Why is my puppy's poop runny after switching to Blue Buffalo?

Poor Addison! This could be caused by several things from large water intake, parasites, or even her dog food. Blue buffalo can actually be too rich for some dogs. I have also seen other complications from eating blue buffalo like bladder crystals and bladder stones. You some consider switching her to something With less protein like science diet, Royal canin, or Iams. If you want a food with a more “natural” approach, natural balance is also a good choice. When you switch her, I would slowly mix in the new food and gradually transition her over a 10 to 14 day period. Also, I would have your vet take a look at her. Your vet will be able to do a fecal to check for worms. I would make sure they also check for giardia and campylobacter as these are parasites/bacteria that commonly can cause similar issues but are difficult to diagnose. Lastly, i would get her started on some probiotics. I like ones made by vetriscience and Thorne. I hope this helps and she starts to feel better.

I'm sorry Hulk has been having problems with soft stool! It could be that his diet was causing the diarrhea, but it could also be that he had a GI illness or ate something rotten. It's good that the bland diet has helped clear it up, and I would find another food to feed him besides Blue Buffalo. I am not a fan at all of it, there are many cases of dogs having GI issues on it. It also have very poor quality control over how it is made, and they have had a number of recalls. Brands of food I recommend include Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, and Iams. You can get his used to one of these new brands by slowly adding it to the bland diet, and over time, increasing the amount of the new food and decreasing the bland diet until he is eating the bland diet only. Good luck, I hope this helps!

I do not recommend Blue Buffalo diets at all. I think they are too rich, especially for a young puppy. Also Blue Buffalo does not follow AAFCO standards (nutritional guidelines). So, I don't think their food is properly balanced. All they do well is marketing. Just because it is expensive doesn't make it better. If I were you I would find another food that uses AAFCO guidelines. It will tell you on the bag where the nutritional information is. If you could call the shelter where you got her and ask what they were feeding that would be helpful. The other thing I would do is feed a probiotic as that will help repopulate the GI tract with good bacteria. Hope this helps! Best wishes!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lila. There is a lot of confusion regarding pet food and it can seem difficult to make a good choice. You need to keep in mind that every pet is different and what works for your dog may not work for someone else's. I recommend a food that is certified by AAFCO to start as this means that is meets minimum standards. Next, the puppy need to like it and eat it willingly. There needs to be no vomiting and diarrhea on the diet nor an excessive amount of bowel movements. A dog should defecate 2-3 times per day. More than this is abnormal. Finally, her haircut should be glossy and healthy. If she is meeting all of these requirements on her diet, then there is no reason to change. My only warning is to avoid grain free diets as there is recent research linking them to heart disease. I hope this information helps!

Poor Theo! Given that he was throwing up the Blue Buffalo (BB) food, but now isn't vomiting on the Simply Nurish, I would suspect that the BB isn't agreeing with his stomach. As for his poop, changes in diet can lead to looser stools. Even though you did half and half to help him switch, typically it's better to do 1/4 new food and 3/4 old food to start. To help Theo with his diarrhea, I can give you a home remedy to try. 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 his normal diet. I would also recommend getting Theo's vaccines done ASAP if he's seven months of age. I see that you are in Utah, and a rabies vaccines for all dogs is required by law, so it is important that he get that vaccines plus the DHPPi combination shot (distemper, parvovirus, hepatitis, parainfluenza) once he is feeling better. I would wait until the diarrhea has cleared up before getting him those vaccines. I hope this helps :-)

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.

Yes, I suggest you get him a probiotic to add to the food. Use the probiotic with the chicken and rice (no puppy food) for about 4 days and then go back to trying to transition him back to the puppy food. I like this probiotic. I think it is the best. Feed one packet on the food daily. It comes as a box of 30 packets and I would give it for the entire 30 days. http://www.allivet.com/p-1130-purina-pro-plan-veterinary-diets-fortiflora-dog-supplement-box-of-30.aspx If you can't get Fortilfora then you can use any probiotic made for dogs. No human ones or dairy products. Hope this helps. Best wishes.