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Evaluating Your Dog’s Health – Stool

November 6th, 2009

As unpleasant at it may sound, your dog’s stool is a clue to their health.

• Dry, hard stools that cause your dog to strain on elimination may be a sign your dog isn’t getting enough water, or oil.
• Squiggly, rice-shaped segments in the feces indicate worms.
• Diarrhea, straining, or mucous-or blood-tinged stool lasting more than two days should prompt a visit to the vet.

A healthy dog’s stools are small, firm, and moist. It’s not unusual for an occasional stool to be loose or liquid or to contain mucous or even a tinge of blood. But if the elimination problem is accompanied by other signs — fever, vomiting, lethargy, loss of appetite, bloody diarrhea — call the vet immediately.

HINT: Pumpkin filling can be used to aid in helping dogs who are suffering from diarrhea. So can steamed white rice. Make sure your dog is hydrated too.   For the final touch, give that pup a soothing massage, they deserve it for letting you play Doctor.

This information was provided by Susan Hartzler with AlphaDog PR, which is based in Los Angeles and a chosen resource for editors, producers, writers and reporters. Alpha Dog PR is dedicated to providing the media with the most up-to-the-minute information about the rapidly growing pet industry. For more information, please visit www.alphadogpr.com or call (818) 998-6299.

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K9 Cuisine is a provider of premium dog food. We’re committed to providing our customers with the knowledge, and the products, to help their faithful friends be the best they can be.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/e3000/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Tags: diarrhea, dog health, dog stool, feces, hard stool, stool, worms
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Ask the Expert – Soft Stool

October 22nd, 2009

Name: Lynda
Pets species and breed: Toy Poodle
Pets age and weight: 10 lbs., 10 yrs. old.
Pets health status: Excellent
Are they spayed or neutered? Yes
Brand of food: Wenaewe
Animal owned for: Since her birth

Question:

Her stool is mushy. It has been going on for most of the last year and a half.  I took her to a high tech animal hospital in Downers Grove, IL where they ran all kinds of tests on her. They said she was in great shape and that I should add a teaspoon of Benefiber to the wet food in the mornings and to the dry food I give her in the evening. At that time, she had been on prescription vet food - salmon and potato – and when I learned they had no solution other than Benefiber, I tried Wenaewe, which she has been on for over a year.

The Benefiber does not work, and I don’t know what else to try.  Thank you!

Answer:

Dear Lynda,

Many dogs are plagued with soft stool problems, and the solution can be easy–such as adding fiber to the diet–or more complicated, depending on the problem.

I am unsure what tests your vets have run but “fiber-responsive diarrhea” is a common condition in dogs. Many dogs require more fiber in their diet to maintain digestive health as they age. Fiber can improve the stool consistency and it helps produce fatty acids that nourish the colon and discourage the overgrowth of potentially harmful bacteria.

There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Neither type of fiber is digested by the body and therefore can have beneficial effects on colon health. Soluble fiber forms a gel when mixed with liquid, while insoluble fiber does not–it passes through the intestine largely intact. Benefiber is classified as a strictly soluble fiber. Dogs with “fiber-responsive diarrhea” often require a healthy mix of both fiber types or just insoluble fiber in order to have improvement in their stool. Good natural sources of insoluble fiber include wheat bran, whole grains and certain vegetables (root vegetables and skins). This form of fiber may be “just what the doctor ordered”.

Also consider selecting a food that has both prebiotics and probiotics that help promote excellent intestinal health. Read my article here to learn more about the addition of these to your dogs diet here.

If your dog still has no response, speak to your veterinarian about Inflammatory Bowel Disease, as this is another common problem that often causes diarrhea. You can read more about it here.

Hope this helps.

Dr. Donna Spector

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K9 Cuisine is a provider of premium dog food. We’re committed to providing our customers with the knowledge, and the products, to help their faithful friends be the best they can be.

Tags: ask the expert, diarrhea, fiber, fiber responsive diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, prebiotics, probiotics, soft stool, stool problems
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