7 month old Labrador toilet problems

[Jacq217]

Our delightfully 7 month old Choc Lab has almost always had less than ideal poos.

She was a tiny one at on 2.2KG at 8 weeks and her size remains small now at 15KG but Vet has always been perfectly happy with her health and condition...she's just a little one! We have changed to various different puppy foods. She has been checked by the vet and had fecal screens done which have shown nothing wrong. We've eliminated chicken, beef and grains and had decent poo for a week before a return to dodgy ones.

So far she's had Beta (came from breeder) Step up to Naturals, Wellness Core Grain free, Arden Grange and Wainwrights grain free which so far is the best of the bunch but still not good. Have also tried Pooch and Mutt additive on food for prebiotics.

Considering other options now. Any advice out there?

The only thing that agrees with my dogs digestive system is raw food. I buy the ready made minces locally but you can normally pick up Nature's Menu in blocks from most pet food shops. You will get a lot of differing opinions on raw feeding but we have done it for many years with no issues and full support from the vet

Has she definitely been screened for giardia? It can cause the signs you describe but is only shed intermittently so you’d need to test repeatedly to be sure she was clear.

Alternatively it would be worth trying treatment
veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952529

For a diet trial you need to think about ingredients rather than brands. Pick something that is designed to be digestible. Hills and Royal canin both do GI/sensitive food with single-source proteins

Your poor dog, Harrington's is really good for dogs with allergy and digestive problems. Hope you get to the route of the problem soon and everything settles down.

Thanks and yes she was screened for giardia as that was what the vet thought was most likely. We've also made sure that we have kept on top of all her worming needs.
My parents feed raw to their 2 Salukis so not averse to it though we are mindful that wholst Poppy was young feeding her the right balance of nutrients would be more tricky when we arent experienced and also our young Granddaughter comes to visit and she's all about touching everything and putting it to her mouth. I have read that there are health concerns with raw feeding in this situation but in the end it will come down to what's best for Poppy (the Lab) and her health so if raw ends up being the way to go then we will.

Raw feeding is not recommended by most vets/healthcare professionals, not because of risks to the dog (they’re usually fine!) but because raw fed pets carry and shed a significant burden of pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant bacteria into the environment. They're a significant public health risk, especially to immunocompromised people, but as the owners rarely see the direct impact they usually ignore it.

www.liverpool.ac.uk/infection-and-global-health/research/pet-health/raw-pet-food/

We went through similar with our dog. In the end the vet agreed to test for allergies. Turned out she was allergic to all diary, eggs, and the vast majority of meats. She can have pork, duck, white fish and tuna.

We tried loads of different food for our choc lab with similar issues, been using Millie's Wolfheart now for 6.5 years with no issues