loose stools and standard poodle puppies

Question
We have am 8 month old standard male poodle.  The breeder was feeding him Pro Select rice and salmon and we continued that after we got him home at 5 months.  We noticed that his stools resemble patties with no form.  Two weeks ago I gradually switched him to Science Diet for large breed puppies and his stools have not improved.  He is now having accidents during the night in his cage.  
Do you have any suggestions

Answer
Hello Joan,
There are several things you can do to help your dog have firmer stools.  The number one thing you might try is adding some fiber to his food to firm him up some.  See if there are any fruits or vegetables that he will eat.  You can try Carrots, Apples, Peas, Spinach (in small amounts), Cucumber, or Broccoli etc.  Avoid Onions, grapes and Raisins as these foods are toxic to dogs.  

You might also try this diet that I have made up for my dogs.  Its healthy, natural and has the Vitamins and Minerals that are good for your dogs skin, coat and overall health.
Feel free to change it up to suit him and your needs.  If there are fruits or veggies that your dog likes, go ahead and add them to this mix.  

1  lb. Lamb or Turkey meat (cooked and drain most of the fat off)
1 can Salmon (you can use in place of the Lamb or Turkey if it works better for your dog)
1 can Sardines in Olive Oil
1 cup Spinach blended with the oil of the sardines
1 egg scrambled
1 1/2 cup Special K or Total Cereal
1 Apple Blended (or you can use 1/2 cup of Applesauce)
1/8 tsp Garlic powder
1 grated carrot
1/2 cup brown rice, cooked using the same Broth as your meat choice rather than water, for better flavor; if you use canned Salmon, use the juices from it)
1/2 cup Cottage Cheese
This recipe is for a large dog, but if you think this is more than you would use in a week, it freezes nicely.  It has vitamins and minerals that are good for a dogs coat and skin and that are good for a growing puppy.  I would give him about 1/2 this diet and 1/2 of the dry diet he is eating now. (approximately 1 cup 2 X a day)

He may need to be on this diet for around 2-3 weeks to get his system straightened out before his bowel movements are back to normal.  If it gets really bad, you can give him some Pepto Bismol to help firm him up some.  I give my dogs 1 cc for every 10 lbs of body weight.  So if your dog weights 40 lbs now, you would give him 4 cc's of "the Pink Stuff".   

As for him pottying in his crate, don't free feed him if you have been.  Give him 2-3 smaller meals throughout the day, but be sure to pull water and food up about 2-3 hours before you go to bed.  Also be sure to take him out to potty just before you go to bed.  This way, he should have an empty bladder and bowel and will be better able to make it through the night.  

Give this a try and if you have other questions, please feel free to ask me.  

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim