Nighttime Puppy Poop Problems! (Why It Happens & How to Help)

Okay, so last week, I got a new golden retriever puppy, super cute, but man, the poop! Especially at night, it was like a never-ending story. I was starting to lose my mind (and sleep!), so I dove into figuring out what was going on.

First Steps - Ruling Out the Obvious

First thing I did was check with the vet. Just wanted to make sure there weren't any underlying health issues. Thankfully, the vet gave my little furball a clean bill of health. He suggested looking at a few common culprits. He say, maybe puppy's diet and eating schedule, or just adjusting a new home .It's all normal, he say, Just keep an eye.

Deep Dive into Diet

So, with health issues off the table, I started scrutinizing his diet. I was feeding him the puppy chow recommended by the breeder, but I started wondering about the portions and timing.

• Portion Control: I realized I might have been overfeeding him a bit. I was going by the guidelines on the bag, but those are just suggestions, right? Every pup is different. I scaled back the portions slightly, especially the evening meal.
• Ingredient Investigation: I also took a closer look at the ingredients. Lots of fillers and stuff I couldn't even pronounce. I decided to switch to a higher-quality food with more natural ingredients, hoping it would be easier on his little tummy.

Tweaking the Schedule

Next up, the feeding schedule. I was doing three meals a day, with the last one around 7 PM. That seemed reasonable, but clearly, it wasn't working.

• Earlier Dinner: I moved his dinner to 5 PM, giving him more time to digest before bedtime. It's basic, give the food more time!
• Pre-Bedtime Potty Break: I also made sure to take him out for one last potty break right before we went to bed, even if he didn't seem like he needed to go. Just trying to be proactive, you know?

The Results (and the Relief!)

It took a few days of consistently sticking to the new food and schedule, but slowly but surely, the nighttime pooping decreased. It wasn't an overnight miracle, but it was definitely progress.

I can tell you is way less than before!

He still has the occasional accident, especially if he gets into something he shouldn't, but it's so much better than it was. I'm finally getting some sleep, and he seems a lot more comfortable too.

It just goes to show, sometimes it's the simple things. Adjusting the diet, tweaking the schedule, and a whole lot of patience. Puppy parenthood is definitely a learning experience!