Best Dog Food for Firm Stools

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Dogs are notorious for getting into the garbage and eating who-knows-what. It can be unnerving when all the sudden they have loose, watery stools. Sometimes it can even come out looking green or yellow, which is scary.

Other times, we might notice our dog straining and unable to poop. They can get constipated just like people.

Because we care about our fur babies, we want to make sure that they are not suffering.

Our dogs should have nice, normal, firm stools that are brown in color. This is proof that their guts are in great shape and working as they should be.

Irregular stools can be a symptom of a much larger digestive issue.

They can also be a simple consequence of your dog raiding the garbage can.

What Causes Irregular Dog Stools?

There are a lot of different reasons why your dog’s feces may be irregular. The causes can range from simple dietary issues to very serious medical conditions such as cancer.

When you are figuring out what is going on with your dog’s digestion, try to answer the following questions in your observations:

  • Did the change in consistency happen all the sudden?
  • Has the irregular stool been developing over time?
  • What color are the feces?
  • How often is the dog defecating?
  • Does the dog have any other symptoms?

Depending on how you answer these questions, you should be able to identify whether the changes in your dog’s stools are reason to worry or to make an appointment with your veterinarian.

The Main Causes of Diarrhea and Loose Stools

There are a lot of different reasons why your dog may have chronically loose stools or diarrhea.

  • Indiscriminate eating (they got into something gross)
  • Bacterial or Viral infection
  • Parasites
  • Tumors or rectal polyps
  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease
  • Colitis
  • Intestinal Obstruction
  • Ulcers
  • Pancreatic Insufficiency
  • Food intolerance or sensitivity or food allergy
  • Stress

If your dog develops a sudden bout of diarrhea or randomly loose stools, and it clears up within 24 hours, it’s most likely your dog ate something it shouldn’t have.

It’s also worth taking a look at what’s been going on in your life. If your dog has had reason to be stressed out, they can develop loose stools.

Either way, if the symptoms clear up quickly and your dog shows no other signs of illness you shouldn’t need to worry.

You should worry, however, if your dog has symptoms that persist more than a day or two. You should also take note of the color and texture of your dog’s feces. Is it yellow or green or dark black? Does it come out with mucus? Does it contain blood?

Other symptoms you should be on the lookout for include:

  • Low energy
  • Fever
  • Lack of appetite
  • Straining to ‘go’ but not producing any feces.

If you see any of these symptoms, you should plan a trip to the vet. Be sure to take a stool sample with you. Your vet will most likely run some tests to rule out parasites, bacterial infection, or other more serious problems.

The Main Causes of Constipation and Hard Stools

Constipation can be just as worrisome a problem as loose stools. If your dog suffers from constipation, they may not be able to ‘do their business’ on a daily basis.

It’s no fun to watch your pooch strain when pooping. It’s especially terrible when they whine and show other signs of pain when trying to do their business.

Hard stools that come out rock-like can be caused by a variety of factors. Some of the main reasons for constipation are:

  • Slow guts
  • Enlarged prostates
  • Kidney disease
  • Hernia
  • Swallowing too much grass or fur
  • Other blockages (from a swallowed bone, for example)
  • Dehydration
  • Too little fiber in the diet
  • Lack of exercise
  • Hyperthyroidism

If your dog’s constipation sets in rather suddenly but only lasts a few days and seems to clear up – you most likely have nothing to worry about. You can help your dog by providing plenty of water and an extra bit of exercise to help move things along.

You should be worried if you notice physical objects protruding from your dog’s bum.

I know, it sounds so gross… but our dogs can be gross sometimes.

And what goes in – even if it shouldn’t have – has to come out.

Strings, bits of plastic or other indigestible delicacies that your dog discovered can cause a lot of problems. Constipation is one of them.

The best way to handle this is to take a trip to the vet. Let them handle the ‘manual removal’ of whatever is stopping your pup up.

There are other symptoms that should also cause you to worry. Book an appointment right away if you notice any of the following:

  • Lethargy
  • Vomiting
  • Loss of Appetite
  • Blood in the stool.

Your vet will run a series of tests that may include blood work, x-rays or ultrasounds to figure out what’s got your dog stopped up.

But My Dog Seems Perfectly Healthy, Except for His Poop?

So you’ve taken your dog to the vet and have ruled out any serious health condition.

And in general, your fur baby seems perfectly healthy.

It might be time to look at your dogs diet as the cause of his digestive issues.

This leads us to the big question:

Firm Stools vs. Loose Stool: is the Fix the Same for Both?

No. They’re not.

The thing about commercial dog food is that each brand and each formulation are slightly different. There will never be the ideal food that works for every single dog.

Some formulations are labeled for “sensitive stomachs” and others are labeled as “easily digestible”.

The best dog food to firm up stools may actually cause loose stools for some dogs. In others, it could cause constipation. A high fiber food that works to ease constipation, might actually give your dog diarrhea.

You get the idea.

Your dog is an individual, just like you.

This means that you may need to experiment a bit to find exactly what works to help them have healthy stools.

The recommendations that we can offer are really just a starting point for you to get your dog’s bowel movements in good shape.

What is a Healthy Stool?

When you analyze your dog’s stool, you should keep the four ‘C’s in mind:

  • Consistency: The ideal stool is firm and play-doh like when pressed. (Please put gloves on to do this test!) It should come out as a “segmented caterpillar”.
  • Content: The outside of the stool should look like the inside – a well digested play-doh like mass. You shouldn’t see anything weird like bits of plastic or worms.
  • Color: Your dog’s feces should be a chocolate brown color. Like a Tootsie pop!
  • Coating: Dog feces should never have an obvious coating on the outside of it. Healthy stools will never have mucus or red streaks.

Now that you know what you want to achieve, let’s talk about the best dog food for a healthy stool.

Dog Foods to Firm Up Loose Stools

Best dog foods to firm up loose stools

If your dog is suffering from loose stools and chronic diarrhea, avoid dog foods that contain the following ingredients:

  • Dairy
  • Excessive Fat content
  • Wheat or corn
  • Excessive fibers, especially cellulose and fermentable fibers

Instead, look for dog foods that contain:

  • Moderate amount of fiber, in the 2 – 4% range
  • Low fat content
  • High protein
  • Rice, oats and pumpkin as a source of carbohydrates and fiber
  • Proteins from novel sources other than beef.

Commercial dog foods with these characteristics will help to reduce bloat and fermentation in the gut. Your dog will also absorb more from their food because their digestion will be more efficient.

Your furry friend will go to the bathroom less frequently and have smaller and more solid stools.

He’ll thank you for the change.

Dog Foods to Loosen Up Hard Stools

If your dog is suffering from chronic constipation, simple dietary changes can help them have smoother stools.

One of the main reasons that dogs get constipated is because of dehydration.

If your dog doesn’t have unlimited access to drinking water, they should.

When you are looking at dog food labels, keep in mind the following. The best dog food for constipation should have:

  • A higher fiber content than the food he is currently eating. (Still, try to keep it below 5%)
  • No corn or wheat ingredients
  • Sources of fiber that include pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and other nutrient dense fruits and veggies.

You may also want to consider switching over to a wet dog food.

Canned food can be very helpful because of the increased moisture content.

Want another way to help your pooch get over a case of constipation? Give them more opportunities for exercise.

Exercise is a great all natural way to get your pup’s muscles stimulated. This will naturally help them move their food along and out of their colon.

Tips For Switching Up Your Dog’s Diet

When you are ready to switch out your dog’s diet to the new food you have selected, be sure to do it gradually.

You don’t want to cause your dog any more digestive stress by forcing a sudden change on their gut.

Start out by adding a little bit of the new food to the old. Gradually phase out the old food during the course of about 10 days.

Your dog’s symptoms should clear up pretty quick. If they get worse, stop the trial and try a different food.

You might find that it takes some trial and error to find the best dog food for firm stools for your pup.

Here’s another tip:

If you are thinking of switching to wet dog food for constipation but find it too expensive – consider adding a small portion to your dogs regular kibble.

The added fiber and moisture from just a small portion of wet food might be enough to ‘get things moving’.

Related Questions

Can I give my dog a human laxative for constipation?

No. Don’t do that. You should never give your dog a medicine without a vet’s prescription! Is your dog’s constipation seemingly out of the blue? If you don’t think it has much to do with his diet in general, you might be looking for a quick fix. To help your dog have looser stools, consider giving your dog a portion of canned pumpkin added to his normal meal. This is a standard quick-fix that can be helpful to smooth out your dog’s digestion.

Are raw dog food diets good for clearing up chronic loose stools?

The answer to this question depends on who you ask:

Raw food diet advocates swear by the BARF diet to cure any digestive issues your dog may have.

Other specialists insist that the raw food diet can cause more harm than good. Raw meat can be a source of possible food poisoning and contamination.

The thing about raw food diets is that they have to be done right.

If you are interested in switching your dog to a raw diet, consider purchasing a commercial raw food diet. These are guaranteed to meet your dog’s nutritional needs and they shouldn’t make your dog sick.

Be sure to read the ingredients carefully to know exactly what you are giving your dog. Avoid too much fat or too much bone meal. These can cause diarrhea and or constipation in animals that are not used to a rich, raw diet.

And follow the tips above for phasing them into the new diet.

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