I feed my three-month-old Malinois twice a day at regular times, and I wanted to know if it's normal for her to do more than 7 poos a day?
For instance, today it's only 6pm and we're already at 7 poos, and she hasn't even had her evening meal yet! Isn't that a bit much?
When is this likely to change and when will she be able to hold it in?
Translated from French
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The number of poos doesn't really matter; what counts is that the stools are a normal consistency and colour. If the dog is on a good diet, it then just depends on their metabolism or lifestyle.
It’s probably because she’s really not digesting the dry food you’re giving her! Mine used to do 3 or 4 poos a day, but since I switched her to a new dry food, she’s only going about as many times as she eats – usually 2-3 times a day.
Sorry, I misunderstood your message! I thought you were confusing BARF with home-cooked meals!
I’m with you on dry food! No argument there! In fact, my own dogs are on a raw diet!
Just so you know, it’s actually grains that damage the kidneys, not animal protein... So adding rice is not only pointless, but it could also be dangerous for your dog in the long run!
But that’s exactly what I’m saying—I feed my dog a home-cooked diet. My vet isn't too keen on BARF because they reckon too much protein puts a strain on the kidneys, and the osteopath and acupuncturist who treats my horses and my dog says the same. That’s why I give him rice, veg and raw meat, making sure the rice is really overcooked and only in very small amounts.
What people need to understand—and I’ve read loads of books on kibble—is that dry food is stuffed with low-quality grains; I’d even say it’s basically cereal waste. As for the so-called meat, it’s actually what comes out of rendering plants—dead animals full of antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, or even those that have been put down. It’s all heated to ultra-high temperatures so all the minerals and vitamins are destroyed, and then they just add flavour enhancers. We think that by switching brands things will improve, but they don't because there are actually very few manufacturers. The big corporations like Nestlé own most of it, so whether it’s Royal Canin, Pro Plan or Friskies, it’s all the same stuff. Even the so-called 'specialist' veterinary dry food is the same. Do you really think Pro Plan makes one lot of kibble for the supermarket and another for the vet? It’s all just marketing and a big money-spinner. That’s why I’d advise everyone to switch to BARF or home-cooked meals—let’s stop feeding our fur babies absolute rubbish.
Denis, your dog isn't actually on a BARF diet if you're adding rice... Don't confuse a home-cooked diet with BARF... They are two different things... BARF contains NO grains and everything is fed raw...
It's true that a dog who's pooing a lot isn't absorbing what they're eating, so their body is just getting rid of the waste...
Thanks for all your messages.
Mine is weighing in at about 20 lbs now at 3 months old (well, she’ll be 3 months in three days), so I reckon her weight is okay, isn't it?
Yeah, I’m feeding her Royal Canin Maxi Junior dry food, so it does have grains, and I’m switching over to the Maxi Junior Active to be a bit more complete and to try and stop the poo-eating. We tried Orijen kibble for our first Malinois and he had a really bad reaction to it, so I’m a bit wary of going back to that...
I’ll see if the poos decrease over time, and if not, I’ll have a word with the vet.
I fed my Bouvier dry food for a year and a half, and he was doing 6 or 7 poos a day—the first one was fine, but the others were always quite soft. We had some blood tests done to check, and it turns out he has an allergy to dry food. I’ve switched him to home-cooked meals—veg, meat, and a bit of rice. My vet wasn’t exactly keen on me switching him to BARF, but since the change, he’s only doing 1 or 2 poos a day. No more diarrhoea, no more wind, and no more tummy aches. I really regret not doing it sooner; plus, if you shop around a bit, it doesn’t actually cost any more than dry food. It takes a bit more time, but it’s definitely worth it. I’ve read so many articles about what’s hidden in dry food that I’ll never give it to my dogs ever again.
It all depends on the dry food. For the brands that contain a lot of grains, because the dog doesn't digest them fully, they'll poo more often. Raw-fed dogs will go much less frequently and in smaller amounts... then again, it’s a puppy, and they digest food faster than an adult anyway...
