choosing a new food

[Christie Kacmarcik]

Ok, looking for a new food for my doodle.  Mollie is 6 yrs old and 65 lbs.  She has sensitivities to almost everything.  Vaccines and especially the rabies are not good.  Last rabies, she had trouble breathing.  Anyhow, back to the digestive issues.  She used to vomit and have diarrhea until we found that grains were a problem.  We were feeding Blue Buffalo until I read that there was some problem with them.  I have been introducing her to Natural Balance because it has a single protein, but have now been told that's no good.  Any suggestion would be appreciated.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There's no problem with Blue Buffalo. Was she doing okay with that? 

[Christie Kacmarcik]

Since she's been on it, she is having bouts of diarrhea about every 4 weeks.  Maybe too  much protein is the thought.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

That thinking is faulty. It's generally foods that are lower in protein and high in carbs (i.e. fillers) that contribute to diarrhea. Higher protein diets generally result in smaller, firmer stools because more of the nutrients are utilized. 

And Blue is not particularly high in protein, even the grain free formulas.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Can you give us a history of the food she has been on as far back as you remember? I need the specific formulas, not just the brands. What Blue formula was she eating?

 Any medications, particularly metronidazole? Any GI infections, giardia, etc? 

Aside from the vaccine issues, what kinds of issues has she had in terms of sensitivities to particular foods? 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Do the bouts of diarrhea every 4 weeks happen to coincide with flea/tick or HW preventatives?

[Abby and Raya]

Raya has a sensitive stomach and we have had good luck with the now! Grain free food.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yes, Petcurean's Now! formulas have worked well for Jane's dogs, too. But we need more info so we can try to pinpoint the problem before switching foods again. It's possible this is a bacterial issue. 

[KLN]

Oh my gosh, poor little doodle! What do you do about her vaccines? Can she get them? So sorry!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Many of us do a three year rabies shot and then blood titers instead of the other core vaccines. This is a good option for dogs who have compromised immune systems or other issues with vaccines. There are also three year versions of the DPP vaccine available. There is never a reason you have to vaccinate a dog every year. 

[KLN]

Good to know! Thanks Karen! I guess I just assumed that's what you "had" to do. What I'm learning (through some very unfortunate situations) is that we all have to ask a lot of questions, do A LOT of research, and never assume...

[Christie Kacmarcik]

Yes, Mollie gets the rabies vaccine every 3 years with titres every year.  She was eating Blue buffalo chicken and brown rice.  The bouts of diarrhea happen the week BEFORE her dose of Trifexis.  Three weeks ago, after 2 weeks in a cage free kennel, she was diagnosed with giardia.  She got sick a couple of days before we picked her up and did not get better until after I took her to the vet.  This coincided with her "every 4 week bout".  

Quite honestly, I can't remember all the foods we've tried since she was a puppy.  I could tell you if we've tried it, if given the name.  We were on Flint River Ranch for a while, before we started have some digestive issues.  

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Well, the giardia meds are exacerbating the issue, unless you were giving her a good probiotic while she was on them. 

I'd put her on a good grain-free diet, with yogurt and pumpkin, and get her on a good probiotic like Proviable DC. The Blue formula you were using contained grains and was not high in protein at all. Flint River is not recommended at all. 

How has she done with the Natural Balance? Which formula did you choose?

Remember, it's the ingredients in any food that make a difference, and not the brand. For example, you could have stayed with Blue and switched to one of their grain-free formula or a limited ingredient formula.