Hi all! I'm new here with a brand new Husky puppy. We brought him home a week ago and the past several days he has been having bright orange diarrhea. I just figured it was nerves combined with the color of his dog food (Purina Puppy Chow). We started him on white rice and boiled chicken yesterday to try and calm his tummy, and today he still had some orange diarrhea, followed by some really weird white looking poop. Is this caused by the change in diet? Or is it something serious? I tried the vet but they are out until Monday. Thanks in advance!

**I should add that this is the same food that the breeder had him on. He's eating and drinking/peeing fine so he's not dehydrated. Also, he's acting fine.

Could be due to worms. We are having that problem. The worms are white. That being said there are lots of causes of runny poop. If He is eating, drinking and acting normal he is probably fine to wait for the vet on Monday.

I agree your pup probably has worms. I would also consider changing his food to something else.. Checkout the following link for different food. I would consider the 5 or 4 star ones.

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/

We brought a stool sample in on Wednesday and it came back fine, and he hasn't been anywhere but our house/yard since then (around no other dogs). Is it still possible that he could have picked some up?

I think he may just be reacting to the poor quality food - I second Linda, check out a new food and change him.

Does the stool come out white or does it turn white afterwards?

I would keep him on the boiled chicken and rice for a few days. Don't switch him. Let his stomach calm down. If he doesn't show improvement on that diet, try exchanging the rice for scrambled eggs (the rice might also be reacting with him).

Once his stool is normal, then I'd suggest finding a higher quality food. If you have to take him off the rice, go with a grain-free food.

I left him on the rice/chicken from friday night through sunday and his stool became more solid. I started gradually adding small amounts of his dry food back in on sunday and his stool started to turn a more normal color, but this morning I could tell it was starting to become runny again. Maybe I just need to start him on a different food?

Yes, if his stool is reverting back to being soft/runny when you slowly add it back in, it could be an indication that his tummy is sensitive to something in it.

Thanks for all the advice! I was thinking about trying Solid Gold or Natural Balance because I think they sell them at my local pet store (We have Petco, Petsmart and Pet Supplies Plus if you have any other suggestions that they would sell at those stores). If his Purina is already giving him diarrhea, do I still need to make the switch really gradually or can I do it over a couple days? I don't want to keep him on the Purina any longer than necessary.

If his stools are doing better on the bland diet, keep him on the bland diet and make the food switch slowly from bland diet to the new kibble. Don't go back to his old kibble if it makes his stools go soft. Also, I'd make a gradual transition from bland diet to new kibble over a couple of weeks instead of a couple of days. So you'd add a little of the new kibble to the bland diet and stay on that mix for a few days before you add more new food as you decrease the bland diet.

mokonaami wrote:

Thanks for all the advice! I was thinking about trying Solid Gold or Natural Balance because I think they sell them at my local pet store (We have Petco, Petsmart and Pet Supplies Plus if you have any other suggestions that they would sell at those stores). If his Purina is already giving him diarrhea, do I still need to make the switch really gradually or can I do it over a couple days? I don't want to keep him on the Purina any longer than necessary.

I would stray away from Natural Balance, because it tends to be largely vegetable protein based. Try to find something with a good deal of animal protein listed in the first few ingredients. In your local store you will probably find Merrick, Blue Wilderness, Solid Gold and Wellness Core. As long as you don't mind feeding Diamond manufactured food, you can feed all of them. If you do - Stick to Blue WIlderness or Merrick.

Just my two cents.

my boy does fantastic on Taste of the Wild. (high prairie blend) . I know it seems to be the food of choice for many folks here also for obvious reasons.

another thing, OVER-feeding can cause digestive problems. If you are giving your puppy 3 or more cups a day, it's too much.

massak wrote:

my boy does fantastic on Taste of the Wild. (high prairie blend) . I know it seems to be the food of choice for many folks here also for obvious reasons.

another thing, OVER-feeding can cause digestive problems. If you are giving your puppy 3 or more cups a day, it's too much.

I disagree - 3 cups was perfect for Cato and he had perfect stools. They are growing at a rapid rate. BUT every pup is different.

Yes, over feeding can cause loose/soft stools, however, since every pup is different, 3 cups for one pup may be OK while for another pup it would be too much causing loose stools. You will need to figure out what amount is right for your pup. Typically, the feeding guidelines on the bag is a little too much for huskies, so, you could start with a smaller amount than what the bag recommends and increase if your pup isn't on track for his weight or is losing weight when he is supposed to be gaining weight. On the other hand, if your pup is gaining too much weight, then decrease the amount of food accordingly.

I'm going to disagree with Megan on the Natural Balance for now. I do not recommend it for long term use for the reasons she stated, however trying their Limited Ingredient Diet (L.I.D.) line can actually be very helpful as part of an elimination diet to determine what might be upsetting your dog's stomach. Any limited ingredient diet would work but since you have mentioned Natural Balance is readily available to you there's no harm in using that as a starting point and like a bland diet, a limited ingredient formula is likely to be easier on the tummy.

Of course if you were to try Natural Balance LID and your pup has normal stools on it consistently, then I would look into switching to a higher quality food. Ultimately it's your decision, you could go either way and potentially get the same results. I just know with my extremely sensitive chi we went with NB's LID Sweet Potato & Venison to finally firm her up and from there transition to better foods as we progressed. Switching her straight to rich, high quality food did more harm than good in her case. Every dog is different so do what you think is best.

And yes, as massak and Claudia mentioned, too much can cause the runs so finding the right balance for your individual is key. Better to start off with less and have firm stools and work your way up than to start off with too much and risk diarrhea.

Hi, I took my boy (recently 9years old last Saturday) to the Vet because he was in pain while pooping. We found out that he had some prostate inflammation so the ideal was to neutered him. Well, my boy went with the procedure and everything was fine, he was pooping fine, but now he is having some stool issues. First I was giving him the food that his vet recommended Science Diet R/D with his food, dry BLUE Wilderness® Rocky Mountain Recipe™ Large Breed Adult Dog Food. Now he is having problems pooping and I find him like out of it. His operation was on July 29. His blood work was fine back then, but I find him off. I will be taking him to his dr. this Saturday but I am worried about him. I feed him chicken, only chicken while he was on the mends, and he loves it. What is the bland diet about chicken and rice I've been reading about. Any help here. Please. He is my baby, and he helps my autistic son with emotional and relationship issues.

Hello and welcome!

What kind of problems is he having? He can't poop? Or is he still having pain while pooping?

Has the vet made sure his prostate inflammation has gone down? It might sound like a weird question, but is he walking any differently? My boy wasn't neutered until he was six years old and every now and then he would get a prostate infection and would need to be on antibiotics for several weeks. He would also walk more stiffly because he was in discomfort.

Were any x-rays taken? If not, you might want your vet to do so. They can help determine if there's a possible blockage or anything abnormal in the abdomen.

Hi and thank you for answering me Beth!!

Well, he is pooping, but not enough. He is having small poops. They did an xray on him, that is how we found out that he was having prostate inflammation. He is walking a bit stiffy too. He is breathing soo fast that it gets me crazy thinking that he is sick. His nose will be cold and then gets a bit warm. We live in Puerto Rico where the heat is crazy. But he is usually out during the day and sleeps with us in the ac. So I am really worried about him.

If it were my dog, I would have the vet do a rectal exam to see if his prostate is still inflamed.

I also wouldn't worry too much if your boy's nose is cold or warm. It's perfectly normal for the temperature of a dog's nose to fluctuate day to day or even hour to hour. If it's been really hot, that's probably why he's breathing so fast. He's most likely hot and just trying to cool down. Is he still eating and drinking like normal?

He is drinking a lot of water, but his last feeding was on Sunday. He didn't touch his bowl yesterday. I saw him eating grass yesterday afternoon when I got home from work. So, I am assuming that he has an upset stomach, but still I will watching him and taking him to the vet on Saturday. Im just scared and worried about him. I was planning in getting him a companion, but I don't know. He has been the only dog in my house. But he keeps me company and helps my son, but I see him so lonely sometimes.

Sometimes they will skip meals if it's hot outside. Saber used to get upset stomachs all the time in the summer and have low energy.

By no means am I an expert, just tell your vet your concerns and go from there.

Thank you Beth. You have been so kind.

Regards.