Really dark & soft stools - YorkieTalk.com Forums

YorkieLove77 · 12-26-2008, 06:49 AM

I feed my puppy Blue Buffalo for puppies and have been for about a month now. For a while he was having extremely runny stools so I stopped giving him his treats (cheerios and bully sticks) to see if they were the culprits. Well, the stools have firmed up a bit, but not much, but they are also extremely dark...the same color as the little dark bits in the Blue Buffalo. Is this normal? And how can I firm up his poo? Also, is it normal to have soft stools when introducing a new treat? Because he gets diarrhea with almost any treat I give him. Should I just keep giving it to him in small increments until his tummy gets used to them? He absolutely LOVES cheerios and I would hate to take them away from him completely.

Ellie May · 12-26-2008, 07:34 AM

New treats could cause issues but if started slowly, it should be okay.
He must be very sensitive.

With very dark stool, there is the concern of internal bleeding (which doesn't sound like the case here). If the food isn't agreeing, it needs to be switched but it will be difficult because everything seems to bother him. If he is that sensitive, I'd wonder if a prescription diet will have to be considered because you can't let the runny stool get out of control or he could dehydrate. That could easily happen.

Canned pumpkin may firm his stool up but it would just be covering the issue up, so I wouldn't be comfortable using it long term.

QuickSilver · 12-27-2008, 12:31 AM

Protein should firm his stool up. Maybe switch him to a dog food with more protein? I often take a slice of meat out of my sandwich and dole it out in tiny treat bits. Something lean like chicken, turkey, or even ham is good.

You could also try putting a little nonfat yogurt on his meals.

12-26-2008, 06:49 AM	#1
YorkieLove77 YT Addict Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Shelby Twp, MI Posts: 278	Really dark & soft stools I feed my puppy Blue Buffalo for puppies and have been for about a month now. For a while he was having extremely runny stools so I stopped giving him his treats (cheerios and bully sticks) to see if they were the culprits. Well, the stools have firmed up a bit, but not much, but they are also extremely dark...the same color as the little dark bits in the Blue Buffalo. Is this normal? And how can I firm up his poo? Also, is it normal to have soft stools when introducing a new treat? Because he gets diarrhea with almost any treat I give him. Should I just keep giving it to him in small increments until his tummy gets used to them? He absolutely LOVES cheerios and I would hate to take them away from him completely.

12-26-2008, 07:34 AM	#2
Ellie May And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI Posts: 17,928	New treats could cause issues but if started slowly, it should be okay. He must be very sensitive. With very dark stool, there is the concern of internal bleeding (which doesn't sound like the case here). If the food isn't agreeing, it needs to be switched but it will be difficult because everything seems to bother him. If he is that sensitive, I'd wonder if a prescription diet will have to be considered because you can't let the runny stool get out of control or he could dehydrate. That could easily happen. Canned pumpkin may firm his stool up but it would just be covering the issue up, so I wouldn't be comfortable using it long term. __________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶

12-27-2008, 12:31 AM	#3
QuickSilver Thor's Human Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 5,929 Blog Entries: 31	Protein should firm his stool up. Maybe switch him to a dog food with more protein? I often take a slice of meat out of my sandwich and dole it out in tiny treat bits. Something lean like chicken, turkey, or even ham is good. You could also try putting a little nonfat yogurt on his meals.