So, we had a solid-ish stool just now! It wasn't nice and formed like the others have but it had shape and could hold it's shape when just the other day it was big cow pies. So progress! He's eating Salmon Blue Wilderness (I looked at their puppy formula- and there is no difference in Ca values and only 1% difference in protein and fat.)

He's really so skinny... I've been feeding him 3x a day and feeding him about 3 1/3 cups a day. It seems like a LOT but he flips a lid everytime the food comes out so he seems really hungry. I've been adding a spoonful of Pumpkin to all 3 meals as well as vitamin E at dinner and fish oil at lunch.

Is 3x a day overkill? I just want to make sure the food i'm feeding him is actually being absorbed in that little body and I know that the more you feed at 1 sitting the less effective the nutrient absorption is... And how about the amount? 3 1/3 cups seems like a lot but he's so hungry! Due to be wormed again in about a week...

Blue Buffalo, while it started out great, really isn't all that great anymore. They have a lot of consistency issues, a lot of spoil issues, and generally...just a lot of issues! Lol. They are changing a lot of the formulas under the table, without announcing it to the public. It causes a lot of runs in dogs, especially since it is a rich food already. Thus...why I no longer work for them.

If you think you are feeding too much, and he has loose stools, it is probably because A) it is going right through him or B) he has loose stools BECAUSE you are over feeding him. He's skinny because he isn't getting anything out of it...it just goes straight through him. Either way, I'd switch off of BB.

Put him on a bland diet of boiled chicken and brown rice with probiotics for about a week to give his system a re-boot then slowly switch him over to another food like TOTW, CORE, etc. Runny stools, no matter now many people say it, isn't "normal". It shouldn't be "okay". And if it goes on too long, it just causes more problems.

I believe most people feed puppies 3x a day. Koda and Rogue always flip their lids over meal time like they've been dying but they never act hungry during the day.

I know it's really pricey, but seriously Ziwipeak put weight on both dogs SO fast.. Rogue was nasty skinny when I got her and within 2 1/2 weeks or so of Ziwipeak looks healthy. Koda gained 20lbs on it when he was skeletor, I put him on it in June and by the end of August he was to his ideal weight. Koda now gets fed 3 scoops of it (comes with a scooper, it's probably about 1/2 cup) but got 3 1/2 - 4 scoops a day when trying to gain weight. Rogue gets 2 scoops now and got 2.5 scoops when gaining weight.

And Kristina's very in touch with what to feed her dogs. Rodeo just came to her a week ago and that's why he has had poo issues, she just rescued him.
Curious though Kristina, why aren't you feeding raw like the rest?

That should probably be in the OP then...people new to the forum aren't going to know that. Lol.

And Ziwipeak looks REALLY good. I haven't heard of it before.

She just posted about him Thursday so I don't really think we have really had anyone new within 3 days so she didn't probably even think about it.

And it is really good, since my husband is not in favor of raw anymore I switched over to it and it definitely the next best thing. I'm not a fan of veggies in dog food since my dogs end up having huge or multiple poops from it, so it works awesome for us. It's really pricey but worth it- however it isn't any more than feeding Zeal IMHO. The bag lasted Koda 5-6 weeks, which is what feeding THK alone would cost.

Hm. I must have missed it. Now I have to go thread hunting....

Hm. Maybe it is just the pictures, but he really looks like a decent weight in those...no where near "skinny". Perfect for a growing pup. And his coat looks pretty good as well, if not a little lackluster. As usual, hard to see under the fur, though! Could be totally different with your hands on him.

He is like a mini skeletor. Seriously his spine sticks up, every rib can be felt with the slightest touch and his hip bones and pointy and pokey! Not to mention he's got chicken legs for back legs

I bathed him the other day and i've got cats bigger than him The pictures disguise it very well, when he was at Animal control I knew he was a little underweight but I was blown away when he was brought out to me and I got my hands on him.

I'm not feeding TOTW anymore. I purchased a bag from them about 2 weeks ago now of the same formula i've been feeding for almost a year. It was a completely different size and shape, smelled different, and Cheyenne would take a bite or 2 and refuse to touch it. Tried to get in touch with TOTW and got ignored for nearly a week both via email and facebook. I'm not buying from them ever again.

He's not on raw because i've never done raw for a puppy. I waited until Mishka was a year old before she went on raw. And i'm just generally worried about his proportions. He looks like an adult dog in most aspects but he's just so short and so skinny... I don't know if he was malnourished or something for some time before ending up at animal control or what. I just don't want to break him. lmao

I didn't put Koda on raw til he was 8 months so I feel you on that, lol. I have a little guideline I found on it from a member of an old forum if you want it?

How long has he been on the BB Salmon? Sounds like he's starting to show some progress. Is there a reason for not feeding raw beside just never having done it before on a pup? I just know that puppies can handle it just fine like adults so there's no real reason for waiting until they're a year old to start raw.

Have you considered maybe two meals of BB and a raw meal and just seeing how that goes? I don't prefer BB either, the formulas look different (much like Wellness Core looked different when they switched manufacturers) and I've yet to find a single formula from BB that my sibe does well on.

Have you considered adding yogurt or a probiotic to his meals (in addition to the pumpkin) to see if that will help any?

Yeah, sure Heather

Val- I think he started on Salmon Wilderness on Saturday? I've never done it for a puppy and i'm honestly concerned about his growth and how raw would effect that. I know that's stupid and I should know better and not be concerned (about raw) but he really just is oddly proportioned and so skinny i'm being a worry wart

I tried him on raw within 2 days of being here. He loved it. But his stool was so questionable then and the raw of course caused cannon butt I think I may try some again when i've got him pretty consistent with his bowls on the Wilderness. I've thought about yogurt (even looked into perfect form) but I just don't want to throw too much stuff at him at once. You know?

I agree, I'd stick with what you're doing for now and maybe try an additive if you don't see continued improvement after some time. He's hardly been on BB so I'd definitely give it more time. And yeah, I'd stick with as few new things as possible while you're trying to figure out what works and what doesn't. I totally agree with you there.

Kristina, do any of the shops near you sell the Sierra Mountain TOTW formula, it's their new one as of a few months ago and my two are loving it! and they finally have solid poop again