My puppy has soft poop when excited. What can I do to stop it?

I am so sorry to hear about Nickel (what a cutie pie!). I wonder if your dog has inflammation or irritation in the distal color or rectal/anal area that causes her pain/irritation when it is time to have a bowel movement and this is why she becomes irritated/frantic. It is worthwhile to have her anal sacs examined by a vet if she hasn't already. You may also talk to them about putting her on a diet trial of a hypoallergenic diet in case she is having some mild inflammatory bowel symptoms causing the urgency or inflammation. There are diets that are made of hydrolyzed protein (where the protein has been broken down so it isn't recognized as an allergen) or novel protein diets, where the protein and carbohydrate sources are ones your dog hasn't eaten before (for example fish and potato or kangaroo and oats). The vet should also do a full neurological examination of your pup to be sure there aren't any abnormalities in the nerve pathways of the rectal area. An x-ray or ultrasound of the abdomen may also be helpful. If your vet hasn't been able to find a cause, you may request a referral to a specialist such as an internal medicine specialist. Another option you may try at home would be to add some fiber to his Nickel's diet to see if the bulking up of the feces helps Nickel identify a bowel movement is coming earlier. You can achieve this by adding a few teaspoons of canned pumpkin to Nickel's food.

Hello, Thanks for the information and photo. I'd recommend making an appointment with your regular veterinarian for Jasper to be seen. He may need to be tested for some less common parasites, like coccidia or giardia. If he develops inappetence, vomiting, or lethargy, those would be reasons to have him seen by an emergency veterinarian sooner.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There are daily variations in the defecation routine so this is not necessarily abnormal. I would not be too concerned about this as you will most likely not run into this issue. Have a great day!

Soft stool has multiple causes. It may be gastrointestinal upset or inflammation, intestinal parasites or due to dietary indiscretions just to name a few. As long as Remy is acting normally, you don't necessarily need to take him to your veterinarian. You should submit a stool sample though to diagnose intestinal parasites. Try withholding food for 24 hours. Allow small amounts of water or unflavored PediaLyte. Resume feeding a bland diet in small, frequent amounts until the stool is normal then transition slowly to his regular diet. If the soft stool does not resolve or if Remy develops lethargy, loss of appetite, abdominal pain or vomiting them have him examined by your veterinarian.

Certainly a food change can cause soft stool - even if you switch back to the previous food. It's important to remember, however, that there are many causes of soft stool in dogs, and you shouldn't assume that the cause was the food switch. You can try to revert to a bland diet - boiled white meat chicken and boiled white rice mixed in 50:50 proportions, and cooked with no added seasonings or fats - in small quantities at frequent intervals. For examine, offer about 1/4 cup every 2 - 4 hours. If the stool returns to normal over 24 hours, then transition slowly back to the original food. If not, Jade will need to see a vet, because soft stool as well as potential pain after urinating can have multiple causes, and she may need testing, such as a fecal parasite test and a urinalysis, to determine the exact cause and appropriate treatments for her symptoms.

it is likely caused by the excitement of the drive, going somewhere and meeting lots of new things and people. It is not a big concern that his poop is a bit soft. It should get back to its usual quality within a day or two.

Some dogs will have excessive bowel movements when they go for a walk. It's likely due to a combination of excitement, exercise and scent marking. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do to change the behavior. Things that you can do that may address this and may help would be to add a daily probiotic to try to keep the stool more firm, switch the diet- I recommend a brand called Royal Canin because it is very easy to break down and pets tend to have good stool quality on this food, play with him before a walk to get some of the energy out so he is not as excitable, and lastly, neutering him may also help to make him less excitable. Keeping a sanitary shave will also keep the fur more clean or at least easier to clean up. I hope this helps to point you in the right direction. Please feel free to post any additional questions!