# 'Butt baths' - ick! Advice?



## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

Sorry in advance for bringing up this not-so-nice subject...

I read something on here a while ago about 'butt baths'. I assume that is referring to what I have to do with Ceylon every other day or so nowadays - wash his behind area to remove all of the nasty stinky poopies that accumulate there. His fur is not even that long yet (he is 13 1/2 weeks old, and he is a fluff ball for sure, but his fur is only about 1 1/2 inches long so far at the longest, and even shorter, about 1 inch long, around his bottom...). And I check him often, especially after he goes poop, and try to clean up what I find immediately, but somehow he gets 'dingleberries' anyway. Is this pretty normal? I mean, I'd much rather spend 10 minutes washing his behind than have him sit on the couch with the stinkies on him (doh!), but I am now having to do it every other day or so, so I am wondering if this is pretty typical, or if his poopies are too soft, or what? 

We've had him on the same diet (2/3 Orijin puppy formula, 1/3 Eukanuba small breed puppy formula) for 3 weeks now, with limited treats for training. I know I can get him a 'sanitary cut' at the groomers but I wouldn't think he would need it quite yet...

Is this normal? Or should his poops be not quite as soft (they aren't runny, like I said, but if you pick them up immediately they do sort of squish together). (Again, sorry for getting into this level of detail!!! But I wasn't expecting this many 'dingleberries' until his fur got a lot longer, for some reason...). Thanks! lol...


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Kodi's poops have almost always been well formed and rather firm as long as we have avoided beef. (we realized early on that he is sensitive to beef and it causes diarrhea) I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times he has needed a butt bath. 

It may be that you need to play around with his diet a bit to find something that works better for him. Just remember to make any food changes slowly or you are likely to have more trouble with loose poop instead of less!


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

krandall said:


> Kodi's poops have almost always been well formed and rather firm as long as we have avoided beef. (we realized early on that he is sensitive to beef and it causes diarrhea) I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times he has needed a butt bath.
> 
> It may be that you need to play around with his diet a bit to find something that works better for him. Just remember to make any food changes slowly or you are likely to have more trouble with loose poop instead of less!


lol, of course (to the making the food changes slowly). What do you feed Kodi/what did you feed him as a puppy? I just checked, and nothing we feed Ceylon has any beef in it - mostly chicken, and some fish...


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## dodrop82 (May 21, 2010)

I trim the excess hair away from Yogi and Boo's Hineys. Alot of people don't like that look (when you can see the pup's pooperholes), but I myself prefer that, as apposed to finding little stuck-on crusties all the time! My family members have cockers and boxers, so seeing a little pooperhole is commonplace in my life...HeeHeeHee! And I've even gotten compliments on what cute little puppybutts my dogs have! HaHaHaHa!!!!


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

dodrop82 said:


> I trim the excess hair away from Yogi and Boo's Hineys. Alot of people don't like that look (when you can see the pup's pooperholes), but I myself prefer that, as apposed to finding little stuck-on crusties all the time! My family members have cockers and boxers, so seeing a little pooperhole is commonplace in my life...HeeHeeHee! And I've even gotten compliments on what cute little puppybutts my dogs have! HaHaHaHa!!!!


ROFL!!! OMG, you made me laugh!!!!! I am keeping open the option to 'show' Ceylon and maybe get a CH in front of his name, which means minimal trimming even (as far as I understand it) in the 'sanitary' area, so right now that is not an option for us, but that is SO cute and SO funny, the way you put it! I LOVE it!!!! Good for you!!


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

I think some people find Origen a little on the rich side. I never fed it, so I don't know. My troops have all done well on Fromm's.


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## lkwilson (Mar 6, 2011)

Rolling myself, way too funny, love the lingo of the above posts. Wish there were forums like this when my kids were little. 

Coach had one gooey one stuck in his butt fur last week, but most poops are pretty firm. Diet of Pro Plan Toy puppy food, that was what the breeder was feeding him so I kept with it. A few treats during the day when he poops on the pee pad, but no other food so pretty clean little behind. But like you I do look, after the klingon I worried about others... 

Coach is only 10 weeks, but I feel like him and Ceylon hit the forum about the same time, isn't it wonderful... I LOVE MY PUPPY!!!!!


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

lkwilson said:


> Rolling myself, way too funny, love the lingo of the above posts. Wish there were forums like this when my kids were little.
> 
> Coach had one gooey one stuck in his butt fur last week, but most poops are pretty firm. Diet of Pro Plan Toy puppy food, that was what the breeder was feeding him so I kept with it. A few treats during the day when he poops on the pee pad, but no other food so pretty clean little behind. But like you I do look, after the klingon I worried about others...
> 
> Coach is only 10 weeks, but I feel like him and Ceylon hit the forum about the same time, isn't it wonderful... I LOVE MY PUPPY!!!!!


 My daughter wanted to see/read what was keeping me away from helping her pick up the living room before bed, and I guess I showed her your earlier post about Coach where there was a soccer ball in the pic (now I can't remember where that pic was exactly, but apparently my daughter, who is a soccer player herself, remembers the pic very clearly lol), and she _totally _remembered Coach due to the soccer ball pic LOL! She was like, "Oh, Coach is SO CUTE! I LOVED that earlier pic of him with a soccer ball!!" LOL!!!

And btw, Cey didn't need regular butt baths until about two weeks or so ago... sigh...


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## becks (Oct 18, 2010)

My guy needed quite regular butt baths earlier on. He was also on Orijen Puppy Food. This post has just jogged my memory, I cant exactly remember when I no longer needed the regular bathing, but am wondering if once we went on to the adult Orijen things "settled down". I am certainly not pointing the finger at the puppy food, but might be worth some consideration. I am feeding Boz 100% Orijen Adult food and am very happy with it.


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

I think that butt baths are just a regular part of my job - isnt it??? With 4 there us at least one that needs one during the week. I keep a box of latex gloves available for the nasty job - it seems to make it "not that bad" 
I for one don't like to see the "pooperhole" so sadly I have to put up with more baths


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

becks said:


> My guy needed quite regular butt baths earlier on. He was also on Orijen Puppy Food. This post has just jogged my memory, I cant exactly remember when I no longer needed the regular bathing, but am wondering if once we went on to the adult Orijen things "settled down". I am certainly not pointing the finger at the puppy food, but might be worth some consideration. I am feeding Boz 100% Orijen Adult food and am very happy with it.


Hmmm that sounds a bit auspicious...


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

Laurief said:


> I think that butt baths are just a regular part of my job - isnt it??? With 4 there us at least one that needs one during the week. I keep a box of latex gloves available for the nasty job - it seems to make it "not that bad"
> I for one don't like to see the "pooperhole" so sadly I have to put up with more baths


OMG Laurief I think I love you right now... thanks so much... lol


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## Lizzie'sMom (Oct 13, 2010)

krandall said:


> Kodi's poops have almost always been well formed and rather firm as long as we have avoided beef. (we realized early on that he is sensitive to beef and it causes diarrhea) I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times he has needed a butt bath.
> 
> It may be that you need to play around with his diet a bit to find something that works better for him. Just remember to make any food changes slowly or you are likely to have more trouble with loose poop instead of less!


Lizzie had 2 bouts of diarrhea in the past 2 week, so many butt baths over here. She has been giving me the stinky eye. Well, anyway, I had accidentally bought a bag of Orijen puppy food and she had been doing well on it. The day I mixed adult Orijen and gave her ground beef she was up all night. I felt so bad for her. She only had one accident in the house because I incorporated her bell ringing in my dream. oops!!! She had difficulty tolerating the Orijen when she was younger. Maybe I will try Fromms.

She has had beef before so I am not sure if it was the adult food or the beef. I buy beef from local farmers and this was a different farmer. My daughter and I both had some of it and did not get sick, so I doubt that it was bad. This farmer grass feeds and also supplements with sugar beets. Maybe the fat content was higher. Did Kodi get diarrhea everytime he had beef? Do you ever give him meat in his meal? I give Lizzie chicken most of the time or an egg now and then.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

I gave Dexter a butt bath this morning. Usually his poos are hard and do not cling, and just drop off, but today is was soft and the entire poo was caught on the back-side in a nice round mound! 

I knew I was going to have to remove something after Dexter poo'd, because he was taking too long to go potty. I thought I was going to get lucky and try the flicking it off with a stick....oh no! It was butt bath this morning! 

The things we have to do the ones we love.................I bathe Dexter in the sink and he stands on the middle divider in the sink. I use the sink spray with warm water and you have to take your fingers to soften up the poo while the water is running to remove the poo. Then I shampoo and clean the butt area, rinse very well, then towel dry. 

Then.....Dexter wanted me to dry him today! Imagine that?


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## Julie (Feb 8, 2007)

Hummm...like Karen,I very rarely have to give Quincy butt baths. He has had some in 5 years...but not many. I also would look into switching his food up so he would have a firmer stool...puppy food is high calorie as well. The breeders on here did not recommend feeding a puppy puppy food for very long time either,so maybe that is why Quince did not have many butt baths?


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

I too think of this as a small price to pay for that long coated look. I have had to do this plenty of times usually when I am going out, going to bed. I have had long coated breeds most of my adult life, they all have it happen one time or another. Puppies have it happen more often and usually grow out of it. My Lhasa who is old and not well and has IBS is making me clean him sometimes twice a day its the meds. I wet it and put conditioner on it first for a few minutes to make it glide off, I rinse then wash and condition again.


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## kelrobin (Jan 21, 2008)

For some reason I remember giving Jackson tons of baths when he was little, but now it's more like once every other week. I trim with scissors very lightly around the poop hole, still leaving just a little hair, but you cannot see the hole when I finish. I do think diet helps . . . we use Merrick and have been very pleased with firm stools. Sometimes too much flossie or a bout of diarrhea causes problems, but I bet experimenting with his diet will help.


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## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

Rosie rarely has to have a butt bath, the dingleberrys fall off. I keep the hair around the butthole trimmed . But, last week waking up from my nap, I felt what I thought was kibble in the bed with me and just brushed it aside. When I opened my eyes, it was a few pieces of dingleberries. Luckily it was pretty hard and left no sign that it had ever been there. My 83-year old mother-in-law had just put fresh sheets on the bed and I was not ever going to let her know that the Dog that should be living outside had gotten poop on the bed.


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## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

LOL no...we don't talk about poop in the bed!! LOL Poop happens!!


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

The worst butt wash we had to do around here was after Augie's neuter, when he had a onesie on, and for some reason pooped his pants. What an ungodly mess that was. Firm poo all wrapped up in his long hair and I was not supposed to be giving him a bath.

We take him out potty on a leash so I always watch for it to slide to the ground. If I don't consider the amount on the ground to be a big enough pile, I carefully lift hair to check and kind of shake it off or flick it off with my finger. It is when DH takes him out and it gets 'hung up' that there is a problem, as he somehow manages to get it all mashed into the hair. And somehow he doesn't see it, so guess who gets to do the butt bath! Not him, that is for sure! :biggrin1: 

I don't trim Augie's butt hair. Want no bullseye staring at me as he walks away.

This thread is hilarious. I feel like a ten year old boy..... ound:


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## lkwilson (Mar 6, 2011)

Totally ten year old humor!! This is one of the best laughs I've had in a long time. I guess we're all just kids at heart.


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## Leo's Family (Feb 28, 2011)

Hi. 
We are very new to this fourm too. Leo is 13 weeks old and we have had him for two weeks now. I am not an expert on this..still learning. But Leo's stools are soft and sometimes very "mushy".. not diarreha though. I called the vet and he told me to give him 
a little bit of white rice to help bind him. I give him one to two teaspoons of cooked white rice once day, mixed with 1/4 cup of IAMS puppy food. I have been doing this for the last week and it seems to be helping. If I stop the rice -- I do find the stools are back to being very soft instead of the semi-soft. He also gets the icky butt thing.. so I keep wiping him. We go to the vet next week for his shots so I will let you know what he says regarding the soft stools.


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

i always wipes Djangos bottom after each poop with Costo baby wipes. keeps things nice and clean.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Probiotics, "Integrative therapeutics spectra " 1/3 capsule sprinkled a day on to their food, it will change your life! 

Kara


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

heatherk said:


> lol, of course (to the making the food changes slowly). What do you feed Kodi/what did you feed him as a puppy? I just checked, and nothing we feed Ceylon has any beef in it - mostly chicken, and some fish...


Kodi ate Royal Canin Mini Puppy until his first birthday, and since then has been on Natural Balance Organic. (the protein source in both is chicken) That's not to say those are "the best" for firm, well formed poop... my guess its that every dog will have a different food that works best for them. I remember trying one with Kodi (and I forget the brand now, but it came highly recommended by people on the forum) that gave him HORRIBLE gas. We couldn't stand being in the room with him!!!:faint:

Also, DO NOT get the idea that beef is bad for all dogs and chicken is good. I know several people who have dogs who are sensitive to chicken and do fine on beef. These sensitivities are very dog-specific. Some can eat anything, some, like Kodi, have a single ingredient I need to avoid, and others have to be fed a limited ingredient diet, because they are sensitive to MANY different things.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

dodrop82 said:


> I trim the excess hair away from Yogi and Boo's Hineys. Alot of people don't like that look (when you can see the pup's pooperholes), but I myself prefer that, as apposed to finding little stuck-on crusties all the time! My family members have cockers and boxers, so seeing a little pooperhole is commonplace in my life...HeeHeeHee! And I've even gotten compliments on what cute little puppybutts my dogs have! HaHaHaHa!!!!


Kodi gets a sanitary trim every 3 weeks too, but you really can't see anything when he's walking around. It just gives a straight shot to the ground when he "assumes the position"!:biggrin1:


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

lkwilson said:


> Rolling myself, way too funny, love the lingo of the above posts. Wish there were forums like this when my kids were little.
> 
> Coach had one gooey one stuck in his butt fur last week, but most poops are pretty firm. Diet of Pro Plan Toy puppy food, that was what the breeder was feeding him so I kept with it. A few treats during the day when he poops on the pee pad, but no other food so pretty clean little behind. But like you I do look, after the klingon I worried about others...
> 
> Coach is only 10 weeks, but I feel like him and Ceylon hit the forum about the same time, isn't it wonderful... I LOVE MY PUPPY!!!!!


It's great. You'll find that you get especially attached to the group of people/puppies who all sort of started together.... It's sort of like the group who goes through child birth classes together!:biggrin1:


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

heatherk said:


> My daughter wanted to see/read what was keeping me away from helping her pick up the living room before bed, and I guess I showed her your earlier post about Coach where there was a soccer ball in the pic (now I can't remember where that pic was exactly, but apparently my daughter, who is a soccer player herself, remembers the pic very clearly lol), and she _totally _remembered Coach due to the soccer ball pic LOL! She was like, "Oh, Coach is SO CUTE! I LOVED that earlier pic of him with a soccer ball!!" LOL!!!
> 
> And btw, Cey didn't need regular butt baths until about two weeks or so ago... sigh...


If this came on suddenly, and you didn't change food, I think I'd take a stool sample to the vet just to rule out some underlying pathogen causing the problem.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Lizzie'sMom said:


> Lizzie had 2 bouts of diarrhea in the past 2 week, so many butt baths over here. She has been giving me the stinky eye. Well, anyway, I had accidentally bought a bag of Orijen puppy food and she had been doing well on it. The day I mixed adult Orijen and gave her ground beef she was up all night. I felt so bad for her. She only had one accident in the house because I incorporated her bell ringing in my dream. oops!!! She had difficulty tolerating the Orijen when she was younger. Maybe I will try Fromms.
> 
> She has had beef before so I am not sure if it was the adult food or the beef. I buy beef from local farmers and this was a different farmer. My daughter and I both had some of it and did not get sick, so I doubt that it was bad. This farmer grass feeds and also supplements with sugar beets. Maybe the fat content was higher. Did Kodi get diarrhea everytime he had beef? Do you ever give him meat in his meal? I give Lizzie chicken most of the time or an egg now and then.


With Kodi it is a true intolerance to beef in any form It doesn't matter what it is, dog food, treats, a piece of roast or even bully sticks. Give him beef and he gets loose stools.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Luciledodd said:


> Rosie rarely has to have a butt bath, the dingleberrys fall off. I keep the hair around the butthole trimmed . But, last week waking up from my nap, I felt what I thought was kibble in the bed with me and just brushed it aside. When I opened my eyes, it was a few pieces of dingleberries. Luckily it was pretty hard and left no sign that it had ever been there. My 83-year old mother-in-law had just put fresh sheets on the bed and I was not ever going to let her know that the Dog that should be living outside had gotten poop on the bed.


ound:ound:ound:


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

motherslittlehelper said:


> This thread is hilarious. I feel like a ten year old boy..... ound:


THEY wouldn't be talking about butt holes... they'd be drawing their names in the snow with pee!:focus:


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

One thing ,is that you shouldn't mix two kibbles together. Get rid of the Eukanuba. Great thread.ound:


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## Jan D (Mar 13, 2007)

Havee has been on Orijen recently, and on and off for a long time with no problems at all. As with most higher protein kibble, his stool is firm and well formed. Rarely have we had to do butt baths on Havee. I keep his butt trimmed but not bullseye like...I don't like to see the butt staring at me either as he walks away! I believe he is allergic to chicken and grains. I stay away from those. Not for soft stool, but because he scratches alot.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

davetgabby said:


> One thing ,is that you shouldn't mix two kibbles together. Get rid of the Eukanuba. Great thread.ound:


Do you mean permanently? I was told that you SHOULD mix them as you are transitioning from one to another...?


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

krandall said:


> Do you mean permanently? I was told that you SHOULD mix them as you are transitioning from one to another...?


oh yeah when transitioning but once that's done no. You can switch in three months again which is recommended .


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## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

I feed Tori NV raw and her poops are tiny (a bit larger than the size of those malted milk balls. Bet I just spoiled your taste for them, huh? ound and firm. Before her puppy cut her coat was pretty long back there. If by chance a poop managed to get tangled in it, I have two combs (one for home and one for her travel bag) specified as "poop combs". One little flick w/the comb and it's gone.

She has had to have only a handful of butt baths in the almost 4 yrs. we've had her. But, I can remember the 1st one, very well. It was when Amanda and I drove 5 hrs. up to NorCal for a play date (you old-timers will remember that, I'm sure ) We stayed overnight at Susan's (mckennasedona) and wouldn't you know it, that's when she had her worst "accident" ever. Thank goodness we were at a very understanding Havvie mom's house who had all the necessary supplies/equipment :biggrin1:


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## LilyMyLove (Jul 11, 2009)

I have a great solution for all you Hav parents who arent into the bullseye, but are tired off butt baths:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/6410395...ers&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade

Wah-lah!


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## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

funny!!!!LOL


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Oh my gosh - that is just too too funny!! My guys would be running around in circles trying to get that OFF their butts!!!


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

LilyMyLove said:


> I have a great solution for all you Hav parents who arent into the bullseye, but are tired off butt baths:
> 
> http://www.etsy.com/listing/6410395...ers&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade
> 
> Wah-lah!


zomg!!! TOO funny!!! ound:


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## lkwilson (Mar 6, 2011)

can you imagine??? hilarious


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## Bellatrixed (Mar 13, 2011)

lol, this thread was such a fun read! And informative too.

After so many years of having longhaired breeds that need, er... "butt maintenance" I just got to the point where I shave and go. Pepper and Evie have fluffy behinds, but I just take a pair of electric clippers and cut directly over the er... necessary parts... and leave everything else fluffy. It isn't as noticeable as having a 100% shaved backside, and helps with mess a LOT. 

Rather shave butts weekly than deal with chaos monthly!


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## West End Girl (Feb 18, 2011)

littlebuddy said:


> i always wipes Djangos bottom after each poop with Costo baby wipes. keeps things nice and clean.


LOL....this is me too! And on walks, rides, or wherever and whenever Lola is with me, I'm stocked. I'm an RN and "personal hygiene" is my bag baby! Yeah!


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

*Yay, good news!*



davetgabby said:


> One thing ,is that you shouldn't mix two kibbles together. Get rid of the Eukanuba. Great thread.ound:


First of all, thanks SO much Dave. Your advice as always was right on. I eliminated the Eukanuba from Ceylon's diet (I was thinking that he maybe didn't need quite as much protein as the pure Orijin was providing, so I was trying to blend the two to reduce the amount of protein while still feeding him a very high-quality diet... but nevermind) and he has only had dingleberries twice since then, including one time right after I stopped feeding him the Eukanuba!

And the second time was earlier today. I let him out on his 'play time outside' lead since he wanted out right after I had already just walked him and his friend the neighbor's cat was outside, so I figured that he only wanted to go outside to play. A few minutes later I heard my (other) neighbor outside talking to him (everybody loves my baby lol!) so I went out to say hi to her, and Ceylon ran inside. After talking to my neighbor I came back inside to find Cey biting at his back end, and then he jumped up and started freaking out trying to wipe his body off on any and everything he could, from the carpets to the walls (rolling himself, back down, around on the floor against the walls and carpet in the corners frantically) in a way that would have freaked me out except that I have seen him do that before whenever he is wet after a bath before I dry him off fully (I guess he just doesn't like having wet fur lol!). So I knew he just had something on him that he didn't like. I picked him up and examined him, a bit afraid of finding a flea or a tick or something, and instead, I found a little dingleberry... the first one in over two weeks! I cleaned him with the babywipes that I bought thanks to littlebuddy's recommendation (thanks littlebuddy! and West End Girl!) and Cey sniffed the babywipes, then examined his bottom, and stopped freaking out and went and played normally. 

So, YAY! Not only for the dramatic reduction of the need for butt baths thanks to Dave's advice (which is definitely the biggest 'yay'!), but also for the fact that it seems like now, Ceylon does NOT like having those nasty things on him and I am hoping, will continue to let me know if he needs to be cleaned off!!!


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## Kirby (Mar 7, 2011)

Since I have taken Kirby off Orijen...we don't have anymore of that either....hmmm....Orijen is rich rich food. Could it be Ceylon's diet? I know that it is a very good food, but it was way too rich for Kirby.


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

Kirby said:


> Since I have taken Kirby off Orijen...we don't have anymore of that either....hmmm....Orijen is rich rich food. Could it be Ceylon's diet? I know that it is a very good food, but it was way too rich for Kirby.


Thanks... the entire reason that I was mixing Cey's food to begin with was that I though it might have too much protein... and if you read the posts above, you will see that switching to a full Orijen diet actually improved Cey's need for butt baths, but I actually still am feeling like Orijen is not the best food to feed him... what do you feed Kirby?


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## clare (Feb 6, 2010)

Yep, I found that as the pups grew they needed less high protein food,otherwise it was butt bath time, the same thing goes for one of our cats.Poor Dizzie gets so embarrassed if he has a yucky bum,he runs and hides under our bed, so I always know when the sh*t is going to hit the fan,so to speak!He also tucks his tail up between his legs!Some of our brand names for food are different here in Britain so can't really advise you on a good food.


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## Jplatthy (Jan 16, 2011)

Sometimes you just have to be careful about what you find so amusing at someone else's expense lol...I read all these posts and thought it was so funny that you all had to do this and then tonight I had to do it and didn't think it was so funny ......can't wait till she's on the same food as the other two.....and goodbye butt baths!


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

This topic needs to stay near the top because "Poop Happens" and "Poop Baths" are necessary with long haired Havs. 

I have found if Dexter is taking too long to poo, something is going on and I need to check him. 

Also found, if he acts like a maniac trying to get at something on his backside, it is time to check him. 

If I can flick it off with a stick, great! Poop happens! If Dexter tends to get to many poopy stools, it is time to do a little trim back there. I do not do poo bull's eyes, but I do trim, still looks nice. 

As for Jack....his landing strip is still....................growing out! That's one mistake I will not repeat! :frusty: Hey! No poop baths for months! 

Yea....I hear you with unexpected "butt baths!"


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

i always check under the hood after every poop. it's easier to wipe a little something off then leave it unattended and wait for the big surprise. my groomer also keeps the area trimmed so not a lot gets caught up back there. costco baby wipe are my best friend!


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## moonglo (Dec 16, 2010)

HI all! I'm new to writing but have been reading on and off since we got Rusty in December. What a great source of information this forum is! This thread caught my attention since Rusty has been having similar problems with loose stools and Orijen puppy. I've resisted taking him off it since it is such a great product. I thought it was the orijen but since I eliminated everything else, he still is having one loose poop a day. Heather, I also thought of combining the orijen with acana since they are both made from the same company since acana is a lower protein product. But now I'm not so sure. What's odd is that his morning poop is usually perfect. Since the "butt baths" are getting old I need to find a solution. 
Could it be something else? maybe Giardia? We dont take him to dog parks but still he could have picked up something somewhere. I am thinking of taking him to the vet this week to check him. I understand Giardia maybe hard to find. He also has had some gas on and off but he is gaining weight and otherwise fine. Any thoughts? Thanks!


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## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

Welcome!! it never hurts to have a stool sample check for various parasites...I would rule that out first. Rusty is so sweet!


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## Lizzie'sMom (Oct 13, 2010)

moonglo said:


> HI all! I'm new to writing but have been reading on and off since we got Rusty in December. What a great source of information this forum is! This thread caught my attention since Rusty has been having similar problems with loose stools and Orijen puppy. I've resisted taking him off it since it is such a great product. I thought it was the orijen but since I eliminated everything else, he still is having one loose poop a day. Heather, I also thought of combining the orijen with acana since they are both made from the same company since acana is a lower protein product. But now I'm not so sure. What's odd is that his morning poop is usually perfect. Since the "butt baths" are getting old I need to find a solution.
> Could it be something else? maybe Giardia? We dont take him to dog parks but still he could have picked up something somewhere. I am thinking of taking him to the vet this week to check him. I understand Giardia maybe hard to find. He also has had some gas on and off but he is gaining weight and otherwise fine. Any thoughts? Thanks!


Lizzie had issues on Orijen puppy. I really wanted to keep her on it because it is a great food, but did not. We have found a combination that keeps her stools good most of the time. She has what I call a nervous tummy. I feed her Instinct rabbit kibble and Instinct canned food-any flavor. I add a scrambled egg, chicken, or beef that is boiled or rinsed very well after cooking. I buy grass fed local beef and she had issues once, not sure what the problem was so I am careful with beef. I am really toying with a raw diet and did buy frozen medallions, but have not made the total commitment yet.

Did switch my cats over to Orijen and they are doing great!

BTW-Welcome!


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## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

You people jinxed me. Rosie came through with kling-ons hanging on and jumped up in the chairs and it was horrible. I have to hope that I got all of it. I can just imagine my mother-in-law coming to clean my house and finding dog berries shall we say in the chairs or on the sofa. Definitely got to take the scissors to some of the hair back there.


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

moonglo said:


> HI all! I'm new to writing but have been reading on and off since we got Rusty in December. What a great source of information this forum is! This thread caught my attention since Rusty has been having similar problems with loose stools and Orijen puppy. I've resisted taking him off it since it is such a great product. I thought it was the orijen but since I eliminated everything else, he still is having one loose poop a day. Heather, I also thought of combining the orijen with acana since they are both made from the same company since acana is a lower protein product. But now I'm not so sure. What's odd is that his morning poop is usually perfect. Since the "butt baths" are getting old I need to find a solution.
> Could it be something else? maybe Giardia? We dont take him to dog parks but still he could have picked up something somewhere. I am thinking of taking him to the vet this week to check him. I understand Giardia maybe hard to find. He also has had some gas on and off but he is gaining weight and otherwise fine. Any thoughts? Thanks!


I don't know - Cey has only needed two butt baths (and a couple of wipes with baby wipes) since I put him on 100% orijin, per Dave's advice. I would say a trip to your vet with a fresh stool sample would be the first thing to do - needs to be done every so often to check for worms and such anyway  (FYI - I use food-grade diatomaceous earth, just a tiny bit mixed in cey's food every day, and have had no problem with worms or parasites yet... knock on wood!) If that doesn't yield results, my next guess would be that maybe he has an allergy, either to something in his food or in his treats (if you give him treats). Not sure what else to suggest, but start with the vet, and please let everybody know what you figure out, or f you need more help! Butt baths are NOT fun!


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

Also, at the pet food store the other day, I noticed they were selling dog wipes. I didn't check the price but I'm sure they were more expensive than 'regular' baby wipes - and I'm also sure they contained the same thing as baby wipes! Seriously, if a product is good enough to have used on my offspring when she was an infant, its generally good enough for my furbaby lol.


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## moonglo (Dec 16, 2010)

Last night I decided to put him on chicken and rice with pumpkin to see if I can get the poop more normal than soft. His poop this a.m. was even better than usual. Lets see how the rest of the day goes...im crossing my fingers. As far as treats, I normally limit his treats, ie no wheat, soy all natural. A week ago I cut out his treats except freeze dried chicken to try to pinpoint whether the treats were the cause. That is why I'm left with whether its the orijen or something else like giardia. I didnt think it was the Orijen since it is rated so high. Lynne, you said Lizzie had issues with Orijen. Was it loose stools or something else. So the Instinct kibble works most of the time? Such a mystery....I hope it doesn't turn into a costly one. Hopefully the vet will shed some light. 

Heather, the dog industry seems like a racket since as you said, why are doggy wipes more expensive than baby wipes? It doesnt make sense. Also, why are all those pet grooming devices, so expensive and the men's grooming ones so reasonable, and made by the same company? I recently bought a whal grooming tool for men's beards at target and use on Rusty's paw pads, butt area and underneath to keep him sanitary. It only cost $13 and it works great. If it is safe enough for a man's face why wouldnt it be good for a dog. 
Thanks for your thoughts. I'll keep you posted.


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## Lizzie'sMom (Oct 13, 2010)

@moonglo-Lizzie had loose stools. The only food I give her is what I already said and freeze dried liver treats. She can also tolerate Old Mother Hubbard classic p-nuttier treats- she might get one a week. I like the Instinct Rabbit, but it can be hard to find. They source their rabbit from France and it was in low supply for awhile. They get their lamb from New Zeeland because US meats have chemicals and hormones that affect the dogs. We were at the pet store last weekend for customer appreciation and she picked some treat up off the floor and ate it before I could get it out of her mouth (unusual because she generally does not like treats). Well anyway, the next day she had 1 diarrhea. I do know that she gets nervous and then has loose stools.

What Wahl trimmers did you buy? I have been scissoring the hair between her paw pads but would like to try using trimmers.


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## petersjj (May 8, 2011)

My havanese is 14 weeks old and I seem to be giving him a butt bath at least once a week. He eats Wellness puppy food. That's what the breeder gave him so we are continuing that. Hopefully it gets better. But yes my dog gets them too!


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

While in Miami, Jack needed a butt bath...we were outside. And, I was thinking....where am I going to do this butt bath? 

With Miami being so warm, I saw the hose and it worked great to get Jack cleaned off.


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## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

Rosie gets left over human food for treats. I always cook a little extra pork chop or steak or hamburger for her. Then I cut into bite size pieces and refrigerate. She only gets the treats for pooping outside or something else that I think is special that she does--you know the "good girl" things. A pork chop or rather a half of one can last a week. I have never bought treats at the store. I give her the dental chewz for her teeth that I get at the Vets and they last until I get tired of seeing them on the floor and put out another one. Sometimes if I have an abundance of leftovers, I will mix the bite size pieces that I have chopped up for her with her kibble. You would think that she would not eaat the kibble; but it works just the opposite. She seems to eat more. The meat must leave its smell on the kibble cause she cleans the bowl. As for buying dog supplies only, I use human shampoo on her also--baby shampoo so I don't have to worry about getting soap in her eyes and the part about them needing a different PH than humans is a myth. Pretty much if it is good enough for a baby if is good enough for a dog. We never have runny poops; but I do have to keep the hair trimmed back there. Her hair is like velcro and poop will stick to it sometimes as it did yesterday.


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## Annie Clark (Nov 6, 2008)

I don't know if this is an old thread but I wanted to chime in and say my TT pup was not doing that well with Ojen food and we switched to EVO and it is much better!


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Butt bath for Dexter this morning. Dexter was taking too long in trying to pass a stool...checked it out...and the stool was all wrapped up in the hair. 

So....to the hose we go for the butt bath. Dexter gets so happy when he is cleaned off.


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

Annie Clark said:


> I don't know if this is an old thread but I wanted to chime in and say my TT pup was not doing that well with Ojen food and we switched to EVO and it is much better!


Cey's poos are fine now, but I will be looking around for what to switch him to probably when I transition him to adult food anyway. I got orijin because I did research online first and that seemed like one of the best, but now that I've actually looked around at the pet food stores, there seem to be plenty of quality, high-protein dog foods that I didn't know about...


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## Tessa's Mommy (May 20, 2011)

Just found this thread and laughed all the way through reading it.

Tessa was on Purina (red bag) when we got her from the breeders. When I went to the Pet food store, they suggested Orijin puppy also, but the breeder said to use adult food only. I bought a small bag of Orijin puppy and larger bag of the adult and mixed them together. She is doing well on it, very few dingleberries, but her favourite food is the food the cats are fed. So I have the cats on one food, Cooper on another and Tessa on a third and of course, they all eat each others food. So far very few problems with the runs. I hope to get both dogs on the same food, just not sure which food would be the best. Cooper is on Oven Baked Tradition. Another suggestion of the pet food store

Any suggestions.


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

Luciledodd said:


> You people jinxed me. Rosie came through with kling-ons hanging on and jumped up in the chairs and it was horrible. I have to hope that I got all of it. I can just imagine my mother-in-law coming to clean my house and finding dog berries shall we say in the chairs or on the sofa. Definitely got to take the scissors to some of the hair back there.


I know the feeling - after posting my post a couple of days ago stating that 'Cey's poos are fine...', he had a dingle! haha. Luckily I caught it when it was fresh so I was able to use baby wipes and we didn't have to do the whole butt bath thing...


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## marlowe'sgirl (Jun 17, 2010)

I remember having the dingleberry issue quite a bit for a month or two when my guy was just a puppy. I think it has to do with being a puppy and finding something to eat that they really shouldn't. My hav has a super sensitive stomach and any deviation from standard feeding practice (ie an extra long training session which means more cheese/treats than usual or a long day at the dog park - i don't know what he eats there) will result in looser stools. That said, I can't remember the last time my 17 month old boy needed a but bath.

I feed Orijen 6 Fish. Anyone with Orijen issues might want to try the various types of food - chicken/lamb, fish, & red meat.


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## moonglo (Dec 16, 2010)

Rusty's stool sample came back negative for all parasites and Giardia.* Yea! I've been feeding him chicken and rice with pumpkin and he seems to be doing better.* His stool seems to be just loose at the very end. Even so, no butt baths required! 
I would like to try the Adult Orijen but Rusty is only 8 months old. I could try and mix the puppy with the adult like Tessa' mom. I'm not sure what I would feed him instead of Orijen puppy. I know there are many good choices out there. 
Tillie's mom- to answer your question I bought a wahl mustache and beard battery trimmer. I wanted a battery operated one so I wasn't tied to a wall and could trim him outside. It works well.


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## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

Butt Bath update. I bragged on Rosie way to soon. Last time it was just a dingleberry. trimmed a litte hair and problem solved--well not quite. I bathed her and didn't condition as we were out of conditioner. I use baby shampoo all over now so I don't have to worry about getting soap in her eyes and using one for her head and one for the body. Anyway the shampoo said it had conditioner in it and I was out of conditioner so I went ahead and bathed Rosie. She combed out like normal. Her hair was not a soft though and feels a little dry. I made a note to get a bottle of conditioner. That was Wendesday afternoon. Yesterday I went to the office for a little while. Rosie pooped and nearly all of it caught on her back leg hair. She paniced and began running down the hall and so did I. Employees didn't want any part of her. Luckily DH was in the office and he helped me get it off and we had to do the clean up in the sink in ladies bathroom. The poop was normal tootsie-roll like thank goodness and we were able to pull it out of the hair. DH wanted to cut it off. (he wasn't any better with the children either). Anyway cleanup after getting the poop off was minimal. So I forgot about it. Then this morning she went out to potty as I was making the coffee and when I let her back inside--yeah there it was again. So the theory is that it has nothing to do with what she eats, it is about how dry her hair is. I am going to bath (well really just rinse with conditioner) this afternoon to tame her fly away hair. Actually I may try a little hair oil first, that would be easier. I have some that I got at the beauty shop for dry hair. Anyone have any thoughts on that?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

That makes sense, Lucile. Kodi's hair is the silky type, AND I keep it well-conditioned. Maybe that's why we never (oh, how I hate that word!) have kling-ons!


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

I will have to remember the extra conditioner back there! Especially after bathing! Good advice!


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## LuckyOne (Sep 3, 2009)

After many slow food changes my three ended up on Canidae Grain Free Salmon. Good luck. My boys all know the butt bath all too well. It gives them a speeder. lol


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## Alcibides (Feb 14, 2012)

Lucky is crying when he poops and having trouble getting it out (not really in one of two chunks-he can only do bits) and it looks like there is a mess of poop in his bottom hairs. I'm tempted to bathe his bottom and try to get it off, but could this be more? Should I bathe or call the vet or both? please advise. thank you


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## Alcibides (Feb 14, 2012)

More Lucky's bottom news....bath didn't seem to do much by trouble him but then I just went on the stuck on stuff with puppy wipes and think he's clean...he's still a bit afraid to go but hopefully he'll be fine...thinking of adding "sanitary trim" to "paw trim" on my list of see a groomer soon. I love all the great fluff that's filling in but clearly it comes at a cost.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Yes, most Havs need at least a minimal "sanitary" trim to keep things from getting stuck. It is even allowed for dogs showing in the breed ring.

I'm glad that you could get it off with a wipe, but remember that a wipe probably doesn't get enough off to keep him from trnasferring bacteria anywhere he sits. Peesonally, I would wash his rear end thoroughly with shampoo and water. (and conditioner afterwards if needed)

As far as being constipated, try giving him a spoonful of canned, plain pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix!) or canned squash mixed into his food. This usually will get them evened out again.


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Poor puppy and poor you, what Karen said is great advice. If that does not work for you, you can give a half a spoon of coconut oil, not too much or you'll have the other problem. If you are feeding dry kibble add a little water to soffen it. When your pup gets the dry tiny little nuggets on his bum, put the conditioner on first and let it stay for about 2 mins. you should be able to pull of with your fingers even the most stuborn cling ons while gentle rinsing, often the first couple of times you may have to do it twice, as you get the hang of it. Hopefully this is a passing thing.


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## Beau's mom (Oct 6, 2011)

A few weeks ago, Beau started straining to poop. I looked, but I couldn't figure out what I was looking at. [_As a nurse, my imagine went straight to medical problems way more serious than stuck-on poop!_] I didn't find any in the surrounding hair or on his legs and began to think he had part of his rectum protruding! So, off to the vet in a hurry. I think the vet had the same thought, because she whisked Beau off to the back room where she could use the "better" shears. In the end (no pun intended), it was hardened stool that had blocked the rectum right at the exit. She removed the hardened stool and shaved him down to the skin below his tail. He's been great ever since! Definitely a happy ending!!!


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

yeah I would supervise all dumps. lol . If this is a regular problem, ie . straining , I would get to a vet. Yep , try adding a spray of water to the kibble. This is a good practice for all kibble eaters.


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## HannahBearsMom (Jul 31, 2011)

Poop on the legs today. Question: I mix a generous tablespoon of Taste of The Wild canned food into Maccabee's kibble (Californis Naturals Canine Caviar Puppy). Is it okay to switch floats when I use up a can (which las at least a week) or should I stick to one flavor? I'm wondering if he soft poop was because we switched favors, because we went away and his schedule was off, or if it was just coincidence?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Kodi's tummy is fine as long as his diet is very stable, or I make changes very slowly. But a quick change in food, even to one similar, can cause loose stools. I'd stick to one flavor, or if you need to change, do it gradually, over a period of days.


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## HannahBearsMom (Jul 31, 2011)

Thanks. He Maccabee seems to love the flavor we started yesterday (a poultry blend), so we'll stick to that one for a while.


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## Diann (Apr 25, 2011)

Oh my gosh! This evening has been one laugh after another. First I read the, "you know you're old when..." thread and couldn't think of anything to add; then I read this thread and laughed so hard that I almost peed my pants. 

What a great night. I feel like I've been with all of you but I look away from my laptop and see empty, dark house. The only sounds are dogs chewing on their bones. Thanks to all of you who made me laugh tonight! These were great threads.


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## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

I wish this thread had never been started, I have been jinxed for sure. DH bought the grands a jar of pickled asparagus, obviously one of them gave Rosie one. It came out whole and since she was spice and span clean it got wrapped up in the leg hair. Tood a while to get it out, her cleaned up and Bam, she had to go back out. I prayed, please don't let there be more asparagus. It was not. Now I know nothing about anal glands, but they must have emptied out. Terrible smell and greenish liquid. Not much, but I gagged trying to clean her up again.

Clare are you old enough to know the story about sh*t hitting the fan? It is a pretty common adage here and my grandma told me when I was about six.


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## Diann (Apr 25, 2011)

I saw this link a few pages back and I have a question: what is the string attached to, the green thing and where does that go?

http://www.etsy.com/search/handmade?search_query=dog+butt+covers


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## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

It is to tie to the dogs tail, and hopefully he doesn't have to poop while you are taking the picture. lol


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## StarrLhasa (Jun 6, 2010)

LOL


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## Diann (Apr 25, 2011)

Ah, that's a better idea than what came to my mind. (What's that say about my brain?) Sorry...now you all know I'm weird!


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## Diann (Apr 25, 2011)

Oh, so it just hangs down from the tail and isn't stuck on the "pooperhole." Well, now I'm finally getting it. I'm a little slow!


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## rokipiki (Oct 15, 2010)

Roki usually messes his butt on the way to the vet. So I use tons of baby wipes and car stinks like hell. He has food sensitvity problem. I worked with the vet on his elimination trials and we had good results. He doesn't tolerate corn (maize) and soy and you can find those two ingredients in most pet foods. When I put him on steamed chicken/duck/wild rabbit/venison fresh organic meat his poop is firm had no kling-ons and poop veils(ha ha Karen this one is sooo funny). i give him some kibble in the morning - it is italian variety of Orijen - Farmina Natural&Delicious no grain wild boar. For treats I give him organic duck and rabbit jerky (from Germany - in Europe German produce is guarantee of good quality and safe stuff) and good quality cheese with minimum salt. When you look ingredients list on most treats packages you can find that they put "fibres of vegetable origin". Usually that is soy which is allergen #1 for dogs. 
Marina&Roki


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