My new puppy has loose stools after diet change. How to firm poop?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Pit Bull Terrier | Male | neutered | 6 months and 10 days old
I just got my pup And in his old home he was fed pedigree dog food and im feeding him iams because that’s what we fed my old pitbull. He’s been having loose stools since the day i got him Sunday. I asked around should i change his food back to pedigree to help harden his stools again. They said no he has at adjust to the new food. So my question is how should i go about getting his stools back hard? He poops almost every 2 hours it seems like.
5 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on March 14th, 2018
This does sound like a colitis, which can be due to an abrupt diet change, but it's also possibly due to something else like and infection or toxin ingestion. I think it would be worthwhile to switch to the Pedigree and see if that helps. If that helps, but you want to switch him to the Iams in the future, then you can try doing it again slowly. Below is a link to a good article that explains how to do this. https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-transition-your-dog-or-cat-to-a-new-food/ If the pedigree doesn't work, then you can try feeding bland food (boneless chicken and rice is good). Feed small portions (1/2 cup or less) three times a day. You can also add probiotics to the food (can get this at the pet store), which has demonstrated some efficacy for improving diarrhea. Ensure fresh, clean water is always available. Diarrhea is a common problem with puppies and is usually self-limiting (will go away on its own). It may not be serious right now, but it's always possible that it could be the start of something serious. If Gizmo has any of the following, then he should see a vet: 1) Blood in diarrhea 2) Very watery diarrhea 3) Starts acting very depressed 4) Stops eating or drinking for longer than 24 hours. 5) Diarrhea lasts longer than three days. I hope this helps and Gizmo gets better soon.
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Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on
you can try mixing his new food with boiled rice for a few days then gradually reduce the rice amount, if it doesn't solve the problem you might want to put him back on his old food for a little while.
0Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on October 26th, 2017
Hi and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am glad that Oliver is enjoying his new food. Certainly switching his food quickly can cause loose stools. Three days can be enough time; however, every animal is different and he may need a longer period of time to transition. I typically recommend a transition time of 5-7 days as that seems to fit most animals. You can try adding some rice to his current food to help bulk stool over the next 4-5 days. If his stools continue to be loose he should be evaluated by your local veterinarian as there are other causes of loose stool, such as intestinal parasites, bacterial, or even metabolic causes. The vomiting may be related to the change in food as well; however please have Oliver evaluated if this continues as this is not a normal finding with dogs for a longer period of time. Please let me know if I can be of more service to you.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on October 12th, 2017
Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. I would recommend starting a bland diet of chicken and rice with egg and potato. I would feed this three days past resolution of the soft stool. I would also recommend adding a probiotic such as Purina fortiflora, which can be found at your local pet store or online. You may also add pure canned pumpkin about a tablespoon at each meal to help solidify the stool. If tiny appears to be constipated at any time on this diet then transition back to the regular dog food. If the stool does not improve or becomes diarrhea, I would bring a stool sample to your veterinarian and have tiny examined. Further diagnostic tests can be performed if this becomes a chronic problem. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other concerns. You can also contact me via text consultation if needed.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on August 14th, 2017
.Withhold food for 12 hours then offer Milo boiled boneless chicken and rice every 6 hours in small portions. if he is eating and not vomiting, continue with this diet for 2 days. After 2 days, you can put him back gradually on his normal food. If the loose stools do not resolve, take him to the vet to get treatment.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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