Toy poodle Puppy - Loose and Mucus Stools

[santina]

Hi, I have a toy poodle puppy that is 11 weeks old.
I began transitioning his food from Royal Canin to Orijen puppy on Tuesday. This morning, he began having loose stools with hints of mucus. This afternoon he passed another very loose stool, and another only mucus one following. Do you think this is related to the food transition or something else? He's to date with his vaccinations. Hoping he's fine.

[DoubleRR]

It very likely is due to the transition to richer food. As long as he is otherwise normal and drinking enough, he is probably just fine. Ensure he is not eating too much at a time, and perhaps give him some plain yoghurt [a tsp. or two at a time] to help with digestion as his system gets used to the new food. There are a few dogs that take months to adjust--but it is worth it! Most people give up too soon thinking the dog cannot handle the new food. Sometimes mixing the two foods causes more trouble than switching more rapidly. Unfortunately each dog is an individual, and we have to try to figure out their inner workings.
Check out the other stomach related thread going on right now:
http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=69356

[luckypenny]

Be careful to not overfeed either. I've found that the recommendations on the bag of Orijen are really the upper limit. We've found that cutting back slightly on the amount has helped to firm up puppies' stools.

Considering the age of your puppy, and the description of his stools, I'm also thinking more along the lines of intestinal parasites. When and how often has he been de-wormed and using which vet prescribed product?

[santina]

Thank you for your reply. His loose stool has stopped, so you're right, it must have been the transition. But he REALLY doesn't eat much. Although he is 3 pounds and I need to consider that I guess . I'm still transitioning the food. I've noticed more and more that he's picking only the Royal Canin food and keeps the Orijen kibble on the side. He eats a few Orijen kibble. I think I need to stop adding Royal Canin. Gosh, all this worrying and wondering... :P

[Marty11]

I find small dogs fussy, try adding high quality canned food to it and some water. Works for my two. Also there is Evo (availble in small bites), Horizon Legacy and Oven Baked that's grain free. Maybe it's more palatable. My dog had very bad stools for 2 weeks, but it's fine now.