My puppy has soft stool and accidents. Should he only eat kibble?

Poor Aiko! Some of the most common causes for soft stools in puppies are GI parasites, the addition of new foods or treats without a transition period, and stress. The fact that the stools are sometimes firm makes me a bit less concerned that this is a more serious cause, but we should investigate what the problem may be. Firstly, I would recommend having a stool sample submitted to your vet to look for parasites. Vomiting and loose stools can sometimes be a sign of gastrointestinal parasites. Secondly, Aiko should be eating a well-balanced puppy diet. New treats and foods should be slowly added to his diet. Avoid items with high fat as this sometimes causes tummy upset. Make sure he isn't eating things he shouldn't be. Puppies have pretty sensitive stomachs. Excessive stress and/or exercise can sometimes cause loose stools too. For today, withhold any treats so his tummy can settle. Offer him his next meal and see if he is still vomiting. If so, you should call your vet. Hopefully, this problem can be resolved soon! Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Eating soft food only is not concerning. An occasional cat treat is also not concerning. Soft stools could be from the soft foods- they contain more water- but if the stools are more like diarrhea, I would recommend looking into the cause. There could be a medical reason for diarrhea, like parasites or a digestive issue that needs to be addressed. If he used to eat hard food and now only eats soft I would recommend having a vet look at his teeth to make sure there isn’t something painful going on that’s causing the diet change. I hope this helps, if not please repost with a specific question. Good luck and kisses to Koda!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry to hear Rusty isn't feeling well. I recommend taking Rusty to the vet with a fresh stool sample. There is a possibility he has microscopic intestinal parasites. This is common in puppies and causes diarrhea. I would not change his food as that is likely to make the loose stool worse. There is no deworming medicine that treats all parasites so even if he has been dewormed, it doesn't mean there isn't something there. Good luck and kisses to Rusty!

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.

Aw, what a cutie. 6 weeks old is pretty young to be away from his mama. These guys are often fed by their mom until closer to 8 weeks. A good quality puppy food, probably canned or kibble soaked in warm water will be necessary. At this age he probable won’t eat dry kibble. It is best if you feed the same thing the breeder fed in the beginning. This will help with the soft stool and keep him from diarrhea. Once he eats that well, you can transition. I would choose a high quality large breed puppy food for the first year. I like Merrick, if your budget allows. If you need a grocery store available food, try Purina One. If his stool is really soft, he needs to have a fecal check with your vet as he may need deworming.

That depends on how soft it is and how frequently that is happening. For some dogs, their ‘normal’ is firm in the beginning of the stool and then softer (but still formed) at the end. If every thing else seems to be normal and you don’t see any problems with the whole stool being soft/loose and no liquid/unformed stool at the end, you may do nothing and just monitor for now. It may also be beneficial to take a photo of the questionable stool and post again so that we can see what you are seeing. I assume you have done all the parasite testing (including giardia) and routine deworming to rule out parasites? If I have a patient who is continuing to have a softer stool, I will often treat them with a 5 day course of Panacur just to be certain no parasites remain. I agree that if the metronidazole does not seem to be making a huge difference, I would probably shy away from that. If I suspect a bacteria cause to continued soft stool, I will often treat for 6 weeks with an antibiotic called Tylosin or I will treat for 10 days with a sulfa-type antibiotic. Lastly, a continued soft stool could also be related to food allergy. The diet you are feeding is excellent. It’s meant to break down easily and decrease the work load on the cells. This diet is very good for dogs who can’t handle the richness of most dog foods. It is not however formulated for dogs who have food allergies. That is a different immune process. Don’t be tempted to put him on a grain free diet. Most dogs who do have legitimate food allergies are not allergic to grains. Instead know for sure if it is a food allergy. The diet I recommend is made by Royal Canin and called hydrolyzed protein adult HP. Since Bentley is a boxer puppy, he is still growing. This diet is formulated to meet the requirements of growing puppies so it will both help with food allergy as well as support normal growth of his bones and soft tissue. You would conduct a food trial on him which will last for 12 weeks. The stool is normal at the end of 12 weeks, then you know it’s an allergy. I recommend to discuss any of these options with your veterinarian if the stool is still abnormal or if Bentley continues to get problems with a loose stool in general. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions!