My dog has diarrhea and eats poop. What are safe dental alternatives?

It sounds like the denta sticks are not agreeing with him. I would suggest trying an alternative dental chew. Greenies provide a very good dental chew. The raw carrots in the kong that you provide are also very good for Ziggy's teeth.

HI, thanks for using Petcoach! I am sorry Ziggy is sick! Sadly there isn't a perfect treat to keep a dogs teeth clean. Veterinary dentists recommend brushing their teeth AT LEAST three times per week. Anything less isn't doing anything. If Ziggy has a lot of tartar build up already then it is best to have an anesthetic (put under) dental to have his teeth cleaned, X-rayed and extracted if infected. Then brushing his teeth 3 or more times per week will hopefully keep the tartar away. Below is a link to the Veterinary Oral Health Councils recommend products. I hope this helps and good luck! http://www.vohc.org/VOHCAcceptedProductsTable_Dogs.pdf

As gross as it is, some dogs do decide they enjoy the taste of poop. It sounds like Ziggy is on a balanced diet so I think you're correct in that he's not likely missing out on nutrients. Because of some health concerns and because this is obviously not desirable behavioral you can try to stop Ziggy from eating poop a few different ways. Sometimes feeding some pineapple juice can change the taste of feces so a dog will stop eating it. There is also a product called For-bid that can help stop this behavioral. Finally, trying to be diligent about feces removal from the yard may be necessary to stop Ziggy. Please monitor Ziggy for signs of weight loss, vomiting or diarrhea has rarely, even pets on a balanced diet can have a digestive issue that could cause this behavior. Also by ingested feces Ziggy is at increased risk for picking up GI parasites. I hope this helps!

Ziggy may have diarrhea secondary to GI inflammation from the ribbon. As long as he is acting normally, not lethargic, eating well and not vomiting I would just monitor him for now. You can try offering a bland diet of boiled chicken and sweet potato or rice to see if this firms up his stools. It is very important to monitor him for any abnormal signs especially vomiting or not eating. Strings and ribbons can cause a serious GI blockage so if any of the above signs develop Ziggy should be seen by a veterinarian right away. Also, if his diarrhea persists I would recommend seeing your veterinarian as it could be related to GI parasites or may require medication to resolve. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Ziggy's diarrhea resolves quickly!

If only Reign could talk! I am concerned that whatever was making him sick is still continuing. I recommend to offer the bland diet of chicken and rice again. I also recommend to call your veterinarian to figure out your options. Your vet likely has COVID protocols in place to protect themselves and the staff. Continued issues could mean many things that could range from parasites (including giardia) to a foreign object blocking the outflow tract in his stomach. Your vet can help you to figure out the best plan of action for Reign. I hope this helps.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Many cases of diarrhea can be directly linked back to the diet or an imbalance of GI bacteria. If Mason has been on the same food for a while now, I would initiate a bland diet as outlined below and then transition back to the regular dog food 3 days after the diarrhea resolves. If he is still having diarrhea, I would consider switching to a low fat / GI / sensitive stomach formula such as Science Diet or Royal Canin. As for the gums, just because he does not have much tartar does not mean he doesn't have bacteria in his mouth. He may have a larger than normal bacteria population in his mouth causing the bad breath. If he has not had a dental cleaning ever or its been a while, I would recommend having a veterinarian professionally clean his teeth to help with the bad breath. Products such as Plaque Off, Oravet and CET toothpaste can help with the bad breath as well as help prevent tartar formation. If the diet change does not help, I would consider adding in a probiotic such as Purina Fortiflora. If he continues to have diarrhea after switching the diets and the probiotic does not work, I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at Mason so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further! GENERAL INFORMATION A bland diet is a diet that is soft and highly digestible. It is low in fiber, fat and protein and is high in carbohydrates. Bland diets are generally composed of a single carbohydrate source and a single lean protein source. The most common bland diet is boiled rice and boiled lean chicken breast, without skin and bones. Since bland diets are low in fiber, stool production slows and defecation is less frequent. Bland diets are fed to rest the gastric system and to help promote normal stool formation. Animals that are physically sick should not be fed bland diets as a method of treatment. PRIOR TO FEEDING A BLAND DIET Pets should be fasted for 12 to 24 hours. Young animals should not be fasted for more than 12 hours. Fasting will allow the intestinal system to relax and minimize acid secretions that may irritate and inflame the intestinal lining. During the fast small amounts of water or ice chips may be provided. Never fast a sick animal, it may cause disease progression and death. BASIC BOILED RICE AND CHICKEN BLAND DIET RECIPE CARBOHYDRATE SOURCE: Boiled white rice LEAN PROTEIN SOURCE: Chicken breast, no skin and bones BOILED RICE: 1 part white rice with 3 parts water boiled for 20 – 25 minutes or until the rice is easily crushed. BOILED CHICKEN: De-fat chicken breast and boil in water for 10 – 15 minutes or until the chicken meat is easily pulled apart and cooked all way through. MIXING INSTRUCTIONS: Finely chop the lean protein and mix 2 cups carbohydrate source and ½ cup lean protein source. STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Bland diets can be premade and stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 48 hours. The bland diet can be cooked in a batch and frozen in feeding sized portions to minimize preparation time. Thaw and warm the frozen diet prior to feeding. PERMITTED LEAN PROTEIN SUBSTITUTIONS Pork loin, egg whites, low fat cottage cheese. 7% low fat hamburger, plain low fat yogurt. PERMITTED CARBOHYDRATE SUBSTITUTIONS Boiled potatoes, boiled spaghetti, Minute rice. PERMITTED COMMERCIAL BLAND DIETS Science Prescription Diet I/D, Eukanuba Veterinary Diet Low Residue, Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Intestinal HE. FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS Estimate 25% of your animal’s diet and feed that amount of the bland diet every 6 – 8 hours. Smaller animals will require less and larger animals will require more adhering to the same carbohydrate to lean protein source ratio. The bland diet should be fed for 4 -5 days with no treats or other food sources until stools are firm then transition to dog food

If Zoy has lost two teeth, he could have other dental disease in his back teeth causing the bad breath. He could be licking and chewing himself due to allergies, mites, or ringworm. I'd take him into the vet to get these issues checked out. As for his separation anxiety, I recommend crating him when you are gone. The crate will provide him a small space where he can feel safe in it when you are gone. You will have to slowly train him to get used to a crate. Start putting him in it when you are home and sitting nearby so he doesn't think you are abandoning him, and slowly increase the time he is in it. He can have toys in the crate, and puzzle toys with treats in it that he has to figure out how to get the treats out. You can put a tablespoon of peanut butter in a Kong toy and freeze it in the freezer overnight, then give it to him in the crate. That will keep him occupied for a while. Finally, you can get a pheromone diffuser called DAP that helps dogs with anxiety and pair that will a DAP pheromone collar that releases pheromones when in contact with his skin. If these methods do not help him, then I recommend having him seen by a vet to discuss the use of anti-anxiety medications. Best of luck, I hope this helps.