Excessive pooing!

[userxx]

Hi,

My parents have recently adopted a greyhound, he is settling in well but he poo's about 7 times a day!! This isnt too much of a problem but he needs to go about 4am and this is a problem.

Any ideas how we can change his timings?

Thanks

[Wolfiefan]

Change when he’s fed? How many meals a day? Change for a higher quality food? How long have they had him? May take a while to settle.

[userxx]

The food is a good quality one, but I will look into this more. Fed twice a day, last feed is 5.30pm. He's been with them for 4 weeks approx. I've never known a dog to poo as much!

[Wolfiefan]

In what way good quality? Have a look at all about dog food.

[missbattenburg]

Are they over feeding him?

Easily done if they go by manufacturers recommended feeding guides as these tend to over estimate the dog's calorific needs (ime). I can see this being especially true of greyhounds who don't actually move very much when they are not running.

[userxx]

I'll get the name of the food later on. Possibly over-feeding and yes, he's a standard greyhound lazy!! He's not their first greyhound and he's eating the same as previous ones and the same amounts.

[TeacupRex]

When he poos, are they all solid and the same size? Do they also have a set feeding schedule once or twice a day (not free feeding) and weigh his food out in proportion to his body weight? 7x a day is way too much for any dog.

Food that is high in carbohydrates (rice, corn, potatoes, cereals, grains etc) will produce more poo because they're just cheap fillers and dogs can't digest them as easily as they can digest meat. They are still carnivorous animals, even if they don't look like wolves anymore! Ideally you want a food that is high in meat, with no carbs and not too much fruit/veg.