# Springer spaniel soft stools again!!! HELP PLS



## jmjspurs1 (May 21, 2008)

Hi, was hoping someone can help with this. I have had my springer spaniel for just over a year and he always seems happy and healthy in himself but has a reoccuring problem with soft stools. We tried every brand of food going and would swap when the problem arose each time. He was on chappie as the vet recommended it back in feb and he seems to of been ok until a week ago, his stool starts off fine and firm but by the end of it its soft (not runny) never has blood but does often have mucas, i have now stopped giving him raw hides as heard they can often make problem worse, everytime i put him onto chicken and rice (homemade) he firms up straight away so he is on this currently. We have just changed shifts at work and he is now home alone for 4 hours where he usually had company all day so not sure if this has been part of it. Can anyone advise me how to get on top of this random ongoing problem and what to try etc....he seems as happy and very lively as ever and it only seems to be a problem for me as i clean it up.
Thanks


----------



## Gemma83 (Mar 5, 2008)

changing the food at lot could have been causing the problem,

is there any chance that he is eating or drinking anything that he shouldn't?mines a terror for drinking staggment water in the garden which always gives him a bad tummy, 

Also is he toliet fully toliet trainned or having accidents while you are out?


----------



## jmjspurs1 (May 21, 2008)

Hi and thanks for reply, he is fully house trained and never has accidents, when it happens its soft but never any worse, he doesnt get to stagment water but he does go off lead everyday onto a school field to run so he may pick up things there but not that we can see, i have spoken to 2 vets who give different advice so thought i might be better talking to dog owners who have had similar problems or experienced (1 said not to worry and the other said will do lots of tests) is it worth trying a hypoallergenic?


----------



## Gemma83 (Mar 5, 2008)

I would try keeping him on a long lead in the feild for a week or two, in case hes eating things there, i.e. bunny poo or something. If his tummy is ok in that time you can rule that out. He might have a food allergy, is there wheat in any food/ treats you are giving - that gives mine terriable gas!!!


----------



## jmjspurs1 (May 21, 2008)

The lead idea sounds good as he does have free run at the mo, hes been on chappie so i presume that has wheat in it and he has the everyday dog biscuits as treats so they probably do too. hes been on rice and chicken for last day and a half and hes just had a firm poo!!! hooray!! gas can be a smelly problem , again thanks


----------



## Guest (May 21, 2008)

Has he been propaly wormed as mucus in poo can be a sign of a infection.I would feed a quality dry diet,as wet food has a very high water content,which in turn could produce wet poos!


----------



## jmjspurs1 (May 21, 2008)

Hes been regularly wormed and i did it again about 3 weeks ago with one from the vet but someone has suggested panacur(?) and hes upto date with frontline, hope that helps


----------



## tashi (Dec 5, 2007)

jmjspurs1 said:


> Hes been regularly wormed and i did it again about 3 weeks ago with one from the vet but someone has suggested panacur(?) and hes upto date with frontline, hope that helps


Try to get him settled just onto one food which will help with his tum, springers are not the easiest to get settled onto a food I know as I have welsh springers and one of those went through the runny poo stage I settled him in the end on a german shepherd food and havent had a problem since.
Raw hide is one of the biggest probs of tummy upset as are pigs ears in some dogs, tree bark powder is a good thing to put on food and can be got from Dorwest Herbs.

HTH


----------



## jmjspurs1 (May 21, 2008)

After looking at alot of foods i think im going to try Arden Grange as its hypoallergenic and i can get this local to me, the rawhides are binned, does anyone know any healthy treats i can give if im trying hypoallergenic? 
I wont be changing food unless he reacts very badly, fingers crossed


----------



## Gemma83 (Mar 5, 2008)

mine loves non-salted rice cakes and ice cubes


----------



## tashi (Dec 5, 2007)

jmjspurs1 said:


> After looking at alot of foods i think im going to try Arden Grange as its hypoallergenic and i can get this local to me, the rawhides are binned, does anyone know any healthy treats i can give if im trying hypoallergenic?
> I wont be changing food unless he reacts very badly, fingers crossed


I use a fish 4 dogs one they love it


----------



## jmjspurs1 (May 21, 2008)

Gemma are these the normal rice cakes i would find in a supermarket, do you flavour the ice cubes, he likes marmite and peanut butter can he still have these or would they not count as hypoallergenic? need to get healthier with him


----------



## Gemma83 (Mar 5, 2008)

jmjspurs1 said:


> Gemma are these the normal rice cakes i would find in a supermarket, do you flavour the ice cubes, he likes marmite and peanut butter can he still have these or would they not count as hypoallergenic? need to get healthier with him


you can get rice-cakes in turkey flavor bones from the pet shop he has those and normal fair-trade ones from supermarket/ heathfood shop. He does need to have a drink with them though. Ice cubes are just water, are you planning on feeding a good complete food, ours has James Wellbeloved and he gets kibble as a treat in his kong with puppy paste

I think its more of how you give the treat then what it is, Arch has to work for it, so we will put it in a cup or under a towel etc


----------



## jmjspurs1 (May 21, 2008)

There seems to be an endless debate over foods and altho i would like to try hypoallergenic to see if it helps i suppose there is still the risk that make wont suit him , i have looked at arden grange as i can get it fairly local to me, i looked at burgess sensitive as a good price but dont think its hypoallergenic, i just want him sorted.


----------



## andrea 35 (Nov 22, 2007)

Marmite and peanut butter are both very high in salt so you shouldnt really give him those sorts of human food stuffs , although i know were all a little guilty in treating them with things they dont really need , As far as treats are concerned you could try raw carrot our labs love them they are cold and crunchy, good for teeth and gums . At first he may just chew and spit out but once they get to grips with them they love them and you dont have to worry about extra callories or allergies with carrots .Alternatively you could use his food kibble to treat with just dont allow too much extra on top of his daily allowance , any change of food should be done slowly never just awap from one to the other , you should aim for a period of about a week gradually decreasing the old food amount in favour of the new food till all new food is being fed , this enables the tummy to adjust to any new ingredients , lots of dog treats have wheat or grain of some sort as the main substance and a lot of dogs are wheat intollorant giving them soft stools so it may not so much be his main food thats giving him the problem as rather the treats on top of an already wheat containing food . Ice cubes are better left as just water no flavouring .hope this helps .


----------



## jmjspurs1 (May 21, 2008)

Andrea, that was alot of information, thanks. I will defo try the carrots ( he likes apples so hes used to crunching), he does have quite a few biscuits as a reward for recall so that obviously doesnt help him, will look for some much better for him and keep the peanut butter and marmite as real treats occasionally, have you heard of the burgess supadog sensitive as was wondering if this is any good. Really appreciate the advice.


----------



## Guest (May 21, 2008)

Remember apple cores/seeds are toxic to dogs!


----------



## jmjspurs1 (May 21, 2008)

He doesnt get the whole apple, i cut a few slices of it for him and he likes to sit in the garden chomping it, ive got enought to sort out with his food let alone adding problems with cores etc... thanks tho


----------



## Guest (May 21, 2008)

Have you looked at Orijen as a food? It contains 70% meat, 30% fruit, veg & botanicals and no grains whatsover which means it's far more biologically appropriate than any other commercial food.

Or how about feeding BARF?


----------



## andrea 35 (Nov 22, 2007)

I feed raw now and have done for about 3 weeks , before changing to a natural diet i used to get a food called Pero it was for Labs but also for any dogs with a sensetive tum. If you google pero dog food you,l get the web site some of the other foods they do you can buy from pet stores but i never found the lab one so we ordered it from them it was £30 for a 15 kilo bag this would last you about 6 weeks . I would sudgest you fed less than the recommended amount we use to feed 300grms per day to each of our labs , The food is basec on salmon and brown rice has added glucosamine for joints and is lower in fat than most foods , they also do an organic food and working dog foods , they delivered usually after 2 days delivery was free also , if you calll them they will gladly send you some samples , Its made in wales . Ive not tried burgess so cant comment on it really . Apples are great as a treat but cut the pips out as they are toxic in high enough doses same with pears ,Stear clear of pork ( pigs ear , trotters ect ) Pork is a great one for upsetting a dogs tum .Hope this helps 
Andrea


----------



## HandsOnPaws (Apr 18, 2008)

If he's doing ok on the chicken and rice, why not keep him on that. I'd use brown rice, and add some green leafy veg to help slow down and firm up the movements. I would also add a wholemeal mixer to it, laughing dog or asda's own range is best


----------



## andrea 35 (Nov 22, 2007)

ajshep1984 said:


> Have you looked at Orijen as a food? It contains 70% meat, 30% fruit, veg & botanicals and no grains whatsover which means it's far more biologically appropriate than any other commercial food.
> 
> Or how about feeding BARF?


Allan i couldnt remember the origen name i know you say its a good one , Knew you would pop up eventually and post it lol , it does look good i had a browse at the site the other day just out of curiosity , bit pricey but i guess you get what you pay for , Saying that the meat i bought 3 weeks ago is going down a treat and i worked out ive got another 30 odd days of food left all for 30 quid lol it dont make sense that dry food is so expensive and full of bad stuff and reall meat thats sos good can be so cheep to buy .


----------



## jmjspurs1 (May 21, 2008)

HandsOnPaws said:


> If he's doing ok on the chicken and rice, why not keep him on that. I'd use brown rice, and add some green leafy veg to help slow down and firm up the movements. I would also add a wholemeal mixer to it, laughing dog or asda's own range is best


to be honest i had thought it but was worried he wouldnt be getting enough nutrients etc...also i find it quicker and easier to use a dry food but this is another option if you think its nutritionally ok for him, he does like it.


----------



## Guest (May 21, 2008)

andrea 35 said:


> Allan i couldnt remember the origen name i know you say its a good one , Knew you would pop up eventually and post it lol , it does look good i had a browse at the site the other day just out of curiosity , bit pricey but i guess you get what you pay for , Saying that the meat i bought 3 weeks ago is going down a treat and i worked out ive got another 30 odd days of food left all for 30 quid lol it dont make sense that dry food is so expensive and full of bad stuff and reall meat thats sos good can be so cheep to buy .


Same here I've finally found a great local supplier and got 30kg of meaty bones for £6.90 and when I say meaty I really do mean meaty, the chicken bones are nearly meaty enough to be fed without any extra meat so it's worked out a total bargain. It's cost me well under £10 to feed all three of them this week!


----------



## HandsOnPaws (Apr 18, 2008)

jmjspurs1 said:


> to be honest i had thought it but was worried he wouldnt be getting enough nutrients etc...also i find it quicker and easier to use a dry food but this is another option if you think its nutritionally ok for him, he does like it.


If you make up a big batch and freeze its much easier. I get 10-12 portions out of 1kg of rice and a bag of mixed veg. I don't feed it everyday so it lasts me longer but if you made a giant pan and portioned it up you wouldn't have to worry through the week. Izzy goes mad for it!


----------



## andrea 35 (Nov 22, 2007)

LOL its mad i think i worked it out it cost us with the extra veg and fruit about £6 per week for the 2 dogs , i thought you were struggling for freezer space did you get one in the end ???


----------



## Guest (May 21, 2008)

andrea 35 said:


> LOL its mad i think i worked it out it cost us with the extra veg and fruit about £6 per week for the 2 dogs , i thought you were struggling for freezer space did you get one in the end ???


No, we've just got no food for ourselves LOL 

Just going to order 20kg next time so we have some space left for our own food. 

The £10 is including probiotic yoghurt and fruit and veg!


----------



## andrea 35 (Nov 22, 2007)

Yeah was looking at the yogurt that just for the good bacteria isnt it , ive got some stuff i bought from the health food shop a while a go thats the same sort of thing its a capsule of good bacteria you swallow and it has the same effect ( acidopholus ) i havnt given them any just wondered if you could ?? .


----------



## andrea 35 (Nov 22, 2007)

ajshep1984 said:


> No, we've just got no food for ourselves LOL
> 
> The idea isnt that it gives you the excuse to live on chinese LOL


----------



## Guest (May 21, 2008)

andrea 35 said:


> Yeah was looking at the yogurt that just for the good bacteria isnt it , ive got some stuff i bought from the health food shop a while a go thats the same sort of thing its a capsule of good bacteria you swallow and it has the same effect ( acidopholus ) i havnt given them any just wondered if you could ?? .


Yeah it's for good bacteria, live cultures and all that! If it's natural I can't see why you can't give it, all mine love the yoghurt though I would really recommend it. 



andrea 35 said:


> The idea isnt that it gives you the excuse to live on chinese LOL


Haha you can read me like a book! We have a little space left but not a great deal, it has meant only buying a weeks worth of meat for ourselves where we usually buy loads every few weeks and buying all fresh veg instead of frozen!


----------



## andrea 35 (Nov 22, 2007)

fresh veg is better anyway lol dont do frozen unless its peas , the good thing is if i havnt used it at the end of the week i just pulp it up for the dogs, this week they got butternut squash and cauliflower amongst other goodies . Cant you run some electrics down to your shed and have a freezer in there ??


----------



## Guest (May 21, 2008)

andrea 35 said:


> Cant you run some electrics down to your shed and have a freezer in there ??


Not really, the shed is away down the garden and I'm not good with electrics! 

Mine had potato, carrots and apples last time they had veg. The pups love whole eggs!


----------



## andrea 35 (Nov 22, 2007)

Im no electrician but its not to hard my dad was gonna do it in ours till i realised the shed roof had been leeking and the floor wont hold the weight .All you need to do is measure the lenght of cable you would need and either get someont to put a single socket to plug in the freezer one end and a plug on the other it could be plugged in you garage or kitchen then run up to the shed , or one of thoes really log extension leads on a reel .you would bury it in the flower beds down the side of the garden.


----------



## Guest (May 21, 2008)

andrea 35 said:


> Im no electrician but its not to hard my dad was gonna do it in ours till i realised the shed roof had been leeking and the floor wont hold the weight .All you need to do is measure the lenght of cable you would need and either get someont to put a single socket to plug in the freezer one end and a plug on the other it could be plugged in you garage or kitchen then run up to the shed , or one of thoes really log extension leads on a reel .you would bury it in the flower beds down the side of the garden.


You call that not hard?   

Maybe I'll get round to it one day! I'm coping as it is at the moment anyway!


----------



## andrea 35 (Nov 22, 2007)

ajshep1984 said:


> You call that not hard?
> 
> Maybe I'll get round to it one day! I'm coping as it is at the moment anyway!


i duno i guess easier in theory than in practice lol , your only putting it off at the thought of living on bones your self , only spare rib bones aint the same lol


----------



## Guest (May 21, 2008)

andrea 35 said:


> i duno i guess easier in theory than in practice lol , your only putting it off at the thought of living on bones your self , only spare rib bones aint the same lol


Definatly easier in theory than practise! 

We got some lamb ribs in all the bones we got, they love them too!


----------



## jmjspurs1 (May 21, 2008)

OK, todays update i dont know if its good or bad so hope you can all advise.
I gave a small amount of arden grange in with rice late last night and again this morning, he didnt go to toilet as usual before i went to work, came home still didnt need to go, he has just been and its very firm but a very strange two tone colour, half was a green tinge with a couple of peas in it from tuesday and the other half was brown, do i need to worry about this green colour?


----------



## andrea 35 (Nov 22, 2007)

If its a normal consistancy i wouldnt worry about the colour too much just be sensible and feed little and often .


----------



## Beardy (Jun 4, 2008)

I would stop trying different foods each time you get a problem. I have experience with GSD'S & they have all had very delicate tummies. The worse thing you can do is to keep changing foods. I have used Burgess Supadog for Sensitive Stomach's - Lamb/Rice for the last 2 yrs. It certainly suits my dog. His stools have firmed up & he certainly does a lot less! I also feed raw in the mornings, but raw feeding isn't for everyone. If you do try it, don't change immediately, gradually change over a period of a few days. Good Luck.


----------



## jmjspurs1 (May 21, 2008)

Hi Beardy, thanks for reply. He was on Burns (lamb) which we changed him onto slowly over about a week but after a few days of being fully on the food his stools were soft with mucus again. He is now on chicken and rice again and once agin perfect stools. My vet wants a series of stool samples to test for parasites (which i will do) then they want to do blood tests for allergy testing , but i think its food related because as soon as hes on rice and chicken hes fine. Maybe i will try burns chicken and rice or just keep home feeding him.


----------



## nightingale (Oct 31, 2008)

tashi said:


> Try to get him settled just onto one food which will help with his tum, springers are not the easiest to get settled onto a food I know as I have welsh springers and one of those went through the runny poo stage I settled him in the end on a german shepherd food and havent had a problem since.
> Raw hide is one of the biggest probs of tummy upset as are pigs ears in some dogs, tree bark powder is a good thing to put on food and can be got from Dorwest Herbs.
> 
> HTH


HI
I have a welsh springer too called Jasper who is 6 months old and he is on Origen dry and wainwrights (waiting for this bag to finish though i have heard it is very good). Jasper feeds 3 times a day ....ie...90 grams of Origen in the morning and at night and 100 gm wainwrights for lunch. I am wondering whether i am giving the correct amount . I was given Hills by the vet and i have changed as i did not like it and Jasper itched a lot then. This food does seem good and his poo is fine except for some odd days when he chews rubbish like the raw hide and pig ears...
Also ...when should I change him to feed twice daily ...i am worried about the quantity and his intake..hope i am doing the right thing.please advice. sorry i have moved from teh poo thread.


----------



## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

jmjspurs1 said:


> There seems to be an endless debate over foods and altho i would like to try hypoallergenic to see if it helps i suppose there is still the risk that make wont suit him , i have looked at arden grange as i can get it fairly local to me, i looked at burgess sensitive as a good price but dont think its hypoallergenic, i just want him sorted.


My dog needs hypoallergenic food, being sensitive to wheat, soya and maize. I use Skinners duck and rice or salmon and rice. Arden grange contains maize, so that's out for me. I got a bag of the Burgess sensitive last year (free as a prize for coming 5th in the Agility Rescue League finals which they sponsor) and it firmed my dog's poo up to the point where she was having a bit of trouble passing it! Mixed in with her normal food it was OK.

With food intolerances, you have to experiment to see what works for your dog. There are common triggers (poultry, wheat, soya) but it could be anything. As your dog is OK on cooked chicken and rice, a complete food based on this would be an obvious starting point. You can order online and have it delivered, or your local pet shop should be able to order anything you want. You're not restricted to what's on the shelves.

Slippery elm powder from health food shops helps sooth the gut lining - for a springer about half a teaspoon per meal mixed into food with water. Aloe vera juice is also very good. Live goats milk yogurt is a source of friendly digestive bacteria and can help too.


----------

