[bender29]

So ever since I switched Banjo to Merrick his stools have always been decently loose, which is understandable. I've been researching it on this forum and several members said feeding pumpkin helps harden the stools up. So I've been feeding pumpkin to Banjo for the last 2 weeks or so and it has helped his stools a drastic amount! (Thanks to the wonderful members on this site)

Anyways, today I was in the Vet's office and told the Vet what I was doing with the pumpkin etc. He said that was a terrible idea and WILL cause Banjo terrible diarrhea. He said pumpkin is only used for senior constipated dogs to help loosen their stool up.

I kind of chuckled. I'm starting to think I should change Vets... Especially after I made the Type of dog food thread after my Vet told me Science Diet and Iams were the some of the best brands available (LOL). It's obvious the pumpkin is working for Banjo and quite frankly I trust the knowledgeable members here over my Vet.

Has any one ever heard of this or does my Vet truly have no idea what he's talking about?

 

[Murphys Dad]

I dunno what to tell you. The pumpkin has always worked for Chloe and some of the other dogs in the neighborhood..... and obviously for the members here so...

 

[Murphys Dad]

Hmmm...Jersey gets pumpkin often and never has it caused her to have diarrhea as a result. I don't know what to tell you as far as the vet goes. If you're not feeling comfortable with him, go with your gut and research some others in your area. I've been seriously considering a change with Jersey's vet. I love my vet but his staff is not what they used to be.

 

[bender29]

Yeah, Banjo has been doing fantastic on pumpkin.

I'm not really sure what to do... I really, really like my vet's staff. The nurse treats the dogs so well, the vet is alright I guess. Albeit a bit opinionated and strict.

I'm just not sure if my vet really knows what he's talking about. Ugh. I'd hate to keep changing vets on Banjo also as I'm currently residing in a smaller town in Southwest FL (Ft. Myers), and I will have to change vets again once I move back up to Orlando.

 

[beaglesmom]

I'm NOT a beagle expert by any means, nor am I a vet - but I do have about 8 years experience with beagles, including breeding some championship line dogs. To be honest, most vets don't really KNOW much about canine nutrition. What I've learned is mostly from my co-manager on Beagle Bay - she had a German Shepherd with major problems and started doing a LOT of research on canine nutrition. I can tell you she has a whole library about dogs, nutrition, training, health, you name it, she's got it. She has long called Science Diet Sience Death. Many vets recommend SD because they sell it - so naturally they prefer that you buy it from them. Some years ago when I was considering feeding a BARF diet, I asked my vet what he thought about it - he had never heard of it! He has now! I trust him completely with my dogs' health issues - but he just doesn't (or didn't) know that much about canine nutrition! When one of my dogs has the poops, they ALL get about a tablespoon of canned pumpkin on top of their kibble (since with 9 dogs, it's hard to tell who has the runs - I just treat them all. It must work - one dose usually stops the problem. You have to do what you're comfortable with - since the food you're feeding now causes loose stools, I'd probably consider changing it - just because it has a good rating doesn't necessarily mean it's right for EVERY dog. That doesn't mean that's what YOU should do, but I think if loose stools were an ongoing problem, I'd change foods. I don't know anything about that brand, except that it does have a good overall rating - but as I said, that doesn't mean it is right for all dogs. My dogs all do very well on Nutro Natural Choice, but I have friends who can't feed it because of various problems they have. You might have to experiment a bit to find the perfect food for <span style="text-decoration: underline">YOUR</span> dog. Just remember, IF you decide to change, do it gradually, mixing the new food with the current food over a period of a week or so gradually adding the new.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[bender29]

Glenda, thank you for all of the information! When changing a pups food, how long would you expect the loose stools to last?

Ever since Banjo has been on the pumpkin, his stools have been more firm. I haven't tried taking him off the pumpkin yet.

What I'm trying to say is at what point do I call it quits with Merrick and start to look at other options?

Like a few other posts I've read, I also made the mistake of not gradually changing Banjo's food from what the breeder was using to Merrick. If that has a key effect on his current situation.

 

[bender29]

I've been researching other vets and I really can't find much of anything regarding reviews. Hmm...

 

[Murphys Dad]

I made that same mistake with Chloe a few weeks ago. I switched her from Merrick (on which she had a softer stool) to Innova (good and firm, sometimes partly soft, but not runny) and she loves it. The thing is I made the transition over 3 days as that was the amount of Merrick I had left when I bought the Innova bag. Her stool was runny for a few good days, and I got her back on track with white rice with mayb 1/4 cup innova + 1 spoon full of canned pumpkin for 3 days. She was fine after that!

 

[bender29]

I think I'm going to take Banjo off the pumpkin and see how his stool is. If it starts to get really soft again I'm going to make the switch to either Wellness or Innova.

 

[Brisen]

Nick, for some reason it seems like I remember that you are feeding Banjo Merrick Turducken, which I <span style="font-style: italic">think </span> is for adult dogs. If you really like the Merrick brand, maybe try the Puppy Plate...it might be a little easier on his stomach.

 

[bender29]

Gale, that's correct! Great memory. Turducken is advertised for all life stages, but I do agree. For some reason I couldn't find the Puppy Plate locally so that's why I went with Turducken.

We'll see how everything turns out I suppose.

 

[Brisen]

I've never quit understood how one particular dog food can be recommended for all life stages, as I thought puppies needed more protein than adult dogs should have. But there's plenty of high quality dog food out there that is advertised for both puppies and adult dogs, so who knows...

 

[bender29]

Now thinking about it, I really do agree with you. You would think a puppy and a senior dog would require very different nutritional values. More than likely I'm going to switch Banjo over to Wellness Super 5 Mix Puppy anyways.

 

[oneshutter]

Nick,
What small town in Southwest Florida are you in? I live in Bonita Springs.

 

[Murphys Dad]

Nick, It was <span style="font-weight: bold">OUR VET</span> who told us about using pumpkin to harden stools.

Time to start looking...

 

[bender29]

Originally Posted By: Steph&MollyNick,
What small town in Southwest Florida are you in? I live in Bonita Springs.

Well it's not exactly SMALL per se, it just feels small. Right next to you, Fort Myers.

 

[oneshutter]

What vet are you using?

 

[bender29]

Well, I'd rather not say his name in a public forum where he isn't able to defend himself so I'll PM you it.

 

[bender29]

Originally Posted By: Murphy & Summer's DadNick, It was <span style="font-weight: bold">OUR VET</span> who told us about using pumpkin to harden stools.

Time to start looking...

That's what I figured. I have already made plans to change Banjo's vet. I'm going to call two different places tomorrow and find out some information.

Thank you everyone!