New food and runny poo

[momma mia]

I accidentally purchased adult food for my 9month old puppy. The problem is that I ran out of puppy food, and immediately switched to adult, without any kind of transition from old to new. She's had runny poo for 2 days now, which I assume is due to the rapid change in food. What should I do now? I can't gradually introduce the new food---too late. Should I get some puppy food and start mixing, or just ride out the new food until poo gets firm? She's still her normal playful self, no lethargy or anything.

[yorkieusa]

Your puppy should still be on puppy food. Go buy the food the puppy was eating and resume feeding that until your puppy is at least a year old. Puppies and adults have different food requirements. Your puppy is still growing. Yes, the sudden change is probably what caused the problem. Puppies can become dehydrated easily, so take to vet if it doesn't stop. But I wouldn't feed adult food anymore.

[Britster]

At 9 months old, I don't believe a puppy food is entirely necessary. There are All Life Stages food that could suffice throughout a dogs life. But I guess I'd rather feed a puppy formula over an adult if I wasn't feeding an ALS.

I'd be curious what food you are feeding and what the main differences are between the puppy and adult formulas... usually they are very similar. Did you go to a different brand, different protein source, etc?

If your baby has a very sensitive tummy, then a sudden switch would definitely cause upset stomach. But most dogs could handle switching from a puppy to adult food within the same brand okay, since they tend to be similar in ingredients, etc. Unless, like I said, it was a totally different brand and protein source and stuff.

[momma mia]

Originally Posted by Britster

At 9 months old, I don't believe a puppy food is entirely necessary. There are All Life Stages food that could suffice throughout a dogs life. But I guess I'd rather feed a puppy formula over an adult if I wasn't feeding an ALS.

I'd be curious what food you are feeding and what the main differences are between the puppy and adult formulas... usually they are very similar. Did you go to a different brand, different protein source, etc?

If your baby has a very sensitive tummy, then a sudden switch would definitely cause upset stomach. But most dogs could handle switching from a puppy to adult food within the same brand okay, since they tend to be similar in ingredients, etc. Unless, like I said, it was a totally different brand and protein source and stuff.

It was the same brand (Royal Canin), just from puppy to adult.

[Britster]

Originally Posted by momma mia

It was the same brand (Royal Canin), just from puppy to adult.

Then I am really surprised it caused such upset. Hmmm... that's odd.

I would buy a bag of puppy food and continue and see if it goes back to normal.

[yorkieusa]

I would still say if you want to transition your puppy to adult food that you need to do it gradually. Any sudden change can and usually will upset their sensitive digestive systems. Good luck!

I thought I'd leave this link:

Small Breed Puppy Nutrition



Small breed puppies have higher metabolic rates per pound than larger breeds. Small breed puppies need more protein, fat, phosphorous and calcium to support bone and muscle development. Because small breed puppies like Yorkies also have smaller mouths and smaller stomachs, they require kibble that is easy for them to consume in order to get the nutrients they need. Small breeds also reach mature weight faster than larger breeds, so gradually transitioning to adult food after one year is recommended.



Read more: Dog Food for a Yorkie Puppy | eHow.com Dog Food for a Yorkie Puppy | eHow.com

[Sandysbabies]

If you mix the dry with the old food and new you don't usually have a problem. I have never had to do that with canned, only the kibble. Maybe the vet could give you something to settle her little tummy and then go slowly with the new food.