# 12 week old Puppy Pooping too much??



## Hava Novice (Aug 30, 2016)

I do not know what is normal, but Oreo poops a lot! Yesterday, I think it was 9 times. That was more than usual, but 6-7 times seems like his average. I am wondering if all the praise and attention he has gotten has caused him to want to "perform" every time we go outside. When I take him out thinking that he has just pooped, and this should just be a pee pee trip, he poops too. It almost seems like he poops more than he pees. His fecal check last week was negative, and his stools are pretty well formed, just very frequent. The good news is that there have only been 2 poop accidents in the week and a half we've had him, and both of those were immediately after eating breakfast. I have now learned to take him out as soon as he has finished the last bite. Thoughts on this? Thanks!


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

This does seem like ALOT of pooping! If things don't settle down I think I would try a different food to see if that helps. Also giving him a probiotic every day might be a good idea. Good luck!


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## Pucks104 (Aug 16, 2012)

They go slit when young but the type of food can make a difference. Additionally make sure he is worm and parasite free. Probiotics might help as well.


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## Hava Novice (Aug 30, 2016)

I have been wondering about his food. I kept him on what the breeder was giving him, Authority Grain Free Chicken and Pea from Pet Smart. I am also feeding him 3 times a day. I wondered if twice a day would help cut down on the frequency. This morning at breakfast, he gave me the cue half way through eating that he needed to go out. Poor thing couldn't even finish his breakfast. Some mornings he poops first thing after getting up and then again immediately after breakfast (about 20 minutes later). He is just a poop machine. I would welcome food recommendations. I do know that I should transition him gradually. Thanks!


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## Cassandra (Dec 29, 2015)

I kept a detailed record of every poop and pee in Cassie's first year...it looks like in first few months she averaged about 4 poops a day. That compares to about 12 pees a day in early months...sometimes it was a combined trip, but not always. 6-7 poops seems a little high, but Cassie was fourteen weeks when we got her. I know younger puppies poop constantly, especially when they play.


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

Most puppies that age eat three meals a day so that shouldn't be the problem. I think I would have my vet check another stool sample for parasites just to be sure nothing was missed on the first one. If that is normal I would try another food with a different protein source. Some dogs are sensitive to chicken in their food. I had to get my dog off of all food and treats that contain chicken and turkey because her stools were too soft. You can check out the website dogfoodadvisor.com as a starting point for picking a new food.


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## Cassandra (Dec 29, 2015)

I would consider mixing dry food with some wet food to reduce number of poops, as I understand you are likely to get more volume on kibble alone. Cassie gets a 1/4 cup of kibble with three tablespoons of a wet food (freshpet which a number of people on forum use which comes from refrigerated case at grocery or pet store). I personally want her to have a mixture so she won't get constipated on a very compact diet...but I have seen discussions where people seek foods to cut back volume and it seems kibble generally produces more volume than wet foods.

These little guys are so different... Unlike the previous post by Molly120213, Cassie has always done fine on the chicken-turkey protein but appears to be have problems with beef based treats or chews like bully sticks (soft stools).


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## HavGracie (Feb 27, 2012)

According to dog food advisor, the food your puppy is getting has pretty good reviews. Gracie pooped a lot as a puppy, too, but it was probably 4-5 times a day, and ive always fed her a grain free kibble. Now at 5 years old, she usually poops twice a day, sometimes it's once and sometimes it's 3 times. I would continue to feed him three meals a day until he's at least six months old. At that point, he might stop eating the middle meal by himself. Then you would eliminate his lunch and just feed him the morning and evening meal. I would think that if his poop was negative last week, it is still negative this week. If you have any concerns, why not call the breeder and discuss it with them, possibly the parents had the same "poop schedule" as puppies.

https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/authority-grain-free-dog-food/


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## Barbara Levy (Apr 22, 2016)

I am no expert but Loki is now 21 weeks and fairly consistently has 4 poops a day - one when he wakes up (sometimes on the UGODog in his expen/crate if I don't get up quick enough for him), one on our walk after breakfast, one in the afternoon (either on the UGoDog or outside depending on the timing of the walkers), and the last one when we walk after dinner. 

He gets fed kibble and wet food. I tried the raw mixers but he had runny stool for 3 weeks, even with a pre/probiotic and some pumpkin. It cleared up immediately when I went back to kibble. I can't believe I am saying this but I keep saying he has tootsie roll poops now. So I am staying with kibble and wet food. I think he will still need more dental work so it is important to keep him happy with wet food. 

He is still getting a puppy diet so he gets 1/4 cup of kibble split between morning and night with about 1 3/4 ounces of wet. I leave 2 small kongs with about 1 oz. in each for the morning walk and afternoon walk. I know its crazy but I would rather the walkers give him a portion of his food rather than a bunch of treats. I leave those for training. No bully sticks unless I need him to really be preoccupied for a long time. The bully sticks also tend to make his stool soft. I also give him a grain free sweet potato cookie when I leave for work in the morning.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Hava Novice said:


> I have been wondering about his food. I kept him on what the breeder was giving him, Authority Grain Free Chicken and Pea from Pet Smart. I am also feeding him 3 times a day. I wondered if twice a day would help cut down on the frequency. This morning at breakfast, he gave me the cue half way through eating that he needed to go out. Poor thing couldn't even finish his breakfast. Some mornings he poops first thing after getting up and then again immediately after breakfast (about 20 minutes later). He is just a poop machine. I would welcome food recommendations. I do know that I should transition him gradually. Thanks!


Well, the fact that he had to go in the middle of his meal makes it HIGHLY unlikely that this is behavioral. It's certainly worth trying a different food, but if that doesn't make a difference, and the consistency of his stools is normal, it may just be that his intestinal tract needs time to mature a little. If it continues, you can always touch base with the vet about it.


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## MarinaGirl (Mar 25, 2012)

Dogs fed a kibble diet also poop more.


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## boomana (Jul 9, 2015)

I got Lola at 11 weeks, and was a frequent pooper as a puppy, I'd say up to nine times a day, and she was eating only Stella & Chewy's. She still poops three or four times a day: once first thing (6 AM-ish), once between 10-12:00, and once usually in the evening around 7PM, and sometimes a little extra at bedtime, though this is rare. My boy was not a frequent pooper, but he was nearly five months old when i got him, and he now poops once to twice a day, always in the evening and often in the morning. They're both fairly predictable in their schedules now, though when Lola was a puppy, she just pooped wherever and whenever she felt like it, be it outside or on the **** sofa as soon as she'd come back inside. i called her my freedom pooper, because i swear, at one point, I was sure she was doing it just for a cause. I don't miss those days.


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## Hava Novice (Aug 30, 2016)

Oreo just completed his 8th poop of the day, and this one was not really formed. I fed him supper at 5:00, and it is now 7:40, and he has pooped 3 times since supper. He really poops more easily than he pees. He is so low to the ground, and our lawn is so thick, that it is often hard to tell if he is peeing, so I stay out there with him a good 10-15 minutes. I think that he may be pooping some of those times just because we are outside and he thinks that is the thing to do. I am going to call the vet and see what she has to say. I have almost run out of a whole roll of poop bags in 10 days! Thanks for everyone's suggestions and support!


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## Hava Novice (Aug 30, 2016)

I don't know if it is related, but he gets the hiccups all the time. He seems to eat so fast that he sometimes stops and makes a gurgling sound, not quite a belch, but close to it. Maybe he does have an immature GI tract?


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

I have known dogs to seem to pee alot when they are outside because they are marking their territory. I have never seen the same thing happen as far as pooping goes. I feel a conversation with your vet is in order. Also, as someone who has worked in a microbiology lab handling specimens for parasites, it is not uncommon to have a negative result followed by a positive one. Parasites are shed in different ways and at different times, which is why doctors are advised to provide multiple samples taken at different times to get the most accurate results. Depending on the consistency of the stool another stool check may be in order down the road.


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## boomana (Jul 9, 2015)

Hava Novice said:


> I don't know if it is related, but he gets the hiccups all the time. He seems to eat so fast that he sometimes stops and makes a gurgling sound, not quite a belch, but close to it. Maybe he does have an immature GI tract?


Lola also had the hiccups all the time when she was a puppy. I have no idea what it may or may not mean. I'd almost forgotten that as it's been so long since she's had them. I remember she'd even get them in her sleep and it would wake her up.


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## Chi-Chi's Mom (Dec 10, 2015)

How's Oreo today?


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## Hava Novice (Aug 30, 2016)

Oreo had another 9 poop day yesterday, but today so far has only pooped twice, which is down from 4 times at the same time yesterday. I have a call in to the vet, and am waiting to hear from her. I did try one simple approach, and have given him a little less food so far today (1/4 cup per feeding, rather than 1/3 cup). Of course he acts like he is starving! 
I do think I am going to transition his food though. He is scratching and licking and chewing on his paws a lot. We have very thick grass and he loves to wallow in it, so it may be the grass, but with both things going on, it is worth checking out another food.
Thanks!


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## Chasing Mayzie (Aug 16, 2016)

So little Oreo is just full o'poo?! Ha! Mayzie only poops 2 to 3 times a day. First thing in the morning and right after she eats and sometimes once in between. 

I am wondering if I am not feeding her though! Every day she gets two handfuls of food (one the breeder her grave her and we've gradually lessening that and one handful of what we're feeding which is Iams puppy. I realize Dog Advisor rates Iams as "barely acceptable", but we have 3 dogs, and I am not organized enough to do raw and DH would have a cow if I sent him to the store to buy all 3 top-of-the-line food. So everyone here gets Iams. She also ends up with another handful of each though training time.

Hope that helps!


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## Hava Novice (Aug 30, 2016)

I am willing to admit, that at least part of the problem seems to be Operator Error. Today, after decreasing his food, he has only pooped 5 times. I was so excited that I was going to be able to post that he only went 4 times, but the last trip was a "two-for". I spoke with the vet, and we are going to keep an eye on it for another couple of days, but I think it was a combination of over feeding, and giving him too many opportunities. Right before lunch, he was starting to do it in a part of the yard that is not desirable, so I picked him up and moved him to his designated area. He never went. Even after 2 more trips out, he did not poop, so I think it was often just a case of him taking advantage of the opportunity, rather than really needing to go. Hopefully he will start learning to "hold it" rather than going every time he goes out. Thanks to everyone for your advice and support, I am truly a Hava(nese) Novice!


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