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High Protein diet/ Loose stool

20 9:45:24

Question
We have a 14 weeks old chocolate lab ( we got him at 8 weeks), who we are crate training.  He came to us on Pro Plan Puppy, we have switched him to "Orijen" large breed puppy food which is very high in protein 40%.  His stool is firmish in the morning but then seems to get looser has the day goes on.  We have also had two poop accidents in the house since the switch, which did not happen prior to the switch.  He also seems to be going allot more and allot more urgent about it.  My wife and I noticed that the treats he was getting were also high in protein.  Would the loose stool, urgency, and accidents be correlated to the food/protein.  Or are the other issues?  He is a male and we have noticed some greenish discharge after he pees.  Our vet said this can be common, he is other wise healthy, good appetite, shinny think coat, lots of energy.  We are going to cut out the treats, to see if that makes a difference.  We are set to see out vet next week, for his third set of shots.  Does this sound like a diet issue or would there be other things possibly going on?
Thanks.

Answer
I am not a big fan of specialty dog chows.  I wonder how well proven the Orijen chow is? What I know that is well proven is switching Labs to adult Pro Plan at 4 months.  That might be just about when you run low of the Orijen.  The thousands of Labs I know of doing well on adult Pro Plan are eating the chicken and rice version.  If the Orijen uses a different protein, it might be best to stick with that type.  The early switch to adult chow slows growth, allowing more time to develop the sturdy joints the dog will need when it reaches its full adult size.  There is no real need for that high of a protein level.  Burning protein for energy creates more work for the kidneys.  Too rich of a diet can lead to hip dysphasia.  

The dog guide school program I am a part of breeds hundreds of Labs a year, and has accumulated a huge bank of data on them.  Who else breeds than many dogs, X-rays all of them after a year old and follows them their whole life?  

I would talk to the vet about it if the stools are still soft.