Diarrhea, chicken and rice, digestibility questions

This is kind of detailed so try to hang with me, I'd like to start at the beginning...

We recently rescued a lab/greyhound mix, approx 6-8 mos old named Lucy. She's wonderful, but she's obviously had a tough start to life, she's very skiddish and jumps at any sudden sounds or movements. She's warming up wonderfully, and is an entirely different dog than the one we brought home and we're so proud of her. When we first brought her home, we noticed some loose stools. We assumed it was stress/change of environment, and they did worm her (Drontal) the day we brought her home (which was 3-5-11). It was almost "mixed" some loose, some very loose, and some nearly liquid (sometimes all at the same time). A very small amount of mucous as well at times. She's perfectly healthy otherwise, has a great appetite, drinks well and has lots of energy. We decided to give it a week or two to see if it would clear up on it's own which brings us to this week. When it did not entirely clear up, we decided to start her on a bland diet, chicken and rice (with a small bit of carrots thrown in for good measure-but I'm wondering if that isn't causing problems now!).

So she's been on this diet since Monday evening, and the "explosive emergency" diarrhea has stopped and things are firming up, she actually went from Tuesday morning to Wed morning without pooping at all (which believe me, had me concerned, but things have picked up now)

Anyway, yesterday and then this morning I noticed what looked like grains of rice in her stool(and I mean a LOT, like the stool was FULL of it). Now I've seen worms before, but I've NEVER seen this quantity...and I'm not sure they even looked exactly like what I've seen either...Also, I had been checking her stool since day 1 for worms and did not see any. So...my questions are:

Is it possible that she's not fully digesting the rice and that's what is showing up in her stool? There was no movement and they looked smaller so I'm wondering if perhaps the very middle of the rice was not entirely cooked and she's passing it. Which brings me to question 2:

Should I be concerned that she isn't digesting properly or could that be part of the process of her stomach calming.

Also, I've got her on Iams puppy, but maybe that should be changed. Any suggestions?

Thanks so much in advance for any input. We're more than willing to take her to the vet if necessary but I'm afraid the stress of it will make things even worse!

Could it be worms?
Stress can cause looseness. I have a dog who had explosive diarhea in kennels, requiring a fish-only diet. After living here for a couple of months he relaxed and eats anything now.

Personally I have NEVER given chicken and rice where stomach/bowel issues are concerned or indeed eggs.

I have always done the following:

Ensure dog is drinking and providing electrolytes where required.

Several small meals of :

Live yoghurt
banana
slippery elm powder/tree bark powder
and sometimes probiotic capsules

made into a smoothie; there are prebiotics in the banana, probiotics in the yoghurt (and capsules) and slippery elm food is a wonderful gut soother.

(Even dogs with a lactose intolerance or casein intolerance usually do very well with live yoghurt)

Sounds like she needs worming again to me.


If things improve then put her on her regular kibble.

Honestly I'm not sure it's worms, I mean she'd have had to have been INFESTED to see what I'm seeing, and she was wormed 3-5 and we haven't seen one up until now. Wouldn't we have seen them a long time ago if it were worms?

Why not try her on something like JWB grain free which replaces rice etc with potato?

if she is infested OP, she will need to be wormed again (pop her to your vet and see what they say)

as you are in the US, Orijen is a fantastic food choice

Again, I don't think it's worms, but I'm not saying it couldn't be, but it would help if anyone had any ideas on my two original questions?

Yes its possible she isnt digesting the rice. Ive seen what you are describing. Stop the rice & give potato instead. Or you can try pasta,however sometimes pasta can make the stools go slimey in a dog with a sensitive digestion, so i would stick to potato

When ok again transfer onto a fish & potato diet. Wafcol do a good salmon & potato diet, they are a US company however im sure you have other makes that do fish & potato if Wafcol is hard to get

Some dogs just cant tolerate or digest grains

How well are you cooking the rice? I have read that it should be cooked untill really sticky as they can't digest it properly if it is harder?Just a thought. Hope her tummy improves soon.

We have two greyhounds but the male one, Robbie, can't eat chicken or bread. Both foods upset his stomach so if he does have any problems, I give him plain white fish zapped in the microwave mixed in with rice cooked well, so that it's goes almost mushy and a few days on this, and he is fine again.

Their normal food is Arden Grange lamb and rice with a handfull of minced meat cooked in the the frying with a bit of water to make a watery gravy, to pour over the AG.