Help with loose stool

Question
Hello, I have a male King Charles Cocker Spaniel and his bowel movements
always leave soft, loose stool.  I've tried to feed him natural dog foods like
Natural Choice in the past, but the result has always been the same.  
Additionally, he isn't too enthusiastic whenever he eats those foods.  The only
time I remember him expressing firm stool was when I was feeding him
Beneful "Playful Life" and he really wolfed this food down.  As you probably
guessed, I like to check what kind of ingredients are in the dog food I buy so I
am wary of dog food that have ingredients like corn or meat-by-products as
a first ingredient.  The Beneful dog food I bought for him unfortunately has
ground yellow corn as the first ingredient so I rarely buy this brand.  My
question is is there a dog food that could help with my dog's loose stool but
also has healthy ingredients?  Are there any specific dog foods that many
people have given their dogs for the same problem with good success?

Answer

Hi Sean,

The person you directed your question to declined to answer it, that is how I (another expert at this site) came to your message. I hope your dog's loose stools have cleared up by now!

You didn't say how quickly you changed your dog's food. A dog will often develop diarrhea or stomach problems if it's diet is abruptly changed. For that reason, a dog's diet should be changed gradually (adding ever larger amounts of the new food, while decreasing the amount of the old food) over a period of 5-7 days.

If your dog still has loose stools or diarrhea, take him off dog food for about 3 days, and feed him the following "bland diet":

Mix cooked white rice OR chopped up cooked white potato OR the same amount of cooked macaroni with either cooked lean beef, skinless boiled chicken, OR jarred chicken or turkey baby food.  The ratio is 2/3 rice (or pasta or potato) to 1/3 meat.  

Depending on how loose your dog's stools are, you can divide this bland diet between 3 or 4 smaller portioned feedings during the day. After two days on this diet, slowly transition your dog back to a dog food by adding a little dog food at each meal, until he's only eating dog food.

There are very few quality dog foods sold in supermarkets, a quick glance to the ingredient panel of the dog foods in the store will prove that point.  Two exceptions would be Newman's Own Organics, and Harmony Farms (assuming they are carried by your supermarket). There are many "super premium" dog foods these days, you'll need to shop at pet stores or specialty feed stores to find them. A few brands to consider are:

Wellness
Innova
EVO
Canidae
Flint River Ranch Super Premium
Solid Gold
Royal Canin
Eagle Pack
Blue Buffalo

You can compare both supermarket brands and super premium brands here:
http://www.naturapet.com/tools/comparison.asp

A good rule of thumb is to get the best food you can afford, and to consider your dog's age, activity level, environment and physiological conditions such as growth, pregnancy. A dog that is a year old, needs a different food than a 9 year old.

The first 5 ingredients in a dog food, is pretty much what that food is made of. Look for a dog food that has the first ingredient as a form of protein such as chicken or beef. Corn, and cornmeal are used as a filler and is a low-quality source of protein. It's also something that can cause food sensitivities or allergies, so it's best NOT having any corn (and even wheat) in a dog's food.

Preservatives may be necessary to keep the food edible, preservatives do not have to be artificial chemicals that might be cancer-causing agents. You should avoid ANY foods that contain preservatives BHT,  BHA, or Ethoxyquin. They can cause serious health problems, such as cancer and liver disease. Also, there is a small percentage of dogs that cannot tolerate artificial preservatives.
Instead, look for a food preserved with vitamin E & vitamin C (called mixed  Tocopherols), they are much better for your dog. If you do choose to give your dog a naturally preserved food, remember that it should be consumed within four to six months of the date of manufacture. The date should be listed on the label.
You should also avoid foods with added sweeteners, artificial colors, and added salt.

Though more expensive than the supermarket brands, you usually feed less of the super-premium brands because they are nutritionally dense. So depending on the size of your dog (which dictates how much you feed), a super-premium brand might not actually cost you a lot more.
Keep in mind that many super-premium dog foods have very high  protein levels (18% is the minimum for the average adult dog, 22% minimum protein for a growing dog). More protein that's not necessarily a good thing. By the same measure, if your dog isn't very active or needs to loose a few pounds, you wouldn't want a dog food that has  a fat content of 18% or more or very high protein levels, since unused protein gets "stored" as fat.

The best dog food is the one your  particular dog will thrive on.

If your dog's loose stools either haven't been resolved, or return when he goes back to a dog food, he should be examined by a vet.

Best of luck,

Patti