beibitoi (May 20, 2018)

Actually we just had him dewormed 1 and a half weeks ago. If it wont hurt deworming him again now, I'll do it. The vet however told me that there's no need. Not sure if he was checked for giardia. But he was already given metronidazole for a week which I suppose, would have already cured him had the loose stool been because of giardia. What do you think?


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## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

Acana is a good food but have you considered a different brand of food altogether. Food allergies are not uncommon. Acana Puppy is chicken and fish based. It is possible if his fecals are clear that it is a food sensitivity to the protein source in the food. You might try a lamb based feed.


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## Beibitoi (May 20, 2018)

Springbrz said:


> Acana is a good food but have you considered a different brand of food altogether. Food allergies are not uncommon. Acana Puppy is chicken and fish based. It is possible if his fecals are clear that it is a food sensitivity to the protein source in the food. You might try a lamb based feed.


From Acana, I have already shifted him to orijen puppy large. That must be it. I've been feeding him chicken and fish-based kibbles. Might try acana grass fed lamb after this. 

I already tried the prescription diet i/d mixed with the orijen puppy large. Loose stool was gone in an instant! Not sure what it is going to be once I transition him to 100% kibbles though. 

As of now, I'm feeding him:

80g orijen puppy large (4x a day)
90g prescription diet i/d (4x a day)

Any tips on how I should wean him from the prescription diet? Is this P.D. something like a medicine that treats sensitive stomach? Or just some diet that removes the symptoms only while it is being taken? Just curious as I was advised to give it for just 7 days.


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## unfortunatefoster (Dec 17, 2017)

I had no idea that Hill's has so many formulas of I/D. Which one are you feeding? Some have added enzymes that help with digestion. Are you seeing any signs of allergy? Smelly ears, greasy, itchy skin? Are the stools particularly foul smelling? Does your pup have belly gurgles after eating? I spent over 6 months of vet visits and switching food for my boy, only to find he could not digest anything properly without added enzymes. Do a search for 'German Shepherds with EPI' to see if you are dealing with this type of situation. I, personally, would rather have the EPI over food allergies. It is so much easier to rectify.


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## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

Beibitoi said:


> From Acana, I have already shifted him to orijen puppy large. That must be it. I've been feeding him chicken and fish-based kibbles. Might try acana grass fed lamb after this.
> 
> I already tried the prescription diet i/d mixed with the orijen puppy large. Loose stool was gone in an instant! Not sure what it is going to be once I transition him to 100% kibbles though.
> 
> ...


Hill's I/D prescription food is a high carb low fat feed. It's ingredients are not the greatest but it works as you are seeing. 

Orijen large breed puppy:

protein 38%
crude fat 16%
crude fiber 6%

Acana puppy:

protein 31%
crude fat 19%
crude fiber 5%

Hill's I/D:

protein 28.5%
crude fat 14.8 %
crude fiber 2.4%

Both Acana and Orijen are made by the same company and considered quality pet foods. But no all dogs do well on these foods. These foods are very rich and some dogs just can't tolerate them. As you can see the Oijen puppy formula is closer in fat content to the I/D formula. It may not be just the fat content. Some dogs don't tolerate very high protein content either.
Some dogs need more fiber and others need less. It's trial and error.

Over all by mixing the I/D with the Oirjen you are doing several things. Lowering the over all protein content. Lowering fat and lowering fiber. The I/D is full of crappy carbs that slow down digestion and bulks up the stool which is part of why it works. 

Grain free kibble is all the rage but the reality is not all dogs do well on them just as some dogs can't tolerate grains. Grains have been the binder used for a long time. When grains are taken out a binder is needed and of late the binder of choice in kibble has been peas (legumes). Peas are higher in protein then rice or potatoes so its a win-win for dog food manufactures. Peas are cheap and they can use less meat protein by using peas to keep protein content. The rub is many many dogs are sensitive to pea/legume proteins and can't eat them just as some dogs can't tolerate traditional grains. Peas also ups the protein content in foods already providing good sources of protein like Orijen and Acana. Very high protein isn't always a good thing. 

End of the day I would look for a food that has a little less protein and fat content. I wouldn't rule out a quality food that contain grains.

As for transitioning out the I/D food. Just decrease it over a few days and things should be fine. If symptoms come back you may have to add it back in until you find a food that works. 

Final note: Remember that frequent food changes are can exacerbate these issues and also create a fussy eater. Best of luck to you.


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## Beibitoi (May 20, 2018)

unfortunatefoster said:


> I had no idea that Hill's has so many formulas of I/D. Which one are you feeding? Some have added enzymes that help with digestion. Are you seeing any signs of allergy? Smelly ears, greasy, itchy skin? Are the stools particularly foul smelling? Does your pup have belly gurgles after eating? I spent over 6 months of vet visits and switching food for my boy, only to find he could not digest anything properly without added enzymes. Do a search for 'German Shepherds with EPI' to see if you are dealing with this type of situation. I, personally, would rather have the EPI over food allergies. It is so much easier to rectify.


This one. It's turkey.

None of those symptoms appear with my dog. Upon further analysis, these factors might have contributed to his diarrhea THIS TIME:

1. OVERFEEDING - been feeding 110g 4x a day. 

Changed to 80g Orijen + 90g I/D 4x a day =solid stool.

2. WORMS - tests came out fine but diarrhea cotinued.

Dewormed puppy anyway = solid stool shortly after deworming.

3. FOOD ALLERGY = not so sure. He's been with Orijen, Royal Canin, and Acana = on/off diarrhea.

BUT he also had experienced firm stools with those brands.

Also tried bland diet (chicken and rice) = still soft stool.

Giving him probiotics didnt seem to help.

He's doing well now. Just want to know what could have caused his diarrhea to prevent reoccurence. 

Thank you!


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## Beibitoi (May 20, 2018)

Springbrz said:


> Beibitoi said:
> 
> 
> > From Acana, I have already shifted him to orijen puppy large. That must be it. I've been feeding him chicken and fish-based kibbles. Might try acana grass fed lamb after this.
> ...


Thank you. So it must be the food. Or just worms. I really hope he's now on his way to recovery. Dont know what to feed him next. Sadly, we dont have much options here in the Philippines.


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## Jake78 (Feb 24, 2012)

Hi there. I thought I'd throw in my two cents worth since we also had the diarrhea problem no matter what food we tried. I then came to this forum (I believe) and someone said that Victor Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Dry Food was the only thing that worked for their dog. It worked and continues to work for us, my dog is now 14 months old. He doesn't like it, but if I throw some cooked chicken or other bits on top he starts eating it and will finish it. I don't know if it's available where you are but thought I'd let you know what worked for us. He's doing very well on it and vets have told me it's a great food. In the US I order it from chewy.com


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## Beibitoi (May 20, 2018)

Just think I should provide an update. Since limiting his food intake, he never experienced diarrhea or soft stool again.

I'm Feeding him 3x a day but I dont think the feeding amount is helping him gain weight. Any more than what I'm feeding, I'm afraid and I'm sure, he'll have diarrhea. For every meal, I'm adding 50g of white rice.

Just wondering if it would be advisable to shift him again to another food? I'm thinking of Acana grass fed lamb or any Orijen which is lamb-based. Want to up his food intake to help him gain some weight. Just cant see it happening with what I'm giving him now.

By the way the Acana or Orijen lamb are not specifically formulated for large breeds and are "all stages" food. Would that be ok? Would the food shifting idea be ok to start with?

Thank you.


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

Hi B!


You do not want to use Orijen as it is too rich for a lot of dogs and causes Diarrhea.


Acana *SINGLES LIMITED* ingredients (same company as Orijen) would be a good choice, IMHO. Also get the matching treats and only feed those items. Lamb is considered a "hot" food in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and you do not want anymore heat in his gut. So I would feed the Duck Singles Limited. https://acana.com/usa/our-foods/dog-foods/singles/duck-pear/ You can get this at "Pet Flow" or look for stores here: https://acana.com/usa/where-to-buy/ 



The white rice is void of nutrition so I would slowly wean him off of it if he were mine.


Have you added probiotics?


Moms


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## Beibitoi (May 20, 2018)

Momto2GSDs said:


> Hi B!
> 
> 
> You do not want to use Orijen as it is too rich for a lot of dogs and causes Diarrhea.
> ...


Hi Mom! Thanks! My Vet has actually advised me to try staying away from poultry that's why I'm thinking of lamb. Now thinking of Acana Lamb & Apple which is among the Singles you mentioned. Now, I know this is not specifically formulated for large breed puppy. Would it be ok to give this to my pup anyway? I read somewhere that the acceptable calcium intake for breeds like GSD is below 1.3%. Acana Lamb & APple however has 1.5%. 

We're getting firm stools on the orijen. My only concern is that he doesn't seem to gain weight with this formula. Adding more than what I feed him now is not an option either.


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## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

Aside from stool issues you seem to be very concerned about weight gain. How old is your pup now (about 6 mo)? How much does he weigh and how tall is he? What does your vet say about his weight? Was concern expressed by the vet? Pictures taken from the side and from above would be helpful. Many people think their pups/dogs are underweight when in fact they are not. Not saying this is the case with your pup just that it happens often.


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## Beibitoi (May 20, 2018)

Springbrz said:


> Aside from stool issues you seem to be very concerned about weight gain. How old is your pup now (about 6 mo)? How much does he weigh and how tall is he? What does your vet say about his weight? Was concern expressed by the vet? Pictures taken from the side and from above would be helpful. Many people think their pups/dogs are underweight when in fact they are not. Not saying this is the case with your pup just that it happens often.


Will have to check his height. He's turning 6 months on July 17. Weight is more or less 35lbs. Vet said he's underweight and in fact prescribed multivitamins. She lost me when she prescribed calcium supplements. Having owned other dogs, i can also say he's indeed underweight. Will be posting pictures soon. Thank you!


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## Beibitoi (May 20, 2018)

It's the best i could do. Thank you!























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## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

I agree he does seem to be underweight. Carmspack on here is pretty much a nutrition guru. You might reach out to her and see if she can give you some input on things to try. Wish I had more to offer. Hoping you find a good balance that works with weight gain and solid poops soon. He is a cute little guy.


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

Beibitoi said:


> Hi Mom! Thanks! My Vet has actually advised me to try staying away from poultry that's why I'm thinking of lamb. Now thinking of Acana Lamb & Apple which is among the Singles you mentioned. Now, I know this is not specifically formulated for large breed puppy. Would it be ok to give this to my pup anyway? I read somewhere that the acceptable calcium intake for breeds like GSD is below 1.3%. Acana Lamb & APple however has 1.5%.
> 
> We're getting firm stools on the orijen. My only concern is that he doesn't seem to gain weight with this formula. *Adding more than what I feed him now is not an option either*.



Why isn't adding more food an option?????


ACANA Lamb & Apple Singles: Lamb is a "hot" food in TCM, and may inflame the gut more. I would go with the Pork & Squash Singles if you don't want to do the "duck" singles.


**ACANA Singles: Puppies 3 to 6 months are fed 1 1/2 times the recommended adult amount.


**ACANA Singles: Puppies 6 to 11 months are fed 1 1/4th times the recommended adult amount.


See this page for more info: https://acana.com/usa/our-foods/dog-foods/singles/pork-squash/ and choose the "Feeding" tab for more info.




I have a GSD pup who is 13 weeks old and weighs 31.5 pounds. So I believe your pup at 6 months old is underweight. 



Moms


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## Beibitoi (May 20, 2018)

Just researched and might disregard the vet's advice and go with the duck.

10 to 20 grams more than what I am feeding now will cause him to have soft stool. Though I am trying to add at least 3grams every feeding which seems to be working. 

Looks like he's doing well on the orijen puppy large now but I am just wondering if there's anything better that can help him catch up with his weight? 

What do you think I should do?


Momto2GSDs said:


> Why isn't adding more food an option?????
> 
> 
> ACANA Lamb & Apple Singles: Lamb is a "hot" food in TCM, and may inflame the gut more. I would go with the Pork & Squash Singles if you don't want to do the "duck" singles.
> ...


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## Beibitoi (May 20, 2018)

Just switched to Acana free-run duck and I should thank you for giving me this advice. Firm stools again. 

Here's what I am doing now.
Feeding him 1.5x the recommended amount per day (240g x 1.5 = 360g)

Breakfast - 120
Lunch - 120
Dinner - 120

To slowly transition him to 2x a day feeding, I am slowly adding 5g each to bfast and dinner and reducing 10g from lunch. I am now at B=140g, L=80g, D=140g.

Just another question, since I am starting with an underweight pup, should I add more to the 1.5x I am giving him? Should I instead do 1.8x or maybe more?

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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

Beibitoi said:


> Just switched to Acana free-run duck and I should thank you for giving me this advice. Firm stools again.
> 
> Here's what I am doing now.
> Feeding him 1.5x the recommended amount per day (240g x 1.5 = 360g)
> ...



SO glad to hear he is doing well on this food! :happyboogie:


Try giving the 1.8 for 1 meal a day and see how that goes for several days. Then, increase if you see fit.


I would NOT be giving a calcium supplement! This can create all sorts of problems like settling in his joints!!!!


Keep us posted!

Moms


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## tpadul (Jul 27, 2018)

Hello Beibitoi,
I have been reading this entire string of posts and was waiting to see if your vet mentioned doing a GI blood panel test to rule out any problems with the Pancreas or the B12 levels? Those problems can affect absorption of food and will contribute to the dog not gaining weight. 

My 9 month old Bella had severe GI issues and at 12 weeks old we dealt with severe bouts of Diarrhea and long story short she is very grain intolerant and when she started having issues I was switching her from a grain free food to a food with brown rice in it, but at the time we did not make the correlation that it was the rice in the food, and we thought something at daycare caused the diarrhea as all the fecal tests came out negative for any parasites or any other illness, we thought the chlorine water in the dog pool messed up her stomach, so we were struggling to find out why she kept having diarrhea and during that time we had been feeding her boiled chicken and rice and giving special GI food but nothing was working, so the Vet had a special GI blood panel test done to check and see if she had Exocrine Pancreatic insufficiency disorder. Thankfully Bella did not have EPI but the test did show low levels of B12 in her system which will affect her nutrient absorption and thus she was not gaining weight. 

The Vet said we needed to get lots of B12 into her system and she went through a series of 6 B12 shots for 6 weeks, when she started out the B12 shots she weighed 40 pounds at 5 months old and in 6 weeks she went from 40 to 60 pounds We use a lot of supplements too in order to help her gut heal from the severe diarrhea, so it was really important that we add lots of probiotics to her diet. 

So if you vet has not already done a blood test and checked her Folate levels it would be a good idea to suggest this, if the B12 level is low you pup can really benefit from the B12 shots.

Bella is now a healthy 9 months old weighing about 75 pounds and she is eating a partial raw diet and she has to be on a grain free kibble, she also eats 2 pounds a week of plain greek yogurt. and she gets other supplements as well. 

I think your vet might want to check those B12 levels and just switching around the food might not be enough to help the gut heal from all the gastrointestinal upsets. 

There are clay tablets that can be given to help firm up the stools until you can try to find out if B12 shots might be necessary to help with the weight gain. The tablets are called "Endosorb" and my vet started us out on them while we were trying to figure out what was causing the diarrhea. Also we found out that 2 of the other pups in Bella's litter also have loose poop problems and they probably need to be grain free like their sister is. But it was interesting on how the Vitamin B12 shots did wonders for her and helped her gain weight. 



I hope some of this information is helpful for you.


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## Beibitoi (May 20, 2018)

Hi! Thanks! 

Yes his blood was tested and everything came out fine. Not sure if he was tested for B12 though. Will ask his vet next time. He has gained weight since I started on acana duck. No loose stool as well.

He's almost 6.5 months now. Last July 21, he was more or less 31 lbs. Just today, he weighed 42 lbs (after feeding). Given these figures, I'm not really sure if he's gaining at the right rate. he's still underweight by almost 17 lbs based on the published growth chart of gsd puppies. 

A little more weight would be enough to hide the visible ribs though. Muscles on his hind legs and hips are gradually improving.

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