[NAGDU] Ellie

Mon Aug 10 14:51:27 UTC 2020

My thoughts are also that this is likely either a food or stress
issue. Some dogs do need some exercise in order to relieve; however, a
dog relieving more than once in a short period of time is likely a
food or medical issue rather than behavioral.

How long have you had your dog? If not long, she could be stressed by
the transition, and not necessarily working itself. My current dog
showed a lot of signs of stress the first two months or so home, but
once she settled in, she did great.

If you haven't figured this out from my posts on here, I'm kind of
obsessed with dog food. :) So first I would say, it could very very
likely be her food. Hills and Ppurina are very similar especially
since you fed both chicken based formulas. Both also tend to have some
filler, which is not ideal for a dog with relieving issues. I would
strongly recommend trying a different food. What I usually look for
when considering food for dogs who poop a lot is 1. low fiber (about
4% or less), 2. higher calories (because the less the dog eats to
maintain ideal weight the less it poops), and 3. minimal filler. By
minimal filler, I mean a formula that is moderate to high in both
protein and fat from animal sources, with little to no corn, wheat,
soy, legumes, or pea protein.

As an example, one of my dogs pooped 3-6 times a day eating 3 cups of
Iams and ProPlan. After switching to Sport Dog, she pooped twice a day
eating two cups to maintain the same weight.

You also could try feeding her once a day, which will cause her to
relieve less often. Probiotics might be beneficial for her as they aid
in digestion. Another thought would be trying a food with a different
protein source, in case she is becoming sensitive to chicken (super
common when feeding the same protein source for extended periods of
time).

Good luck,
Danielle, Thai, and Jackie

On 8/10/20, Tracy Carcione via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hi Danielle.
> I'm sorry to hear about this.  I know you waited a long time to get your
> dog, and I wish it would have been as close to perfect as it gets.
> Is this a pee problem, or a poop problem?  My dog has had urinary issues
> for
> a long time, which are controllable by medication, water management, and
> frequent outings.  It's not ideal, but it's manageable.
> He also is a dog who is stimulated to poop by walking, and it's not unusual
> for him to go on route.  And, to my mortification, he did poop in the bus
> terminal once, so you're not alone in that misery.  My only consolation was
> that he's probably not the only creature to have done so, and I was able to
> clean it up and dispose of it neatly.  But still.
> It's possible that a change of food will help.  Don't panic until she's
> been
> on the new food for at least a few weeks.
> I think grain-free might create less poop, but I'm not sure about that.  It
> did seem to make Krokus's a lot less soft.
> If the food change doesn't help, then, as someone else said, it might be
> stress, and that's a lot harder to fix.
> Good luck, always have a baggy handy, and keep us posted.
> Tracy
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Danielle Ledet
> via NAGDU
> Sent: Sunday, August 09, 2020 4:42 PM
> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
> Cc: Danielle Ledet
> Subject: [NAGDU] Ellie
>
> This is quite an embarrassing problem to have. Good thing most of our
> walks are outdoors! I do not know what's going on with Ellie, but I
> have tried the things recommended by my trainer and treating for the
> right behavior seemed to work for a while. Ever since we came home
> Ellie has consistently relieved herself in harness. Mostly it is once
> during a trip but could be twice at times. She had started pulling me
> toward the grass which is preferable but she never truly generalized
> it to other routes. Her usual MO is to just stop and dump or squat. No
> warning! It was suggested that I play with her and get her running
> before going out to park, but after 10 minutes of this and then
> parking, she just stands there in one spot or sniffs around and does
> nothing. It is hard to predict when she nedds to stop because she
> doesn't act differently other than to hang her head a little lower but
> not always. I have had trips where she dumps on the first part of the
> route, then squats on the second part even after I have just parked
> her before starting to walk and she did her #2 successfully. It is
> formed but usually a very soft lump. Once she even pooped in Walmart!
> I have parked her after a couple of blocks but she'll either go and
> then go again in harness or not go and then go in harness. My other 2
> dogs never did this! I do not know what else to do and have put in a
> call to Guiding Eyes on Friday.  Even just walking in the complex to
> the back where the office is she will do this. We are 55 and older and
> disabled folks who live here so not a busy place at all. It is not her
> food because it was the same on Hill
> 's Science Diet Chicken and Barley, now she is on Purina One Smart
> Blend Chicken and Rice, and when we are near done we'll be switching
> to Victor Performance. Any thoughts?
>
> --
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young,
> compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and
> tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will
> have been all of these.
> George Washington Carver
> Email: singingmywayin at gmail.com
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