Hello everyone - only now found this site after numerous internet searches over the last 18 months or so.
Adopted an 18 month old ESS (2 years ago) that we feed on wagg working dog which we have used for terries, ridgebacks and others with great success.
When out walking he starts of fine but as the walk progresses he develops a bowel movement with progressively loose stools reducing in quantity. This is not so much a problem when we are out and about in the countryside on land with permission but when in town and public areas it’s an absolute nightmare.
Had to cut a walk short this morning - took a roll of bags with me - used 5 in no distance and misplaced the remainder so on the next stop to cleanup I didn’t have anything to use - figured i had better return sharpish before anymore messes were made
Was talking to a customer (ex Vet and a working dog breeder) recently and described the problem and it was suggested that i would be better feeding a non working dog feed, so i’ve been looking for something appropriate but been struggling to know what. It was suggested this might calm him down a touch - not that I would say he was uncontrollable excited
Has anyone else had this problem and managed to resolve it - and if so was it dietary?
Hello ans welcome to the forum. loose stool generally suggest a dietary issue. Wagg does contain a lot of wheat which has been identified as a risk of not being tolerated.
This thread explains how to use the filter. You could tick the grain free options and see what comes up. You may just want to try wheat free at first. It it was me, I think I would try eliminating these first and seeing what happens. If you continue to have issues, it might be necessary to introduce a food with very few ingredients then add things gradually.
Has he always had this problem or is it something that has just started to happen? It may be worth talking to your vet.
Hello and welcome to the forum. As has been said see your vet because it sounds like your dog has colitis. It could be due to infection, over feeding or intolerance of one or more ingredients in the food.
Intolerance:
Worker is is not reviewed on here, but Adult Complete is. It has a number of red or controversial ingredients, any one of which could be problematic. Worker ingredient list is vague so it is not possible to pinpoint what the problem might be. Common intolerances are to wheat, maize, chicken, beef. This thread explains what to look for when buying dog food. The Dog Food Directory makes searching for a suitable food fairly straightforward. Please ask if you need help with it.
You asked about non working dog food. There is often (but not always) no, or little difference in ingredients between working and normal adult variety. If a product is labelled ‘working’ it is tax free so therefore cheaper. Sometimes companies differentiate by using plain packaging. Pet owners need to read the ingredient list before deciding which version might be suitable.
Weighing the food, using the correct feeding cup for the product and reading the instructions on the packet will help to reduce the risk of over feeding. Here is information about poop: Poop Points and What You Should Know About Your Pet’s Poop
Please let us know how you get on and I hope that your Spaniel is soon recovered.