Puppy Poop Consistency...

[BabyElephant]

Sorry guys - this is a poop thread

What consistency should puppy poop be? Should I expect Harvey's poopy to be like Poppy's? It's just his poop has never been really firm and I can't remember what Poppy's was like as a puppy...

He did have his food soaked (which I continued to do but have recently started to stop doing this) and I have also changed his food. I did the change over a week.

I guess the consistency is a bit like toothpaste - it's no different to some of the other dogs I've seen poop at agility class but I guess I'm so used to Poppy's being firm that I'm starting to wonder if something is wrong. Actually my outlaws think that Poppy's is too firm!

Yep, I know, worrying about poop... c'mon, help me out here

[Dax]

Toothpaste consistency is normal around here (and was for puppihood). A lot of poop consistency has to do with food. I find that when mine received more raw bones, their poop firms up.

Pumpkin poop is pasty as is most poop when I add veggies.

[Moo]

Both my dogs poop the same. Pretty firm and a pretty distinct shape. Not that there's anything pretty about poo. lol. And when I say shaped, I mean if you picked it up and threw it, it would still be the same shape. Neither of them would leave a poo spot on any surface. If the poo was on a carpet, or the cement, and you picked it up, you would never have known it was there. Holly's start and end is a little bit softer than the rest of it (could conceivably leave a poo spot on the cement, lol.) They both more or less look and feel like really big guinea pig poo. LOL. Holly was a puppy not that long ago, and it was the same then. Kirby had a problem with diarrhea when he was a really little puppy, but I don't remember what it was like after it cleared up.

[Dauxside]

Sorry BE, since we feed raw I don't remember what kibble poo looks like. As long as it's not diarreha or constipation don't worry too much.

It's a good thing to check their feces daily though, so you're doing the right thing. For example, it can provide early warning that your dog's diet may be unsuitable, or that he may be grappling with parasites, viruses, unfriendly bacteria, bad water, emotional upset, food allergies, or serious illness. (This is just a general not specifically at you)

If his fecal matter has usually been the consistancy of paste then no worries, if it's suddenly changed then I'd do a fecal float to check for bacteria, etc.

[Cearbhaill]

My 14 week olds is not as firm as I would like. I have run full barrel tests twice now and this is just the way he is. If he chews a bone too long (which he does daily) he gets loose. If he eats too much he gets loose. If I feed too much tripe he gets loose. He'll firm up for a day or two then get hold of a bone with a tad too much fat on it and get loose again.

The thing that helped him most was a load of FasTrack probiotic gel. Since then he is much, much better but still not totally what I would call 100% firm.

[fairlight]

Poop over here......two dogs with firm poop and Uma's is the toothpaste kind. I have tried almost everything to get that dogs stools to harden but she has the smooshie poop and of course the smell makes you gag when you have to pick it up.

[BabyElephant]

Thanks - I guess I'm just used to Poppy's which has a nice "shape" like Kirby's

Harvey did have diarrhea and vomiting last weekend (thought we were going to have to rush him to the vets) but he cleared up the next day and his poop was back to its normal consistency.

Their poop isn't stinky... well not offensively stinky! I guess all dogs and puppies are different - just like humans.

[saluki-sue]

BE he may just be getting the rest of the crud out that made him sick last week. Try adding some plain yogurt to his (both of their) food at each meal. This will help rebuild his gut (and make Poppy feel special). Golly had mush poop for a long while when he got home. But once he was fully on and adjusted to the home cooked food I feed he firmed up. When I change meats in the food he may get a bit mushy, but it last for one meal and he's back to normal.

[BabyElephant]

Sue you and I think alike - I went out and bought him his own pot of yoghurt the following morning after he was ill.

Anyway, I'm pleased to report that his poop is what I would consider "normal" - I guess it took time for him to get used to his new food.

[Cearbhaill]

Owen's having hard poops! Owen's having hard poops! Owen's having hard poops!

It takes time for a new puppy to settle in!