Guest Contributor Sheldon (Shelly) Rubin DVM has been a veterinarian for more than 44 years. During this time, he was chief of staff of Blum Animal Hospital in Chicago and also cared for Oprah’s pets.
Dr. Rubin is a contributing veterinary expert on this site, answering viewer questions about pet health care and concerns. This is the first installment of viewer Q & A about the sometimes embarrassing questions about diarrhea and gas problems in dogs and cats.
1) From Kristie: Why does our 7-month old Pom-a-Poo have to defecate several times a day? We feed holistic dog food.
Dr Rubin: Small dog breeds have special dietary needs that can be met by feeding a dog food formulated for their smaller size and high energy lifestyles, with more concentrated protein sources to help meet your dog’s energy needs. Your dog may be overeating if you’re feeding her a food for larger dogs in order to get the protein she needs, which would cause her to defecate more often.
On average, puppies defecate more often than adult dogs because they’re still growing. In addition, dogs live by a routine and it is important to feed at the same time every day and offer walks at regular times.
Usually young dogs will "make" first thing in the morning before breakfast and then often again after they eat. Reward the defecation with a small treat and tell her what a good girl she is. If you follow the routine and she knows what she is supposed to do outside or on the paper, she will cut her defecations down to just 2-3 times per day.
2) From Arlene: My 7-year old cat has a "sensitive" system. He eats slowly and not a lot of food each time, but vomits often. What should I do?
Dr Rubin: Check out the ingredients on his food label. Make sure the first ingredient is lean protein, and that it’s free from fillers. You can also transition your cat to a grainfree food, which may help alleviate some of his digestive issues.
If you’re switching his food, make sure to transition him slowly, over a two-week period. You should begin by mixing his new food with the brand he’s been eating. It is important to have a veterinary examination to be sure there are no other physical issues. One of the most common reasons for a cat vomiting is inflammatory bowel disease, which could be related to food sensitivity, hence changing the diet to a high quality protein food that is grain free.
3) From Susan: My 7.5-year Doberman eats a holistic fish blend dog food. Every evening he eats dirt. This is an annoying habit to clean up, but I am more worried about what it is doing to his digestive system.
Dr Rubin: Eating dirt could be a sign of a digestive disorder or just a bad habit. Because your dog is eating a high-quality food, he may have an illness that is causing him to feel hungry or not properly absorb his nutrients. Bring him to the vet to get checked out. If your veterinarian gives him a clean bill of health, behavior modification is the next on the list to solve the problem.
4) From Maria: Can you please explain how to help with liquid stool? My spayed Husky cannot keep them solid, even on different foods. And please help with gas!
Dr Rubin: First, you should get your dog checked out by her vet to ensure she isn’t sick with something that affects her GI tract, like parasites or gastrointestinal inflammation such as colitis.
Second, make sure she’s eating a high quality food that’s nutrient-rich. You should always recognize the ingredients on the label. Many high quality dog foods also have prebiotics and probiotics, which help keep a dog’s system regular.
It may seem counterintuitive, but if she’s having liquid stool, be sure she’s getting enough water and wet food, so she doesn’t get dehydrated. One very common cause of chronic loose stools is food allergies or sensitivity. I would suggest talking to your veterinarian about trying a diet that contains a unique protein and only one carbohydrate.
You must also stop all table food and treats during this diet trial. Be sure to phase the new diet in slowly while phasing out the old and keep a record of her stools so you can report the results to your veterinarian. It may take several different foods and trials to get those "poops" like tootsie rolls again.
5) From Donna: From what I’ve been reading on several sites, it seems many in the vet community are starting to believe it is healthier to feed canned food rather than dry. It may help prevent obesity and provides more moisture in the diet to help maintain kidney health. But one of my cats seems to get loose stool if I feed more than a couple ounces of canned food per day. I use very high quality grain-free varieties, the same brand as the dry I feed. Is it possible that some cats don’t tolerate canned food very well?
Dr Rubin: Each cat is different, so it’s important to find something that works for yours individually. I wouldn’t say canned food exclusively is healthier than dry, but it does have many benefits, like you’d mentioned. Are you changing flavors, textures or amounts of the canned food? She may be able to tolerate certain proteins better than others, as well.
Thank you, Dr. Rubin, for taking time to answer these viewer questions about pet diet and nutrition.
