PLEASE POTTY

By Friday, September 29, 2017 11 No tags Permalink

I started pleading “please potty” to both Jaxson and Harley the third time around a two mile radius.

We had been out there for what seemed like most of my life.

The runners in Hampton Park had me convinced I was starring in Ground Hog II…

PLEASE POTTY

The cars were beginning to look the same, and I was becoming obsessed with counting sidewalk cracks…

PLEASE POTTY

PLEASE POTTY! –

For as long as I can remember, our potty routine rarely changed. Harley, Leo and Jaxson all ate their food and then we’d go out and have an immediate productive eliminating walk.

That’s been our life – until now!

Horror stories associated with switching food typically involved diarrhea, gas, and even belching (so I’ve heard). Because they’ve been eating the same food most/all of their lives, these issues are somewhat foreign to me. #blessed

But for those reasons – I followed the food transition instructions carefully, so not to upset anyone or anything…

PLEASE POTTY

Transitioning to air dried dog food (an alternative to raw) was smooth as butter’ baby. #doodleliriouslyhappy

Second dinner of 100% new air dried food by Ziwi Peaks started out like any other day. They both finished inhaling their meal like furry little Bissell vacuum cleaners and off we trotted down the street for our walk. Three pees and four blocks later, I was still clenching unused poop bags.

So we continued to walk!

Second lap didn’t concern me too much. After all, it was a nice evening, we had a slight breeze and I was in no rush.

We continued to walk!

Third time around, the breeze vanished. My neck was damp from sweat, Jaxson’s tongue was almost touching the ground and Harley kept dragging behind.

You know you’ve been somewhere longer than you should when the –

  • neighborhood Calico cat who leaped up on the porch the first two times you strolled by, just laid there sunbathing in the middle of the walkway.
  • cute little pup behind the fence didn’t even get up to greet us again…

PLEASE POTTY

  • bird on a hot tin roof kept watching us…

PLEASE POTTY

Can’t begin to explain how embarrassed I was when the elderly owner sitting on the porch of her corner house asked me if everything was alright. #nolie

I guess I looked a little strange walking by her house three times, pleading out-loud – “please potty” as the sun slowly descended between the trees. #doodledark

WHERE IS IT? –

As we approached our driveway Harley panicked and decided to take matters into his own paws. Just the thought of a fourth lap caused him to stop abruptly. When he did, his collar slid as he pulled back on the leash. He wiggled the rest of his head out of the collar and ran up the porch steps.

Our walk ended with no poop.

WHAT I LEARNED –

Because their diet on ZIWI Peak is 98% protein – large smelly stool, and excess gas is a thing of our past. I’ve removed all processed ingredients such as grains, potatoes, rice, beet, cereal, sugars, salts, glycerines, and other fillers. That includes treats as well #alaterpost

Poop may not be something I see after every meal. #didntgetthatmemo Their recipe is 95% digestible ensuring the food is being properly digested and absorbed by their body. More in – less out.

We did have poop the following day. There are some days where someone will not have a poop on both walks, but research is telling me this is nothing to worry about. Poop is solid and teeny tiny in comparison to the past. I can also inhale breathe normally while I p/u too. #hugeplus

Tomorrow will be the end of week two since the switch. I’m pleased with their continued interest in eating as well as Jaxson’s ears.  The staff at ZIWI are super supportive. They’ve got to recognize my telephone number by now – yet they still keep answering when I call! #impressive

THE REST OF THE STORY –

That exhausting evening ended with one tired Jaxson…

PLEASE POTTY

And one pissed-off Harley…

PLEASE POTTY

Thank the Doodle for wine!

Sip sip hooray – make it a wonderful weekend ❤️

 

11 Comments
  • Jan K
    September 29, 2017

    When we switched from regular kibble to grain free, I was led to believe there would be less poop, but I didn’t experience that. Since we have the fenced in yard, we just do clean-up once or twice per day, and when we still had three dogs, it seemed like there was SO MUCH. I thought when we lost Sheba, it would be so much better, but it really wasn’t! It does seem like a little less now that we’ve added the fresh to the kibble. But some days if I’m out there cleaning, and don’t find much, I worry! So I totally understand what you went through, and I’m glad you’re getting all of that figured out now. 🙂

    • Cathy Bennett
      September 29, 2017

      Their poop is certainly different. Solid and small, and really little to no smell. I heard that it wouldn’t smell but honestly I was skeptic. They’re really doing very well on this food. I am super pleased.

  • Mary Ann
    September 29, 2017

    I love your blog!!!! I have a goldendoodle with allergies and am very interested in your findings! Thank you!!!

    • Cathy Bennett
      September 30, 2017

      Hi Mary Ann – thanks so much!!! Don’t we have a lot to talk about LOL – I will email you – we can share stories and PAWhaps help each other through this allergen nightmare….

  • All Things Collie
    September 29, 2017

    That’s too funny! I can just imagine my Scarlett or Ryder doing that! But Kori? That girl is never too tired for another wall. I’ve walked her for an hour, then returned home to switch to another dog for her turn…and Kori is begging to come too. 🙂

    • Cathy Bennett
      September 30, 2017

      Trust me when I tell you – none of us wanted to walk THAT far on that particular day. I was so happy to get home I probably didn’t leave the couch for hours.

  • Monika & Sam
    September 30, 2017

    Species appropriate food is like that since it’s concentrated. The poodles usually only poop once a day. It means the food is nourishing cells and isn’t more waste products. Yay! There should be a warning on the label for parents like the one for dogs regarding the potential digestive upset if transitioning too quickly. Continued good luck.

    • Cathy Bennett
      September 30, 2017

      It’s been two weeks now, and I think we’ve got our rhythm going now. I no longer worry if there’s a morning or evening and I have an unused poop bag in my hand after our walk.

  • Shadow and Ducky's Mom
    October 1, 2017

    So, by “air dried” I assume they mean dehydrated as opposed to actually cooked? So that the meat is truly raw, just not dripping blood when you slice it? I’m just trying to understand the difference.

    Anyway, I can understand the “please potty” anxiety. I remember back before we adopted Ducky – and after as well – I would take Callie and Shadow to the park near the Greenville Zoo for a good walk in the morning. I’d have a bottle of water and their collapsible bowls in the pocket of Shadow’s backpack. We’d walk from one bench to the next, stop and have some water and continue on our way. But no matter how much water she drank, Shadow just refused to pee in public. She just held it in until we got home and then relieved herself out in the back yard. Callie? She didn’t care. As long as she was outside, she relieved herself whenever and wherever she needed to. Same with Ducky.

    • Cathy Bennett
      October 1, 2017

      Not quite – it’s a different process. Dehydrated would make it more of a powder. These resemble (to me) little pieces of jerky. Here’s how the company describes it – “Air-drying is a technique used for centuries to naturally preserve meats. Our modern method stays true to this artisan approach, while eliminating the need for artificial preservatives, sugars or glycerines. Our slow, gentle, twin stage air-drying process crafts a food that is as nutrient-dense and digestible as a completely raw diet but safe, clean to handle and can store for up to 21 months.”

      The potty walks are getting easier #thankthedoodle I don’t rush after each meal and I don’t panic when there’s no poop. They are both old enough to let me know if they need to go later – which they don’t. So if there’s only one poop per day I don’t worry. I am loving the food and it’s intrigued me to look more and more into species appropriate diets.

  • Emma
    October 2, 2017

    We have a pretty regular schedule, but if we don’t do our business on our walk, we know it means we simply have to wait for the next walk. Different foods do mean different potty habits. Better input means less output because our bodies use the input more efficiently. Try a super cheap grocery store dog food diet and you will have like a ton of input and ten tons of smelly, yucky output.