Puppy Food Problems
In the past month, I’ve worked with four puppies that were having some major bowel problems. Diarrhea, loose stools, huge stools, poop filled crates… You get the idea.
(If you’re eating lunch right now, I’m sorry…)
Feeding a dog sounds simple. They’re scavengers and most will eat near anything.
And yet…
The Wrong Food Leads to House Training Problems
What’s more, in all these recent cases, the people were feeding their dog high-quality food and treats. So this was not just “garbage in / garbage out.”
Obviously, stomach problems make house training a challenge. But they can also make it harder for the dog to learn just about anything.
So what to do if your dog’s stomach seems off? (And by this I mean anything other than reasonable-sized, firm stools.)
Choosing the Right Puppy Food
First, I would check out Dog Food Advisor to make sure there’s not a recall and that the current food is of decent quality.
Second, eliminate all excess treats and consumable chews. There’s been a recent push to be constantly giving dogs food to keep them occupied: stuffed Kongs, bully sticks, chews, pig ears, dental treats. (Anything consumable should be considered and evaluated as “food.”)
This desire to keep the dog stimulated is AWESOME. The problem comes when this leads to too much bulk in the stomach. A dog that is bloated has a weakened bladder, and concentration tends to go WAY down as well.
Most dogs are not good at self-regulating. “He seemed hungry” or “he likes it” can’t be the metrics we use. Loose stools can also be a sign that the portion sizes are too big.
If the food is highly rated but not working well, you may need to try another food. Some high-quality foods are very nutrient dense, which is great in theory — unless it’s too much for the dog’s digestive system to handle.
Try switching to a good but simpler food — maybe something lamb based. For example, I’ve had good results with the moderately priced and well-rated 4 Health Puppy food from Tractor Supply.
Find what works for your dog. Once you’ve found success with the dog’s basic food, you can start gradually adding back in chews and treats and other nutrient-dense foods. I’m not philosophically opposed to giving dogs “people food,” but pick food that’s appropriate to dogs (pieces of meat, vegetables, sweet potato) rather than things like ice cream or pizza crusts (which often lead to vomiting).
(And always remember that behavior that’s rewarded will be repeated more often — including begging and counter surfing.)
Treats for Puppy Training
In training, something like cubed chicken or a wet food like Freshpet can be easier on the dog’s’ stomach than treats with lots of fillers. When adding in new foods/treats/chews, limit it to one new thing at a time, so that you can figure out what causes the distress.
Finally…
I get that so much focus on the dog’s stomach and stools can be a little gross. But getting everything right physically (and medically) is an important first step to getting that behavioral transformation we’re looking for.
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