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My Shih Tzu takes Lactulose as needed per his vet for occasional consipation. I’ve been giving him that along with only wet food. Today his stool is kinda soft. He has been taking NaturVet Quiet Moments Plus Melatonin but only half a chew at dinner. Vet did tell me to stop the Lactulose but should I stop the NaturVet Quiet Moments Plus Melatonin? I don’t see much far as side effects with that. Also should I start dry food back since his stool is softer? Thank you

My Shih Tzu takes Lactulose as needed per his vet for occasional consipation. I’ve been giving him that along with only wet food. Today his stool is kinda soft. He has been taking NaturVet Quiet Moments Plus Melatonin but only half a chew at dinner. Vet did tell me to stop the Lactulose but should I stop the NaturVet Quiet Moments Plus Melatonin? I don’t see much far as side effects with that. Also should I start dry food back since his stool is softer? Thank you

Updated On August 19th, 2021

Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Male | neutered | 8 years and 6 months old | 12 lbs

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Answered By C. Rathjens, DVM

Veterinarian

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Hello, thanks for using PetCoach. First off, thanks for including the picture of the active ingredients in the supplement, that's very helpful! It sounds like Romeo has been taking the NaturVet Quiet Moments Plus Melatonin for a while (more than a week), and there are no ingredients in there that I would expect to cause soft stool, so I don't think the supplement is at all related to the stool changes. If anything, anything that helps with calm will help resolve soft stool, since many anxious dogs also have some intestinal issues. On the other hand, the purpose of lactulose is to soften stool, so your vet's recommendation to stop that makes complete sense. That said, you're going to want to keep a close eye on Romeo's stool because he may need to go back on the lactulose in the coming days/weeks. If he's been on the lactulose long term, I would expect him to need it again once whatever is causing his current loose stool is resolved. Have a day or two of mild diarrhea/loose stool is common, and we often never find out why. As far as the food, I'd strongly recommend not changing it. Changes in diet often causes short term diarrhea in dogs, so you could actually make it worse by switching. It sounds like constipation may be a recurring issue for Romeo, in which case just keeping him on the wet food all ways makes the most sense. Finally, there are many possible causes of diarrhea, so if Romeo's stool gets softer, or says soft over the next few days, I'd recommend a check up with his regular vet to rule out some new issue. I hope that answers all your questions!

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