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Why is my inactive dog pooping more on her new high-protein food?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | Female | spayed | 5 years and 2 months old | 17 lbs

My dog is on a food that's 32% protein and I noticed since I put her on it she's pooping more than she did on her previous food which was 20% protein. She's not active at all so should I put her back on her previous food? She only weighs 17 pounds and this is her poop from this morning.

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Amber W

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on September 19th, 2017

That stool looks normal to me. There are a lot of factors that may be causing Chloe to poop more on the new food including the fiber content of the new diet. If she is otherwise acting normally you don't have to switch Chloe's food because defecating more frequently is not an issue as long as the stool is well formed.

Because you state that Chloe is not very active you may want to consider a lower calorie food to prevent weight gain. An all canned food diet can also help to prevent weight gain.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on August 11th, 2018
Changing foods can cause changes in the stool but I wouldn't be too concerned about an increase in size or recognizable pieces of food as long as Chloe isn't having diarrhea or gas. Some people would rather not let their dogs out more frequently for bowel movements, so if it seems like she needs to go out often you could consider switching back.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on September 21st, 2017
Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. It does not look as if your picture was uploaded. I would suggest reposting with the picture attached. If you are concerned about the stool being too large in quantity sometimes foods high in fiber can lead to this increased volume of stool. As long as it is not causing any discomfort or problems this is fine. However, sometimes a diet high in fiber can increase the frequency at which the dog needs to defecate and if Chloe is home alone for any long period of time without being able to go outside, you may find that she will be unable to hold her stool for a long period of time. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me with any further questions that you may have. I am also available via phone or text base consultation if needed
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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Related Questions

Food & Nutrition

Can my inactive dog eat high protein wet food? Will it change poop?

Yes Chloe can have that wet food. As most wet food is primarily meat it has a higher protein content than dry. I usually recommend a small amount of canned with the dry food rather than feeding all canned. As long as the canned doesn't have a lot of fiber in it the poop should not be larger, actually the poop may be smaller due to the decreased amount of fiber in the canned food. If Chloe is normal weight adding some canned to the diet is fine but if she tends to gain weight or she is already overweight then I do not recommend adding wet food to the diet as you are adding additional calories which may get her heavier. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

My dog's poop changed after switching to canned food. Is it normal?

I am very sorry, but your pictures have not come through with your post. Please feel free to post again, and I will help you further. If Chloe's feces are loose, more frequent, or have increased mucus, it could be related to the change over in food. Canned food has a much higher water content then dry food. You may want to consider adding in a probiotic to her diet during this change over period to help her intestines adjust; http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=24772

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

Why is my dog's stool the same after switching to digestive food?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You may need to feed the i/d stew for a few days in a row to appreciate a difference in stool. But Chloe's stool may look the same on both diets. The stool is normal in each picture, so I'm not sure what the goal with her stool is. I hope this helps!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

Will my dog's poop get bigger if I switch to high-fiber wet food?

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This is a very good question! The easiest answer is no, Chloe will not have an increase in stool size with the wet food. The reason for this is the increased amount of water offsets the increased fiber content, which is also only really slightly higher in the wet vs. the dry food. The other part to this answer is that some fiber is digestable, so again will not add more bulk to the stool. So if Chloe prefers the wet over the dry, which is fine, her stools should not change much as all, as long as the overall total calorie counts remain the same.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

My dog's poop is worse on fresh food. Should I stick to kibble?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Honestly both stools look fine. I would encourage you to proceed with the diet that Choe prefers. If she likes to have 1/2 of each then that would be good too. If at any point she develops diarrhea then it could be indicated to try something else. Good luck and have a great day!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

How much protein does an inactive dog really need in their food?

Hello, increased protein will likely not be of much benefit for Chloe if she is not very active. Either of those foods, provided they meet the AAFCO requirements for a maintenance life stage will be sufficient for Chloe. A higher protein food would likely benefit a working dog the most. Hope this helps

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

Why is my dog pooping more on Nutro? Is it less digestible food?

Excess fillers and fiber will increase stool amounts. This is not necessarily "bad" unless the stool is soft or runny. A food that is more nutrient dense will require less to feed and will result in less stool production. Nutro and Blue Buffalo are quality foods and either are acceptable to feed Shadow. The Blue Buffalo may be a "hotter" food (one with a higher percentage of protein, carbs, etc) which is likely partly responsible for Shadow's weight gain. This could be remedied by increasing exercise and activity, limiting treats and table food "snacks" and by decreasing the amount of Blue Buffalo that is fed at each meal. If you are fine with the additional stool production, no change is recommended. If you would like to pick up less stool, consider switching slowly back to Blue Buffalo and following the advice listed above.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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