# New Puppy - Slightly Soft Stool



## alzo (Apr 4, 2010)

We just got a Beagle puppy. He is 10 weeks old now. We have had him about a week now, and have been feeding him Innova Puppy food. His stools are not mushy, but they aren't completely dry/firm either. His stools were actually better on the Purina Puppy Chow the breeder was feeding him. How long will it take to determine if the Innova agrees with him vs. something else ? What's a good trial period ?


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## List (Oct 28, 2008)

Don't assume your puppy's softer stools are a result of food just yet. Stools can also be affected by stress - such as going to a new home and changing foods. As well I would suggest getting a stool sample checked by your vet. Intestinal parasites are very common in puppies.

If after a stool sample and giving your puppy more time to adapt (maybe a month or so), then I would consider a food change. Although your puppy may have been doing better on Puppy Chow, this food is packed with fillers and ingredients to firm stool, so it masks any issues your pup might have. Not to mention, it has pretty awful ingredients at best. 
If you do decide to switch foods, I would suggest to stick with the higher quality foods and even perhaps try grain free kibbles such as Orijen, Acana, Horizon Legacy or Go! Naturals. 

When my dog was a puppy and still on kibble he only did well on the grain free foods. We tried Innova, Canidae, Wellness and a handful of other grain inclusive foods. The only foods that helped firm up his stools were the higher protein, grain free foods. He's on raw now and doing even better. But keep in mind that it may take a while to find the right food for your dog.


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## alzo (Apr 4, 2010)

Thanks. I did have his stool sample analyzed at the vet and results came out ok. I'll just give him more time to adapt and see how it goes.


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## buddy97 (Mar 29, 2010)

i would also suggest cutting back on the feeding amount just a tiny bit to see if that helps. overfeeding is another cause of soft stools, and it is almost certain you would need to feed less of the innova than the purina.


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## JayJayisme (Aug 2, 2009)

Did you transition the pup slowly from the old food to the new one or switch cold-turkey? You should transition over about a 2-week period by starting with a mix of mostly the old food and some of the new, gradually increasing the ratio of new to old over the two weeks until you are at 100% new.

Also, as buddy97 said, Innova food is very rich and has much fewer fillers than Purina so you should be feeding less of it.

Frankly, my pups never did well on Innova puppy and I eventually had to try several different types of premium kibble before I found one they both did well on. Every dog is different so just because the food is high quality, don't expect your dog to do well on it. It will take some experimentation. I finally decided raw was the way to go and they've done very, very well with that but I know that isn't an option for everyone.


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## Khan (Jan 17, 2010)

Ditto, to all of the above.
New world, new food, could be either of these. 
Feeding less, and in 3 meals might also help.
the Purina's of the world contain fillers and ingredients to firm up the stool no matter what. With a higher quality you also need to remember these are "richer" so that too might cause you trouble, especially if you are feeding a puppy food vs. an adult food. 
I would suggest you give it a little more time. Oh, is the Innova puppy Lamb based? Some puppies can't tolerate Lamb. You may need to try a Chicken based food. 
I would also keep an eye out, or should I say a nose out for gas. That is a sure sign of too much food, or even too complex a food. If that's the case, reducing may be the ticket. California Natural is a good food, also made by Natura, that is not as complex as regular Innova.

Like the last three posters, we went through the entire kibble isle in a 3 month period. We did find an allergy to an ingredient that was in almost every food and treat. When that was eliminated we did better; but ultimately we too switched from kibble to RAW.


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## River Aspen (Apr 26, 2010)

*New Puppy Coming*

This whole discussion has been really informative - we were just notified that we will be getting our female lab in several weeks. The breeder currently feeds Noble and VeRus to his dogs - and apparently that is what the puppy will be on when we get it. I've been told this is not great food. For a puppy I wasn't sure what would be best - my 5 yr. old lab was on Eukanuba Puppy until she developed food allergies. I will definitely research these premium brands prior to getting her.


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## alzo (Apr 4, 2010)

I did switch him cold turkey to the Innova. He has not had any gas or rumblings. I am feeding him the quantity suggested by Natura at their website....almost 2 cups/day split between two feedings. We've got two 30lb bags of Innova Puppy to get through before trying something else, so it's going to be quite a while.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Innova is a great food and the fact it was a cold turkey switch is most likely the cause of the soft stool. I would hold off on switching again because I'll bet he adjust to this food after splitting the feedings into 3 times a day. Good Luck


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## Khan (Jan 17, 2010)

alzo said:


> I did switch him cold turkey to the Innova. He has not had any gas or rumblings. I am feeding him the quantity suggested by Natura at their website....almost 2 cups/day split between two feedings. We've got two 30lb bags of Innova Puppy to get through before trying something else, so it's going to be quite a while.


I agree that it is a little premature to switch; but as info.
Natura is one of the best companies for taking back their product. As long as you keep it in the original package you can take it back for a FULL refund, even if you are only bringing back 1/2 a bag!
Again, not saying you should do this, just keep that in mind. In fact most everyone of the high quality kibbles that's mentioned you can do this with. 
Trust me I know from experience, I went thru 5 different brands and each time I would return the unused portion to be given a full credit I used toward my next bag. These were different brands, Innova, Cal Natural, Canidae, Orijen, Natural Balance, I think there was another one in there too. No hassle, no questions. So don't think you are "stuck" with this food.
Give it a fair amount of time and assessment; but if it's not working, by all means move on! You won't be out anything!


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## Khan (Jan 17, 2010)

River Aspen said:


> This whole discussion has been really informative - we were just notified that we will be getting our female lab in several weeks. The breeder currently feeds Noble and VeRus to his dogs - and apparently that is what the puppy will be on when we get it. I've been told this is not great food. For a puppy I wasn't sure what would be best - my 5 yr. old lab was on Eukanuba Puppy until she developed food allergies. I will definitely research these premium brands prior to getting her.


Isn't it great, to know so many people are in the same boat as you!
I know when I started reading posts on this site, I could not believe how many people at one time or another had similar issues to Khans. Nice to know you're not alone. Even nicer to know you can ask tons of questions and so many people are eager to help!
Congrats on your new addition. Get lots of sleep now, cause you'll need it with a puppy!! :biggrin:


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