How many times

[maggie01]

Is normal for a dog to poo on a walk. My shih-tzu goes anything up to four times on a 25 min walk. Her toilet is quite loose. She hasn't had a change of food. My other shih-tzu eats exactly the same and she only goes once and it is more solid. I leave paper down when I am a work just encase and the last couple of days she has poo'd while I have been at work. (she is only left 3 half hours. She seems ok in herself but I just wondered if this is normal.

[carrot99]

Maybe their diet doesn't suit her as well as your other shih-tzu. My vet recommends only dry food, with plenty of water of course, for both cats and dogs. My daughter's terrier goes once or twice a day and only eats Baker's meaty chunks complete food.

[pmjblue]

My old boy used to do the same, the further I walked, the more he went, and the vet said it wasnt uncommon. Also, the more he went, the looser it got. However, having said that he was diagnosed with malabsorption problems as a puppy, and I had to be very careful with what he ate, and not give him too much fat/oil in his diet. I found that Protect from stock nutrition helped, even the vet was surprised at how much better he was after using it , saved me a fortune on prescription diets as he was able to tolerate 'normal' food with protect used as an additive on a daily basis.
http://www.doghealth.co.uk/digdist.htm#Protect .

[lankeela]

Not sure what you feed, but the better quality dried food produces less poo.

This past week, due to a communication problem(!) I ran out of my usual Eukanuba, and until the next lot arrives I had to resort to buying some dry food from the supermarket. I bought Bakers complete as it was all they had apart from a plain mixer, and I cannot believe how much poo my lot are producing and how soft and mushy it is. They have not got the runs, it is just a very soft consistency, and they are all going several times a day.
Can't wait for the delivery of the Eukanuba to arrive, to save on the picking up and the reams of kitchen roll I am using.

[pmjblue]

lankeela - I do agree with you, I used Hills, with fresh meat added in, but my old boy was on Hills too, and he still 'went' loads.

[maggie01]

lankeela. That is what I feed mine. Bakers complete. The also have some biscuits and at T time they have a small carton of butchers meat. Perhaps it is the bakers that is doing it although as I said, it doesn't affect my other one. I do find the poo very hard to pick up at times and have to carry kitchen roll as well as the plastic bag and quite often end up washing her as well when we get home. She has been on Bakers since I first got her.

[pmjblue]

sounds like the one dog has a sensitive tummy to me. What do you mean by carton of butchers meat? is this off cuts that you cook up yourself?

[maggie01]

No! sorry Butcher's is the make of the dog food and they are in small foil tins.

[pmjblue]

I would try a good quality complete dog food - not bakers complete, something like eukanuba, royal canin, wafcol or hills, with some fresh home cooked meat, vegetables, and pasta added in for interest - I cook this up in bulk and it lasts me around 4 days in the fridge. Out of interest Hills say your dog will love the food, or they will refund you - and I know they honour that as I bought a change of flavour, and they gave me back two bags of the other sort.

[lankeela]

Pleased to report that the Eukanuba has arrived and they are back doing little hard sausages!

Note for self - try to remember to order it earlier next time!

Maggie, why not try one of the recommended foods, I am sure you will notice a big difference.

You feed a lot less, as they utilise so much more of the food, and therefore there is less to come out the other end as waste. Also I would cut down the amount of tinned meat and just give a spoonful in with the dry to give it a bit of extra appeal. You really don't need to supplement the good quality foods, and will probably find they really enjoy it too.

[maggie01]

I will take the dogs up to the large pet stores and see what they have. It has got to be the food. Will let you know how it goes.

[lankeela]

If you go for Eukanuba, they do a 'small bite maintenance' for small dogs. They also do 1kg bags so you can try it.

[maggie01]

That's great lankeela. I will try it