# Poop - I can't believe I'm posting this!



## rorospeeps (Sep 3, 2009)

Hi all!

I'm coming back again for your input and advice.

We picked up Ronan last weekend, and he turned 8 weeks on Thursday. He has been doing really very well with potty training and crate training. He is sleeping almost all night. We are having problems getting the crate divided so that he does not pee in there, but that is our issue, not his. The little guy even figured out how to climb on top of the dog bed I had folded up in there to do his business. He's a smart one!

My question is regarding his poos. He does not have consistently formed poopies. He has very loose, runny poops at times. Even when they are formed (for lack of a better word), they are very, very soft. He is not sick, and he only goes after eating. He eats like a maniac every time he's fed. I'm feeding him the exact food the breeder had him on and I am giving him the amount recommended (1/2 cup 3 times per day).

Is this something I should be concerned about? Since he is not having a problem consistently, is this just the result of an immature digestive system? I reviewed the puppy forum and health forum but did not see this question. Am I being a worry wart? Thanks for your input!

Kris


----------



## Islander (May 2, 2009)

Well can't speak for anyone else.. but Ziva is now 13 weeks old. Since we brought her home at 8 weeks her poop has been soft... sometimes not formed.. but as she's getting older more times than not it is formed...however still soft...she has been checked by the vet as has her poop  and all is fine.....I think as they age and their systems mature things will tend to "gel" .....


----------



## grahama (May 4, 2009)

Hi Kris,

can't help with the poo issue I'm afraid, but the divider is a simple case of a bit of plywood and a few tie wraps to hold in place. I halved the size of mine like this just cut the wood to fit, drill four holes, two top, two bottom and slide tie wraps through the bars and wood and tighten up. I wraped mine in an olf fleece so there was no splinter risk. Never a pee in there yet  

Graham

If you need a pic just ask.


----------



## stevie-j (Sep 24, 2009)

We have a 14 week old girl "sam" and she started out with very loose stools at 10 weeks....they seem to be coming together a bit more now. When she goes it's usually about 4 or 5 times, at a time, if that makes sense? First one is solid...by the end it's soft serve. (Sorry for the description!) Vet said she's ok - however clean up is a pain!


----------



## sarahaf (Aug 17, 2009)

Hi, 

I'm just checking back in, haven't been on the forums for a while. I don't know if Ronan's stools are very runny or just a little soft, so not sure my response will be relevant, but I posted earlier that Rosie had giardia around the same age as Ronan. We took her in because she was having runny, light colored stools and occasionally she would vomit. At first, we thought it was the food, but they took a stool culture and said there was giardia (a parasite) in her stool. As I posted earlier, the symptoms include light colored, loose stools, normal appetite. Dogs can have it and still not act sick or weak, but if it persists, they could lose weight, get dehydrated, or fail to grow. The caviat is that apparently a lot of dogs are carriers of giardia, so if a dog tests positive, you don't know for sure that that is what caused their loose stools. But at any rate, she was treated and it cleared up. I'd say if it persists and you're concerned, it never hurts to see the vet for a check. I think the vets tend to err on the side of caution and treat diarrhea in a younger dog more aggressively than in older dogs because puppies are more vulnerable to dehydration, failing to grow, etc.

Sarah


----------



## rorospeeps (Sep 3, 2009)

Thanks for all of the input! Ronan is now 11 weeks and this particular issue is resolving. Thank goodness! Vet says everything looks good, so I think we were just waiting for the digestive system to mature. Of course, his high intake of fiber (we don't so much go for a walk as visit the outdoor buffet) may be helping.


----------



## sarahaf (Aug 17, 2009)

We love the outdoor buffet  We find interesting things in Rosie's stool, truth be told. She loves her fiber.


----------

