# New to RAW - Boxer dog constant diarrhea and mucus in stool



## Shauners (Jan 15, 2013)

Hello everyone,

I'm going to try to condense all the info as best I can and hope someone can help me out here. Thanks.

My 2 y/o female boxer was kibble fed up until about a month ago. She never liked kibble and would only eat when she was super hungry which lead to her becoming very thin. I came across something called "satin balls" which is a mixture of raw beef, eggs, and other ingredients, and is supposed to help dogs gain weight. I didn't like the sound of all the ingredients so I just used beef, egg, and a little bit of oats to help bind it all together. Sammy took to it immediately and started gaining weight and had healthy looking stools. This prompted me to do some research on raw feeding since she took so well to the satin balls. According to most websites, starting out with chicken meat and bones is the way to go, so I started feeding her chicken wings and breasts about 1.5-2 weeks ago. The first few days were fine, but she's not had a decent stool in about 5 days now. Her stool ranges from cannon butt diarrhea to mushy, semi-formed poop and there's mucus or an egg white consistency in it. She wakes me up in the middle of the night b/c she can't hold it in any longer . I've been feeding her boiled chicken, rice, and a bit of pumpkin for the past couple days, but she still has diarrhea. Her demeanor has not changed, however... she looks happy and still wants to play all the time.

I've read that mixed reviews on whether this may be normal or not... I'm coming to this community for help and appreciate any feedback you can give. 

Sammy's medical history:

- Had whip worm when I got her at 10 weeks which we promptly attended to and have stool samples checked periodically. Last stool sample was probably about 4 months ago.
- Went through at least 7-10 different types of kibble until I found Natural Balance venison and sweet potato. All others would make her vomit/runs. I want to transition to raw if I can make it work.
- Despite the GI problems, she is a very happy and active boxer.

Thank you all.

-Shaun


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

A lot of times the beginning transition is not smooth. I would give her skinned chicken leg quarters to begin with and nothing else and see how she does on thi and then go from there.


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## kelii (Aug 18, 2012)

wolfsnaps88 said:


> A lot of times the beginning transition is not smooth. I would give her skinned chicken leg quarters to begin with and nothing else and see how she does on thi and then go from there.


I agree. In the beginning, skin and fat gave my dog diarrhea, too.


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## Shauners (Jan 15, 2013)

What about the mucus? I've never seen her stool look like that... It looks like she's pooping egg whites.


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

All of that sounds pretty normal for in the beginning, but I would cut out everything but bone in chicken. If you can find backs, fed them for about a week. Remove skin, fat and any attached organs. Those are all really rich for right now. The more you add to the diet in the beginning, the more chance for digestive upset, so bone in only chicken only at the moment. In case you haven't seen it, here is a link to a raw feeding site, run by one of the mods here. How to Get Started | Prey Model Raw


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## Shauners (Jan 15, 2013)

Thanks for the input. Would you recommend giving probiotics to help? I also came across some dried green tripe which I've read is a miracle for digestive aid.


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

You could try, but I have never used any of either one. Bone in chicken has always by itself has always cleared up any poop issues here. Less is more, IMO.


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## Shauners (Jan 15, 2013)

Thank you all for the input. I'll keep trying, but if it doesn't clear up by the weekend I'm taking her to the vet.


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

I would try bone in chicken only for a few days. Remember, less is more. You are still new to raw, so go slow and give it time. No need to rush anything.


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## Sheltielover25 (Jan 18, 2011)

Shauners said:


> Thanks for the input. Would you recommend giving probiotics to help? I also came across some dried green tripe which I've read is a miracle for digestive aid.


I would, yes. Mucus most likely means there is inflammation of the intestines. I would look for raw green tripe if you can find that. Raw goats milk can be good as can raw kefir. Obviously with those you want raw and you don't want to do more than a tablespoon or so. If you have trader joes, they have kefir, it isn't raw, but it's easy to access and will help the gut. That's just my .02


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## April 2012 (Feb 8, 2012)

I would recommend starting all over again. Fast her for a day and offer her chicken leg quarters completely skinless with the fat removed. Also check that the kidneys are out of the boney part of the quarter as some places will leave it in. This can cause loose stools to a beginner as well. The reason I say leg quarters is there's a bit more bone and that will help keep stools hard. Eventually you will wean the bone amount down but it's good to start boney at first. Another reason I say leg quarters is because the dark meat in chicken has better nutrients than white meat in chicken, for dogs anyways. 

I would not feed any satin balls or other treats either. You may have to do the chicken leg quarters like this for a few days and slowly work into keeping some fat and some skin. Be patient and don't rush into it as that's when problems like loose stool and cannon butt comes from. If after a few days and stools are looking good, then I would suggest adding about an ounce of skin every other meal and see how she handles that. I know boxers's stomachs can be a bit sensitive so take it slow and watch the poop as it will tell you. If she does fine with that bit of skin, either add a bit more or keep some fat on. Go slow, it's not a race.

I started both of my boxers on raw the day they came home as puppies. They do very well on raw and have no issues at all.


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## BeagleCountry (Jan 20, 2012)

Be sure the chicken does not have sodium added. Enhanced chicken often has a statement similar to "enhanced with xx% chicken broth". It contains over 200 mg. of sodium.


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

If you can't find any non-enhanced chicken, soak it for a couple of hours and change the water at least once to get some of the sodium out of the chicken.


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## Boxers&Pom's Mom (Jan 17, 2011)

I am also have Boxers and I been in all the same stages that you are. Listen to the people here. They are very knowledge, and they guide me all the way in my journal to transfer them to raw. It is been almost two years and it is the best move about my dogs nutrition that I had done. A year from now, you are going to be in the point were you almost have a solution for the issues that you dogs may have. Good Luck and don't give up!


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

April 2012 said:


> I would recommend starting all over again. Fast her for a day and offer her chicken leg quarters completely skinless with the fat removed. Also check that the kidneys are out of the boney part of the quarter as some places will leave it in. This can cause loose stools to a beginner as well. The reason I say leg quarters is there's a bit more bone and that will help keep stools hard. Eventually you will wean the bone amount down but it's good to start boney at first. Another reason I say leg quarters is because the dark meat in chicken has better nutrients than white meat in chicken, for dogs anyways.
> 
> I would not feed any satin balls or other treats either. You may have to do the chicken leg quarters like this for a few days and slowly work into keeping some fat and some skin. Be patient and don't rush into it as that's when problems like loose stool and cannon butt comes from. If after a few days and stools are looking good, then I would suggest adding about an ounce of skin every other meal and see how she handles that. I know boxers's stomachs can be a bit sensitive so take it slow and watch the poop as it will tell you. If she does fine with that bit of skin, either add a bit more or keep some fat on. Go slow, it's not a race.
> 
> I started both of my boxers on raw the day they came home as puppies. They do very well on raw and have no issues at all.


I second everything said here. Start over. Keep things simple. Chicken only, no treats, no fat, no skin, absolutely nothing extra (I don't think a probiotic would hurt, but you don't want too add much, because you can be masking issues).

Next I have to ask how much your dog weighs and how much your feeding per day. Too much food can cause these issues too.


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

How much are you feeding daily?


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## barneysmom2510 (Oct 12, 2011)

I agree start with backs if you can. I have used slippery elm for diarrhea it works really well. You are only supposed to use it for 2-3 days.


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## Boxers&Pom's Mom (Jan 17, 2011)

If my dogs get diarreah, I just increase the bone in their next meal. Chicken backs become I must have in my freezer, even that it is not feed regularly, it is very good to always keep on hand.


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## Shauners (Jan 15, 2013)

Thank you all for the response, I appreciate it a lot! 

Sammy weighs 48 lbs, and I'm feeding 2%-3% of that weight so roughly 1-1.5 lbs per day. I work from 6:00AM-2:30PM and typically feed sammy when I get home around 3-4PM. Should I be feeding her 2x per day? I would have to feed at 5:30AM if that's the case... She still has runny, mucus stools , but I saw improvement when the ratio of bone to meat was higher. I bought a whole chicken the other day for the back parts since they are hard to come by where I live. I really don't like the idea of fasting her b/c she is so skinny already! I guess one day won't hurt.

Thanks again! I value everyone's input.


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## Boxers&Pom's Mom (Jan 17, 2011)

I will also try a spoon of Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth mixing with ground meat daily for a week to eliminate the chances of worms. Did you had fecal test on him yet?


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

With sensitive stomachs I would start at 1.5% until solid then add the amount until they maintain a good weight. 1.5 pounds is way too much too start. I would say three quarters to a pound maximum to start and slowly build up to more.


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## Shauners (Jan 15, 2013)

So it's been about four days of leg quarters, stripped of skin and fat, and she's still having off and on loose, mucusy stools. I'm going to have a fecal exam done today. Is this normal? Could she have an issue with poultry? I fed the "satin balls" for a week and she had absolutely no issues until switching to poultry...


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

Sometimes quarters don't have enough bone in the beginning, so you can try backs, then move on to quarters. Over feeding can also cause some issues as well. How much are you feeding at a time?


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## Shauners (Jan 15, 2013)

One leg quarter at a time and they are probably around 1 lb each. She is getting very skinny


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## SaharaNight Boxers (Jun 28, 2011)

I think you're definitely over feeding her. If I read correctly she's getting two pounds a day? At 48 pounds she should be getting about 1 pound a day or half a pound per feeding. The skinniness will clear up fast once she stops the diahreah and you can add more food so don't worry about it right now. I had to put weight back on Duke and it's gone very fast. What is the sodium for 4 oz serving?


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## Shauners (Jan 15, 2013)

I'm only feeding about 1 piece of chicken leg quarter per day which I skin myself. That comes out to about 1 pound of food... As far as I can tell, the meat was not enhanced and no sodium added, 95 mg of sodium per 4.6 oz.

Edit: It's actually under a pound at roughly 14 ounces... I don't think I'm over feeding her.

I took a very nasty, runny, mucusy stool to the vet for analysis today. I'll let you know what they say.


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

I think you should up the bone by feeding backs for a couple of days. 
The mucus in the poop could also be from some irritation in the intestines. Also normal in the beginning.


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## Shauners (Jan 15, 2013)

Unfortunately, backs are really hard to come by where I live. I have to buy whole chickens and chop 'em up to get the backs, then the breasts sit in the freezer for who knows how long... I'm trying to set something up with local butcher, but there's only one in town and they're not very good. I may try a local Mexican market soon, but I need to bone up on my Spanish before hand ^_^

Just chicken backs doesn't seem like much substance... can I feed the wings with it?


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## Sheltielover25 (Jan 18, 2011)

I think you should give the pup some sort of probiotic. I bet someone can chime in with a good one as I use kefir/raw milk but most people can't access that. His gut is obviously irritated and needs some live cultures to help it out. That would be my first step. I'd probably get some enzymes, too, because it sounds like he needs an extra boost right now. As far as more bone, I don't think that's the problem -- more bone might make his stool firm, but it doesn't address why he's having mucus right now. I would want to find out why the gut is irritated and most likely a good probiotic will help you out a lot!


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## April 2012 (Feb 8, 2012)

I think you are over feeding her as well. Cut back on the amount of food and continue to feed twice a day. If possible you can split her daily allotment into 3 meals. Strip some of the meat off the quarter and save it for later because you will eventually move onto more muscle meat and less bone. Try offering a probiotic to help with the irritation. I used to use plain greek yogurt but then found that one of my girls, Karma may have an allergy to it. When I did offer it worked very well. Of course you could also find a plain probiotic yogurt (not greek) but it's just as easy to find greek yogurt. 

She may look skinny and she will probably lose some weight during the transition. This I affirm to you that it is very normal. They will put the weight back on once you start feeding red meats.

Try looking into a local co-op to do bulk orders since you have a hard time finding food. I think there's a link in the forum somewhere with a list and hopefully there's one close enough to you.

What did the fecal test show?


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## GimMom (Jul 22, 2013)

April 2012 said:


> I would recommend starting all over again. Fast her for a day and offer her chicken leg quarters completely skinless with the fat removed. Also check that the kidneys are out of the boney part of the quarter as some places will leave it in. This can cause loose stools to a beginner as well. The reason I say leg quarters is there's a bit more bone and that will help keep stools hard. Eventually you will wean the bone amount down but it's good to start boney at first. Another reason I say leg quarters is because the dark meat in chicken has better nutrients than white meat in chicken, for dogs anyways.
> 
> I would not feed any satin balls or other treats either. You may have to do the chicken leg quarters like this for a few days and slowly work into keeping some fat and some skin. Be patient and don't rush into it as that's when problems like loose stool and cannon butt comes from. If after a few days and stools are looking good, then I would suggest adding about an ounce of skin every other meal and see how she handles that. I know boxers's stomachs can be a bit sensitive so take it slow and watch the poop as it will tell you. If she does fine with that bit of skin, either add a bit more or keep some fat on. Go slow, it's not a race.
> 
> I started both of my boxers on raw the day they came home as puppies. They do very well on raw and have no issues at all.


I'm having similar issues with my Bugg, as I didn't fast him (I think I missed that part when reading up on the raw diet  ), and I think I've been over feeding him, too. I might just try this and see how his tummy reacts after breakfast tomorrow. I fed this this morning at 6:30am, I'll try skipping dinner and hope that helps!


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