Is it safe to give my dog lactulose for hard stool with melatonin?

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  Answered By C. Rathjens, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on August 19th, 2021

  Hello, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. First off, thanks for including the picture of the active ingredients in the supplement, that's very helpful! It sounds like Romeo has been taking the NaturVet Quiet Moments Plus Melatonin for a while (more than a week), and there are no ingredients in there that I would expect to cause soft stool, so I don't think the supplement is at all related to the stool changes. If anything, anything that helps with calm will help resolve soft stool, since many anxious dogs also have some intestinal issues. On the other hand, the purpose of lactulose is to soften stool, so your vet's recommendation to stop that makes complete sense. That said, you're going to want to keep a close eye on Romeo's stool because he may need to go back on the lactulose in the coming days/weeks. If he's been on the lactulose long term, I would expect him to need it again once whatever is causing his current loose stool is resolved. Have a day or two of mild diarrhea/loose stool is common, and we often never find out why. As far as the food, I'd strongly recommend not changing it. Changes in diet often causes short term diarrhea in dogs, so you could actually make it worse by switching. It sounds like constipation may be a recurring issue for Romeo, in which case just keeping him on the wet food all ways makes the most sense. Finally, there are many possible causes of diarrhea, so if Romeo's stool gets softer, or says soft over the next few days, I'd recommend a check up with his regular vet to rule out some new issue. I hope that answers all your questions!

  

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