Mr. Murphy seems to have difficulty

[2newffamily]

having a poo. He really seems to struggle to pass his poo. It's coming out in small black lumps. I don't know what to think. When he's done, he's just like the girls. He starts to run like a huge weight has been lifted. He's on a total of 3 cups of Orijen 6 Fish - 1 1/2 cup in the a.m. and the same for dinner. Is it possible that the high protein content in the Orijen could cause constipation and/or black poops? Otherwise, he's perfectly normal. Has anyone else dealt with this kind of situation?

 

[ardeagold]

You might want to have him checked out. Unless black poop is normal for Orijen, it might mean blood in the stool.

If that's okay, perhaps you need to add some fiber (greens or grains - I know the diet is grain free, but maybe some oatmeal or brown rice...or maybe canned pumpkin) to his diet? He might be a bit constipated.

 

[2newffamily]

Thanks Donna. The thought of blood in the stool is disturbing. Mr. Murphy is a rescue and came to us intact due to the fact that he has atrial fibrillation. We've been monitoring his heartbeat and so far so good there, but this really concerns me. I think a visit to the vet is in order.

 

[nowhavethreebears]

Canned pumpkin--if you can get it---we can't here--is a good source of fiber and will usually get them going without causing stomach upset.
If he has heart problems, then straining to poo is not a good thing....
Hugs to Mr Murphy...let us know what you find out.

 

[Angela]

I think that when my guys were on Orijen Fish they had dark stools Tina. However you need to have Murphy checked out by your vet I think. Let us know how he does.

 

[louienewf]

I know when humans have A-fib they take a blood thinner to prevent clots. If he is taking anything like that bleeding could most definitely be the problem.

 

[dumainedogs]

Obie's on Orijen 6 fish and stools are pretty dark.. except when he's supplemented his diet with the cat's food

 

[NessaM]

Pumpkin, or even a little low fat yogurt might help make things pass a little easier for him. My guys eat the 6 Fish and their stool is very dark also. But I third the suggestion to have his stools checked for bleeding. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Ginny]

A side comment: I've not been able to buy canned pumpkin for MONTHS...anyone else having trouble?

 

[nowhavethreebears]

I haven't been able to get it for over a year....'course I'm pretty much in the same neck of the woods as you.....
Thankfully, can still get locally grown ones in the fall......

 

[Newfs Forever]

Try butternut squash, it is of the same family. It may or may not have the same properties but if you can't get pumpkin, you should be able to find b. squash either in the frozen or fresh aisles.

Just a thought.

 

[Garden_girl]

There was a pumpkin shortage last fall due to crop failure caused by bad weather. I bought many cans when I found it in the grocery store, still have some left.

When my guys were on Orijen, they had dark brown stools, not black. The stools looked healthy. Is it like a tarry black stool? That would be cause for concern.

 

[2newffamily]

Pumpkin, or even a little low fat yogurt might help make things pass a little easier for him. My guys eat the 6 Fish and their stool is very dark also. But I third the suggestion to have his stools checked for bleeding. Better safe than sorry.

Thanks Nessa. I make fat free, probiotic yogurt and they each get a large spoonful everyday with their dinner. Started making for the girls (yeast). I had a can of pumpkin in the cupboard and gave him a spoonful of that with his dinner. If the pumpkin doesn't help, we'll get him to the vet right away. I'll be watching him closely. As yet, he is not on any medications and has no exercise restrictions.

 

[Murphy]

Thanks Nessa. I make fat free, probiotic yogurt and they each get a large spoonful everyday with their dinner. Started making for the girls (yeast). I had a can of pumpkin in the cupboard and gave him a spoonful of that with his dinner. If the pumpkin doesn't help, we'll get him to the vet right away. I'll be watching him closely. As yet, he is not on any medications and has no exercise restrictions.

Tina.. it is virtually easy and painless and not costly to take a stool sample into the vet. Probably nothing but after going through internal bleeding with my Murphy, it's not worth the risk to wait. :shuffle:

 

[2newffamily]

Tina.. it is virtually easy and painless and not costly to take a stool sample into the vet. Probably nothing but after going through internal bleeding with my Murphy, it's not worth the risk to wait. :shuffle:

Jen, you are absolutely right. And I will do that. I will call the vet first thing Monday morning to let them know I will be bringing in a sample for testing.

 

[Pipelineozzy]

Another thing to consider since he is intact is the possibility that his prostate is enlarged and that's causing difficulty passing stool. The small lumps hint at that...unfortunately..I'm not sure what they would do to help him if he cannot be neutered. Eventually, it will affect his urination too.
I boarded a dog on Orijen, and was surprised at how dark the stools were (mine are meat fed, and this dog's stools were the same color as a meat stool). But it's pretty simple to check a stool for occult blood..so start there.
Frequently, if it's a bleeding issue..the stool will be very much like tar..and usually, loose, not hard and dry.

 

[2newffamily]

Mr. Murphy has an appointment with the vet who I spoke with a couple of days ago. We will check the prostate, but he also suggested that it could be colitis. He suggested we up the amount of pumpkin which I have done. So, the next challenge will be getting a fresh sample :shocker: to take with us.

 

[Lori]

For anyone looking for canned pumpkin, have you seen this:

http://www.fruitablespetfood.com/fruitables_digestive_supplement.html

We sell it where I work, haven't had too many people buy it though. I'm going to look at my grocery store to see if we have regular canned pumpkin out here.

 

[2newffamily]

We've been so busy with various things, I haven't posted about Mr. Murphy's visit with the vet. An ultra sound revealed an enlarged prostate so he is now on a medication that is supposed to block the production of testosterone which should then result in a decrease in the size of the prostate. It is likely to take up to a month for this medication to show any signs of shrinkage of the prostate so we're keeping an eye on him to see if there is any improvement. On the upside, we came home from Newfstock with Mr. Murphy's very own personal red fire hydrant to pee on!!!