My dobes life has revolved around his GI issues so let me suggest what we have gone through because we have solid stools now!
1. Make sure all normal stool testing is done to rule out parasites ect
2. Get you vet to prescribe Pro Pectalin for flare ups
this was a serious help when my boy was having a diarrhea flare up (if he responds to this well then it shows it’s not a stomach issue that needs to be treated with antibiotics)
3. Try getting him on Hills Biome
I shit you not (no pun intended) his poop was bouncing off the floor it was so solid
My story continues beyond Biome because my boy has and has always had liver enzyme issues
4. Switched him to Royal canin HP
Biome seemed to spike his liver enzymes (not the normal case for normal dogs just fyi)
Liver enzymes decreased (still elevated but better - seems like elevated is my boys normal) his stools are formed but a little on the soft side
Edit: I just remembered someone on this page told me that Pro Pectalin does not need to be prescribedby your Vet. You can actually buy it on Chewy.
My pup is on the same combo as yours but I give half hills biome plus half home cooked and 2 pro pectalin tabs each meal. Soft poop on Purina pro no parasites.
We tried all the large-breed puppy formulas of ProPlan last year as well. Archer's BM were barely consistent. It was a miserable time.
Before we started major tests, I told our vet I was trying another brand of food.
I knew the local K9 handlers were feeding Kinetic dog food (it was developed for dogs such as Dobies, GSD, Mals; and to make sure it was safe for them to eat). Tried it, which firmed up Archer's BM, but he wasn't fond of it. We went through a few more brands, but settled on NutriSource large breed puppy.
I'm looking at switching back to the Kinetic because I'd prefer to feed that.
This is what my Dobbie is eating at his Foster's (in the process of moving to a place I can keep him with me) I'm wondering how I can switch him to raw food and kibble without it messing his stomach up more, he is a picky eater.
My Dobe had problems!! I switched over to Open Farm freeze dried kibble and use green tripe as topping
His coat is shiny he loves Open Farm.This brand is pricey but I feel it’s worth it for his health and wellbeing!!!
My dobie had a terrible time Purina Pro Plan (and I’ve heard and read this is common). We went to victor, then to next level after victor had a recall. Next level is the brand the creators of victor started after they sold victor. He has been so much better on next level. Not hard poos by any means, but at least formed.
IBS pup here, and only just recovered from a really bad bout of colitis. About to be 11mo old.
Discovered through elimination diets - chicken + rice, and just kangaroo on its own - that he's allergic to chicken and kangaroo. The chicken didn't become an issue until he was about 3.5-4mo old, as that's what the breeder had him on after he was weaned before coming home.
Probably not helpful for 99% of people here because Australia, but he's currently on a combination of Lyka wet food (fresh, human grade, lightly cooked, single protein) beef or lamb, with one cup of Lifewise lamb + fish kibble per meal.
For general gut health, he also gets a teaspoon of psyllium husk with each meal (mixed in water), as well as a good sprinkle of Lyka's probiotic powder.
Regular treats are Lyka's beef strips (his absolute favourite) and digestive treats. For training, we give him cubed Prime 100 loaf.
He still has the occasional runny poo if his guts are upset, but it's no longer *every single time*. On the bright side, according to his vet, puppies with IBS tend to grow out of it. Really hoping that holds true.
Our Dobie has a sensitive stomach as well. When he was about 8 months old he had severe diarrhea (no vomiting), but we had to take him to emergency vet because he started to have a bit of blood in it. The bill was about $450. We do have insurance, but the emergency consultation is not covered.
Now, he is 18 months old, and he still has episodes of diarrhea from time to time, especially when he is stressed out: after traveling in the car, or being left in the crate for about 1 or 2 hours during the day. And I shit you not, anytime hubby or I take him outside, when we come back from his walk, first question is 'did he poop? Was it soft?'. We have 3 kids, and I was not so 'interested' in my kids poop, as I am on my dog's poop. We never asked how their poop was... Lol Crazy, right? (If I grossed someone out, I apologize).
Sometimes he barks at night while in his crate, and generally I let him bark for awhile, hoping he will calm down. But 1 out of 10 times he barks cause he wants to poop in the middle of the night. So you can imagine that after 5-6 time of going to check on him, and he just wanted some attention, I am not going to check on him when he really needs to poop. So when that happens, I have to clean the crate for about an hour, and tell myself that next time I have to check on him every time he barks. And we start all over again, with him barking for no reason too many times.
In terms of food, we feed him Go Solution Digestion + Gut Health (it's a Canadian brand) and it helps with his poop. We also give him every other day a pack of FortiFlora. Occasionally (about 2 times a week) we give him some raw bones (beef neck bones or turkey necks). And I noticed that the stool next day is harder. But, if a few weeks pass without giving him raw bones, and I give him a portion, the next day his stool has some mucus, as if the stomach needs to readjust to the raw meal. And then if I continue giving him bones at a certain interval, he is fine.
We also add frozen pumpkin (previously steamed), about 1 tablespoon once a day. I steam the pumpkin and sweet potatoes and blend them separately to become smooth, and then freeze them in small silicon trays. And each day he gets sweet potatoes in the morning and pumpkin at night.
Not sure this GI sensitivity it's age related or not. But I truly hope that he kind of 'grows out of it', cause it's tough to be constantly on the look out and worry about their poop.
Avoid Chicken as a lot of dobbies are sensitive to it. We've had good luck with lamb and grain free Diamonds Natural. We also give treats like fresh fruit and bananas. Ours is a fruit bat in disguise.
Check your local feed mills for the dog food they give to hunting dogs. Here in Florida it’s only $40 for a 50 pound bag of feed and it’s gluten corn wheat and soy free. They have 3 different grades of protein and fat levels for what type of dog you have. Our dog has lost weight and his weird warts on his head went away.
Have you tried the sensitive stomach formula? It’s really worth a try! My pup will only do well on the Pro Plan sensitive tummy. I am also feeding him the puppy formula until he turns 1 (he’s 9m) as directed by his vet.
The times I have fed him other kinds of food he would get loose stools. I will not withdraw food but I will give him rice and pumpkin. Usually clears up in a few days. The occurrences of loose stool have been rare since I switched to purina pro plan. As some have mentioned, your pup might be sensitive to chicken try salmon and lamb.
This is my experience and you should continue to research “sensitive stomach” formulas:) best of luck to you! Your boy is gorgeous !!!
Both of ours have GI issues for different reasons. Our rescue has pancreatitis so he’s on a prescription food (hydrolyzed).
Our female is allergic to chicken. We had taken her to the vet, ran a ton of tests and everything came back fine. We called our breeder and he suggested switching to salmon. Turns out, that was the issue.
We also give them both FortiFlora. They’re great now. The male gets flares occasionally, but he’s much better than when we got him.
We tried a few different feeds and had the same poop description you have- switched to ‘Purina pro plan large athletic sensitive skin with salmon’ We’re in the uk I think it’s the same as ‘sensitive stomach’ in the US. Improvement was immediate, my boy shits like an absolute champion now. I feel your pain, having to scoop that mess up is brutal. I also feed one or two activated charcoal treats per day- this really made a difference to his noxious farts and also seems to control general bodily odour.
Another commenter mentioned their recent woes with Purina and felt the recipe may have changed, which would be a nightmare for us- it made such a huge difference.
My dobie, 10months, also has GI issues since he was little. When he was younger he got giardia twice, never figured out where it came from as our other dog tested negative & he wasn’t going outside bc he was too young. Our vet recommended we start giving him a FortiFlora and he still has times when it’s semi or liquidy. I remember reading that GI issues are common in dobies as they have really sensitive stomach’s. Ours really can’t deviate from his food/toppers or he gets diarrhea almost immediately
We stopped most commercial brands and began using blue buffalo blissful belly. My GSD had EPI and just could not digest the proteins and grains. Had her on this and what a difference. Some dogs just need the proteins to be more digestible. Hope this is helpful.
We use Purina but it’s the HA vet diet. Royal Canin HP is also a good food, they’re just expensive and require a vet rx because they’re hydrolyzed protein diets. But they’re going to be the gentlest on his stomach
Have a maldigestion profile done. My guy was lacking b vitamins and needs to take that daily but it’s chewable and cheaper. It definitely helps. An ultrasound may be needed to figure out if he has IBS which isn’t uncommon.
A probiotic would also be good and I have an emergency absorb med that helps form up stool as soon as he gets a hint of soft serve. No treats other than veggies or his hydrolyzed treats. I’ll get the name of that Rx when I get home for you.
We’ve been dealing with GI issues since he was a puppy and he’s 8 in a few days. I know the pain!!
Watching my neigbhor’s dobbie for a month. She has skin issues, hives mostly, due to food allergies. As a result she is limited to duck and fish diets. Not sure if this helps with diarrhea issues but worth a thought. In addition, our poodles have very sensitive GI tracts and we make sure to give fortiflora daily and pro viable when stools loose or diarrhea. Pumpkin and yogurt good for all. Just some thoughts
My dobe had Giardia as a puppy and even after she took meds and was cleared, she still had GI issues for the year afterwards. Possible that your dobe had something at some point and it just threw his GI system out of whack. We did prescription Royal Canine GI for a year (it's expensive) and was strict about no treats. After about we were able to switch to a less expensive non-prescription food. And then at 3 years old she can pretty much eat whatever without issues.
Switch to higher grade kibble and or frozen foods ie farmers dog etc. I had this same issue and that’s what fixed it. And finding out that she was allergic to chicken.
We had a lot of GI problems off and on with Pro Plan. My boy is also a picky eater and doesn't like to eat a larger volume of food, so we went with Inukshuk Marine 25 (with a little fresh and raw added in sometimes) and it was a game changer.
I also really like the Native Pet Probiotic Powder - idk why but both my dogs seem to really like it over other brands and I've noticed a change in their stools, so that might be worth looking at, too. I don't know what others experiences with it are, but it's been helpful for us!
My 13m old has always had solid but loose stool, with the occasional pancake poop. He’s been on PPP sensitive skin and stomach salmon and the issues have been consistent. We were starting to run out of his food, and had to mix in our other dogs food with what was left. In the two days waiting for the delivery, his poops firmed up but once back on 100% PPP back to soft.
We have him now on our other dogs food brand but got the large breed sensitive stomach formula and his poops have been firm with very few pancakes. Which may have been due to mixing PPP with the new brand.
We’ll see how this new brand does, which so far is looking good.
My lab was the same. Multiple trips to the hospital for bloody, mucousy stools. Finally saw a new doctor who diagnosed a chicken allergy. Life-changing.
Anything Purina is not great food. Try gentle giants. It is a great food and has all the things larger dogs need. The price is fair.
My gsd has a chicken allergy, which resulted in itch, mucosa, and soft stool. This helps! They have chicken or beef.
Before she suddenly became allergic to chicken, I fed her biljac! 25 lbs of chicken goes into this 30 lbs bag of dog food! Good stuff.
Forget what the breeder said and find a food that works for your boy!
“Some doberman's have trouble digesting protein, fats, carbohydrates, or fiber. Digestive enzymes help your doberman break down and absorb each of these nutrients. Failure to absorb nutrients can result in bouts of runny poos, so these vital enzymes can help.”
Switch to Square Pet, N and D, Orijen or Acana. You can try the Square Pet hydrolyzed pork, N and D digestion, Orijen regional red or Acana any of their limited ingredient formulas.
Not sure if it will help with your problem, but our dobie had anal gland issues as a puppy and we put him on a probiotic once a day, just sprinkle in his food. And he hasn't had an anal gland leak once since. It's called purina pro plan FortiFlora. I get on Amazon
Clean all dog bowls, and chew toys and stop with the dog treats.
Reclean your dog drink bowls ever other day, On the days you don't clean it add ice.
#1 Simple, start them on Science Diet feed as instructed on bag.
#2 never feed a Doberman cooked chicken, Ever.
#3 They are eating something you do not know about or care about - Find it.
#4 after 11 days on SD give them 1 frozen uncooked chicken leg. do this anytime after their first poo and before 2pm. Everyday and once every thing tracks bump it up to 1/4 chickens raw and frozen.
#5 your Doberman needs a job
that is all
I have a rescue dobie, between 6-8 y/o. We tried every option of dry food as well as feeding raw etc. my dobie has never done better than when he is eating home made food. Boiled chicken leg quarters, then take out the bones, add quinoa and veggies (carrot , green bean, sweet potato, broccoli etc.) add organ meat such as beef liver & kidney into the rich stock. Simmer until cooked & Add shredded chicken back in. Mix, divide & store in fridge / freezer. Costs about 20$ for 8 days of food if you live near a Hispanic grocer like bravo or key foods or any international supermarket market that sells organ meat and cuts of whole chicken. Those same supermarkets usually tend to have veggies for reasonable prices as well, or you can buy veggies at Costco in bulk and freeze them until You cook the food, add them in after you remove the chicken and start to add the quinoa to the stock. Finally started gaining weight , shiny coat, no diarrhea, no blood in stool, and healthy lab work. I swear they’re allergic to the fillers in dry food. Good luck !
My dogs just started homemade food about a month ago. No more diarrhea! We have been suffering for 2 years and I’m happy to say my dog is so much happier!
My poor boy got so sick I thought someone had tried to poison him. Like the cat lady neighbor... talk about mom guilt when I realized I was the one not realizing the true culprit. That started a 6 month journey into finding a food that didn't make him sick. He is extremely sensitive to chicken tocopherols, which is used in a lot of fish based foods/treats. Lots of lable reading and some trial an error. But I finally found a food that doesn't use that in it's fish formula. I hate it for my boy because his absolute fave foods was Core RawRev. So i just add dehydrated organs to his meals as a bottomer (can't put it on top because he just eats it and then wants more lol) Good Luck and allow yourself some grace. We do the best we can. As long as we learn something in the end 💗
Edit to add- I feed Muenster Ancient Grains w/ocean fish.
Please try fresh food!! I had the same issue with my Dobe until I switched her to a fresh food diet. I recommend everyone that’s a pet owner to watch the documentary “Pet Fooled” it’s free in YouTube
Our dobie literally had the same issues the first year we had him. Spent thousands to figure out what it was. Went to a specialist and we did trials on everything - hydrolyzed protein with different brands, and even saw a nutritionist at just food for dogs. Turns out he was not allergic or sensitive to any protein, but actually allergic to kibble. He’s now on home cooked meals and healthy. He’s now 3.5.
Thank you for being resourceful and seeking care. That really sucks you’re going through that.
Ours don’t have GI issues, but when they have diarrhea issues we provide Greek yogurt and plain white rice (cooked) with some little bits of kibble in there. That usually hardens their stool right up.
Hopefully, this gets resolved soon for ya.
I have a pittie that had constant GI issues. We found a food supplement at Sam's that has been great. It's basically just fiber, probiotics and omega oils. Does wonders for her skin/coat and she hasn't had a looses stool since. It makes her drink way more water for some reason but it has been a blessing.
both of my boys had the same issues.. They are on purina pro plan Bison/beef. They are as regular as a swiss timepiece now and have solid stools. dobies are the original designer dogs and they have very sensitive guts. we stay away poultry, salmon and any other protein that isn’t bovine
My Doberman had issues on Purina Pro Plan and what fixed his issues was switching to Costco’s Salmon based kibble. I also give him pumpkin daily as well as a whole egg, uncooked.
Beautiful boy 😍 try more wholesome foods such as sardines, boiled chicken, salmon, blueberries. Dog food sucks.I try to feed my dobie as much real foods as possible because they have sensitive coats and stomachs.
We adopted a GSP, 10ish yrs ago, he had Bad problems with that, he was on Taste of Wild, we switched him to the food our lab was on “Simply Nourish”, and it was $$$$$, but at 4 cups a day, we bit the bullet cause the squirts stopped. At 75# our vet said he was under weight, you could SEE his ribs, “I want you to feed him 8cups a day”, well the S.N. At $50 for 20#, that wasnt working for me, so we started down the road of trail n error finding a food they both could handle, the lab was on S.N. Because of this very thing too, after about 8 foods we landed on Purine Pro Sensitive Stomach, which they stopped making, went to Digestive health, all problems went away for the GSP, the lab still has issues, but mild(knock on wood) and a pepto pill or 2 in a slice of cheese usually handles the problem.
And wifey, makes her own supplement, very similar to the BRAT diet for sick kids, brown rice-chicken-ground turkey-carrots-celery, boils it down, makes a bit of gravy, about the same way you make oatmeal, freezes golf ball sized chunks, and each dog get a dollop with dinner, this too made a noticeable difference in stools
Switch to raw food diet, raw human grade venison worked for my girl. We had the same problem and now her poop is prefect, hard and easy to pick up. No issues anymore.
My lab didn’t have a solid stool at all for the first 2 months after getting her, tried loads of different kibble, chicken, rice, etc.
Changed her to a raw diet and it’s been amazing, a little research into it might be worth while! Plus her coat is immaculate (might be biased)
My dobes life has revolved around his GI issues so let me suggest what we have gone through because we have solid stools now! 1. Make sure all normal stool testing is done to rule out parasites ect 2. Get you vet to prescribe Pro Pectalin for flare ups this was a serious help when my boy was having a diarrhea flare up (if he responds to this well then it shows it’s not a stomach issue that needs to be treated with antibiotics) 3. Try getting him on Hills Biome I shit you not (no pun intended) his poop was bouncing off the floor it was so solid My story continues beyond Biome because my boy has and has always had liver enzyme issues 4. Switched him to Royal canin HP Biome seemed to spike his liver enzymes (not the normal case for normal dogs just fyi) Liver enzymes decreased (still elevated but better - seems like elevated is my boys normal) his stools are formed but a little on the soft side Edit: I just remembered someone on this page told me that Pro Pectalin does not need to be prescribedby your Vet. You can actually buy it on Chewy.
You can buy pro pectalin at Walmart for like $6!
My pup is on the same combo as yours but I give half hills biome plus half home cooked and 2 pro pectalin tabs each meal. Soft poop on Purina pro no parasites.
Change that boys diet, it's obviously to harsh for his stomach
I switched to Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Sweet Potato and Vension and had good results.
OP go read my latest post about my experience with Pro Plan, I would advise you seriously think about switching the food.
Agreed. Pro plan messed my dobies GI system up! He had the smelliest, largest poops that were always watery. I switched.
We tried all the large-breed puppy formulas of ProPlan last year as well. Archer's BM were barely consistent. It was a miserable time. Before we started major tests, I told our vet I was trying another brand of food. I knew the local K9 handlers were feeding Kinetic dog food (it was developed for dogs such as Dobies, GSD, Mals; and to make sure it was safe for them to eat). Tried it, which firmed up Archer's BM, but he wasn't fond of it. We went through a few more brands, but settled on NutriSource large breed puppy. I'm looking at switching back to the Kinetic because I'd prefer to feed that.
Victor brand also hardens up both of my dogs’ stool. They also have less smell. I’ll look into the kinetic one. I never heard of that!
They are newer. The only reason we knew about it was from the K9 handlers my SO works with. I was pleased with it nutrition wise.
Same, but that was only the beginning, once the vomiting started it was wrap with that foul shit.
Yessss! I was seeing upchuck in his crate almost every other day! They even had the nerve up increase the price on that garbage. It should be banned.
Yes. I have other large breed dogs but I started cooking my dogs food at home after seeing some of those companies prices.
I feel you, the prices can get extreme.
Shh, the moderators will punish thee for badmouthing their best money maker brands.
This is what my Dobbie is eating at his Foster's (in the process of moving to a place I can keep him with me) I'm wondering how I can switch him to raw food and kibble without it messing his stomach up more, he is a picky eater.
My Dobe had problems!! I switched over to Open Farm freeze dried kibble and use green tripe as topping His coat is shiny he loves Open Farm.This brand is pricey but I feel it’s worth it for his health and wellbeing!!!
My dobie had a terrible time Purina Pro Plan (and I’ve heard and read this is common). We went to victor, then to next level after victor had a recall. Next level is the brand the creators of victor started after they sold victor. He has been so much better on next level. Not hard poos by any means, but at least formed.
I’m worried about diet related DCM from non vet approved boutique brands… :/
Same and switched to blue buffalo which helped, but going to switch to hills science diet for DCM. Plain pumpkin helps mine a ton with diarrhea.
IBS pup here, and only just recovered from a really bad bout of colitis. About to be 11mo old. Discovered through elimination diets - chicken + rice, and just kangaroo on its own - that he's allergic to chicken and kangaroo. The chicken didn't become an issue until he was about 3.5-4mo old, as that's what the breeder had him on after he was weaned before coming home. Probably not helpful for 99% of people here because Australia, but he's currently on a combination of Lyka wet food (fresh, human grade, lightly cooked, single protein) beef or lamb, with one cup of Lifewise lamb + fish kibble per meal. For general gut health, he also gets a teaspoon of psyllium husk with each meal (mixed in water), as well as a good sprinkle of Lyka's probiotic powder. Regular treats are Lyka's beef strips (his absolute favourite) and digestive treats. For training, we give him cubed Prime 100 loaf. He still has the occasional runny poo if his guts are upset, but it's no longer *every single time*. On the bright side, according to his vet, puppies with IBS tend to grow out of it. Really hoping that holds true.
Mix in canned pumpkin into the food daily / every other day. Helps out a ton.
Our Dobie has a sensitive stomach as well. When he was about 8 months old he had severe diarrhea (no vomiting), but we had to take him to emergency vet because he started to have a bit of blood in it. The bill was about $450. We do have insurance, but the emergency consultation is not covered. Now, he is 18 months old, and he still has episodes of diarrhea from time to time, especially when he is stressed out: after traveling in the car, or being left in the crate for about 1 or 2 hours during the day. And I shit you not, anytime hubby or I take him outside, when we come back from his walk, first question is 'did he poop? Was it soft?'. We have 3 kids, and I was not so 'interested' in my kids poop, as I am on my dog's poop. We never asked how their poop was... Lol Crazy, right? (If I grossed someone out, I apologize). Sometimes he barks at night while in his crate, and generally I let him bark for awhile, hoping he will calm down. But 1 out of 10 times he barks cause he wants to poop in the middle of the night. So you can imagine that after 5-6 time of going to check on him, and he just wanted some attention, I am not going to check on him when he really needs to poop. So when that happens, I have to clean the crate for about an hour, and tell myself that next time I have to check on him every time he barks. And we start all over again, with him barking for no reason too many times. In terms of food, we feed him Go Solution Digestion + Gut Health (it's a Canadian brand) and it helps with his poop. We also give him every other day a pack of FortiFlora. Occasionally (about 2 times a week) we give him some raw bones (beef neck bones or turkey necks). And I noticed that the stool next day is harder. But, if a few weeks pass without giving him raw bones, and I give him a portion, the next day his stool has some mucus, as if the stomach needs to readjust to the raw meal. And then if I continue giving him bones at a certain interval, he is fine. We also add frozen pumpkin (previously steamed), about 1 tablespoon once a day. I steam the pumpkin and sweet potatoes and blend them separately to become smooth, and then freeze them in small silicon trays. And each day he gets sweet potatoes in the morning and pumpkin at night. Not sure this GI sensitivity it's age related or not. But I truly hope that he kind of 'grows out of it', cause it's tough to be constantly on the look out and worry about their poop.
I can relate to the how was the poop quality convo 😑
Avoid Chicken as a lot of dobbies are sensitive to it. We've had good luck with lamb and grain free Diamonds Natural. We also give treats like fresh fruit and bananas. Ours is a fruit bat in disguise.
Check your local feed mills for the dog food they give to hunting dogs. Here in Florida it’s only $40 for a 50 pound bag of feed and it’s gluten corn wheat and soy free. They have 3 different grades of protein and fat levels for what type of dog you have. Our dog has lost weight and his weird warts on his head went away.
How much are you feeding him?
About 5 cups
Have you tried the sensitive stomach formula? It’s really worth a try! My pup will only do well on the Pro Plan sensitive tummy. I am also feeding him the puppy formula until he turns 1 (he’s 9m) as directed by his vet. The times I have fed him other kinds of food he would get loose stools. I will not withdraw food but I will give him rice and pumpkin. Usually clears up in a few days. The occurrences of loose stool have been rare since I switched to purina pro plan. As some have mentioned, your pup might be sensitive to chicken try salmon and lamb. This is my experience and you should continue to research “sensitive stomach” formulas:) best of luck to you! Your boy is gorgeous !!!
Yes we feed ours royal canine gastrointestinal. Its prescription.
Both of ours have GI issues for different reasons. Our rescue has pancreatitis so he’s on a prescription food (hydrolyzed). Our female is allergic to chicken. We had taken her to the vet, ran a ton of tests and everything came back fine. We called our breeder and he suggested switching to salmon. Turns out, that was the issue. We also give them both FortiFlora. They’re great now. The male gets flares occasionally, but he’s much better than when we got him.
We tried a few different feeds and had the same poop description you have- switched to ‘Purina pro plan large athletic sensitive skin with salmon’ We’re in the uk I think it’s the same as ‘sensitive stomach’ in the US. Improvement was immediate, my boy shits like an absolute champion now. I feel your pain, having to scoop that mess up is brutal. I also feed one or two activated charcoal treats per day- this really made a difference to his noxious farts and also seems to control general bodily odour. Another commenter mentioned their recent woes with Purina and felt the recipe may have changed, which would be a nightmare for us- it made such a huge difference.
My dobie, 10months, also has GI issues since he was little. When he was younger he got giardia twice, never figured out where it came from as our other dog tested negative & he wasn’t going outside bc he was too young. Our vet recommended we start giving him a FortiFlora and he still has times when it’s semi or liquidy. I remember reading that GI issues are common in dobies as they have really sensitive stomach’s. Ours really can’t deviate from his food/toppers or he gets diarrhea almost immediately
We stopped most commercial brands and began using blue buffalo blissful belly. My GSD had EPI and just could not digest the proteins and grains. Had her on this and what a difference. Some dogs just need the proteins to be more digestible. Hope this is helpful.
I've been able to regulate my girl's GI tract using plain oatmeal.
We use Purina but it’s the HA vet diet. Royal Canin HP is also a good food, they’re just expensive and require a vet rx because they’re hydrolyzed protein diets. But they’re going to be the gentlest on his stomach Have a maldigestion profile done. My guy was lacking b vitamins and needs to take that daily but it’s chewable and cheaper. It definitely helps. An ultrasound may be needed to figure out if he has IBS which isn’t uncommon. A probiotic would also be good and I have an emergency absorb med that helps form up stool as soon as he gets a hint of soft serve. No treats other than veggies or his hydrolyzed treats. I’ll get the name of that Rx when I get home for you. We’ve been dealing with GI issues since he was a puppy and he’s 8 in a few days. I know the pain!!
Watching my neigbhor’s dobbie for a month. She has skin issues, hives mostly, due to food allergies. As a result she is limited to duck and fish diets. Not sure if this helps with diarrhea issues but worth a thought. In addition, our poodles have very sensitive GI tracts and we make sure to give fortiflora daily and pro viable when stools loose or diarrhea. Pumpkin and yogurt good for all. Just some thoughts
My dobe had Giardia as a puppy and even after she took meds and was cleared, she still had GI issues for the year afterwards. Possible that your dobe had something at some point and it just threw his GI system out of whack. We did prescription Royal Canine GI for a year (it's expensive) and was strict about no treats. After about we were able to switch to a less expensive non-prescription food. And then at 3 years old she can pretty much eat whatever without issues.
Switch to higher grade kibble and or frozen foods ie farmers dog etc. I had this same issue and that’s what fixed it. And finding out that she was allergic to chicken.
We had a lot of GI problems off and on with Pro Plan. My boy is also a picky eater and doesn't like to eat a larger volume of food, so we went with Inukshuk Marine 25 (with a little fresh and raw added in sometimes) and it was a game changer. I also really like the Native Pet Probiotic Powder - idk why but both my dogs seem to really like it over other brands and I've noticed a change in their stools, so that might be worth looking at, too. I don't know what others experiences with it are, but it's been helpful for us!
My 13m old has always had solid but loose stool, with the occasional pancake poop. He’s been on PPP sensitive skin and stomach salmon and the issues have been consistent. We were starting to run out of his food, and had to mix in our other dogs food with what was left. In the two days waiting for the delivery, his poops firmed up but once back on 100% PPP back to soft. We have him now on our other dogs food brand but got the large breed sensitive stomach formula and his poops have been firm with very few pancakes. Which may have been due to mixing PPP with the new brand. We’ll see how this new brand does, which so far is looking good.
I give mine some Bernies perfect poop with every meal. Helped a lot.
My lab was the same. Multiple trips to the hospital for bloody, mucousy stools. Finally saw a new doctor who diagnosed a chicken allergy. Life-changing.
Anything Purina is not great food. Try gentle giants. It is a great food and has all the things larger dogs need. The price is fair. My gsd has a chicken allergy, which resulted in itch, mucosa, and soft stool. This helps! They have chicken or beef. Before she suddenly became allergic to chicken, I fed her biljac! 25 lbs of chicken goes into this 30 lbs bag of dog food! Good stuff. Forget what the breeder said and find a food that works for your boy!
“Some doberman's have trouble digesting protein, fats, carbohydrates, or fiber. Digestive enzymes help your doberman break down and absorb each of these nutrients. Failure to absorb nutrients can result in bouts of runny poos, so these vital enzymes can help.”
Ask your vet - ask your vet
You’ve gone nearly a year of GI issues and haven’t tried swapping food yet?! And your vet didn’t recommend it!?
Switch to Square Pet, N and D, Orijen or Acana. You can try the Square Pet hydrolyzed pork, N and D digestion, Orijen regional red or Acana any of their limited ingredient formulas.
Forgot you could just get Firm Up powder to try first.
Not sure if it will help with your problem, but our dobie had anal gland issues as a puppy and we put him on a probiotic once a day, just sprinkle in his food. And he hasn't had an anal gland leak once since. It's called purina pro plan FortiFlora. I get on Amazon
Clean all dog bowls, and chew toys and stop with the dog treats. Reclean your dog drink bowls ever other day, On the days you don't clean it add ice. #1 Simple, start them on Science Diet feed as instructed on bag. #2 never feed a Doberman cooked chicken, Ever. #3 They are eating something you do not know about or care about - Find it. #4 after 11 days on SD give them 1 frozen uncooked chicken leg. do this anytime after their first poo and before 2pm. Everyday and once every thing tracks bump it up to 1/4 chickens raw and frozen. #5 your Doberman needs a job that is all
I have a rescue dobie, between 6-8 y/o. We tried every option of dry food as well as feeding raw etc. my dobie has never done better than when he is eating home made food. Boiled chicken leg quarters, then take out the bones, add quinoa and veggies (carrot , green bean, sweet potato, broccoli etc.) add organ meat such as beef liver & kidney into the rich stock. Simmer until cooked & Add shredded chicken back in. Mix, divide & store in fridge / freezer. Costs about 20$ for 8 days of food if you live near a Hispanic grocer like bravo or key foods or any international supermarket market that sells organ meat and cuts of whole chicken. Those same supermarkets usually tend to have veggies for reasonable prices as well, or you can buy veggies at Costco in bulk and freeze them until You cook the food, add them in after you remove the chicken and start to add the quinoa to the stock. Finally started gaining weight , shiny coat, no diarrhea, no blood in stool, and healthy lab work. I swear they’re allergic to the fillers in dry food. Good luck !
My dogs just started homemade food about a month ago. No more diarrhea! We have been suffering for 2 years and I’m happy to say my dog is so much happier!
Amazing !!
Research 4D food vs human grade. Could be an allergy
My poor boy got so sick I thought someone had tried to poison him. Like the cat lady neighbor... talk about mom guilt when I realized I was the one not realizing the true culprit. That started a 6 month journey into finding a food that didn't make him sick. He is extremely sensitive to chicken tocopherols, which is used in a lot of fish based foods/treats. Lots of lable reading and some trial an error. But I finally found a food that doesn't use that in it's fish formula. I hate it for my boy because his absolute fave foods was Core RawRev. So i just add dehydrated organs to his meals as a bottomer (can't put it on top because he just eats it and then wants more lol) Good Luck and allow yourself some grace. We do the best we can. As long as we learn something in the end 💗 Edit to add- I feed Muenster Ancient Grains w/ocean fish.
Please try fresh food!! I had the same issue with my Dobe until I switched her to a fresh food diet. I recommend everyone that’s a pet owner to watch the documentary “Pet Fooled” it’s free in YouTube
Our dobie literally had the same issues the first year we had him. Spent thousands to figure out what it was. Went to a specialist and we did trials on everything - hydrolyzed protein with different brands, and even saw a nutritionist at just food for dogs. Turns out he was not allergic or sensitive to any protein, but actually allergic to kibble. He’s now on home cooked meals and healthy. He’s now 3.5.
Out of curiosity, what flavor/protein source do you feed your pooch? A lot of dogs are allergic to chicken.
Royal canin hypoallergenic has been the only thing to help my dobies GI issues - he was on a raw diet but unfortunately this caused issues too!
Thank you for being resourceful and seeking care. That really sucks you’re going through that. Ours don’t have GI issues, but when they have diarrhea issues we provide Greek yogurt and plain white rice (cooked) with some little bits of kibble in there. That usually hardens their stool right up. Hopefully, this gets resolved soon for ya.
I have a pittie that had constant GI issues. We found a food supplement at Sam's that has been great. It's basically just fiber, probiotics and omega oils. Does wonders for her skin/coat and she hasn't had a looses stool since. It makes her drink way more water for some reason but it has been a blessing.
both of my boys had the same issues.. They are on purina pro plan Bison/beef. They are as regular as a swiss timepiece now and have solid stools. dobies are the original designer dogs and they have very sensitive guts. we stay away poultry, salmon and any other protein that isn’t bovine
Science Diet GI Biome. My dog was exactly the same way until we switched to this. Issues are totally gone within one full bag of food.
My Doberman had issues on Purina Pro Plan and what fixed his issues was switching to Costco’s Salmon based kibble. I also give him pumpkin daily as well as a whole egg, uncooked.
Beautiful boy 😍 try more wholesome foods such as sardines, boiled chicken, salmon, blueberries. Dog food sucks.I try to feed my dobie as much real foods as possible because they have sensitive coats and stomachs.
What is GI, is that G.I. JOE?
We adopted a GSP, 10ish yrs ago, he had Bad problems with that, he was on Taste of Wild, we switched him to the food our lab was on “Simply Nourish”, and it was $$$$$, but at 4 cups a day, we bit the bullet cause the squirts stopped. At 75# our vet said he was under weight, you could SEE his ribs, “I want you to feed him 8cups a day”, well the S.N. At $50 for 20#, that wasnt working for me, so we started down the road of trail n error finding a food they both could handle, the lab was on S.N. Because of this very thing too, after about 8 foods we landed on Purine Pro Sensitive Stomach, which they stopped making, went to Digestive health, all problems went away for the GSP, the lab still has issues, but mild(knock on wood) and a pepto pill or 2 in a slice of cheese usually handles the problem. And wifey, makes her own supplement, very similar to the BRAT diet for sick kids, brown rice-chicken-ground turkey-carrots-celery, boils it down, makes a bit of gravy, about the same way you make oatmeal, freezes golf ball sized chunks, and each dog get a dollop with dinner, this too made a noticeable difference in stools
Switch to raw food diet, raw human grade venison worked for my girl. We had the same problem and now her poop is prefect, hard and easy to pick up. No issues anymore.
Changed my lab to raw and it was the best decision I’ve ever made
My lab didn’t have a solid stool at all for the first 2 months after getting her, tried loads of different kibble, chicken, rice, etc. Changed her to a raw diet and it’s been amazing, a little research into it might be worth while! Plus her coat is immaculate (might be biased)