Inconsistent Poop consistency - graphic wording lol

[Stinkycat]

Just wanted to see if this is normal.

Luna is 4 months old, border collie. She weighs 24 lbs (vet said she's perfect weight for her size).

NOTE: We do not feed her table scraps. She will sometimes get squash or yam mashed in with her food or congee (water and rice).

Food: Innova Puppy, 3 X daily -1/2 cup each meal
Treats: Homemade dog treats -ingredients: wheat germ, whole wheat flour, egg, yam, carrot, water, soy protein powder. (1/4 cup per day is an estimate, I train her with these bite size treats)
Exercise : Daily 2-4 hour walks/dog parks, constant training

Now the problem is, look at the schedule:
8am - FOOD
815 - POO -perfect brown log
9-11am -SLEEP
12-2 -PLAY
2pm -FOOD & POO - lighter color and more soft poo
2-3pm -PLAY
3-6pm SLEEP
7pm -POO -almost all soft and squishy
7-10 -PLAY
8pm -FOOD with 1 tsp of cod liver oil
10pm -POO -brown log again

Her poop is soo inconstistent, some days it's perfect all day, some days it's really soft and a lighter yellow.brown color. Some days she poops 3 times, some days she poops 9 times (big poops too).

Just today she had her first bout of diarrhea, poor girly, it was almost all water with tiny wood chunks in it. Last night she dry heaved too (although I think thats a hairball from my cats coming up, yup she eats my cats hair off them).
She looks and acts perfectly happy and healthy, her coat is SHINING, her teeth are white as can be, she's very energetic, drinks alot, eats everything and anything.

I also notice the more mud and dirt she eats the better her poo is.

Should this be cause for concern?

[luckypenny]

Can I ask why you are giving Luna cod liver oil? If she's eating a good commercial diet, not only are vitamin A and D supplements unnecessary, she may be getting too much. Also, why are you feeding her water and rice?

[Stinkycat]

The cod liver oil I do it just because it's an old family thing, my parents gave it to our dog for it's whole life, my sister gives it to her dogs.

The water(turkey broth) and rice is congee, it's completely harmless but adds a little flavor for her sometimes.

[Love4himies]

Have you considered adding more meat and less carbs to her diet?

[Stinkycat]

So maybe a higher protein diet? Maybe I should switch her to a half/half diet of Innova Puppy and Innova Evo adult ?

[luckypenny]

If the Innova Puppy is working for her, I'd stick with that. I did try to feed it to the last litter of pups we had but, I could see too much of the undigested grainy stuff in their stools so I switched to Orijen Puppy.

Rather than changing her kibble, maybe you can start with omitting the rice water from her diet. And the treats made with wheat. You can always give her tiny pieces of cheese and/or cooked beef/chicken for treats/rewards. And there's nothing wrong with healthy table scraps .

I'd also cut back on the amount of cod liver oil and see if that doesn't make a difference as well. Safflower oil (keep it refrigerated once opened) is easier to digest or, you can use salmon oil (with vitamin E) as it's derived from the whole fish rather than just the liver.

I have to say, I admire all the play time and attention your pup gets

[Frenchy]

Originally Posted by luckypenny

I have to say, I admire all the play time and attention your pup gets

me too ! I'm pretty impressed with his routine !

[Stinkycat]

Thanks!

It's easy for me to spend time with her right now, due to getting laid off 3 weeks ago and that I have a huge park right outside the door, plus it's really helping with obedience.

I will definitely cut out the wheat in her diet and cod liver oil and try the salmon with Vit E.

Poor Luna just gettin over her diarrhea from yesterday, I'm stumped onto why she got it in the first place.

[luckypenny]

Seeing Luna is only 4 months old, has she been de-wormed regularly, especially when she was a wee puppy? If so, what kind of de-worming meds have been used and how often?

For the salmon oil/vitamin E, you don't need to use it every day. Several times a week should be enough.

[Stinkycat]

Yes, Luna was dewormed at 3 different stages, her last deworming was at 12 weeks. The breeder used Strongid for the first 2 then we got her and the vet gave us a pill to give her for her last dose.

[mummummum]

Just a thought ~ and it may just be the way you've written out her routine ~ but I would space the time you start/ stop playing and the time she is fed differently. She needs a good 1/2 rest period before and after she eats. Puppies are wired for speed not for comfort and she needs both time to relax her major muscles, settle down and after eating, to digest her food.

I doubt the congee is the problem, if anything it would firm her stool. However, with that said, I will note that my grrrrl Ceili, famous world wide for her impressive feats of projectile pooping cannot eat rice.

The veggies on the other hand ARE hard to digest. A dog's digestive tract isn't built for breaking down cellulose (veggies). A little is fine. A lot is not. And there's nadas wrong with table scraps (of course I haven't tasted yourcooking ) it's called a home-cooked diet.

Innova Puppy is a more-than-ok food. You really don't need to give her any supplements IMO.

And all that clay in your dirt is bound to errr...firm her up!