I didn't want to eat up the other thread talking about potatoes so here we go.

 Quote: Jessica Pedicord

Ohhh!! I know this one! Yes, the fiber is mostly just in the skin. I can say this with certainty because my husband is a type 1 diabetic and the amount of insulin he takes to cover eating potatoes varies drastically depending on whether he eats it with the skin on or not (because fiber cancels out some carbs... and potatoes are pretty much just giant starchy carbohydrates)

Cubic inch per inch you're right, skin wins. However the amount of total fiber in a potato is a little more complicated than that.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

I have no personal experience with white potato, but have never recommended it because of having learned that 2/3 (or more, depending on type) of its fiber is in the skin. I see enough anecdotal evidence here about it to revisit the subject.

Boiled Smashed potatoes were suggested to me a year or so ago by a friend with IBS as a fiber source after I explained my woes trying to get my dog to eat pumpkin when he were feeling a little under the weather. I checked the fiber content and saw it matched so I thought I'd give it a try on my next drippy butted pup. It worked, easily mixed with meat taking on the flavor so I didn't have to fight to get them to eat it.

So when the other thread began I wanted to check my reference again. Wikipedia had a rather well cited article about the humble spud which also included a with and without the peel nutritional profile. While with the skin increased the fiber quite a bit, without still had more than the skin alone. It also had a bit about the amount of resistant starches in a potato which would add to it's fiber qualities since dogs usually eat potatoes cold rather than how people usually eat them.

Now I'm not a nutritional expert, I just know it works based on the limited amount of reading I've done on the matter and seeing the effect on my own dogs. How I usually do this is just boil potatoes skin included, smash while still hot, put in the fridge and scoop with their normal dinner or make instant potatoes minus the milk/butter. Since I always have potatoes on hand it seemed like an easy alternative to canned pumpkin.

So, it really works on the pudding pooh? Maggie is having a bout of something and I cannot find any canned pumpkin at the store. I bought a butternut squash and cooked it up. She loves it! But, if potatoes work that would also be easy...

It really works with my dogs. I assume it would work with other dogs too. Searching on the web it appears other people have used this with dogs as well for squishy poo.

Just remember... no green spuds.

well Mel, it did work i guess. with the peel! i stopped medication and continued with the potatoes.. stools are much better.
next time, m gonna try without meds. dont wanna rely on them a lot. we ll see exactly how efficient they d be

thanks for the extra research

 Quote: michel karsouny

well .. stools are much better.

Then I would urge you not to change anything at all from what you are giving now, not to add or increase anything at all, until you have a history of, say, a week with all log poops.

This means don't add beef because you see the poops are "getting better," don't add eggs or liver or anything else.

Get him to perfect (log) poops and then please post so we can guide you through starting to balance the diet very gradually.

when you mean not to change anything as in revert back to what he was eating before i added the skin? does this also mean keep on giving the potatoes?

btw, stopped the potatoes (1day after stable stools).. things went well for 2BMs, but then we went back to some liquid mush..
gonna add potatoes again.

another thing, when i stopped the taters, karly got excessively hungry, can i do sthg to fill the void in his tummy when i remove them again from the diet? maybe gradually decrease and add meat/bone instead?

What did these "normal" meals include exactly and how much? Also how heavy is Karly? How many meals a day?

ok so (350g necks + 125g meat) 3 times a day.
last i checked he was 23.5kgs for 6 1/4 months old pup.
m going for 1400g/day (bit more than 5%) and wanted to go up to 10% so i can up his weight.

i wrote sthg that apparently didnt get posted. AMAZING connection here...

here it is:

"when you mean not to change anything as in revert back to what he was eating before i added the skin? does this also mean keep on giving the potatoes?

btw, stopped the potatoes (1day after stable stools).. things went well for 2BMs, but then we went back to some liquid mush..
gonna add potatoes again.

another thing, when i stopped the taters, karly got excessively hungry, can i do sthg to fill the void in his tummy when i remove them again from the diet? maybe gradually decrease and add meat/bone instead?"

any thoughts guys?

Michel, I think what everybody is trying to tell you is that somehow you managed to get those logs several times. Go back to whatever you were doing and try to get at least a week of logs. Do what you have to do to get the logs - potatoes work - give Karly potatoes. If you want to up the calories, give him more of the same in the same proportions. If you get a week (better yet, a month) of nice solid logs it'll be a huge victory! Stop fooling around with the diet for now