UGH! Dog poop stains on my new carpet?

[Sarah_Rose]

First, I'm apologizing in advance for the gross details!

We have a German Shepherd with "digestive issues". The vets have tested him for everything from allergies to parasites to digestive enzymes and have come up with nothing. He gets diarrhea quite frequently and it seems to be brought on by everything and nothing; foods that were fine one day won't work a few weeks later, stress, new routines... everything gives this dog diarrhea. We deal with it, and I have a method for removing poop from carpet. Crating isn't even an option, as our dog is a rescue dog and has serious "barrier aggression" issues - we tried to crate train him years ago, but no matter how "happy" he would be in the crate while we were home, the second we left he would try to rip the crate apart. One day, he succeeded, and we never tried again. Ditto for shutting him in a room without carpet, but insert claw marks into the doors. Our other German Shepherd, on the other hand, has an iron stomach.

Yesterday, he got really sick while we were out for the afternoon. We found two large "puddles" of diarrhea on the carpet in our master bedroom.... this was the most liquid diarrhea that I've ever had the pleasure of dealing with - he's had diarrhea like this before, it just has never ended up in the carpet. I did my regular routine: soak up all the liquid with paper towels, spray down the patches with Nature's Miracle Stain & Odor Remover, wait a few minutes, soak up all the liquid again, vacuum to remove the "solid bits", spray down again, soak up again, vacuum again, spray down a third time, and then allow to dry. Usually, that does the trick. Nature's Miracle is an enzymatic cleaner that is supposed to be left in the carpet to do it's magic, and usually works wonders for me. I've even had it get dog blood out of cream carpet with no scrubbing at all, after one of my dogs knicked the other one's ear while playing.

This time, however, the dog poop is winning. I can't get the stains or the smell out of the carpet - I'm guessing it's because the diarrhea was so liquidy that it soaked all into the carpet and the carpet pad.

Is there anything I can do (without owning a carpet cleaner) to get rid of it? This carpet is less than 6 weeks old, so it's driving me nuts! If I do need to shell out for a carpet cleaner, can anyone recommend a good one at a decent price?

 

[tiggger1]

it is in a place where you could partially pull up the rug to clean the carpet and pad from the other side?

 

[MommaSnowwhite]

I always put something heavy on the paper towels and leave it overnight (after wetting with the enzyme cleaner).

 

[Sarah_Rose]

it is in a place where you could partially pull up the rug to clean the carpet and pad from the other side?

That is a good question! I've never pulled up carpet before (with the intention of putting it back in place afterwards) to clean - how close to a wall would it have to be? The stains are about 6 ft in from the walls, towards the center of the room.

 

[usnuzuloose]

You need to use an enzyme. We own a carpet cleaning co. If you need to use a carpet machine try not to use so much soap, and use the hottest water you can. It may take a while to suck up the water. Just keep using clean water to suck it up. You can alway get some one to change the pad in the area. Even having our truck mount stains will usually come back from the bleeding from the pad. I feel for your poor dog, just keep loving him. Hope this helps. Jo

 

[Sarah_Rose]

I always put something heavy on the paper towels and leave it overnight (after wetting with the enzyme cleaner).

Oooh, I'm going to try this one right now! I've already gone through two whole rolls of paper towels in the last day, but this is why we buy them in bulk.

 

[bettymae1121]

I adore a product called "Kids and Pets". It's all natural and I've gotten both poop and blood stains out with it. It also gets the smell out. You can find it at Target (at least I can) or you can order online if it's not in stores near you.

http://www.kidsnpetsbrand.com/products.htm

 

[Disney Doll]

I had good luck with a small carpet cleaner made by Hoover I believe. My nephew borrowed it prior to moving out west and it "accidentally" got packed so I never saw it again.

I would saturate it with the enzymatic cleaner and then keep sucking it out. Another thing you might try is a vinegar rinse. Also try baking soda in water...that gets smells/stains out pretty well.

Have you tried your doggie on a wheat free food? Our late dog ted used to get some digestive issues and skin rashes and when we switched him to California Natural, it all disappeared.

 

[2binak]

Our dog is also a rescue thanks for giving a great dog a wonderful home!

For the first 4 years of having her with us, our dog would have occassional boughts of vommiting and/or dirrhea that seemed to come out of nowhere. The vet always said, "Must be something she ate outside." One day, after she vommited 8 times in 8 hours, we took her to the emergency vet. They sent her to a specialist, who, after 2 days of endoscopies, bloodwork, etc. said that the only thing they could figure is that she is allergic to beef flavoring. We immediately switched her food and treats and she has not had a bought of either sickness in 4.5 years.

As for the carpet cleaning, we always use the Bissel Little Green Machine and it works really well for us. Good luck OP

 

[phillmolly]

Nothing new to add about getting the stain out, however, my DM has a border collie that has allergies and is now on diet of Kangroo meat dog food. So far it seems to be working, just thought I would throw that out there.

 

[clutter]

I switched my allergy diahhrea dog to a venison/sweet potato combo with mixed results. Finally, I took her to an internist. She thinks, based on everything we've tried and failed at, that my dog has Irritable Bowel Disease. They can do a test (to the tune of $1,000!), but for now we're trying a low dose of prednisone, which would be the treatment for the most likely cause. So far, so good. And it helps her allergies, too. Of course, she's also had a nasty UTI as well.

(I've found that the red bottle of Natures Miracle is pretty good!)

 

[Sarah_Rose]

OP here - had to leave the computer for the rest of the day, but I did leave the enzyme saturated carpet covered in paper towels and heavy objects and it did seem to make a big difference! I re-sprayed down the area again and changed the paper towels, so hopefully overnight the stains will disappear! I am going to look into picking up a Bissell steam cleaner, though; I just need an easier way to suck up this stuff without gumming up my vacuum.

My poor "sensitive tummy" GSD is the best he has ever been (as in, we only have these issues every couple months instead of a few times a week, now) on Orijen's grain-free fish and potato kibble. I suspect that there is a IBS (or IBS-like) issue going on at the heart of his problems, though. Most of the diarrhea issues seem to be stress-related. We had the inlaws visiting over the weekend, so the combination of new people in the house and a completely different routine just screwed up his poor system.

Despite the stomach problems, Jack is really the best dog I've ever owned and I wouldn't trade him for all the healthy dogs in the world!

 

[Nancyg56]

I also would use a vinegar rinse to get rid of any residual stain and odor. I use vinegar for most of my cleaning issues and it is like a miracle solvent.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Sounds like a mess but I'm glad to hear you are doing ok with getting it out of the carpet.

As for causes, have you ever noticed rabbits in your yard? I ask because my MIL's dogs would get what you are describing from time to time and it turned out to be that her dogs were eating the little rabbit droppings in the yard Once she noticed it I noticed my dog would do it too , only mine didn't get so sick. Her dogs already had sensitive tummies so the added stress was pushing them over the top. For years I thought my dog was just nibbling on grass when he was out there...yuck. It's easier to control when she walks the dog on a leash but harder in the yard. Still, now that MIL watches the dog out there it almost never happens any more.

Once the enzyme thing does it's job breaking stuff down, if you still have a stain I'd recommend Oxyclean. The only thing the stuff can't get rid of is chocolate on white cotton. It seems to work as it dries.

Good luck.

 

[2binak]

I also would use a vinegar rinse to get rid of any residual stain and odor. I use vinegar for most of my cleaning issues and it is like a miracle solvent.

Oh - I totally forgot about white vinegar & baking soda. We have the "How to Clean Practically Anything" book and have done this: Soak the area with white vinegar, let sit overnight, cover area in baking soda, let sit overnight & vaccum the next day. We had to do this a few times each time on a sofa we had, but it worked wonders for getting the stain & smell out.

OP - in addition to the tummy troubles she had, our girl also has anxiety issues from a couple of years of abuse with the owner she was eventually taken away from. We wouldn't trade her for anything!

 

[DisneyKT]

Could you rent a carpet cleaner from a home depot or such in your area. I have had some very large accidents in the past with my dogs. I would use Natures Miracle also. Then I would use it in the carpet cleaner. I think they have the amounts on the back of bottle.

Hope your dog feels better soon.

 

[Jockaroo]

You are doing the right thing using the enzymatic cleaner. Nature's Miracle and Simple Solution are wonderful products and can get out the odor and many stains. However, if residue of the stain remains, or if the stain reappears, try Resolve Pet Stain carpet cleaner. Here is a link to the bottle so you know what to try:

http://www.alice.com/products/1019292

This is in a red bottle with a spray pump; it is a liquid. I read about this on a cosmetics forum and was recommended for taking pigmented powdered makeup out of carpeting. We lost our senior dog last fall to liver cancer. I had a large bile/vomit stain on my bedroom carpet. Cleaning it with the Simple Solution enzyme cleaner removed the odor, but the yellow stain kept reappearing. I tried the Resolve Pet Stain one time and no more spot. I had worked on this place for 4-5 months prior but could not get the stain to go away. One treatment with the Resolve and the spot has not come back yet (2 months). It may not sound like the spot was a big deal, but it was a constant reminder of his illness and very painful to see. Good luck. Have you tried any probiotics for your dog? I've used a product called Probios. Purina also makes one called Forti-flora.

http://www.purinaveterinarydiets.com/CanineProductDetail.aspx?prod=244
http://www.petco.com/product/15479/...-8381-DE11-B7F3-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA

 

[Sarah_Rose]

You are doing the right thing using the enzymatic cleaner. Nature's Miracle and Simple Solution are wonderful products and can get out the odor and many stains. However, if residue of the stain remains, or if the stain reappears, try Resolve Pet Stain carpet cleaner. Here is a link to the bottle so you know what to try:

http://www.alice.com/products/1019292

This is in a red bottle with a spray pump; it is a liquid. I read about this on a cosmetics forum and was recommended for taking pigmented powdered makeup out of carpeting. We lost our senior dog last fall to liver cancer. I had a large bile/vomit stain on my bedroom carpet. Cleaning it with the Simple Solution enzyme cleaner removed the odor, but the yellow stain kept reappearing. I tried the Resolve Pet Stain one time and no more spot. I had worked on this place for 4-5 months prior but could not get the stain to go away. One treatment with the Resolve and the spot has not come back yet (2 months). It may not sound like the spot was a big deal, but it was a constant reminder of his illness and very painful to see. Good luck. Have you tried any probiotics for your dog? I've used a product called Probios. Purina also makes one called Forti-flora.

http://www.purinaveterinarydiets.com/CanineProductDetail.aspx?prod=244
http://www.petco.com/product/15479/...-8381-DE11-B7F3-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA

Hey! I just dug through to the back of my cleaning supplies and found a bottle of Resolve Pet Stain Remover that I bought when my poor GSD became seriously sick (as in, a bacterial infection that took several days at the animal hospital to clear up) a couple years ago and I had to clean up the results of a full night of vomiting all over the house. I remember that the Resolve did manage to get rid of the last bit of stains that wouldn't otherwise budge. Thanks for the reminder!

Sorry to hear about the loss of your senior dog. We adopted an older German Shepherd last year and, though she still acts like a puppy right now (and keeps Jack on his toes - sometimes she even manages to outrun him to the tennis ball! ), I know that she's not going to be with us for the long term and it's tough. It's just little things like knowing that the child that I'm pregnant with right now will probably remember Jack, but will have no memory of Sasha.

Anyway, thanks for your help! I've dug out the resolve and it's going to be my next step after the Nature's Miracle has done all it can!

 

[Sarah_Rose]

As for causes, have you ever noticed rabbits in your yard? I ask because my MIL's dogs would get what you are describing from time to time and it turned out to be that her dogs were eating the little rabbit droppings in the yard Once she noticed it I noticed my dog would do it too , only mine didn't get so sick. Her dogs already had sensitive tummies so the added stress was pushing them over the top. For years I thought my dog was just nibbling on grass when he was out there...yuck. It's easier to control when she walks the dog on a leash but harder in the yard. Still, now that MIL watches the dog out there it almost never happens any more.

You know what, it would seem logical that the dogs were periodically getting into something they shouldn't. However, for the first two years that we had Jack, we lived in an apartment building and he was never outside unless he was on a leash with us. Our vet also kept suggesting this as a possible cause, but the simple fact is that if he was eating something, we would definitely know about it. And actually, the problems have lessened since we moved out of the apartment and to our house (with a yard) - we still supervise the dogs whenever they are outside, though. Mostly because they are so used to having someone outside with them when they go out, they haven't been able to make the switch to being "independent."

 

[labdogs42]

It sounds like your dog has a stress related stomach issue. I have known a number of Shepherds with Separation Anxiety/Stress that causes symptoms like this. Have you tried giving the dog Rescue Remedy when you know he might encounter a stressful situation? e.g. the visitors in your house? It might help. Or one of those DAP pheremone diffusers might help, too. I am a pretty big dog training enthusiast (I teach puppy manners and agility classes), so that's why I'm throwing them out there!

As for the stains, I have a Bissell SpotBot and I LOVE it for pet stains. We have two Labs and a Beagle and the Spot Bot saved us from many potty training stains this year! You're already using nature's Miracle, which is what I use for those kinds of stains, too. Bissell makes a Pet Spot cleaner for the Spot Bot that I use, too. I usually get it as clean as I can with just the nature's Miracle and towels, then I bust out the Spot Bot if I can't get everythign out.

Good luck and I hope you find solutions to the stains and the pooping problem!