Upset tummy

Tommy has been doing really well, up until recently. He has had an explosive bottom and has been pooping everywhere. He has been to the vets who ruled out infection and foreign object. They gave him some probiotics and he is on a chicken and rice diet until his poo becomes firmer. My question is I am waking up to piles of poo on the floor every morning, will this become a habit? I haven't corrected him, because I know he has been poorly and can't help it, also i have never caught him in the act, but will he think that it is ok to do it when he is better? This has been going on for nearly a week now. I had thought about moving his evening meal to mid afternoon will this help? His poo is becoming firmer now but he is still pooping overnight.

Hello Susan, how long has Tommy had an upset tummy, how old is he , what breed.
Do you take him out as late as possible before you go to bed to give him chance to empty himself.

If he is house trained he should be fine once his tummy is better.You can not 'correct' a dog for soiling in the house even if you do 'catch him in the act' or you risk adding to your problems with behavioural issues like soiling where it can't be seen or fear of soiling when you are there.

Hi Meg. Tommy is now 11 months old and up until now he has been perfect with his house training. He has been like this for about a week now although he does seem to be firming up with the probiotics and change in diet. He is a gorgeous cocker spaniel x lab. I usually let him out about 11.00 pm so he can do his business. The vet suggested it could be because he is due to be wormed that he has an upset tummy, but I can't give him the milbemax until he is back to normal. He is fine in himself, he runs round his walks like a maniac! Typical cocker I think. His last walk is about 7 pm, should I make it later? He really has turned in to an amazing little dog, I'm just worried that this could set him back with the housetraining.

You CAN "correct" a dog if you catch him in the act. Quickly get him outside and teach him he's to go out there. If or when he finishes outside, praise him. You don't need to shout and be dramatic, because that won't help, but you can help him learn by stopping him from finishing in the house. If he's already gone and you simply find it, there's usually nothing you can do about it. This is why vigilance is key. It's like you said, Tommy has an upset tummy and therefore it's not really his fault. If my Nigredo has an upset tummy, he will come to me like MOM, I GOTTA GO NOW!!! even if I am asleep, he will get his big 42 kg FAT self on my bed, and assault me with his paws. He learned to alert me on his own, but perhaps you can look into training your dog to tell you when he's gotta go. In the meantime, be sure Tommy has been cleared of worms, Giardia (this is a sneaky one), and food allergies. If he's allergic to chicken, for example, you can see how this diet will not help him. If the diarrhea is very persistent and there are no parasites, there's likely a food issue or something like IBS lurking.

Hi Susan I would make his last walk later, 'letting out' isn't the same.
The excercise provided by a walk and the stimulation of the scents of other dogs should prompt Tommy to empty himself fully.

You don't say what time you feed the last meal, I would say around 5 perhaps.

Chicken can make some dogs loose too if it is fatty, (most is these days because it is intensively reared ) a lot of fat being just below the skin so that is best removed.

I prefer to feed white fish for poorly tummies, unnamed frozen white fish or coley is easily obtainable in supermarket freezer counters in blocks of 6 at quite a reasonable price. As it is solid fish you don't need a lot.
The water the rice is cooked in contains a lot of starch and you can feed some of that too.

I am feeding Tommy cooked chicken breast with no skin. Fish may be a better option, as his normal food is salmon and potato kibble (grain free). I normally feed him around 6pm so will move it forward to earlier. If his tummy doesn't calm down in a couple of days I will take him back to the vets. Could I feed him fresh salmon or does it have to be white fish? I will also try sneaking him past the basset for an extra walk later! I can't take them both on my own as the basset is very strong! I don't want to seem like I am complaining about him, he truly has made remarkable progress, since we got him. He is no longer hand shy and aggressive when touched. He actively seeks cuddles and affection now and has become my shadow. He is my doggy soul mate.

Susan because salmon is an oily fish so not the best thing for runny tummies. White fish is best..

Agree with Meg-- oily fish is great for healthy tummies, but not the best for the explosive types.

You can correct-- but you can treat it as though it's an emergency, not an error. If you catch him in the act, you can make a big deal of getting him outside triple-quick, but without making him feel like it's his fault-- it isn't. It's as MJ said. He may learn to alert you earlier to his distress. Taji will do this with me. Taji is just by nature an extremely clean dog and resents having to make a mess in the house, as he's had to do only on a few occasions where his tummy has been really upset. It really disgusts him. You can tell just from the look on his face. If you treat it like the emergency that it is then it isn't a 'correction', it's just you dealing with the situation. Tommy will appreciate you for it.

You can firm up his poops with the addition of some nice butternut squash. Just cut it into quarters and steam it or wrap it in foil and roast it in the oven, then scoop the yummy insides out with a spoon. You don't need to season it or anything, but you could pop on some parsley if you like. It's naturally sweet and most dogs love it, low calorie but high fibre so it really helps firm up those poops. Pumpkin is another good one. I honestly don't understand why pumpkin is only treated as a holiday decoration... it's delicious.

And while you're at it toast the seeds in a pan. You don't need any oil, just a little sea salt! Super good treat for you!

Here is my little man with Charlie the basset. This is their part of the garden, thought it was best to section off a piece, as they both like to dig. I did worry that he had eaten something, but the vet ruled that out. I will try an earlier tea time and an extra walk tonight and let you know how we get on. Thanks for all your help. I won't feed him salmon!

Very sweet Susan I would see how it goes in the next few days and if there is no improvement in Charlie take a sample of feces to the vet to see if there is anything else going on there .