If you are looking for grocery store brands, both Pedigree and Alpo have chunks in gravy varieties.

Has his vet ever suggested adding more fiber to his diet? That can sometimes help with hard stools.

 

If you are looking for grocery store brands, both Pedigree and Alpo have chunks in gravy varieties.

Has his vet ever suggested adding more fiber to his diet? That can sometimes help with hard stools.

No, what kind of things would that consist of?

 

You might want to get him onto kibble for both her meals. Quality kibble is nutritionally balanced and It certainly would help the $$$ issue. What does his daily food/water intake consist of? If he has rock hard stools, I'd guess it's either a medical problem or the food/drink problem. Does he have access to water 24/7? How big is he (height/weight). Is he too heavy or too skinny?
I'm not likely to know the answer, but answering these questions can provide others here with relevant information to help out.
Edited to correct to "he"

 

You might want to get her onto kibble for both her meals. Quality kibble is nutritionally balanced and It certainly would help the $$$ issue. What does her daily food/water intake consist of? If she has rock hard stools, I'd guess it's either a medical problem or the food/drink problem. Does she have access to water 24/7? How big is she (height/weight). Is she too heavy or too skinny?
I'm not likely to know the answer, but answering these questions can provide others here with relevant information to help out.

He's 32 lbs and drinks 1 - 2 bowls of water a day. His bowl holds a 16 oz bottle of water. He has access to his kibble and water at all times. It's only his wet food that we control. He's not really a kibble eater though. He'll only really eat the kibble when it has the gravy from the wet food on it or when he's going through through a growth spirt. He's a mix between a miniature poodle and a newfoundland.

 

That level of water intake = go to the vet asap and get absolutely everything possible tested, including adrenals and possible diabetes. And in light of the output problem. Asap. Ahead of non-veterinarian suggestions. Good luck, sending good thoughts, and please let us know.

You may want to clarify if this is an outdoor dog or one who lives indoors and just goes out.

 

Indoor dog who we take out to potty. He does stay in a kennel/crate when we leave and at night to sleep. He's way to hyper and we were told that it was a safe way to teach him. He's not always a fan of the kennel but he's learning. His level of water intake honestly just depends on his activity. Did we got for a walk, was he outside with us while we were doing yard work? What's the normal amount of water for a dog?

 

Puppy food isn't recommended for adult dogs. It's formulated to facilitate growth. As an adult, the higher calorie count will contribute to unintended weight gain.

"Puppy diets tend to be higher in calories to support growth and have a different balance of vitamins and minerals to provide optimal nutrition for growing bones and muscles."

How tall at the shoulder is your pup and what is his current weight? Also, how much is he eating a day?

I understand keeping a rein on expenses, but you might find that a higher quality food might mean less food needed overall. This could balance out in the long run.

 

Puppy food isn't recommended for adult dogs. It's formulated to facilitate growth. As an adult, the higher calorie count will contribute to unintended weight gain.

"Puppy diets tend to be higher in calories to support growth and have a different balance of vitamins and minerals to provide optimal nutrition for growing bones and muscles."

How tall at the shoulder is your pup and what is his current weight? Also, how much is he eating a day?

I understand keeping a rein on expenses, but you might find that a higher quality food might mean less food needed overall. This could balance out in the long run.

I'm 5'7 and when he's on all fours his head is at my shoulders, tail to head ...I have a picture actually. He's 32 lbs. He eats 1 thing of Cesar a day and maybe a 1/8 cup of kibble. He's never been a big kibble eater, not even as a puppy. but I keep a cup of it out at all times for him. I might let him have an egg if we're having eggs for lunch but I don't put anything on his.

 

My dogs both consume this amount of water most days, so I don't see that as being an issue. What kind of exercise does he get? What kibble is he eating? If the budget is tight there are options out there. Victor and 4health, and frankly Purina pro is reasonable. If you must add a topper as long as it is a wet food he is getting moisture which I assume is the point your vet is making when he says gravy. Just use a stew type if you want it to be more wet. For example: Pro Plan Focus Large Breed Beef & Rice Wet Dog Food | Purina
You could give him a similar kibble.
I also think if he is only basically eating the cesar wet and not much kibble he is not eating enough, and likely that could also contribute to him having hard stool. I don't use cesar but I've read that adult dogs need approximately 3 ½ trays daily per 10 lbs. body weight. Newfies are big and you say he is mixed with a mini poodle? Thats a odd combo, I'd be curious of the weights on the parents, as that could also give you an idea of how big he should be. At 18 months he no longer needs to be on puppy food, he will not get a benefit , it will likely only make him overweight. My vet usually has me take my dogs off puppy food by 5-6 months (large dogs) as we want the bone growth slower rather than fast. It depends on the dog though. I hope it all works out for you and Coco, he is precious.

 

32oz of water seemed a lot to me, but maybe for a large dog it's okay...

 

Elroy (59 lbs) will often drink about 16-20 oz in one setting. He doesn't hardly ever drink just a little bit. Usually he drinks this amount twice a day (or maybe more).

 

Honestly, with the amount of water he's taking in, there's no reason for his poop to be rock hard. Gravy, even wet food in general, doesn't sound like the problem.

His body simply isn't getting enough nutrients to produce a normal waste product. If he's overdrinking, he may just be trying to fill his near-starving tummy.

Changing a food suddenly isn't generally a good idea but get rid of the old kibble asap, and understand that it's going to cost more than planned to feed him properly.

I don't know what food you found but I'm going to do something that I don't normally and tell you to go buy a small size bag of Purina Pro Plan (no substitutions on the brand) but it can be any of the regular adult versions. Also buy several cans of the Purina Pro Plan regular adult food.

The dry food will come in a 6lb bag size so you can try it.
Dry Dog Food | Purina

Any of the full size canned food
Wet Dog Food | Purina

For the first couple of days mix only the new Purina PP wet food with the old Cesar and don't stint! Feed to his weight! Follow the guidelines!

If he doesn't get a further upset tummy then fade out the Cesar and keep him on the PPP wet but feed to his weight!

Next, in a couple more days, start putting the PPP kibble in his bowl but only about half the portion in the chart above. Top that with the PPP wet food, about half that portion.

Ideally he's getting fed twice a day, but remember that once you mix wet with dry, that food is only good for a hour or so if left uneaten. It can be refrigerated to try again later but that'll be hit and miss for success.
This requires more math as you'll need to split the amounts in the guidelines into two portions.
An alternative plan is to feed the PPP wet half portion as one meal and have the kibble available totally dry for him to graze on thru the day. This works only if there's no other animal in the house that might go for his left out food.

Try this for a couple of days. If he takes to this food and eats enough to support his weight, I'd expect normal stools sooner than later.

If he doesn't like the kibble, don't worry, the big box stores usually have a "take it back" policy, so check on that too.

(I should bring up that the amounts given in the feeding guidelines are given as if that is the only food given thru the day. If he's getting treats or snacks additionally thru the day then the total PPP fed can be reduced a bit. You'll need to have some idea of how many calories he's getting thru treats and snacks to adjust. For the first week of the experiment, tho, just feed per guidelines.)

 

I give a few frozen banana chunks to loosen poop if needed and she loves it. I use pumpkin or baked sweet potato in most meals fed to keep it a nice consistency.