# Not quite diarrhea



## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

As many of you know, Aspen is on a PMR diet. On Tuesday the 23th he had a chix quarter for breakfast and a pretty big beef rib for dinner. He had another beef rib about a week before this incident with no problems. He pooped fine the next day, but then he went again that same day and it was soft serve and a light mud kind of color. We just got back from our jog, and he pooped a lot and it was part of it was almost diarrhea and part was firm, but also a muddy color. A bone heavy meal will probably take care of this but my question is, what could have caused it?


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

Sometimes after a lot of activity, my dogs stools will be a bit looser. SO maybe that caused it??
I wouldn't worry too much, just feed a bone heavy meal or two and he should be back to normal.


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

The main causes of soft, runny, or watery stools in newly switched dogs are:
1. Too much food - Feed smaller meals
2. Too much fat - Remove skin and excess fat from food IF you have a problem
3. Organs added too early in the diet - wait a couple of months to feed organs
4. Too much variety too early in the diet 
5. Not enough bone in the diet - Feed more bone

In this case, I suspect too much fat. Ribs are pretty heavy in fat. Also it could have been too much total volume. Ribs are also pretty bone heavy so I don't think it was lack of bone. I would hold off on ribs for a while.


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## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

RawFedDogs said:


> The main causes of soft, runny, or watery stools in newly switched dogs are:
> 1. Too much food - Feed smaller meals
> 2. Too much fat - Remove skin and excess fat from food IF you have a problem
> 3. Organs added too early in the diet - wait a couple of months to feed organs
> ...


I forgot to include. When he finished the ribs, a couple hours later he pooped a small whitish log. Then about half an hour after that, he pooped runny stools. So, could it have been the ribs? He's never had a problem until now.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Beef ribs tend to be pretty fatty, and that is most likely what is causing it. I wouldn't worry too much about it. When its literally liquid diarrhea for days that is when you start to worry about dehydration. Just give his system some time to get back to normal and feed something that you know he will do ok with, bone heavy.


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## spookychick13 (Jan 26, 2010)

Yep, what everyone said above.

When I run with Flip or do a LOT of activity, no matter what he's eating he gets 'soft serve icecream' stools.

D'oh.


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## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

Thanks everyone. I'll hold off on the ribs and I'll probably just feed him once today. I'll trim the fat from the chix quarter.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

I wouldn't avoid beef ribs altogether now...just keep in mind that his stools get a bit loose afterwards. Loose stool is not a bad thing in the slightest. The occasional loose stool from a certain meal, meat, etc is harmless and shouldn't be worried about. My dogs will get loose stool, not diarrhea, but soft serve after organs or a real rich meal...but I don't even think anything of it. Its a normal thing. 

When it becomes explosive "cannon butt" for several days with blood mixed in...that means that the bacterial load has gotten way out of hand and is causing serious irritation to the bowels. Still, this is not a life threatening issue 99% of the time (immune compromised animals are the exception). Don't panic about it, just give bone heavy meals for several days in a row, which is much better than running to the vet and getting antibiotics that probably weren't needed in the first place.


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## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

danemama08 said:


> I wouldn't avoid beef ribs altogether now...just keep in mind that his stools get a bit loose afterwards.


I was thinking of just holding off on the ribs for a few days until he's better. I am still planning to include them in his diet. 



danemama08 said:


> When it becomes explosive "cannon butt" for several days with blood mixed in...that means that the bacterial load has gotten way out of hand and is causing serious irritation to the bowels.


He's never gotten "cannon butt" thank goodness! :wink:


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## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

Okay, so here's the update on Aspen. His poo issue hasn't gotten any better. This morning he got a chix quarter for breakfast and a quarter for dinner. Both had pretty big bones in them. I trimmed the fat off of them too. After his dinner, he went poo and it was looser than soft serve. Like the consistency of apple sauce, if not looser. But not quite diarrhea, liquid. I'm thinking of fasting him tomorrow. Does this sound like a good plan?


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

malluver1005 said:


> Okay, so here's the update on Aspen. His poo issue hasn't gotten any better. This morning he got a chix quarter for breakfast and a quarter for dinner. Both had pretty big bones in them. I trimmed the fat off of them too. After his dinner, he went poo and it was looser than soft serve. Like the consistency of apple sauce, if not looser. But not quite diarrhea, liquid. I'm thinking of fasting him tomorrow. Does this sound like a good plan?


I would fast him tomorrow, which is always a good idea when they get diarrhea or vomiting. No harm in doing so about once a every week or so at all. We always fast our girls once every 2 weeks or so...just for the sake of it. I don't know if there is any benefit from it or not, but either way our dogs don't seem to mind one bit. It sometimes takes 3-5 days for their systems to get back to normal.


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## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

Thanks to everyone for your input. His small white logs are back!! :smile:

I'm thinking of giving him a beef rib tomorrow. If there is too much fat on it, I'll trim it. Or should I hold off on the ribs?


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

I would just feed it as is. Loose stool is really not something to lose sleep over. Liquid diarrhea on the other hand is something to worry only a small amount about LOL. But of course you can always trim the fat to be on the safe side :wink:


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