Your dogs Poop

fecal-scoring1Number 3 is ideal, but 2 and 4 are fine, too.  This article is from October 31, 2013 THE SCOOP ON POOP from THE SIGHTHOUND SIDE OF LIFE
First, it’s perfectly normal for your new Sighthound — permanent pack member or foster pup — to have mushy poop for the first couple of days. Normal mushy can just be part of the adjustment period. To help get things on the right track, here are a few of our tried and true methods:
• a spoonful of canned pumpkin with each meal. (You can substitute butternut squash, but don’t use pumpkin pie filling!)
• a bit of bland rice or well cooked pasta added to each meal of kibble.
• a probiotic, such as Fortiflora.
If number 5 turns into 6 or 7 or lasts for more than three days, contact your vet. Your vet may recommend withholding food for a day and then using over-the-counter Imodium to firm things up. For the average Greyhound, one capsule twice a day is useful.
If things still don’t get firm after all the above, it’s time for to bring in a sample to your vet. It’s quite common for hookworm, among other parasites, to linger in a dog’s intestines even after one or even more treatments. Panacur is a safe, inexpensive de-wormer . . . but you may have to add it to you dog’s food for up to seven days depending on the parasite and then still need to repeat the process in two weeks. It’s an inconvenience, but important for the long term health of your dog.
If the fecal is negative, it’s time to consider a food change. While the traditional accepted method is to gradually mix in the new food as an increasing portion of your dog’s kibble over the course of a week, the purpose of that strategy is to prevent loose stools. If that ship has already sailed, you can make a faster change. We’ve found skipping one meal and then offering a half-size portion of the new food at the next meal time works pretty well. If there are no ill effects from the reduced portion, they can go back up to their normal amount of the new food at the following meal.
Many of our volunteers endorse switching to a grain-free and/or minimal ingredient food. One of our volunteers battled liquid poo for months in her ex-racer – which cleared up in one day after switching to a different kibble with a different protein source. When switching, eliminate all treats and food extras like yogurt or salmon oil just to make sure you can isolate what is causing the problem. You can add treats back after your pup is stabilized on a food that agrees with him.
Finally, the last thing you ever want to see in poop is a spot of red and we understand the panic it causes. But here’s something to put your mind at ease: A spot or couple of drops of bright red blood, especially after a bout of diarrhea, is almost always nothing to worry about. It’s the brown blood and the metallic, coppery smell in stool that necessitates a trip to the vet.
We hope this information helps and we wish nice firm poop for you and yours! And extra thick and strong poop bags for everyone!

Poop bag requests

downloadThank you everyone who brought in bags last month.  With fall coming we are looking to stock up on bags for the winter as we are still low.  They do not have to be official “poop bags”.  Used/new plastic grocery / shopping bags work also as long as they do not have holes in them.  If you send out your old bread bags, please shake out the crumbs.  If there is food left in them we have “critters” in the bag boxes.  PLEASE make sure to remove your receipts and “extra” items including food from them before bringing them out.  We have an over flow box (the big brown box between the front gates) to put them in.

Dog Food Recipes: Pumpkin Puree

pumpkinpuree-smallRepurpose that still-fresh jack-o-lantern into a tummy-taming treat.  By The Bark
1. Preheat the oven to 350° degrees F.
2. Cut your jack-o-lantern into large wedges. Place the wedges skin side up on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake for approximately 90 minutes, or until the pumpkin wedges are fork tender.
3. When the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh out of the skin into a bowl, then mash it or whirl it in a food processor. If the purée is a bit watery, cook in a saucepan over medium heat until some of the moisture has evaporated.
4. Let cool, then portion into freezer bags or containers and freeze. The purée can be defrosted quickly in the microwave or by placing the frozen bag or container into a bowl of hot (but not boiling) water. Use by itself to help with canine constipation or diarrhea (check with your vet for the amount appropriate for your dog),