:poo: Problems :( Need Help ( Nature's Variety Instinct )

anatess

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I've always been told to switch the dog's new food over a period of 3 or 4 weeks. Mixing one quarter of the new food with 3 quarters of the old food the first week. Half old food mixed with and half the new food the second week; and 3/4 new food mixed with 1/4 old food the third week. Making the change this slow allows the dog to adjust without the dreaded runs.

Exactly, [MENTION=3513]sleet[/MENTION]! And for a dog under 20 lbs who only eats 1 cup a day... that's a measly 1/4 cup of new food within the first week!

But, even then, that's not a guarantee you're not going to get soft serve poop. Soft serve within the first week is not a big cause of concern at that point. If you do get the soft serve in the first week, it is always recommended to keep the 1/4 new food for another week. By the end of the 2nd week you should have regular poop. Which is a good time to up to half-and-half.

Okay, a lot of allergic dogs go through food elimination diets (cycling through dog food to see if their dog is allergic to a specific ingredient)... even with this diet, you still have to follow the very slow 3-4 week transition. Which means, you're not going to find out if the dog is allergic to the new food for at least 3 weeks. Once the dog is fully transitioned (3rd or 4th week), then if the condition persists, then start the slow transition to another food. It's a super slow, tedious process that could take several months.
 
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EBDR35

EBDR35

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Ok guys thanks for all the Advice, i will be sticking with NVI Salmon Meal for another month or so and see how it works. I was just starting to feed 1/2 cup 3x a day.. But since you guys mentioned its too much for a puppy (under 20lbs) i will now just give her 1/2 cup 2 times a day. Does that sound about right? She has been on NVI for at least 2 weeks now, almost 3. Her poop isnt exactly very soft, but not solid either, solid enough for me to pick it all up together without it going all over the place thank god for that.. And i will try ice cubes as well, i stopped giving her treats for the past 5 days.
 

izstigspunks

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You can always use her kibble as treats. It's great advice for those who are trying to figure out their pup's tummy troubles. Your girl won't know the diff, food is food. :)
 

anatess

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Ok guys thanks for all the Advice, i will be sticking with NVI Salmon Meal for another month or so and see how it works. I was just starting to feed 1/2 cup 3x a day.. But since you guys mentioned its too much for a puppy (under 20lbs) i will now just give her 1/2 cup 2 times a day. Does that sound about right? She has been on NVI for at least 2 weeks now, almost 3. Her poop isnt exactly very soft, but not solid either, solid enough for me to pick it all up together without it going all over the place thank god for that.. And i will try ice cubes as well, i stopped giving her treats for the past 5 days.

Super duper awesome! Yeah, you might experience that your puppy will "inhale" his 1/2 cup in 3 seconds flat and look at you with the "where's the rest of the food?" look. LOL. You can distract him with ice cubes, take him outside to potty train and a few minutes of play and he should forget about his food bowl.
 

JAKEISGREAT

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In my HUMBLE opinion..I would stick with a good quality PUPPY food..and then later try NVI if you want. It was hard on my Jake who is 10 months old. I also agree with [MENTION=2514]Sarah[/MENTION]..if he does ok on the treats from Natural Balance..why not try that food? Jake went from iams puppy. (:barf:) to natural balance Ultra formula..an all stage food..then I switched him at about 7 months. It's difficult..but he is a baby!bgood luck..and [MENTION=2291]cowsmom[/MENTION] knows so much about food ins and outs..I'd put a lot in what she says.
 

Sherry

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We are on the NVI transition now, week 2, not quite at half and half yet. Some of them have soft poop. Mostly Griz, but he's the one with the most problems anyhow, so we're taking it extra slow. They all like it, but eat less than before. I really want this to work because of the potato free. They were on the Fromm Beef Grain Free but I still wanted more for them. Or should I say less, in the way of grain/potato.
 
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EBDR35

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just bought the NVI Salmon Meal Formula, going to feed 1/2 cup 2 times a day..Hopefully all goes well in a few weeks, will try giving her an ice cube in a bit as well
 

bullmama

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just bought the NVI Salmon Meal Formula, going to feed 1/2 cup 2 times a day..Hopefully all goes well in a few weeks, will try giving her an ice cube in a bit as well

If she looks like she is losing weight, increase it. Not sure if that is enough for a young puppy but it has been a couple years since I had a pup, I think I was giving 1/2 c 3x a day. I slowly increased the amount as they got older, about 3 c a day, then decreased it to 2 c a day at around a year.
 

bullmama

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Another thing to consider with runny poos and a puppy is to make sure they do not have worms or coccidia. Make sure you deworm to be certain, and have the vet check a stool sample as well. Just because you don't see worms in the poo does not mean there is not any. After I got one of my pups she was dewormed at the vet and the next day her poo was almost solid dead worms!! :eek:
 

anatess

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If she looks like she is losing weight, increase it. Not sure if that is enough for a young puppy but it has been a couple years since I had a pup, I think I was giving 1/2 c 3x a day. I slowly increased the amount as they got older, about 3 c a day, then decreased it to 2 c a day at around a year.

I'm not certain a cup a day is enough for a 10 week old pup! They are growing so much during this period. In my opinion!


You are both correct!

It's always recommended to follow the feed guide of the food manufacturer. I linked the NVI feed guide in my post above. Wait... did I? I don't see it...

Okay, here it is: Feeding Guide | Nature's Variety

I ran through the guide and NVI for 10 lb puppies less than half grown (I interpret that to mean less than half the weight of his parents) is 1 5/8 cups. A tad bit over 1.5 cups. And for 15 lbs less then half grown is 2 1/8 cups.

So, yeah, just run through the guide and see what is appropriate for you particular dog.
 
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EBDR35

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You are both correct!

It's always recommended to follow the feed guide of the food manufacturer. I linked the NVI feed guide in my post above. Wait... did I? I don't see it...

Okay, here it is: Feeding Guide | Nature's Variety

I ran through the guide and NVI for 10 lb puppies less than half grown (I interpret that to mean less than half the weight of his parents) is 1 5/8 cups. A tad bit over 1.5 cups. And for 15 lbs less then half grown is 2 1/8 cups.

So, yeah, just run through the guide and see what is appropriate for you particular dog.


According to the Feeding Guide on Natures Variety my puppy should be eating close to 1 Cup a day..

3/4 of a Cup or 7/8 of a Cup somewhere around there
 

anatess

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According to the Feeding Guide on Natures Variety my puppy should be eating close to 1 Cup a day..

3/4 of a Cup or 7/8 of a Cup somewhere around there

Make sure you selected the one that says "puppies less than half grown" in the drop-down box towards the end...
 

anatess

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... and I have to tell you to be careful about the ice cubes. Just a minute ago, I almost cracked my skull on the kitchen counter after I slid off a broken piece of slobbery ice cube on the kitchen floor...
 
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EBDR35

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checking back in, so its been almost a month now, she seems to be doing great on NVI Salmon, shes about 13-14 weeks old now and weighing about 14 Pounds. Her poop is looking a lot better now! I got confused with the Feeding chart, i guess i never saw the option where it lets you choose how old your puppy is so i have been feeding her exactly 1 Cup a day. At first i was told this was enough since NVI Salmon is strong food and she wouldn't need too much, then after checking on here again a lot of people are saying to feed her at least 1.5 Cups! So im going to start giving her more then.. Hope all goes well, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone :)

anymore advice is appreciated


pics!!


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