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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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Ask the Expert on Digestive System Problems

May 18th, 2009

The Question:

Name: Joyce Mason
Pets species and breed: Cocker Spaniel
Pets age and weight: about 3 years, 30 pounds
Pets health status: fair
Are they spayed or neutered? Yes
Brand of food: several
Animal owned for: 6 months

“Muggsy is a rescue dog. He has a chronic problem with his digestive system. He seems OK for two or three weeks, then goes off his feed, acts miserable, stools become very soft and have bright red blood on them. In a few days, he acts better and stools become normal. When I first got him, he ate Science Diet C/D food. I didn’t like what I read in the ingredients list, so I changed to Burns, chicken and brown rice. That didn’t help, and the vet insisted that he eat Science Diet I/P. (If I go to her again, she will again want him on that food.) Next we tried VitaLife duck and oatmeal. He is just getting over another episode. I talked with a K9 cusine adviser, and we wondered if a non-grain food would help. Please help us. He smells really bad sometimes, especially when he comes in from outdoors. Would a zinc supplement help with this? The drainage from his eyes seems excessive, and it quickly hardens into a solid mass. Does he need a vitamin supplement? He is such a sweet and loving dog that I really want to help him feel good.”

The Answer:

“Thanks for your questions Joyce.  We hope to get Muggsy feeling better soon!

While possible, it is unlikely that Muggsy’s problem is with the grains.  The symptoms you describe in Muggsy are classic for a young dog who is not getting enough fiber in their diet.  Fiber is very important to the health of the colon and before I tried anything else I would try to increase the fiber in his diet.  There are natural sources of fiber including psyllium husk, canned pumpkin (not flavored) or you can even add metamucil to his food.  There are also some commercially available high fiber foods.  Ask your veterinarian for their suggestions as well.

It is important to choose dog foods with high QUALITY ingredients.  Poor quality proteins (rendered meats/meals/some by-products) are less digestible than real muscle meat and these poor quality proteins are often associated with adverse food reactions (diarrhea, stomach upset, etc).  Artificial colors, flavors, dyes and preservatives can also be associated with adverse intestinal and skin reactions.

If Muggsy continues to have problems despite fiber supplementation, I would ask your veterinarian about the possibility of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) as Muggsy is the right age for this condition.  See my article at http://www.halopets.com/pet-education/pet-articles/Inflammatory-Bowel-Disease-in-Dogs.html to learn more about IBD in dogs.

I would not recommend a zinc supplement in Muggsy at this time.  I think a high quality vitamin supplement is a good idea in most pets.  The excess eye drainage is not uncommon in Cocker Spaniels and may result from eyelid abnormalities (ectropion) or blockages of the tear ducts.  Ask you veterinarian about checking for these things before you start medicating him unnecessarily.”

Hope this helps.
Dr. Donna Spector

Tags: Burns, fiber, IBD, Science Diet C/D, Vitalife
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