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10 months old & new bad habit

3K views 17 replies 8 participants last post by  Sparkle 
#1 ·
Kallie is 10 months old. For the last week, every night she is waking up between 2 & 3 AM to go outside to poop first, then pee! She sleeps with us, so she's driving us crazy. Our bed's too high, so she can't jump off of it to poop on the floor, which is a good thing. The last thing I do before going to bed (usually between 9:30 & 10 PM) is take her outside. She usually pees then. Right now, she's pooping 5 X per day. This just seems extreme to me. 1) middle of night, 2) around 6:30 AM, 3) at lunch, 4) after I get home from work @ 5:00 PM, and usually 5) around 8:00 PM. We were having an issue with runny poops, but changed her food to BB Basic grain-free. Prior she was going 3 X day. But it's been 1 1/2 months since we weaned to the new food. Great tootsie roll poops now. Sorry is this is all TMI!!

Any great ideas on what's going on here? What I'd like to do is take her out right before bed & squeeze it all out of her! But since that's not acceptable behavior, I need some suggestions! Could she be getting too much to eat? She's not gaining much weight (.4 lbs in past 2 months). She eats 3 X day. Should I cut her back to 2 X? I can't move her last meal up too much. I feed her about 1/2 hr after I get home. So I could do 1/2 hr earlier. She has been sleeping thru the night for months. But now she wakes up whining to go out.
 
#2 · (Edited)
I would cut her back to 2x a day. And have the final feeding as early as you can maybe when you get home from work. Zoey was switched to adult food before a year but you may want to keep her on puppy food.
I was having a bunch more poos here when I switched food. I just bought a new one that the owner of the store recommended because Zoey gets effected by the to rich good food like Acanna. It was interesting talking with her about Zoeys problem because even tho I'm not sure what she is saying is right it made since. She stated that all the extra stuff added to dog food is just for the people not the dogs and some dogs extra fruit and such doesn't agree with their systems. So right now I'm trying a brand that is called California Natural Pure and Simple. Its just that pure and simple Lamb, Rice and some oils. Its only been one day and I'm mixing it with the old food and their poos are better already. What I don't like about the food it isn't a four star rating:( And I have no idea if fruits, Grains , and vegetables are a benefit to a dog or not. If any one has researched this brand please let me know if its good or not. Thanks:grouphug:
 
#5 ·
That's why we can't refuse to take her out, she really does have to go. Not just going out & sniffing around.

Glad someone else thinks this is a lot of poop! And we're not talking about small drops here & there. Full poops.
 
#6 ·
Oscar is 9 months old and eats 2x a day. We give him his evening meal at 5:30 pm. Any later than that, and he wakes us up at anywhere from 4:30-6 to poop. He goes out last time for the night between 9 and 10. He will sleep in now until 8 or even later some mornings! Good luck!
 
#7 ·
I'm having the opposite problem. It seems that Q has decided that "holding it" is better. He was pooping three times a day and he is now down to two, maybe one a day. He was going out to pee several times a day before and now I can't get him to go if it's less than 5 hours since the last time. Sometimes he waits even longer! He has, however, been waking me up on occasion to go out at 4:30 a.m. (uggh) but then goes right back to sleep afterward. The only thing I can think of that's changed is that I changed his food to the Earthborn Coastal Catch, but he's not a picky eater or anything. He still gets the same amount of food and at the same times per day. I am thinking about cutting him down to twice a day though.
It's like I can't even guess when he has to go anymore.
 
#8 ·
Ok, I'm going to try 2 x day for feeding. She eats breakfast @ 6:00 AM. I've been going home @ lunch & feeding her. I'll still go home, let her out of her ex-pen to play & potty outside. We usually do some training at that time too. Then I'll just get home as quickly as I can & feed her supper right away. I'll let you all know if this helps her & us. It just confuses me, cause she's been on the same schedule since we got her @ 10 weeks. The poops have just increased.
 
#9 ·
Lola is 7 months and is eating Blue Buffalo. I just had to cut her back from 1/3 cup twice a day to 1/4 cup twice a day because she was pooping A LOT too. This has really helped her and she is not pooping nearly as much. Definitely cut Kallie back to two meals a day, you can always give her a few treats during the day/lunch time. I usually give Lola a BB treat or some sliced apple (she loves both!). I feel like as they get older they don't need as much so maybe that's why she's pooping so often. Also, BB has a much higher protein content than most other dog foods. Don't worry about TMI, these are our babies!! Hope this helps!
 
#10 ·
Lauren, thanks for your advise. Yes, definitely going to 2 meals/day. Wow, 1/4 cup 2 x day? I've been giving Kallie 1 cup total per day. Maybe THAT'S why she's pooping so much! We did make it til 6:00 AM today! But by 8:00 AM she has already pooped 2 times.

So am I feeding her too much?
 
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#13 ·
Be careful about going by the recommendations on the bag. Remember, they are in the business of selling dog food. The "recommendations" are almost invariably higher than a dog really needs for good health. Slim dogs are healthier and live longer.
 
#11 ·
I was going to also post what Chica's mom put up about the BB feeding guidelines. I used that with Lola and started on 1/3 2x day and just lowered it to 1/4 2x day. Looking up her age and weight should give you a better idea of how much to feed. Hopefully the pooping will slow down a bit (or a lot!) :)
 
#14 ·
Kallie weighs 12.4 lbs @ 10 months. The BB bag says for up to 15 lbs between 1/4 cup & 1 1/3 cups daily. Quite a range! Sort of leaves it up to guessing, doesn't it?
http://bluebuffalo.com/dog-food/basics-turkey

Starting Saturday morning, I've cut her down to 1/4 cup 2 X day. Much less pooping going on today! She got DH up @ 6:00 AM today, but during the week we're up by then anyway. So this is just normal for her. But no 2 - 3:00 AM potty call! I knew I could turn to my friends here on the forum & you'd help me figure this out. Thanks for everyone's input. Now if she doesn't starve to death (in her mind, anyway)! A drastic cut in food intake.
 
#17 ·
If she's not overweight, I wouldn't cut back on the amount you are feeding her. Can you easily feel her ribs? Does she have a nice Tuck Up? Can you feel her backbone? If you can, do not cut back on her food. I agree it is a lot of poop! Does she get daily walks?Mmaybe that would help her burn some of it off:)
 
#18 ·
Vet says she's at perfect weight. Yes,you can feel her ribs & backbone. And she has a great tuck up. How will more walks burn off more poop? Please explain how that works. You may very well be right, I just don't understand that concept.
 
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