Dog on bland diet: Why is his poop weird and is he losing weight?

Poor Porter! Some possible causes for his softer stool and weight loss include parasites, inflammatory bowel disease, food allergies, gastroenteritis from a virus or new foods, Addison's disease, among others. You can try offering Porter a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken and white rice (9 cups per day, divided into 2-3 smaller meals) for a few days, then gradually mix his normal food in with the bland diet over 5-7 days. Adding a probiotic ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=21478 ) to his diet may also be beneficial. However, if this does not improve his soft stool, Porter will need to go to his vet for evaluation and testing of his stool and blood to try to get to the bottom of this situation. I hope that all goes well!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Bear! Diarrhea can be a sign of a vaccine reaction but since he was having abnormal stools prior to the Vet visit I think it is likely a continuation of his previous issues. I would still ask for deworming medications as adult worms do not always shed eggs that will show up in the stool sample. I would also change his food and get him on a puppy food that doesn't contain chicken. It is possible the weight loss and chronic abnormal stools are due to a food allergy. If that doesn't improve his weight and stools then I would do blood work and B12/folate/TLI/PLI testing for intestinal and pancreatic disease. Causes of poor weight gain/weight loss and diarrhea in a puppy are: intestinal parasites, food allergy/intolerance, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatic insufficiency. Good luck!

This looks like Bear has soft stool, close to diarrhea. The red color could be caused by the color of his dogfood, but it could also be a little blood. If Bear is happy, does not appear ill, lethargic , eats and drinks you can do the following: Diarrhea can have many causes such as a food over sensitivity, eating something that does not agree with the dog, intestinal parasites, an intestinal blockage, bacterial infection, viral infection, the weather, food change, stress, etc.  I would fast Bear for 24 hours and then put him on bland food for two days, such as boiled white rice and boiled white boneless chicken meat, fed in small quantities over several feeds and then transition back to regular food slowly over a few days. If this does not clear up the diarrhea or he starts vomiting, or if Bear gets lethargic, he needs to see a veterinarian for an exam as there may be something more serious such as an infection going on.

I would recommend having Koa examined by a vet. This is highly abnormal. Chicken and baby food is not the proper nutrition long-term, these types of diets should only be used for a few days to a couple weeks at a time as a way to rest an irritated GI tract, and it likely doesn't include enough calories or fat to maintain or gain body weight. After examination and a discussion of Koa's medical history, the vet can recommend appropriate diagnostics to determine what could be going on.

Yes, this can be normal after extended episodes of diarrhea. The bland diet is highly digestible and will produce less stool than the regular diet. Once the stool is normal and the slow transition to his regular diet progresses, you should see his bathroom habits return to normal.

Hi there. Weight loss in a puppy Bear's age is concerning. It could be the parasite but also diarrhea can cause weight loss quickly. I would recommend taking him into your vet for blood work and fecal testing to diagnose what is causing the diarrhea, and get him the treatment he needs. I hope that helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

His poop is bright yellow b/c of his current diet (just rice and cottage cheese). He should have some protein in there, so I would suggest adding chicken or ground turkey. Also as long as he is not straining to poop, there is no cause for concern for the fewer stools, especially since he isn't eating anything with much substance. As long as he is acting normal, there is no major cause for concern here. Slowly transition him back to his normal diet once your vet says he is good to do so, and his stools should return to normal. Best of luck with your pet Billy moving forward. Take care!