The 5 Best Dog Food For Firm Stools
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Diarrhea, soft stool, the runs—whatever you choose to call it, sooner or later every dog is destined to have a bout of gastrointestinal trouble.
No one likes to cope with these problems, but it’s important to find out the cause and get it under control. Unfortunately, soft stools can be a symptom of many different problems, ranging from something minor to something serious.
If you have ruled out the easy answers, like your dog ate something rotten from the trash, and your veterinarian says your dog is not ill, that means you need to look for the best dog food for firm stools.
Never fear! We can tell you the best dog foods for firmer stools. We can help you help your dog when it comes to his potty problems.
At a Glance: Best Dog Food for Firm Stools
We highly recommend looking at the comparison table we have below, where we have highlighted the features of each product. You’ll also find more detailed information about each product later in the article.
Compare Best Dog Food For Firm Stools
OVERALL BEST  1. Hill's Prescription Diet Gastrointestinal Biome Chicken Flavor Dry Dog Food | RUNNER UP  2. Blue Buffalo Natural Veterinary Diet GI Gastrointestinal Support Dry Dog Food | BEST FOR BUDGET  3. Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal High Fiber Dry Dog Food | VET-RECOMMENDED  4. Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Grain-Free Salmon & Sweet Potato Formula Dry Dog Food | BEST FOR SENSITIVE STOMACH  5. Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Turkey & Potato Formula Dry Dog Food |
Protein 17% Min | Protein 24% Min | Protein 21% Min | Protein 21% Min | Protein 26% Min |
Fat 9% Min | Fat 12% Min | Fat 14% Min | Fat 10% Min | Fat 12% Min |
Fiber 9% Max | Fiber 5% Max | Fiber 12.5% Max | Fiber 5% Max | Fiber 5.5% Max |
Calories 343 kcal/cup | Calories 344 kcal/cup | Calories 287 kcal/cup | Calories 350 kcal/cup | Calories 430 kcal/cup |
Introduction
Dogs can have soft stools for all kinds of reasons, just as humans do. Sure, your dog may be able to devour a squirrel or eat a golf ball, but just changing his kibble can sometimes cause an upset stomach and lead to diarrhea. Here are some of the frequent causes of upset stomachs leading to soft stool:
- A poor-quality diet
- Food allergies or food sensitivities
- Health problems such as cancer, infections, and intestinal inflammation
- Sudden changes in the diet
- Eating human food (leftovers), especially if your dog isn’t used to it
- Getting into the trash or eating odd things from the yard
- Poisoning (this can be accidental, such as from chewing on a house plant)
- Overeating (food or treats)
- Medications (even medications prescribed by your veterinarian can sometimes produce diarrhea; antibiotics frequently result in diarrhea)
- Parasites
- Dairy products (some dogs are lactose-intolerant)
- Too much fat in the diet
- Too much or too little fiber in the diet
- Stress
As you see, there are many potential reasons why a dog could have loose stools. In some cases, your dog might have loose stools for a long time if the cause is not found. You might believe that this is normal for your dog unless you identify the cause.
What to Look For When Shopping For Dog Food For Firm Stools
If your dog has more than a temporary case of diarrhea due to getting into the trash and your veterinarian has ruled out serious health problems, you will probably want to find a good dog food that will encourage your dog to have firmer stools.
Here are some things to look for when seeking food to firm up your dog’s stool:
- Choose dry kibble instead of canned food. Wet diets are mostly moisture, which can add to the bulk of your dog’s stool. In addition, canned food is often richer and higher in fat than kibble. Extra fat in your dog’s diet can lead to softer stools.
- Look for a dog food that has meat as the main ingredient. Lower-fat meats such as chicken, turkey, fish, and rabbit are preferable. A dog food that has fewer ingredients can be better for some dogs, so there are fewer things that might irritate your dog’s system.
- Choose carbohydrates such as rice, oats, and barley. Wheat can be more fermentable than other grains, – a problem for dogs with gastrointestinal issues such as soft stools. Avoid soy.
- Avoid dairy. This isn’t usually a problem in most adult dog foods, but dairy is sometimes found in puppy foods.
- Choose dog foods that have moderate fat. Too much fat can increase problems with soft stool.
- Dog foods that contain probiotics are a good choice. Or, you can add probiotics to your dog’s diet. Diarrhea and soft stools can be signs that the good bacteria in your dog’s gut is depleted. Adding probiotics to your dog’s diet can help re-establish the good bacteria.
- Look for dog food that contains appropriate fiber. If your dog has soft stools, it can mean there is not enough fiber in the diet – or not enough of the right kind of fiber. Fiber helps regulate your dog’s digestive tract. Ideally, a dog needs both soluble and insoluble (indigestible) fiber. However, if you have a large or giant breed dog, it’s best to avoid fermentable fiber such as beet pulp and FOS (fructo-oligosaccharides).
Obviously, these are only basic suggestions. Every dog is different, so your dog might respond well to a food that another dog couldn’t eat. If you absolutely cannot figure out what to feed your dog, many veterinarians and experienced dog lovers recommend giving a dog a little boiled chicken and rice.
Bland is good for dogs with an upset stomach and stool problems. Or, you might want to add a tablespoon of canned pumpkin to your dog’s regular dog food. Pumpkin is a wonderful source of fiber and can often work wonders when it comes to firming up a dog’s stool. (Oddly enough, pumpkin can also help with constipation.)
Just remember that canned pumpkin is not the same as pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling (which also comes in a can) contains spices that are not good for dogs to eat. Be sure to buy the plain canned pumpkin.
The Best Rated Dog Foods For Firm Stools Reviewed
Hill's Prescription Diet Gastrointestinal Biome Chicken Flavor Dry Dog Food
Product Info
- Protein: 17% Min
- Fat: 9% Min
- Fiber: 9% Max
- Calories: 343 kcal/cup
- Designed to support the bacteria in your dog’s gut
- Uses Hill’s ActivBiome Technology which is a mix of active fibers to improve your dog’s regularity
- Encourages the release of “post-biotics” to support your dog’s G.I. tract and break down food
- Promotes healthy, regular stool and reduces future episodes of soft stool and diarrhea
- Formulated by veterinary nutritionists
- Requires a prescription from your veterinarian
- Expensive
This is a prescription diet with an exclusive recipe formulated by the nutritionists and veterinarians at Hill’s. According to Hill’s the food works with the bacteria in your dog’s stomach. The blend of active fibers in the food move through your dog’s body and encourage the release of “post-biotics.”
Since this is a prescription formula you might consider this food as a last resort but it does receive extremely favorable reviews.
Blue Buffalo Natural Veterinary Diet GI Gastrointestinal Support Dry Dog Food
Product Info
- Protein: 24% Min
- Fat: 12% Min
- Fiber: 5% Max
- Calories: 344 kcal/cup
- Easily-digestible proteins, carbohydrates, and fibers for good absorption
- Prebiotic fibers to support microflora in your dog’s gut
- Contains vitamins E and C, along with antioxidants for a healthy immune system
- Requires a prescription from your veterinarian
- Expensive
It has deboned chicken as the first ingredient with moderate fat. It also uses oatmeal and brown rice as carbohydrate/fiber sources. Prebiotic fibers help keep the digestive track healthy. This formula contains no corn, wheat, or soy.
This Blue Buffalo formula does require a prescription from your veterinarian.
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal High Fiber Dry Dog Food
Product Info
- Protein: 21% Min
- Fat: 14% Min
- Fiber: 12.5% Max
- Calories: 287 kcal/cup
- Formulated for several gastrointestinal issues, including stool problems
- Features highly digestible proteins and prebiotics
- Includes a blend of soluble and insoluble fibers
- Contains Omega-3 fatty acids, DHA from fish oil and EPA
- Requires a prescription from your veterinarian
- Expensive
The food combines highly digestible proteins and prebiotics to encourage a balance of good bacteria in your dog’s gut. It also has a blend of dietary fiber for healthy digestion and good stool quality. Omega-3 fatty acids, DHA from fish oil and EPA help soothe your dog’s G.I. tract.
Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Grain-Free Salmon & Sweet Potato Formula Dry Dog Food
Product Info
- Protein: 21% Min
- Fat: 10% Min
- Fiber: 5% Max
- Calories: 350 kcal/cup
- Limited ingredient diet
- Fish is the single animal protein
- Sweet potatoes, a good dietary fiber, provides the carbohydrates
- Moderate in fat
- No corn, wheat, soy, and no peas
- Does not require a veterinary prescription
- Less expensive than veterinary formulas
- Does not contain probiotics (but you can add these to your dog’s diet)
It has no corn, wheat, or soy, and it’s pea-free. It’s also grain-free. It has no artificial flavors or colors. Salmon and menhaden fish meal protein the animal protein and sweet potatoes provide most of the carbohydrates and they are high in dietary fiber. Plus, this food requires no prescription and it costs less than the veterinary formulas.
Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Turkey & Potato Formula Dry Dog Food
Product Info
- Protein: 26% Min
- Fat: 12% Min
- Fiber: 5.5% Max
- Calories: 430 kcal/cup
- Formulated for dogs with food sensitivities
- Turkey is the first ingredient
- Has low-moderate fat content
- No grains or gluten
- Easily digestible formula with probiotics and prebiotics
- Prescription is not required
- Contains peas and potatoes which can be problems for some dogs
It features deboned turkey and turkey meal as meat protein. This formula is especially good for dogs with food sensitivities and it contains no corn, wheat, soy, glutens, artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors. And, you don’t need a veterinary prescription to buy this food.
Final Thoughts
If your dog has a continuing problem with soft stools or diarrhea, you should have your veterinarian check him out. If your dog doesn’t have a serious health problem, the issue could be food-related. Try one of the foods suggested here and see if it makes a difference for your dog. But remember, your dog probably has a sensitive digestion system, so make any changes in his diet very slowly. Frequent changes and new foods can keep his digestive system upset, so introduce a new food slowly and carefully.
