r/NewfoundlandDogs

5-month-old Newfoundland with chronic diarrhea — looking for advice

Our 5-month-old Newfoundland, (~80 lbs), has struggled with soft stool/diarrhea basically since we brought him home. He previously tested positive for Giardia, was treated with Panacur, and eventually tested negative, but the GI issues have continued.

We’ve tried probiotics, fiber, anti-diarrhea paste, prescription GI food, Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy Chicken & Rice, and Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach Salmon. Nothing has consistently solved it.

The strange part is that a homemade bland diet of lean beef/turkey, white rice, green beans, pumpkin, and a little salmon gives him consistently formed poop and allows him to sleep through the night. As soon as we introduce kibble, his stool deteriorates.

Most recently, we gave only 1/4 cup kibble mixed into ~3.5 cups homemade food at each of his two meals, and by that evening he had diarrhea again.

We know the homemade diet isn’t nutritionally complete long-term, especially for a rapidly growing giant-breed puppy, and it’s too expensive to sustain. Raw feeding also isn’t financially realistic. We desperately want to find a complete, affordable commercial food he can tolerate.

Has anyone had a puppy who could tolerate meat/rice perfectly but developed diarrhea from even tiny amounts of kibble? Did an extremely slow transition eventually work, or did you discover an underlying GI issue or a particular type of food that finally solved it?

We’d especially appreciate recommendations from Newfoundland/giant-breed owners or anyone who dealt with persistent GI problems after Giardia.