My puppy has diarrhea from Merrick dog food. What should I feed him?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Ranger. If the diarrhea started after adding the canned food to his diet, then this is likely the cause. If the diarrhea has been intermittent or present prior to the diet change, then I worry that there is a different cause. In this case, he should see his veterinarian for fecal testing. Otherwise, you can try to add a probiotic such as Fortiflora. This can help with stool quality. A different brand of canned food or a smaller amount may help as well. Purina ProPlan Sensitive Skin and Stomach is a good formula for mild GI upset. I hope this information helps!

Hello, and thanks for your question. The grain free foods tend to be very rich; diarrhea is actually pretty common. I do not recommend grain free food - there is no science to back up any benefits of going grain free in dogs, and there are actually concerns that it is harmful (if you want further information, look into the connection between grain free and dilated cardiomyopathy heart disease). I recommend Purina, Hills Science Diet, Royal Canin, or Iam’s Eukanuba puppy food. Ol’ Roy would not be my preference, but I would still recommend it over grain free, especially since Freya clearly tolerates it better!

It is a good sign that she improved with a bland diet, I recommend returning to chicken and rice with a probiotic such as fortiflora for 48 hours then slowly adding a sensitive puppy food (royal canin gastrointestinal junior or calibra puppy is my preferred option). Add kibble at no more than 20% every 2 days to allow the gut to adjust

It is ok to stay on the Hill's diet long-term if that is all that Orcan needs to prevent diarrhea. If you want him on another diet, you can slowly mix the two over 3-4 weeks. The first week it would be 75% Hills and 25% RC. The next week 50/50, etc. If the diarrhea comes back you can try a different RC diet for sensitive stomachs, continue feeding just the Hill's, or discuss food allergies or other possible causes for diarrhea with your vet.

Bruno is old enough for a puppy formulated dog food. Brands I recommend including Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, and Iams. To help him wean and to get used to dry food, I would soak a high quality puppy formulated dry food in warm water until soft. Then mix that with puppy formula such as KMR to make a mush the consistency of oatmeal. Over the next two weeks, gradually increase the amount of dry puppy food and decrease the amount of water and KMR you use until he is eating the dry puppy food only. Best of luck.

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.

Natures recipe is a good brand but if he is still having issues you may want to talk to you vet about putting him on a prescription GI diet like science diet I/D or purina EN. If you are concerned he has food allergies, then I would stick with grain free but I would also look for a diet that doesn't have chicken like natural balance venison and sweet potatoes. A lot of dogs are allergic to chicken and beef. If you haven't had his stools check for parasites, campylobacter, and giardia, I would have your vet do that. It is not normal for them to have diarrhea so if it continues, I would certainly have it looked into. Your vet may want to do blood work and x-rays on top of the fecal. You may want to bring him a fecal sample as it is sometimes difficult to obtain a fecal sample when they are having diarrhea. Finally, you can also start him on a probiotic. I like purina fortiflora or propectalin paste. I hope this helps!