Bullmastiff pooping in crate

Question
Kristen, Lincoln is eating Nutro brand large breed puppy food. He eats about 8 cups per day. We do take him out in the evening--in fact we took him for a walk last night and he voided on the walk but then still pooped in his crate at 4 a.m. I've thought perhaps we should feed him in the morning and at noon but then no more until the next day. He has been neutered with no problems. For awhile the poop was somewhat runny, indicating that he might have diarrhea and there was quite a lot of it. But the last couple times it has been firm and only one pile so I don't think he has diarrhea. I'm going to take out all his bedding tonight and see what happens--although I feel bad putting him in a cold, hard crate with no padding. But I'm also tired of cleaning up after him at 4 a.m.!


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Followup To
Question -
Kristen, we have a Bullmatiff puppy, age 9 months. Weighs about 115 pounds. Healthy. Is potty trained in the house. Has been sleeping in his crate since we brought him home at 8 weeks. In the last several weeks he has been pooping in his crate at night. At first I thought it was because I'd given him some rawhide that didn't agree with him. But I've taken that away. He is at a very good doggie daycare during the day and gets plenty of exercise. I've limited his food in the late afternoon. We've taken him for walks...I don't know what to do. He is otherwise extremely well behaved. He's in his crate for about 10 hours at night but until recently, he never seemed to mind and sometimes didn't even jump out of crate immediately in the morning. I've gotten him new bedding so he doesn't get accustomed to the scent, etc... I'm at my wit's end as to hoow to solve this.
Answer -
Hi, Maryam! You've got quite a big baby there, don't you?! I wonder, though, if he may be eating a bit too much. According to the breed standard for Bullmastiffs, adult dogs should weigh between 110-133 pounds and adult females should be in the 100-120 pound range. Bullmastiffs are slow to mature, so this weight range is for animals that are 2-3 years of age. If your puppy is already 115 pounds at just 9 months, I'm concerned that he may be  growing too fast. Rapid growth in large breed dogs can lead to an increased risk of bone and joint problems (such as hip displasia). It's recommended that large breed puppies should be on a food with no greater than 24% protein, to keep their growth more slow and steady. May I ask what food you are feeding him, and how much he eats per day? Also, is he neutered yet?

As for his crate issues, is the poo normal? How late do you feed him his dinner, and when do you take him out to potty afterwards? Do you take him out on leash or just turn him loose in the yard? If you are just turning him loose in the yard for a few minutes, it could be that he isn't having a bowel movement because he is distracted. Often, puppies will become distracted and 'forget' that they need to potty until they come back inside. Taking them out on leash is one way to ensure that they do not become distracted. Walks are an excellent thing, because walking helps to stimulate the bowels to move.

Has he always had bedding in his crate? Often, dogs will potty in their crate if they have a way to 'hide' or 'bury' it (bedding), but as soon as you remove that bedding, they stop pottying in their crate. I had this problem with my now 4 year old pitbull/chow mix until she was about 2. Now, though, she will not potty in her crate even if there is bedding material in there with her.

If you can get back to me soon with the answers to the questions I've asked of you, I'll do my very best to help you out!

Kristen

Answer
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly! You didn't specify whether you were using Nutro Max or Nutro Natural Choice for large breed puppies, but according to their feeding charts, if you're feeding Nutro Max for large breed puppies, he should be eating around 5 1/2 cups of food per day. If you're feeding Nutro Natural Choice for large breed puppies, he should be eating around 6 1/4 cups of food per day. This actually perplexes me because Natural Choice is supposed to be a better food than Max, and you usually feed less of a better food. Upon looking at the ingredients list and guaranteed analysis on each food, I would actually choose the Nutro Max for large breed puppies over the Nutro Natural Choice for large breed puppies. There are only tiny, insignificant differences in the ingredients list, and the guaranteed analysis is the same for both foods. Max is cheaper than Natural Choice, so you'd be saving money as well! Studies have shown that neutered animals do not need to eat quite as much as intact animals, so there's another way you could save some money! ;^)


What you mentioned about feeding him his last meal of the day around noon is what I was actually going to suggest, so do try that and see how it goes for a week or so. It's strange that he poos before bedtime but still has to go again during the night. Have you talked to your vet about it? It could be that maybe he has a virus or something that's causing him to have mid-night accidents. That would be my next course of action, especially if this has just recently started.

Keep me updated, Maryam!

Kristen