Grain-free food causes puppy diarrhea. Why does Ol' Roy firm poop?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Beuno. Stool problems in young dogs are most commonly caused by parasites or diet. I recommend having his veterinarian perform in depth stool testing to assess for parasites or other causes of gastrointestinal infections. If there is nothing found, then you may need to consider a diet change. I would recommend a prescription gastrointestinal diet that is formulated for use in puppies such as Purina Veterinary Diet EN. This is a highly digestible diet and many times can resolve the symptoms. You need to be careful with grain free diets as some have been associated with heart disease. They also tend to be quite high in carbohydrates which can lead to weight gain over time. I hope this information helps!

I agree. I do not recommend to feed pets a grain free diet unless they have a known grain allergy. There are a few brands that I recommend because I think they’re high quality and pets tend to like the taste. Royal Canin is my number one choice. It is highly digestible and low residue and this tends to result in good stool quality with low stool quantity. Another brand I like is Purina pro plan. Nutro is also a good brand. Make sure to transition any diet slowly. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello. It is strange to say from an internet source, but do not believe everything you read on the internet. I would switch your dog back to the Purina. It is one of the best foods from one of the most reputable companies out there. The only foods most veterinarians will recommend are the only companies that provide the proof & research that goes into making safe & complete diets. These are Purina, Science Diet & Royal Canin. You will never go wrong using one of their products. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

From your description, it sounds like the food (Merrick) may be the cause of Sal's diarrhea, especially if it clears up when you stop feeding it to him. I'd recommend switching him to another brand of dog food. If you want to feed him grain free, I recommend Acana or Orijen. Make sure he is on a puppy formulated food to meet his nutritional needs. If you want to try a food that isn't grain free, I recommend Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, and Iams. I hope this helps!

I'm glad to hear that Roo is healthy aside from this soft stool. Yes, it's absolutely fine to switch her to a standard grain-containing diet. The FDA has issued warnings about grain-free diets and a concerning link to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), so switching is a great idea. I prefer brands like Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, Royal Canin, Iams, or Eukanuba, as these companies employ veterinary nutritionists and conduct proper testing on their diets. Since Roo is only 6 months old, be sure to look for a puppy food, as these are formulated for growth. When she's about one year old, you can switch her to an adult food. One of the most important things to remember is that anytime you switch her diet - even just opening a new bag of food - it's best to mix the old and new foods together gradually over 5-7 days. Sudden diet changes can trigger some vomiting and/or diarrhea, which is the last thing anyone needs! I hope that everything goes well!

Great question! In my opinion, grain free diets are a current fad. There is actually no scientific evidence that grain free diets are beneficial to dogs at all. Grains are fine for dogs, they provide a source of fiber which helps fill them up and keeps them satisfied. It sounds like Koda is letting you know he likes grains if he's picking the Royal Canin over Blue. Also in my opinion, Blue is a terrible food and you will find many, many veterinarians agree with that opinion. It is not a well regarded food in the veterinary community. Many vets have seen terrible cases of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis in dogs in Blue, as well as a lot of gas. In addition, they have been caught a number of times lying about what goes into their product, false advertising, and no quality control over how their food is made (they don't own their own factories, they send the recipe out to be made). Royal Canin is an excellent brand of food, and the best part of it is that they have veterinary nutritionists on staff. Blue, as far as I'm aware, does not. I would think a veterinary nutritionist would be best to know what a dog does and doesn't need in a diet. If Koda likes the Royal Canin, I recommend feeding that to him. Just be sure to switch his food over slowly so that he doesn't get GI upset from a quick change. I hope this helps!

Yes, it could be the food. Ol Roy is a pretty poor brand of dog food. Withhold food for 12-24 hours, then feed a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in Maggie's normal diet. If the diarrhea continues on the bland diet, she starts vomiting food, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, or becomes very lethargic, she will need to see a vet right away.