Mini Poodle Stools

Question
I have a mini-poodle puppy, born 12/23/10, and home to us on 3/3/11.  We purchased from a pet store and the vet cleared her for purchase on 3/3/11.  From the time the puppey came home it has had non-formed (a moist texture) very light tan stools.  She has stopped eating her dry food and will only eat a few bits of the chicken we give her.  What could be causing this problem?  

Thank you.

Answer
Hello Jennifer,
Chances are best that your dog is just nervous and a bit upset from being moved from the Pet store and her littermates to the Vet, and finally your home.  You can give her some more boiled chicken and brown rice to help firm up her stools, and you can also give her 2 cc's/ml of Pepto Bismol. If you use a syringe to administer the Pepto, it will be marked in cc's or ml.  I would use the chicken and brown rice by itself for a day or two, then add a small amount of her dry food, moistened with some water to soften it a bit.  Do this for a couple of days, then stop adding the water and just use smaller and smaller amounts of the chicken and rice until she will eat the dry food again.  If she won't switch over to the dry food again, just keep offering it to her until she will.  If you notice that she has gas with the diarrhea, you might consider switching to a different brand of food.  Try a more natural food, and if she is still having issues with diarrhea, you may want to try a Lamb and Rice variety as L&R tends to be more gentle on a dogs stomach.  

Give this a try and if you are still having problems with her, please feel free to write me back.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim